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A record number of eager car clubs have already signed up to be part of this summer’s award-winning Silverstone Classic (25-27 July).
No fewer than 84 clubs have already registered online thus taking advantage of a special two-for-one classic car display ticket offer as well as access for their members to coveted in-field display parking at the World’s Biggest Classic Motor Racing Festival. This number far surpasses the 56 clubs that had registered by this time last year and already exceeds the total number of 77 that participated in 2013 – itself a record.
Among the newcomers are the Rover P6 Club, the Royal Air Force Mini Club and the Berkeley Enthusiasts Club, which will be celebrating its 50th anniversary at the event. These will line up alongside the more familiar massive gatherings of Aston Martins, Bentleys, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, MGs, Morgans, MX5s, Porsches and a fabulous kaleidoscope of others including the annual BMW Zedfest.
Moreover the Silverstone Classic is now widely regarded as the perfect place for motor manufacturers and passionate owners to commemorate important milestones in motoring history, with record parades of E-type Jaguars, Ferrari F40s and Porsche 911s among recent highlights. A special on-track cavalcade to mark 50 years of the iconic Ford Mustang has already been announced for July.
“Last year we had more than 9000 classic cars on display at the Silverstone Classic and it seems certain that we will top that number this summer,” said Event Director, Nick Wigley. “We value highly the massive contribution the classic car clubs make to the overall success of the Silverstone Classic. They provide an amazing spectacle for both race fans and fellow devotees who really enjoy the camaraderie of spending time with thousands of like minded enthusiasts – that’s why we offer them special deals to be an integral part of the massive show.”
The special incentive for members of car clubs and organisations is open until the end of May. Registration online via the official www.silverstoneclassic.com website is totally free for 2014 and, once signed up, members of these clubs will be given a special code offering them two adult tickets – plus the wonderful chance to add their own classic car to the glittering in-field displays – from just £39.
General admission tickets for this summer’s edition of the World’s Biggest Classic Motor Racing Festival are selling fast with fans taking advantage of considerable ‘early-bird’ savings. Full details can also be found on the new-look www.silverstoneclassic.com website.
If you fancy yourself as the next Lewis Hamilton or Jenson Button but are struggling to shift your motorsport dreams off the starting grid, the answer could lie just around the next high-speed corner – the British Schools Karting Championship (BSKC).
Run by the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC), the BSKC is an arrive-and-drive formula for students aged between 13 and 18. It is a team-based sport, with each entry composed of three drivers from the same school, academy or college led by either a teacher or parent as team captain. To allow everybody to compete at the same level, no more than one member of the team can have held a Motor Sport Association (MSA) racing licence above National B Novice level.
The knockout-style contest progresses from practice and familiarisation sessions beginning in March through to local and regional finals and ultimately the all-important national final in July at Whilton Mill in Northamptonshire, where the 2014 British Schools Karting Champions will be crowned. There are separate prizes for the eight regional champions.
The cost of entry for the entire championship is just £165 per team (£55 per driver), to include the use of race suits, helmets and gloves, all of which are provided by the circuits.
“Now in its eighth year, the British Schools Karting Championship continues to go from strength-to-strength, and we have already received over 250 entries for the 2014 edition,” said championship manager Mark Turner. “Virtually all professional racing drivers these days start in karting, just like Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton did, and the BSKC represents an eminently affordable and excellent value entry point into the sport.
“Not all teenagers enjoy traditional school sports, and motor sport has gained a reputation as being out-of-reach due to its cost – but we’re here to prove that isn’t the case. Some schools also use the BSKC to motivate students toward classroom achievement as well as to reward those that have excelled.
“The BSKC is an exciting, nationwide competition for which no prior karting experience is required. The championship was created to make karting more accessible to schools. It appeals to students from different backgrounds and its low cost allows everyone to take part.
“Safety is naturally also of paramount importance to us, and arrive-and-drive karting is well-established as a safe and exhilarating form of motor sport, with top speeds of up to 50mph on outdoor circuits generating an amazing buzz whilst in a strictly-controlled environment – so sign up, come along and see for yourselves!”
ENTER
Schools may enter as many teams as they like, and registration is open until 21 February at www.bskc.co.uk – although early bookings are recommended. The local stages of the competition will take place at nearby circuits and after school hours between 10 – 28 March, to ensure as much as possible that students are not taken out of regular lessons. Minimum height stipulations apply.
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| Clive King's love:mini sponsored rally Mini as seen at Mini Fair 2014. |
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The 2014 Red Kite Stages (Sunday 2 February) will give the gravel rallying season the perfect start with a superb entry for the opening round of the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship.
In a total entry of 85 cars, 60 of them will be chasing points in the UK’s most popular championship for historic cars. The R.A.C. Championship entry spans 17 different models of car and includes over 25 crews that are new to the championship.
From the Llandovery start on Sunday morning, crews will tackle five fast and flowing Welsh stages and the competition is set to be intense across an entry that is topped by the Ford Escort Mk2 of Nick Elliott and Dave Price.
Heading the field away will be a fabulous line-up 14 cars in the Walker Diecastings Category 1, where the Paddy Hopkirk Trophy awaits the end-of-season champion. This is the best field of pre ’68 cars on a UK rally for more than two years and includes contenders in the new Aldon Automotive Mini and Imp Cup. Running at the head of the pack will be the Porsche 911 of Paul Mankin and Desmond Bell in their first event in the ex-Derek Boyd car.
Set to rival Mankin in the Category 1 contest are Ian Beveridge/Peter Joy (Volvo PV544), Simon Wallis/Graham Wride (Lotus Cortina), Edmund Peel/Dessie Nutt (Porsche 911) and father and son team Bob and Dale Gibbons (Ford Cortina GT).
Mini
The Mini contest will be the centre of great interest as Clive King and Russ Joseph take on the identical cars of Irish brothers Frank and Ray Cunningham. Unlike his younger brother, Frank has experience of gravel rallying, but has not rallied a Mini for the better part of a decade. In turn, the Cunninghams will be co-driven by brothers Arron and Ross Forde.
Running alongside the Category 1 cars at the head of the field, and enjoying the very best road conditions, will be the up to 1600cc cars from Categories 2 and 3. In Category 2 are championship newcomers Paul and Daniel May (Ford Escort Mk1), while the Hillman Avengers of Graham Thatcher/Robert James and Keith Davison/Henry Richardson take on the Sunbeam Talbot of Dave Hopkins/Tony Vart in Category 3.
In the Capital Construction Category 2, it is husband and wife crew Chris Browne and Ali Cornwell-Browne who head the field but they can expect tough opposition from the similar Ford Escort Mk1 of Roger Matthews/Paul Morris. In Class C3, for the non-BDA powered cars, Irishmen Stanley Orr and Brian Cairns are welcome additions and will take on the similar Ford Escort Mk1 of David Kirby/Chris Rixon and the fresh Opel Ascona A of Peter Smith/Patrick Walsh.
Elliott and Price head the entries for the Rob Smith Rallying Category 3, but face a gaggle of very rapid challengers led by 2013 BHRC champion Richard Hill and Pat Cooper in their newly-prepared Ford Escort Mk2. Tomas Davies and Eurig Davies are racing against time this week to rebuild their Escort from a bare shell to start as car number three, while Irish aces Owen Murphy and James O’Brien are next away in their Talbot Sunbeam Lotus and are determined to take the overall fight to the Escorts.
Adding superb depth of quality to the Category 3 field are more very quick Escort Mk2s for Terry Brown/Den Golding, Meirion Evans/Iwan Jones, Darren Moon/Elgan Davies, James Potter/Bob Duck, Tim Freeman/Paul Wakely, Jerry Bailey/Graham Lacey and championship sponsor Gareth Lloyd with Ryland James.
Alongside Murphy in Class D4 is another former BHRC champion James Stait in his Sunbeam Lotus and the glorious Triumph TR7 V8 of Peter Jones/Graham Joseph. Meanwhile, championship newcomers Shawn Rayner and Declan Dear head Class D3 in their Pinto-powered Escort Mk2 and have a gaggle of rivals including local ace Gareth Lewis, Ben Friend/Sean Kennedy, John Baker/Seyyan John and Paul Fry/Mike Steele.
The Holton Homes Category K for FIA specification cars starts with the Escort Mk2 of Tom Coughtrie/Calvin Cooledge, which should be joined by more FIA cars as the season develops.
Running within the concurrent modern event are the cars in Category O for open two-wheel drive cars and heading the R.A.C. pack is the spectacular Toyota Starlet of Leyton Waters and Kevin Bowcott. Their rivals include Escorts for Neal Dwyer/Danny Fenning and Barry Stevenson-Wheeler/John Pickavance and the Opel Manta of brothers Simon and Alistair Crook.
The rally will be based in Llandovery with Rally HQ at the Castle Hotel and the central service area at the adjoining Llandovery Mart. The first historic car will start at 8.30am on Sunday and return to the finish at 2pm.
The Red Kite Stages is organised by the Amman and District Motor Club. For more details about the event please visit www.redkitestages.co.uk.
MINI in Japan has announced the release of 135 Limited Edition Valentine Mini Crossovers (Countryman in Japan) from February 1, 2014.
To tie in with the romantic month of February, the brown and silver accented MINI will also feature bi-xenon headlights with black reflectors and black alloy wheels too.
The Cooper version is available for 3,400,000 yen (£20k) and the Cooper S version for
3,770,000 yen (£22k).
BMW Group Design earned fivefold recognition
for its outstanding work in the GOOD DESIGN™ Awards 2013. In the
category “Transportation 2013”, the BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo, the
MINI Paceman, the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé and the BMW R 1200
GS were all awarded this prestigious prize. The
“Graphics/Identity/Packaging 2013” category, meanwhile, saw honours go
to the film “The BMW Concept Ninety Story”.
The GOOD DESIGN™ Award is the world’s oldest design prize and ranks
as one of the most distinguished accolades in this field. Founded in
Chicago in 1950 by architects Eero Saarinen, Ray and Charles Eames and
MoMa curator Edgar Kaufmann Jr., it is presented by the Chicago
Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design in cooperation with the
European Centre for Architecture, Art Design and Urban Studies. For
more than 60 years, this coveted prize has been awarded to designers
and manufacturers in recognition of exceptionally innovative and
visionary products, concepts and ideas that go beyond the normal
horizons of everyday product design.
In 2013 the Chicago Athenaeum received thousands of submissions from
leading enterprises in 48 countries. In all, the jury selected more
than 700 high-quality products covering a wide range of categories.
All of them were persuasive in form, function and aesthetics; the
winners will be published in the 2013/2014 GOOD DESIGN yearbook.
Exceptional long-distance ride comfort in a unique lounge atmosphere
is a key aspect of the BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo, which marries the
sporty-dynamic genes of the Sedan with the functionality and
versatility of the BMW 3 Series Touring. The
independent personality of its exterior is distinguished by doors with
frameless windows, a coupe-style roofline sloping gently towards the
rear, and a large, automatically opening and closing electric tailgate.
The MINI Paceman is the first Sports Activity Coupe
in the premium small and compact car segment. Its combination of
sporty design, a coupe-like silhouette and a lounge-like interior make
the MINI Paceman a pioneer in the urban traffic scene.
The BMW R 1200 GS convinced the jury thanks to its
well-resolved fusion of a distinctive design language and an athletic
off-road stature. Sporting the typical GS-style BMW Motorrad design,
this new rendition of the world’s most popular travel enduro is a case
study in the stylistic perfection of an iconic two-wheeler.
BMW and Pininfarina are two of the most tradition-swathed names in
the motor industry. Each is in equal measure a byword for cutting-edge
technology coupled with style, dynamism and aesthetics.
With the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé, the two
companies present the result of their first cooperation. This one-off
is the exclusive interpretation of a luxurious BMW Coupe as seen
through the eyes of Pininfarina. The design teams worked in close
collaboration to create a new, character-laden automotive persona for
the high-end luxury class: it is typically BMW while boasting the
refined signature of Pininfarina.
The
BMW Concept Ninety Storyis a film that traces the
genesis of the eponymous motorcycle, which was born of a partnership
between BMW Motorrad and custom bike manufacturers “Roland Sands
Design” to mark the 90th anniversary of BMW Motorrad. The body of this
exclusive evocation of the BMW R 90 S was hand-built and reflects the
harmony of man and machine in purist, emotional guise.
In recent years BMW Group Design has been recurrently honoured in
several categories of this renowned award. Last year’s winners
included, for example, the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe, the BMW 3 Series
Sedan, the BMW M6 Coupe, the MINI Roadster, the BMW Travel &
Comfort System and the BMW M5.
A complete list of this year’s winners can be found on the following
website:
www.chi-athenaeum.org
He has done it! Joan "Nani" Roma (ES) in the
yellow MINI ALL4 Racing has won the 2014 Dakar Rally. The Monster
Energy X-raid Team driver finished the toughest rally challenge in the
world just 5:32 minutes in front of his teammate Stéphane Peterhansel
(FR) in the black MINI ALL4 Racing. Nasser Al-Attiyah (QT) in the
predominantly white MINI ALL4 Racing finished 3rd. The podium was
firmly in hand of the MINI cars, which once again proved to be
reliable and fast throughout the whole event.
It was the first win for Nani Roma in a car at the Dakar Rally. The
Spaniard had already won the event on a motorbike when it was still
held in North Africa in 2004. "I'm so relieved and happy,"
Roma said. "It was my big goal to win the Dakar not only on a
motorbike but also in a car. A dream came true for me and I want to
thank everybody at X-raid and MINI for their great work!"
Roma, who has been leading the overall classification at this year's
event for nine days, winning two stages in total, continued: "The
MINI ALL4 Racing is a brilliant car and was extremely reliable and
quick throughout the whole rally. It was fun to drive! Also a big
thank you to my co-driver Michel Périn, who was a great navigator
again! A great result for MINI, now it's time to celebrate!"
The 2014 Dakar Rally was one of the toughest of all time. The 9,374
km-long route led from Rosario (AR) across the Andes and the
challenging Atacama desert to Valparaíso (CL) at the Pacific coast.
The drivers had to face a lot of different weather conditions and
soils. Gravel in the Andes and a lot of extremely fine sand in the hot
Atacama desert. MINI mastered all the challenges and won 11 of the 13
stages. It was the third win in a row since MINI made its debut at the
Dakar Rally in 2011.
The great reliability of the MINI ALL4 Racing, which is based on the
MINI John Cooper Works Countryman, was underlined by the fact that all
eleven cars that had started into the event crossed the finish line in
Valparaíso. Seven of them finished in the top-ten, including the ones
of Monster Energy X-raid Team Orlando Terranova/Paulo Fiúza (AR/PT),
who finished 5th overall, and Krzysztof Holowczyc/Konstantin Zhiltsov
(PL/RU), who crossed the line 6th overall.
MINI at the 2014 Dakar Rally.
A total of eleven MINI ALL4 Racing compete in the 2014 Dakar. All are
based on the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman, modified by the
factory-supported X-raid Team to meet the high demands of the Dakar
Rally which is today’s pinnacle of off-road motorsports. With a
combination of power, reliability and efficiency the MINI ALL4 Racing
proved its competiveness right from its first Dakar start in 2011
while also winning the hearts of the fans from the word go.
On only its second Dakar appearance, the MINI ALL4 Racing made the
big breakthrough by winning the 2012 Dakar Rally. In 2013 the MINI
brand proved that its Dakar success was no flash in the pan by
defending its title at the first attempt. This year, the X-raid Team
and the MINI brand are aiming at clinching their third consecutive
Dakar title when the 2014 Dakar ends in Valparaiso, Chile, on 18th January.
2014 Dakar MINI Driver Lineup.
#300 MINI ALL4 Racing.
Monster Energy X-raid Team
Stéphane Peterhansel/Jean-Paul Cottret (FR/FR)
#301 MINI ALL4 Racing.
X-raid Team
Nasser Al-Attiyah/Lucas Cruz (QT/ES)
#304 MINI ALL4 Racing.
Monster Energy X-raid Team
Joan “Nani” Roma/Michel Périn (ES/FR)
#307 MINI ALL4 Racing.
Monster Energy X-raid Team
Orlando Terranova/Paulo Fiúza (AR/PT)
#309 MINI ALL4 Racing.
Monster Energy X-raid Team
Krzysztof Holowczyc/Konstantin Zhiltsov (PL/RU)
#314 MINI ALL4 Racing.
X-raid Team
Vladimir Vasilyev/Vitaliy Yevtyekhov (RU/RU)
#317 MINI ALL4 Racing.
X-raid Team
Boris Garafulic/Gilles Picard (CL/FR)
#319 MINI ALL4 Racing.
X-raid Team
Zhou Yong/Pan Hong Yu (CN/CN)
#330 MINI ALL4 Racing.
X-raid Team
Federico Villagra/Jorge Perez Companc (AR/AR)
#332 MINI ALL4 Racing.
X-raid Team.
Martin Kaczmarski/Filipe Palmeiro (PL/PT)
#337 MINI ALL4 Racing.
X-raid Team
Stephan Schott/Holm Schmidt (DE/DE)
The
organisers of the 2014 Red Kite Stages (Sunday 2 February) from Amman and
District Motor Club have urged intending competitors to enter the rally as soon
as possible as the entry list is rapidly filling up. With 67 entries already
received, and another week to go before entries close for seeding, the 90 places
available could all be filled.
The response to the event has
exceeded expectations and with entries coming in at the rate of five or six each
day the remaining 23 places could be gone before the closing date for seeded
entries, which is Friday 24 January.
The historic event is the
opening round of the West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship, while
the modern event is the first round of the
In Car Services/Evans Motorsport
Tyres Welsh Clubmans’ Forest Championship.
As of today (Friday 17
January), the historic event has 43 entries and the modern event has 24 entries.
Of the 67 entries in total, 46 are from R.A.C Championship contenders. Any
entries received after 90 will be placed on a reserve list.
The
route will take in five stages in the Crychan and Caio complexes, with the
return to Caio coming after overwhelming praise for the fast and flowing stage
on the 2013 event. As is customary for the event, the stages are in excellent
condition.
The rally will be based in Llandovery with Rally HQ at
the Castle Hotel and the central service area at the adjoining Llandovery Mart.
Documentation and scrutineering will be on Saturday 1 February. The first
historic car will start at 8.30am on Sunday and return to the finish at
2.30pm.
Regulations for the event are available from the event’s
all-new website: www.redkitestages.co.uk
Orlando Terranova (AR) in his orange MINI ALL4 Racing has won stage 11 at the 2014 Dakar Rally. The Monster Energy X-raid Team driver finished the 605km-long route from Antofagasta to El Salvador (both CL) in 5:58 hours, his teammate Joan "Nani" Roma (ES) finished 10:57 minutes behind him in 2nd place.
"A great result for me today," Orlando Terranova said after crossing the finish line in El Salvador. "It was a tough stage again. We had to be really careful again because part of the route was held in the Atacama desert once more, where you can get stuck quiet quickly in the sand. But I had no problems today. My MINI ALL4 Racing showed a really strong performance and again proved to be really reliable throughout the day."
Joan "Nani" Roma in his yellow MINI ALL4 Racing is still leading teammate Stéphane Peterhansel (FR), who finished 4th today, by 5:32 minutes in the overall classification. Nasser Al-Attiyah (QT) in the predominantly white MINI ALL4 Racing is currently 3rd overall while today's stage winner Orlando Terranova is 4th, 1:03.39 hours behind the leader. Four MINI ALL4 Racing cars in the top five – an extra proof of reliability at the toughest rally in the world.
Tomorrow's 350km-long stage 12 will lead from El Salvador to La Serena (both CL). The drivers will start in the mountain region around El Salvador and have to find the quickest way downhill to the Atacama desert once more. Here the drivers have to be careful again not to get stuck in the extremely fine sand.
Dakar Rally Day 13 Quick Facts.
Date: 17th January, 2014
Start/finish: El Salvador/La Serena (both CL) – Leg 12
Official starting time (cars): 10:18 AM ART (UTC -3)
Total distance: 699 km, Special stage: 350 km, Liaison: 349 km
Stéphane Peterhansel (FR) in his black MINI ALL4 Racing topped the timesheets on stage 9 at the 2014 Dakar Rally. The Monster Energy X-raid Team driver dominated today's 422km-long stage from Calama to Iquique (both CL) and finished 2:17 minutes in front of his MINI teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah (QT) in the predominantly white MINI ALL4 Racing car.
Today's route led to the most northerly point of the Dakar, the city of Iquique. The drivers had to tackle the infamous Atacama desert, the driest place on earth. A real challenge for the cars and drivers likewise. Once again, the MINI ALL4 Racing car, which is based on the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman, proved its reliability and competitiveness under tough conditions.
"I'm really satisfied with today's stage," Stéphane Peterhansel said after crossing the line in Iquique. "The Atacama desert is one of the biggest challenges at the Dakar Rally. It was a trouble free day for us and I'm really confident for the rest of the Dakar Rally. My co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret and the whole team are doing a great job."
Today, Peterhansel led a pack of four MINI ALL4 Racing cars. Joan "Nani" Roma (ES), who is still leading the overall classification in front of Peterhansel, finished in 3rd, Orlando Terranova (AR) was in 4th place.
On Wednesday the drivers will head south from Iquique to Antofagasta. The 631km-long stage 10 will be divided into two parts. The first 231 kilometres will be held on sand and soil. The second, 215km-long part will be characterised by gravel and sand, the so-called "fesh fesh" sand, which is extremely fine. Once again, the drivers have to be really careful not to get stuck with their cars.
Irish brothers Ray and Frank Cunningham will go head-to-head for the first time in their long rallying careers when they enter a pair of Mini Coopers in this season’s West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship.
Younger brother Ray is widely regarded as one of the fastest Mini drivers in the world on asphalt rallies, but has virtually no experience on gravel. Meanwhile Frank, who started his successful rallying career in Minis in the 1990s, has far more gravel experience but only at the wheel of Ford Escorts.
“We’ve never rallied against each other, so this is a battle of the brothers,” said Galway-based Ray. “The cars are identical and they are within one bhp of each other on the dyno. We’ll try and create a bit of a storm!” Ray will prepare both cars at his Galway Mini Centre, while further support will come from UK-based Mini Spares.
Ray says that his only knowledge of the Welsh forests has been gained on a mountain bike. “I’ve done very little gravel rallying and no forestry,” said the former winner of his category on the Killarney Historic Rally. The brothers will start their campaign on the opening round, the Red Kite Stages (2 February) and will go up against established Mini pacesetter Clive King in the Aldon Automotive Mini and Imp Cup. “Clive has been a big help with things like tyres and I think he’ll show me how it’s done. I also expect to get beaten by Frank initially as he has the gravel experience.”
“We’ll do the Red Kite and the Mid Wales and then see how many more we do,” said Ray. “The four Welsh events are easy for us to get to. This all came about over a few beers at Christmas. I’ve been looking at the in-car from Marty McCormack and the stages look superb.”
The 2014 R.A.C. Rally Championship starts on the Red Kite Stages on Sunday 2 February and more details are available from www.redkitestages.co.uk
The West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship is the only championship that runs historics first on the road on all events.
Read all about the rallying Minis in love:mini.
BMW Group is looking for around 160 young people with a passion for the motor industry to take up apprenticeships available through its company and dealership schemes in 2014. The new recruits will join over 400 existing apprentices currently undergoing training across the company’s UK operations, and within its BMW and MINI dealer network, with some able to rise beyond NVQ to degree qualifications.
In its MINI UK production network, the business is looking for 49 new apprentices to take up places in August as the plants ramp up production of the next model generation. In addition, BMW and MINI dealerships are looking to recruit around 110 young people across the UK.
Skills and Enterprise Minister Matthew Hancock said: “It is always encouraging to see large employers, such as BMW, committing to employing more apprentices. This scheme is a great opportunity for a young person with an interest in the automotive sector to begin a rewarding career. I want choosing university or an apprenticeship to be the new norm for young people and the range of positions available demonstrate this is becoming a reality.”
Apprenticeships in the MINI UK production network
MINI Plant Oxford has 31 places available in a variety of areas ranging from finance and logistics to engineering and IT. Technical apprentices will attend Plant Oxford’s new bespoke training school, featuring state-of-the-art classrooms, dedicated computer study areas and a fully-equipped workshop.
With 10 apprenticeships available at the Plant Swindon pressings plant and a further eight at the Hams Hall engine plant near Birmingham, apprenticeships last between three and four years and cover a wide range of skills from human resources and business to electrical maintenance and engineering. The training leads to an NVQ level three qualification and some young people will have the opportunity to progress right through to degree level in the course of their career at MINI.
Frank Bachmann, Managing Director, MINI Plant Oxford and Swindon, said: “Investment in young people is a key part of our development strategy for the plants and it is vital that we attract the very best young talent to ensure the business has the right skills for the future. We are delighted to be able to offer young people the chance to join our modern apprenticeship scheme.”
Young people can also apply for an apprenticeship through a Facebook page which can be found at www.facebook.com/BmwCareersUK. The closing date for applications is 31 January 2014.
Apprenticeships in the BMW and MINI UK dealer network
For the 110 apprentices to be recruited to MINI and BMW dealerships, there are programmes in various disciplines ranging from Service Technician, Parts Advisor, Motorcycle Technician and Body Panel/Paint.
All BMW and MINI dealer apprentices complete the three-year Advanced Modern Apprenticeship at Level 3, the Parts Advisor programme is two years, and receive VRQ/VCQ qualifications from the Institute of the Motor Industry. Training is carried out at the BMW Group Academy UK, a purpose-built training centre opened in 2006 and located near Reading, the Bodyshop programmes are carried out at our training facility in Milton Keynes. In general the minimum entry criteria require between three and four GSCEs at grade C or above or equivalent.
Commenting on the 2014 intake, Tim Abbott, Managing Director of BMW Group UK, said: "Bringing new talent into our dealerships is vital to ensure we provide the best possible service for our customers and so I am delighted that we will welcome over 100 new apprentices to our award- winning scheme in the UK."
Applications for an apprenticeship in MINI production can be made
online at www.miniplantoxford.co.uk
and clicking on the “People” button, then clicking the
“Apprenticeships” drop down. or via the MINI Plant Swindon website
at www.miniplantswindon.co.uk.
Young people interested in applying to Plant Hams Hall should apply
via the plant’s website at www.bmwplanthamshall.co.uk.
Alternatively, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BmwCareersUK.
The closing date for applications is 31 January 2014.
The MINI ALL4 Racing put all his strengths on display during the 2014 Dakar Rally’s fifth leg from Cilecito to Tucamán (both AR) on Thursday. With Joan “Nani” Roma (ES) behind the wheel of the Monster Energy X-raid Team’s yellow MINI ALL4 Racing, the car showed reliability as well as its agility on a day that challenged all competitors to the most on a terrain consisting of soft dune sands as well as typical off-road sections. Roma and the MINI ALL4 Racing, which is based on the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman and modified by the Germany-based X-raid Team to excel in the tough Dakar conditions, mastered it all.
While the organisers had to shorten the route by 99 kilometres, Roma remained focused on the goal not only to perform well during the day but also to reclaim the overall Dakar lead from Carlos Sainz (ES) who had taken it the previous day. When Roma reached the day’s finish line it was mission accomplished for him as his competitors proved to be slower. “We had a flawless run,” said Roma in Tucamán. “The conditions were very challenging but our preparations paid off and the MINI ALL4 Racing was in tiptop shape. A good day for us. Onto the next now.”
In addition to Roma’s second 2014 Dakar day victory, three more MINI ALL4 Racing drivers were able to move up in the overall standings. Nasser Al-Attiyah (QT) who finished the day in fifth is now second overall. Third is Orlando Terranova (AR) after he pleased his home crowds while going fourth for the day. And last but not least it was eleven-time Dakar winner Stéphane Peterhansel (FR) who moved into fourth overall thus giving the X-raid Team and the MINI brand a one-to-four in the overall rankings.
On day six the cars head north for the final leg before the rest day on Saturday while the drivers cross some of Argentina’s most attractive scenery on the iconic Routa 40. After that it is a well-deserved one-day rest in Salta (AR). What tourists can enjoy is hard work for the Dakar drivers however. The speed on this leg changes constantly, the roads are narrow and rocks make the route become a tricky one.
Twenty-three years after he last rallied, Phil Harris will make a comeback to the sport in this season’s West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship. The Northampton-based motor sport accountant is due to join the championship for the Mid Wales Stages in March in his Mini Cooper.
Phil has a long association with Minis as his late father Les was a regular co-driver for Bob Freeborough. In the 1960s, they were linked to the works BMC team and often competed in factory built Minis. The era had a big effect on the youngster.
“As a young boy I used to go to the BMC Competition Department at Abingdon and see people like Timo Makinen, Rauno Aaltonen and Paddy Hopkirk,” said Phil. “I grew up around Minis.” Later, Phil rallied a Mini of his own and now, 23 years on, has finally decided to make a comeback.
“I bought my Mini when I was 19 in 1976,” said Phil. “We built it into a rally car and had a whale of a time. I re-shelled it in 1989 and its last rally was the 1990 Hella Stages. Then I started a business and had to stop rallying.”
The Mini sat in the back of the garage for more than 20 years before Phil finally decided to make a return to the sport. The car has now been completely rebuilt by Towcester-based Rob Smith Rallying.
“I gave the car to Rob to sort out and it has now had a bare shell rebuild. I hadn’t thought about rallying it for 23 years but now I can’t wait!” He will contest the Aldon Automotive Mini and Imp Cup within the R.A.C. Rally Championship.
To complete the family story Phil will be co-driven by his two nieces, Helen and Jenny Bradshaw, during the season.
The 2014 R.A.C. Rally Championship starts on the Red Kite Stages on Sunday 2 February and more details are available from www.redkitestages.co.uk
The West Wales Rally Spares R.A.C. Rally Championship is the only championship that runs historics first on the road on all events.
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After the perfect run by the reigning Dakar champion Stéphane Peterhansel (FR) in his black MINI ALL4 Racing at the 2014 Dakar Rally on Monday, the third competitive day of the world’s toughest endurance rally was another good one for the Monster Energy X-raid Team as well as the MINI brand. Joan “Nani” Roma (ES) in the yellow MINI ALL4 Racing and Krzystof Holowczyc (PL) in the red MINI ALL4 Racing claimed a one-two on the third Dakar leg which took the competitors via 301 timed kilometres from San Rafael to San Juan (both AR) and into the first foothills of the Argentinean Andes – a terrain well-suited for the MINI ALL4 Racing in which it could prove his core strengths: power, reliability and efficiency.
Meanwhile Nasser Al-Attiyah (QT) in his predominantly white MINI ALL4 Racing put the icing on the cake for the X-raid Team and the MINI brand. By finishing the day seventh, Al-Attiyah climbed to third in the overall classification. So the MINI brand holds a one-two-three overall with Roma in first, Orlando Terranova (AR), who finished fourth for the day, in second and Al-Attiyah in third heading into the fourth competitive Dakar day. “It was a good day for us, and leading the Dakar Rally definitely feels great,” says Roma. “We know that the race for the 2014 Dakar title is still a long one. But today gives us an extra motivation.”
Day four will see the longest special stage at the Dakar Rally since the historic route from Zouerat to Tichit (both MR) in 2005. The drivers must cross rivers, negotiate ravines, and be wary of the opposition. The route on day four features expansive spaces, making overtaking relatively easy. At the same time, the special stage to Chilecito (AR) is also the longest on the 2014 Dakar for the cars.
On only the second day of the 2014 Dakar Rally, Stéphane Peterhansel (FR) behind the wheel of his #300 MINI ALL4 Racing entered by the Monster Energy X-raid Team enjoyed a compelling run through the 433 timed kilometres of the second Dakar leg. The eleven-time Dakar champion and winner of the 2012 and 2013 Dakar in the MINI ALL4 Racing sealed the day victory, 28 seconds ahead of Carlos Sainz (ES), which also propelled him into the overall lead of the 36th Dakar edition.
Apart from Peterhansel’s strong performance, the second leg which took the 145 competitors in the cars category from San Luis (AR) to San Rafael (AR) was also a good one for Petershansel’s team-mates. Heading into day 3, a total of six MINI ALL4 Racing rank in the top ten of the overall classifications with Nasser Al-Attiyah (QT) in third, Joan “Nani” Roma (ES) in fourth and Orlando Terranova (AR), who was Sunday’s top driver in a MINI ALL4 Racing, in fifth. Krzystof Holowczyc (PL) is eighth and Federico Villagra ( AR) tenth.
“All I can say is congratulations to Stéphane Peterhansel and the Monster Energy X-raid Team,” say Jochen Goller, Senior Vice President MINI. “Today it became clear again how well-prepared the whole team is. The performance of the MINI ALL4 Racing was superb again. Now, I am keeping my fingers crossed for the challenges ahead, while I am confident that we will see more good results during the upcoming days.”
A total of eleven MINI ALL4 Racing compete in the 2014 Dakar. All are based on the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman, modified by the factory-supported X-raid Team to meet the high demands of the Dakar Rally which is today’s pinnacle of off-road motorsports. With a combination of power, reliability and efficiency the MINI ALL4 Racing proved its competiveness right from its first Dakar start in 2011 while also winning the hearts of the fans from the word go. On only its second Dakar appearance, the MINI ALL4 Racing made the big breakthrough by winning the 2012 Dakar Rally. In 2013 the MINI brand proved that its Dakar success was no flash in the pan by defending its title at the first attempt. This year, the X-raid Team and the MINI brand are aiming at clinching their third consecutive Dakar title when the 2014 Dakar ends in Valparaiso, Chile, on 18th January.
It was a very good start into the 2014 Dakar Rally, for the Monster Energy X-raid Team and the X-raid Team. Together with his Portuguese co-driver Paulo Fiúza, Argentinean Orlando Terranova took his orange MINI All4 Racing to second place behind Carlos Sousa (Haval), in stage one. And with Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) / Lucas Cruz (ESP) and Nani Roma (ESP) / Michel Périn (FRA), two other MINI ALL4 Racing teams finished third and fourth respectively.
The two Frenchmen Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret in their black MINI ALL4 Racing lost some time due to a puncture, came sixth – and crossed the finish line in exactly the same time as Krzysztof Holowczyc (POL) and Konstantin Zhiltsov (RUS) in the red MINI ALL4 Racing.
The frustration due to the fact that the team failed to win stage one was limited. After all, no driver who was the fastest in the car category on day one succeeded in winning the Dakar, in recent years. By finishing second, Terranova proved to be the fastest Monster Energy X-raid driver. “The track resembled a WRC stage a lot – it was tight and twisting. So, making mistakes was easy,” said the Argentinean. “But with 40 kilometres covered I found a good rhythm and started to push. Definitely the right decision.”
For Al-Attiyah, it was the first time he drove the MINI ALL4 Racing in anger – and he came third. “I took it easy to day to familiarise myself even better with the MINI,” said Al-Attiyah. Some 30 seconds behind the driver from Qatar, Spain’s Nani Roma finished fourth and proved to be happy with this result. “This was a good start into the Dakar,” he said. “Unfortunately I had to drive some 60 kilometres in the dust of Carlos Sainz, thus losing some time. Otherwise, we possibly could have achieved an even better result.”
For quite a while, Peterhansel seemed to be on the way to winning stage one but then, a slow puncture cost him valuable time. “With just 30 more kilometres to go, the rear of the car handled more and more nervously and when the vehicle was nearly uncontrollable, we changed the tyre,” the Frenchman said in the bivouac. “Then, I rejoined the action ahead of Nasser. But when he used his sentinel I let him pass.” Just as Roma, Holowczyc also lost time in the dust of an opponent. “But I didn’t want to take any risks,” admitted the Pole. “It’s day one today and a lot of things can happen.”
Tomorrow, the drivers will have to cope with a diversified programme. The first part of the stage will be one of the fastest sections of the entire event. Over the course of the stage’s final 100 kilometres, however, the competitors will have to battle their way across the grey dunes of Nihuil. Altogether, they will have to cover a mileage of 798 kilometres, with 433 special-stage kilometres.
Result stage 1:
1st C. Sousa (POR) / M. Ramalho (POR) Haval – 2h 20m 36s
2nd O. Terranova (ARG) / P. Fiúza (POR) MINI ALL4 Racing – 2h 20m 47s
3rd N. Al-Attiyah (QAT) / L. Cruz (ESP) MINI ALL4 Racing – 2h 21m 23s
4th N. Roma (ESP) / M. Périn (FRA) MINI ALL4 Racing – 2h 21m 51s
5th C. Sainz (ESP) / T. Gottschalk (GER) Buggy – 2h 24m 39s
6th S. Peterhansel (FRA) / J.-P. Cottret (FRA) MINI ALL4 Racing – 2h 24m 57s
7th K. Holowczyc (POL) / K. Zhiltsov (RUS) MINI ALL4 Racing – 2h 24m 57s
...
11th F. Villagra (ARG) / J. P. Companc (ARG) MINI ALL4 Racing – 2h 26m 45s
...
13th V. Vasilyev (RUS) / V. Yevtyekhov (UKR) MINI ALL4 Racing – 2h 28m 36s
...
18th A. Yacopini (ARG) / M. J. Scopinaro (ARG) BMW X3 CC – 2h 31m 39s
...
22nd M. Kaczmarski (POL) / F. Palmeiro (POR) MINI ALL4 Racing – 2h 32m 59s
...
25th Zhou Yong (CHN) / Hong Yu Pan (CHN) MINI ALL4 Racing – 2h 33m 43s
...
28th B. Garafulic (CHI) / G. Picard (FRA) MINI ALL4 Racing – 2h 36m 42s
29th S. Schott (GER) / H. Schmidt (GER) MINI ALL4 Racing – 2h 37m 52s
The 2014 Mintex British Historic Rally Championship has reaffirmed its commitment to historic motorsport by announcing the return of the Mini and Imp Cups.
2013 saw unprecedented numbers of Imp’s and Imp variants take to the stages of the BHRC providing exciting battles and interesting viewing for the spectators with Geoff Taylor and Steve Greenhill taking the Cup home. Clive King and Bob Ward dominated the Old Stager field and won the 2013 Mini Cup.
For 2014 the format will be based around the four best scores of each crew.
The BHRC has also confirmed that this competition will not exclude crews from winning their class, which will be based on the best six scoring rounds.
Championship Secretary John Hunt said “Its part of out long standing commitment to historic motorsport, ensuring that all makes and models of car can enjoy their BHRC experience. Geoff was a worthy winner of last years competition and we look forward to seeing even more cars out this season”
www.hrcr.co.uk
