JustBritish

April 30th through May 3rd, 2009, marks the return of The Mitty to Road Atlanta in Georgia. I first attended the event about 25 years ago when it was still called The Walter Mitty Challenge. At that time the vintage racing group SVRA was still knows as teh Southern Vintage Racing Association. Times have changed. The event is now just called “The Mitty”, the SVRA is now the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association, and the event is now part of the HSR – Historic Sportscar Racing series. Oh, and I now am married, have kids, and am supposedly a responsible adult.

But best of all I am actually going back to enjoy the festivities!

With Classic Motorsports Magazine hosting the event, this year looks to be the best one ever. For 2009 Jaguar is the featured marque at The Mitty, dozens of legendary cats from the D-Type to the Group 44 IMSA GTP prototypes will be gathering. This could very well be the largest ever assembly of these machines.

In addition, and amazingly to me, they are planning the largest collection of Group 44 cars, drivers and crew members ever assembled. This is your chance to meet the men and see the cars that ruled the Runoffs and Road Atlanta throughout the ’70s.

Of course lots more will be going on including a swap meet, car corral, slot car racing and, oh yes, lots of vintage racing. From the Ferraris and Cobras of the ’50s and ’60s to the incredible IMSA GTP cars of the ’80s and ’90s, the Mitty allows you to relive the most thrilling battles in motorsports history. Plus, famous Formula 1 cars from the last five decades will take to the track for a rare appearance.

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Twenty-year old student, Natalie Horn, will make her Targa Tasmania debut this year, driving a 1973 Ford Escort Mk1.

Horn, from Cliftleigh in New South Wales, has been competing in motorsport events since she was just 12 years old. She is a former winner of the Junior and Ladies championships with the MG Car Club in Newcastle, and enters Targa Tasmania on the back of what is already a relatively long and illustrious motorsport career.

She will be co-driven by her close friend, 27-year-old Melinda Saxby, and will drive a car that has been in her family for 25 years.

“The car was originally built up for Group G rallying, then ran hillclimbs for a while and in 1987-89 won NSW State Hillclimb Series in Sports Sedans,” Natalie explains.

“It then got put into a shed and forgotten about until early last year. It has since been fully pulled apart, resprayed and rebuilt at my request.”

The dependable little Escort has been heavily modified over the years, and will front the Targa start with a seam welded body, fibreglass guards, bonnet and bootlid, and Lexan windows.

Mechanically the car features a worked 2.0 litre engine coupled to a 5-speed Getrag close ratio gearbox. The hand-made, fully adjustable suspension includes a 5-link rear end, a 3.9:1 limited slip differential and four wheel disc brakes.

Predictably, Natalie can’t wait for Targa Tasmania to begin in Georgetown on April 28.

“Both Melinda and I have never done anything like this before, and after going to see last year’s event, there was no question that I had to be competing this year,” she says.

The fact that her father, Phillip Horn, is also competing in the event in a 1979 Mitsubishi Scorpion, also means that she’ll have someone to chase.

“Just to finish the event would be good, but I would love to beat Dad at least once just to rub his face in it.”

Natalie and her co-driver, Melinda Saxby, grew up together and their fathers are both heavily into motorsport.

“There was no way they were entering this year without us!” she adds.

The six days promise to be tough on all competitors, and particularly for a girl who likes her sleep, as Natalie explains.

“Racing is the only thing I don’t mind getting up early for – as long as there is a nice bacon and egg roll to start off with,” she laughs.

Their entry into Targa Tasmania is being supported by GWH Group, Hunter Optical Specialists, Singleton Exhaust Centre, 4WD Solutions, Commercial Windows, Rutherford Mufflers and Suspension, and Brad Lantry Plumbing.

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After 10 years of trying, a British engineer has broken the land-speed record for a wind-powered vehicle.

Pushed by 30-mph winds over two miles, Richard Jenkins reached 126.1 mph yesterday in his Ecotricity Greenbird car on the dry lakebed of Ivanpah Lake, south of Las Vegas. That’s 10 mph faster than the previous record, set in 1999 by American Bob Schumacher.

As the Daily Mail put it, that makes Jenkins the fastest naturally powered human on the planet.

“It’s great. It’s one of those things that you spend so long trying to do and when it actually happens, it’s almost too easy,” Jenkins told the BBC.

The Greenbird is made of carbon fiber composite and powered only by the wind. The only metal is in the wing bearings and the wheel units. For photos, video and audio of the car, go here.

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MG’s new TF LE500 is set to take part in its first race, supported by MG Rover parts specialist, XPart. It will be one of the first MG’s to be raced since the launch of the redesigned roadster and is taking part in the MG Trophy Championship. The car has been prepared for racing by one of Xpart’s approved MG Rover specialists and will be run by technician and racing driver Paul Luti.

“We’re delighted to be sponsoring one of our own MG Rover specialist technicians in what looks set to be an exciting season’s racing,” comments Don Lindsay, service marketing manager, XPart. “It will be wonderful to see a new MG car competing in a race series again and driver Paul Luti’s strong experience of servicing and racing MG cars should stand him in good stead as he prepares to race in the popular MG championship.”

Luti came third in the 2008 MG Trophy Championship and has previously raced a unique MGZT 520.

The MG Trophy Championship is one of seven race championships run by the MG Car Club. The first round will begin on 4th April at Donington Park.

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