I have tried this configuration both on the patched and unpatched kernel (with power management off).
I think minstrel is activated because /sys/kernel/debug/ieee80211/phy0/netdev\:wlan0/stations/00\:24\:d4\:69\:f4\:14/rc_stats don't look at all with my standard 3.8 kernel and this custom 3.10 :

gfmichaud@dragonfly:~$ cat rc_stats_3.10
type         rate     throughput  ewma prob   this prob  retry   this succ/attempt   success    attempts
CCK/LP        1.0M           0.4       50.4       100.0      0              0(  0)         5          22
CCK/LP        2.0M           0.0        0.0         0.0      0              0(  0)         0           0
CCK/LP        5.5M           0.0        0.0         0.0      0              0(  0)         0           0
CCK/LP       11.0M           0.0        0.0         0.0      0              0(  0)         0           0
HT20/LGI  t  MCS0            4.8       79.8        50.0      3              0(  0)       318         495
HT20/LGI     MCS1            3.3       28.7         7.6      4              0(  0)       439         879
HT20/LGI T P MCS2           14.6       88.5       100.0      5              3(  3)       757        1825
HT20/LGI     MCS3            0.0        0.0         0.0      0              0(  0)         0           4
HT20/LGI     MCS4            0.0        0.0         0.0      0              0(  0)         0           4
HT20/LGI     MCS5            0.0        0.0         0.0      0              0(  0)         0           5
HT20/LGI     MCS6            0.0        0.0         0.0      0              0(  0)         0           4
HT20/LGI     MCS7            0.0        0.0         0.0      0              0(  0)         0           4
HT20/SGI     MCS0            4.7       68.2       100.0      3              0(  0)        22          38
HT20/SGI     MCS1            3.6       29.2         0.0      4              0(  0)         2          12
HT20/SGI     MCS2            5.9       33.1        25.0      5              0(  0)        38         110
HT20/SGI     MCS3            0.0        0.0         0.0      0              0(  0)         0           4
HT20/SGI     MCS4            0.0        0.0         0.0      0              0(  0)         0           4
HT20/SGI     MCS5            0.0        0.0         0.0      0              0(  0)         0           5
HT20/SGI     MCS6            0.0        0.0         0.0      0              0(  0)         0           4
HT20/SGI     MCS7            0.0        0.0         0.0      0              0(  0)         0           3

Total packet count::    ideal 1505      lookaround 77
Average A-MPDU length: 1.0

gfmichaud@dragonfly:~$ cat rc_stats_3.8 
    HT    MCS   Rate    Success    Retries   XRetries        PER
                1.0:          2          0          0          0
                2.0:          0          0          0          0
                5.5:          0          0          0          0
               11.0:          0          0          0          0
  HT20      1  13.0:          0          0          0          0
  HT20      2  19.5:          0          0          0          0
  HT20      3  26.0:          0          0          0          0
  HT20      4  39.0:          0          0          0          0
  HT20      5  52.0:          3         14          2         30
  HT20      6  58.5:          2          8          2         30
  HT20      7  65.0:          9          9          2         30
  HT20      7  72.2:        380         86         14          5
gfmichaud@dragonfly:~$


I've had, however, no convincing results with this.
Curiously, the connection looks like it's up (Network Manager shows 2 bars) but when I try to using (with Chrome or simply "host www.google.com") everything times out, and I get disconnected at long last.

I'll keep on testing the custom 3.10 (patch + minstrel) for a while.