THE year old 'new' Mini is as popular as ever. Since the launch at the Oxford factory 12 months ago around 60,000 cars have been produced by BMW making it another banner year for the popular little car.

Another milestone in its success is the tenth anniversary of the British Mini Club, organisers of this weekend's ninth annual British Mini Showdown taking place at Shakespeare County Raceway, Stratford.

According to Miniworld magazine Minis are all about handling and roadholding so drag racing is an odd sort of an idea for Britain's popular car. But its a great way of seeing just how good your engine and gearbox are and a good way to test your own reaction times against the odd looking start lights known in drag racing terms as the 'Christmas tree'.

The idea of the British Mini Showdown is to get your Mini up to the best spec you can, get its weight right down, enter a class, pass scrutineering and spend part of Saturday doing practice runs up the Warwickshire quarter-mile.

Do your final tweaks midday and then go for timed runs Saturday afternoon and most of Sunday.

During the weekend, every timed run is automatically recorded and entered for the class. Fastest three in each class get trophies. It's that simple!

Established as the only annual Mini weekend where you and a mate can go head-to-head, flat out, up the big black track, the British Mini Showdown is the ultimate 'show & go' event for all Mini owners from around the country.

Staff from the British Mini Club registered 198 Minis for Sunday alone last year making it the most competitive ever.

In addition to the many Minis expected at Long Marston, the resident good 'ole boys from a drag racing association known as the Supercharge Outlaws/Wild Bunch will be cranking up their exotic and highly explosive V8 dragsters and altereds for a series of 'number crunching' exhibition runs.

In addition to Saturday evening's entertainment in the

Raceway clubhouse and marquee, everything Mini will be available including a Mini Trade and Auto Jumble arena, club displays and much more. Can you afford to miss it!

Tickets cost £10 for Saturday and Sunday with a weekend ticket setting you back £18. It's £9 for 12-16-year-olds with Under-12s admitted free. There's also a RWYB Track fee of £10.

The British Mini Showdown starts on Saturday at 10am and the next day at 11.