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MINI Cooper Works Racers Face Their First CHALLENGE. PDF Print E-mail
Monday, 11 February 2008
• First race cars airlifted in
• Team handover scheduled for 20 February
• Series kick-off 7-9 March at Eastern Creek
• Eight rounds of adrenaline-pumping door-to-door MINI action imminent The all new MINI Cooper Works R56 CHALLENGE cars have started their first
race.

True to their “Flying Brick” moniker, the first 20 cars are in a race against time,
currently being airlifted from Germany to Australia.

The inaugural Australian MINI CHALLENGE Series kicks off amid much fanfare
at Eastern Creek Raceway on the weekend of 7-9 March.
The first five MINI CHALLENGE racers landed in Sydney this week, after a hectic
bumper-to-bumper dash across the tarmac at a secret German airfield in true
‘Italian Job’ style.

The five identical cars proved their agility leaping effortlessly into the cargo hold
for the Martinair flight.

Once on the ground in Australia the cars wasted no time in exiting the aircraft,
and heading to the quiet sanctuary of the Customs shed where they will await the
arrival of the remainder of the grid.

These race cars are the very first in the world of the new R56 generation MINI
Hardtop and Eastern Creek will host the competition debut for the model. MINI
CHALLENGE race series in Europe will kick off later in the northern spring, and
will be left hand drive configuration.

All MINI Cooper Works CHALLENGE cars are built in Plant Oxford, in the UK,
the home of all MINI production cars. Then they are shipped to BMW Motorsport
in Germany for final race fit out which adds roll cages, fire extinguishers, six-point
safety harnesses and HANS head and neck support compatible race seats as
well as competition brakes, wheels and a distinctive aero body kit.

The MINI CHALLENGE race car is powered by a MINI John Cooper Works
Performance Engine: a four-cylinder inline power unit with twin-scroll
turbocharger and direct petrol injection complete with racing exhaust. The 1,598
cc engine delivers a storming 154 kW which rockets the MINI from the green light
to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 240 km/h.

Stopping is no problem either with massive racing ABS-backed brakes hauling
the 1,150 kg lightweight (including driver) to a standstill from 100 km/h in just 3.1
seconds in 31 metres.

The cars all feature race-bred independent suspension, with MacPherson spring
struts at the front, and a central-arm rear axle, 17-inch aluminium rims in MINI
CHALLENGE design, dampers adjustable for compression and rebound (made
by KW Automotive), along with an adjustable spring strut support at the front.

Mid-corner speed and grip are essential to any race car and the MINI has this in
spades. All MINI models offer gold-standard go-kart like handing and grip, but
with race tyres and an improved limited-slip differential, the MINI Cooper Works
Racer’s cornering ability would be enough to drive leeches around the bend.

The Australian MINI CHALLENGE series comprises eight rounds run in
association with the V8 Supercars Australia calendar, and includes visits to such
iconic locations as Bathurst, Sandown, Phillip Island and Barbagello in Perth.

The rights to televise the MINI CHALLENGE series have been confirmed with the
Seven Network.

MINI Challenge will receive in excess of seven hours of coverage in total,
comprising both live and post-production packages through the season.
The cars will be handed over to teams at a special ceremony at Oran Park on
February 20.

By then, the race cars will have recovered from their jet-lag, and will be set for
take off on a very different type of runway.
 
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