The other car club I'm involved with (Midwest F-Body Association www.MFBA.org ) rents out Road America (Elkhart Lake, WI) twice per year, and we've held several successful events over the past several years. We invite others to help fill up the spots and keep the cost down for everyone. We've had other Coopers in the past, along with Z06s, Porsches, Subarus, Lotuses (Loti? ), etc...

Oct 13 and 14, 2007 is this fall's event. I typically help do the tech inspections, and work the starting grid and pits for sending cars out onto the track, and communicating with the drivers.

You can register for the event at http://roadamerica.fbody.us

Please see the site for track layout, FAQ's, costs, etc... There are single day packages, weekend packages, and discounts for signing up for both events.

If you ever wanted the chance to push your street car on a premier closed course track, this is it! Each day you'll get 4 sessions of 20 minutes (or about 7 laps). For this 4.2 mile high speed road course, that works out to about 118 miles per day.

$200 - one spot, one day
$350 - one spot, two days
$650 - one spot, two days, two events (only offered during April registration)
$15 - Saturday Night Dinner off site, one ticket
$5 - Daily spectator fee

If you have any questions, feel free to post here. I hope to see a few of you out there!

 

We also have a professional photographer who can get you prints on site, as well as a number of others who host pics online after the event. Great way to get pictures of YOU and YOUR car on the track! Here's some pics of an MCS from our 2005 event:

http://www.flat-four.com/gallery/Tra...April2005-Mini

 

WOW, thats less than $2 a mile, I'll going to think hard about this one.

 

I'm thinking hard about this as well - I have an MCSC, and after reading the faq section about "only convertibles with approved roll bars will be allowed" I'm wondering if anyone knows if the roll bars in the current MCSC are ok. I've had my MCSC at Sebring a few times, and they didn't seem to have a problem.

 

I'll check with our other tech guys and let you know.

 

As the rollbar appears higher than the driver's helmet for the MCSc, and it's an integral part of the car's structure, it will pass our tech requirements.

 

While all the spots for those who will drive at speed on the track, this event which begins Friday Sept 7 ands runs until 5 Pm Sunday Sept 9, is open for free to visitors. As co-Chief Instructor with an 02 MCS I can tell you the Mini is a great car on track and there will be several running this weekend. There is the possibility of riding as a passenger with one of our instructors. The track is beautiful, it's great place to visit, the weather should be great on Saturday and Sunday. We welcome new members for next year's Driver Education and Car Control Clinics.

Charles High
414-690-6746

 

Sounds like fun, Charles! I'm stuck in Chicago this weekend with other commitments, but hope you guys have fun!

 

So close to home. Very tempting....

 

Even if you just want to watch or ride along with someone, it's only $5 for the day... But a few words of warning: Just being there and watching makes you REALLY want to take your own car out on the track!!!

 

We've got 49 cars signed up so far. We stop at about 100-120. Groups of 20-30 cars are out on the track at one time (about 5-7 cars for every mile of the track, so it's spread out quite a bit), and separated into categories based on vehicle speeds and driver experience. Check out some of the vehicles that will be there!
2004 Mini CooperS
2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
2002 Chevrolet Z06 Corvette
2002 BMW M3
2002 Chevrolet Corvette
2001 Chevrolet Corvette
2001 Chevrolet Corvette
2001 Chevrolet Corvette
2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
1998 Pontiac Firebird
1997 BMW M3
2003 BMW M3
1998 Chevrolet Corvette
1998 Chevrolet Corvette
1994 Toyota Supra
2003 Ford Cobra
2002 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
1989 Mazda RX-7 GTUs
1990 BMW M3
2002 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
1992 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4
2001 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
2003 Ford Lightning SVT
2007 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
1990 Ford Mustang LX
2003 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
1995 Ford Mustang
2000 Chevrolet Corvette
2001 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
1999 Ford Cobra
2003 Ford Mustang
1997 Chevrolet Corvette
2005 Chevrolet Corvette
2005 Chevrolet Corvette
2006 Infiniti G35 Coupe
2001 Ford Mustang GT
2006 Lotus Exige
1989 Porsche 911
2000 Ford Mustang Cobra R
1999 BMW Z3 M coupe
1991 Acura NSX
1991 Acura NSX
2007 Porsche 911 GT3
1978 Chevrolet Camaro
2000 Ford MustangCobra R
1991 Acura NSX
2002 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
1991 Porsche 944 S2
1993 Ford Mustang GT

 

Charles where you on the track today? I saw alot of mini's running on saturday. Did you happen to see the crash in Canada Corner? They had to bring the crane in to get the car out.

We were on the Briggs and Straton Motor plex with the bikes and saw you guys running around. Some pretty sweet looking cars out there.

 

Less than a month away!

 

Unfortunately Charles had a mechanical issue, and didn't get his MINI on the track. Which is a shame, as I was going to try and bum a ride (I've had the privilege of riding shotgun with him once before; he really can drive the car and is extremely knowledgable on how to set the car up as well.).

I was there in a DS/W MINI--I would have been the one sliding all over the place missing apexes....

Another instructor was there in the all black Mini; he also could drive the wheels off the thing.

There was a CR/W MINI there as well. We all kind of hung out together, and it was an awesome time!

All in all it was a great weekend, and I'd highly encourage anyone to join BMWCCA--it really would be nice to see more MINI's out there, so we could run together (The three of us did on Sunday,and it was pretty cool). It would really be nice to see some more MINIs out at Blackhawk and Gingerman next year--I know I'm looking forward to it!!

And if I wasn't going out of town, I'd be all over Dan's offer for Oct 13/14--It will be a blast, and the more MINIs that make it out there, the more fun you all will have!!

 

Current list of those registered:
http://roadamerica.fbody.us/paid.html

Still some spots left for those of you on the fence!

 

We are nearing capacity, and registration will likely close by Oct 5...

Groups A and B are full, but there is room in C and D. I'll likely be going out in group D as time permits me to get away from the tech area.

 

I'm heading up on Friday afternoon! I'll post pics of the Minis on the track when I return.

 

Hey Dan, have fun, I look forward to seeing the pics, I would be there, but I ran out of time to get the MINI ready, just like the Cubs, "next year"

 

First batch of pics:
http://www.mfba.org/showthread.php?t=51309

 

More pics, including the damaged Z06 and GT3:
http://www.shockerracing.com/phpBB2/...pic.php?t=2170

 

Great Pics, what happen with the three damaged cars?

 

The C5 Vette was an automatic trans. He was coming out of turn 5 or 7, and as he accelerated to pass another car that was waving him by, the trans downshifted unexpectedly. That upset the balance of the car, of course, and sent him sideways and straight into a wall. He ended up going to the hospital for x-rays on his ankle, but turned out it was a sprain. He came back later in the day to go for a ride with one of the instructors so that he wouldn't be afraid to get back out there. And a 6 speed manual car is on his shopping list.

The silver C6 z06 early apexed turn 6, and drifted off into the grass on exit. As his left side tires touched the grass, it put him sideways. He came back across the track and into the tire wall.

The black Porsche lost it somewhere around the kink in turn 10 and couldn't avoid contact with the wall. After the impact his car rolled back across the track, and he narrowly avoided being t-boned by an Integra that was right behind him.

More pics later as they get posted by other participants.

 

That's a fairly high attrition rate, kind of a bummer. And probably the only one that was relatively easily preventable was the silver C6.

Did the Porsche lose it in the Kinks, or just before the Kinks?

 

3 damaged cars out of nearly 150 drivers on a long and very high speed course. In our April event, there were none. There'd certainly be less at an autocross or lower speed course. All of them were essentially "preventable" IMO since those drivers were perhaps pushing a bit too hard. I believe the Porsche got crossed up coming out of 10... I never take turn 10 as fast as it could be taken, merely for the fact that I'm not comfortable with the low margin for error there.

More pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/v.miller...ayRoadAmerica/

Be sure to check out the glowing rotors on the white Evo and some of the Vettes. I was getting up to 116 mph before braking for turn 5. Meanwhile, the Z06's in the other groups were hitting 150-160.

 

Well stated Dan, anyone that goes to the track or ANY driving event, or even going to the store for milk is taking a risk. In fact I was hit by a DUI in high school coming home from the store getting milk for my Mother. The goal is to take a risk that one can manage. Like the teacher at the driving school I went to said "I'd rather send my son to Iraq then take a road trip in the US, the risk of dying here in a car is much higher then dying in Iraq"

Drive within YOUR limit and YOUR cars, best way to know both, a driving school.

Motor On, D