[Gothboy]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 28, 2004


LOCAL DRIVERS AND MEDIA TEAMS SOUGHT FOR VANCOUVER'S EXCLUSIVE MINI/Mini TARMAC RALLY, TO BE HELD SEPTEMBER 19

-- Presented by the Vancouver MINI Cooper Club, rally expected to draw 70 competitors in MINI/Minis --


Building on the highly successful inaugural MINI/Mini rally event held this
past April, the Vancouver MINI Cooper Club is again partnering with the West
Coast Rally Association (WCRA) to host what is fast becoming a mainstay on
the local MINI event calendar.

Sponsored by MINI Yaletown, MINI Richmond and Coquitlam Centre, the
VANCOUVER MINI COOPER CLUB FALL RALLY, September 19, is expected to draw 70
cars out for a novice Time-Speed-Distance rally event through some of the
more scenic and adventuresome roads in Greater Vancouver.

"The field for the VMCC Fall Rally will include both New MINIs and Classic
Minis," said VMCC Chair Rahoul Ghose, adding that "even the two local MINI
dealerships will be competing against one another, each with a two-car team.

"We also expect five media teams - representing the best of Vancouver TV,
radio and print - to vie for bragging rights as the reigning VMCC Rally
media champion."

The six- to seven-hour drive event -- which will net the first prize winner
a factory alarm system and a set of driving lights (total value of more than
$1,700) courtesy of Vancouver's two MINI dealerships, MINI Richmond and MINI
Yaletown -- focuses on teamwork between driver and navigator, and precision
driving and navigation skills, says WCRA director and VMCC Rally Master Peter Parsonage.

Instead of running flat-out, as in a performance rally, navigational events
use the Time-Speed-Distance formula. In a TSD section, a particular average
speed is listed and the teams must drive as close as possible to that speed.
Checkpoints are placed at unknown locations in the TSD section and teams are
penalized for passing them early or late. With one point being scored for
every second early or late at each checkpoint the teams are striving to
'zero' each control by constantly monitoring their progress while still
following the overall directions in their event handbooks and going the
right way. At the end of the day the team with the lowest overall score
wins.

"All speeds will be within the posted legal limit and the roads will all be
tarmac, safe but challenging," said Parsonage, who has himself seen some
success as a rally competitor in performance events, both in the UK and here
in BC.

On September 19, rally participants will start and end the day at Coquitlam
Centre, which is also hosting the event's pre-registration party and evening
TSD training session, Tuesday, September 14.

Cost per entry (car, driver and navigator) for the VMCC Rally will be $50
for VMCC paid Members and $65 for non-Members, and includes t-shirts for the
race team (driver and navigator), removable vinyl number plates, and
eligibility for several levels of prizing. The fee also includes the TSD
training session, Sept. 14.

Entry forms for the VMCC Fall Rally are available online at
http://www.vancouverminicooperclub.c...gistration.asp.

Entry forms and fees must be received by September 1, 2004. Late entries
will pay an additional $10.


MEDIA TEAMS WANTED

In addition to the competitor field, five media teams will be invited to
compete in the event, in MINIs provided by MINI Yaletown and MINI Richmond.
Any media interested in participating should contact the VMCC Media
Relations Coordinator, Katherine Nelson via e-mail at
media@vancouverminicooperclub.com.

For more on information on the VMCC Rally, please visit
http://www.vancouverminicooperclub.c...rally_news.asp.

____________________________

The Vancouver MINI Cooper Club -- officially known as the BC MINI Cooper
Society -- is a non-profit organization offering new MINI owners the
opportunity to share the MINI experience through club drives, meets and
participation in existing car events throughout Vancouver, the Lower
Mainland, and Vancouver Island. What started off as an online idea amongst
fellow Vancouver New MINI enthusiasts in March 2002 has now developed into a
growing and vibrant club, with Membership today totaling more than 140. For
more on the VMCC, visit http://www.vancouverminicooperclub.com.

The West Coast Rally Association (WCRA) is a B.C. based non-profit society
dedicated to promoting and supporting performance and navigational auto
rallying in this province. It is a member club of Rally Pacific Motorsports
(RPM), which is the regional governing body for the sport, and the Canadian
Association of Rallysport (CARS), which is the national body. WCRA has been
organizing navigational and performance rallies throughout the province for
several years. The membership covers a wide demographic, with men and women
of all ages, and also includes a number of husband-and-wife and family
teams. For more on the WCRA and the B.C. rally scene, visit www.rallybc.com.


-30-



MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

Rahoul Ghose
Vancouver MINI Cooper Club, Chairman
editor@vancouverminicooperclub.com
www.vancouverminicooperclub.com

Katherine Nelson
Vancouver MINI Cooper Club, Media Coordinator
media@vancouverminicooperclub.com
www.vancouverminicooperclub.com

[VancouverGal]

The spring Rally was a lot of fun -- anyone in B.C. (or someone who wants to make a road trip!) shouldn't miss this one.

[LiddleD]

This sounds fun, I think I'm in this time! Just waiting for confirmation from my navigator...and then hopefully I'll see you all there!

[LiddleD]

Hello, I just had a question regarding the training session on the 14th of September...what time is it at, because I need to figure whether or not I need to book off work that day. Hopefully not! Please someone let me know...

~ Darren

[VancouverGal]

Darren -- I'd send an email to the Vancouver Mini Cooper Club chairman -- he should know and be able to answer any questions you have.

[Gothboy]

Hello All,

Just when you thought the VMCC e-mail stream had slowed down, I’m about to fire up the mail server again with a bevy of updates on our upcoming VMCC fall rally, set for September 19.

And it’s going to be an exciting one, thanks in no small part to our title sponsors, MINI Yaletown, MINI Richmond and Coquitlam Centre, whose support has been invaluable. Those of you who competed in the augural event, April 4, will also recognize some of our other prize sponsors as well, including MacStation, 132slotcar.us, Terry Sayther Automotive, Wilkinson’s Automobilia, Circuit Tire, Crash Crawly’s, Docksteader Collision, Mopac Auto Supply and The Beat 94.5 FM. Joining the ranks are R2R Wear and a few more soon-to-be-announced sponsors.

Stay tuned to http://www.vancouverminicooperclub.c...rally_news.asp to keep up-to-date on all the latest announcements, and to get some tips on how to win.

Sponsors: http://www.vancouverminicooperclub.c...y_sponsors.asp

Now to the Details:

The VMCC Fall Rally – a six- to seven-hour drive event – focuses on teamwork between driver and navigator, and precision driving and navigation skills. Instead of running flat-out, as in a performance rally, navigational events use the Time-Speed-Distance formula. In a TSD section, a particular average speed is listed and the teams must drive as close as possible to that speed. Checkpoints are placed at unknown locations in the TSD section and teams are penalized for passing them early or late.

With one point being scored for every second early or late at each checkpoint the teams are striving to ‘zero’ each control by constantly monitoring their progress while still following the overall directions in their event handbooks and going the right way. At the end of the day the team with the lowest overall score wins.

All speeds will be within the posted legal limit and the roads will all be tarmac, safe but challenging. The event is being organized by the West Coast Rally Association as a Novice Rally.

Some Changes For The Better:

For those who challenged our inaugural event in April, there will be a few changes to the format for the Fall Rally, scheduled. I am pleased to announce that based on feedback from the April Rally, we are now offering all participants a separate Time-Speed-Distance Rally training session on the evening of Tuesday, September 14. Run by the WCRA, and hosted by Coquitlam Centre, the training session will be run in conjunction with registration, when you will receive your rally packages, numbers and decals. We will also have a small cocktail party that night, featuring drinks and appetizers. The training session is included in the price of your entry.

The second major format change is to the rally itself, which will be extended to encompass a six to seven-hour course. Sign up for the VMCC Fall Rally will be restricted to 60 cars, with an additional five spots being allotted for Media teams, and four slots for Dealership teams. Cost will again be $50 CAN for paid VMCC Members and $65 CAN for non-VMCC Members until Sept. 1, after which fees will be raised $10 CAN for both to $60 for VMCC Members and $75 for non-VMCC Members.

Registration:

Of the 60 slots available for the Fall Rally, 44 are now full, though several teams have still to send in their registration forms and dues. Some of you have talked with either myself or members of the rally committee, and expressed interest in participating.

An up-to-date registration list is always available online at: http://www.vancouverminicooperclub.c...s/entrants.pdf

To secure your spot you must have submitted your form and dues. If our numbers go beyond 60, paid entrants will be given priority over non-paid ones. So don’t miss out. Registration forms are available online and can be faxed to 604.899.0951. Registration Forms: http://www.vancouverminicooperclub.c...gistration.asp

Or you can mail your form and dues (cheques should be written to the BC MINI Cooper Society) to:

BC MINI Cooper Society, PO Box 98051, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2V0.

Remember also that the Earlybird rate ends as of Sept. 1, 2004.

Top Prize:

Enough with the serious stuff … did I mention top prize this time is a set of MINI Driving Lights and a Factory Alarm System thanks to our two incredible local MINI dealerships, Yaletown and Richmond? Other prizes up for grabs … to name a few … include a 32” Flat Panel Television, courtesy of Coquitlam Centre, a Mini Ipod, thanks to MacStation, and a John Cooper Scalextic Slot Car Racing set, from 132slotcar.us.

A complete list of prizes to date is available here: http://www.vancouverminicooperclub.c...lly_prizes.asp

Depending on our final sponsors’ offerings, the prize field will likely be extended to Top 5 this time. But we will also have lots of specialty prizes and draw prizes to keep everyone happy. All participants (driver/navigator) will receive event t-shirts, and each team will get a grab bag, dash plate, and a rally decal to be placed on the hood of the car.

Media:

To date, The Beat 94.5 FM has signed on as our official radio sponsor and a media team. They will promote our event over the airwaves and will participate in the media challenge portion of the rally. I will be talking with several more potential teams this coming week and should have some more news for you soon.

Posters are almost complete and should be around town in the coming week.

Well I think that’s enough info for now … I will update everyone as more news becomes available. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to e-mail me at editor@vancouverminicooperclub.com

Cheers

Rahoul aka Gothboy
VMCC Chair
editor@vancouverminicooperclub.com

[LiddleD]

WOW, just got back from a full day of Mini Rallying! Exciting day and will definitely do it again next time around! Talk about good luck, I placed 7th out of almost 60 cars on my first run at it, thanks to my excellent navigator of course, AND I won one of only 35 keys that Coquitlam Centre and Mini are giving away for a BRAND NEW MINI! I'm so surprised and shocked...could not believe it when they called my number at the raffle...sorry if this message is all up in the air, I'm just running off my high at the moment

Thanks again Rahoul and everyone who made this event happen!