Greetings all,
I'll be doing my first track day this coming Friday in my F56. It's all stock so far, stock run flat tires, brakes and suspension. I don't plan on running it to hard, will probably take it pretty easy so as to not stress the tires and brakes to much.

I'm wondering if anyone here can give me some info on where to start with tire pressures. My previous car which I put on the track was a Subaru WRX which is a bit different with all wheel drive. The oversteer can be somewhat tuned out with the tire pressures but where do I begin.

Also what about the traction control? On, Off?

Any tips would be appreciated.

 

Should get some comments as there are several track guys here.

What track you going to run on?

 

Traction control off for sure. Under hard corners, braking etc it will control the power and brakes

 

subaru AWD setup is almost the same as a FWD car. Mark your tires with chalk and make sure they do not roll over too much. Lower pressure will give you more grip but you can destroy a set of tires in a weekend if they roll over too much and cord the outer edge. I've never tried with all season runflats but I would start between 38-40 hot and see how they are rolling up front. Rears on our cars do not do much, I typically run them a little higher psi in the rear so the car will rotate/slide easier on entry

 

Oh maybe I’m driving too hard in the city, but I can say that starting rears around 35 will probably heat up to 38 quick and the fronts starting at stock 38 will be 42 before you know it. Well, I’m in Florida, but I can’t imagine yours won’t heat up. If you run them at lower pressure, you’re likely to burn them right up. I’m currently running Bridgestone all season run flat drivegaurds, literally just to end a lease, but they’re a damn good tire—I’d prefer the stock Pirelli Cinturatos if I was on the track though. Maybe run to a used tire joint and grab some slicks? Ask the dealer if they’ll sell you any used sport tires. Door says not to exceed 40...but I’ve commuted on the highway and seen 40 a lot recently.

 

they rise a LOT more than 4 psi at the track, I go out cold at 32 and they will put on 10 PSI in the first session, I have to let air out all day long. It really depends on the tire, with 200tw tires like rs4 or re71r I like 36-38 hot but if I go down to 32 hot it's FAST but the outside edge wears quick. When I run hoosier SM7's they need to be 40+ to keep the same amount of shoulder wear.

pics of my sm7 from last trackday, I have almost perfect wear, the inside was about to cord too.

I cant get the rears hot enough, they catch all the OPR and from my own front tires

 

Guys, this is his FIRST track day. With that in mind, insist on an instructor. If they don't provide one then leave. Leave all aids on so you understand how hard you are truly pushing the car; once they start getting in the way and your instructor is comfortable with your pace then start turning them off. Otherwise, what you think is 10/10ths may be 5/10ths or it may be 12/10ths. Getting this understanding correct is key to you driving home at the end of the day.

How much your tires heat up dependent on how grippy they are and how hot the track is. If you are on all-seasons in Seattle, don't expect as much heat as the southern guys on DOT slicks. The guess-and-check approach is as good as any, so start with what you are comfortable with and go from there. Again, the instructor riding in the passenger seat's role is to provide input so use it!

 

I was much harder on tires when I started, smoothness and knowing tire limits comes from experience

most trackdays require an instructor in novice groups, the exception is SCCA track night america, NO instructors in car here with them

 

It sounds like the OP has some track driving experience, but first time with the F56. Wouldn't be a bad idea to to have an instructor to start out, have all the nanny systems on to begin with and gradually shut them off when more familiar with how the car reacts vs. the previous Subaru. Monitoring tire pressures is also important for someone new: may as well instill good habits from the get-go.

I ran Hankook RS4s last year and was also gathering all kinds of OPR on the back tires

 

Gotcha - missed that detail

 

If the owners manual provides tire pressures for high speed (>100mph in my JCW book) driving I'd start with those tire pressures.

I'd leave all the nanny systems on.

I'd also recommend you show up at the track with fresh oil in the engine and the brake fluid flushed and bled unless this was done recently within the last year or so.

 

Thanks for all the reply's guys,
Yes I do have some track experience just not in the Mini. I like the idea of starting out with the "nanny systems" on and turning them off as I get the feel for the car. I appreciate the tips on tire pressures, good starting point. last time out there was a tire guy at the track that for a few bucks would take the tire temps as you get off the track and adjust pressures as needed, I'll use his service if he's there to set a base line.

I had a coach at the last track day it was pretty helpful but I know my way around the track very well, but this will be the first time in the Mini driving it in anger. I'm looking forward to it even though I don't really have the car set up for the track.......yet.

Again thanks for the info, I'll let you know how it goes.

 

Yes please let us know how it goes.

 

If you are unfamiliar with tracking this car, run the nannies and try your best not to engage them while still driving "fast". Basically, find ways to drive fast without activating those. There are a few people around here with BRZs that use the nannies and do what I said above and it works just fine. Nannies are there to save you when you are doing something very dumb. I don't know how sensitive Mini nannies are though because I race a car with no ABS/traction control and all that good stuff.

Also, the tire pressures you want when hot are dependent on the actual tire you are running. It's different for Toyo RR/RA1s/R888Rs, Nitto NT01/Maxxis RC1, and Starspecs/ZII/RS4s (all different levels of tire). Finally, depending on the day's weather your initial cold tire pressure will have to be higher/lower. Please be more specific and I can get you some advice.


Finally, don't worry about having the car setup for the track. You don't need that. Pads/Fluid/Tires and you're good to go. I'm assuming you're doing HPDE which means its likely a waste of your money to mod your car. Also, PM me if you're in the Northeast region and want more advice and all that jazz, I don't want to plug up this thread.

 

The best Mod I ever did on my '15 JCW tuned S was the MINI Motoring School. I did CA Thermal last January. They run stock JCWs (automatics-more on that later) at 50% traction control. The instructors are all experienced racing instructors and experts with the MINIs (and BMWs). They are certified by BMW Germany.


The classroom session teaches proper seat adjustment, steering wheel/hand position, and bracing, all for the MINI. The also had some unique insights for the MINI on black ice.


You will probably spend less on tires after taking the class than the tuition cost (they go through 1,800 Conti's a year there).

 

it's hard to put down traction coming out of the apex with fwd, on the newer mini's do they have long press DSC disable like bmw? On bmw you click the dsc button and it only disables traction control, long hold to disable traction control and DSC.

Personally I turned it all off on day one it gets in the way too much

 

Yes, and you turn it off (down) and on (full) on the circular, wet skid pad to see the difference. Big difference as the pad is polished concrete, slicker than ice when wet.


I suspect that they want you to keep the 50% as you take you "hot" laps on the race track. You follow the instructor as they keep telling you, via radio, to keep up. They want you the squeal the tires constantly around the corners. I guess they hope to keep you off of the guardrails DSC. Coming into a hairpin at 90 mph is an interesting experience...at least it was for me, smoking them all of the way around.


The whole concept of auto trans/brakes was a learning experience as I first learned manual trans/engine braking many, many moons ago. You have more control via steering with the auto (both hands on steering wheel, 3,9 position) and you do not loose time shifting. The auto in track/sport was flawless and responsive. For my everyday driving I will probably stay with the manual but am tempted with the auto trans, in the JCW anyway.


The autocross track was different, of course, and all of the asphalt surfaces were perfect and smooth. I was going to track at a local facility but the asphalt was garbage, really rough. May still do it on my old set of run flats and chew them up.

 

normal hpde events they do in car instruction, not the lead/follow only places that do that are the very expensive classes like skip barber

 

I agree with this completely. That is probably the best place to start since you are using the stock setup. Don't try to over guess the settings. Just go out and have some fun.

 

How many track days have you done? Door tire pressure is not good advice

 

Many years racing with SCCA, SVRA and HSR. While I would agree that tire door pressure recommendations are not ideal, it is probably the best place to start, especially given that OEM tires are being used in this case.

Ideally, the OP has access to a pyrometer and can make adjustments from session to session until he finds a sweet spot. Unless someone has experience with a similar setup, I would recommend starting with the manufacturer recommendations.

 

use chalk ask one of the guys you pit next to

 

Chalk is fine for autocross ... not so fine on a track. Start with factory pressures and check the pressures at the end of the session. If no pyrometer, adjust from there based on pressure buildup and how the car feels.

My advice is based on having a fun track day. Chasing tire pressures can make you miserable, so start at a baseline and adjust from there.

 

chalk will keep you from destroying a set of tires, it's a poor mans pyrometer

just about every track weekend someone cords the edge on some good tires because they ran too low and did not realize it till it was too late

 

Well, just to update, the track-day went very well. The mini is a lot of fun on the track but there are certainly some shortcomings to the stock car. I appreciate all the comments from the group here. I arrived at the track ( Pacific Ridge near Shelton Washington) I parked next to a guy with a fully race prepped mini who turned out tot be one of the coaches. I asked him about tire pressures and he suggested sticking with the factory specs as a starting point.

This worked well, the sidewalls didn't roll over excessively and the handling was pretty good. There wasn't a lot of time to make adjustments as there was class time in between sessions. I stuck with the tire pressures I started the day with, 35psi all around. At one point I thought about making some adjustments to try to reduce the understeer but I discovered that the air valve I had on my tank wouldn't fit into the wheel. The stock tires were ok, sticker rubber would make the car feel better. The car turned better on the first lap or two, after the tires warmed up the car wouldn't rotate as well.

Tires, wheels, Shocks, Springs, sway bars. there is a lot one can so to improve the car, but it all adds up to a lot of money. I will make some improvements but its extremely fun and challenging stock. I did get a ride in the race prepped Mini, What a thrill! The g-forces were amazing, the late braking and how fast the car rotated in the corners was something else. It was very humbling as well, pointing out how much I wasn't pushing the limit. Great fun!