I bought my car new in May of 2011. It's a Mini Cooper S, 6 speed. Upgrades were a sunroof and winter package, which includes heated mirror and seats. Stock it rode on 16" Ribspoke wheels and 195/55R16 Continental Contiprocontact Run Flats.



Right after break in on June 26th 2011 I took the car to Dragway 42's non-competitive test and tune event in West Salem Ohio (elevation 1095') to see what it could do. It's the first time I had been to the drag strip to participate in years.

1st run: 15.0649 @ 94.27 mph. I felt I bogged the car. My dad was riding shotgun.

2nd run: 14.9894 @ 96.09 mph. Launch felt better, but still felt like more wheel spin would be advantageous.

3rd run: 15.1248 @ 94.09 mph. Excessive wheel spin.

4th run: 14.7391 @ 95.89 mph, with a 60' time of 2.2923.

All in all, I felt like I was in control, and every run I felt like I was improving on my technique a little bit. I left the strip with a feeling of accomplishment.

This past weekend I made it out to Dragway 42 yet again, almost 1 year to the day of my last visit. June 23rd 2012. Nearly identical weather (75º F,) same time of day, same track, same car. The car rolled over 30,000 miles on my way there, and is now sporting wider and taller Sumitomo HTRZ IIIs in 215/45R17 mounted on O.Z. Racing Allegerita HLTs in 17x7 with a +37 mm offset. At this point in time the tires are just a bit under 50% tread life. The overall size is 20mm wider and about 4mm taller than stock, but thanks to the significantly lighter wheels (14.2 lbs each!) I lost about 2 lbs per corner (according to my rushed online research as I type this. I had all the numbers figured out when I bought the tires but since lost the text file. I believe the weight difference to actually be much greater.)



Despite the extra drag from the wider tires and longer drive ratio to the wheels, I was hoping for a 14.5 run due to the weight savings and more grip off the line. Either way I had gone with wider tires and lighter wheels for both aesthetic and autocross purposes, not for mileage or acceleration.

I got to Dragway 42 and they had repaved the track. I thought this was great- until I tried to launch the car. Maybe it was the lighter wheels that allowed it to break traction easier off the line, or the newer pavement. Maybe the tires weren't as good as all the rave reviews I read. Or maybe I was just off that day. Either way, I had a horrible time getting the car to hook up, a problem I never seem to have on the street.

1st run was a 15.0873 @ 91.78, excessive wheel spin. Passenger with me.

2nd run was a 15.1333 @ 93.83. On this run I crossed the 8th mile at 9.8773. My opponent, a 2012 Ford Mustang GT500, crossed the 8th mile at 9.8772. He eventually hooked up past the 8th and crossed the 1/4 at 14.5 and 106 mph. Afterwards I saw him in the staging lanes and he expressed displeasure with the track and how slippery it was. I wasn't the only one experiencing problems, but granted, I'm not putting down 550 hp. Even so, a 14.5 is a far cry from the 12.5 its supposed to be capable of.

3rd run: 15.2342 @ 94.21 mph. Did a pre-staging burnout. Launched at 2k rpm, still spinning the wheels like mad. Tried letting off the gas to hook up, but when I got back on the power they just spun up again. The shift into 2nd prompted intervention from the DSC system, despite it being turned off. A very frustrating intrusion after waiting in line for 40 minutes to run again, only to have it spoiled by the computer aide that I had turned off.

4th run: 14.6497 @ 93.89. Finally, a decent time. Did a pre-staging burnout. This run was also launched at about 2k rpm. The difference between this run and the run before it baffles me. The car just seemed to have grip through first that it didn't have in the previous run, which was made in the same lane. The shift into 2nd walked the front of the car sideways across the track and I had to counter steer to keep it pointed straight. 60' time was 2.1201 seconds, a time I found impressive for a fwd car on street tires, especially given the previous difficultly I was having.

5th run: 15.2310 @ 93.89 mph. Again launching at about 2k rpm. The traction seemed to have disappeared, with an identical trap speed to the previous run.

6th run: 15.0350 @ 93.26 mph. I did a street start on this one, took off at about 1500 rpm fairly briskly, then rolled into full throttle. Tires gripped all the way through 1st, spun through most of 2nd with the quick 1-2 shift.

So... in summary, the tires seemed to have the effect I expected. Capable of gripping better and producing a better 60' time and quicker time in the quarter mile, but adversely effecting the final trap speed. Perhaps with more practice and time I could run a 14.5 or even quicker, but I was having a terrible time getting traction. I suspect aggressively slipping the clutch would produce better results, but after my original clutch failing after only 14,000 miles I felt I was already pushing the envelope with 2k rpm launches. I'm very happy with the tire and wheel combo. On the street, highway, twisty roads, and autocross the tires are quieter, smoother, and by FAR grippier than the stock fitment. They do, however, rub the flares in the rear when carrying two passengers at 250 lbs and 200 lbs and 75 lbs of luggage. I weigh in at about 175.

Anyway, take it as you will, but that was my experience, and I can't say I'm unhappy with a 14.6, especially considering such a slow trap speed of 93.9 mph compared to my best run a year ago of 14.7 @ 95.9! The car definitely hooks better when the stars are aligned.

I have all the slips sitting in front of me, if anybody wants a picture of any of them. The ones from last year are a bit faded, but they're here too.

 

That's really cool! I was thinking of going to the drag myself buy I probably won't just yet. Sounds exciting! Try to record a video next time from inside and outside of the car. Thanks for the write up!

 

interesting, I didn't realize these things would trap over 95mph stock. We are taking my wife's '11 Cooper S Conv. to the 1/4 mile track tonight. It's an auto trans and i'm hoping to break into the 14.99999999 range.

 

My first trip to the drag strip was 1-4-13. Firebird Friday Night Drags in Phoenix. Didnt really understand the lights. Reaction times were terrible! First run ET 14.65 and 96.33mph. Second run blew the lights, no time. Third run 15.083 and 94.20. Will probably try again.
2011 MCSa, NM CAI CB springs rear SB stage II tune Forge FMIC SS brake lines Kumho ECXTA 4S. here is the video link:https://dl.dropbox.com/u/101319490/DSC_0191.MOV
Tommy Thompson

 

I reckon a 2.1 60 foot time is damned good - you must have been practicing!

Cheers,

charlie

 

Great post Blue Scapegoat!

 

2.1 is good for stock non slick FWD car like a Mini. I remember turbo'd hondas on slicks doing 1.6 in the 60' back when I raced. This summer I may take Taz over to Topeka for a run or two just to see how it goes.

 

You need to slip the clutch when launching for a little ways to get the car moving instead of spinning...Once you let the clutch all the way out your RPM's ideally should be matched right and not bog down or jump real high if you have the launch about right..