Hey race fans, once again I am happy to announce that MINI of Manhattan will be providing hospitality for MINI owners at this year's Vintage Festival put on at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, CT!

As we have done for the past two years, we'll be doing our hospitality bit on Monday the 7th, complete with a shady tent and a sweet spot next to the track to watch the racing, refreshments, and *hopefully* some track time. More on this to come.

New this year is an invitation for clubs (that's us!) to join on Sunday the 6th for the car show portion.

They are offering each club space on the track - at no cost - to display their best cars, recruit new members. etc. They'll also give prizes for the best cars in class. Sunday has turned into a great fun day, great cars, big crowds, lots of fun.

They're hoping to line the ENTIRE track with cars this year, so if you're interested in showing your MINI along with some VERY prestigious vintage race and street cars, this is your chance!

If you haven't been before, be sure to check out threads on NEMINI.org from previous years to get an idea of just how much fun this event is:

http://nemini.org/index.php/topic,10168.0.html

and

http://nemini.org/index.php/topic,9105.0.html


And also check out Lime Rock's Event Page here:

http://www.limerock.com/content/events-rolex-vintage



ANYHOW -


Discounted tickets are now available for the event courtesy of MINI of Manhattan. Be sure to purchase your ticket ahead of time to get the best deal!

The hospitality tent is going to be open for all of you on MONDAY (Labor Day) 9/7/09.

To get your discounted ticket please EMAIL me at jlamdin@mininyc.com and I will give you the code and instructions on how to purchase them through Lime Rock's website. We need to do it this way so I can get an idea of how many cars to expect.

For those of you interested in SHOWING your car on Sunday the 6th, you WILL need to buy an admittance ticket to the event, but showing your car is FREE. We will only have 8-10 slots for MINIs, so first come, first served - let me know if you would like to show, and I will forward your names on to the folks at LRP.

Please plan on bringing some additional food to supplement (or purchasing food there), but we will have some scrumptious snacks on hand!


With Rolex stepping down from their sponsorship of this year's event, MINI of Manhattan has stepped in to be a contributor to the event and will have our own space in the massive Midway tent throughout the weekend!

We will have people on hand to chat up MINIs and will be showing off the ALL NEW MINI 50 Camden and Mayfair models!

So in additon to our Hospitality tent for owners on Monday, we'll be kicking it up a notch and having a presence for the whole weekend and letting the general public see what MINI is all about!

Be sure to check out the big event tent on the Midway when you're there to get a look at these awesome new special edition MINIs and chat with some of our staff!

For the official event thread on NEMINI.org, click here: http://nemini.org/index.php/topic,12349.0.html

 

Thanks so much for organizing this great event! I've had a blast at the previous Vintage Festivals, with the highlight being those 6 or 7 'parade laps' we got to do the first year. Any word on the lap situation for this year? Looking forward to introducing my Classic to everybody.

 

See you Monday James.

 

Weather forecast is perfect for the entire weekend!

 

You all are going to have such a great time! I could kick myself for not getting it together for this year.

Promise to post some photos, OK? Some of us will have to live vicariously - and now that NEMINI has had such a major setback (see the NEMINI needs help thread), I will be suffering through some serious withdrawal!

Happy motoring!

 

Have fun at LRP all! Not sure I'm going, but if so I'll look out for you all.
I'll be in an silver 86 Benz, 190 16V with an onasled racing sticker in the back window.
Haaa.. enjoy!

 

Just Bought our tix... see you there!

 

S.O.S.!!! ... S.O.S !! ... S.O.S.! I am MINIless, new to this region, and have never been to Limerock.

If there are any MINI owners destined for Limerock on Labor Day Monday who would enjoy having a "co-pilot" to share expenses and fun with, please LMK. I am relatively new to Greenwich, although born in CT and fresh out of Sin City USA -- aka Las Vegas, where I attended numerous MINI events, including AMVIV at Palace Station.

 

harryd, I just posted on the thread you started in 1st Gear.

Meanwhile regarding Lime Rock, I'd try private messaging a few folks who've posted that they're going... It's very likely that most sane people are outside right about now and not checking NAM.

So you don't have a MINI yet? Perhaps you should drive over to MINI of Fairfield County and talk to the sales staff...and perhaps one of them will give you a ride to Lime Rock? Fabrizio, Mark, Antonio, Mike... All very helpful folks.

Wish I could be more helpful.

Check out the interim info about what those of us who were involved with the NEMINI site - where there is quite an active CT group: start at #28 post https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post2864421

Next go buy yourself a nice MINI!

 

Ok guys I made a video with my in car camera mount of the parade lap, so I figured I'd put it on youtube for all to see

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnr-LaFWRXs

 

Looks like the camera passed it's test with flying colors. No shaking at all. Excellent day at Lime Rock capped off by two classic Mini's winning races. I was dead last for the parade lap (by choice) and was able to let the field get far enough ahead to have some fun, especially in the downhill, Big Bend, and the righthander, but nothing will compare with the parade laps we were given two years ago, unless you count a real track day. Great job, James. Thanks so much for organizing this again this year!

 

Your camera setup apparently worked very well for you. The audio track added a little excitement. Looks like there were many MINIs on the track. It must have been a heck of a lot of fun just being surrounded by so many MINIs. I won't let the event pass me by next year! Thanks for the view from the pilots seat.

 

Yeah I'm very happy with how well the camera worked. In my first few test the camera wiggled it's way down and pointed at the back seat (cheap tripod), but I went with a lighter camera this time and there was much less camera shake.

It was a lot of fun getting to go out on the track (they should have a bumper sticker: This Mini has been on Lime Rock's track). When I first started onto the track there was nobody around me so I had a chance to really punch it and get up to about 70 going across the back section before I had to slow down where they had us lining up, the problem is I didn't have a chance to reach back there and push record until they had us line up

It would have been nice to be in back but I was in one of the middle rows so I was a little stuck.

 

Sounds like you thoroughly enjoyed completing the circuit with your 3rd eye peering over your shoulder. I'm amazed just how steady your images tuned out w/o a gyro-stabilized lens or mount. Did MINI USA debut any prototypes? Were there any hyper cool MINIs that stole the show? Any gotta have it aftermarket gizmos? Any carbon hoods and air dams, etc ... ? Do you recall seeing any major media there from Autoweek, Speedvision, etc.? BTW -- which MINI won the race? Thanks, Harryd

 

Great weekend at Lime Rock!!! It was great meeting everyone. I'm looking forward to future events. Even if I did manage to break a TPMS sensor doing burnouts in the "diving turn" while waiting to pull off track at pit in.

zachofalltrades: I think I may have been on your inside for the first half of the track. WooHooo my MINI is famous!

 

Here's my gallery of pics! That was FUN! Thank you, whomever is responsible, we had a BLAST!

Here's my favorite pic, thanks to my wife...

 

That was an awesome time yesterday. There were some great looking mini's there. Also 5 or 6 racing which was really cool to see. It was great meeting so many new people. I can't wait for next year.

 

That's my favorite pic too! But only because that's me on the right, in the mirror!

 

This event was great. It was my first MINI meet and not my last. Here are a few pics!

 

Thanks to James and Mini of Manhattan for organizing another great day! Had fun again, and didn't get burnt to a crisp like last year. yay!

clicky for pictures

 

Nice shots, rav.......you musta been right next to me on the lunch time parade laps!

James - great job, as usual, despite the nemini problems!

 

The dark one with the white bonnet stripes?
Cool! Glad we got that one then.

 

Thanks again to all who came - it was a blast and I'm already fired up for next year!