I went to my first event in my Mini yesterday, it was a mixed bag experience. I was planning on using yesterday to assess if my car had potential to even be competitive or if the R59S is an "also ran". Sadly, I have to conclude it's an also ran. The new DS changes this year are beyond rediculous. Putting a MRS in the same class as an M3 and the new Camaros, really?
I hope they change up the classing next year, but I guess I'll just use this season to practice and ignore my times outside evaluating my runs. I'm just a little disappointed that SCCA lumps all the Turbo Minis together in DS with little to no consideration that there is a vast difference in performance between an F56 justa and a 2007/8 fJCW with LSD.

On the other hand, I had a lot of fun and won a Trophy (small cone).

Stupid Camera caught almost only wind noise.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4eo5zFK_DE4

 

Meh, it's just the 4-cyl Camaro which is still 3400lb and not small. If it wasn't for the fact that one of the fastest drivers in the country is running one it would be a non-issue.

I think there's pretty good balance in the class between the FR-S and WRX. The Mini IMO can still even be the car to have on the right course (minimal sweepers, minimal time >50mph)

EDIT:
Also running an SMF car on runflats and OE alignment isn't the best basis for concluding that classing is jacked.

 

Totally agree on the runflats being sub optimal so I'm grabbing some RE71s Thursday and realigning the car.

What is jacked though is the LSD/No LSD miss match within DS. There's a massive gap in capability to put power down without one IMO.

My car definitely has the power and agility to put down some ferocious times....if I can get it to actually stay connected, it was spinning up second gear like I was driving on ice even when nearly straight.

Considering removing the JB+ for the next event, having more boost wasn't a help in any way.

 

I've got an LSD in my car and it still has problems putting power down. Only so much you can do when you are asking two skinny front tires to do everything.

The RE71 will really wake the car up, especially from runflats. They're very, very good longitudinally - straight line braking and acceleration grip will surprise you. They don't multitask amazing, but they're still going to be night and day from what you've got now.

Also a rear swaybar will help keep at least a little more weight on that inside front. Not a huge difference, but every little bit counts. The big payoff with the rear bar is the rotation you get.

While I don't think the Roadster is the best choice if you're looking to win a National Championship at Lincoln, the small size, relatively light weight, and good low end torque give it a very good case to crush some Twins / WRXs at locals, and is even an overdog on small lots.

 

I'm curious about the rear sway. Does it make the back of the car significantly more prone to lift throttle oversteer? I had two "moments" where the car got quite sideways, maybe 60 degrees, from an abrupt lift and brake tap.

The extra weight of the roadster certainly won't help, but it is pretty rigid, I had mine weighed last week. Mini claims a 2770 weight, in reality with the car empty and fueled it came in at 2810lbs.

After looking through and doing some result analysis, those ahead all had Rivals, RE71Rs or Nexxens, so not such a bad result after all.

 

Yeah, the rear bar definitely makes the car rotate more off throttle. My car barely turned without it though, so ymmv.

My 3 door is 2402lb with the gas light on.

 

I run a 03 MCS in DS and have the 25.5 mm rear bar and it really helps the car to rotate, I also run the RE-71R's and you will find a bid difference going to them----being a roadster I am not sure what your balance is but my Re's work well with 34# in the front and 38# in the rear. This is my first year auto crossing and learning. Time well spent is riding in early rounds with any fast Coppers so you can learn just how aggressive you need to be and where to use it. I am fortunate enough to have a National level driver in a Copper and I learned more with him than I would have with several autocross's----also a autocross school will help a ton as well.

 

that's a lot of air, lot more than I run! I shoot for 32 hot on re71's. if I let my delta front/rear get that hot I spin out. On my track car I can get down to 28 and they really stick then, but I have a lot of camber on that one

 

On high grip surfaces I run 41psi square on the DS car. Anything less and the car feels mushier and I chew the shoulders (& sidewalls) up more without going any faster. Ron Williams ran 41f/55(!)r, and he was the highest placing DS Mini at Lincoln in 2015. I think Ron ran the 205, so those were even a little better supported than the 215s I run. Maybe I should try 45...

On the ST car I run 26/32, but that's got a lot of camber and a much better tire/weight ratio.

 

my ds car chewed tires, but I was much faster with lower psi

 

Is that on a street class R56? I wonder why we've found no additional speed whenever we've tried lower pressures.

 

Facelift r53, they don't handle quite as good as an r53. Now that I have camber I go even lower, I test temp in three spots and lower psi till inside is a little hotter