Pump it up

David Franks is a man used to going places. Fast. So not surprisingly when he signs off his shift as a firefighter he likes to continue in the same vein. Going places. Fast.

Of course that kind of thing could get a chap arrested, so his need for speed is satisfied on the track, at the wheel of an indecently rapid mini.

Now for some people that would be enough, but not David and not the members of his race crew also known as the Fire Fighters Race Team. Because these men are on a mission. Yes they’d very much like to win every race they enter in this years’s Mini Miglia Championship series. But that’s actually not the only thing that drives them, because the racing is also means to another end – that is, raising money and awareness for the Fire Fighters’ Charity.

It’s a sobering thought that every 30 seconds firefighters are called to an incident somewhere in the UK. It’s an equally sobering fact that firefighters are often caught as it were, in the line of fire, suffering injuries and psychological problems as a result of the life and death incidents that they attend. So the boys from the race team are all too well aware of the challenges faced by firefighters on the job.

With 14 rounds of the Mille Miglia championship in prospect, that presents to the team 14 opportunities to beat the drum for the charity. And the closer they get to the front, the more coverage the team will get. Plus they’ll also be competing in the Special Saloons/Modsports series of the 2017 Classic Sports Car Club and a couple more events as well. That’s why at this point in time they’re beavering away to complete the build on their challenger and quite a monster it will be.

Based on a genuine 1978 Mini 1000 donor road car, the guys are painstakingly preparing their challenger for the task to come. A sixteen valve head sitting on a standard A series block, bored out to 1380cc, should be good for 180bhp through the front wheels, which should help make the mini more than frisky. The car will also be boasting a new livery based on a New York Fire Engine!! Lets hope they leave the ladders off, not sure they’d pass scrutineering. But judging by the photo below, it seems David fancies their chances whilst remaining sanguine about their prospects for this year!

“We’re stepping up to a new level this year, which means the competition will be more intense than ever. But in racing there’s no point in going backwards but rather onwards and upwards”.

The journey for the Fire Fighters Race Team started just three years ago and as ever, funds for preparing the mighty mini are tight, so any help is gratefully received. Entry fees alone amount to some £6000 and their faithful transit which now has 200,000 on the clock will hopefully man up and get them where they need to be going.

We’ll be looking out for the boys and their progress on both fronts and you can too by checking out their website and, if you’re so inclined, by making a donation to their Just Giving page for the Fire Fighters Charity.