I just came back from 6 days/3800kms long trip to Monterey, and I couldn't miss the chance to put my green mini onto the famous track there.
Both are 1080 hd, taken with Sony Nex-5 with custom mount.

Here is my last(best) session of the day, without instructor.



Mar.02.2013 | LAGUNA SECA track event by TMR | 11' MINI Cooper S | Novice
Low Int/Novice group.
Last session of the day.

2011 R56 Cooper S LCI with :
16x7 wheels matched with 205/50/16 RE760 sport
hawk hp plus brake pads, motul fluid
No other mods
*Note that my speedo reading is metric(km/h).
*Sorry about that wind noise, windows are all down, it's point by passing only.



And this one shows the battle with another mini, with instructor. (earlier session)


Had a chance to chase and take 07-10 MINI Cooper S R56
with my 11 Cooper S R56 LCI(Late model)
My car has 205-50-16 RE760 sport and hawk hp plus and stock everything else.
The yellow one looks like pretty much stock except than 205-45-17 Kumho Ecsta LE sport
and may b little suspension mod(rear camber)
-The 2nd lap is just a cool down lap. (Session seperated due to earlier black flag incident)
-Mar.2.2013, TMR event at Laguna Seca



Please be critic, give me some comments on youtube or here, since this was my third track event and I want to improve my driving.

 

Not bad for the third time out. Did you have an instructor for both sessions?

Here are just some observations (since you asked)...from a fellow tracker, but not an expert...
You seem to be comfortable with the car and confidence in your skill. You clearly tried to "drive the track" and appear to have an understanding of the apex and track out. Your hand position was good and and your movements were smooth. No "point and shoot".

You did better in your first video, you seem to have lost concentration when the other person was in the car with you and you were talking to him. Also, you tended to be a little early with your turn-ins. You can see some corrections where you cut too deep into the apex. Try a more progress turn-in with the steering wheel. That is, start the turn-in slowly to set the wheels and get tighter (add more turn-in) as you approach the apex and then unwind and add power as you exit. I would say that you were a ways from the limits of the car.

Get a pair of gloves and take some pressure off your hands. That will help you to relax. Remember, also, 2 hands on the wheel at all times. No thumbs ups to other drivers and no "talking" with your hands. As you get better and more aggressive a slight lack of concentration will put you off the track really quickly. There are a lot of tracks out there where going off means going into the guardrail.

Here is another thread you may want to take a look at. The guy does a nice job of describing his track days. May help you to see some differences that you can work with.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...the-track.html

Most of all, have fun and keep practicing
thanks for posting.

 

First of all, thank you so much for your input. It truly helps me. :D
Second, I notticed that you are also running RE760 sport, same as me(but different size). Do you like it on track? compared to RE050a?

And I added some descriptions under each video to help understanding.
The first video is from the last minutes of the day, I believe I got best lap time from that session(Around 2min flat)

Still lots of things to improve and practice, and I will keep in mind about the progressive turn-in as I also felt my turn in was to rapid at some turns...after watching videos back home :(

And you are right about distractive actions, on that day, in many occasion, I was explaining to the instructor that I am lifting off because of the guy in front me is slow... I wouldn't do that next time.
(Actually many ppl looked like don't want to give their position to MINI on track!! So I was a LITTLE pissed about that. They ended up getting blue flag.. kk)

 

I love the "well you got a good wife" at the end of the second video. That made me laugh.

 

Honestly, you don't have to shift over 6k rpm. Boost cuts off at about 5k anyways. Good job man.

 

Haha I'm glad that you watched it all the way to the end since the latter lap was just cool down lap after I got the checker.

 

Are you sure? Gotta check the dyno results out there then,
Actually my gearing wasnt that maching with the track as I had to wait like 2 seconds after I hit the rev limit(fuel cut) approaching tge corkscrew. :(

I would have to use more frequent 4th gears if I get real track tires like ad08 or similar.(they will help me to carry more exit speed=>reach the rev limit even earlier at the next corner approach)

 

I was hitting the limiter before I got to turn 6, so I started shifting going up the hill and carrying that round 6 and up the hill to 7 (and the Corkscrew is just over 7).

I found 205/55-16 helped with the gearing for the S (I got the /55 because /50 isn't available in RE-11s). My best ever lap can be seen here: http://btwyx.com/Movies/LagunaMarBesti.mov I have difficulty beating that even in the JCW.

 

The RE760s I have are my summer street tires. I currently run Dunlop Z1 star specs on the track on Enkei 17" race wheels. I have also run the AD08s. Both are really good track tires that you can drive on the street. There are some new versions of some the really good track tires coming out. Here is a thread to read if you are interested. BTW - you can place 4 tires/wheel inside a MINI.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...bfg-rival.html

Don't be disappointed. You seem to be doing really well based on only three times out. I have friends who do 20 track days a year...tough to keep up with that. You need to pace yourself against yourself not the other people out there. Watching videos is really good, but learn to pick out the good and the bad things that everyone is doing. Btwyx's videos are really good and he adds his own critiques. A good way to learn. Also, do HPDEs where you know you will be getting a good instuctor and then go to the track day with one objective in mind that you want to learn or correct. Trust me there is always something new to learn. If you do that and let the instructor know what you are interested in learning, you will get more out of your lessons. Most instructors actually like to teach someone who has an interest in learning something and not just looking to drive fast. I would suggest joining up with your local BMWCCA. They do really well at putting together really good HPDEs.

I know how easy it is to get frustrated with other drivers. But the last thing that that you can allow to happen is for you to get frustrated with them. As I said, a one second laps in concentration can put you off the track. You are better off pitting or holding back than taking a chance at wrecking your car. Take 10 deep breaths and go on. That isn't to say that you should "push" a little on the person in front of you. Sometimes if you don't push, they don't know that you want to pass. You need to learn to "read" the person in front of you. Sometimes they may think that there is a better place for you to pass and you need to just hang in there for a minute more, other times they are just being a PITA and you should pit or back off.

If you haven't already done it, get your brake fluid replaced with some high quality race fluid like Motul and get some real race pads like Carbotech XP10s for the front. The last thing you want to have happen is to loose your brakes at 100 mph going into a corner. Also, maybe look at getting a set of Schroth quick fit harnesses for the R56.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...for-r56-2.html

 

Thx for your reply!
Actually I already watched 2 of your videos from Youtube many times to be prepared for the track before I take off for the trip. I wanted to know how mini would move around corners and I feel your videos were helpful.

Regarding the gearing,, I was also hitting the limiter approching T6 as well(for like less than a second), I feel I should have try 4th gear like you mentioned.
I'm planning to try 215-50-16 tires for the next time, Kumho Ecsta XS is coming with that size,
or 205-55-16 like you do.
I belive that either size would help me to stay in 3rd gear longer with my current engine performance setup.

 

Whoa......... what a lesson! :D
Thank you so much for your care for the novice fellow tracker!
I will definitely read your write up again and again especially right before the next local track day!
Good thing I did was when my instructor asked me what do I want to achive on that day, I said "more smoothness and looking further to open the throttle earlier" and he concentrated on that two things all day.
Which means he didn't try to correct my lines until I asked. He was a real good instructor, concentrating something more basic and important to a rookie.

And regarding RE760s... I wasn't expecting them to be able to be harmonious with mini's hard suspension at the track, but they did somehow.
I don't know if you are experiencing same thing on the street as I do, but in my case, 760's fat and round sidewall tend to make the car unstable and yaw/roll at certain high speed situation, but I was happy they're able to hold it on track. Actually the reason why I went with 760 was to practice... I didn't wanted to make myself "tire-dependent" guy.
But I will definitely consider the upcoming tires in the link you give.

Thx again, and I am linking another 23min video here right now. :D

 

Happy to make 1:58.9 Lap time being there for the first time. (from 18:14 to 20:13 in the video)

Passing moments in the video:
Grey S2000 (5:00)
Porsche 997 (7:13)
Eclipse (8:00)
Porsche 996 (9:03)
G35 & BMW E36 (17:52)

and then, I ended up with ran out of fuel;;; haha~
I forced to go back to the pit :(

 

You're Welcome... Very glad you appreciate.
Remember, if you have a question, post it. Someone here will likely have an answer.

Like I said...and his lead-in was perfect for you. With that simple question you both learned something about each other. You learned he was interested in teaching and he learned you were interested in learning by your planning. I have had some fantastic instructor over time. They make for a great day.

On the flip side of that is an instructor that "rubs you the wrong way". It doesn't matter what it is, don't "put up with it" and go to the head of the instructors and request another one. If you are frustrated or irritated by an instructor, the least your problems will be that you are not going to have a good time and at the worst is that he/she will be the distraction that puts you off the track and you and your car end the day by taking a ride home on a flatbed...

1st...the "don't want to be Tire-dependent" idea is very astute of you. Carry that to the car as a whole. Learn technique first. The MINI, from the factory, is compentent on the track and a great learning tool. Once you have learned "technique" move up to more aggressive things like tires.

As for the 760s, what rim diameter are you running? On the 17" wheels, I don't particularly find the issues you noted. I find them to be stiff, but wander a little. As for using them on the track, can't say I know. In comparison to the little that I have run the Yokohamas AD08s and Z1s on the street, those 2 tires are much better. But, if the the 760s are working for you, stick with them.

There is a great advantage to running a street tire on the track...they give you a lot of warning that they are getting near their limits. That should help to keep you out of trouble as you are learning. R-Comps will take you to very high limits, but will drop you like a lead balloon with no warning if you exceed their limits.

Do you have DTC on your car? If you, do run it in "Traction" mode. That may help to save your butt if you over-cook a corner.

As for being in the wrong gear...that is always going to be a problem no matter what track you are on. You will find that the MINI has a very wide power band and being in a higher gear and not down-shift may not slow you down. I have been in that situation many times and generally have concluded that that shifting to the higher gear and carrying it through a corner is much smoother and just as fast. Something to think about and maybe try.

 

If you notice, even in the pit entrance to the track, you turn early into the left hand corner and have to correct. Go back and watch your video, and notice the times that you go into a corner and have to unwind or make a correction before the apex. This is where "easing" into a corner will help. You should make a continuous turn-in into a corner before the apex and unwind after the apex. This is something that you can practice on the street. When you are out on the street in a city, watch how many people turn early to make a corner and look at what what happens as they past the apex. A lot of times they take a corner so early that they are still tightening up the turn when they should be unwinding. That is something that you can practice on the street that will carry onto the track. That is, practice being a little later on each turn that you make (within reason) and see how it changes your exit.

Your instructor noted that you were wide on that first turn. I was expecting him to instruct you to always "drive the line", even when you are warming up the tires or slowing down at the end of a session. This is important so you are always thinking of where you should be on the track. That is not to say that you should learn to drive off the line. Learn the "line" first, stay with it unless you need to change it. Practice changing the line in a safe condition so you will have that skill set available to you when you need it. That is something that you can talk to your instructor about doing.

 

Thank you Eddie for your 2nd lesson here.
I am running 7" wheels (OZ Alleggeritas around 16.2 lbs each) and the tires LOOK bulky on the side wall and they do wander on the road in some situation.. but I can't say what exactly it feels due to lack of experience.
Anyways, now I feel more confident with my 760s as long as they were stiff enough to control the car, and the track day photos saying that the sidewall holds pretty well!

Regarding the DTC,, actually I don't have a full understand between dsc/dtc stuff. I just turn the dsc off fully(hold the button for like 2 seconds) to be able to use my EDLC(E-LSD). Am I doing right?

Good to hear that I don't really need to shift too often to get the power.
I've seen a S2000 struggling with which gear to choose which doesn't look that natural.
Since I can't go to Laguna Seca again with my car, my next goal is try my local track for the second time, and test my current gearing, then may be choose different tire size if needed.


And thank you for analizing my video and giving me the valuable tips.
I will keep your tips regarding the instructor things in mind as well.

I really want to have a chance to be on a track with you some day! :D

 

I went back and read your first entry...2011 MCS w/16" wheels...that may be some of the difference between what you feel with the tires than what I feel. Also, good on the brake fluid (didn't see that before). The pads are OK for now.

Here is a good thread about DSC and DTC:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...n-control.html

If you have DTC I would run with it on (one quick click of the button and the word "traction" should show up in your tach - at least on my 2012 that is what happens - , not push and hold). If you have the eLSD, then you have DTC.

Post some more video when you get back to your local track. BTW - Where is that?
3800 kms is a long ways to travel.

I always like doing track days with other MINIs...if you don't mind, here is a video of me at my "local" track, WGI (Upstate NY) with some of my MINI friends:

 

Sorry for the late reply~
And it is good to have a chance to see your(and other mini's) driving!

I am living in Vancouver, BC CANADA, my local track is called "Mission Raceway" which is even smaller than Laguna Seca, and has tighter corners. Actually the track layout is more for mini/miata than mustang/corvette. :D
I will definitely post video from the track !

 

I looked up your track on YouTube. Looks fun. Short but with some nice turns. There is a wall that comes close; need to concentrate when on this track. Looking forward to some video.