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Starting Line School and a Test and Tune on Saturday, points event on Sunday. A wee bit damp early Saturday, but otherwise we were blessed with sixties or better, and dry courses.
For April, that's unusual and delightful weather. I remember a foot of snow one year on the 13th.
Although I needed the retraining, my presence at the School was due to the fact that I'd talked a new friend into attending. I was the cheering section in the morning,
Mark and his Audi RS3 seemed to have a good day, and the Sunday event underscored that as they took 10 seconds off the course time in only five runs! I hope Mark is hooked, but time will tell. That Audi is a nice B Street car!
Instructor - yet another National Champ, this time from San Francisco Region.
Gollum and I left a bit early Saturday, and returned to festivity in Gloucester in honor of my 64th year.
Sunday we sashayed in around 8 am, and behold there are 170 registered drivers, and it is like old home week.
In the last couple of years, as I have attended sparingly, time has not even slowed down.
Infants have become children (Holy Cats MJ Corrales Kean!),
Children have become young adults (for heavens sake Kimsoo),
and we the Elders have become older...
So I grabbed a course walk, adorned Gollum with war paint, and had a great time greeting all my favorite folks in the NER SCCA tribe. That felt good.
Nice colors from eDecals ...
Our blessings continued as the dedicated core workers for NER had everything ready, a new set of timing hardware up and running, and a friendly but interesting course in deference to the 24 novices present.
Mark started out a bit intimidated but progressed from an initial run of 80+ seconds to a best time of a high 69 - damn good.
I had the pleasure of Mark's company on the passenger side during my late morning runs, and we stayed on course and got faster as intended, We opened with a 66 and closed with a high 63. That was good enough for 2nd in STU, but in reality I was about four seconds off the pace set by my many speedy colleagues, so I've much work to do on my driving.
Fast Street Touring drivers in our Region...
The car however was flawless - doing everything I asked with good grace, never sliding, and exhibiting ferocious acceleration and uncanny braking. Joel Decoff ( our unofficial crew chief at Mini of Peabody ) should be proud of what his team has built here.
Thus we are well started on the 2019 season, and I look forward to the next event in two weeks.
At that time I will see if I can get Brian Levesque to drive Gollum, and criticize a run of mine, to help me regain good habits and more pace. Brian's a wizard, a very good man and has in the past taught me a great deal.
Dinan Elite Warranty Works - through Mini of Peabody
Here's a cheerful tale to report...
Last week Gollum turned on his Service Engine Soon light, although still running flawlessly.
We went to Peabody, and consulted Joel Decoff (our Crew Chief).
They found two codes, and traced them to the Dinan installation by using the recommended bypass plug and test procedure (the OEM self diagnostics were clean with the plug installed).
The codes were:
11B213 - fuel pressure too low
119002 - boost plausibility
Within 24 hours, Mini of Peabody had raised a warranty case with Dinan, Dinan had shipped a replacement system, and the new components had been reinstalled.
No muss, no fuss, no cost to me, and no codes since.
Charlie,
Over the years I have greatly enjoyed reading about your adventures with your various MINI Coopers. Your post on this thread have recently become much more meaningful to me with my recent purchase of a (drum roll, please):
2019 John Cooper Works Hardtop. I have now joined that club of power addicted MINI Cooper owners.
I look forward with even greater interest now to your future posts.
Charlie,
Over the years I have greatly enjoyed reading about your adventures with your various MINI Coopers. Your post on this thread have recently become much more meaningful to me with my recent purchase of a (drum roll, please):
2019 John Cooper Works Hardtop. I have now joined that club of power addicted MINI Cooper owners.
I look forward with even greater interest now to your future posts.
Thanks for sharing!
Welcome to the dark side, and I hope it gives you joy.
I bought a '19 JCW hardtop last November. It was my fourth MINI. I had an '08S, a '12S, and a '15S.I think the '12 engine was the most enjoyable of the first three.. The '15S was kind of flat after 4000rpm. My JCW just loves to rev, but still has great midrange torque. I have had a lot of cars and the '19 JCW engine amazes me. You can cruise around at 2000rpm but you have an engine that's happy to rev to 6000 on demand and do it very smoothly.
Enjoy your new car.
Welcome to the dark side, and I hope it gives you joy.
Cheers,
Charlie
Originally Posted by dpcompt
I bought a '19 JCW hardtop last November. It was my fourth MINI. I had an '08S, a '12S, and a '15S.I think the '12 engine was the most enjoyable of the first three.. The '15S was kind of flat after 4000rpm. My JCW just loves to rev, but still has great midrange torque. I have had a lot of cars and the '19 JCW engine amazes me. You can cruise around at 2000rpm but you have an engine that's happy to rev to 6000 on demand and do it very smoothly.
Enjoy your new car.
Thanks and Thanks!
I have to agree about the 2012 S and its engine (I also had a 2007 S). It pulls quite strong on the road, but I think that is in part due to the 10 second overboost it has. On the track it looses its punch at higher speeds and on a long run. I am looking forward to getting to push the JCW after it has gotten through its break-in.
I have been out on some local twisties and have been enjoying the JCW’s handling and power. Quite intoxicating. And I got to test the brakes really well when a well fed turkey walked out in front of me... Ugh! They do work really well!
MINIs do know how to put a smile on one’s face.
Last edited by Eddie07S; 04-28-2019 at 07:40 PM.
Reason: Typo
Until you find yourself up against a Honda Civic Type R with LSD and 255 wide tires to handle the 308 horsepower. I am building mine for STX/STH. Just ordered the NM 17.7.5" et40 wheels...a Wavetrac LSD...Bilstein B14 Coilovers. That is a good starting point besides the tires...still working on size f\itment.
Last week Gollum turned on his Service Engine Soon light, although still running flawlessly.
We went to Peabody, and consulted Joel Decoff (our Crew Chief).
They found two codes, and traced them to the Dinan installation by using the recommended bypass plug and test procedure (the OEM self diagnostics were clean with the plug installed).
The codes were:
11B213 - fuel pressure too low
119002 - boost plausibility
Within 24 hours, Mini of Peabody had raised a warranty case with Dinan, Dinan had shipped a replacement system, and the new components had been reinstalled.
No muss, no fuss, no cost to me, and no codes since.
Cheers,
Charlie
Wonder why you are in STU and not STX??? That is the jump from DS?
I stopped Road Racing on New Years Day 2000...The 24 Hours of Moroso...First Spec Miata. Now 19 years later I got the itch...history told me to get a Mini. First car I ever wrecked was a 1959 Austin Mini Minor in 1961 when I was 4 in England. Mom left me in the car and I hit the starter button and drove into The Offices Club. Now I am 62 and life has gone full circle...
Boy have I been out of autocross for too long (I missed last year). 9” wheels in STX? So that would mean the 0.25” offset change rule is out the window too? I guess I need to look at the rule book again...
Boy have I been out of autocross for too long (I missed last year). 9” wheels in STX? So that would mean the 0.25” offset change rule is out the window too? I guess I need to look at the rule book again...
the .25" is for the Street Classes...I have been out of Road racing since New Years Day 2000...24 Hours of Moroso (The First Spec Miata Built) and AutoX since 1992... Last car I took to nationals was a 1987 Mazda RX-7 Turbo II in ASP...
Once again I love your writing Charlie, it's been far too long since I've logged onto this board and caught up on your adventure.
I think we've nearly given up on STU with our F56, even if we just kept an eye for having the car be fun to drive there's not much you can do to get more grip than the 225 RE71R's without cutting off the fenders and/or buying Hoosiers which puts the 3rd gen Mini in a pickle regardless of which ST class it ends up in with STX and STH to be dominated by cars with 9" wheels and 245+ shoes. And with the Dinan Elite it quickly overwhelms the 225's despite the OSGiken we have and the -3ish degrees of camber and ~550# springs it is not enough to stop wearing out the outside edges, not to mention the computer still thinks it knows better than the differential and it likes to drop anchor with the 'torque vectoring' a little too often (I will agree though it is thankfully gentle and not upsetting in it's application). A setup I'm sure Charlie can imagine based on a previous Gollum. Maybe a lower grip site and some delicacy would do us some favors but we're mostly on grippy concrete out here. Apologies for venting in the thread, it's rare to come across people pushing the F56 to higher levels of performance specifically for Autox, but it appears our numbers are growing.
Looking forward to see how deep down the rabbit hole you go, suspension options are painfully limited for the chassis, but there's a lot of value in keeping the car flexible and fun for the daily and backroads drives, I'm surprised you went for the plates but it's good to see that options are improving. I'd suggest more camber if you can get it, if your competitors are gracious enough to look the other way to some rule bending a set of offset lower control arm bushings could help if you've maxed out the plates without sacrificing much NVH, they get squeaky when the grease dries out over time but it is fixable with some attention.
I have an f56 JCW on order and will be looking to run DS locally.
Are camber and LSD the primary items holding this car back from being competitive?
I suggest you take some time to read the rules as there are different modifications allowed in Street class versus the Street Touring class with Street class being more limiting on what can be changed and thus cheaper to build the car. Aftermarket camber modifications and LSDs are not allowed in Street class but are allowed in Street Touring.
For DS I suggest you look earlier in this thread and at Gollum 3, the car is really capable stock, drive it that way and focus on getting better at driving, it's not easy and developing that skill can make you a threat in any car. I would copy Charlies DS build to the T except maybe a set of adjustable Koni Yellows if those are available, I know they were not when he bought Bilsteins as the only available option which are certainly a great choice. Imho wear out the stock tires before buying the Bridgestones and get the rear sway bar in first when you think you're getting bored of driving the car the way it is.
The biggest challenge in DS is the power and larger wheels and tires on the competition, WRX, Camaro, Focus RS, and Civic Type R are the preferred weapons for that class. The Mini has light weight and agility on it's side, but I don't believe it has enough tire to mount a serious challenge as most struggle to fit even a 215 wide tire. But if your local competitors are out to have fun and don't take everything too seriously odds are you'll have a great time. Best of luck!
Once again I love your writing Charlie, it's been far too long since I've logged onto this board and caught up on your adventure.
I think we've nearly given up on STU with our F56, even if we just kept an eye for having the car be fun to drive there's not much you can do to get more grip than the 225 RE71R's without cutting off the fenders and/or buying Hoosiers which puts the 3rd gen Mini in a pickle regardless of which ST class it ends up in with STX and STH to be dominated by cars with 9" wheels and 245+ shoes. And with the Dinan Elite it quickly overwhelms the 225's despite the OSGiken we have and the -3ish degrees of camber and ~550# springs it is not enough to stop wearing out the outside edges, not to mention the computer still thinks it knows better than the differential and it likes to drop anchor with the 'torque vectoring' a little too often (I will agree though it is thankfully gentle and not upsetting in it's application). A setup I'm sure Charlie can imagine based on a previous Gollum. Maybe a lower grip site and some delicacy would do us some favors but we're mostly on grippy concrete out here. Apologies for venting in the thread, it's rare to come across people pushing the F56 to higher levels of performance specifically for Autox, but it appears our numbers are growing.
Looking forward to see how deep down the rabbit hole you go, suspension options are painfully limited for the chassis, but there's a lot of value in keeping the car flexible and fun for the daily and backroads drives, I'm surprised you went for the plates but it's good to see that options are improving. I'd suggest more camber if you can get it, if your competitors are gracious enough to look the other way to some rule bending a set of offset lower control arm bushings could help if you've maxed out the plates without sacrificing much NVH, they get squeaky when the grease dries out over time but it is fixable with some attention.
Thanks for the kind words, and suggestions.
This coming Sunday I will have a co-driver for the 3rd NER event. Brian Levesque is a National caliber driver, and has been for a long time. Having run his Honda EP car very successfully out of his own garage, I believe he'll get a LOT more speed out of Gollum than I have so far.
Not only will I learn from him about my own driving, and the car, but it also promises to be a very fun day.
Brian's motto for Solo is simple: "If you are not having fun you are doing it wrong".
I suggest you take some time to read the rules as there are different modifications allowed in Street class versus the Street Touring class with Street class being more limiting on what can be changed and thus cheaper to build the car. Aftermarket camber modifications and LSDs are not allowed in Street class but are allowed in Street Touring.
For DS I suggest you look earlier in this thread and at Gollum 3, the car is really capable stock, drive it that way and focus on getting better at driving, it's not easy and developing that skill can make you a threat in any car. I would copy Charlies DS build to the T except maybe a set of adjustable Koni Yellows if those are available, I know they were not when he bought Bilsteins as the only available option which are certainly a great choice. Imho wear out the stock tires before buying the Bridgestones and get the rear sway bar in first when you think you're getting bored of driving the car the way it is.
The biggest challenge in DS is the power and larger wheels and tires on the competition, WRX, Camaro, Focus RS, and Civic Type R are the preferred weapons for that class. The Mini has light weight and agility on it's side, but I don't believe it has enough tire to mount a serious challenge as most struggle to fit even a 215 wide tire. But if your local competitors are out to have fun and don't take everything too seriously odds are you'll have a great time. Best of luck!
I've been autocrossing a long time and know the rules pretty well. I was really just curious about the F56 and how competitive it could be street. I've never seen one compete in my region or any of the surrounding regions. Most of what I've read you touched on in your reply. Thank you for the feedback.
Honda Civic Type R: 306 Horsepower...295 Torque...0-60 in 5.0...FWD with LSD Stock...3117 pounds (10.18 pounds per HP)
Ford Focus RS: 350 Horsepower...350 Torque...0-60 in 4.7...AWD...3434 pounds (9.81 pounds per HP)
Golf R: 292 Horsepower...280 Torque...0-60 in 5.7...AWD...3300-3373 (11.55 pounds per HP)
Subaru WRX STI Type RA: 310 Horsepower...290 Torque...0-60 in 5.7...AWD...3391 pounds (10.93 pounds per HP)
Mini Cooper JCW: 228 Horsepower...238 Torque...0-60 in 5.9/6.0...FWD without LSD Stock...2885 Pounds (12.65 pounds per HP)
Mini Cooper JCW should be in GS (Not DS) with the likes of the Ford Focus ST and in Street Touring Hatchback (Not STU)
Ford Focus ST at 252 Horsepower...270 Torque..0-60 in 6.0...FWD without LSD Stock....3223 Pounds (12.78 pounds per HP)
Last edited by Darbys2019MiniJCW; 05-21-2019 at 10:23 AM.
I'm sure I agree entirely, however here's the relevant page of the 2019 SCCA Solo Rules.
Cheers,
Charlie
Honda Civic Type R: 306 Horsepower...295 Torque...0-60 in 5.0...FWD with LSD Stock...3117 pounds (10.18 pounds per HP)
Ford Focus RS: 350 Horsepower...350 Torque...0-60 in 4.7...AWD...3434 pounds (9.81 pounds per HP)
Golf R: 292 Horsepower...280 Torque...0-60 in 5.7...AWD...3300-3373 (11.55 pounds per HP)
Subaru WRX STI Type RA: 310 Horsepower...290 Torque...0-60 in 5.7...AWD...3391 pounds (10.93 pounds per HP)
Mini Cooper JCW: 228 Horsepower...238 Torque...0-60 in 5.9/6.0...FWD without LSD Stock...2885 Pounds (12.65 pounds per HP)
Mini Cooper JCW should be in GS with the likes of the Ford Focus ST and in Street Touring Hatchback (Not STU)
Ford Focus ST at 252 Horsepower...270 Torque..0-60 in 6.0...FWD without LSD Stock....3223 Pounds (12.78 pounds per HP)
04-15-2019 | 06:49 PM
And I got to test the brakes really well when a well fed turkey walked out in front of me... Ugh! They do work really well!
