The main reason why nobody has raced a Midas on the circuits of Great Britain has been the lack of a category that would allow us in.
The kit car racing regulations have been written around Lotus 7 replicas. Historic racing series have decided that historic cars were made before 1969 and even "Classic sports cars" were made before 1981 (when coincidentally BL closed the MG factory at Abingdon).
However, the Classic Sports Car Club has a series for "Future Classics - Catering for Sports, Saloons and GT cars (with doors) from the 1970s and 1980s."
So that is a category for just about anything built between 1970 and 1989, except Lotus 7 replicas and other track oriented sports cars.
During my visit to Autosport International last Friday I spoke to David Smitheram, the Director of the CSCC, and asked whether any Midas built between those dates would be eligible. He wanted to discuss it with the series co-ordinator, Nigel Gribbens, first and I'm pleased to say that he contacted me today to say that any Midas built before the end of 1989 would be welcome.
Quoting directly from the CSCC website:
"The class structure is based on engine capacity to encourage competitive racing through the field and give everyone something to race for.
Cars are battling all down the field and provide great entertainment – spectators can watch their favourite “retros” being driven in spectacular fashion! Driving Standards are strictly policed."
So while a Midas is never going to be the fastest thing out there, you might at least stand a good chance in the upto 1600cc class, especially when you consider what else might be in the sub 1600cc class.
"Following the standard CSCC series format the races are run over forty minutes and include a mandatory pit-stop, so that two drivers may share a car and costs.
Two drivers may enter as a team in two cars in order to keep costs down even further for people who don't want to do and pay for more than a 20 minute race or share their car."
In other words, you have a number of ways of approaching the race. One car shared between two drivers halves the costs directly. Two cars and two drivers running as a relay team, reducing wear and tear on each car.
Or even one driver driving one car for forty minutes and making a pit stop (when they will have to get out of their car, run around it and get back in).
Anyone interested should first read the general series regulations - http://www.classicsportscarclub.co.uk/s ... ions_0.pdf
And then contact Nigel Gribbens: nigel@classicsportscarclub.co.uk
I must admit I find the prospect of racing a Midas very interesting, I'm tempted to dust off my old overalls (okay, I know I would need to buy new ones to meet the current regs, but you get the idea )
I wonder what would be faster, a Mk2 or a Mk3 ?