There are a lot more choices in aftermarket wheels in 16x7 than 16x6.5. How would they(official) know if you were running 16x7 in G-Stock? You can't really tell the difference by looking at it.

 

There are very few 16x6.5 wheels available. The light ones have the size stamped on the front. It is your competitors that check for rule compliance, not the officials. Do you want to be caught cheating?

 

If there were a half dozen GS Minis sitting side by side all with identical size and model tires, and one had 16x7 wheels, and five had 16x6.5, I'd bet that at least one person might notice a difference in the tire/sidewall bulge on the illegal wheels. Not to mention that many of your competitors will be very knowledgeable about what wheels are available in different sizes and could tell in a heartbeat that you're running a wheel that was never made in 16x6.5. I'm relatively familiar with every popular 16x6.5" wheel that is legal for GS and HS and could probably tell if yours wasn't one of them.

If you are dead set on a 16x7 wheel and would rather have that than the available 16x6.5 wheels, just throw some sticky street tires (Falken Azenis or Hankook Z212 should fit the bill) and run in STX, or run with a non-SCCA autocross club that doesn't care as much about wheel size.

-Keith

 

More to the point, "how would they know?" isn't really a healthy attitude. Most autocrossers I've met are great people, and the idea of cheating against them isn't very cool in my book. Want to tell us where you run?

 

Trust me - people who drive MINI's check out other MINI's. If they see your car at an event they will naturally walk over to check out your car. They will be checking out your wheels on the walk over and will know they are not GS legal before they can say "hey". The choices are limited and we've all checked them all out. Bottom line, get a set of Rota Slipstreams - at $500 shipped from 18racing you cannot go wrong.

 

Its very easy to tell by looking IMO. It all depends on if anyone there is use to staring at a GS Mini or not. ;-)

 

Mark Chiles can sense an illegal car at 1000yds. You do not even have to be in his class, he will protest you just to make sure you get the message.

most likely a 16 x 7 wheel would not make a difference at a local autocross event, but make sure you inform your fellow competitors before you run. If you are a mid pack driver, they likely won't care. But if you start winning your class expect that they will pay more attention.

Or run STX, DSP or SM.

As others have stated, SCCA autocrossers are generally a friendly bunch and happy to assist you and answer questions. They may not have the same attitude towards you if you were found to be cheating.

 

They are easy to spot. I've pointed out to more then one person locally the wheels they are running weren't legal. I didn't protest them but I wanted them to know I knew. They only ran them an event or two while they got different rims.

 

I've got a set of 16" V-Spokes with less than 2000 miles on the OEM runflats I'll let go cheap.

They'll be the right width.

 

where are you lcoated trick...

 

Sorry, City, sold them last weekend. . .

 

First of all, G-stock means using wheels that are very very close to being stock sized.

If you have any aftermarket wheel you already bring attention to yourself- then if you have any experienced autocrossing MINI drivers in your area they WILL know that only a handful of current rims will meet the stock specs- SSR Comp R and Rota Slipstream special order to the 16x6.5" and +45mm offset size. Monza rims used to be available but not anymore.
SSR Type C has a 16x6.5" rim but offset is not specified.

If you are not that competitive then most drivers will not be too harsh on you for a small infraction of the rules.

If you are right up there in the top three they will make sure that everything is legal.

If you get challenged you will have to prove that your wheels are within stock specs or be penalized.

Your best bet is to use stock X-lyte rims which will work fine and not be too heavy or too expensive. Use the 16x7" aftermarket wheels for street use.

Any MINI drivers in Street Mod class or the other non stock classes will know if your wheels are legal as well. In our region we usually help (and police) each other.

 

Yeah..

 

Dudes, calm down!
I'm still running stock x-lites with all season run flats compared to most of you with r-compounds. I'm just out there having fun!
I wouldn't say anything if someone was running 16x7, autox couple times per year, not being competitive, and certainly not placing in the top 3. Just imho.

 

Nobody is getting excited. You aren't doing the newbies any favors not educating them on the rules of the sport. Without rules it would be a free for all. STS & STX allow people to run different size tires and rims. They can run their "odd size" rims there.

 

I don't see anyone getting pissy. On the inside looking out, the way I see it is, If someone wants to run 16x7's, only runs 2 times per year, isn't competitive and isn't in the top 3, why in the world would the person in question(not you) care if they were told to run in the correct class of STX? Why say nothing and let them run in G-Stock, its not the correct class so why would they want to run in the wrong class for no reason? The competitor in question might as well run the correct class, not to mention that STX times will be real close to GS anyway, depending on the region, it could be easier than GS.

Seems pretty simple to me and everyone is happy in the end.

On your initial post, you mentioned the following

"How would they(officially) know if you were running 16x7's in G-Stock. You can't really tell the difference by looking at it."

I think thats where you felt people were getting in a tizzy. But, I think the replies were basically commenting on your actual statement and question rather than answering what you later appeared to have really wanted to know on whether anyone would care. Well, you know my answer, if the one in question doesn't actually care, why run the wrong class in the 1st place. :-)

Speaking of 1st place,I sure could use two more of those come the end of September. Bwahahaha!!

 

My thoughts exactly. Just don't run in GS. Knowingly breaking any rule, no matter how slight, is cheating.

 

There are lots of stock size wheels and tires for sale in the Northwest

 

It's cheating if you are breaking a rule. You don't have to know that you are, to be cheating.

 

Best bet for anyone doing autocrossing for the first time is to seek the advice of the local experienced people.

Usually this means the folks who do registration and those that might drive the MINI or those in your own proposed class of competition.

Since at the local level it's friendly competition they will let you know if everything looks good or not and recommend a solution or class change.

Since new drivers are not likely to be beating everyone it won't be much of an adjustment to change class or just drive and make adjustments ASAP.

Legally the SCCA rules are there in print and apply from the national down to the local levels.

 

Wow, a little harsh on Mark... I like running in a class with Mark. I know everyone is straight up! Including Mark! When he protests, it's on a true performance item, not on triavial things.

Charlie Davis

 

I agree with Charlie. I'm not to sure about the trivial part though. Anyway, SCCA obviously doesn't take its own rule book very seriously anyway. Why have a rule if you are not going to enforce it. If it is not a performance or safety issue, then it should not be a rule in the rule book.

ANYWAY, there are still several sets of stock size wheels and tires available in the NW region. (hint hint)