I had a GREAT time. I was pleased with the way my MINI Cooper ran. At the others have said thanks to MOS, the instructors, and track crew for a very enjoyable time.
John

 

WOW what a great time. I'm putting together my wish list of things I need for the next time out.

Picture of the event.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alphie_motd4/

 

I had a fantastic time yesterday. I would also like to give a big thanks to MINI of Sterling for sponsoring the event (and hopefully more...).

I think the most fun I had was in my 2nd and 2rd skidpad session. I was sideways around the skidpad most of the time and it was too much fun.

 

I had an absolute blast....!!!!

MINI of Sterling -
Many thanks for sponsoring this event, and to Mike Arata for his time in organizing this. It was my very first time on a track and the instruction I received was exceptional.

Kudos to Curt Kiser, Barry, Derek and Carl for their time and patience in instructing. Appreciate all the insight you all gave me.....
By the third round on the track and skipdpad, the driving was very relaxing to me....

FD3SDRIVER -
Great pictures. Thanks for taking them and sharing.

Sherwin -
Happy to hear you made it back home.

Oh - And did I mention...
It was a great way to get rid of my run flats.

Again - thanks to everyone for making this happen.....

--------------
04 MCS EB/W "I12B BIG"

 

Glad you made it home ok, Sherwin. Paul and I were glad to help out...good thing we had the Subaru with us. My hat's off to the others who helped out with parts for Sylvia...you guys were great.
It just goes to show you how this club pulls together and helps out it's members when they need it. I am very proud of everyone.
Altho' we were just spectators, it was still fun watching the grins of the drivers as they came off the track. Winston had fun too...he's still recovering.
Next time, I want to be out there on the track!

 

Ok, my photos are uploaded. No great shakes, but I did catch some of the MINIs coming around the last turn before heading down the front straightaway.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/justdan...7594331008107/

 

Wow, how did things work out for the fokls with broken belts?

 

The one guy earlier in the day with the Liquid Yellow found a belt and a tool and did his on the stop at the track.

When Sherwin's belt broke we did some scrounging to find a belt and a tool and came up empty handed. However, Peter called his wife at home and had her check his stuff, he still had his stock belt and the tensioner tool. So Shanti went out to pick them up and bring them back. Then Sherwin, Haemish, and I put on the new belt in the little paved area between the road and the main gate of the track.

That ran into a couple problems too, specifically we had to find something to stick in capture slot for the tensioner pulley. Luckily I had my ratchet set with me and I used a torx bit on a ratchet extention to get to the capture slot. Then it was a matter of getting the belt on, it wasn't too bad, but there wasn't a whole lot of space to deal with to get it on. We managed though and we were on our way home.

On the drive home I stuck close to Sherwin to make sure he wasn't having any problem, which there wasn't. He got home in one piece, if a little shaken and annoyed.

 

I'm curious if there was anything similar about those two cars that we could attribute the broken belts to?

For instance, did they both have aftermarket (or JCW) reduced size pulleys? If so, is this something to watch out for? I've been thinking about getting a reduced SC pulley but I worry about something like this.

john

 

You guys (and gals) did a GREAT job as students at the track day on Sunday. I've been instructing since 1996, and your group were very fast learners for mostly being novices at the track. By the last session, almost everyone was hammering it 'round the Jeff like they had been doing it for years.

You guys listened, checked your egos at the front gate, and did the whole day without tossing a Mini in the trees. Kudos to the students.

Mike at Mini of Sterling is working hard to do these events for you. I know the costs involved with putting these events on at the track, and they are doing this far below actual cost as a customer relations event. At any other track day this would have cost at double or more. Be sure to write your letters to Mini of Sterling showing your appreciation and support the Dealership!

Oh, by the way, if you thing the Jefferson Circuit at Summit Point was fun, wait until Mini of Sterling sets up to do one at VIR (Virginia International Raceway). That track makes the Jeff look like a Wal-Mart parking lot and has so many dips and turns that you'll think you're at Kings Dominion.

Duane Collie
Black E90 330i

 

(in a very British voice) Good job, well done and all that.
(back to normal - well normal for me that is) I am glad that you guys could help Sherwin. An extra belt might be something throw in a kit for long drives. Then you would have the ability to go to a local shop for a repair - instead of finding tow to a MINI dealership miles away.

I have seen the belt go on other cars. I do not think it is common and have no idea if it may be caused by the pulley (to answer another's question). I know the belts suffer from age but I think both of the cars that had problems were low miles cars.
John

 

I'm actually looking into a better tool kit to keep with me at events like this. I also plan on doing some more track days outside of the dealer sponsored events. I got quite a bit of encouragement from the handful of instructors that rode with me.

My 3rd track session was enlightening, I had a new instructor riding with me as my morning instructor was assigned to the skidpad. He showed me a slightly different line around the track that was a little more challenging but just as fun. It was a good change of pace for the day. I was also hitting 4th gear on the back straight (meaning I needed 4th as I redlined 3rd).

 

Awesome event, thanks MoS! I really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and the excellent instructors; what a great way to drive on the track for the first time.

I'd have to say my 3rd run on the track was the most event filled. I was coming out of the S heading down the 2nd straight cresting over the top of the turn and there was a deer standing right in the middle of the road. I jammed on the brakes instinctively, if I even thought a second about it I would have nailed bambi

then I ran out of gas a couple laps later and had to be towed

 

its kinda crazy, some of my vw friends where there on saturday D:

http://www.clubdub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=2745

id really like to get out there after i get my mini =D

 

You're welcome, Sherwin! Although I don't think I was a whole lot of help... Peter (for supplying the belt and tools), Shanti (for transporting them from Peter's house) and Matt (for his know-how in disassembling enough of the car to get the job done) had far more to do with the end result than I did. I was merely there to lend support, hold the lights, keep company, etc. And I was glad to do it. After I went and got gas at 5:30pm, I sat for a moment, contemplating going home, since I was so tired... but then I realized how uncomfortable of a situation this was for you... and I wondered "would I want someone to stay if it was me?"... and that made the decision right there for me.

I'm proud to be in this club, and proud to call each of you friends. You mean that YOU and Sherwin put it in, while I held the flashlight. I'm glad there was no more drama on the way back... as for me, I was fighting sleep the entire way home - a big challenge... but I made it, and slept like a rock last night.Thanks Duane! It's wonderful to hear such a complement for us as a club. I had a BLAST and look forward to more - especially at VIR, by your description, it shouldn't be missed.

Mike Arata has gone above and beyond so many times for us as a club... he's one hell of a guy who really cares about the customer - MINI of Sterling is VERY lucky to have him. Thanks Mike!

 

Yup, that's how it starts...you've been bitten by the track bug! Pretty soon, you'll be changing your own brakes, havin' that special set of track tires, those special tools, carrying parts with you just in case. Settin' up that map with those little flags on each of the tracks you've visited around these parts. Then it will spread, and there'll be flags at Watkins Glen, Lime Rock, Sebring, Road Atlanta, Mid-Ohio, then you'll move onto the West coast... Yup, I can see it coming.
----------------------------
I, too, wanted to say what a great day it was all the way around. It was fun to participate with a different club and see the goings ons and camaraderie that you all seem to share, and to finally be able to put some faces to the posts I see here on NAM/DCMM. And I especially enjoyed seeing the newbies having fun on the track.

I also want to acknowledge Raphael (past president of the NCC BMW CCA) for the great job he did rounding up the outstanding group of instructors (who all seemed to be from the BMW CCA) and for keeping us all on track [pun intended]! To my instructor, Greg Johnson, who was not only great at giving instruction, but who had me in stitches the whole time (and, no, I'm glad to say, Greg, we never got to stand Dilbert on his head!)

To Paul and Dereck for running skid pad--you both were awesome; and Dereck, I especially enjoyed your instruction--thanks for pushing me to really test my ability with oversteer/understeer. I had a blast doing pretty near 360s! WooHoo! (PS: I still don't believe you're father and son.)

Of course, big thanks go to Chuck and MoS for sponsoring this event, and to Mike and Robin as well as the others for their time and effort. I know, firsthand, what a challenge you all had putting this together and applaud you for it coming off as well as it did! I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the future MINI events you sponsor.

 

Cool! Our camera's batteries crapped out when I was sideways on the skidpad. You got a couple of shots of me, though. Thanks!

You are being generous if you're talking about me. Through circumstance, timing and my wussiness, I ended up working with three separate instructors on the circuit and I think it was the instructors who did a GREAT job. I never meant to slight Brad, my "assigned" instructor, but I didn't drive with him riding shotgun. To his credit, he tried to teach me all of the lines on the track map before we got in the car and for better or worse, he _really_ demonstrated what my car could do. Duane, you really helped me build up some confidence and that's when I started having fun.

My wife took some good pictures, but mostly of me. I'll try to upload some soon. Thanks to all the other folks who were taking photos.

 

ya done good, son...glad you didn't fall asleep at the wheel Like I said, you guys are the best for helping out a friend in need.

 

Did you and L ever do a run with your video camera running? I'd love to see that (especially if you had it on with Bambi out and about!)

 

unfortuantely we were out of tape so I didn't use it for my last session, I would've had some really great stuff! i have to pull the tape I did get off the camera, cut and compress it. On my run the camera wasn't pointing in the greatest position, for Leah's run it was pointed better but the instructor had a penchant for leaning in front of the camera when pointing things out

 

I noticed you were hangin back, and figured you were there just to make sure that I was ok. Thanks again for your help.

I don't know what I would have done without all of you guys. I was definately shaken and starting to freak out as the day was coming closer to an end with me still having no solution to get my car fixed other than getting towed to MoS.

I know my hopes actually jumped when Peter came up to me saying that he had a belt and tensioner at his house. He asked me if I wanted to get them, I was like hell yes!

And Shanti came through and drove to Peter's house to pick up the parts. She definately didn't have to do all of that, especially when she lives less than 15min from the track.

and of course waitin with my Sylvia was Matt, Haemish, and myself. Haemish you say that you weren't any help at all. Trust me, you just being there was all the help i needed.

we got the belt installed, and the car seems to be running normally. of course i'm not waiting around to see how it will keep running.

I will be getting it fixed properly.

 

To do VIR Mike will need 130 cars for the full course. Does anyone think 130 people would go? And it would be way more than $125/day. A typical BMW CCA school is usually around $350 for 2 days. And my guess it would be during the week or off season. And no convertibles without rollbars.

 

i'm really looking forward do running at VIR, maybe Beaverun would be an option as well, its just as far from Northern VA. I wouldn't mind paying more for a bigger venue, but if its during the week, and is 5hrs away, it'd require taking off too many days from work.

 

I like VIR better than BeaveRun. I'm not saying it would be a weekday, I'm basing that on other clubs who were late getting on the calendar when VIR opened are now stuck during the week or off season. And since most MINIs are similar in HP, they could actually easily fit more cars. I think the only way it can be pulled off is to make it a joint event. Our BMW chapter does a joint event with Audi and Mercedes in June on a Thursday and Friday and we just get enough cars to break out even.

If anyone wants to drive VIR, the can go with www.mazdadrivers.com. You don't need a Mazda to participate and they run a good school.

 

I would like to thank all for the great time we had.

What an experience and thrill. It's true what Carl told me, that it it is more addicting than cigarettes or drugs. I have sent Mike an email registering for next year. It's so thrilling that I'm willing to give up my sick and personal days to go to VIR and Summit.

I'm glad ever thing worked out fine for Sherwin.

I'll uploading some pics that my wife took, not just of me.

Thanks MOS and the instructors and every body that played a part in this event.

thanks everyone