Since the season has just ended I thought I would mention what has happened in my area for MINIs for SCCA solo II events in 2004.

An experienced driver using a bone stock MC with stock runflats did very well from month to month in H-stock. Only after changing to 15" holey rims with Avon Tech Rs or Kumho victoracer V700s in 205/50-15 did he do very well finishing in the top 5 PAX overall consistently.

The same driver last month tried driving a stock MCS with Falken Azenis sport tires (edited) for the first time and got a time equivalent to first in G-stock and 4th of 62 drivers in PAX overall.

Another driver using a modified MC in FSP usually finishes in the top 3 each month but doesn't have the high PAX finishes.

I have driven my MCS in Street Mod class and started in nearly last place and eventually moved up to the bottom third for the first 6 events. I added front camber plates, autocross alignment, Quaife, and Kumho Victoracers on 15" holey rims and that helped alot. Now I use Kosei K1 TS 15x7" rims and Kumho V710 tires in 205/50-15. I managed two 1st place and two 4th finishes in the last 5 events with about 10-11 drivers in SM. Overall finish as good as 3rd of 60 to 70 drivers and PAX as high as about 6th overall.

This all means that the MC in H-stock is quite good with competition rubber and the MCS in G-stock is quite good with sticky street tires or with competition rubber. The only thing holding you back is driver skill.

In SM you'll need alot of mods beyond a pulley upgrade and competition wheels. Autocross aligment with front camber plates and rear lower control arms and even coil overs are going to help handling alot. The Quaife is not "essential", nor is a lightweight flywheel or racing clutch (might work for the track). R-compound tires are essential- which one would varry with rim size limitations and with road surfaces.

Some raw time estimates for about a 60 second course
MC with stock tires 71-73 seconds
MC with R-compound tires 69-70 seconds
MCS with stock tires 70 seconds
MCS with competition tires 68 seconds
MCS with pulley in SM with stock tires 65-66 seconds
MCS middle modded in SM with R-compound tires-62 seconds or better

 

Wow, well, I'd have to completely disagree with that. The Stock MCS already needs a Quaife to put down the power. Believe me, if you're going to add Street Modified power, you will DEFINITELY need a Quaife/LSD to put that power down.
In easier terms, a Quaife vs. non-Quaife in Street Modified is easily good for 2 seconds on a 60 second course. I've already proved it's worth 1.5 seconds in a STOCK car.

I could agree with the flywheel/clutch combo though.

Brian

 

Thanks for your comments. I've thought about your recommendations and the results I've seen with Quaife. I think that the autocross or track surface is a factor. Our only track surface is old asphalt with rises and dips, while others may have concrete (much faster surface) and a flat surface.

As for 2 seconds on a 60 second course. I think if you take a very experienced driver who really knows the MINI then "maybe" it is possible under the best conditions. I really don't see that in my area.

My honest observation is that with my level of driving skill (novice season), adding the quaife was not as immediately helpful as switching from street to competition wheels and tires. Only after a season of driving do I feel I have gained enough skill to start getting closer to the potential that quaife may have to offer. In other words, a very skilled driver in a stock MCS "could" match or beat the time of a novice driver in a mid modded MCS on any given course. To me, it is more about skill and knowing your car than upgrades.

Another observation. When you go through a course in a stock MC and take 70 seconds then drive in a modded MCS and run the same course in 62 seconds the rate at which you pass through various elements of the course is dramatically different. Everything comes up fast and there is hardly any time to prepare which means there is more chance for errors. Further as you drive faster you also need to control speed and sometimes brake faster. So in some respects driving faster will require more skill to balance your MINI through the course- thus it may be easier to drive a stock car well than to drive a modded MCS well (in comparison to it's potential).

"Quaife is not essential"- let me qualify that.
If you are at the highest levels of driving skill or if you have already done other significant power and suspension mods then consider Quaife. Given the high cost of adding Quaife for some of us I'd think twice before doing that upgrade.

 

Good summaries guys. I don't race, but I like hearing about everyone's knowledge and experiences. As has been said many times here (by minihune and others), first it's driver's skill, then after that all the goodies help.

 

I thought MCSs had to have 16" or larger rims for G-stock, because that's the smallest size available from the factory.

 

An MCS on any 15" wheel is not legal for any stock class