How Mini Tamed The Mountain

Rauno Aaltonen / Bob Holden

•

1966

Touring CarHistoricAustraliaEndurance

THE STORY

The defining moment for the Mini in Australia. Facing a grid of V8 Valiants and Studebakers, Bob Holden and Rauno Aaltonen utilized a secretly re-engineered Mini Cooper S to dominate the Mountain. Experience the endurance race where nearly half the field was Minis.

RACE CONTEXT

Wikipedia

Event

1966 Gallaher 500

Circuit

Mount Panorama, Bathurst

Distance

500 miles (800 km) (130 laps)

Conditions

Dry

Podium

🥇

Rauno Aaltonen / Bob Holden

BMC Works Team

Morris Cooper S

🥈

Fred Gibson / Bill Stanley

Privateer

Morris Cooper S

🥉

Bruce McPhee / Barry Mulholland

Privateer

Morris Cooper S

Key Moments

•Aaltonen taking the lead on lap 2 from the V8s
•The furious duel with teammate Brian Foley in the early stint
•Holden's secret overnight engine rebuilds to gain 5HP
•The top 9 positions all being filled by Cooper S models

Historical Significance

This was the last time a naturally aspirated four-cylinder car won the Bathurst 500 outright, marking the end of an era before the V8s took over completely.

THE SETUP

Track

Bathurst_1983

Vehicle Class

Copa_Classic_B

Vehicle

Mini Cooper S 1965

Date

02-10-1966

Time

09:00

Starting Position

P10

AI Opponents

Suggested Laps

130 laps

Weather Progression

Slot 1Clear

ID: -934211870

Time Progression Calculator

Historic Race Distance130 laps (130 laps)

How many laps will you set in AMS2 Race Settings?

5 laps50 laps130 laps (full)

2x Time Progression

Closest available in AMS2

You set in AMS2 Race Settings:65 laps

Set Time Progression to:

2x(closest available)

Laps Simulated:65 laps at 2x speed

⚠️ Adjusted from your input:+15 laps

💡 In AMS2 Race Settings: Set Race Length to 65 laps and Time Progression to 2x. This accelerates the day-night cycle, weather changes, and track conditions - 1 real minute = 2 in-game minutes.