Is anyone planning to attend the Big Mini Day at ThunderHill on May 11th?

I had so much fun and learned so much at Phil Wicks Laguna Seca that I'm planning to attend BMD.

I've never been to ThunderHill. Does anyone have any info on the track, the drive up there, and where to stay?

 

Check out: http://www.thunderhill.com/
Lot's of info.
Jim

 

Does anyone have experience on this track that they would like to share?

I found this great video of Thunderhill on the Mini Madness site.
It's kind of big, at 16mb, but worth the download (right click, save target as..)

 

A great track with lots of variety including elevation changes, off-camber turns, a 'blind' turn and a nice straight where you can reach 100+. Plenty of run-off so you can feel safe.

You will have a blast!

 

That was a cool video, thanks for posting. Looks like a fun track. It doesn't appear to be as technical as Laguna, but looks like you might be able to carry higher speeds.

I think Matt (Dr. Obnxs) has some experience at Thunderhill, you might want to PM him if he doesn't jump in this thread.

 

AWESOME track

NOT as fast as Laguna. MORE technical.

It has a bit of just about everything.



I signed up long ago

Maxwell, Williams, Willows are nearby if you are looking for a place to stay.

 

I've been to T-hill many times. It's a great track. Of the three Norcal tracks, Infineon is the most challenging, then Laguna, then Thunderhill. Infineon is my favorite, it's also closest to where I live. T-hill is a great confidence builder because of all the run-of space. Great place to learn.

There are several inexpensive hotels in Willows, only 10 minutes from the track.

I am going on May 5th with NCRC which is the club I like to go with. I would like to do an all MINI event, but I can't get off that day

You will love T-hill.

(turn 3 at thunderhill)

 

Funny how different tracks are so different for different drivers.
I have auto and MC raced on all 3 tracks and my thought about being chalenging is exactly reverse to the post above.
I in a MINI to undo a mistake at Thunderhill is more difficult to overcome. 1 issue (bad apex, to wide, to slow in) will really hurt a lap time.

Anyway >>> YOU WILL HAVE A BLAST

 

It is a funny thing. You are the first person I have heard who thinks T-hill is more challenging than Infineon.

Either wy, we have some great tracks in Norcal

 

and for good turn-by-turn descriptions of T-Hill, Sears and Laguna, you can get them from this page on the Nor-Cal Shelby Club....

There's also a drivers handbook that has lots of good driving pointers as well.

Matt

 

oops, thanks for setting me straight. looks fun either way.

 

That is a great turn by turn

OK ... read that and tell me that it isn't technical

I get fired up just reading the course map

 

They all kick my butt! But I like T-Hill because it's long, and except for one turn, there's nothing but grass to hit if you screw up! Last time out, I was hitting a bit over 105 at the end of the front straight. The better you can take the turns right before it, the faster you will go!

And I stay in Willows, at the Golden Pheseant (I think that's it...)

It's about a 5-10 min drive to the track. And take a credit card, you can buy race gas there, and it aint cheap!

Matt

 

Matt,
Thanks for the link to the turn by turn document!!! The best info yet for someone that hasn't driven the course. Do you have any tips that were gained from experience? I promise I won't tell anyone

 

Don't lift going up 8. You'll want to, but don't.

Oh, and drive a Miata through turn 2 - it's nice to steer with the throttle*

*disclaimer - I haven't taken a MINI with a big rear sway bar through 2 yet.

 

You said the same thing about turn 1 at Laguna Seca and DAMN, I always lifted.
Thanks for the nugget!

 

He's right about turn 8. It's fast. Once you start your turn in, focus on the exit point. There is a new asphalt strip they just put it, Aim for the end of that and hold it down. Also turn one is fast. You want power on all the way through

There is also some new pavement at 12, but don't go on it to cheat the corner, the corner workers will flag you if you do

Turn 9 is tricky because it's blind but if you can spot the exit strip just on the horizon that makes a good reference point. 14 is the hardest for me to nail consistently.

 

listen to the others! They have it down better than me!

The turn 8 "no-lift" takes a while for me to do without getting scared. I work up to it. As you get faster and faster, your run out will make you use more and more of the track. At no-lift I find that I just touch the bump strip at the run out.

The course is a blast, and they ran last year without using the turn 5 cut-out. For that, you climb the hill on the far right, and you turn hard without seeing the track at all! Keep your foot in it as you load up, and if you forget to turn the DSC off, you will loose lots of time here.

Turn two is one of the most fun for me. It's so long (feels like more than 180 degrees), fast and wide that you can really feel the car balance change with throttle inputs. Watch out, it has a very, very, very late apex, and if you come in too early, you'll loose lots of time to.

I still don't have the ***** to hit turn one as fast as the car can take it.

Matt

 

I love hearing your take on your memorable turns. I can't wait to drive this wonderful track myself. Let's see if I have this correctly:

Eric: Turn 8, don't lift. Got it.
asodestrom: Turn 9 is blind, spot the exit strip as an exit reference point. Got it
Doc O: Turn 2, apex is much later than expected. Got it.

Anyone else have any tips for this poor soul?

 

Don't steer a wide "racing" line. If momentum carries you out okay, but otherwise save traveling the extra distance. Taking a wide line at a slow speed looks dorky.

Back off the throttle on the last lap and leave the engine running for a bit after parking to cool the bearings, but don't put the hood up with your motor off. The underhood parts are not hot and it looks dorky.

Have an instructor ride along with you. He will point you in the right direction so you don't look dorky.

Attend the class room sessions and listen to what they are saying so you learn something and don't do stuff that makes you look dorky.

 

you can be going faster! But your momentum will carry you there, if you're going as fast as the car can, it will be at the hairy edge of traction!

I do raise the hood, but I'm a dork! (and my motor sure gets hot!)

Also, don't use your parking brake when you're back at the paddock, you can screw with the cooling and warp your rotors...

Get a coach for every run you can, you'll learn a lot faster. And get different coaches, you'll get more than one perspective.

Matt

 

Remember that the most important turn on a race track is the turn right before the longest straight. If you get that right, you will achieve speed fastest and keep it the longest. On the other hand the least important turn is the one at the end of the longest straight. Keeping your speed for as long as you can is the quickest way around the track. So map out the entire track. Find the longest straight and start planning from there. Then mark each turn with it's value of importance. Concentrate on the important turns first.

Consider that you want the best exit speed from a turn on a turn before a long straight. The best way to get speed is in a straight line, so set up the turn so that you are accelerating BEFORE you hit the apex and are able to keep the speed through the trun. This might mean entering the turn a little slower if it means gaining speed a lot faster and keeping it longer.

Hitting the apex of a turn right can be similar to hitting a golf ball. If you set up correctly, align yourself ahead of time, you can hit the "sweet spot", and with proper follow through you will do it smoothly and fast. Think of how much time it takes to properly hit a golf ball with comparison to how long it takes to set up for the shot. Your golf club only comes in contact with the ball of a milla-second, but if you haven't set yourself right, planted your feet, taken the right back swing, bent your elbow, and made the right grip, your ball will not go where you want it to nor as far. Same goes for driving a race course. If you hit an early apex, you will run out of race track and will have to slow or hit the brakes, thu sloosing speed and momentum. If you hit a late apex you are have given up too much (back swing) so you loose power (speed).

The idea is to look over the course, plan your strategy before you even get to the track. If you get the opportunity walk the track before you even get in your car. Check out the surfaces, the run-off areas, the camber or banking. Know the course before you drive it. Sit down with a pencil and paper and work it out in your mind.

Keep SMOOTH in your mind. Know where the bumps, ruts, and off-camber spots are. The quickest lap is the smoothest lap. You will notice that the drivers with the quickest times are the ones that look the smoothest.

When you are out on the track, find the places where you are gaining ground and where you are loosing ground. Once you have identified those areas, then concentrate more on the areas where you are slower than others. These are spots where you know you can make up time.

 

Raising the hood must be part of the experience. I think I will start doing it too.

 

Thanks for the driving tips but I was looking for some Thunderhill track tips

 

Next step is the drive through, they'll do a drive through before you go out for all that have never driven the track before. And there will be turn by turn hints at the drivers meeting..

Then, it's just getting out there and putting your foot down!

Matt