Rocketboy's MINI Blog - Archives

I'm working on planning a run for Upstate NY Finger Lakes area for Saturday, August 21st, starting at the Prime Outlets Mall parking lot at 9 AM (on Route 318, from Geneva exit 42 from the west, and Waterloo exit 41 from the east), touring around Seneca, Cayuga & Keuka lakes, including Watkins Glen. If I can build the Watkins Glen track laps option in, I will. I will definitely be including the Watkins Glen village Grand Prix course. This will not be a high speed event ('I Brake For Buggies'), or a lot of twisty roads (though I'm looking for 'em), but the scenery is pretty, and we will pass 98% of the wineries (not PLANNED stops, but you'll know where they are to revisit!).
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I have confirmation from the Watkins Glen Racetrack that we will be able to do track laps as part of their everyday run ($25 for 3 paced laps as the 'Thunder Road' tour). I am also looking into having lunch catered there immediately afterward...
If anyone wants to do the track laps, but can't join the rest of the run we will be at Watkins Glen racetrack at 11 am. Please let me know if you are interested in the lunch to follow, because I will need firm numbers for that. (Will post menu & cost details as I know them).
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I have 15 rooms on hold at the Holiday Inn in Waterloo/Seneca Falls, 2468 NY State Route 414, Waterloo, NY 13165. Phone there is 315-539-5011. Booking code is MIN, group is Mini Coopers. The room rate is $114. Cutoff date for the reserve hold on the rooms is Tuesday, 8/2.
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If anyone thinks they may be able to attend, please post here or send me a pm. I'm trying to make a good guess at numbers for the lunch planning. I know this is a busy time of year for people, so I'll leave this as flexible as we can, but having the lunch catered at the racetrack will require something like an accurate number.
I'm thinking it will be a number between 2 and 50. I'd appreciate any input to try to get a little closer approximation!

I am  big fan of small cars well done -- automobiles such as the Mazda3, Mini Cooper, Nissan Sentra and the Nissan March...
Those cars are economical. They drink modestly from fuel pumps. Their tailpipes offer minor offense to the air. They use little parking space. Yet, they have excellent handling, commendable acceleration and lots of personality. They understand the difference between "economical" and "cheap."
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A cheap car gives you a low price and little else. Put another way, it meets minimal expectations for a minimal price. The Aveo LS hatchback is a cheap car.

Well this is it. My offical One Lap of America blog. I'm hoping to use this site consistently through my attempt to put together a shot at the One Lap of America.
For those that don't know what the One Lap of America is exacly I invite you to check out the history of One Lap. For those too lazy to read the history the One Lap of America (OLoA) started life as the 'Cannonball Run' (yes like the movie). It was a coast to coast dash across the USA. Suffice it to say that due to growing concerns over safety, and possibly litigation LOL, it only ran this way for some 5 years. Today the One Lap of America is part endurance race, part TRD rally, part SOLO1 races, part drag races. The list goes on. Basically it works like this. It's an 8 day event that covers over 5000 miles. In those 8 days competitors take place in 8+ events on tracks all around the US. The events range from everything to skid pad competitions, lapping time trials, drag racing and bracket racing. The '05 schedule isn't out yet but the format never changes that much from year to year.

I'm working on planning a run for Upstate NY Finger Lakes area for Saturday, August 21st, starting at the Prime Outlets Mall parking lot at 9 AM (on Route 318, from Geneva exit 42 from the west, and Waterloo exit 41 from the east), touring around Seneca, Cayuga & Keuka lakes, including Watkins Glen. If I can build the Watkins Glen track laps option in, I will. I will definitely be including the Watkins Glen village Grand Prix course. This will not be a high speed event ('I Brake For Buggies'), or a lot of twisty roads (though I'm looking for 'em), but the scenery is pretty, and we will pass 98% of the wineries (not PLANNED stops, but you'll know where they are to revisit!)

I am willing to put together a fall poker run and end with a picnic... (at least I'll give it a try).. in the ROCHESTER area to be scheduled some time in late September or early October. I would like to see more ROCHESTER mini people get involved in club activities....

ANY BODY Interested?? please let me know and I will get it rockin...

The Mini is the closest thing to a motorcycle of any of our long-term cars, so we let our colleagues at sister magazine Cycle World put in their two cents

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The Z4, introduced in 2002, is the surprise loser. Sales of the BMW model have plunged 25.4 percent in the first six months of this year to 7,359 vehicles, and that's with hefty dealer cash on the hood. BMW is offering $3,500 for the 2.5-liter model and $4,500 for the 3.0 version.