For the most part, living in Florida is great! It means we have year-round track weekends. A benefit that I take full advantage of. However, I think I may re-think my future summer track plans. Last year, Homestead in August was just insanely hot. Sebring last October was a wash-out.
Here I sit watching the weather and see 2, possibly 3 storms with hurricane potential circling around the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, possibly threatening my next track weekend in Sebring on the 6th and 7th of September {sigh}.
I just had my pre-track preparations completed on my MINI today. Oil service was completed, Hawk HT-10’s were installed, ATE Super Blue put in, a Texas Speedwerks engine damper added, and Nitto NT-01’s mounted to my new 17″ Wedsport wheels. Now to watch the weather reports almost makes me sick to my stomach. Oh well, what can you do.
Team Minspeed will be invading Daytona International Speedway again October 31 - November 2 this year, so if Sebring is a wash-out, at least we can hope for sun in Daytona. But seriously, I am praying for sun in Sebring too! I’ll keep you posted!
If you have been putting it off, DON’T wait any longer!! Deluxe registration for Mickey and MINI 4 will only be open for a couple of hours before it is closed for good! Join the rest of the 230+ MINIacs who will converge in Orlando, Florida in one month to be part of the largest MINI meet in the Southeast. Get ready to “Motor The Magic” and have a blast. Register NOW before it’s too late.
With only a few more days to register for Mickey & MINI 4, 217 people have registered so far! That is more than double what we had last year!!! The number of people that are coming from outside the state of Florida is simply amazing. There are reports of people shipping their cars to the event and others planning long caravans across various states. If you have not had a chance to register, what are you waiting for? Come join us for an awesome time!
A couple weeks ago I posted about the ABF Performance Drag MINI on SPEED TV’s Pinks All Out. Well here is an official MINI USA press release on the new venture:
MINI USA Press Release: Woodcliff Lake, NJ - August 15, 2008… After multiple rounds of testing and nail biting qualifying runs for PINKS ALL OUT at Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ, July 25th - 26th, the 650-horsepower MINI Cooper S drag racer, custom built by ABF Performance, emerged a crowd favorite and newly appointed giant killer. Piloted by Vincent Tennessee Kung, MINI USA’s Product Manager, the little “MINI That Could” took down car after car with multiple 10-second passes and trap speeds exceeding 135mph.
Officially the “World’s Quickest and Fastest MINI”, this Cooper S Hardtop has clocked a record-setting 10.48 elapsed time at 135.16 MPH, but not before sending home a Big-Block-equipped Camaro with a blistering start from PINKS ALL OUT host Rich Christensen’s “Arm Drop.” This incredible performance resulted from the collaboration between ABF Performance, MINI USA and MINI Financial Services. With its custom carbon-fiber bodywork and distinctive “Get Your Hands on a MINI” graphics (which shows two hands trying to grab the 1,750-pound race car) there is certainly no mistaking this MINI for any other car on the racetrack. Getting the miracle MINI into 9-second zone is just a few suspension tweaks away. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave it to MINI to take advantage of the world stage that is the Olympics. If you are in Beijing right now, you just may see some odd rickshaws going by. You see, MINI has taken the rear ends of MINIs and converted them into the MINI Rickshaw. Very cool idea! Kudos to MINI! Full press release is below:
MINI Press Release:
Munich/Beijing. Just in time for the biggest sporting event of the year, the Olympic Games in the Chinese capital of Beijing, MINI is on top sporting form too - and is making a great start in Beijing! A very special MINI vehicle is providing passengers with a fantastic, unforgettable driving experience of a most unusual type. Locals and visitors to the games alike can move smoothly through the busy traffic in the Asian capital in a MINI Rickshaw made specially for Beijing - a typical MINI experience. Read the rest of this entry »
A few days ago I posted about the Dynolicious iPhone Performance Meter, available on the iTunes App Store. This $13 app is truly amazing. Check out this video review where it is compared to a $150 dynometer. I am IMPRESSED!
It is a sad day. The last of the supercharged MINIs finally rolled off the line in Oxford. I had the opportunity to drive a MINI convertible at MTTS 2008 and it was so cool to drive a brand new MINI that still had that awesome whine. At least the last one went to someone from the US. Here’s to a great car!
MINI Press Release: Already a classic: The last MINI Convertible of the current generation comes off the production line. Global success story with around 164,000 units produced. Munich. Style icon, global player, “value master” and now already a classic. Now that around 164,000 units have been produced, the MINI Convertible of the current generation has reached the end of its production period. As planned, the MINI plant in Oxford ceased production of the open-top four-seater. The final specimen - a MINI Cooper S Convertible Sidewalk painted in metallic White Silver has been sold to a MINI fan in the USA. In the land of limousines, the nimble little automobile with the electrically folding soft top has won over a very loyal group of fans. Only on its domestic market of Great Britain and Ireland were more units of the MINI Convertible sold in the past four years than in the USA. Read the rest of this entry »
This Saturday (8/9/08) from 10am - 4pm, ALTA will be having a garage sale in conjunction with a free BBQ and airshow. So if you are lucky enough to be in the area, make sure to stop by and say hi to our good friends at ALTA MINI Performance. They will be having some huge discounts on some cool products. Also, grab a tissue (you’ll need it, trust me) and watch this hysterical video commerical from the guys at ALTA:
Thursday, August 28th, 2008
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Posted by Pedro in Track Talk 
