DRP – February Cliff Notes
Greetings! February, like most months, started off with Cars & Coffee at the MINI of Tempe Dealer which was a great way to avoid the Superbowl rush that Sunday. Our Sunday Sweets was at a Barrio Cafe where we enjoyed various desserts and probably some of the best guacamole I’ve ever had, it was great. Pavilions car show had a great turn out which is to be expected with such amazing weather.
White Roof Radio hosted their 500th show at EuroTechs where Todds Mods was doing vinyl graphics by day and we partied hard (possibly too hard) at Dave & Busters afterwards with valued Vegas DMC members and the White Roof crew.
February is the birth month of Arizona State so it only seemed right to celebrate with a run honoring some AZ history so we rallied around the 5 C’s (Climate, cotton, cattle, citrus and copper) and stopped at Ray Mine overlook and munched on some citrus and beef and various other delicious treats at Ralph & Betty’s at Top of the World. Check out the video by John Vowell at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJZt47zTYLg&feature=youtu.be
IFN was held at Rigatony’s where they were very excited to see all the MINIs and we had a nice crowd of about 20 people and stuffed our faces with some delicious Italian foods and great company and conversation.
Looking forward to this months upcoming DRP events and meeting a lot of new people at SW MINI Fest
3/14 – A MINI Night out at Durrants
3/15 Pavilions Car Show
3/26 – Karting at Octane
3/28-30 – SW MINI Fest
4/6 – Cars & Coffee at MINI of Tempe
DRP – November Cliff Notes & Upcoming Events
And so begins the busy holiday season. Despite everyone’s busy schedules we still made time to get together with our MINI family quite a bit 
Kicked off November with the usual Cars and Coffee at Mini of Tempe, we’ve been getting a great turnout lately and meeting some new members & looking forward to checking out the 2014 models soon. Always a good way to start off the month.
Sunday Sweets was at Nami was an interesting new stop – the soy yogurt and various vegan-friendly mix-ins were delicious, the DJ that kicked it up to 11 was quite NOT NORMAL in true MINI fashion.
Good Guys car show was in town so the turnout at our usual night at Pavilions was a glorious show of classics, customs and all sorts of new eye candy. Started off early in the day and wandered through the aisles long into the evening with some great new MINI friends.
Mr John Vowell set up the fantastic Mission Impossible Run in which we had a list of addresses that were filming locations for various movies. Participants had to find the location, take a picture of themselves there and guess which movie was filmed on site. It was a great way to tour some ‘famous’ locations around Phoenix and snap some great pics.
Our usual Go Kart night was moved to Octane Raceway – when we got there they had a wait time of 170 minutes. I guess everyone was off for the holidays and were feeling the need for speed so the MINI crew regrouped at Goldie’s for some delicious food and drinks. The new location at Octane looked pretty nice and we’re excited to try it out – hopefully when it’s not so crazy busy.
Ralph Choate hosted the Leftovers Luau at his place at the Top of the World out past Superior, AZ. Ralph cooked up some delicious roasts and everyone brought out their Thanksgiving leftovers and chilled out around the fire pit, toasted some s’mores, watched some football and just had a perfectly relaxing time enjoying the beautiful scenery and great company. Perfect ending to a great month with MINI friends.
Our regular meet up for morning coffee at the Dutch Bros on McQueen has had a wonderful turnout. Was awesome how many people showed up on the morning after Thanksgiving despite not having to wake up so early for work. Even on the morning that it was freezing and pouring rain our group was huddled against the wall of Dutch getting our caffeine on – great work!
Stay tuned for some exciting events this December! *No IFN this month since it would fall on Christmas*
12/7 – DMC Holiday Party in Tucson, Minis @ Murphys in Peoria.
12/8 – Sunday Sweets @ Rita’s
12/14 – Holiday Lights Run
12/21 – Scottsdale Pavilions Car Show
Coffee every Friday morning at Dutch Bros McQueen 530-730
Pictures by Therese, Louie, George, Ralph, Teresa & Shane
DRP – October Cliff Notes and Upcoming Events!
Greetings fellow MINI fans! Here’s a summary of the Desert Rat Pack events we had in October:
Cars & Coffee – In October, Cars & Coffee was held at a new location – De Fino Moto Auditorio – It was a great turn out and we spent the whole morning mingling, grilling up some burgers and a few members got their cars washed/detailed. A great time was had by all and many thanks go out to club members Gino and Brandy for letting us use their shop!
RALLY-TOBER!! – The dealerships headed a few runs that were open to the public and were a blast! First, Mini of North Scottsdale led a run East by Canyon Lake and ending at Tortilla flats for some beautiful desert scenery and a lunch at the Tortilla Flats restaurant. The next week, Mini of Tempe hosted a poker run that took us on a trek around the lower valley with stops at Lone Butte Casino, Queen Creek Olive Mill, ET Motopark and Golf Land with breakfast and lunch at the dealer. Both runs had a fantastic turn out and were a blast.
Halloween! – Everyone put their creative pants on for the Halloween party and came out with some very creative and well done costumes. Much food, drink and good times were had. Ralph Choate won best costume for his wonderful rendition of the Mad Hatter
IFN – Organ Stop Pizza – Last but not least, our International Food Night was at the Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa. They played a variety of covers with their ridiculously intricate organ that was built throughout the entire building. It was a great place for a meet up and the salad bar was delicious!
Coming up!!! – Be sure to get ready for these events in November!
11/3 – Cars & Coffee – Mini of Tempe
11/10 – Sunday Sweets – Nami
11/16 – Pavilions Car Show
11/23 – Mission Impossible Fun Run!
11/27 – Go Kart Night – New Location! Octane Raceway
11/30 – Leftovers Luau – Hosted by Ralph & Betty Choate
Check the Facebook or Calendar for updates! Motor On!
Pictures by: George Rocheleau, Dave Perez, Stacy Rohr
July Tracks
Greetings Motorists,
It’s hot. There, now that we have that out of the way.. By now, you should have received candidate information for the current DMC board elections. If not, please contact Sandy Summers. The elections meeting will be on the 14th in Tucson.
July Events:
July 7th – Cars & Coffee – MINI of Tempe:
Come on out, chat with the dealers, owners, or just come for the free donuts.
July 13th – Member Run – Jerome, AZ:
A couple of our local MINI people, Schyler and Jerry, are hosting a run up to Jerome this month. They’ll be meeting in Wickenburg at 8 am and will be posting more details as the date nears.
July 14th – Annual DMC Elections Meeting – Coyote Pause, Tucson, AZ:
Please join us for the elections meeting at Coyote Pause, a neat restaurant near Tucson Mountain Park and the Saguaro National Park West. DRP folks will plan on departing at 9 am sharp at the MINI of Tempe.
July 14th – Second Sunday Sweets – Pink Spot, Phoenix, AZ:
Pink Spot opened in June, 2008, by local residents Mark and Julie, who saw a need for a unique coffeehouse/dessert shop in the heart of midtown Phoenix.
July 20th – Third Saturday Car Show (Scottsdale Pavilions):
Join us at Arizona’s longest running weekly car show. We are usually parked in first and second rows as you enter the parking area. With the nice weather becoming standard, arrivals will begin earlier, around 3-4 pm.
July 31st – DRP Go-Kart Night:
Come out for some friendly competition on the track, even if you don’t want to race, come hang out and cheer on those who do! K1 features all electric karts for all the fun without the noise and smell of the gas karts. For more info about K1 Speed, visit their website.
As always, stay safe, check your oil, maintain tire pressure, and above all.. Motor on!
June Tracks
Greetings Motorists,
We hope you enjoyed the past holiday, the tenth anniversary of The Italian Job reboot, as we close out May. Oh, and Memorial Day too.
June Events:
June 2nd – Cars & Coffee – MINI of Tempe:
Come on out, chat with the dealers, owners, or just come for the free donuts.
June 9th – Second Sunday Sweets – Bahama Buck’s, Mesa, AZ (MOVED To Cold Stone):
It was brought to our attention that the member recommended, Bahama Buck’s, location is in fact closed on Sundays, despite what the publicly listed hours say. To avoid any hassle, the location has been moved to the Coldstone at the same intersection.
June 15th – Third Saturday Car Show (Scottsdale Pavilions):
Join us at Arizona’s longest running weekly car show. We are usually parked in first and second rows as you enter the parking area. With the nice weather becoming standard, arrivals will begin earlier, around 3-4 pm.
June 22nd – Tortilla Flats:
The ladies had their chance to venture out east, now it’s time for a full club run. We’ll head out in the morning and grab lunch. “Tortilla Flat is an authentic remnant of an old west town, nestled in the midst of the Tonto National Forest, in the Superstition Mountain Range. Tortilla Flat started out as a stagecoach stop in 1904 and neither fire nor flood has been able to take away this historic stop along the Historic Apache Trail.”
June 26th – IFN – Rosie McCaffrey’s, Phoenix, AZ:
“Whether you come here for a pint or two, a nip, a bite, or as Seamus says, “a little socializin’,” you’ll find something we’re all looking for; sustenance for the soul, to be enjoyed in good company. Praise the saints for those places where such things are found in abundance, and without much bother.”
As always, stay safe, check your oil, maintain tire pressure, and above all.. Motor on!
May Tracks
Greetings Motorists,
April was trashy. Or at least it was until this past weekend. The DMC traveled up Hwy 87 to clean the strip of adopted highway. There was the usual beer can and underwear treasures, but there was also a homicidal squirrel that tried to take our George with a tree branch. True story.
This month features two national events as well as our own local meetups. Safe travels to anyone making the journey to MOTD or AMVIV.
May Events:
May 4th – Annual DMC Meeting – Grimaldi’s Pizza, Chandler, AZ:
Please join us for the Annual DMC meeting. Discussions will be focused on the progress the club has made this past year as well as a look to the club’s future.
To accommodate all you Mother Lovers, Ice Cream will be incorporated into a new night run this month so as not to conflict with Mother’s Day.
May 18th – Third Saturday Car Show (Scottsdale Pavilions):
Join us at Arizona’s longest running weekly car show. We are usually parked in first and second rows as you enter the parking area. With the nice weather becoming standard, arrivals will begin earlier, around 3-4 pm.
May 18th – Night Rally:
Following the Pavilions Car Show, join us for the Night Rally. We plan on leaving the parking lot around 7:00pm, just before sunset and finishing around 10:00pm.
May 22th – DRP Go-Kart Night:
Come out for some friendly competition on the track, even if you don’t want to race, come hang out and cheer on those who do! K1 features all electric karts for all the fun without the noise and smell of the gas karts. For more info about K1 Speed, visit their website.
As always, stay safe, check your oil, maintain tire pressure, and above all.. Motor on!
PDF Calendar March-April 2013
Hi Motorers!
This was on facebook but thought I would put it on the website in case anyone didn’t see it yet.
March Tracks
Greetings Motorists,
This past month we decided to take advantage of our wonderful winter weather and scheduled two runs. The first took us through road construction up to the White Tanks park for a barbeque and short hike. The second took the ladies out to Tortilla Flats for a day away from the valley.
Also, it snowed in Phoenix. Not central phoenix where it would have caused absolute chaos and an ultimate destruction of our local government, but it seemed to follow Loop 101 and circled us in a nice white blanket… Which melted 10 minutes later.
This month’s updates are being release a week early as we wanted to give some attention to a club friend, EuroTechs.
March Events:
March 2nd – EuroTechs Tech Day:
EuroTechs is hosting an open shop day with Craven Speed and Toddsmods. Todd will be installing custom graphics so make sure you book with him in advance. Kellen from Craven Speed with be bringing out parts we don’t typically have in stock. While not an official DRP event, stop on by and check it out anyway.
March 10th – Second Sunday Sweets – Churn, Phoenix, AZ:
Voted Best Ice Cream in 2012 by Phoenix New Times. On top of the usual cups and bowls, Churn will build you an ice cream sandwich on homemade cookies or let you enjoy your scoops in a pretzel cone. Endless possibilities abound when you can pick both your cookie and ice cream varieties.
March 16th – Third Saturday Car Show (Scottsdale Pavilions):
Join us at Arizona’s longest running weekly car show. We are usually parked in first and second rows as you enter the parking area. With the nice weather becoming standard, arrivals will begin earlier, around 3-4 pm.
March 24th – Copper Rally:
The Copper Corridors offer spectacular scenery for the high desert areas of the state, including tortuous (aka fun) roadway curves, panoramic views, gigantic open mining activities, and diversity of desert ecology.
March 27th – DRP Go-Kart Night:
Come out for some friendly competition on the track, even if you don’t want to race, come hang out and cheer on those who do! K1 features all electric karts for all the fun without the noise and smell of the gas karts. For more info about K1 Speed, visit their website.
As always, stay safe, check your oil, maintain tire pressure, and above all.. Motor on!
February Tracks
Greetings Motorists,
Well, another month has passed without an Italian Job sequel. Speaking of which, wouldn’t it be great if the internet has a listing of movies that featured a MINI Cooper? Done. ( http://www.imcdb.org/
Last month we took a low-key approach and rode up South Mountain and enjoyed brunch at Good Egg. The turnout was good and the food was scrumptious.
February Events:
Feb. 9th – White Tanks Run & BBQ:
White Tanks is the largest regional park in Maricopa County. On the 9th, we’ll be heading out there to scope out a small fraction of it. Planned activities include a hike and barbecue. Afterwards, we’ll head into downtown Glendale for more chocolate than we know what to do with.
Feb. 10th – Second Sunday Sweets – Frost Gelato, Gilbert, AZ:
Featuring “guilt-free” tasties, Frost is going to make you happy.
Feb. 16th – Third Saturday Car Show (Scottsdale Pavilions):
Join us at Arizona’s longest running weekly car show. We are usually parked in first and second rows as you enter the parking area. With the nice weather becoming standard, arrivals will begin earlier, around 3-4 pm.
Feb. 27th – IFN – Haus Murphy’s, Glendale, AZ:
This month’s IFN features German food. They’ve got your schnitzels, brats, wursts, hearse… Maybe not the last, but come enjoy the food anyway.
As always, stay safe, check your oil, maintain tire pressure, and above all.. Motor on!
January Tracks
Greetings Motorists,
We hope your holidays were filled with smooth roads and fireworks.. Because everything is better with fire.
Last month we participated in our annual Holiday Light Run. It was cold and rainy, but the lights were pretty. Thankfully, by the time we made it to our destination, the rain had stopped and many of us enjoyed the festivities put on by the town of Glendale.
January Events:
Jan. 6th – Cars & Coffee – MINI of Tempe:
The first Cars & Coffee of the year. Come on out, chat with the dealers, owners, or just come for the free donuts.
Jan. 13th – Second Sunday Sweets – Rita’s Arrowhead, Glendale, AZ:
Featuring Italian Ice and Old Fashioned Custard, Rita’s is sure to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth.
Jan. 19th – South Mountain Run & Brunch:
South Mountain Park in Phoenix, Arizona, is the largest city park in the United States, one of the largest urban parks in North America and in the world. Join us for a quick jaunt up the mountain. Once at the top, get out and enjoy the view. On the way down, we’ll continue along Central ave to enjoy a nice brunch at Good Egg.
Jan. 19th – Third Saturday Car Show (Scottsdale Pavilions):
Join us at Arizona’s longest running weekly car show. We are usually parked in first and second rows as you enter the parking area. With the nice weather becoming standard, arrivals will begin earlier, around 3-4 pm.
Jan. 23rd – DRP Go-Kart Night:
Ate too much turkey or gobbled five pumpkin pies all by yourself? Burn some of that off while coming out for some friendly competition on the track, even if you don’t want to race, come hang out and cheer on those who do! K1 features all electric karts for all the fun without the noise and smell of the gas karts. For more info about K1 Speed, visit their website.
Don’t forget, there’s also a drag race night being organized by one of our members Schyler!
Let’s race! It’s been far too long since we’ve hit the drag strip and I’m thinking this will be nice after all the holiday stuff is over and just before school starts up again. Open inviteDoors open at 6pm, $20 to race and $10 to watch. Check out the website for race rules:
As always, stay safe, check your oil, maintain tire pressure, and above all.. Motor on!