50 years of the Mini in 2009

The Mini 7 Racing Club (M7RC) has announced the provisional 2009 calendar for the Dunlop Mini Se7en and Dunlop Mini Miglia Challenges, which will feature celebrations for the 50th Anniversary of the Classic Mini. The Mini 7 Racing Club will also take part in the MINI 50th birthday event, MINI United, which will be held at Silverstone on 22 to 24 May.

The provisional ten-race calendar includes eight races as part of the Dunlop Great & British package and two at MINI United on the full Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. The Mini 7 Racing Club will be providing a key element of the MINI United weekend and will be providing the on track action alongside the German MINI Challenge. With plenty of off track action including live music, stunt shows, MINI makeovers and lots more entertainment, the MINI United event will attract MINI fans from all over the world and promises to be THE MINI party of 2009.

In addition to the Dunlop Great and British and MINI United events, the teams and drivers from the Mini 7 Racing Club are also invited to participate in two non championship races at the 2009 Silverstone Classic next summer in July.

The first race of the 2009 season is at Rockingham in April, with visits to Brands Hatch in Kent, Donington Park in Leicestershire, Castle Combe in Wiltshire, Croft in North Yorkshire and the season finishes off with a double-header finale at Snetterton in Norfolkat the end of September.

“This exciting calendar will allow our drivers to show off the Mini 7 Racing Club’s trade mark; close and exciting racing at every turn,” said Nick Cooke, Chairman of the Mini 7 Racing Club. “With the 50th Anniversary of the launch of the original Mini, we are once again pleased to be part of the high profile Dunlop Great and British events. Also, as part of the 50th Anniversary, the Mini 7 Racing Club is pleased to have been invited to be part of the celebrations at MINI United next May and with 40,000 spectators expected to visit Silverstone, this promises to be our biggest audience since Mini 40. My thanks go to everyone involved in the preparation of the 2009 calendar and we are looking forward to the first race at Rockingham next April.”

Provisional 2009 Calendar – Dunlop Mini Se7en Challenge / Dunlop Mini Miglia ChallengeDate - Circuit - InformationRound 1 18 April Rockingham Dunlop Great & BritishRounds 2, 3 22/23/24 May Silverstone GP MINI UnitedRound 4 7 June Brands Hatch Indy Dunlop Great & BritishRound 5 4/5 July Donington GP Dunlop Great & BritishRound 6 19 July Castle Combe, Wiltshire Dunlop Great & British24/25/26 July Silverstone Historic GP Silverstone Classic**Rounds 7, 8 22/23 August Croft Dunlop Great & BritishRound 9,10 26/27 September Snetterton Dunlop Great & British

** Silverstone Classic – two non championship racesFor further information on the 2009 calendar and the Mini 7 Racing Cub visit www.mini7.co.uk.built by Racecar