AMVIV3 06

2006 Wrap Up and Photos for A Mini Vacation In Vegas 3

by Andrew Ross

A Quick Overview

Building on AMVIV2's 200+ MINIs and Minis, 2006's AMVIV3 was a huge success. We had about 300 cars registered this time, plus a few that never registered with us.

We went on group drives to Hoover Dam, the Valley of Fire, Red Rock Canyon and Mount Charleston. We filled the Las Vegas Strip with MINIs. We had a banquet dinner complete with giveaways and belly dancers. There was a MINI only driving school at the Las Vegas Speedway, and the first ever race in the North American MINI Cooper Challenge. If you couldn't find something fun to do, you weren't paying attention.

Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada
Photo by MJO MINI

The Hotel

After the generally positive response to Palace Station following the 2005 event, we decided to return for AMVIV3. They bent over backwards to give us anything within reason that we asked for, and the location, freeway access and views are tough to beat at any price. After AMVIV2, the biggest complaint about the whole event was the condition of the garden rooms, but between 2005 and 2006, Palace Station spent several million dollars upgrading the garden rooms. The resulting rooms were VERY nice and one of the best values in Las Vegas.

Palace Station put us on the marquee for all to see
Photo by Matt "Dr Obnxs" Richter

The Boot and Bonnet Show - Friday and Saturday, all day

The Boot and Bonnet Show is the showcase for all of our wonderful MINI vendors. It's where the attendees get to walk around looking at all the different MINIs. And they certainly were different. Out of about 300 cars, the only ones I saw that were identical were the ones that were so new they didn't even have plates yet.

During the BnB, vendors were selling and installing merchandise and MINI upgrades. Way Motor Works and Webb Motorsports worked their tails off the whole time installing various pulleys, suspension components and other "go faster" bits. Aesthetic Creations was installing all sorts of graphics. Dave Bunting of Motoring Photography kept disappearing to do amazing photo shoots of MINIs with a Vegas background. Most of the other vendors did a lot of business selling their MINI related stuff, in fact Cool MINI Stuff just about sold out of the stock they brought. Which was understandable, cause not only is their stuff very cool, they are really nice people. Craven Speed moved some product, but not as much as they deserved. Go and buy stuff from them next year, or from their website NOW! George from MINI Madness was showing off the upgrade parts that made the Madness car such a threat in the MINI racing series. Randy and Peter from M7 were selling and installing some of the most innovative and functional (as well as slickest looking) performance upgrades available at the time. Seven Enterprises were over in the "install corner" selling their range of performance and bling enhancing upgrades, and partnered with ALTA representatives to make sure that one of the biggest names in the business had a physical presence. All in all, we had about 30 vendors taking part, though not all physically made it to Vegas. This paragraph is already too long, so to the vendors I didn't include explicitly here, thank you for participating and hopefully you'll be back for 2007.

The second AMVIV Poker Run departed from the BnB on Saturday afternoon. The theme of the Poker Run this year was "Racing". For those who didn't find all the locations, they were The Speedway Casino, Las Vegas MINI Grand Prix, The So-Cal Speed Shop, The Hot Rod Grille, and of course, the Welcome To Las Vegas sign.

Setting up for the BnB
Photo by AAA

Starting to fill up the spaces
Photo by Agro

Please, nothing on the top floor but MINIs
Photo by Norm Dettlaff

Randy and Brian from Webb Motorsports installing stuff
Photo by Amoeba

The Sin City MINI Club's booth
Photo by Amoeba

Mr. Cone hanging out at the Sin City MINI Club's booth
Photo by Amoeba

The BnB in full swing
Photo by Avery Wong

People and cars at the BnB
Photo by AZminiman

Db and Todd (the WhiteRoofRadio guys) doing a live podcast from AMVIV
Photo by John D Williams

People and cars at the BnB
Photo by Agro

The view of the Strip during the BnB
Photo by Avery Wong

MINIs on the exit ramps and the Stratosphere in the background
Photo by AZminiman

"Installers' corner"
Photo by Jimz

7 Enterprises and Alta bringing re-supplies
Photo by John Herring

Starting to get late
Photo by Avery Wong

Vegas has some fantastic sunsets
Photo by KiGiPhoto

MINIs, mountains, sunset, what more could you ask for?
Photo by KiGiPhoto

Where are we again?
Photo by Amoeba

Waylen of Way Motor Works working so fast he's a blur!
Photo by Avery Wong

Brian from Webb is blurry too. And Alison Obnxs
Photo by Jimz

Palace Station has awesome views!
Photo by Storm Cooper

The Best Dam Run Ever - Friday morning

Early Friday morning, we set off from Palace Station towards Boulder City and Hoover Dam. We had about 80 cars when we left Palace Station and may have picked up a few more on the way.

We left the hotel and tried to stay together as much as possible as we headed down Sahara to I93/95. Next time, we're going to regroup once we get on the Interstate rather than try to keep the group together through traffic lights and such.

After pictures and general socializing at the Dam parking lot, most of the group continued a further 16 miles into Arizona and down to Willow Beach.

On the way to Hoover Dam
Photo by Amoeba

MINIs as far as the eye can see
Photo by Amoeba

The reverse angle at the same parking area
Photo by Agro

Glenn's MINI had a hissy fit (overheating) and the peanut gallery tried to help, or at least offer condolences. Nice picture of the event shirts too.
Photo by Norm Dettlaff

At the Willow Beach parking area.
Photo by Amoeba

The Willow Beach parking area facing the other direction.
Photo by Amoeba

The Red Rock Run - Friday afternoon

The Red Rock Run departed after lunch on Friday (about 2pm). As part of the pre-registration, 102 cars had prepaid their park entry fee and received their entry permits. I'm not sure that all of the prepaid cars made it on the run, but I'm pretty sure that some cars came that weren't prepaid.

We had late information that construction on the mapped route would make the drive slow and annoying, so a late decision was made to head straight west on Sahara to the park. Unfortunately, not everyone got this information, so a fairly large group took the looping Interstate path to Red Rock instead. As it turned out, those cars arrived at about the same time as the cars that took Sahara. I promise better communication for next year.

The road through the Red Rock park is a 13 mile, one way scenic drive. It has shows off some incredible scenery and has several parking areas scattered around so that visitors can stop and get a better look. The road is fun to drive (when you aren't stuck behind a minivan) with elevation changes and twisties galore, though the low speed limits are fairly strictly enforced.

Coming up to the park entry
Photo by Norm Dettlaff

The 1st parking area after the entry, perfect for MANY photos
Photo by Avery Wong

How's THIS for a view?
Photo by Mslootheer

Still in the 1st parking area
Photo by Avery Wong

And another early shot
Photo by John D Williams

Told you it was perfect for lots of photos
Photo by Avery Wong

Motoring through the park, if only we were allowed to go fast!
Photo by Avery Wong

A string of MINIs motoring, enjoying scenery, enjoying the roads, enjoying the burros...
Photo by Storm Cooper

Looking out over the park area, about 1/2 round the scenic drive
Photo by Agro

Meet The MINIacs Mixer - Friday late afternoon

Starting at 5:30pm, the Sin City MINI Club hosted a mixer event in the club's "hospitality suite" on the 3rd floor of Palace Station. We had soft drinks, sandwiches and "nibblies".

Unfortunately, way more people than we anticipated showed up. The room was seriously overcrowded and the food was gone within about 15 minutes. Several people took a look at the overflow into the hallway and didn't even try to get into the room. For 07, the mixer will be in the same room that the banquet dinner was in this year.

Sorry, but no pictures. There wasn't space in the room to use a camera.

The Las Vegas Strip Cruise - Friday evening

After the mess that was the mixer was over, MINIs and their owners left Palace Station at 7:30pm to do the traditional and now famous Strip Cruise.

In 2005, we took the procession of MINIs through downtown Las Vegas and then south on Las Vegas Boulevard. With all the pedestrians and traffic lights, we realized that that had been a mistake. This year, we set a staging area on the south end of the Strip, near the Mandalay Bay casino.

Once the over 200 (yes, two hundred) MINIs and Minis were in the dead-end street we were using for a staging area, Marc McHugh, Katrina Nicosia and I stopped the 3 lanes of northbound traffic on the Strip and waved all the MINIs out onto Las Vegas Boulevard. It was a blast! MINIs honking their horns. Motorists waving at the non-MINI tourists. Mr. Cone following a MINI down the Strip. You had to be there, and if you weren't, you HAVE to be here next year!

In the staging area, waiting for still more MINIs
Photo by Amoeba

Heading down the Strip
Photo by Amoeba

Mr. Cone heading down the Strip
Photo by Lexster

Heading down the Strip
Photo by Avery Wong

Heading down the Strip
Photo by CadburyAZ

Heading down the Strip
Photo by Amoeba

Here is Mr. Cone lazily progressing down the Strip
Photo by Agro

Heading down the Strip
Photo by Rockin Rick

Heading down the Strip
Photo by StoopidGirl

The Stratosphere (end of the Strip proper) is in sight
Photo by Amoeba

Motor Up The Mountain - Saturday morning

8am. Saturday morning after a Las Vegas Friday night. An 80 car turnout was surprising. I didn't make it myself, but not because I was hung over, it was because I was making sure the Boot and Bonnet Show was going smoothly.

The lead car for this run was Steve & Dee Gardner's black MCSC. I've tried to get more detailed reports on this run from people, with little success. So I'll pass on what I was told: it was fun/cold/dirty and a great time.

Made it to the base of the mountain
Photo by Amoeba

Norm has a great eye
Photo by Norm Dettlaff

Snow? In Vegas? In March? Yup.
Photo by KiGi Photo

Starting to get more interesting
Photo by Amoeba

This sign = fun
Photo by Amoeba

More amazing and unexpected scenery
Photo by Armand

Pictures and socializing
Photo by Jimz

As far up the mountain as you can drive
Photo by Jimz

Heading off towards the Lodge
Photo by John D Williams

Much less snow than last year
Photo by John D Williams

Phil Wicks Driving Academy and the North American MINI Cooper Challenge - Saturday all day

One of the most common answers to "what did we need that we didn't have" in the AMVIV2 post-event survey was "driving school". So we worked with Phil Wicks to get him to come and put on his MINI only driving academy during AMVIV3. In conjunction with the school, Phil unveiled the North American MINI Cooper Challenge. This is the American version of the John Cooper Challenge race series that has been running in England for a few years.

The school was a great success with all the available spaces being filled and lots of VERY experienced instructors teaching motorers how to drive their MINIs better. This was another sub-event I didn't get to. Not because I didn't want to, but I needed to stay at Palace Station. Everyone I talked to who went to the track told me they had a great time.

The race on Saturday afternoon (qualifying for the racers was earlier in the day) apparently was fantastic to watch. This was the first ever race in the series and a harbinger of things to come. I wish I could have been there.

Everyone gets to line up on the Start/Finish line
Photo by Amoeba

Gotta make sure the race cars are ready to race
Photo by Amoeba

The school was MINIs and Minis. The classics are surprisingly quick
Photo by Jimz

It's all about learning to corner smoothly
Photo by Amoeba

Classic Minis tend to congregate
Photo by Avery Wong

Buncha gearheads waiting for the fun to start
Photo by Avery Wong

The classics need love too
Photo by CadburyAZ

Start the race already!
Photo by CadburyAZ

Randy Webb opening a gap
Photo by CadburyAZ

The 3 fastest MINIs in the race. Webb, Madness, Webb.
Photo by Jonathan Souza

Spectacular backdrops on the non-grandstand side
Photo by Storm Cooper

Everyone loves the classics
Photo by XSMini

A few years ago, this was a common sight in Australia & England
Photo by XSMini

The Banquet at The Palace - Saturday night

What can I say? Food, drinks, giveaways, dancing girls, awards, more drinks, socializing...and no-one had to drive home after.

The evening event of the weekend was always going to be the banquet dinner at Palace Station. That was where we drew the lucky winners of all the prizes donated by our wonderful AMVIV vendors. It was the one place where almost all of the attendees got together over the whole weekend.

Keeping the dinner on time (mostly) were Db & Todd from the WhiteRoofRadio podcasts. Thanks a lot guys, you did a great job and next year we'll get you one of those vaudeville hook things from the old cartoons. No "extra long" speeches next year.

Ready for demolition by the hungry masses
Photo by Avery Wong

Everyone who was anyone was here
Photo by Avery Wong

Even someone who wasn't anyone was here.
Mr. Cone enjoyed his dinner
Photo by John Herring

2 of the winners in the car show. StoopidGirl (left) won for most outrageous MINI and BatGirlWildcat won for best graphics
Photo by Avery Wong

Phil Wicks talked about the driving school and the race before presenting diplomas to the graduates
Photo by KiGi Photo

It wouldn't be Vegas without dancing girls!
Photo by Avery Wong

It would have been easier for everyone to see if there hadn't been a mix-up with the stage
Photo by KiGi Photo

These ladies are very talented. And dangerous.
Photo by Agro

Breakfast at Desert MINI - Sunday morning

c3 Club (Cooper Club for Charities) organized a farewell breakfast very early (for some of us) Sunday morning. The $10 cover charge covered bagels and muffins, coffee and OJ. The venue was Desert MINI, Las Vegas' only MINI dealership.

During the breakfast, c3 was selling raffle tickets and generally raising money for the charity of the day, Cure Autism Now (CAN) which is certainly a worthy recipient. They gave away lots of prizes and it was certainly worth getting up early for.

I don't have many pictures of the breakfast, so if you have some cool ones, please send them to me at amviv3@gmail.com

The breakfast was hosted by Desert MINI
Photo by John D Williams

MINIs at Desert MINI while their drivers were fueling up
Photo by Octane Guy

MINIs at Desert MINI
Photo by John D Williams

During the giveaways, people were milling around the front of the showroom
Photo by Octane Guy

The MINI showroom was opened up on a Sunday especially for the occasion
Photo by John D Williams

Desert MINI cleared their display area of their MINIs for the event
Photo by Octane Guy

Classic Minis, brothers to each other, uncles or parents to the new MINIs
Photo by John D Williams

The c3 Club workers, raising $$$ for CAN
Photo by Octane Guy

The plasma inside the showroom running Vacucam footage from AMVIV2
Photo by Octane Guy

The Valley Of Fire Run - Sunday morning

We left Desert MINI, rolling past Palace Station to collect the late risers, and headed up the interstate towards the Valley of Fire.

The road from the Interstate to the park entrance is a fun, roller-coaster type road with many dips and turns. We had set up a prepay thing with the park so that the pre-registered cars could also prepay for their Valley of Fire park entry. We distributed 102 park entries.

After getting through the gate, we took more roller-coaster road to the Visitor Center for pictures and farewells. This would be the last time many of us would get to socialize with our AMVIV friends till March of 07.

We then headed up the road past Mouse's Tank to the White Domes and another big parking area. More phenomenal pictures were taken, then it was time for most of the attendees to head home.

The line of cars entering the park was impressive
Photo by 89AKurt

See? Roller coaster ride road
Photo by Agro

It's pretty cool when we fill entire parking lots
Photo by Avery Wong

Almost the final round of socializing
Photo by Avery Wong

The road to the White Domes
Photo by John D Williams

Spectacular scenery, and I'm not just talking about the MINIs
Photo by John D Williams

If only they'd let us drive it fast!
Photo by Avery Wong

More roller coaster
Photo by Avery Wong

Someone arrived early and was lying in wait for us
Photo by R Delar

That looks like the sign at the start of the road
Photo by Agro

Words can't describe how much fun it was to lead 100+ MINIs on this road
Photo by Agro

The whole thing

It was fun and tiring and totally worth it. Through running AMVIV the last couple of years (well, through being the figurehead) I've met so many great people. And it seems like everybody knows me, which I find to be surprising and very cool.

If you have met and talked to me for more than a couple of words, when I see you in March of 07, I'll probably remember you. I promise I'll try, at least. And I love meeting new friends, so please come up and say hi. I'm the furry, XXL Australian, probably wearing either an orange shirt or a Sin City MINI Club shirt (or an orange SCMC shirt).
Agro.
I'm the one in the orange shirt
Photo by WickedGolf