Now that the season is over or close to over, I was wondering if any of you successful racers in the stock classes (GS or HS) would consider sharing your setups with the rest of us? Wheels, shocks, tires, tire pressures,offset, etc? Looking at the national results the MINI's represented themselves very well.
Contratulations and thanks.

 

I also would like to hear some successful setups. After doing 2 events in my stock 2003 MCS, I would like to know what I can change to be more competitive and still remain in GS. Any advice would be appreciated. :smile:

 

I run a Cooper, but here goes. 0 Toe front and rear. I run the standard Cooper front bar. Not sure how much it helps, but anything to keep the inside front from spinning (like I have near as much problem with that) Get some adjustable shocks, the KONI's are priced pretty well, not that there are any options.

But, here's the kicker. Karter Bollman placed second in HS in a bone stock Cooper, stock alignment and everything.

Hopefully one of the GS guys will post.

 

Well, I could tell you how I set up my M3, but I guess that wouldn't do you too much good !!

But all jokes aside, the best improvement you can make is seat time. Once you have some seat time under your belt (and I don't necessarily mean a whole season, but definately more than a few events) you should start looking into modifying the car for better auto-x performance. Learn how to drive the car. The fact that a guy took second in a bone stock Mini should tell you something. The best mod you can make is to improve the nut behind the wheel .

 

I ran in G stock all season and fared pretty well. The only thing I have done to date is a K&N filter. My biggest problem was several people driving those damned Celica GT's. I also have the NZO rims with 225/50ZR16 Victoracer tires. The rest is just seat time.

 

Hey Junkman,
Planning a similar set up myself. You don't have any fender lip mods with the 225's on the NZO wheels? I am assumming you are using the 16"x6.5" stock configured wheel to run GS in Solo II.

How did the Victoracers last, did you shave them first?

_________________

 

Get rid of the runflats asap, most of the autox's seem to use 16 inches for the S, and 15 for the cooper. I still haven't had a chance to run my s03's but they are soooo much better on the street, I can't imagine them during the cone dance.

bc

 

Junkman and Everybody--

Don't you need a tire with a wear rating of at least 140 for GS or HS? And therefore doesn't the Victoracer fail to qualify? (But the Azeni and Yoko Advan are OK)

Also, don't you have to use a stock air box and filter?

(Hey I'm new at this. But I'm thinking seriously about GS next year and want to undertsand.)

Cheers

 

I always thought it was funny but in stock classes you just need a DOT approved tire. Thus, Victoracers, Hoosiers, etc are OK. In the Street tire categories, (STS, STX), you need a wear rating that is 140 or better.

SOLO 2 info

 

Thanks. Got my memory neurons crossed, obviously.

I did notice that in describing tire requirements for stock classes it says,

"No racing tire or recap (on any casing) may be used.
.....
Each tire must have non-zero measurable tread depth "

Doesn't that disallow Hoosiers?

 

Obviously seat time is most important.......Second would be the tires(Hooisers or Kuhmo depending on your budget). I like to experiment with air pressure to get the car working properly with my driving style. Currently I run 40 in the front and 44 in the rear with Kuhmo Ecsta's. I also have an RSpeed exhaust(currently not installed for the winter) Air Filter and Magnecores. I feel pretty good about the Coopers ability in Stock form with "SSP". If I do anything next season it will be to install Koni Adjustables. The car I drove at Nationals had Koni's, Hoosiers, small front Sway bar....Basically the whole nine yards. While I felt this car was a little faster then mine I think the real advantage was it could be driven more consistently then the stock setup.

Like Carter Boleman proved, the MINI is competitive out of the box(even on Hoosier Road Race tires). There is no special recipe to drive this car to the top of any stock class. That being said, get a set of race tires and sign up for some National level events next year! The competiton is great and there's no excuse for you not to do well.

Stuart Langager
HS 47

 

>>.....
>>Each tire must have non-zero measurable tread depth "
>>
>>Doesn't that disallow Hoosiers?

No, Hoosiers have two longitudinal grooves on the inside third of the tire. They also have tread depth measuring holes across the reast of the surface.

 

I do have a slight rub problem on the rear of the rear fender wells. I have worn a hole about 3" long in the plastic. Make sure you stay over 38 psi in the rear tires. This will reduce the problem.

Abe

 

I order the tires heat cycled, but not shaved. I learned that I need to flop the tires often to prolong their life. My first set would have lasted a lot longer had I done that.

Abe

 

Flop the tires? Are you talking remount reversed? I thought that these tires were unidirectional inside to outside so to speak.

 

>>Flop the tires? Are you talking remount reversed? I thought that these tires were unidirectional inside to outside so to speak.

They are when new. after you've worn them down so the outside is starting to get a little thin, then flip them. Works great for all Kumho's and also works for Hoosiers.

This way you get more of your money's worth out of the tires

 

Why would I want to share secrets,I mean I know it's mostly for fun but people work hard on their cars to come up with tricks that help and I don't see why we should share them with everyone so they can beat us next time at the track...geez

 

Tires aren't a secret. R-Compounds will kill any street tire but there's little difference between them for the likes of me. (Or anyone else who's still looking for speed secrets.) My best tip is to learn where you need to go slower. Everyone always overcooks the corners and they don't brake hard enough. Brake late and hard but not too late or too hard. You need to determine whether you're the type of person who should go ***** out and then back off, or start slow and then go faster. I've had success both ways but I'm more consistent if I run the course at 3/4ths the first time and then decide where I can push it. I tend to remember my run better if I'm not frantically trying to catch-up to myself the entire time. My goal by the end of the 2004 season will be to make my first run at 9/10ths speed and go up from there. National champs improve less then 10% from first to last runs (unless there was something goofy about the course.)

Another thing I just remembered is left foot braking. This is important for those with boost. You'd be surprised at how quickly the engine spools if the throttle is kept open. This was something I learned with the WRX. Having the throttle closed and hitting the brakes made the car difficult to control (during slowing) and to accelerate again. Learn to use your left foot.

 

I posted this section so that those who are relatively new to autocrossing, or autocrossing a MINI for the first time, don't have to reinvent the wheel. I autocrossed my 914 for 5 years and made many expensive mistakes because there was nobody around here to ask questions to about how to set up my car. I finally beat the Miatas more often than not until the engine went south. That is how I got my Mini. I am hoping some of you more experienced racers will share some info. SCCA, I don't want any of your secrets. In stock classes the amount of stuff is limited as it is. I coach football and I don't mind sharing my basic defenses with others because I know I will beat you anyway. Come have some confidence. Jmciver, I agree about seat time, but some people want to finally set up their car to compete on a more even level. I appreciate the tips from people like "the junkman" who was happy to share some of his setup tips at the divisional at Reno and has posted some these same ideas here. I'm sure many of those who want to set up their cars will appreciate any ideas that will save them time and money. Thanks all.

 

I run my MCS in GS. I use the NZO wheels and 205/45/16 Kumho V700's. Everything else bone stock. I usually run 52 psi front and 50 rear. That seems to be perfect for me. It all depends on your driving style.

 

Running an MCS in GS. It's no secret or trick, but driving schools are a key to improving times - you get good feedback from the instructors and a ton of seat time. That's a killer combination. This is my first year and I've been through 4 schools - our local novice and level 2 schools before getting on a course and Phase 1 & 2 Evolution Performance Driving Schools last weekend.

There are two more local events in the DC area and I'm looking forward to putting all of my new learnings into practice. Also, all of the courses I have run to date have been on asphault.

On setup - lightweight wheels and performance tires, at least on the front. I have NZO Monza wheels and run 16 inch Khumo Ecsta V700's, saving about 26 lbs per corner. I also have a Quicksilver exhaust and Green Stuff brakepads (more for dust control than performance). Not much can be done with alignment - my dealer tried and only changed a poor factory set toe setting on one corner. Oh, and I try to arrive at the course with 15 liters of fuel or less in the tank - 1/2 full or better guarantees pushing problems for me.

The big variable for tuning is tire setup. It is highly dependent on driving style and preference. I like being able to control over/understeer. Varying tire pressures is one method, another is tire compound - or both. I arrived at a start point for front tire pressures of 38-39 PSI by having the temps measured with a probe-type pyrometer.

The rear setup is much more controversial - I didn't get good rotation until I pumped my Khumo's to 60 psi. Last weekend revealed another approach. In anticipating chewing up what little remains of the tread on my Khumo's at 2 days of driving school, I decide to stick a pair of old 17" runflats on the back of the car. The first couple of hard turns were, well, interesting. As the day progressed, I got significantly faster.

Except for the time I seriously overcooked (as in didn't brake) my entry into a big sweeper. I proceeded to wake every living creature within a mile of the course as the tires howled in protest of a massive 4-wheel drift through all 180 degrees of the turn. My instructor quietly responded "Nice recovery." When I finished the run, I think everybody at the school (3 courses, 32 students, 9 instructors) were laughing and clapping - including myself.

The interesting part is that, as I settled into the configuration over the next day, I found that steering balance was easily controlled by throttle and I could enter turns quite a bit faster - though a fair amout of the quickness came from the great instructions. Now for the strange part - my tire wear on the second day was much less than the day before! We talked about that and the consensus was that, because of the hard compound in the back and the improved steering balance, that I had dramatically reduced my understeering. Thus I was quicker, in better control and the car was under less stress.

Go figure....

 

All points made in the quote above also have worked for me. With seat time being first, I also found that my Kumho's--with 4 PSI difference between front and rear, with the rear being higher--helped a great deal.

(*) Mine is a bone-stock '03 N/A MC, with the Sports Package (and DSC always "OFF.&quot

 

Slightly off-topic, but isn't heat-cycling just a waste of money? Am told, by knowledgeable sources, that taking your new tires out for a spirited drive, then letting them rest, would achieve the same effect.

 

[quote]
>>Slightly off-topic, but isn't heat-cycling just a waste of money? Am told, by knowledgeable sources, that taking your new tires out for a spirited drive, then letting them rest, would achieve the same effect. [quote]


Yes and no... heat cycling at Tire Rack etc. is non-destructive. The tires come to you looking just like they had rolled off the manufacturing line. They still need to be scrubbed before use (bad images of unscrubbed tires on a wet day )

heat cycling yourself scrubs the tires but may not heat the tires evenly, particularly the rears on a MINI

I guess it depends on how much money you have.


_________________
<img src=http://www.mini2.com/gallery/personal/kb_solo2/keithsig3.jpg>
IB/W MC

 

Another year and another season past. Some tips I picked up so far.
While many tips pertain to novice drivers some apply to all.

For H and G stock-
You don't need to do anything to your MC. Just go out there and drive. The most important thing is the driver and improving your skill and that will come with seat time more than anything else.

I found helpful (applies to all drivers):
Attend a driving school on a regular basis- get an instructor to drive your car, one that knows MINIs would be great but not required. You can begin to see what the true potential is of the car even one that is stock. As you learn more you can approach what your instructor can do. Then you drive and let your instructor comment on what you can work on. Pick certain elements to work on with each run and in fun runs if you can. Always try to avoid bad habits and reinforce good technique.

Spend time studying the course-
Walk it more than once and/or walk it with an experienced driver or with another MINI owner. Each car may have a slightly different strategy so opinions may vary a little. If there is a harder way to do a run then try it that way on the first run where you are tending to go slower anyway and see how it feels. Study the different parts of the track looking for the fastest longest straightaways. These are the areas you want maximum speed, back up to the start of these straights and study the turn that leads to the straight. Maximize your speed in that turn so you exit it with the highest speed you can and enter the straight with a high speed which is carried through the straight.

For slaloms pace off the distance between cones so you know if they are evenly spaced or increasing or decreasing in spacings. The toughest is decreasing distance slaloms as you have to reduce speed. Most times keep an even speed until you are clear of the last cone.

Tires-
For stock classes any DOT tire is legal and Kumho victoracers and ecsta V700 are common as are Falken Azenis Sport. Sometimes it depends on which tire size is going to work best. You're using stock rims so on a 15x5.5 rim you can fit a 205/50-15 tire. On a 16x6.5 rim you can mount 215/45-16 tires. The Victoracers can be bought heat cycled (saves wear and evenly heats up tire-if you do it yourself the front heat well but not the rears so you'd have to take off the tires and swap front and rear and don't forget to let the tires cool for at least 24 hours before using them) but they do not need shaving.

The ecsta V700 need to be shaved (to prevent blistering) and can be heat cycled. They work well and are less durable than the Victoracers. Both these tires can be flipped (remounted with the inside of the tire facing the outside to wear the tread worn less due to the MINI not having much neg camber).
You can do the flip before all the outside edge tread is used up about 40% through your season/life of the tire.

Including the Falken Azenis Sport, none of these competition tires are much good in the wet. Use street tires if it is raining. Tire pressures vary alot, some drive with the fronts higher psi by 5, some the reverse, some even front and rear. This is due to different driving styles, tire compound, weights, and in the modded classes the suspension and alignment setups.

Do your runs after others have gone on the track first so line up late. They leave rubber on the track that is good for your run. Watch how the best drivers run on the course and study the fast and slow areas and the line taken.

Bring lots of cold water and don't get dehydrated. Eat lightly but do eat breakfast. Change your wheels early or before you come to the track so you are not rushed or tired. (Hey, where is my pit crew?)

Resist the tendency to want to mod stuff and jump to another competition class. We have one MCS owner that didn't fit the stock seat very well so he added a Sparco seat and they put him in DSP (street prepared) but he had otherwise a completely stock MCS. Once you get into Street touring and SP or SM then there is great tendency to do more and more modding which is a huge black hole/money pit with diminishing returns compared to improving driver skill with instruction and seat time. A very skilled driver can shave off up to 5+ seconds on a 60 second course.

The best place to be is in H-stock and G-stock if you can help it. MCS with JCW kit goes in A Street Prepared. Any MCS with upgraded pulley of any size goes into Street Mod.

H-stock and G-stock
It is legal to have any front sway bar, any cat-back exhaust, any drop in filter (foam, Green filter, K&N filter: For autocross keep a clean new filter used only at autocross) that uses the stock intake box. You need a Snell 90 rated helmet or better (new helmets are rated Snell 2000) and shoes. Some drivers use Schroth four point harnesses.

The night before set up your car, get your helmet ready and clean, drink alot of water (not coffee or beer) and get your rest.

As a course worker always be alert and be safe. Keep clear of the cars on the course, stay off your cell phone, keep spectators away by 25 yards and never turn your back to the car on the course. Be prepared to run to fix a cone before the next car comes through. Don't allow others to distract you while you are working. Wear a hat and sunscreen or bugspray, have some water handy.