Parish Cake Autumn 2017

feature
No Rivalry
in this Team
A life long passion for minis makes this couple a
team to be reckoned with writes Trisha Fermor
JOKES ABOUT women
drivers would probably go
down like a lead balloon
in one Weald household.
Pete Berry, 41, and his
fiancée Zoe Atkins, 35, are
two of the country’s top
hot-rod racers, travelling
the length and breadth of
the UK to compete in their
iconic Minis.
Pete, who works at his
father John’s garage,
Cranbrook Cars,
Sissinghurst, is suitably
proud of Zoe who has left
the ladies-only classes
to join the men. She is
currently lying in third
place against 40 rivals.
Her fiancé is the leading
points champion of the
6,000-member Invicta
Kent club – the largest of
its kind in the UK – based
at Ivychurch, Romney
Marsh.
Their beloved Minis are
Pete’s much-rebuilt green
pick-up with a Cooper
S 1071cc engine and
Zoe’s white model with a
1000cc engine.
Surprisingly, using only
first and second gear,
Pete can achieve 89mph
in second while Zoe can
reach 70 plus in hers.
The races are usually run
clock-wise on an oval
grass track and their
cars’ tracking is altered,
making them look
lopsided when stationery.
Mr Berry snr was one of
the first people in the
1970s to race on the
stock-rod grass track in
Frittenden and Pete said:
“When I was in a pram I
used to be taken to the
track. I was two years old
when I helped my Dad
change the wheel nuts on
a racer.
“When I was 12 and tall
for my age I was allowed
to take part racing cars
although the minimum
age was 13. They said if
“THEY
SAID IF
I COULD
REACH
THE
PEDALS
AND SEE
OVER THE
STEERING
WHEEL I
WAS OK.”
I could reach the pedals
and see over the steering
wheel I was OK.”
Pete is not alone in
getting help from a
parent. Zoe’s Mum,
Glenys Atkins, who lives
at Knoxbridge, raced
Minis at Brands Hatch.
Zoe said: “I did karting
for six years before
racing Minis. Pete was
always going on at me to
join him racing and one
Christmas he bought me
a Mini. I went on to be a
ladies’ champion which is
why I joined the men.”
Although hot-rod racing
is supposed to be a
non-contact sport both
their minis have suffered
damage in collisions and
both have rolled their
cars – Pete reckoning to
have somersaulted up to
20 times in one incident.
Fortunately they have
avoided serious injuries.
While Zoe’s car is
trailered to events,
Pete built his own lorry,
complete with living
quarters, to carry his
Mini.
He said: “We are like a
travelling circus. We take
our two dogs, a Staffie
and a Staffie x Lab, with
us wherever we go.”
Speaking just before the
National Championships
in Herefordshire at the
beginning of August, Pete
said: “Zoe and I have a
real partnership, we do
everything together and
are a great team.”
24 Parish Cake • Autumn 2017