Twiddle my thumbs and check the now 3 or 4 update website that i've learned about today over and over and over... =D

 

This "run" thing sounds not only familiar but intriguing as well. I think I'll join , though solo....MAXCOM will not be available !

 

Is this run only for members of DCMM?

 

Nope, only requirement is that you have a MINI and you're willing to decorate it with shamrocks and leprechauns.

 

Oh right, of course.... :-P
Thanks for the info! I may not even have my mini by then, but any run would be awesome!

 

Isn't being green with a splash of gold good enough?

 

Hmmmmmmmm.... well, might be good enough to join the run but probably not good enough to win the prize.

 

+1

I wasn't there for this run the last time, but I am familiar with the route through Ellicott City. That left turn onto 144 at the light in Ellicott City is going to be a major hangup for a group this large.

 

Isn't there a parking lot near there ?

 

hence my suggestion of breaking up into groups...

 

You can meet the group at the mtg point then ride with one of us..

My passanger seat is open, but I don't know which MINI I will bring - probably the clubman -

How does an Italian driver decorates a British car for an Irish Parade ?

 

Wow, you're lucky to have more than one to choose from!

Lastrega- I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thanks for your offer!

 

Put the Italian flag on, no one will notice the red vs orange especially after all the pints of dark stuff

Mike

 

Now, I will be there, Cecilia won't have shamrocks and etc. on her...don't want to take away from the ARTWORK! But she will be IRISH driven!

 

Okay, did a dry-run this morning and I'm glad I did !!

Yeah, going through Ellicott City is going to be rough. We will get split up at a stop sign and a red light, no doubts about that. So I have a spot picked out after the turn onto Oakland Mills Road. I'll make sure everyone knows about that before we head out.

I'm also cutting several miles off the trip after lunch. Last year, we went into Westminster to eat. This year, we aren't. So to avoid all the in-town traffic, I mapped out a shorter distance to avoid all that.

We'll head out around 10:45. We should be able to get to the restaurant around 1:00. We should be at the ending point by 3:30. So it's a long enough day without going into Westminster.

For those that didn't go last year, there are plenty of twisties, especially the first hour of the run. After that, it's a mix of nice, secondary roads, and some really remote, tertiary roads. A little bit of everything.

I see we are up to 24 MINIs now... what a good showing !!!

 

This will be my first run with the MINI pack, so got a newbie question or two:

- Will maps and directions be handed out at the starting point? Or should I print them out beforehand?

- If I do need to print out beforehand, will the maps and directions be updated here before Sunday?

Thanks!

 

Luckily you can choose, too you might ride in a Clubman or if "dare" in a GP as we are planning to bring both.

 

I'm going to try to print out one for each MINI registered in the event. In fact, do not print your own because you'll be wasting your time and effort. I'm making a couple more adjustments to the route this week.

I'm not sure when I'll get the time to update them on the link (if I do it at all). So again, don't print your own and bring it. I'll supply them.

Any other Newb questions ? Ask away !!

 

Whoa ! We're up to 25 MINIs !! What's the record for a club run ??

 

for a 2005 B&B run we had 33-35 MINIs - Jen help me out here !!-

But we don't want to repeat THAT record; one wrong turn and we had MINIs going in the other direction... I am following the MINI in front of me and suddenly I see a MINI going in the opposite site, then another , then one more ..
We made at the restaurant close to dinner time ... but it was a lot of fun !!!

 

Yeah, I don't want to have more than 30 MINIs this Sunday. What a fiasco if I mess up and make a wrong turn !!

 

With all the new folks signing up, it might be time to resurrect this info Jen put together sometime back. (I edited a couple of items.) It should help answer a lot of questions:

Event Participant Information

• The event organizer should arrive at the event at least 30 minutes before the first attendees are expected.
• Come with a full tank of gas.
• Arrive in time to attend the driver’s meeting – typically held 15 minutes before the first cars leave. Help the event organizers by being ready to leave at the start time.
• If the route sheet was posted in advance, print it, review it and bring a copy with you.
• Have snacks and water in the car
• Definitely bring basic car repair gear in case of a problem.
• Bring your FRS radio and be sure you are on the right channel (7 sub 21)
• Drive at the pace you are comfortable with. Accept that people drive at different speeds, both slower and faster. Allow for this. Do not tailgate or attempt to overtake other cars. Be courteous to fellow drivers. If you want to drive the route at a faster pace – move to the back of the group. Or, you can make plans to drive the route again at your own pace another day
• The lead MINI will establish the pace for the route. Keep the MINI behind you in view. Make sure you wait for the MINI behind you after a turn/junction/crossing or other route change. If the MINI behind you slows down, slow down to keep pace. If each car does this, the group will stay together.
• Use your turn signals to indicate upcoming turns for others in the group
• Turn your headlights on, but leave fog lights off unless driving in adverse conditions or at night. Rear fog lights on early model cars can easily be mistaken in spirited driving conditions for brake lights and could case an accident. The lower rear fog in 05 and later MINIs can be equally distracting to those behind you.
• Bring enough money to handle the posted fees, if any.
• Remember that no event will ever be perfect, and try to roll with the punches.

Last Thoughts

These events are social gatherings for people who love MINIs. They are meant to be a day of fun – not a competition or challenge. If you really want to test the performance of your MINI or your driving skills – attend a track day event or autocross school. Always remember you are at a group event and show respect and care to your fellow attendees.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks.... good time for those reminders !

 

If I remember in 2006 for the MBTB run, I thought we had about 40+ cars. I remember splitting in three subgroups and they had at least 15 each. But hey! This will be a NEW RECORD for March!

Can everyone bring their extra radio...That way if some one forgets, or doesn't have one, we have some to spare....

 

Speaking of extra radios, I'll be looking for someone to volunteer to ride in the middle of the pack to relay directions over the radio. The last run, with about 22 MINIs, some of the cars in the back didn't hear the lead car giving directions. So if someone in the middle of the pack could repeat what my co-pilot says... that way everyone should hear fine. Volunteer ?

Also need a volunteer to sweep, of course.