Rachael: I just added you to the team justacooper list and added the image to your sig.

This weekend: Team Justacooper will be represented at the SCCA National Tour in San Diego. Mark Ferguson (NAM Founder) is flying out and we're going to co-drive in H-stock at the event. There will also be another MC driven by Don Green (a local here in Los Angeles).

I'll try to post some results and such on Saturday evening after the first day of competition.

 

Mark Ferguson (NAM Founder) did some very good driving this weekend. Mark was in 4th at the end of the day Saturday, but still very much in contention. Then on Sunday he put down the fastest time in H-stock and pulled in 2nd place overall.

I had a pretty bad day of driving on Saturday and wound up 8th at that point in the competition, about a full second back of 7th. Things turned around for me on Sunday, but it was still a deep pit to dig out of. That said, I'm really pleased that I was able to get up to 5th overall with my drive on Sunday.

1. 99 James N Wilson 1998 Subaru Impreza
   Saturday: 62.657 61.695 61.833
   Sunday: 61.622 61.418 60.877
   Combined: 122.572
2. 75 Mark Ferguson 2006 MINI Cooper - Team Justacooper
   Saturday: 67.390(1) 63.032 62.570
   Sunday: 62.800 60.958 60.836
   Combined: 123.406 (0.834)
3. 92 Donald R Green 2002 MINI Cooper
   Saturday: 64.755 62.691 62.045
   Sunday: 63.404 62.683 61.690
   Combined: 123.735 (0.329)
4. 85 Tom Smith 1991 Honda Civic SI
   Saturday: 64.917 62.789 62.032
   Sunday: 63.861 62.268 61.726
   Combined: 123.758 (0.023)
5. 175 David Bunting 2006 MINI Cooper - Team Justacooper
   Saturday: 64.904 65.377 64.312
   Sunday: 63.313 62.669 61.987
   Combined: 126.299 (2.541)
6. 170 Gautham Ramachandran 2002 Honda Civic Si
   Saturday: 67.570(2) 67.696(2) 63.355
   Sunday: 63.056 65.046(2) 61.048 (2)
   Combined: 126.411 (0.112)
7. 70 Ken Lord 2002 Honda Civic Si Kumho
   Saturday: 67.974(1) 63.108 64.584(1)
   Sunday: 66.616 67.552(1) 63.304
   Combined: 126.412 (0.001)
8. 97 Gary Szabo 2002 MINI Cooper
   Saturday: 66.497(1) 63.673 63.323
   Sunday: 66.162 DNF 66.762(1)
   Combined: 129.485 (3.073)

 

Congrats on your driving.

If you had an R56 MC with auto transmission would you have done any better? Same wheels and tires as your 2006 R53 MC.

Maybe I will get an R56 MC auto just to be a member of "Team Justacooper".

 

Congrats to Mark, Dave, Don and Gary!

 

I really wish I could say for certain.

Here's what I do know. At the R56 launch, I was 1.5 seconds faster on a 45 second course in an AUTO MC R56 with 16" run-flat street tires (195 width) compared to my times in a 6-speed MC R56 with 15" regular street tires (175 width).

Based on that experience, I would say the auto MC R56 can be competitive with the right tires. I think the difference between the CVT R50 and the Auto R56 MC is significant (speaking in terms of competition) and that the R56 MC automatic is much closer to the 6-speed performance than the CVT R50 is to the 5-speed R50.

I really wish I had direct R50/R56 MC on same tires experience or R56 auto/6-speed on same tires competitive experience.

Hope that helps a bit though.

 

Thanks. It's clear as mud.:impatient

When you drove the automatic R56 you used the paddle shifters or not during your fast autocross runs?

I did see the red Lounge leather today. $1900 option!

While it looks good (not bright red, more subued) and feels good,
I think I could get custom leather done anytime for about $1000+ depending on the grade of leather.

I'm really considering the R56 in auto with sports suspension. While I have no illusions that it is a national class autocross setup I think it might be good enough to be very competitive and it's the most reasonably priced ticket to a new MINI.

The R56 MCS with auto is also really nice with gobs of power along with a slight PAX handicap.

 

I placed the shifter into the manual shift notch and then did one shift from first to second and then left it in second by bumping the stick (forward as I recall). I didn't use the paddle shifters for the autocross. Coming out of a manual, I was just more comfortable shifting with the auto stick.

If it were me, trying to make this decision (related to whether to compete in an auto MC or an auto MCS), I think I'd choose an auto R56 MCS, mostly because there should be less of a power loss percentage wise due to the auto transmission.

Another interesting point, the Automatic MCS was consistently quicker in our 1/4 mile runs compared to the manual MCS. Maybe that's because the automatic was better at putting down power at launch.

 

I was not online in time to wish you luck, but congratulations Dave and Mark on your driving! Sunday was obviously a good day for both of you! Great commentary. Thanks for keeping us updated on results.
Following the tribulations and successes of Real racers, like you guys, is what motivated me to try a local event.
I look forward to reading about your next event, and just in case, wish you both the best, now.
Jack

 

Dave,

With the auto in manual mode, will it stay in the selected gear up to the rev limiter and hold there rather than shift into the next higher gear?

 

I'm not sure. The MINIUSA course never really got us to a point where we topped out second, but the trans never jumped to 3rd.

 

I have a 2002 Z8 sitting in the garage that is a dream to drive on the weekends.

I needed a daily driver. I found a 2002 MC and bought it from an acquantance. What a blast!

This weekend, I drove the MC and the Z8 had to wait.

I plan to keep the MC bone stock and learn to drive better to take full advantage of this car. Can I join up?

Ted

 

Ted,

I just added you to Team Justacooper. Enjoy your new MINI.

FWIW, they really do love to be autocrossed.

Dave

 

Hey, I've seen the cool signatures many times, but just found this thread. Mind if I join?

 

so, this weeks autocross I didnt do as well as I wanted, running my 17" and bad street tires ill use as an excuse :p the site for the results are down but from what I saw I got 3t in sts. AND two cooper s under by belt. Video will be uploaded shortly as well.

 

Anyone comment on your bonnet scoop?

Purely cosmetic, huh?

 

im going back to a cooper hood now sadly

but heres some footage, my lines are alittle bad but I was there this time more for the fun of my USS ;] I love driffting fwd

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v1...t=MVI_9479.flv

and ya, the plan was to make the hoodscoop serve as letting air to the intake.. however



Im not paying for another cooper s hood.. I think Ill let insurance take care of justa cooper hood this time

 

need a little work on throttle management around those turns....looks like your going in a little too hot for your car on a few of those. But cool vid

 

ya I was haha, kinda purposfully I had just put the rear sway on its stiffest, and with the uss I was just out there having some good fun

 

I brought home a brand new 2007 MC earlier this month, and I love it! Please add me to Team Justa Cooper

 

I guess I've been neglecting to update the "team thread" so far this season.

First event was an open track day at Calabogie Motorsports Park outside of Ottawa. Report is here: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=97873

My first autocross was last weekend. I bumped myself up a class for this year, and only got 3rd in class. The two people ahead of me are excellent drivers. http://sccv.org/results/autox/2007/s...007-05-05.html

There's a little video from the autocross here:
http://brownmini.themotorcade.com/20...in-piston-cup/

The embedded video doesn't seem to be working on MacOS / Safari. So if that's your usual browsing setup, try Firefox instead.

 

The second autocross of the season was yesterday, and for the first time I was beaten by an MCS - by 1/100th of a second. Am I going to get kicked out of the team?

 

Nope, you can stay on the race team but you can't be beat by more than 2/100th of a second next time.



Great job. Did you know that a blink of an eye is about 0.3 seconds? And if you were going straight at highway speeds, 1/100th of a second is about 10 inches.

Personally I like wins of a few thousandths of a second but they are so hard to predict and while I like to be on the faster side of the equation it to be on the losing end.

I hate when that happens.

Did you get to run first or last between the other MINIs? I like to go last and know the time I need to beat. Later is good because you can study your competion and the course gets hotter and rubber is laid down in the right places. Watch where mistakes are being made (tight corners) and avoid them.

 

In the afternoon, I didn't even bother to check my times. I was just out there having fun! :D Our club has yet to spring for a timing display. They sure are nice, but they aren't cheap. It would help out some of the confusion at the timing tent by keeping people from coming over to find out their times.

Now that I've gotten more involved in the running of these events, I realize just how much work it takes to have an autocross happen.

 

We need T-shirts or hats or both. Anyone else?

 

Does anyone have a pic or a link to a pic of a rear aero bumper?