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Mini Cooper 'S'
Engine: Mini 999cc Cosworth MAE
Configuration: front engine, front-wheel drive
Class: Special Saloons up to 1000cc
Driver: Peter Baldwin
Date taken: 1973 at Silverstone
Image Copyright: Gerry Taylor (top)
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Mini 1275 GT
Engine: Mini 1293cc
Configuration: front engine, front-wheel drive
Class: Leyland 1275 GT Challenge
Driver: Peter Baldwin
Date taken: 1978, main straight, Croft
Peter Baldwin started racing in 1968 and is still racing today (2006). Throughout this time he has remained faithful to Minis despite crashing at the first bend, in his first race, in his first Mini. The top picture shows Peter at Silverstone's Woodcote Bend leading a pack of one-litre Minis in his 'Baby B 3' car, the last number changing to suit the formula. Gerry Taylor can be seen to the right trying to overtake in his 'Swish Curtain Rails' Anglia. The lower picture shows Peter in a Mini 1275GT race at Croft, a formula he raced in for 2 years.
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Mini Clubman
Engine: 1300cc Allen BDA
Configuration: front engine, front-wheel drive
Class: GT/Special Saloons
Driver: Peter Baldwin
Date taken: July 1982
Image Copyright: Dave Sabre
This car, Baby B6, is in fact the same car that Reg Ward built and raced to many victories in the up to 850cc class. Peter recognised that the lightweight spaceframe Mini had potential in the larger classes too. He installed the Allen prepared 1300cc BDA engine and gearbox after seeing Peter Kitchens success with the same. The potent mix of engine, car and driver went on to slash many lap records and take many championships from 1980 onwards. The spaceframe was made up of 1 inch (25mm) square tubing and this was covered in a Mini shape fibreglass body. Very little change was made to the original Mini suspension other than to add Armstrong coil sprung shock absorbers, and make it adjustable. Ford Granada disks were used at the front and standard Mini drums at the rear. Peter used this car in ‘Driving Ambition’ a BBC Television series which charted the progress of a middle-ages woman who started to race saloon cars. Peter’s car was painted in the colours of the fictional Ken Lark Motors (sponsors of the main character, Donna Hewitt) and Peter drove in the race sequences. In his long career he can account for nearly 400 wins, others forgotten or not record, and over 25 championships. Peter is still racing in Mini Miglia and has won the National Championship on 5 occasion in recent years; 2000, 2001, 2003 (11 poles and 6 fastest laps), 2004 and 2005 (at the age of 64). For the 2006 season he is preparing to campaign in the Mini Miglia Championship again and also historic saloons. He is still running his rolling road business, first started in the early seventies for Marshall’s his long-time sponsor and employer.
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