Had an opportunity to learn Auto-X as a novice last Sunday at Tire Rack in South Bend, IN with the Michiana BMWCCA Club. (http://www.michiana-bmwcca.com/index.htm)

Being the only MINI (MCS) in the "M" class, I got a 1st place trophy (undeserved, but appreciated).

At a cost of $25, had four runs in the am and four in the pm with fun runs afterwards. Started out with times of 56s down to consistent 51s. An experienced friend of mine drove my MCS on the fun run and got it down to 4&s the 1st time. The overall winning time for any class was 43s.

Okay here's the question, now that I have the taste for Auto-X, what should my prioritized list of mods be such that I stay within the "stock" class?

Already have a Rogue Cold Air Intake Filter mod.

Thanks,
SMKKVK

 

You will get this statement more than once, but I want to be the first- Go to driving school. Specificaly, Evolution Drivers School. Not that I ever listened to that advice.
As for SCCA stock class, the mods are very limited and the biggest difference in times will be from street tires to DOT approved race tires, called R Compounds. Hoosier are the King, but very expensive and very fragile, one spin and they are flat spotted and gone. Look to the Kuhmo for very grippy R compound, either the V700 Victorracer or V700s. Now you will need new rims and the rims must be the same size as a wheel that was available on a new MCS. This limits you to 16 x 6.5 or 17 x 7. One catch the offset must be the same or within 1/4 of an inch. The best bet is to buy a set of stock 16s from the marketplace here or on ebay.
You can also change the front sway bar, but with a MCS I would suggest a smaller diameter bar, i.e. Standard Cooper's. Shocks are changeable but they must have the same attachment points. i.e. no adjustable coilovers.
Any air filter that fits in the stock airbox is legal.
Out of the box a Cooper or MCS is a great autocrosser, with R compounds it is world class. Enjoy and remeber you can't know what 10/10ths feels like until you experience 11/10ths.