While participating in the MINI rally race as part of IMM 2015, the roads of Lithuania revealed another world — sending out a call for help. While participating in the MINI rally race as part of IMM 2015, the roads of Lithuania revealed another world — sending out a call for help. May 27th, 2015 John Scott Lewinski The best part of my job is waking up in the morning and having absolutely no idea what the day might hold. While covering the 2015 International MINI Meeting in the lake country of Lithuania, I knew I’d be seeing plenty of the classic little cars from the last 55 years of production. I also knew I’d be participating in stage rally race across the countryside — sort of a timed scavenger hunt across the rural landscape and through a collection of small farming communities. But, I didn’t know I’d encounter something that changed my perspective on the world — a place that would drive me to take action and help those I am able to help in some small way. If you’re looking for just another car review piece, I should let you know in advance I’m ranging far afield from that here. This story is less about the MINI Countryman I chose as my rally car and more about where the race took me. The IMM 2015 included a traditional rally race inviting teams of racers (one driver, one navigator) to chase different objectives in 60 minute segments. For example, the first stage had the teams drive to a centuries-old stone church, count the windows and report to a check-in point precisely at the 60 minute mark. Miscount the windows? Time penalty. Show up early? Penalty? Show up late? You get the idea. While there’s a lot of hustle and driving precision involved, the race is less about raw speed and more about efficiency. A mid-stage of this race had my team stop at a small shop in a tiny farming community. We were under orders to buy precisely 2 Euros worth of what would be penny candy in the U.S – and we were not to eat a single piece. More at 2015 IMM MINI Rally Race Unveils a World of Hope - CraveOnline