Mini World – June 2019

66 June 2019 MiniWorld

[ Rocker cover rcing ]

from Ireland ended up winning every

race and became the new IMM Rocker

Cover Champion. Congratulations! So

now it’s time for me to create a new

racer for IMM 2019. How did the kids

do in Portugal? The same, they were

once again eliminated by the adults.

It was now even more evident that the

adults were getting faster each year and

that the kids had even less of a chance

making it into the top 10 or winning.

The field of racers had some serious

competitors that even came with tool

boxes and stands in order to make

adjustments between runs. The

crowd size was amazing and

very excited. This time there

was definitely a target on my

back but, with my long hair,

you just couldn’t see it. First was

the show judging of the racers to

choose some of the most creative

looking entries before the competition.

On my first run I could see my future

for the day. At the track transition from

the ramp to the ground level, my racers

would hit so hard they would bounce

and go sideways into the side rail. The

first run was so comically embarrassing

that I crawled under the track as my

racer sat there sideways just past the

transition. My Paddy racer dropped out

rather fast while my IMM Ireland winner

made it to the top 10 before being

eliminated. As a spectator, I really enjoyed

watching the racing as it got closer and

closer to the final two. Eugene Burke

While they still have fun, you can still see

some disappointment. So, I got together

with a few of the main rocker cover racers

and IMM race organisers to create a kids’

racing class. There was about a month

of many emails between Neil KilBane

from Ireland, Gabor Varga from Hungary,

David Woodbridge from England who’s

currently living in Germany, and myself

in the US. Our goal was to create an

IMM racing class for kids aged 12 and

under that allows them to construct an

inexpensive racer with minimal adult help

and, when completed, it’s as equal as

possible with the other kids racers. Kids

would be limited to basic tools, saws,

and drills, with no welding or machining

allowed. Basically, it’s almost as easy as

Modified and Kids rules

with building instructions:

http://www.classicminis.org

German Rocker Cover

Championship rules

and instructions:

http://www.minis-unterwegs.de

Facebook group: Search for:

“Rockercover racers (a-series)”

Contact: Mike Guido,

[email protected]

MORE INFORMATION

AND CONTACTS:

Paddy Hopkirk awarding Mike Guido the 1st place

trophy at the IMM in Ireland with a “Ta-daaaaaa.”

Racing at IMM Mini 55 England.

IMM Portugal 2018.

Mike Guido hiding from

embarrassment. Seriously!