MINIUSA and ABF Build the Fastest MINI

MINIUSA Press Release
Woodcliff Lake, NJ – August 15, 2008… After multiple rounds of testing and nail biting qualifying runs for PINKS ALL OUT at Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ, July 25th – 26th, the 650-horsepower MINI Cooper S drag racer, custom built by ABF Performance, emerged a crowd favorite and newly appointed giant killer. Piloted by Vincent Tennessee Kung, MINI USA’s Product Manager, the little “MINI That Could” took down car after car with multiple 10-second passes and trap speeds exceeding 135mph.
Officially the “World’s Quickest and Fastest MINIâ€, this Cooper S Hardtop has clocked a record-setting 10.48 elapsed time at 135.16 MPH, but not before sending home a Big-Block-equipped Camaro with a blistering start from PINKS ALL OUT host Rich Christensen’s “Arm Drop.†This incredible performance resulted from the collaboration between ABF Performance, MINI USA and MINI Financial Services. With its custom carbon-fiber bodywork and distinctive “Get Your Hands on a MINI†graphics (which shows two hands trying to grab the 1,750-pound race car) there is certainly no mistaking this MINI for any other car on the racetrack. Getting the miracle MINI into 9-second zone is just a few suspension tweaks away.
But the fun doesn’t stop at 1,320 feet out. Thanks to the massive R&D that went into building this car, ABF Performance will continue to build on its extensive portfolio of performance parts for street-bound and race-only MINIs. In addition, ABF Performance will keep on designing and building a range of turnkey race cars available for purchase by motorsports enthusiasts. Also, ABF Performance will support a number of Club Racing series at racetracks throughout the U.S., calculated to demonstrate the racing capabilities of the MINI platform, while strengthening the community of MINI enthusiasts and giving them an opportunity to sharpen their driving skills.
Vincent Tennessee Kung, MINI Product Manager, stated, “The collaborative effort between MINI USA and ABF Performance has resulted in record-making power and speed. As the new generation of MINIs makes its way into the hands of racers, we look forward to seeing what the aftermarket can accomplish both on the dragstrip and on the road course.â€
Hubie Fuh, Executive Vice President of ABF PERFORMANCE, INC. added, “The new second-generation MINI platform represents a solid and flexible platform for the construction of extreme high-performance automobiles. We look forward to developing the new platform through our signature racing programs and competing at a variety of racing venues, including Drag, Drift, and Road Racing events over the coming years. We also look forward to making the MINI brand one of the most respected in all of motorsports. The combination of MINI’s fundamental engineering and our performance enhancements will help MINI USA and ABF Performance achieves this goal easily.â€
The MINI drag racer, a 2002 MINI Cooper S, has been extensively engineered and tuned by ABF Performance and performed flawlessly over one week of grueling competition in tough heat and humidity. The only hiccup for the team was the factory axles, which snapped like toothpicks under Kung’s driving demands and repeated requests of “more power.†Running 38 psig of turbo boost and making 9000 rpm shifts didn’t help matters much either.
The MINI Cooper S Drag racer speeds on to other appearances and races this fall, including:
• October 18-19: Battle of the Imports (BOTI), California Speedway, Fontana, CA
• November 4 – 7: Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA), Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV (display only)
14 Comments
ABF…. A Ball of Fire?
You know, this looks a LOT like Fireball Tim’s M600 MINI drag car, right down to the body mods and horsepower figures and run times. Also Hubie Fuh was heavily involved in Fireball Tim’s car. Is this the same car just repainted and decaled?
Come to think of it, it makes sense that it’s the same car. Otherwise, why would MINI fund the developement of a promo and race car that no longer reflects the cars they currently have in production?
It’s the same car.
Does anyone knows when it will be aired on Speed TV?
Thanks.
Not sure when this will air. Keep an eye on the <a href="http://www.speedtv.com/programs/pinks/" rel="nofollow">Pinks</a> page for details and time.
😉
Sorry, I am a bit out of the loop. Is ABF the same as Fireballed ? Or something?
It’s the same car that was built by FIREBALLED RACING, which was headed by Hubie and not Fireball Tim as TSizemore3 mentions. Congrats to Hubie, Chris, Vinny, Jan and the others involved. Keep pushing the envelope fellas.
Here’s a proper picture of the car.
<a href="http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k253/emilymartian/chris/MMUSA/ABF/OMG_1.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc">http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k253/emilymartian/chris/MMUSA/ABF/OMG_1.jpg</a>
Fireball Tim was never involved with the build or the relationship with MINI USA. He was an add on that was let go for failing to be worth the paper he draws on.
So has this has been achieved with the Chrysler Tritec engine supercharged or is the engine drastically different to the standard mill?
Here is the time when it will be aired. Quoted from Pinks website:
<blockquote>
Season Two of PINKS All Out on SPEED can be seen every Thursday night at 9 p.m., ET, with the Old Bridge Township Raceway Park episode airing Oct. 2.
</blockquote>
Someone let me know if I am wrong.
My understanding is the the engine head is still stock (Supercharged Tritec).
THe motor while still the tritec is no longer super charged, but rather Turbo charged.
here’s a video.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i33lTY-AH4g" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i33lTY-AH4g</a>