When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
That sort of mayhem is the reason that I run in the Advanced group. Yes I have had an issue or two, but nothing like I have experienced over the years when I have tried the I2 group. Frankly, the I2 group scares me...
GKP - you need to join me in the Advanced group. Those lap times will put you as quick as a lot of cars out there. And most know how to “drive”. Not sure if I’ll be able to keep up, but I will surely try...
I don't know. Now that SCDA has combined Advanced and Instructors into one group, I think a lot of laps might be compromised by having to point by and lift. In I2 I can almost always find open road to experiment and play around without keeping a constant eye out for cars suddenly catching up from behind. Maybe I'll give it a try next year and see how it goes.
I don't know. Now that SCDA has combined Advanced and Instructors into one group, I think a lot of laps might be compromised by having to point by and lift. In I2 I can almost always find open road to experiment and play around without keeping a constant eye out for cars suddenly catching up from behind. Maybe I'll give it a try next year and see how it goes.
I have not particularly been held up by needing to point by many cars. Typically I find that after a few minutes the traffic sorts itself out, the faster cars get ahead of me and rarely lap me, so I tend to have a lot of open track once that happens. Mostly I get slowed up by slower cars that I want to pass. As for adding in instructors, can I assume that happened before my last event there? If it did, I didn’t notice any real difference. As it is, most people are lapping about the times you have; that is a really quick time. I expect if you try the advance group, you will have a fun time.
Here is a Link to a short article about LRP. It, however, leaves out all of the fun stuff like the fighting with the town who wants to shut it down over noise and a fun factoid that it was into the ‘70s before a lap time of 1 minute was broken (Sam Posey in a Porsche turbo, I think). This was after all of the ‘60 TransAm racing went through there and I always thought of those Camaros and Mustangs as being fast...
Last edited by Eddie07S; Oct 13, 2022 at 04:55 AM.
Reason: Fix typo
Here is a Link to a short article about LRP. It, however, leaves out all of the fun stuff like the fighting with the town who wants to shut it down over noise and a fun factoid that it was into the ‘70s before a lap time of 1 minute was broken (Sam Posey in a Porsche turbo, I think). This was after all of the ‘60 TransAm racing went through there and I always thought of those Camaros and Mustangs as being fast...
Nice. I can't wrap my head around a 43-second lap time. I have a book on the history of LRP should anyone want to borrow it.
43 sec around LRP... Nerves of steels and really big somethings...
And that was how long ago? And that was done without all of the fancy wizardry of today’s cars. And has yet to been broken... Crazy!
Given the weather forecast, yesterday at Palmer was better than expected. Sessions 1-3 were dry, session #4 was medium/heavy rain and, while it wasn't raining for session #5, the track was quite wet since drainage is not a strong point of the track. The forecast scared away many of those signed up, and the midday rain sent others home. By session #5, there were only FOUR of us on track. I never drove Palmer CCW in the wet and I am here to tell you that flying down the mountain in the rain, heading for the turn 1 brake zone and blind apex, is . As advertised, the Bridgestones are solid in the rain. Not as fidgety as the Falkens were and gave ample warning when ready to slide, as they did in the downhill hairpin turn 7. The high point of the day? The foliage! I thought the year was done, then saw the forecast for Saturday and signed up for LRP. Stretching it out as long as I can since I didn't get started this year until July.
You sound like you are really liking the new ‘Stones. I appreciate the reviews.
It is crazy that the ‘Stones are that much better in the rain than the Falkens, but the proof is in the pudding, as the saying goes. I knew the original version of the ‘Stones was better, too. It must come down to the rubber compound, as it surely isn’t the tread pattern. I would never pick the new ‘Stone or the Yokohama A052 as being a better pattern for the wet. Glad you got to do an in depth review of them in the wet....
Great minds think alike! I signed up for Lime Rock as well. See you Saturday 👍
Cool! I'll be parked closer than usual to turn 2. Maria and my sister will be driving up and I want to make sure there's room for them to park next to me.
That foliage is spectacular! It is crazy that the ‘Stones are that much better in the rain than the Falkens, but the proof is in the pudding, as the saying goes. I knew the original version of the ‘Stones was better, too. It must come down to the rubber compound, as it surely isn’t the tread pattern. I would never pick the new ‘Stone or the Yokohama A052 as being a better pattern for the wet. Glad you got to do an in depth review of them in the wet....
Take anything I say with a grain of salt. I only ran the Falkens in the wet once, and I remember them being fidgety. The Bridgestones were definitely more planted. That about as 'in-depth' as my review is. One thing I forgot to mention earlier -- On the drive up to Palmer, at highway speeds, I realized that the Bridgestones are the LOUDEST tires I have ever had on the Mini. Between the engine drone and tire noise, my head was exploding.
Saturday was a gorgeous day! Good to get to see VV and gkp at LRP... and meet family. My wife throughly enjoyed being there and seeing everyone.
VV hope you make out ok with the wheel bolt. Sure you will.
And gkp - I had an epiphany about your tire pressure issue. You said that you knocked a second off your lap time with those tires. So, you are going faster and putting more load on the tires, especially the left front. So the tire pressure rise you are seeing is only a result of that. Nothing else. You are just driving too fast... Slow down...
And gkp - I had an epiphany about your tire pressure issue. You said that you knocked a second off your lap time with those tires. So, you are going faster and putting more load on the tires, especially the left front. So the tire pressure rise you are seeing is only a result of that. Nothing else. You are just driving too fast... Slow down...
That occurred to me, too (not the "slow down" part). It was good to see you, your wife and VV, for whom I sympathized. Missing out on a bonus day like that with a mechanical problem, at the end of the season, sucks. You both missed my Moment of the Day — one of dumbest moves I've seen on track. I was on top of a BMW going into Newman Straight, setting myself up for a point-by by being offset a bit to the right. Suddenly, he swerves right, cuts me off, and gives me a point-by to the LEFT! I told Matt when I came in but it was the end of the day and I don't think they spoke to him. Nevertheless, I am going to send the video the Elivan. You may be right, Eddie07S, time to run in the advanced group. This year I ran into far too many wrong-side point-bys and other incidents. Have a good winter, boys.
NOTE: I tried to attach the video. It's only 8MB but the post won't take it, not sure why.
Yikes! I guess he didn't hear the part about staying on line and pointing by to the inside of the next corner...😳 Glad no contact was involved. It was great seeing everybody, though I would've wanted a little more time on the track!😉 On top of the lug nut issue, the dreaded check engine lit up on the drive home and the code is P1237. Car is put away for the winter, so I guess I'll deal with all of the issues next spring, or just sell it to a track person who can do the work without a mechanic.
Yes! Good there was no contact. That is not a good place to lose control of a car.
I would say the Advanced group lessens the issues and the drivers tend to be more predicable. Not all are eliminated. Like having someone drop off the throttle half way up the up hill... and I was gaining on him before he did that. My car length behind him went to almost zero in no time...
I have only ever been able to upload video to YouTube and then link to it here on NAM. I have never gotten a video to up load here directly.
VV - Don’t give up on your beautiful car! Surely it is fixable. It will just take some time... And money...
Yikes! I guess he didn't hear the part about staying on line and pointing by to the inside of the next corner...😳 Glad no contact was involved. It was great seeing everybody, though I would've wanted a little more time on the track!😉 On top of the lug nut issue, the dreaded check engine lit up on the drive home and the code is P1237. Car is put away for the winter, so I guess I'll deal with all of the issues next spring, or just sell it to a track person who can do the work without a mechanic.
Go You! Let’s see... 2 days at Club Motorsport, 2 at WGI and 1 at LRP.... See how easy that was to spend... Hope to see you out there.
Brake work done, oil changed and I'm ready for another season. Probably registering for 4/17 at LRP. All the Club Motorsports events are one-day. As much as I want to drive the track, it's a lo-n-n-n-n-n-g drive for one day. Damn!
Eddie 07S, VeggieVet, S-Driver and gbuff1:
Have any of you driven VIR and/or Pittsburgh? Which one do you think would be the most fun for a Mini? I really want to do a two-day event at a new track this year. Club Motorsports was on my radar, but Elivan said two-day events there didn't work out financially last year.
Personally I have had my eye on VIR, mostly because it is iconic, like WGI. Unlike WGI, VIR has more turns which would suit a MINI better than WGI.
That said, I think PIT is more of a MINI track from what I remember hearing. 2.8 miles and how many turns? Not much time going straight.
In the end, I think either will be a couple of great days of driving.
My thought has been to rent a U-haul truck (small panel truck) and car trailer. Bring extra tires, brakes, etc., and keep the road miles down on the MINI.
Been to PIT many times. Large track is more of a high speeds track (north). Its good for MINI in those two big turns. The MINI people tend to run that track but then go to the main skid pad for autoX.
. As advertised, the Bridgestones are solid in the rain. Not as fidgety as the Falkens were and gave ample warning when ready to slide, as they did in the downhill hairpin turn 7. The high point of the day? The foliage! I thought the year was done, then saw the forecast for Saturday and signed up for LRP. Stretching it out as long as I can since I didn't get started this year until July.
One thing I forgot to mention earlier -- On the drive up to Palmer, at highway speeds, I realized that the Bridgestones are the LOUDEST tires I have ever had on the Mini. Between the engine drone and tire noise, my head was exploding.
