Since we now have these new SCCA forums, I thought I would share my ignorance and ask some questions.

I have decided that I like my MCS as it is, and that doing significant mods to it would put me into a racing class that I doubt I can afford to be competitive in. My guess is that I would stand the best chance of doing well by staying in whatever class a bone-stock MCS is entered into.

What specific class would that be? G or H Stock?

I do know that there are a few simple allowed modifications that should be done such as wheels/tires, but what else should I think about doing to prepare my daily driver MINI for a season of fun in SCCA Solo 2?

Also, as I am in Alabama, does anyone know where I will find a local SCCA to join for this upcoming season?

Thanks!

 

The MCS is in G Stock.
The allowable modifications are-
Any front sway
Any shocks with no more than two adjustments
Any drop in air filter
Any spark plugs or spark plug wires
Any exhast system past the cat back
Any 16x6.5" wheel with an offset between 45-55
Any DOT approved tire, this includes supper grippy Hoosiers, Kuhmos or any street tire.
There is really nothing else required to set up your car for competetion. Just remove all floor mats and any loose items in the boot, or glove box. The best advice is to find someone who has done this a time or ten and have them guide you throught the ropes.
Your local SCCA Solo 2 Region
Good Luck!
Chris

 

Chris,

Thanks for the great and straightforward info! Exactly what I was looking for!

So that means that I cannot upgrade the rear sway bar and stay in G-stock?

I have 17" factory rims but am planning on buying a lightweight set of 16's and sticky tires for track days. Other than that and maybe a drop-in K&N filter, I am probably not going to do any other mods in the immediate future, but it is good to know that I have a little bit of room to play if I do want to do a few mods over the season

 

Some observations by a rookie.
1. It depends if you intend to compete regionally or nationally
2. How competetive do you want to be? For fun or blood?

I have noticed at regional events most cars are not tricked out to the maximum allowed by the rules. Most speed comes from the driver, not the car. I found that at this level the fast guys (and gals) in G stock run R compound DOT race rubber tires which is expensive, especially when you add lightweight wheels within the rule limits.

The fast G stock crowd was running faster than the "modified" STX class cars with street compound tires and tricked out suspensions. I priced a set of aftermarket wheels and good 'n sticky street tires to meet STX rules at 50% the cost of lightweight 16x6.5" wheels with Hoosier's conforming to the "Stock class rules" the fast stock guys run.

Bottom line "Stock Class" does not always mean slower or cheaper. You just have to figure at which level you wish to compete and how fast you want to spend.

 

Another thing to keep in mind is that the stock 16 inch wheels that come standard on the MCS (the '04 MCS anyway) are actually pretty light when compared to more expensive aftermarket wheels.

The 17 inch wheels are also legal for stock class since they are a factory option on the car, but they are VERY heavy for that car (as most stock wheels are).

 

Exactly. I have my Kumho V700s on the OEM 16" wheels, and the tires I drive daily on (Falken Azenis) on cheap(er) aftermarket wheels that are a few pounds heavier than the MINI wheels.

Uh... check the screen-name... BLOOD Baby!!!!

David
-V--V-

 

A couple of other mods that are legal for GS are igntion coil and racing harness. Of the two, your best bet is to go with a harness or some other sort of driver restraint system. That will allow you to get a better feel for what the car is doing since you won't be struggling to stay in the seat - either through bracing with your left leg or trying to hang onto the steering wheel.

Schroth makes a harness that clips into the MINI. A less expensive option may be a new device that's about to hit the market in the next week by the name of "CG-Lock". Check the CG-Lock web site that's supposed to go online on the 21st. It's a positive locking device that fits on your seat belt that allows you to snug-down the lap portion if the belt as much as you're comfortable with. While I already have the Schroth harness, I'm getting several of them, one for the passenger seat on my autox MCS, two for my wife's MCS and two for my WRX.

 

I thought that I had heard somewhere that there were a certain number of "points" that one could get and still remain stock. Might this just be a regional rule? The case in point (the guy that told me this...I think?) was a guy that had an essentially stock MCS, but had a beefy rear bar and a CAI. He claimed he was still allowed to run stock. Does that seem right to you?

 

CC, That wouldn't fly in a normal SCCA event, maybe some other organization (NASA or BMW??). You can't touch the bar in the back unless he's talking about a SS+ bar instead of a standard - but then he has to swap all of the springs as well. They're color coded for the rates and vary depending on what options you have on the car. For example, I understand that the rates are different for a sunroof vs. tin-top.

Only allowed change for the intake is to change the filter medium or remove it.

 

My old stomping ground in Madison had a local club that ran on a point system. They needed to allow DOT-R tires into competition without forcing people out of the stock class. I could easily see where a CAI and new rear anti-sway bar would keep him in stock as long as he was running tires with treadwear rating of greater than 140.

The SCCA doesn't function like that. They're a rules-only club because they get large groups of people together. The point system provides a means of leveling the playing field for those who aren't as "prepared" as others. It can be fun to run with these clubs since the varying levels of competition provide a means being competitive without being out classed (or "up-classed" in the case of SCCA.)

 

Makes sense...I can only guess that he's running in BMWCCA, since I know that there are quite a few MINIacs running in the very active Windy City BMWCCA.

I'm suddenly so torn! I had so many mods in mind (namely a Dinan pulley), but I think I'm going to hold off until I've got a season of AutoX under my belt to make my decision.

 

>>Makes sense...I can only guess that he's running in BMWCCA, since I know that there are quite a few MINIacs running in the very active Windy City BMWCCA.
>>
>>I'm suddenly so torn! I had so many mods in mind (namely a Dinan pulley), but I think I'm going to hold off until I've got a season of AutoX under my belt to make my decision.


That is the best decision!! Run some events, see if you like it, learn what REALLY makes a difference, then go spend your $$.

 

This is the same decision process I just went through. I had made plans to add a pulley even before I took delivery on the car. Then after a few days of ownership I realized what a great handling car I had and I started thinking about staying stock for at least a year. Now I am preparing for GS with no regrets.

 

Me too! Before I got into autox last year, my wife and I (it was her MCS) were mulling over the pully and lots of other things. Then the autox bug hit me after we went to a couple of novice training courses led by Brian Garfield and learned about class rules and permitted mods.

My wife concluded that autox was not her thing and was concerned about me brutalizing her daily driver and baby, suggesting I get my own. That was a real short decision process. As luck would have it, that day I found a local used MCS for sale from a gal with a fiance that had modded the car with all kinds of stuff. Part of our deal was that he return it to stock condition except for the Quicksilver exhaust.

I now have a great toy and a bunch of lowering springs, swaybars etc., sitting in my garage should I ever decide to spend even more money for an LSD and move into STX. For now I'm staying in GS.

 

I ran all last season and am pretty involved with my local. I would run an event or two on the stock tires, and then switch to a DOT race tire. I forced myself to run the season on the stock rubber. It was frustrating by the end of the season, but I am now very confident in knowing what the stock tires are capable of (not much). Everything else is show up and drive.

Driver ability is worth far far more than the car. Our last local event a driver showed up in an ACR neon and spanked everyone badly. He had FTD (fastest time of the Day) as well as winning G stock by almost 5 seconds.

Seriously, knowing how to read cones, memorize courses, get in and out of corners, slaloms, etc. is all stuff you can do in your car as it sits. The best part about solo is that it's pretty much guys that love cars but can't afford real race cars. It's pretty much a run what ya brung sport, it's competitive but low key.

One of our best drivers last year was in an F150 truck. He was the benchmark that everyone gunned for.