I'm here with TEAM http://www.team-racing.org. There are four Minis. They have Wifi. I am sitting in the Mini doing NAM on the laptop. How funny is that? It is a really nice sunny day. Not too many cars. Should be fun. Pictures to follow.

 

Here we are sitting in the paddock waiting to go out the first time. It was self tech. Check the car, fill out the forms and good to go. Had a drivers meeting to cover the flags and pointers.

 

here is some of the line up. There is a variety of cars. Lots of smaller cars but a few bigger ones too.

 

WIFI?! I didn't even know they had PHONES out there!

Enjoy! And remember, flat out through the esses...

 

Hey they have phones. They even have indoor sit down priveys.

Just finished the first session. Having a good time.

 

Here we are after the first run. Taking tire pressure and temp. Making sure all the parts stayed on tight.

 

They don't just come in Space Blue. This guy has nice race wheels and fresh shaved R1's that he carried here.

 

So here I sit at work dinking around on NAM, and I see this!!! I'm envious!!!! I wish I was at the track today!!!!! Have fun!!!! Drive like hell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! make tires squeal!!!!! Hit that apex!!!!!!!!!!! I don't want to be at work!!!!!!!

 

Remember the sports car show on speed that featured Team Mighty Miniz at Buttonwillow where they interviewed the young woman in the Cooper? Here is her car. Had a nice chat about MC and MCS. Goes pretty darn well.

 

Power To The Mc!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I want to be at the track! Let's see some more of the miatas! I'm thinking about running in the spec miata class... I can't afford to run a MINI in anything!

 

Got to like those wheels. This car is owned by one of the instructors.

 

Those Miatas are fast in the corners. The Mini pulls them on the straights. But it feels tall and tippy. I'm thinking lowering springs, track wheels and sticky tires. Getting tired of letting those Miatas go by.

 

All fixed up. You ought to see the motor. He added a supercharger.

 

Wasn't sure how the BFG Sports would hold up but they are doing fine. A little slippy here and there but predictable and going where I point them.

 

BFG's are the best!!!!!! Had 'em on my MINI since I wore out my OE Continentals!!!!!!

 

Yay for tracked Coopers!

 

What is the track orientation, and what's your best time so far, and also what is the time for the black Cooper and the Chili S with Orange wheels so far.

I wish I was there.

Thanks.

 

We rode counter clockwise, in reverse from the usual. I didn't run a lap timer. I was going as fast as I could. The Cooper was very quick. Brittany knows her way around a track. The Chili S was driven by an SCCA instructor. He was way fast. It was a great day.

 

I think the orange wheels car is Siddartha's - he's quick.
The BFGs are doing well - I'm used to seeing lots of rubber balled up on the edges. Those look pretty clean for the end of the day!
No timing, Camel, these are HPDEs...

 

this is one of the coolest posts ever. Live updates from a track day
Loving it.

 

MCLeonard,
Thank you for sharing the event in real time. I have raced motorcycles on Buttonwillow many times and it is one of my favorite tracks in CA. It is fun to see Minis there and thinking about the driving you are doing.
Billie

 

That's me. All factory JCW (check out the wing) except Kosei wheels and Yokohama Advan 048 competition tires, medium compound. Wish you'd said hello so I could post something.

 

Hey, sorry about that. I was talking to Brittany during lunch when you came by to chat. I had told her that I was posting a picture of her car on NAM. I'll but sure to say hello next time.

 

Oh yeah. I remember you. Sorry, I was still a little fuzzy from my student's shunt. Decided the wisest course was to pack it in for the day.

He was doing so well, too! But coming around the last corner onto the front straight he dropped a wheel off, panicked, forgot everything he'd learned about driving it off and did the instinctive thing: cranked the wheel to the right and lifted off the gas. At that point JC and all his boys couldn't have kept us from going around. Screeeeech! Blam! I heard my neck crack when we hit the tires and got a little fuzzy for awhile, but all that's left is a sore neck which I'm going in to have fixed next week. Durn! I hate it when I can't prevent that kind of thing.

Don't let it happen to you. If you see you're going off, give yourself permission to do so. Hold the wheel straight and gently e e e e e a a z z z e e e off the gas until you have it under control and can squeeze on the brakes. I don't know how many times I've seen this classic mistake on the track . . . maybe 10? 12? It ALWAYS results in coming back across the track out of control either frontwards or backwards and hitting the wall if there is one. In traffic, you'll come back across the road and into oncoming traffic or into the opposite ditch or into the armco. Next time you're out motoring, look for the distinctive S curve black marks left behind by someone else who has made this basic mistake. There are a surprising number of them.