Bikernieki Race Track isn’t particularly well-known internationally, nor is the drag racing scene in Latvia, but we’re equal-opportunity race fans here at BangShift. If there’s a place in the world with cars, it’s a pretty safe bet at least two people are going to find out which is faster and we fully endorse this. So while this heads-up race isn’t quite your stonkin’ American V8—or even crazy South American six-cylinder—showdown, it’s the best of what’s around. In Latvia, what’s around is apparently a mean-sounding classic Mini and a ZAZ-968 Zaporozhet.
We’ve seen that in former Eastern Bloc countries, the lack of classic sports cars—or performance cars of any kind, really—means that residents of former Soviet territories like Latvia will race whatever they have around. The ZAZ cars were built with, at best, something like 40 horsepower from the rear-mounted V4 engines. No, that’s not a performance car and since I was curious about how, exactly, ones goes about modifying a ZAZ, I found this. Nevertheless, even if —SPOILER ALERT—the Mini absolutely stomps the ZAZ, we’re glad to see someone taking one racing at all.
Race everything!
That’s not really a stomping, the Mini red lighted.
not only did he go VERY red (looks like he was a solid 4 tenths red leaving off the 2nd bulb), but that little ZAZ wasn’t all that much slower than him.. the Mini had a much better 60′ for sure, but the ZAZ started catching him downtrack… Bet that ZAZ could use a steeper gear in the rear, but then they both spun the tires on the zero-grip dusty track so maybe a steeper gear would be a bad idea.
Zaz Zaphro – Zaphra – Zaporozet
That’s easy for you to say – it was stomped by the Mini on general principles for being so fugly and slow. But you know what pisses me off the most is the fact that even in Latvia there are drag strips while here in the NE of England we have not a single one!
Who knew Brian Lohnes could speak Latvian?