Smallhorses
Staff Emeritus
- 7,260
Here's another enduro write up, for you lads (& lasses) who enjoy reading such things, and the first of 2 parts of a sorry tale. I spent good time & effort (2 x 2hr Enduros + all the time it took pausing the game to make notes) to do some impressive & really close racing, and both times managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory!
A while back, when I wrote up the PD cup review in the 300ZX, I mentioned taking a break from typing to do the Rome Enduro in a Mini. It's been a while, but I've been hellishly busy with work & social life (not to mention spending hrs trying to shave precious 1/10ths off my laptimes for the weekly online race events that I've recently discovered!) and haven't had time to actually get round to typing this up!
Anyway.....
It was a bright sunny day in Italy as I trundled my Cooper, fresh from a re-enactment of the 1969 Italian Job movie in Turin, into the streets of Rome for its next challenge! It'd been modded up to the max, 178HP, 640Kg and PWR of 3.595.
It was wearing odd shoes too, T2 Super-Slicks at the front and T3 Slicks at the rear.
Rome Enduro is a tough race at the best of times and 25 reloads later I got a field I liked the look of. (The Clio Sport V6 and TVR Griffith 500 will not just toast the Mini, but spread it with butter & jam for you too!)
In there with me were the following drivers....
1) Audi TT 1.8T Quattro
2) BMW 328ci
3) Alfa-Romeo 156 2.5V6 24V
4) Fiat Coupe Turbo Plus
5) Peugeot 206 S16
2 Germans, 2 Italians, a solitary Frenchman and the Mini holding the flag for Britain.
Starting, as ever from the back of the grid, (I never bother with qualifying) we came out of the formation lap and rolled up to the start while the lights went green and its go, go, go!
Since all of the other contenders have a straight line advantage over the Mini, I was left for dead through the first two flat out righthanders (T1 & T2) and only closed up on the field under braking for the two sharper lefts. (T3 & T4)
Accelerating through the very shallow right (T5) I was again breathing 5 different exhausts, but was able to gain under braking for the very sharp right (T6) and again for the gentler right (T7) making full use of the rumblies.
Up to the left hander (T8) and the BMW is out in front and I'm at the back trailing the Alfa, but seize the opportunity to pass him when he runs wide at the next right (T9) and loses time through the gentle left (T10) out onto the back straight.
The Alfa makes use of it speed, and gains a lot of lost time down the back straight, but I hold a tidy line through the gentle left (T11) and under braking for the 2 sharp rights (T12 & T13) before the Start/Finish straight. I finished Lap 1 in 5th place, with a 1'49.478 lap and some 5.099s down from the BMW already!
(that's taken care of naming all the bends! I'll refer to them as Tx from now on...)
Lap 2 started with the Alfa steaming back in front of me, only to run wide at T1, and I took back his place and set about catching the Audi. Rode through T9 & T10 side by side with the Audi and pass him coming out of T13, again superior HP plays a role in allowing him to finish the lap alongside me despite him hitting the wall outside the turn! I'm now 8.224s back from the BMW and the gap is already starting to look like a big task for the Mini to tackle!
Lap 3 sees the Audi make the same error as the Alfa did the previous lap and he allows me through into 4th place again just before T2, and I run alongside the Fiat through the lefts of T3 & T4 but can't make the move stick. Finished the lap in 4th, 11.3s back from BMW.
Lap 4 and I pass the Fiat in the same way as Audi and Alfa, capitalising on the error through T1, my tyres are warming up nicely now and by checkpoint 2 I've taken a second back from the BMW, but lose it through T12 & T13, to finish the lap 11.5s back!
Laps 5 and 6 I took advantage of the clean air to move away from the Fiat, Audi and Alfa and set about the Peugeot in 2nd place, and since he's making the same mistake as the previous 3 cars at T1, I'm on his tail at the end of lap 6.
Lap 7 was the fastest lap of the race at 1'39.237, and I passed the Peugeot to finish it in 2nd place, however, the BMW was still able to extend his lead on warming tyres, to 12.6s
Laps 8-12 I was able to post a succession of high 1'39s and low 1'40s to chip into the BMW's lead, and pull away from the 3rd placed Pug. (9.980s to BMW at the end of lap 12)
By lap 14 I can see a glimpse of the BMW at the end of the back straight into T11
as I exit T10, his tyres are going as quickly as mine, and I'm able to chisel the gap down to a hair over 8s. Lap 15 sees the Mini's tyres are beginning to go orange on the LHS of the car, while they're yellow on the RHS.
Lap 18, and the BMW pits from just 4.778s ahead, and I follow him in. The Peugeot also makes his 1st stop from 3rd. The acceleration difference shows again by checkpoint 1 as the BMW has gained over 2s, to lead by 6.919s! Meanwhile the Fiat pits from 4th.
Lap 19 was the outlap and I posted a 1'58.740, leaving the BMW with a 8.3s advantage.
Lap 20 saw the Audi's first pitstop.
By lap 23, the BMW's new rubber is allowing him to pull away a little into a 10.3s lead.
Lap 25 and the Mini's tyres are warming up again and I post the 1st 1'39s lap in a while and gain something back, down to 9.2s to BMW at the end of lap 27.
Lap 29 sees the BMW lap the Alfa, while the Mini manages the same on lap 30 with a clean pass through T9 & T10 out onto the back straight, where the gap at checkpoint 2 is down to 5.7s in favour of the BMW.
Lap 32 and the BMW laps the Fiat, however, the hapless Italian unlaps himself through T13 and blocks the BMW somewhat, slowing him down onto the S/F straight. I closed up to 3.4s behind.
Lap 33, BMW tries to pass Fiat at the very sharp T6, but Fiat comes back at him again, they're clearly not the best of friends! They go through T7 & T8 side-by-side and somehow the Fiat is ahead again through T9 & T10 onto back straight. The BMW finally makes his lapping move stick through T12, although the excitement of the lap has left me only 2.5s behind him, but with the onerous task of trying to lap the Fiat myself!
Lap 34 I have the same fun as the BMW trying to pass the Fiat, get alongside several times and he nudges me into various barriers. Got a run on him down the back stretch, and despite being bumped from behind under braking for T12, I held it together through T13 and finished the lap ahead of the Fiat, but 4.2s shy of the Bimmer.
Lap 35, the BMW has some fun lapping the TT. Passed it through T's 7&8, only for it to come back at him through T's 9&10, he was able to hold off the Audi onto the back stretch, but I took the opportunity to shave a second from his lead. The Alfa pits finally at the end of his 34th lap!
Lap 36 and I pass the Audi through inside of T7 and I hold it through T's 8,9&10 with him breathing down my neck. The BMW pits in, and I'm going in too, when the TT shunts me so hard through T13 that I barely make the pit entrance! I'm 3.2s behind BMW into the pits and the Audi & Fiat are able to unlap themselves for a while. (Oh joy! We'll have to re-lap them!!)
Lap 37 I posted a 2'00.703 outlap, with a gap of 9.4s to BMW (mostly due to pausing at a bad point, to note that the Peugeot was also pitting, and promptly clobbering the wall outside T6 after restarting!)
Lap 38 and the BMW isn't messing this time, strolls past the Fiat through T's 7&8 and takes off down the back stretch like a driver possessed! The Fiat pits at the end of his 37th lap thankfully, so I pass him in the pits and finish the lap 9.9s behind the BMW.
Lap 40 I begin the lap 10.0s behind BMW and he passes Audi again, without too much fuss this time.
Lap 41 I'm able to pass Audi cleanly through T12 and he pits at the end of his 40th lap, so he doesn't try to ram me at T13 this time!
Lap 43 and the gap to the BMW is holding at a fairly constant 10s.
Lap 46 I'd posted 3 consecutive sub-1'40s (1'39.689, 1'39.417 and 1'39.631) and the gap had fallen to 8.5s.
Lap 50 and the tyres are starting to fade, but so are those on the BMW. Had put in some clean low-1'40 laps and the gap dropped to 4.7s.
Lap 51 and the BMW slams the wall outside T9, I'm on an unexpected flyer too, a 1'39.682 laptime on degrading tyres left me just 1.793s behind at the end of the lap!
Lap 52 the BMW makes the same mistake outside T9, and I'm able to slip round the outside, through the inside on T10 and into 1st place for the 1st time just before checkpoint 2, and there's a gap of -0.375s to the BMW there! His straightline advantage means he's right back to nudge me under braking for T12, but I'm able to hold out to the end of the lap before he pulls alongside, and I finish a lap in the lead, but only by 0.131s!!!
Lap 53 I take back the lead again as the BMW pulls left across me to take the fast righthander T1 and runs wide, he's able to catch up through the lap though and is still only 0.136s behind at the end of it. The Alfa pits again at the end of his 51st lap.
Lap 54 Mini pits from 1.1s lead over BMW. However, the BMW is off its jacks before me and passes me out of the pitlane!
Lap 55 an outlap of 1'59.040 leaves the BMW with only a 3.2s advantage at the end of the lap, while the Peugeot pits at the end of his 54th lap too.
Lap 56 and the gap at checkpoint 2 is down to 1.9s, as the BMW & Mini gain on the Peugeot and Alfa.
Lap 57, the BMW pulls off an outrageous 2nd lapping of the Alfa, round the outside of the very sharp right T6! I get alongside the Alfa through T12, but in order to avoid the inevitable ramming (and timeloss) if I'd stayed online for T13, I back off a little and the Alfa goes round the outside, and we cross the finish line alongside each other as he stretches his legs down the straight.
Lap 58 I take the Alfa, to put him 2 laps down, after he runs wide on T1. The Fiat pits again at the end of his 56th lap, and I finish the lap 3.9s back from BMW which is gaining on the Peugeot.
Lap 59, the BMW tries the same round-the-outside move at T6 on the Peugeot without success, then inside at T8 without success. He passes through T10 and leads the Peugeot (now a lap down) narrowly through T's 11,12&13. I'm able to gain some time thanks to the Peugeot and finish the lap 3.2s behind the BMW and gaining on the Peugeot.
Lap 60. The Decider. I'm side-by-side with Peugeot (who's fighting for scraps) through T10, but he pulls away down the back straight, as I cross the checkpoint 2 line just 2.3s behind the BMW. The Mini senses a victory by a small margin, has the bit between its teeth and is charging like a rhino.... I pass the Peugeot cleanly through the inside of T12, and we come out neck & neck. Then he braked way too early for T13, like he was heading for the pits again, and I was forced to go outside him. He hits the inside of the turn and bounces me into the Armco outside the bend, and takes off down the straight like nothing's happened! 🤬
I cross the line 4.1s back from BMW having lost 2s in less than 1/2 a lap! 🤬
Lap 61 and I'm back on the tail of the Peugeot through T10, again pass through T12 and he rams me into the barrier at T13. Again, 2s goes begging and the BMW extends his lead to 6.2s.
Lap 62 I finally lap the mother- 🤬 Peugeot out of T4 and hold my line into T6 to see him off. I close up on the Fiat through T10 and pass him on the inside of T12. This time as he's lapped a 2nd time he doesn't fight back and I'm able to finish the lap 5.5s behind the leader.
It was going to be a fight to the death, and thanks to the Peugeot's rather ungentlemanly conduct the Mini is bleeding pretty badly already.....
Lap 64 and the BMW is lapping well and passes the Audi again without difficulty.
Lap 65 I gain on the Audi and I'm 6.159s back from the Bimmer at checkpoint 2.
Lap 66 I pass the Audi and take back 0.5s from the BMW.
Lap 68 and the BMW is running on worn tyres. But then so am I! Gap is down to 4.3s and the 2hr mark is approaching fast!
Lap 71, the 2 hrs is up and the BMW crosses the line just 1.5s ahead of the hard-charging Mini.........& I'm thinking, just 1 more lap please!!!
But alas, 2hrs is 2hrs, and that's the way it finished!
2nd place, 85000Cr and a black-eye for the AI Peugeot driver!!!
Bummer huh?
Shows it can be done though. 2hrs of Rome in a Mini, and a win....
Well, there's always next time and the Mini is always happy to have a go!
Thanks for reading (if you got this far!) hope you enjoyed!
Part 2 will follow soon....
A while back, when I wrote up the PD cup review in the 300ZX, I mentioned taking a break from typing to do the Rome Enduro in a Mini. It's been a while, but I've been hellishly busy with work & social life (not to mention spending hrs trying to shave precious 1/10ths off my laptimes for the weekly online race events that I've recently discovered!) and haven't had time to actually get round to typing this up!
Anyway.....
It was a bright sunny day in Italy as I trundled my Cooper, fresh from a re-enactment of the 1969 Italian Job movie in Turin, into the streets of Rome for its next challenge! It'd been modded up to the max, 178HP, 640Kg and PWR of 3.595.
It was wearing odd shoes too, T2 Super-Slicks at the front and T3 Slicks at the rear.
Rome Enduro is a tough race at the best of times and 25 reloads later I got a field I liked the look of. (The Clio Sport V6 and TVR Griffith 500 will not just toast the Mini, but spread it with butter & jam for you too!)
In there with me were the following drivers....
1) Audi TT 1.8T Quattro
2) BMW 328ci
3) Alfa-Romeo 156 2.5V6 24V
4) Fiat Coupe Turbo Plus
5) Peugeot 206 S16
2 Germans, 2 Italians, a solitary Frenchman and the Mini holding the flag for Britain.
Starting, as ever from the back of the grid, (I never bother with qualifying) we came out of the formation lap and rolled up to the start while the lights went green and its go, go, go!
Since all of the other contenders have a straight line advantage over the Mini, I was left for dead through the first two flat out righthanders (T1 & T2) and only closed up on the field under braking for the two sharper lefts. (T3 & T4)
Accelerating through the very shallow right (T5) I was again breathing 5 different exhausts, but was able to gain under braking for the very sharp right (T6) and again for the gentler right (T7) making full use of the rumblies.
Up to the left hander (T8) and the BMW is out in front and I'm at the back trailing the Alfa, but seize the opportunity to pass him when he runs wide at the next right (T9) and loses time through the gentle left (T10) out onto the back straight.
The Alfa makes use of it speed, and gains a lot of lost time down the back straight, but I hold a tidy line through the gentle left (T11) and under braking for the 2 sharp rights (T12 & T13) before the Start/Finish straight. I finished Lap 1 in 5th place, with a 1'49.478 lap and some 5.099s down from the BMW already!
(that's taken care of naming all the bends! I'll refer to them as Tx from now on...)
Lap 2 started with the Alfa steaming back in front of me, only to run wide at T1, and I took back his place and set about catching the Audi. Rode through T9 & T10 side by side with the Audi and pass him coming out of T13, again superior HP plays a role in allowing him to finish the lap alongside me despite him hitting the wall outside the turn! I'm now 8.224s back from the BMW and the gap is already starting to look like a big task for the Mini to tackle!
Lap 3 sees the Audi make the same error as the Alfa did the previous lap and he allows me through into 4th place again just before T2, and I run alongside the Fiat through the lefts of T3 & T4 but can't make the move stick. Finished the lap in 4th, 11.3s back from BMW.
Lap 4 and I pass the Fiat in the same way as Audi and Alfa, capitalising on the error through T1, my tyres are warming up nicely now and by checkpoint 2 I've taken a second back from the BMW, but lose it through T12 & T13, to finish the lap 11.5s back!
Laps 5 and 6 I took advantage of the clean air to move away from the Fiat, Audi and Alfa and set about the Peugeot in 2nd place, and since he's making the same mistake as the previous 3 cars at T1, I'm on his tail at the end of lap 6.
Lap 7 was the fastest lap of the race at 1'39.237, and I passed the Peugeot to finish it in 2nd place, however, the BMW was still able to extend his lead on warming tyres, to 12.6s
Laps 8-12 I was able to post a succession of high 1'39s and low 1'40s to chip into the BMW's lead, and pull away from the 3rd placed Pug. (9.980s to BMW at the end of lap 12)
By lap 14 I can see a glimpse of the BMW at the end of the back straight into T11
as I exit T10, his tyres are going as quickly as mine, and I'm able to chisel the gap down to a hair over 8s. Lap 15 sees the Mini's tyres are beginning to go orange on the LHS of the car, while they're yellow on the RHS.
Lap 18, and the BMW pits from just 4.778s ahead, and I follow him in. The Peugeot also makes his 1st stop from 3rd. The acceleration difference shows again by checkpoint 1 as the BMW has gained over 2s, to lead by 6.919s! Meanwhile the Fiat pits from 4th.
Lap 19 was the outlap and I posted a 1'58.740, leaving the BMW with a 8.3s advantage.
Lap 20 saw the Audi's first pitstop.
By lap 23, the BMW's new rubber is allowing him to pull away a little into a 10.3s lead.
Lap 25 and the Mini's tyres are warming up again and I post the 1st 1'39s lap in a while and gain something back, down to 9.2s to BMW at the end of lap 27.
Lap 29 sees the BMW lap the Alfa, while the Mini manages the same on lap 30 with a clean pass through T9 & T10 out onto the back straight, where the gap at checkpoint 2 is down to 5.7s in favour of the BMW.
Lap 32 and the BMW laps the Fiat, however, the hapless Italian unlaps himself through T13 and blocks the BMW somewhat, slowing him down onto the S/F straight. I closed up to 3.4s behind.
Lap 33, BMW tries to pass Fiat at the very sharp T6, but Fiat comes back at him again, they're clearly not the best of friends! They go through T7 & T8 side-by-side and somehow the Fiat is ahead again through T9 & T10 onto back straight. The BMW finally makes his lapping move stick through T12, although the excitement of the lap has left me only 2.5s behind him, but with the onerous task of trying to lap the Fiat myself!
Lap 34 I have the same fun as the BMW trying to pass the Fiat, get alongside several times and he nudges me into various barriers. Got a run on him down the back stretch, and despite being bumped from behind under braking for T12, I held it together through T13 and finished the lap ahead of the Fiat, but 4.2s shy of the Bimmer.
Lap 35, the BMW has some fun lapping the TT. Passed it through T's 7&8, only for it to come back at him through T's 9&10, he was able to hold off the Audi onto the back stretch, but I took the opportunity to shave a second from his lead. The Alfa pits finally at the end of his 34th lap!
Lap 36 and I pass the Audi through inside of T7 and I hold it through T's 8,9&10 with him breathing down my neck. The BMW pits in, and I'm going in too, when the TT shunts me so hard through T13 that I barely make the pit entrance! I'm 3.2s behind BMW into the pits and the Audi & Fiat are able to unlap themselves for a while. (Oh joy! We'll have to re-lap them!!)
Lap 37 I posted a 2'00.703 outlap, with a gap of 9.4s to BMW (mostly due to pausing at a bad point, to note that the Peugeot was also pitting, and promptly clobbering the wall outside T6 after restarting!)
Lap 38 and the BMW isn't messing this time, strolls past the Fiat through T's 7&8 and takes off down the back stretch like a driver possessed! The Fiat pits at the end of his 37th lap thankfully, so I pass him in the pits and finish the lap 9.9s behind the BMW.
Lap 40 I begin the lap 10.0s behind BMW and he passes Audi again, without too much fuss this time.
Lap 41 I'm able to pass Audi cleanly through T12 and he pits at the end of his 40th lap, so he doesn't try to ram me at T13 this time!
Lap 43 and the gap to the BMW is holding at a fairly constant 10s.
Lap 46 I'd posted 3 consecutive sub-1'40s (1'39.689, 1'39.417 and 1'39.631) and the gap had fallen to 8.5s.
Lap 50 and the tyres are starting to fade, but so are those on the BMW. Had put in some clean low-1'40 laps and the gap dropped to 4.7s.
Lap 51 and the BMW slams the wall outside T9, I'm on an unexpected flyer too, a 1'39.682 laptime on degrading tyres left me just 1.793s behind at the end of the lap!
Lap 52 the BMW makes the same mistake outside T9, and I'm able to slip round the outside, through the inside on T10 and into 1st place for the 1st time just before checkpoint 2, and there's a gap of -0.375s to the BMW there! His straightline advantage means he's right back to nudge me under braking for T12, but I'm able to hold out to the end of the lap before he pulls alongside, and I finish a lap in the lead, but only by 0.131s!!!
Lap 53 I take back the lead again as the BMW pulls left across me to take the fast righthander T1 and runs wide, he's able to catch up through the lap though and is still only 0.136s behind at the end of it. The Alfa pits again at the end of his 51st lap.
Lap 54 Mini pits from 1.1s lead over BMW. However, the BMW is off its jacks before me and passes me out of the pitlane!
Lap 55 an outlap of 1'59.040 leaves the BMW with only a 3.2s advantage at the end of the lap, while the Peugeot pits at the end of his 54th lap too.
Lap 56 and the gap at checkpoint 2 is down to 1.9s, as the BMW & Mini gain on the Peugeot and Alfa.
Lap 57, the BMW pulls off an outrageous 2nd lapping of the Alfa, round the outside of the very sharp right T6! I get alongside the Alfa through T12, but in order to avoid the inevitable ramming (and timeloss) if I'd stayed online for T13, I back off a little and the Alfa goes round the outside, and we cross the finish line alongside each other as he stretches his legs down the straight.
Lap 58 I take the Alfa, to put him 2 laps down, after he runs wide on T1. The Fiat pits again at the end of his 56th lap, and I finish the lap 3.9s back from BMW which is gaining on the Peugeot.
Lap 59, the BMW tries the same round-the-outside move at T6 on the Peugeot without success, then inside at T8 without success. He passes through T10 and leads the Peugeot (now a lap down) narrowly through T's 11,12&13. I'm able to gain some time thanks to the Peugeot and finish the lap 3.2s behind the BMW and gaining on the Peugeot.
Lap 60. The Decider. I'm side-by-side with Peugeot (who's fighting for scraps) through T10, but he pulls away down the back straight, as I cross the checkpoint 2 line just 2.3s behind the BMW. The Mini senses a victory by a small margin, has the bit between its teeth and is charging like a rhino.... I pass the Peugeot cleanly through the inside of T12, and we come out neck & neck. Then he braked way too early for T13, like he was heading for the pits again, and I was forced to go outside him. He hits the inside of the turn and bounces me into the Armco outside the bend, and takes off down the straight like nothing's happened! 🤬
I cross the line 4.1s back from BMW having lost 2s in less than 1/2 a lap! 🤬
Lap 61 and I'm back on the tail of the Peugeot through T10, again pass through T12 and he rams me into the barrier at T13. Again, 2s goes begging and the BMW extends his lead to 6.2s.
Lap 62 I finally lap the mother- 🤬 Peugeot out of T4 and hold my line into T6 to see him off. I close up on the Fiat through T10 and pass him on the inside of T12. This time as he's lapped a 2nd time he doesn't fight back and I'm able to finish the lap 5.5s behind the leader.
It was going to be a fight to the death, and thanks to the Peugeot's rather ungentlemanly conduct the Mini is bleeding pretty badly already.....
Lap 64 and the BMW is lapping well and passes the Audi again without difficulty.
Lap 65 I gain on the Audi and I'm 6.159s back from the Bimmer at checkpoint 2.
Lap 66 I pass the Audi and take back 0.5s from the BMW.
Lap 68 and the BMW is running on worn tyres. But then so am I! Gap is down to 4.3s and the 2hr mark is approaching fast!
Lap 71, the 2 hrs is up and the BMW crosses the line just 1.5s ahead of the hard-charging Mini.........& I'm thinking, just 1 more lap please!!!
But alas, 2hrs is 2hrs, and that's the way it finished!
2nd place, 85000Cr and a black-eye for the AI Peugeot driver!!!
Bummer huh?
Shows it can be done though. 2hrs of Rome in a Mini, and a win....
Well, there's always next time and the Mini is always happy to have a go!
Thanks for reading (if you got this far!) hope you enjoyed!
Part 2 will follow soon....
