Fully Stock 2002 Mini Cooper S. Street legal tire (Azenis) ---

Best time I could do was 2:03.2.

Anyone beat it

 

My first SCCA race at Barber was in June of 2004.
My 2003 Cooper S had not even mad e a BMW club race. It was in the process of joining BMW racing in the JP class.
Still had A/C, radio, two front seats & all interior side & roof paneling.
Car was still street legal and I was using Toyo Ra-1's.
My best time was 1:49.7 (correction)... It was pretty cool having the radio tuned to the track FM station, I could here the announcer commenting on the race and also about me in the Mini. All very audible in the in-carvideo.
I'll try and post the video when I get a chance.
Was racing in SPO with Vettes, Vipers and other seriously fast company.
It was a great learning experience.
Steve

 

This sounds awesome --- I'd love to see the video ..... I'm just starting to figure out turn one --- Wow, if done right, you can carry SERIOUS speed into the down hill ... ACCELLERATING after the front straight and into the downhill knowing that the uphill will hold you online after the apex, awesome. I was just starting to play with that... Also, got MUCH better at throttle lift oversteer, wow that's fun.

So, I'd love to look at your video and try to take it apart to figure out the track a bit more.

My best time was a 2:02.2 --- one second better, but I'm still learning -- My fourth HPDE.

Another stock mini - new pads and tires ran a 1:53 (he states, I believe him) ...

Unfortunately, I had some serious brake issues at the end of the day --
I burned my pads out completely on day two ... tried to go to autozone for some quick replacements -- but they didn't even last two sessions. (interestingly, on the el cheapo, thats what they had at autozone, the inside pad wore out, but the outsides were still very thick ... not sure why .... very odd)

 

Turn 1,as I quickly learned can be taken much faster than you think and in fourth gear! You down shift into third as you start to wind around the hill going downhill. This gives you plenty of power as you compress at the bottom of the hill and start uphill. You should be upshifting into fourth at the crest of the hill and even get some wheel chirp as the car gets light.
It's a fun feeling.
The next turn is a 2nd gear turn than you can go deep and pass a lot of people on braking.
Love Barber, hope to race with Nasa on June 6th & 7th.
Cheers,
steve

 

I live in the area and I'll likely come out on Saturday night ... let me know if youre coming ... I look out for your mini.

-Jamie

 

I'll be there for NASA, Friday Sat and Sunday. Jamie stop by the SpeedSouth paddock area and I'll get you a ride in some really fast Vette's, or maybe we can take my car out.

 

Looks like I'm not going to be able to make the HPDE --- you guys sticking around on Saturday night?

-Jamie

 

I think my last session is over at 5, I'll be there till 6 or so.

 

valeu,

I saw the car and it looks sweet. Congrats on getting the pole; I hope you had a chance to race on sunday.

Emmathecheesedog always rules.....

 

Thanks for coming by Jamie, enjoyed meeting you and some of the othe Mini guys.
Jason got the pole in GTS-3 on Saturday but lost the splitter when he put a wheel in the grass coming onto the main straight. We replace the bumper & splitter with our spare so he was good to race.
Well, while leading Saturdays race, Jason hit the brakes a tad late in the corkscrew while eyeing the Porsche on his tail and visited the grass briefly and left the 2nd splitter there as well. From that point on, the car was understeering terribly. he finished last in class.
With no more spares, we made an improvised air-dam out of a sheet of Corroplast. It wasn't pretty but did not look all that bad.
So Sunday I go out to qualify with no practice runs wondering how the car is going to handle. I get back and find out I got the pole, even with the awarded 110lbs of ballast we had to add to be legal in GTS-3.
So I started on pole and was able to maintain the lead for the first 18 min. of the race until the CV-joint blew up and left me to coast over into the grass and wait for the tow truck.
Lot's of mechanical frustrations but a great time all in all.
Had a great race aginst Tim Nagyin his 924S (968 engine) and Drew Ewing in his e-46 M3, both drove great races. Drew won the Saturday sprint and Sunday's race after I dropped out.
Hope that the next we visit Barber the weather will be cooler and the car will run trouble free.
Steve

 

Here are some pics from Barber

 

Good to meet you guys, Tim was saying what a fast car you had.

 

Very sad to see you have so much car trouble. I know that I was VERY excited to see how you were going to run on saturday.

I was avidly timing splits and watching your progress.

Sorry to hear that sunday turned out to be a mechanical mess too. Reminds me of the best sticker at the event;

"Race it, break it, fix it, repeat it"

Please keep us posted on your progress -- what's your next event?

Emma the Cheese dog still rules.... PTI dominates.