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MINI USA AND ABF PERFORMANCE PARTNER TO BUILD THE WORLD'S QUICKEST AND
FASTEST DRAG-RACE MINI COOPER S
Woodcliff
Lake, NJ - August, 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.
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Officially the
“World’s Quickest and Fastest MINI”, 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.”
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.”
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)
For more information about the ABF MINI, MINI USA, and MINI Financial
Services, please visit: www.miniusa.com
ABF Performance, Inc. is the recently-announced joining of forces by the
two most respected aftermarket performance suppliers for the MINI
automobile, with its base of operations located in Los Angeles, CA. ABF
Performance is the official parts, development, technical support, and
motorsports affiliate of MINI USA, a division of BMW North America. In
this capacity, the company sells original and after-market parts and
services to BMW and MINI owners and racing enthusiasts throughout the U.S.
For more information about ABF Performance, please visit:
www.abfperf.com
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