[Penguinracer]

These photos are from the October '06 "Nurburgring 700" run by Circuit Days.
The car started as a Hartge & then things got crazy. The Mods are something like this:[list]
Hartge Conversion
GTT CAI
GTT intercooler
GTT 63mm Throttle body
GTT Catchcan
GTT vernier cam sprocket
GTT tensioner limit stop
GTT tensioner pulley
GTT twin bearing idler pulley
GTT remap
Schrick cam
JCW injectors
Iridium plugs
40Kv coil
MiniSpeed oil cooler
MiniSpeed Aluminium undertray/sump guard
MiniSpeed lightweight flywheel & clutch
Quaife ATB differential
Scorpion exchaust manifold
Pro-drive sports cat
Scorpion exhaust system throughout
P & W Camber Plates
Bilstein PSS9 coilovers
Eibach front antiroll bar
Alta 22mm rear antiroll bar
Alta rose-jointed drop links front & rear
Alta rose-jointed upper & lower control arms
Powerflex urethane bushes
Tarox 10-pot brakes
Tarox rear discs & pads
18" OZ Racing Superleggara
215/35/18 Yokoham Parada Spec 2

There's also some video of my brother losing it at Scwedenkreuze but remarkable - no damage done:

Nurburgring Team New Zealand - Circuit Days N700...

This car was an absolute hoot at the 'Ring. The machine now resides in New Zealand.

[AndyH_MCS]

BROWN PANTS!!!!


Just looked like he dipped the wheels on the wrong side of the curb!

The car looks fantastic with a great spec! How did you find the Yokos in what looked like a slightly damp track in places?

[rivet588]

i second that.....BROWN PANTS MOMENT

nice spec car too, i cant wait to go to the ring next year!

woop

[Lolance]

definitely a brown pants moment, for a moment I thought you flipped it!

awesome video...sooo tempted to go down now.

[paulteix]

that´s awesome, saw the video and can´t wait the season to be startet next year hope i´ll see the one or other guy from u...

[Penguinracer]

Hi guys, we found the Yokies to be bloody good all round - they are a brilliant tyre wet or dry.
It's actually my brother's Mini but I pitched in with a good proportion of the readies to develop it because he'd helped me out in plenty of ways, he had kids & school fees to pay & it was fun to share the track day experience.
He's returned to NZ so I've had to move on to a Porsche 944 Turbo which I'm developng for next summer.
In it's current spec the Mini is at the point where the suspension is so stiff & well tied down that the tyres are the limiting factor. The brakes are limited by the tyres & because there is virtually no body roll it'll slide rather than roll & pitch.

I can't recommend the 'Ring enough. It's unlike any other track - very fast (you'll spend a lot of time in a 200+ bhp Mini in the 90 - 110 mph range) & there's virtually no run-off. It's the opposite of Bedford where you can take your car to the limit, take liberties & can make a consequence-free mistake. On a summer's weekend on any given lap you'll see 3-5 crashed cars & a couple of bikes down. Not all nasty crashes - but crumpled cars nonetheless. As long as you don't go crazy & build your pace gradually you'll be fine.

We really enjoyed the cameradierie of doing the trip with the lads from Circuit Days - good down to earth northern lads always up for a laugh, a bevy & a tall story.

The ultimate 'Ring website is Ben Lovejoy's site at: www.nurburgring.org.uk

Ben came on our trip - the "Nurburgring 700."
Be warned it is truely addictive - you will remortgage your house, sell your wife & daughters & send your son down the mines to feed your habit!

It's much harder to drive a relatively low-powered car quickly there than a supercar. In the Mini you do have to carry as much speed as possible through the apex - in a supercar some of the lesser drivers are quite cautious in the corners & give it a bit of "point & squirt" on the straighter bits.

Then you'll see the local lads in stripped & caged Mark II Golfs absolutely wasting 911 turbos & Ferraris because they know the huge track (20 km & 72 corners!) so well they can keep it flat when everyone else is backing off!

One of the other lads, Adam, was there in an Evo 8 FQ 300 chipped to 360 bhp & the video below shows some of his laps plus some footage of us in the Mini (me driving this time) as he caught up with us:

Nurburgring 700 Evo 8 - Circuit Days...