Panorama by Debbie Jenkins May
MINIacs from three states converged at the Barber Motorsports Park and Museum on November 22, 2015, under deep blue skies and perfectly cool fall temperatures. This may have been the largest gathering of MINI Coopers ever assembled in Alabama (not counting the dealership), with a total of 33 MINI Coopers and 40+ MINIacs. The three MINIs from the River Region were first to arrive at the museum. We were soon joined by four of the six Bundys (Dave is the River Region Minis founder) in two of their MINIs. From then on, there was a steady stream of MINIs arriving at the museum, including the Rocket City MINIs and its sizable delegation from Lynchburg, TN, the Magic City MINIs, and even some Georgia MINIacs. By 10:30, we were taking care of the paperwork for the track laps, museum tour, and meal.
We had our dessert first –Track Laps! Led by our host, John Viviani (head of restorations at the museum AND a MINI owner/driver), for half a dozen laps in full Walter Mitty mode. While basking in the afterglow of the track laps, we returned to the museum dining area for our boxed lunches of sandwiches, pasta salad, chips, dessert and a drink. After lunch, following some tire kicking and MINI stories in the parking lot, we began the tour of the normally off-limits Restoration Shop on the bottom floor. John Viviani led us on a fact-filled and up close part of the museum tour, including completed projects, works in progress, the machine shop filled with state-of-the-art machines and tools and the “storage/waiting room” of motorcycles awaiting display in the museum’s massive expansion due for completion next October. The self-guided part of the tour was for the upper 4 floors of restored vintage and contemporary bikes and of course the world’s most extensive collection of Lotus road and race cars.
Special thanks to RCM’s Kevin Stephenson for organizing the event for us and for the requisite cat-herding that comes with an event of this size.
Video from the bridge, by Troy Wesson:
Also see:
Dave Hays’ in-car, on-track video
Stills and close-up stills by Troy Wesson.
Dave & Karnia Bundy’s on track video (If we all had V-12s in our MINIs)
100+ (mostly) on-track stills from Kevin Stephenson and Beverly Stephenson Counce