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Monday, December 11, 2023

Mini racing legend Peter Baldwin dies aged 82

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He had competed in Sir Alec Issigonis’s mighty machines from 1967 to 2021, profitable a number of hundred races and lots of titles.

Newmarket-born Baldwin’s phenomenal success was underpinned by immaculate preparation and supreme driving talent.

He gained the Nationwide Mini Miglia Championship seven occasions between 2000 and 2013, aged 59-72.

PLUS: The greatest club racing characters 

Heading Marshall of Cambridge’s particular tuning division for years, Peter grew to become the revered grasp of rolling highway work.

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On his retirement from the group, he offered one of the best service for purchasers independently, focusing the identical experience and vitality on their engines as he did his personal.

From debuting an 850cc Mini in November 1967, Baldwin quickly tasted success, profitable the 1969 Janspeed sequence and, with a 1000cc engine, TEAC and Llandow titles in 1970.

An ex-works/John Rhodes Group 2 automobile annoyed, however the in style Particular Saloons class subsequently offered wealthy pickings.

Child B2, with eight-port head fed by 4 Amal carburettors, was outdated by ever extra superior giant-slayers powered by 1000cc Ford and 1300cc Gordon Allen BDA engines.

His final spaceframe BB6 is immortalised within the 1984 BBC TV sequence Driving Ambition, wherein he stunt-doubled for housewife star Donna Hewitt!

Baldwin gained numerous races in Minis over a number of a long time

Photograph by: Ollie Learn

A change to profitable MG Metro and Rover sequence introduced the 1986 European Metro Turbo crown, additional rewarded with British Racing Drivers’ Membership membership.

Lately, Peter gained in historic racing, sharing Graham Churchill’s FIA Appendix Okay Cooper S. He additionally lent his well-known Miglia to Shayne Deegan, mentoring him to the 2016 title.

Nick Cooke, chairman of the Mini 7 Racing Membership that organises the Miglia sequence, described Baldwin as “a real gentleman and a motor racing legend”, including: “His fashion of driving was one thing to behold and in all of the years I’ve seen him race and with all of the wins he has achieved, there was by no means an inkling of pomposity.

“When interviewed, he simply smiled at his success, calmly spoke in regards to the race and that was it.”

Our ideas are with Peter’s spouse and rock June, son Gareth, daughter Jacqui and racer Martin Brief, whose exceptional Martlet equipment automobile to Le Mans journey he nurtured.



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