JCW at Race Retro Show 13-15 March 2009, Stoneleigh Park, Coventry

[mab01uk]

Looking good, this Friday, Saturday & Sunday...........

PRESS RELEASE
MINI UK will be attending Race Retro this year and bringing two show stars with them, in the form of its latest John Cooper Works models.

RACE RETRO VISITORS SET FOR A MINI MOTORSPORT FEAST
Fans of MINI will have the opportunity to get up close to the MINI John Cooper Works CHALLENGE race car and its road going equivalent the high-performance MINI John Cooper Works. Race Retro takes place at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, from 13 to 15 March.

In addition, visitors to Race Retro will be some of the first to see the all-new MINI Convertible. MINI's new drop-top is its latest model to be unleashed on UK roads and marks a milestone in MINI's 50th birthday year.

The 1967 Monte Carlo Rally winning Morris Mini Cooper along with the victorious driver Rauno Aaltonen and a superb collection of some of the most significant ex-works cars in Mini history will be displayed. The Morris Mini Cooper 997cc, the ex works car used by Rauno Aaltonen, Timo Makinen (the original Flying Finn) in 1962 and driven by Paddy Hopkirk in 1963 Monte Carlo Rally will also appear along with the Mini Clubman 4 wheel drive, built by BMC Special Tuning Department for TV Rallycross driven by Bob Freeborough, Brian Chatfield, Dave Preece, and Hugh Weldon.

Completing the line up is the Mini Cooper S 1275 race car, the Cooper Car Company group 5 touring car from 1968, and the Rover Mini Cooper which is the last of the works Minis built in 1996 that raced at Nurburgring 24 hr and 6 hr races in 1996 before being rebuilt as a rally car and driven by Tony Dron on 1997 Monte Carlo Rally. The Mini LBL 6D is being shown courtesy of the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon and will be a key model in its Mini anniversary celebrations in 2009 which includes a Mini Festival and two weeks dedicated to Mini themed events.

In an extra tribute, Historic Car Art will unveil an original acrylic on canvas painting by John Ketchell produced especially for Race Retro 2009 entitled 'Mini Magic', depicting the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally with Paddy Hopkirk, which is appearing at the show, and Henry Liddon in the winning Mini Cooper S leading the third placed Saab 96 of Erik Carlsson and Gunner Palm.

Although the static display will be impressive, nothing can beat these famous Minis in action so a special treat for rallying enthusiasts will be Rauno Aaltonen in spirited attack mode driving his original 1964 Monte Carlo Rally Mini Cooper S. Rauno will also strap himself into the thundering 420 bhp Aston Martin V8GT Rally car for a few swift passes over the Race Retro live action Rally Stage tarmac.

RACE RETRO VISITORS SET FOR A MINI MOTORSPORT FEAST

[airbusA346]

I wonder if it is going to be a R56 Challenge car or a R50/R53, because I know there is going to be an R53 Challenge car there, but I don't know if it has anything to do with MINI UK.

[Shaun]

I am going tomorrow once I go and get my ticket out of the Minis glovebox seemed like a sensible place to put it at the time.

[Paul]

Looks like it should be a really good collection of Minis and some nice MINIs too. Rauno Aaltonen is also a really nice guy to chat to, so if you can get a word in with a proper MIni legend then I'd recommend you say "hello", he seems really down to earth and keen to share his knowledge.

[Shaun]

There is an R56 Challenge car there Mini have got it on there stand with a new convertible, a John Cooper Works S and a Works convertible. Love the steering wheel in the works Convertible.
The Mini stand is right next to the Mini 50 Display and the Mini Cooper register stand all I can say is simply fantastic.

[airbusA346]

Quote: Originally Posted by Shaun (original)

There is an R56 Challenge car there Mini have got it on there stand with a new convertible, a John Cooper Works S and a Works convertible. Love the steering wheel in the works Convertible.
The Mini stand is right next to the Mini 50 Display and the Mini Cooper register stand all I can say is simply fantastic.

Was there an R53 Challenge Car on another stand?

[Shaun]

Yes just the one. Aston Martin 009 was there too.

[airbusA346]

Quote: Originally Posted by Shaun (original)

Yes just the one. Aston Martin 009 was there too.

You got any photos of the R53?

[Paul]

Yeah, where are the pictures?!

[Shaun]

Working on them now.

[Shaun]

Some on Flickr now.
Flickr: ShaunPG's Photostream

[mab01uk]

Some more Mini pictures from the MCR:-

Race Retro 13/2/09