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Boasting huge grids of race cars,
and an excellent club membership,
the Mini Seven Club is always a
favourite for race commentators and
spectators a like. The race cars
offer excellent performance for
money, challenging many of today’s
more modern car formulas on overall
pace. The Mini 7’s and Miglias are
guaranteed to give you a large
amount of overtaking, due to equally
matched machinery but mainly to the
rather un-aerodynamic body that
always gives the car behind a
straight line advantage. Off the
track, the Club has a very friendly
atmosphere with willingness to help
new members become acquainted with
the “tricks of the trade” and where
to get the best advice.
Most drivers and supporters do stay at the circuit at the
weekend races giving an ideal opportunity to discuss the
racing. The cars are ideal for the engineering enthusiast as
although the rules do strictly stipulate what can be
modified on the car, they are specified so that development
of the car can be achieved within a tight budget. If you are
interested in starting racing, the best advice is to come to
a race and chat, then buy yourself an already built car as
this is by far the most economic route.
Club History
The UK's longest running one-make motor racing
championship was introduced in 1966 as Formula Mini 7
restricted tuning 850 engines, control tyres, designed for
low-budget racers starting out. It was the brainwave of the
Mini Se7en Club (then a social/racing society, mainly for
the Mini) and the 750 Motor club (the pioneers of low-cost
motorsport). In 1970, Formula Mini 7 became just Mini Se7en
when Mini Miglias were introduced 1000cc, twin choke, less
restricted tuning, wide slick tyres, and primarily for Mini
Se7eners wishing to progress or for the generally more
experienced saloon racer. Then in 1976, both were renamed
Mini 850 and Mini 1000, as British Leyland, in conjunction
with the now re-structured Mini Se7en Racing Club, came up
with a third, more high-profile series for Mini 1275GT's;
this lasted five seasons before being superseded by Metros
but that's another story…
The basic Mini Se7en format remained unchanged for nigh on
25 years before an increase in engine size to 1000cc in the
1991. What with the 850 engine ceasing production in the
early '80s, replacement parts became harder to source and
the fact that engines were incredibly highly stressed, the
adoption of the more durable, milder tuned 1000 made sense.
In line with the prevailing green issue there was a switch
to unleaded fuel too, and to differentiate the two formulae
once more, the sister Miglia series made the jump to 1300
power in 1994.
One final interesting statistic is the drivers: well over
1150 names appear on the rollcall over 30-odd years; that
relates to around 35 new drivers per season… What other
single-make race series' can claim this strong support over
such a long period.
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