50 Years after a Biota won the BARC hill climb championship in 1972, Maximum Mini-fan Tim Harber went there again to reunite his car with then-winner Chris Seaman and have a go up the hill himself. He wrote:
"Hi Jeroen A bit about my little escapade to Harewood: 'All-time low-key motor sport celebration dept.!' Got a quicker engine in the Biota, got all the wheels pointing vaguely towards the front, put on some sticky rubber on its original 6 inch Mambas and tested it at Blyton and all seemed set for a good showing for the 50th Anniversary of Chris Seaman’s BARC hillclimb championship victory."
"Sadly all the other 'masses' of Biotas that I know of personally (3) weren’t able to attend the Harewood Classic meeting. Robert Scott’s one expired at Blyton and all the overseas ones couldn’t make it so Chris Seaman and I had a solitary celebration – you can see in the pictures of me and him we weren’t exactly thronged, but hey ho – a 1972 victory is a victory and I can’t think any other Mini-based kit car has actually won something major (15th at Le Mans is posh but…). Can you?" Er... I'll have a think about that, suggestions welcome!
"The car played up on the day so I wasn’t able to win (my excuse) but at least I stayed on the track and didn’t roll it! It’s still on its 50 year-old rear shocks and springs which means that it squirms about a bit too much on acceleration and you can see it a bit in the video (not as much as the V8 MGB!) so more things to be done… At least I was parked next to a Davrian which for once made my plastic one look relatively glamorous. Thankfully my mate Stuart was there to do the video and take some stills. Tim"
Well, Tim's messages always put a smile on my face and this one is no exception! To thanks again Tim for all this and do continue to fly the Biota-flag. There were two more Mini based sports cars tackling the hill and they can be seen in the video footage, which I have added below. Go to 0:57 for Tim's Biota in action; to 2:36 for Allan Scott in a Mk3 Mini Jem and to 3:53 for David Smith in a Mk4 Mini Marcos.
Tim at Harewood hill. "The car played up on the day so I wasn’t able to win (my excuse) but at least I stayed on the track and didn’t roll it!"
Picture courtesy Tim Harber
"Got a quicker engine in the Biota, got all the wheels pointing vaguely towards the front, put on some sticky rubber and all seemed set for a good showing"
Picture courtesy Tim Harber
Tim and Biota ex-works driver Chris Seaman (right) looking for the car's Mini engine
Picture courtesy Tim Harber
The winners of the 1972 BARC hill climbing championship having a laugh.
Chris Seaman and the works-Biota in the centre
Picture Jeroen Booij archive
Chris Seaman with the trophy! Does he still have it, I wondered..?
Picture Jeroen Booij archive
It just asked for a little re-enactment, and there you go. Well done boys!
Picture courtesy Tim Harber
And moving images! Go to 0:57 for Tim's Biota; 2:36 for Mini Jem and 3:53 for Mini Marcos
Video courtesy Tim Harber
Just wished I got my Biota ready.
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