Hi,
I'm trying to figure out if a mini could be competitive in bmwcca, js or jp probably.

js is stock without coilovers, not very stripped.
jp is fully stripped, with coilovers, diff changes, mild engine work

to be competitive, you need to be able to do about 2:14 at watkins glen.

I haven't been able to find a lot of laptimes online, but it looks like minis are pretty pressed to do better than 2:20 there.

Any lap times (with racing class, or some idea of what the car is? outrageous cars have to compete in jmod or higher and need to get 2:05 or faster to be competitive (wgi again)).

Or any ideas as to how competitive minis can be in bmwcca? There are basically none driving, which is probably a clue.

Like minis, but want to race, and most of my friends are with bmwcca...

 

Dear John,
There have been several Minis which attempted racing within BMWCCA club racing. If you read the Roundel club race reports, you will see that several have appeared since 2004. Most have been from the East Coast.
Most tried in JP class, Grass Roots Motorsports entered a car as well but performed poorly. I decided to give it a try by July 2004 and took a 2nd & 3rd in JP class at the Motorsport Ranch in Dallas. My car did not have coilovers at the time. Still had full interior (minus back seat), A/C, radio etc.
By March of 2005 I had coilovers and got the pole in JP (9th on grid out of 28 Beemers) at Texas Motor Speedway. My success was short-lived since the BMW techs decided I was too fast and disqualified me due to the undesized pulley (all othe JP Minis had been using pulleys as well but had never been a threat).
At that point I made the decision to go to DM, the only possible class a Mini can be competitive.
Have you not seen any of Onasled's posts on his incredible DM Mini? See the road racing forum.
My car has placed 2nd in class & 3rd numerous occasions. The ever so illusive win is not far. We still have more work planned on the car to feel we can win.
Onasled's car will be a serious contender in the DM class, I'm confident!
Feel free to contact me or Greg on building a race Mini.
So far the BMW rules are flexible enough to try several engine power approaches that could work for the Mini.
Forced induction cars get a 1.5 multiplier on displacement, that puts the Mini at 2.44 liters, right in the middle of the class range.
Get on board, we need more Minis in DM.
Best Regards,
Steve

 

Wow. Thanks Steve. Your mini with the big wing on is actually one of the cooler cars I've ever seen. 8-)

I'll pm with some questions.

I would still like to see laptimes. I have been looking around and seeing a few, but mostly in showroom classes. The mini is really a lot faster with just a little suspension work, so some more advanced groups would be more interesting. I am not having any trouble finding bmw times anywhere.

I couldn't find times for your namcc win at summit pt, but I timed a clean lap from the video and got about 1:58.
The bmwcca times at summit point are more like 1:21. Something is wrong, but I don't know what.

http://www.bmwccaclubracing.com/Race...vents2007.aspx

thanks for any help

john

 

Remember that we were on the Shennandoah track with the "Caroussel", not the usual track BMWCCA races on.
For other track times at various tracks, see: BMW race MSR, July 2004
" TWS, March 2005
" MSR, Aug 2005
" Roebling Road, Dec 2005
NASA/ , Sebring, April 06
(co driver Jason Aranha) VIR, April 2006
BMW race O'Fest, MSR Sept 07
You look all these on Mylaps.com
Steve

 

Thanks Steve,

I eventually figured out that I don't need to register on Mylaps.com to see laptimes (need an amb to register) and then I found some laps.

You are looking competitive in DM, as you said, and really nuking the JP cars, which doesn't matter in class, but doesn't make one feel bad on the track.

I'm thinking of just getting out there in a JS or JP mini to learn for a year. Power isn't good for skills development, and it's better to spend $$ gradually. After a year, I can decide what else to do: serious suspension with monoball everything, ridiculous power, whatever. I really wanted to be sure that there was hope.