Last Monday, me and the wife went to a track day at Buttonwillow organised by Hooked on Driving. A lot of fun was had by both of us, even if we did have to share the one ride (Tristan) so we didn't get as much seat time as we'd like. These days are great as they assign you an instructor who'll take you through the whole day, who did a great job for both of us we were both definitely getting better at the end of the day. Our previous experience was an enthusiast run track day, which my wife found much less satisfying.



I also have video of our best laps, mine, and my wife's, and another version of mine anotated.

(These are all in iPod format, so you may need Quicktime to view them.)

We're booked up for another track day in December, this time at Laguna Seca which is close enough so we can take both MINIs. I'll be driving Tristan (the Cooper) again, because I think my instructor would agree the last thing I need is more horse power. It might help the wife out though. If I get approved for a higher run group (we're both novice currently), we should be able to do track days with one car where both of us geta full day.

 

Not trying to rain on your parade, but what are you doing about insurance on track days? I switched insurance companies when I got the Mini and when I read my policy I would have no coverage at any track day event.

 

Looks fun, that's the way I drive on the interstate! Just kidding!!!!

 

The organisers have liability coverage, so you only need to worry about accident damage to your car.They pointed me to some people who do specific track day insurance, for approved events. I decided to go for that and it cost $143 for $23k of insurance (agreed value).

I'm wondering if I should bother with the extra insurance next time, which would mean I may be self insuring, I'm not sure what my insurance would say about this. This is "driver education", not "racing", they've very keen to avoid the "R" word. Its not competitive, you're only trying to out do yourself, they don't have any timing. (Though you can extract lap times from in car video if you want.)

We could probably afford to take the loss if the worst happened (though we wouldn't like to) so we could self insure. (Self insurance basically means you take the loss.) The worst is very unlikely to happen, they certainly don't encourage over doing it, if you come off they'll want to talk to you. If you still manage to come off after being talked to, you'll be out of the event with the third off.

Even if you do come off, you're unlikely to do any damage, if you don't come off sideways, or try to get back on to quick. Even then you're more likely to just spin in the dust, as did 2 cars at this one. I've seen video of cars rolling at track days, they tend to come off sideways and manage to find a rut to dig the wheels into. I don't think I put any wheels off all day, even when I was being overenthusiastic.

 

Did a little searching and came across this post about race track coverage (originally from a NYT article). Sounds like insurance companies are not covering events that occur at a track, whether they are "racing" or not.

I also found some info at trackpedia.com about companies that offer coverage for track days. There was also a little blurb in there about some states, like NC where I am, that don't allow insurance companies to use exclusions. But they would be free to drop you if you filed a claim (and from the comments at the above referenced article, it sounds like there may be a risk if they find out you are even thinking about it).

 

That looks like a lot of fun!

 

Austin, TX has a Go-Kart track out by the airport. A week after I received my (first) MINI back in October, 2006, they held a "track day" that was sponsored by MINI. MINI owners were also invited to drive on the track after the go karts were done. I brought my 2-week-old MINI on the track and although I had a blast doing so, the soft rubber from the go kart tires embedded into my new car's treads and for a month it had a rough ride. Occasionally, loose bits flung off while driving at high speed on the highway and made (removable) marks on my paint.

While it was a blast seeing my new ride could do, I learned my lesson and will NOT be taking my '09 MCS (to be delivered in a few short weeks) on the track again

BTW, for anyone interested, the track here in Austin is http://www.ironrockraceway.com/

 

Sorry to hear a little tire pick up will keep you from enjoying your MINI on track.

Tire pick up is a common problem. What I do is, when I get home the tires come off so I can inspect the brakes. While they are off I take a scaper & clean all of thet rubber off of the tires. Not really a big deal.

 

Glad to hear you had a great time. I know I am hooked on doing track days. I have done 5 track days this year. As far as the whole insurance thing - I am willing to take the risk of self insured.
You can get insuracne that will cover you on the track for a whole year. The cost is about 3% of the agreed upon value of the car. So for $25,000 of coverage would cost $750 a year.
The track that I go to has large grassy areas if you do blow out a corner. They have never had an incident of a car-to-car acident. You can only pass on the straight-a-ways. There have been single car acidents but they are usually with high powered cars such as Vipers and Corvettes. With too much power it is easier to get in over your head.
Take your time and learn your car and the track. I personally have never dropped even a wheel off the edge of the track but I now am running lap times faster than most cars on the track including Porsche's, Shelby GT500 and Corvettes.
I do have an extra set of wheels that I use for the track. Like Crashton I just clean them up afterwards and get them ready for the next time.
Track experience will make you a better every day driver. Besides that, IT IS SUCH A RUSH!

 

We just got back from the track day at Laguna Seca, lots of fun. We took both MINIs, I drove the Tristan and my wife drove Shawn. They had a professional photographer covering the action, we got the pictures of both of us. You can see a selection here: http://homepage.mac.com/barryt/PhotoAlbum174.html Here's a sample: (©Dito Milian from GotBlueMilk.com.)



I had the video camera running again, here's my best lap: http://btwyx.com/Movies/Laguna55i.mov

Also at the track day were Maserati, they were trying to drum up business by offering test drives in some of their GT cars. We were actually too busy to take them up on the offer. They were also giving rides in their MC12 (street version of their LeMans car), for a suitable donation to charity. Both me and my wife took them up on that offer. That was interesting, and fast, he was taking a different line to the one we were using (probably faster, but more risky). Thanks to a small change to tire pressures before my run, the rear of the car broke lose at turn 2 and we went round the corner rather sideways. This is what an MC12 looks like, there's also one following Shawn in the gallery:

 

A little more video, me following my wife for most of a lap: http://btwyx.com/Movies/LagunaShawni.mov

And the MC12 whizzing by: http://btwyx.com/Movies/MC12.mov

 

Awesome!

Is that pic you posted of you and Tristan going down the corkscrew?

I've never driven it in real life (and probably never will), but it's a lot of fun on Gran Turismo


Also, it's nice to see a MC on the track, too. Personally, I figured I'd have just about as much fun on the track in an MC as I would in an MCS, so I figured that $3k could go towards track days at Sebring instead of a turbo

 

It is indeed. I'm trying to find where the corner is. You're blind entering 8a, and can't see 8b until someway down the hill.Its a lot of fun in real life. A lot of people seem to have driven Laguna in video games, I never have.On the track, I think I could benefit from the extra power of the S, the MC runs out of go at the ends of the straits. So the next time we do this I'm going to take Shawn.

 

Yeah, it's a crazy corner because not only can you not see the second half of the corner until you're almost there, but you have to brake for the first part before you can even see it. I mean, at least with the really fast cars in Gran Turismo, if you don't do MOST of your braking before the crest of the previous hill, you're in the wall.


Yeah, the Gran Turismo series is probably the best-selling racing series video game ever, so a LOT of people have played it. In fact, in one episode of Top Gear, Clarkson tried to match his Gran Turismo Laguna Seca lap time on the actual track... in the same NSX he used on the game.


Be sure to update the thread with your thoughts after having driven both. I figure MOST of the fun of track days is in the curves... but then again, it would be nice to not lose as much ground on the more powerful cars in the straights, too, I imagine.

 

That's pretty much like real life as well. Turn 7 doesn't seem like a turn at all, until you realise its messing up turn 8 (the Corkscrew) for you. Turn 7 is at the highest point on the course, its at the brow of the hill. So you're running up hill with your foot flat on the floor and you can't see anything past the brow. (That's why they have flaggers so you don't have to worry about what's over the hill.)

If you take the right line don't have to do any turning at turning at turn 7, but its the braking zone for turn 8. The advice I had was not to be braking at the crest of the hill, the car will go light and it could get very messy. I tried it once where I didn't brake before the crest and it was the most "Oh Sh*t!" moment of the day, the ABS worked overtime and I really flubbed turn 8. After that I'd brake a bit before the crest, run neutral over the top then brake more for turn 8. I asked the instructor where you should be braking and the reply was where you see the rubber on the road, which is just before the top.The references I see to that episode say he managed a 1:57 in real life in the NSX. That sucks, if I had a day to practice I think I could do 1:57 in the MC. An NSX should be able to get something nearer 1:45 (a friend was running his Ferrari 430, he was doing 1:45s).Definitely the curves are the interesting and satisfying bit, the straights are more exciting with more power. In the last session I was being followed by an M6, wondering if I should let him go by, he'd be on my tail entering turn 2 (the hairpin at the end of the straight), but he was nowhere near me at any other point on the track.

Extra power would also help with overtaking. In the MC you need the other car's cooperation, if they don't slow down on the straight you can't get by them.

 

ARRRGGGGGG I miss going to the track. I can not wait to find another 05 Jet Black MINI S.

 

I think the insurance question got missed.

It has nothing to do with the organizers liability. Currently, insurance companies are canceling insurance if you ever take your car on a track.

It's YOUR insurance that might get canceled. Just be forewarned.

 

That's EXACTLY what it's like in Gran Turismo

Especially with the really fast cars that will actually leave the road after the crest because they're going so fast, you HAVE to brake before you go over the hill or you're not making it through the corkscrew in one peice, let alone cleanly. Fortunately, if you screw it up on GT, your car doesn't even get messed up... just your lap time. In real life, not so much. I can't imagine the feeling of going over that crest with too much speed in real life. Might need some new pants after that


Well, I didn't say he was a great driver haha. I was just saying that it's popular and realistic enough that they tested it against real life.


Yeah, I bet it's hard to overtake someone in the MC. I mean, even if you come out of the corners faster than them, it won't take TOO long of a straight for a lot of the cars to even it up and then pull away. I'm thinking Sebring isn't really a good MC track because of all the long sweepers and straights, but it should be fun anyway.

 

Insurance... I guess we should all call and ask our insurance agents before we take our MINI to the track. I never did....

Another reason I want to buy a 05, if I wipe out it will not hurt as bad to replace it!

 

Btwyx, are you running stock tires?

I like the color of your MINI! Have you thought about a checkered top?

 

I'm running Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3s, in 205/50-16.I'm quite happy the way he is.

 

My return to Laguna is quicker than I expected. Hooked on Driving is doing an event there in early Februruay (the 12th). They're promoting it as a "Valentines Drive", so you can sign up 2 drivers at a discount and there's a ladies only beginners group. The ladies only group should suit the wife, I've signed up for group b.

As I planned, this time we'll be bringing Shawn and sharing the ride. It'll be interesting to see what different the S makes. Now I just hope the rain holds off February is still in the rainy season here. I was worried about it raining back in December, Feb is 50% wetter on average, about a 25% chance of rain looking at historical data.

Though with the heatwave and drought we've been having, I'm hopeful of a good day, there's maybe been 1 wet day so far this year.

The only other problem is that with it being Valentines weekend all the hotels in the area have jacked up their priced and/or wanting a 3 night minimum stay.

 

Sounds good... hopefully the rain holds off!

Performance-wise, are your two MINI's equipped similarly besides the power difference? For instance, suspension, LSD in the S?, etc.

 

They're pretty similar, they both have sport suspension and 16" Bridgespokes and the same tires. Shawn does have LSD as well as the thinker sway bars and larger front brakes that any Cooper-Ss gets.

 

I am an insurance agent in Washington, DC. The most typical exclusion references being inside a facility designed for racing and you are racing or practicing to race, or you are being timed. Most high performance driving schools make it clear that this is not racing for this purpose. Drag racing would clearly be excluded because it is always timed.

Most of the concern was about physical damage to your car, but liability for injury to others is a bigger issue. I doubt the liability insurance of the track is going to pay for your liability to the injury to a passenger or other autos or its occupants. The track will defend itself and not you. The waivers you sign entering the track say you can not sue the track for damage to your car or your personal injury.

You are right that you will mostly likely be cancelled after your first accident. If you do a couple thousand dollars damage to your car, just pay it out of your pocket.

I would make sure you read BOTH the liability and property damage exclusions on your policy and/or call your agent for an explanation. The most difficult time you will have is ever getting a clear answer, I have been trying and cannot get an exact answer.

All that said, I go to high performance driving schools 3 or 4 times a year and expect my auto policy to cover me. I do not go to any school that does timed events nor do I do any timing myself. I do not have a roll bar and have never raced nor do I plan to race.