MINI back to Bathurst for the 40th Anniversary of its Historic Win

It was one of the most famous victories of its era, and both Bob Holden and Rauno Aaltonen remember their Bathurst victory with much delight. The 1966 event was especially sweet for Aaltonen as the BMC Works drivers had won the Monte Carlo Rally for the third time in a row - claiming first, second and third placings - only to be disqualified on a dubious technicality concerning headlamp globes. Forty years on from its epic win at the Gallagher 500 race at Mount Panorama, Holden will return to Bathurst to lap the famous track on Sunday 8 October 2006. Holden is now 74 and still a competitive racer and has raced at the mountain circuit 34 times, driving MINIs and Escorts in circuit racing and rallying and he raced a V8 Ute at Bathurst earlier this year and will drive a new MINI Cooper S at the reenactment.

“I am really looking forward to driving a MINI Cooper S at Bathurst again,” says Bob.

“I have never stopped competing, and was last at Bathurst earlier this year racing a V8 Ute, but I expect the MINI will feel a little different, especially through The Dipper.

“Winning Bathurst in 1966 was a special moment, especially as I was driving with Rauno Aaltonen, one of the BMC Works drivers.”

“MINIs really dominated Bathurst in 1966, and they were always fun to drive on the Mountain through the 1960s, hassling the bigger, far more powerful cars and out-cornering them,” says Bob.

“At Bathurst, we formed a train, three MINIs running bumper-to-bumper down Conrod Straight,” Rauno remembers.

“This increased the top speed by 10-15 mph (16-24 km/h). But after a short time the water temperature went up, and one had to come out of the tight line to get some cooling air.

“Bob paid attention to the smallest detail both in technical as well as in tactical matters.

“Bob's recipe was smoothness, soft lines and beautiful treatment of the car, brakes, gearbox and the clutch. I was in total sympathy with this approach as my philosophy was always that smoothness brings speed,” Rauno said.

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