I'm new to the list, but not new to LBC's! Right now I have
a Mk II Jag, but most of my time is spent with one of the
Mini's. I've been following the discussions for a little
while and I wanted to inject some Mini talk.
Following is an article published by the Mini Cooper
Register by Tony Salter in their club's December
newsletter. I thought it would be of interest to all
because of the David vs Goliath nature of this undertaking.
What are the chances of a SOL member reporting from the
scene?
> As I mentioned last month, the Mini Cooper is to
>compete in the '94 Monte Carlo Rally. The cars will run on
>13" Minilite rims, probably have 5 or 6 speed gearboxes,
>twin tanks and a number of other features. The engines are
>being built by a well known Mini specialist and will
>probably have a power output of around 100 BHP.
> I have been told that 2 cars will definitely run, with
>the possibility of a third. Paddy Hopkirk won the Monte 30
>years ago in 33 EJB. His car registration for the '94 Monte
>will be L33 EJB. Paddy's co-driver will be Ron Crellin who
>also has a history as an ex-member of the BMC team. Ron co-
>drove for Paddy in '67 and '68, again on the Monte.
>Although there is a great deal of speculation about the
>other team members, Louise Aitken-Walker appears to be in
>the frame as one of the drivers.
> Having spoke to Jeremy Coulter, I had the distinct
>impression that this is to be more than an enthusiasts
>outing. there is no doubt that Jeremy and Co are Mini
>enthusiasts, as their past record shows. However the whole
>operation is being approached in a manner akin to that of a
>professional team.
> Although I don't think a 1275cc Mini Cooper can be
>competitive against the kind of 4WD opposition seen on
>World Cup Rallies these days, there is a chance of a good
>position in the group A 1300 class. Without doubt the whol
>exercise is bound to cause a stir with the media and
>public. I recall the public attention given to the 1275 GT
>when it made its last outing at international level in the
>1986 Rallye D'Antibes, and that was without the mass
>publicity campaign that will take place for this event.
> The '94 Monte officially begins on the 22nd of
>January when the 180 entrants leave their chosen points of
>departure and make their way to Valence in the Ardeche
>region of Southern France. From here the cars will begin 6
>special stages starting at 9:00 am on Monday the 24th,
>putting in around 403km.
> Tuesday's itinerary is Valence-Gap-Monaco beginning
>at 8:00am, with 10 special stages taking the cars around
>955km. They will then re-group at Gap at 7:30pm and restart
>on Wednesday at 5:00am to complete the remaining 4 stages
>of 10.
> The final stage of the rally begins at 10:00pm on the
>Wednesday with 7 special stages known as Monaco-Monaco
>taking the cars 575km through the night with the first ones
>finishing at around 10:30am Thursday. The official prize
>giving takes place the following day (28th) in Monte Carlo
>itself at 11:00am. First prize is FF53K.
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Marcel Chichak |Go in deeper, come out harder *
certified Mini Nut (oh and Jag's too)|and come from behind, that's *
Cooper@traider.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca |what it's like to race a Mini!*
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