Our coverage of MINI United 2007 ends here but you can scroll down to the beginning to read about the entire weekend's activities.
MINI United: The Party's Over
Our two UK correspondents reflect upon their weekend at Zandvoort Circuit
Amsterdam, Netherlands(12:00 PM, Monday, 25th June) – Unlike most the other aficionados at MINI United, Neil and I have finally benefited from a good night’s sleep. Now that we are both fully refreshed from the fun, had our first decent breakfast in days and are ready for the 12-hour trip back home to England's West Midlands. Yes, a long drive back to MC2’s UK base awaits but, as we drive, we will have ample time to reflect upon the event. For the first leg, Neil takes the wheel of our MINI Cooper Diesel and as we head out home, the authorities in Amsterdam, Belgium and France are preparing themselves for severe violations of their road-traffic laws…
1:00 PM – Amsterdam has been one of the most challenging cities we have both driven through, but we are now quite used to its quirks after travelling from our hotel to Zandvoort each day for MINI United.The city is really beautiful and the residents seem to be big fans of both British and American cars. We saw a few classic Minis, an Austin Landcrab, several classic Chevrolets, a Buick and a Lincoln on our travels.The Dutch, it seems, are really fond of their cars as was evidenced by the passionate, local MINI owners we met at the event.
4:00 PM – Hello to all the MC2 web watchers! It’s Neil typing now; Rob is behind the wheel and we are parked in a massive traffic queue somewhere in Belgium. We think we are heading the right way but the last road sign we saw has cast a doubt on that idea. As you can see from the pictures we’ve plastered all over this site, Rob has been out photographing, so I have been holding down the fort at the MC2 pavilion. If you could stereotype a crowd, MINI owners all appear to be a really nice bunch of people, no matter which nation they were from. There was not one single person who I wouldn’t have gladly welcomed back to our pavilion and, in many instances, did just that.
Any passers-by who happened to spot me running in circles around the MC2 pavilion can blame Rob for leaving me whilst he went off to increase his already vast library of pictures. Robs idea of “back in five minutes mate and you can go to the toilet then” was classic understatement, much to the detriment of my bladder!
7:00 PM – It’s Rob again. We are now driving though France and have just gotten lost. The Channel tunnel cannot be far now; it just a matter of choosing which turn to take. We will try to update you on our progress when we load the MINI onto the train for the trip under the channel.
8:15 PM – As the price for diesel in the UK is nudging £1 per-litre, we thought it sensible to fill the MINI’s fuel tank at Calais and take advantage of the cost saving. Neil is now driving towards London on the M25 and we have been reminiscing about MINI United 2007. There was certainly a lot going on to keep MINI-philes busy throughout the weekend but we felt, and it was mentioned by many of our American friends, that you really had to bring your own car over to fully enjoy the weekend.
Nonetheless, there was always something going on and, although Neil and I did not get the chance to test-drive new MINIs, drive on the circuit in our MINI Cooper D (as it was permanently parked in-front of the MC2 pavilion) or even have a go at karting, we heard stories from those that did partake which made us a little envious. There were opportunities to pull a MINI, challenges to beat the MINI Pitstop team at changing a wheel and playing skittles with a MINI tyre (which proves the organisers have fully exercised their imaginations). If viewing events was more your thing, there was plenty to choose from, including perusing classic and new MINIs on display and following the thrills of the MINI Challenge.
We were lucky with the weather. Despite pessimistic forecasts, which almost certainly dissuaded many from coming, Friday and Saturday were dry days, albeit with varying temperatures – Neil and I were lucky; our MC2weather-resistant jackets (available in the MC2 webstore) kept us warm. Our luck ran out on Saturday afternoon, when the rain came…and stayed – but luckily, it remained dry for the MINI Challenge. As one Russian MINI fan remarked as she loaded up her in the pouring rain, “The Netherlands is crying because we are leaving.”
Although Neil spent his entire time either at the MC2 pavilion, restaurant or the toilet, he was upset that the “MINI CareProducts show,” featuring nubile, scantily dressed girls washing MINIs, was cancelled on Sunday. That was undoubtedly his favourite event, mainly because he likes cute birds and it was one of the few things he could see clearly from the MC2 pavilion. He admitted this morning that at night he was counting said girls jumping over MINIs, instead of sheep jumping over gates to get to sleep. My favourite event was Russ Swift’s awesome stunt show, and we would like to share once more another of his amazing performances with you:
Two-wheeled wonder, Russ Swift, demonstrates his driving skills on You Tube:
OK, so we have talked about the weather a lot this weekend, but we Brits also love to complain and although visitors did enjoy MINI United overall, there were a few niggles. There were problems with the catering. We found the food was tasty but insubstantial and expensive. There were also criticisms about the show’s general organisation including comments made to us from those who were disappointed that they had to pre-book for some activities. Many people also told us that they had expected a sneak-peek at the new MINI Clubman, something that would have made the MINI United even more unforgettable for so many die-hard MINI fans.
11:50 PM – After 12 hours on the road, we have finally arrived home! A man's home is his castle and are we glad to see ours. Before kipping down for the night we thought we’d leave you with a final comment about our trusty steed, a 2007 MINI Cooper Diesel. Not only has she managed to hold all of MC2 's equipment (OK, we did have to take out the rear seat!) but it has coped admirably, whether performing U-turns in Amsterdam when Rob found he was reading the map upside-down or doing 130km/h (in the wrong direction!) on a French freeway. This was the first time we had spent any real time with the R56 MINI and we must say that overall, we were impressed. We a planning a full report on the car, as well as detailed coverage of MINI United in the next issue (#10). Don’t miss it! Well, it has been fun. And now to sleep, perchance to dream.
Submitted by: Rob Marshall and Neil Jefferies Your MC2 team in England
Zandvoort, Netherlands(4:00 PM, Sunday, 24th June) – Yes, Brits love to talk about the weather and we are keen to support the stereotype because it is today’s main worry. Although the conditions continued to be anything but ideal for auto racing, the MINI Challenge went ahead as planned, although slightly later than scheduled.
This is the main event here at MINI United and the crowds have proven their loyalty by sticking it out despite the downpours. Thankfully, the storms broke long enough for a a full 30-minutes of exciting and action-packed racing. Although a few cars were damaged in the spirit of the event, the commentators praised the drivers for their gentlemanly conduct on the track.
Watch the pack thunder past the grandstand on You Tube:
Dutchman Jeroen Bleekemolen proved his consistency as a competitor. After winning yesterday’s practise and first race, he handily managed to do it again today. For reward he won the trophy an more importantly,as he powered his red MINI to victory, was greeted by colossal cheers by the excited crowd.
With the storm clouds brewing and the MINI Challenge over, some people decided to venture back to their own MINIs and start the journey home. However, many fans hung around for the official awards ceremony, held in the main tent, so the competitors received warm rounds of cheers and applause. With the ceremonies finished, Circuit Park here at Zandvoort is now emptying quickly.
This didn’t mean that the MC2’s pavilion has been deserted. Not only did we meet many new faces, but we had many repeated visits, especially from our American friends, but it was our red-shirted Russian friends, who returned to be photographed with MC2, that reminded us that the love for MINI really is global.
We also were honoured with a visit from a very special Mini, a classic model “Grand Prix” special edition that is one of only thirty-five built. In addition, we photographed many exiting cars, so look out for these in the next edition (issue #10) of MC2 magazine.
So, it is now 4:00 (PM) and time for the MC2 team to pack up the pavilion. Neil, MINI and I have a long journey back to the UK.But we aren’t heading back tonight. We have had such an exciting time at MINI United but we are staying over in Amsterdam for one more night – just long enough to recover for our journey home to England's West Midlands.
But, fear not faithful readers! This is not your last update. As we drive through Holland, Belgium and into the UK on Monday (25 June), we will reflect on our experiences of MINI United and the great friends we have made.
Ciao!
Submitted by: Rob Marshall and Neil Jefferies Your MC2 team at Zandvoort
Sunday Part 2
Zandvoort, Netherlands(11:00 AM, Sunday, 24th June) – After having had a thoroughly good time enjoying last night's entertainment, it is not surprising that Neil and I are suffering this morning; not due to any excess, mind you, but a shortage – of course, I refer to sleep. But who wants to rest while MINI United is on? Well, quite a few actually.
We have had quite a number of MINI fans, including an exhausted representative from BMW/MINI, coming into the MC2 pavilion and falling asleep on our FATBOY beanbags. Jennifer Apon, Rob’s sister (see yesterday's post about Rob Apon, below), testified to us that they are, indeed, are as cosy as they look. Eat your hearts out chaps, she's cuddling up in the MC2 pavilion!
We have another problem. It is raining and so there are not many people are around. The wet spells are currently patchy, but a prolonged rainstorm may mean the cancellation of the MINI Challenge. Today, being the last day of MINI United, will decide the overall winner and, as we witnessed yesterday, the competition is fierce.
Neil and I are even more worried that the rain will lead to the scheduled Barbeque being cancelled. Being Brits, we are, of course, used to nursing a flickering flame whilst the wind and rain threatens to thwart our futile efforts, but we don’t have to like it! Ever the optimist, Neil has been busy perusing the menue for today barbeque -- just in case.
One problem is that the adverse weather has resulted, ironically, in the car wash being cancelled and as Neil has his heart set on a MINI United hamburger (and going through the car wash himself without a car); I certainly hope he won’t be disappointed for a second time today.
Submitted by: Rob Marshall and Neil Jefferies Your MC2 team at Zandvoort
Saturday
Zandvoort, Netherlands(10:00 PM, Saturday, 23rd June) – This afternoon, MC2 reader and MINI Nut, Rob Apon, was been given a big surprise by MINI. He was born in Holland, though he now lives in the States, and today is his birthday. Rob is also a hard core car nut and MINI fan, so to celebrate his birthday MINI-style, he arranged to have his own MINI transported from his home in Los Angeles to MINI United. Although the process was not entirely trouble-free, Rob did manage to get himself and his MINI to Zandvoort Circuit in time for the year's biggest MINI bash. You can read all about his adventure on his blog, but before doing that, may we suggest it might be more fun is to see the expression on his face as the MINI factory folks get him on stage and the entire crowd in the Main MINI Tent sings Happy Birthday to him. We’d also like add our congratulations: Happy Birthday, Rob from the MC2 team here and in the States.
See Rob Apon's special birthday presentation from MINI on You Tube:
Submitted by: Rob Marshall and Neil Jefferies Your MC2 team at Zandvoort
Zandvoort, Netherlands(5:30 PM, Saturday, 23nd June) – OK, we have seen the events that are going on, but the MINI Challenge starts this afternoon. It is the main event of the day and the crowds here will be treated to not just one, but two MINI races.
The qualifying race started at 11am this morning where the top teams from the MINI Challenge tent raced for a chance to compete in the first heats. All entrants were from Europe, mainly Germany but there were also cars from the UK, Croatia, Switzerland, Sweden and, of course, Holland.
View qualifying race video clip on You Tube:
Top 5 Finishers in Qualifying Round:
1
Jereoen Bleekesmolen
Netherlands
2
Ben Spouse
UK
3
Hari Proczyk
Austria
4
Maximilian Werndi
Germany
5
Daniel Keilwitz
Germany
We think that it is great a Dutch team won at the event in their own country and we feel proud that a UK team gained second-place. Further excitement came in the first real race, which started later at 3:00 PM. Wow! These cars are really fast! The crowds of spectators were even larger this time around and the 30-minute MINI Challenge race delivered a lot of racing excitement.. First and second place finishers were once again reflected from the qualifying race ran earlier; but the last race will be held tomorrow. Will the Dutch Team ProSieben and British Schirra Motoring crack under the pressure, or will cool heads and skill again rule the day? We will tell you tomorrow!
More qualifying race action on You Tube:
Meanwhile, our "healthy" diet of Pizza and “Snickers” bars has continued into the afternoon, just don't tell our Mums! Well the crowds are starting to move into the main MINI tent for a party and we had better join them. It’s tough work here at MINI United! See you tomorrow.
Submitted by:
Rob Marshall and Neil Jefferies Your MC2 team at Zandvoort
Zandvoort, Netherlands(10:30 AM, Saturday, 23nd June) – Now fully recovered from our recent bout of sleep depravation, Neil and I are really excited about today. Even though the day has not reached its peak, we've noticed that more enthusiasts are flooding through MINI United’s entrance gates than yesterday at this time.
Additionally, today there are more activities today to keep the crowds circulating. The same driving events from Friday are continuing, as well as the more unusual activities such as challenging event goers to pull a MINI against the clock, karting and playing the popular game of skittles with a MINI tyre.
Those who fancy a less vigorous time after the long journey of getting to MINI United can browse around the MINI Heritage and design displays and view the many cars, from all over Europe, that are displayed here. And, of course, they can also enjoy having a bite to eat!
Although there many more people have arrived (compared to yesterday) it still feels as though the event is not yet at full capacity. Still, the MC2pavilion has been busy. Neil and I are enjoying meeting the many enthusiasts from different countries and introducing them to our magazine. There are so many Yanks here; especially military personnel based in Germany, who have come to meet and support us – Thanks guys! We have also had a few Brits come through to remind us of home; it was especially nice to meet Joel, Dionne, Leanne and Tre. Thanks for stopping by.
Neil is hungry again but he is not running to the MINI restaurant because last time he did, an Italian family pointed at him and laughed at what they described as the “Fat Brit!” He is not like hard-core journalists who can go for three days without eating! Undeterred, he has returned with a Pizza for us (concealed within the pages of a dieting magazine!) so we’d better tuck in before savouring the events of the day!
Submitted by:
Rob Marshall and Neil Jefferies Your MC2 team at Zandvoort
Friday
Zandvoort, Netherland(5:30 PM, Friday, 22nd June) -- With DJ Stephen Quarré providing the acoustic entertainment, visitors to MINI United were keen to get-behind-the wheel and book themselves into as many driving activities as they could. Naturally, it would be a pity to miss driving around this famous racing circuit and the length of the booking queues, whether driving one’s own MINI, test-driving a new car and even taking a MINI Driver’s training course, confirmed the public’s determination.
For those who fancied something a little more extreme, there were numerous driving demonstrations, Russ Swift has been living up to his name by demonstrating his unique way of parking a MINI and there was also a stunt-driving demonstration (Don't try this at home!). These guys certainly know how to drive a MINI better than we mere mortals.
Watch Russ Swift solve the urban problem on You Tube:
Two-wheeled driving demo on You Tube:
The MINI Challenge event has started, where the best teams and cars will fight on the track througout the weekend during a gruelling round of laps. We have had a preview of the cars and drivers during two of their practice sessions but the qualifying races are tomorrow morning. Naturally, we will keep you updated. This afternoon has seen DJ Sander Hucke taking over the decks and punters could opt to have their car cleaned by MINI’s finest car cleaners using original MINI CareProducts. As you might suspect, Neil and I are very happy; we can view the car wash action from the comfort of the MC2 marquee, although we did notice the girls had neglected a few spots of dirty paintwork.
As we expected, fewer people have visited MINI United today but tomorrow, being a Saturday, is forecast to be very busy. This does not mean the MC2 marquee has been deserted, however. Many US readers have come in to sit and chat with us – as well as a lot of UK and European subscribers who have travelled quite far to attend this event.
The longest journey we have heard of was by a contingent of 22 MINIs from Hungary, a 1,440km journey …each way! They even had special T-shirts made to celebrate the feat: as you can imagine, Neil and I are very impressed.
A MINI fashion show is being held this evening, which we are keen to see. Neil is chatting to some Russian MINI owners in the MC2 marquee but one of them appears to have fallen face down on our very smart bean-bags and I fear that, if I don’t rescue them, more will follow. See you in the morning!
Submitted by: Rob Marshall and Neil Jefferies Your MC2 team at Zandvoort
Zandvoort, Netherlands (10:00 AM, Friday, 22nd June) – Our four-wheeled foray into Europe began when we loaded up a Cooper Diesel with all our paraphernalia (and judging from the photos, perhaps even the kitchen sink) and headed out from England’s historic West Midlands, through London, the Chunnel, France, Belgium and into the depths of the Netherlands -- with a few misdirected side trips thanks to my tired and confused navigator, Neil Jefferies.
However, I can't blame him; we've been up for almost 24 hours and drove most of the night, arriving here in wee hours road worn and bleary eyed but with high spirits, kipped down for a two hour nap and then started getting the MC2 pavilion set up with computers, magazines, banners and what not. Last-minute preparations were completed early this morning and now the pavilion sits empty and lonely, awaiting the hords of MINI United fans who have been busy chanting at the entrance gate for quite a while now as the following You Tube video shows:
Well, the gates to the Zandvoort circuit have finally opened and MINI United has officially begun. As the people begin streaming into the park it strikes us as fantastic that so many cars and so many people from so many places have all come together for this event. In anticipation of the day's many scheduled activities, queues formed straight away so people could book themselves for the events of their choice this morning and for the main activities scheduled for later this PM.Neil and I will be filing regular reports from the MC2 pavilion at Zandvoort throughout the event; keep checking back for all the latest MINI United news. Let the fun begin!
Submitted by: Rob Marshall and Neil Jefferies Your MC2 team at Zandvoort
1:00 PM – Amsterdam has been one of the most challenging cities we have both driven through, but we are now quite used to its quirks after travelling from our hotel to Zandvoort each day for MINI United.
really fond of their cars as was evidenced by the passionate, local MINI owners we met at the event.
Nonetheless, there was always something going on and, although Neil and I did not get the chance to test-drive new MINIs, drive on the circuit in our MINI Cooper D (as it was permanently parked in-front of the MC2 pavilion) or even have a go at karting, we heard stories from those that did partake which made us a little envious. There were opportunities to pull a MINI, challenges to beat the MINI Pitstop team at changing a wheel and playing skittles with a MINI tyre (which proves the organisers have fully exercised their imaginations). If viewing events was more your thing, there was plenty to choose from, including perusing classic and new MINIs on display and following the thrills of the MINI Challenge.
We were lucky with the weather. Despite pessimistic forecasts, which almost certainly dissu
luck ran out on Saturday afternoon, when the rain came…and stayed – but luckily, it remained dry for the MINI Challenge. As one Russian MINI fan remarked as she loaded up her in the pouring rain, “The Netherlands is crying because we are leaving.”
there were a few niggles. There were problems with the catering. We found the food was tasty but insubstantial and expensive. There were also criticisms about the show’s general organisation including comments made to us from those who were disappointed that they had to pre-book for some activities. Many people also told us that they had expected a sneak-peek at the new MINI Clubman, something that would have made the MINI United even more unforgettable for so many die-hard MINI fans.
11:50 PM – After 12 hours on the road, we have finally arrived home! A man's home is his castle and are we glad to see ours. Before kipping down for the night we thought we’d leave you with a final comment about our trusty steed, a 2007 MINI Cooper Diesel. Not only has she managed to hold all of MC2 's equipment (OK, we did have to take out the rear seat!) but it has coped admirably, whether performing U-turns in Amsterdam when Rob found he was reading the map upside-down or doing 130km/h (in the wrong direction!) on a French freeway. This was the first time we had spent any real time with the R56 MINI and we must say that overall, we were impressed. We a planning a full report on the car, as well as detailed coverage of MINI United in the next issue (#10). Don’t miss it! Well, it has been fun. And now to sleep, perchance to dream.
Although the process was not entirely trouble-free, Rob did manage to get himself and his MINI to Zandvoort Circuit in time for the year's biggest MINI bash. You can read all about his adventure on 
flooding through MINI United’s entrance gates than yesterday at this time.
This afternoon has seen DJ Sander Hucke taking over the decks and punters could opt to have their car cleaned by MINI’s finest car cleaners using original MINI CareProducts. As you might suspect, Neil and I are very happy; we can view the car wash action from the comfort of the MC2 marquee, although we did notice the girls had neglected a few spots of dirty paintwork. 
The longest journey we have heard of was by a contingent of 22 MINIs from Hungary, a 1,440km journey …each way! They even had special T-shirts made to celebrate the feat: as you can imagine, Neil and I are very impressed.
However, I can't blame him; we've been up for almost 24 hours and drove most of the night, arriving here in wee hours
