WHAT'S COMING UP?

Avenue of the Giants Weekend Run - Sat. March 23, 2024

Saturday will be a very full day of cruising from Novato up through the Avenue of the Giants and ending at Eel River Brewing in Fortuna. Sun...

Paddy Hopkirk And TWINI To Grace Burlingame

Stormin' Norman sent us this press release from the TWINI Racing Team:
TWINI TO BE FEATURED AT PADDY HOPKIRK’S GOLDEN JUBILEE IN BURLINGAME, CA

February 22, 2014
Oakland, CA
For Immediate Release

Fifty years ago this month the intrepid duo of Paddy Hopkirk and Henry Liddon piloted their bright red one liter Morris Mini Cooper S Works rally car to victory in the grueling Monte Carlo Rally, showing their tailpipe to many famous drivers in much more prestigious race cars. What the little car lacked in horsepower during the hill climbs was more than compensated for by the precise handling of the wide bulldog stance and front wheel drive on the downhill sections. Their monumental victory launched the Mini Cooper onto the world stage of Motorsports where it has been competing ever since.

This year, Hopkirk, a bright and amiable 80 year old from Belfast, has a full dance card as he is being fĂȘted near and far for his remarkable accomplishment in the winter of 1964. He has already been cheered through the streets of Belfast and honored in Monaco. Now it is our turn in Northern California. On April 12th, Paddy Hopkirk will be the guest of honor at an invitation only gala event at The Candy Store clubhouse in Burlingame where a group of prominent Bay Area automotive enthusiasts house their car collection and host special events. Previously honored there are such racing greats as Derek Bell, Sir Stirling Moss, Parnelli Jones and Bobby Unser.

The Hopkirk event program features racing Minis from yesterday and today. Present will be a replica of his famous number 37 Mini from 1964 as well as Mike Kearney’s Fortech Mini, five time SCCA National Champion in GT5 during the Eighties and Aughties, along with driver Doug Peterson.

Also featured at the Hopkirk Golden Jubilee is TWINI, the twin engine MINI Cooper race car specifically designed and built by Jacques Andres to win the 2014 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race hosted by the National Auto Sport Association and held each December at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, CA. Dave Vodden, Chief Executive Officer of Thunderhill Raceway, will also be on hand to entertain members and their guests with stories of his premier event at the Raceway.

To continue the giant killing tradition established by Hopkirk and others in the Sixties, Andres has set his sights on the dominant and well funded Porsche and Audi teams at the 25. During practice at Thunderhill before last year’s enduro, TWINI was seen running down and passing Porsche Cup cars despite fuel pump problems and worn tires. This year will be devoted to final preparation of the race car, pre-event testing and gathering all the parts, equipment and crew necessary to field a competitive team at the 25 next December.