If I get in 6 to 10 track days, I am happy. With 5 or so tracks (2 that I regularly go to) within 3 hrs of me, I have no problem being happy.

That is a very generous offer. Although, likely I’ll being doing my driving of your west coast tracks vicariously through your videos and your picturesque and descriptive posts...

 

It isn’t even the end of January yet, temperatures are still dropping and here I am signing up for track events...

The first is a car control clinic at LRP with SCDA on 3/28. I plan to take the new JCW for a test run before it gets on a real track. I have installed the JCW Pro coilovers. These stiffen things up a bit and lower the car. Now, I thought just set the height and go... No, could not be further from the truth. You can screw up roll centers with these things and that can have consequences with respect to handling, in particular propensity for understeer or oversteer. Not being a fan of a car that has a strong tendency to oversteer, I thought the car control clinic would be a good way to safely test the car out. Simply put I have learned that a front roll center that is higher than the rear and the car will tend to understeer and vice versa (i.e.: higher in the rear will tend to oversteer). I hope to get this right.

I have also signed up for WGI with GVC chapter of BMWCCA for 6/5 (Friday) and 6/7 (Saturday). The event goes through Sunday (I have a family commitment that day so not going). Friday is an open track day, which is always fun and the weekend is traditional DE school. Anyone else interested? If all goes well I will have my JCW there. Time to start buying track parts for it...

 

Happy New Year! What coilovers does the JCW come with? I'm surprised the suspension would need to be upgraded.

I, too, already have track days on my mind. The MINI is up on the rack and I'm doing brake work to get ready but I won't be going out until April. Probably 4/20 at LRP with SCDA. I doubt I'll do any BMWCCA days. Money permitting, I'd like to do a WGI event this year — I haven't been up there in many years. For me that's a 4-day/3-night commitment unless I want to drive 4 hours after a track day. And I don't. Of course, I have to allow for at least two Palmer days, one clockwise and one counter-clockwise.

 

And happy new year to you too. And to the rest of you readers...

I got these for my JCW:
https://www.shopminiusa.com/PRODUCT/...-SPORT-CHASSIS

And here they are on my car:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post4512640

Why? Because the springs are red?
Actually I don’t have a really good reason for doing this. Being MINI parts, I can do the upgrade without any affect on the warrantee. And, I kind-of wanted to see what lowering the car would do.

The JCW base suspension looks like any other MINI suspension, except in the rear the springs are separate from the shocks. And, while the JCW base suspension is really good, it is a “Grand Touring” suspension. It has a really nice ride for what it does. On the road it handles really well. But there is a bit of “moosh” to it. The JCW Pro suspension eliminates that. It is more “crisp” in what it does and ride is still good. BTW - I would not have thought that about the base JCW suspension if I had not gotten the Pro suspension and was able to make a back to back comparison.

I may see if I can make that April SCDA event at LRP. It will give me a chance to try out the JCW before taking it to WGI.

Let me know if you firm up dates to go to WGI. I may see if I can fit them in. Also, a GVC event at WGI may be worth a second thought, especially if it is your first time there in a number of years. You will get an instructor, which might not be the case with SCDA. GVC runs a great event; better than Patroons. And you should/will learn a lot. I’ve had really good instructors with them. Just my 2 cents...

 

I missed that entire Albert thread. Very interesting. Good point about considering a BMWCCA WGI event because of the instructors. I'll consider it.

 

Unfortunately I had to bow out of the June event with GVC. I have a personal commitment every 4 weeks I forgot to factor in when I made the reservation and that commitment will move up to that week in June. Priorities.

There are August and September GVC events coming up that might be a consideration, although the August one may be open track only...

Hey, what’s up with your brakes that you are working on them?

 

Annual maintenance. New rotors, fluid, etc. Had to replace the rubber seal on one rear caliper. I somehow developed what looks like a kink in one of the lines so I'm waiting for new lines to show up. Also, since everything is off, I decided to loosen all bolts and put on new anti-seize.

 

 

I'm a yellow spring man, myself. When paired with red brake lines, I estimate +2-3HP at the wheels with this color combo.

 

Go you.

I hoping to get at least 3 hp from the blackout trim I plan to put on.....

 

 

Just got an '09 JCW that we'll be bringing to BMW HPDE at WGI that weekend so I'll probably see you Sat. We've got a garage spot for the weekend and aren't driving Friday but will be down that evening. Always fun to see other MINIs out on track! I was running a '05 base which was a blast, but I quickly outgrew it on track.

 

I can't speak to Patroons exact format but with GVC BMW events you have to work you way up the run group classes to be designated solo. Each instructor can sign you off for a session if they feel like you're good. To be signed off for Solo class you need to go through a designated instructor to sign you off once you reach the advanced class and it's usually after enough solo recommendations from previous instructors. BMW focuses a lot of safety which I really appreciate when seeing 200 cars on track at WGI and trusting that no one is going to do something unpredictable. Just my 2 cents.

 

Oscar - Welcome to this little thread. I see that you have only recently started making posts on NAM. Over the years we have tried to make this an area for MINI owners to see what others are doing in the NE here to explore the limits of their fantastic little cars.

That GVC event will be a Grand time. Unfortunately, I forgot when I signed up for this event that I have a family commitment that week and into that weekend. So, almost as soon as I signed up for that event, I had to cancel. I wish I could have made it to that event as I was really looking forward to getting my new JCW out on that track. I hope to make it to the GVC events later in the season. Say, if you see an older guy at this event who is driving a bright blue BMW M2 with NJ plates, say hi to him. Unless there is someone else there with the same car with NJ plates, that will be my cousin who I was supposed to meet up with.

I think you are really going to enjoy the ‘09 JCW. That has the same suspension as I ordered on my 2012 S and I found it to be pretty ideal for the track. I ran with that suspension for a long time before I did much too it. Of course the extra power and the better brakes your JCW has over my S will make it even more fun. It sounds like you are not new to the track-thing so this may be something that you already have, but if you don’t it will be very helpful get. That is, get either a pair of Schroth Quickfit harnesses or a pair of CG-Locks for the factory belts. If you have any questions about the car, feel free to post back here and I will be happy to post back about my experience with mine.

Glad to hear from you and enjoy. After the event, post back and share your experience. It will be fun to hear how it went for you.

 

Thanks Eddie. I've been checking out NAM since getting my first MINI last year and I'm heavily involved in the GVC BMW CCA. Hoping to get the JCW track ready with minimal preventative maintenance and will definitely look into quickfits. My Justa was fine at WGI with standard beats and belts but the extra power may definitely warrant a better safety setup.
I'll keep an eye out for your cousin, not too many bright blue M2s around. Hopefully you make it out in August or October.

 

Jesus......you’re not gunna learn much with 200 cars on track. No thank you.....

 

Sorry for the confusion. There's probably 200 cars for the whole weekend not on track at one time. Run groups are usually between 30-40 people. They did combine intermediate and advanced for one session that was about 70 cars at once and it was surprisingly well paced. On a 3.4 mile track you have room to spread out.

 

S-Driver... A few more cars on the track than what you remember from doing G52, but nothing like 200 The GVC A-Solo Group will be 20 or so cars out on the track. I spend a lot of time by myself as I get passed but not lapped. But then there have been the times where we are paired with the instructors and that gets to be a little crazy with a real gaggle of cars. A little like an IMSA race at LRP... but that doesn’t happen very often.

Hey, when are you going to find a MINI and get back on the track?

 

I get that. My point is that I did over 50 events with SCDA and did work my way up before I went to a BMWCCA event with Eddie07S. At my first Patroons event I had an instructor and he signed me off to go solo after two runs. All good. But at a subsequent Patroons event I was registered as solo yet required to do the first run with an instructor (no problem with that either). But, for whatever reason, he didn't sign me off so he was in the car the rest of the day (not a fun day). Then I went to a Hudson Valley event and had to start at the bottom of the ladder again AND spend an extra $100 to have my car inspected by one of their approved shops. I understand the BMWCCA chapters can run their events however they want. All I'm saying is BMWCCA events haven't been as much fun for me as SCDA.

 

I think that's called a "parade".

 

Last thing I ever wanted was paying for an event and be stuck in a train of slow cars where nobody points you by. Luckily I progressed quickly out of the novice/Intr groupings and found a home with G52.

Eddie - I think my track days are behind me now. The IMSA thing is keeping me busy and I also found a new hobby last spring, curtesy of a friend. Sporting Clays! Already have bought 2 new shotguns...😮

 

Clubs not honoring fellow CCA rankings is not cool....

 

For the benefit of Oscar - I have discussed this with gkp, and I feel that this is something that needs to be better thought out by the BMWCCA chapters as a whole if they want to keep people going to their events and/or cross over to events of other chapters. I have done many events with both Patroons and GVC, and being known by each chapter is helpful for going to their events, which works for me. But gkp’s case is a reason people are willing to spend the money to go with groups like SCDA.

In fairness to the BMW chapters, yours is also somewhat of a unique case. You are an advanced driver who elects to run in the intermediate groups. When it is seen by the Club Chapters that you have been running in an intermediate group it is assumed you are an intermediate driver. I discussed this with some Patroon Chapter principle people and I understood from them that they didn’t have a good way to handle cases like yours as it is expected the an advanced drivers will run in the advanced group, with no exceptions. But I will say, that you are not the only one I am aware of who doesn’t want to drive with the people and cars in an advanced group, but still wants to be considered an advanced driver.

gkp - it is good that you have available event planners like SDCA to do track days with. As you know, I am glad to join with you at their events. But as I noted before, if you can make it to WGI, sign up with GVC. They will be the best for getting you reacquainted with the track. And I know you are agreeable with this. It would be great if we can do an event there together.

 

This is a real parade (MINIs at the Glen 2019):




S-Driver - we do miss you out on the track... We are also missing one of the “fasttruck“ drivers. I have done both G52 and Kojote, and both are quite an experience when driving a MINI... . Enjoy your new hobby...

 

SCDA isn't really more expensive than BMWCCA. First, you have to pay to be a BMWCCA member and then you have to pay for an inspection. It's a wash, especially if you register early for SCDA. As for WGI, Elivan will set me up with an instructor for the first two sessions if I want one. If I do BMWCCA/GVA it's a crap shoot. I'd be starting at the bottom of the ladder yet again and may be required to drive both days with an instructor. Given the cost of two days at the track, plus three nights at a hotel, I want to make sure I can have some fun. That said, I hope to see you in April.