In traffic at Turn2, Infineon Raceway. Photo by Jim Williams


I just thought you folks might like to know what I've done and am doing for MINIUSA in my Rookie season in the Western US Touring Car Championship Pro Series.

To see the current points chart, go to ustcc.com then click on "points".

As you can see, I am 4th in points for the overall championship, 1st in points for Rookie of the Year, and Bob Scheer and I have combined to place MINI at the top of the Manufacturer's Championship with three events to go. I've had one podium finish, but didn't submit for contingency money because there were only 9 cars in the field. I'm hoping to make it back up there when there are 10 or more runners.

You can find me on page 137 of the October Issue of Grassroots Motorsports and on Final Drive TV #3 in the photo/video section of ustcc.com (to play the video, choose #3, then mouse to the top of the screen and click "download this video" on the pop up button.)

I still feel I need some help with my stock JCW ECM programming. According to my dyno tests, my air/fuel mixture goes flat right at 4000 rpm and I believe that's affecting my power output at higher rpm's. I'm looking for an ECU flash that I can download to my laptop and upload to my ECM that will deal with this problem. I figure this is something the MINI engineers can help me with - especially given all those John Cooper "Racing is in our blood" ads. Here's a racer who needs some help.

When one of my competitors who runs a Chevy Cobalt had problems, 2 GM engineers hopped on a plane and showed up the next day to work on his car. I don't expect THAT kind of support, but it would be great to have SOME kind!

Next event - August 23-24 at Thunderhill. Ya'll come!



Cheers,

Jerry

At speed, Infineon Raceway. Photo by Jim Williams

 

Race Report




The warm up laps on Saturday featured the usual spins and offs with the added factor of much loose dirt from the newly graded perimeter being dragged onto the track as they struggled back. That made some of the corners more exciting than they had to be.

The race on Saturday is a no point affair so USTCC ran a rolling start from the back of the pack. This meant we had to work our way through the Spec Miata/Spec 944 Porsche/Spec E30 BMW traffic to find a clear lap. My fastest lap was 2:10 and change. The big dogs of USTCC were running 2:04. *Sigh*.

In Sunday’s race I intended to motor off into the distance leaving the RX8 way behind as I usually do, but McColligan had other ideas. He stayed there in my mirrors while I tried my best to keep my car right at the limit of adhesion and not make any mistakes that would give him an opportunity to overtake. Coming down the back straight with one lap to go, a faster car passed me on the right at the corner entrance which caused me to back off to keep from hitting him and consequently losing my momentum around Turns 14 and 15. Because he was behind me, McColligan could avoid that and as we came onto the front straight he pulled out and simply drove past me. I settled in on his bumper already planning to make my riposte in the same place on the final lap. I had to stay right on him around the track, so I could pull to the right on the back straight, drag race him to the corner, out brake him on the inside and try to hold the advantage to the checker.

I shadowed his car around the track, sticking like glue through Turn 8 and up the hill. But when he turned in for 9 at the top of the hill, he lost power suddenly. Being so close behind him, I had to ****** the wheel to the left to keep from parking my front bumper in his exhaust pipe, upset the car’s balance and got sideways up over the crest. When the rear end of the Mini starts coming around you must get on the power immediately or you will spin. Planting my right foot on the floor I managed to get control back and pulled past him going down the hill, carrying the advantage around to the finish. Later he told me he was low on fuel and the centrifugal force in the corner had pulled what was left away from the fuel pump and starved the engine. Pure luck.

Read the full report HERE.

 

Keep up the good work Jerry!

It's nice to see the progress you and your car have made since last year.

I'm sure you'll find a way to catch-up to the front guys. Rome wasn't built in a day.

And there are more ecu tuning solutions in your area than ours....

Alain L.

 

Now with video. Check it out here.