And now a word from our sponsors

Leading the pack at Infineon

Photos by Jim Williams (above) and Jerry Bradbury

by Jerry (Siddhartha) Bradbury USTCC #37

Without the help of these sponsors, there would have been no racing effort for me this year.

It will come as no surprise to my readers that since 1974, Mini Mania has specialized in parts and accessories for the Classic Austin Mini Cooper, and now the new BMW MINI Coopers. Mini Mania is the largest supplier of afteremarket Mini and MINI goodies in the world. The friendly folks at Mini Mania will do everything possible to get your parts and accessories into your hands quickly and efficiently. Their merchandise is the highest quality and the directions for installation or use are clear and concise. In addition, they are always ready with help and advice. My car is faster than ever before because of Mini Mania speed parts. There is no better place to get your Mini and MINI parts and accessories than Mini Mania. Call them at 800-94 MANIA.

Don Racine, owner of MiniMania with his 2008 USTCC race car driver

Based in Oakland, California, Bay Bridge Motors continues to be the refuge for my race car. When it was totaled last fall, Jacques Andres and his crew resurrected it and turned it into the car it is today. Jacques, a former racer himself, has 18 years experience in building race cars and engines and has been offering repair and service for Minis and BMWs in the Bay Area for 10. There are two shops under one roof. Bay Bridge Motors handles repair, service and maintenance while Clean Green Collision does the body work and fabrication. The personal attention and reasonable rates you and your car receive is something no dealer can provide. So for Mini Cooper and BMW service and repair in the San Francisco Bay Area, think Bay Bridge Motors. For collision and auto body work for Mini Cooper and BMW, think Clean Green Collision. Both are located at 2408 Mandela Parkway, Oakland, CA 94607. Call 510 208 3273.

Jacques Andres, owner of Bay Bridge Motors with his 2008 USTCC race car driver

Final 2008 USTCC tally & trophy count:

4 Top Rookie finishes

1 podium finish (3rd)

Rookie of the Year

3rd overall for the season

A very successful first year, thanks to my sponsors, MiniMania and Bay Bridge Motors

Thanks for listening.

Jerry

Race Report, Final Round, USTCC Series at Infineon Raceway 9NOV08

Jerry Bradbury in the #37 Mini leads the RX8 of Michael McColligan photo by Head On Photo

In some ways, this is the most difficult Race Report to write. My feelings at the moment are bittersweet. I am proud of my accomplishments in my first season, but sad that it is over. My Mini was outclassed all year by the Chevy Cobalt and Dodge Neon SRT4 turbo cars and by the Spoon Racing Acuras, but patience and perseverance have put me on the podium – third place in points for the season in my rookie year.

It has been a steep learning curve for me as I graduated from the gentlemanly conduct of the NASA High Performance Driving Events to the rough and tumble, no quarter, no mercy world of door-to-door racing. I was thoroughly spanked by the veterans at first and thoroughly frightened as well. The passing rules in USTCC racing are simple: any car, anywhere, any time. Tight and dangerous sections of the tracks that I had believed for years only had room for one car at a time – the high speed Turn 8 at Thunderhill and the esses at Turn 8 at Infineon for instance – were suddenly filled with the sound of roaring engines in my ears and bright paintwork in my peripheral vision as faster cars surged by on both sides. However, by season’s end I had learned to defend my line instead of lifting off the throttle and surrendering the corner when someone appeared in my mirrors. I may have hung up a faster car for a turn or two, but the lesson served me well when dicing with my fellow rookie, Michael McColligan, in his Mazda RX8.

After the accident at Buttonwillow in September, the Mini was back in the shop of my sponsor, Bay Bridge Motors, for repairs. Given that I was hit in the rear quarter panel at about 70 mph, the damage was relatively minor. Luckily, the Honda hit me at 90 degrees and right on the rear axle, one of the strongest parts of the car. Jacques Andres, Lee and Greg at Bay Bridge Motors replaced the trailing arm, the trailing arm bracket, the wheel hub, the upper control arm and welded on and painted a new quarter panel and that was it. Or at least we thought so. The car was aligned and ready to go when I discovered that the seat would not move on the brackets. The force of the impact had ripped one bracket off the bolt and twisted the support. That repaired, we loaded the car on the trailer and headed for Infineon Raceway in Sonoma. Little did I suspect that one more effect of the impact awaited me.

Trackmasters held a trackday at Infineon on Friday and I thought it would be beneficial to turn some practice laps before race weekend. Luckily I got some track time in the afternoon. The car handled well but as I pulled off the track it sounded like someone was pounding on the rear axle with a large hammer. In the pits I put the car on jack stands, removed the rear wheels and inspected it. The bushing that goes between the sway bar and the sway bar bracket had been pushed out of the bracket by the side impact leaving the sway bar loose and banging. Some disassembly required. By this time it was getting dark, but Rich Peterson had showed up with his racing Mini and loaned me some work lights which enabled me to complete the repair Friday night.

Saturday dawned cloudy with rain in the forecast. Norm Nelson of Redwood Empire Mini Enthusiasts had organized a Mini Corral and supporters had begun showing up. That was new and very much appreciated. I have felt like the Lone Ranger out there for most of the season. The warm up session was on a dry track and although the usual suspects crashed out, it was uneventful for me. The car handled well with no more banging. By the time qualifying rolled around, the track was still dry and the air was cool, which the supercharger likes and we turned my fastest time yet at Infineon, a 1:57. However, that pesky RX8 was only .0013 seconds behind me! Then the rains came. Since Saturday’s race is not for points, only one USTCC car went out. I was happy to cover the racecar, sit up in the motor coach and listen to the rain patter on the roof.

Sunday’s warm up was on a cold wet track and I took it very gingerly with no incidents. In qualifying, the car felt really good and I had some good clear laps. But I couldn’t better my time on Saturday. McColligan, on the other hand, turned a 1:55 and that 2 second difference would put him three cars ahead of me on the starting grid. I tried to take a nap after lunch but my brain just kept turning laps, figuring out the best places to pass the Mazda and reviewing defensive lines. I would definitely be at a disadvantage at the standing start, not only because of my grid position, but also because my front drive car is usually out-dragged by the rear drive RX8. If McColligan held on and we finished in the same places we started, he would ace me out for Rookie of the Year. If Andy Chittum brought his BMW in first or second, he would take third place in season points. This one was for all the marbles.

After the warm up lap we lined up on the grid. When the flag dropped I pulled the wheel to the right and followed Rich Peterson’s Mini up the right hand side of the track and past the RX8 who was being held up in the middle of the pack. Peterson’s Mini retired with ignition problems at the top of the hill and McColligan was right on my left shoulder through Turn 2 but began to drop back by Turn 3. As I slid the car up and over the hill there, he was in my mirrors. By the time I accelerated through Turn 5 he was gone and I never saw him again. Good start. I managed to keep the pack in sight much longer this time and made it harder for following cars to pass me. On the third lap Angelo Zucchi passed me on the main straight in one of the Spoon Acuras. The next time around he somehow failed to turn up the hill at the end of the straight. I saw his car go straight off the track at Turn 1 at well over 100 mph, charge up the hill, go airborne at the crest, catch a wheel on the fence and tumble headfirst into the grandstand, ripping off the roof and scattering parts everywhere. Norm and some of the REME Mini owners were up there and saw it happen. They were spattered by dirt kicked up by the crash and the grandstand looked like it had taken an artillery round, but luckily no spectators were hurt. Angelo has a spinal injury but the prognosis is good. The car is junk. And just like that the race was over after 4 laps. I finished 7^th.

The final season tally for me is:

• One podium finish – third place at Thunderhill in August
• Two DupliColor Top Rookie awards
• 2008 USTCC Rookie of the Year
• Third in total points for the 2008 season
• Mini was just edged out of the Manufacturers’ Championship at the last event and finished second.

I have enjoyed writing these reports for my sponsor MiniMania this season and hope you have enjoyed sharing the experience with me. There is no way to determine quantitatively whether these Race Reports have been good for MiniMania’s business or not, so if you’d like to see them continue into next season, please take a few minutes and drop an email to don@minimania.com and tell him why. Remember to keep the shiny side up, stay on the black stuff and above all, be safe and have fun.

Bye for now,

Jerry Bradbury

USTCC #37

JCW Mini Cooper S

Here is some very exciting video of the race including the start and the crash that ended it. Enjoy.

Bradbury is DupliColor Top Rookie at Infineon and clinches USTCC Rookie of the Year title

PRESS RELEASE

Sonoma, CA

November 10, 2008

Jerry Bradbury drove his #37 MiniMania/Bay Bridge Motors Mini Cooper S to a successful finish at Infineon Raceway last weekend, holding off hard charging rookie Michael McColligan in his MazdaSpeed RX8 until the race was called due to a spectacular shunt by one of the other drivers. Outqualified by McColligan in the morning session, Bradbury was three cars behind the Mazda on the starting grid but managed to shoulder his way past in heavy traffic at the dangerous off-camber Turn Two and hold on until the end. “I was looking forward to some close racing,” said Bradbury, “but Rich Peterson’s Mini retired on the first lap and after I passed him, Michael didn’t have enough time to catch me up again before the race was called.”  Despite a DNS at the last event at Buttonwillow due to a crash, Bradbury was able to accumulate enough points to become the 2008 US Touring Car Championship Rookie of the Year. “I wouldn’t be here if not for my sponsors, MiniMania and Bay Bridge Motors”, said Bradbury. “Words can hardly express how grateful I am for their support and encouragement this season.” Bradbury’s next appearance will be driving one of the RSR Koni Challenge Team Mini Coopers in the three hour NASA enduro at Phoenix International Raceway on November 29th.

Everyone should enjoy the news from Mini Mania

http://new.minimania.com/enews/11-04-08/new-mini.htm

6th Round, USTCC at Buttonwillow Raceway, October 11-12, 2008

Shiva at speed

by Jerry (Siddhartha) Bradbury

A howling north wind pushed my rig down the I-5 through the Central Valley toward Buttonwillow Raceway. Trees were being shaken like bad children and the grass was bent double. Visibility was poor in the thick golden haze of dust and chaff, but my gas mileage was good. It was a Friday and I was a day early because Canyon Bob Scheer would be there testing his new engine. He’s missed all but the first race this season because of reliability problems with his Canyon Motorsports Mini race car. Now he’s enlisted Hubie Fuh, renowned SoCal Mini tuner, to help build a new turbo powered engine. Phone reports are that it behaved well in testing at Willow Springs and is fast as stink on a skunk.

Buttonwillow Raceway is a strange place. One of the last remaining road courses in Southern California, it is beastly hot in the summer. The last time I was there it was 112 degrees and I got hit by an overly aggressive driver on the front straight. Now it’s in the 70’s and the mornings are cool enough for a jacket. Buttonwillow Raceway is mostly flat with just a few minor elevation changes and no obstacles to speak of except the pit wall. But if a car goes off track it meets the fine brown Buttonwillow dust. As I rolled down the approach road around noon, a bright red Mazda went four wheels off in Turn 11, whipping up a billowing brown cloud behind and making the car look like it was challenging the Land Speed Record on the Black Rock playa. That cloud then blew across the track, completely eliminating visibility. A spin off sideways will push a big wave of dust up into which the car disappears until it comes to a stop. The wave then crashes down on the car, dumping about 30 pounds of fine dirt in your lap through the window (which of course is down for safety reasons) while the rest rolls across the track again, limiting visibility. Entering that cloud at speed is like charging into the smoke in one of those NASCAR crashes in the movies. Daunting.

My car has been sitting idle for awhile and the battery is down. With the help of Bob, Hubie and Dan, I get it bump started and take it for a spin to find out what the changes feel like. My sponsor, Bay Bridge Motors, has installed a new 15% supercharger pulley provided by my other sponsor, Mini Mania. It’s good for a 4% increase in boost from the supercharger. In addition, the interior of the catalytic converter had come loose and was stuffing up the cat like a bad cold until it was found and removed, freeing up the exhaust route. As I run it up through the gears out on the Lerdo Highway next to the raceway it feels really strong and sounds raspy and brutal. Nice. Thanks, guys!

Canyon Bob has had some good runs in the morning and they are playing with the boost gauge to balance the horsepower – too much and the car just burns rubber coming out of the turns, too little and the car bogs in the corners. We take our places at the pit wall but as the car comes by it starts backfiring loudly, the sound bouncing off the wall like gunfire. He pulls in. The hood comes off and flying fingers check connections. Everything is tight. Maybe it’s starving for fuel in the corners. Add some more. Go out again. Nope. Pull in. Recheck. Change distributor. Aha. Loose connection. Lash it down. Go out again. Uh-uh. And to complete the snafu, the differential detonates coming out of Turn 3. I’m starting to feel like a jinx – it was running fine until I showed up. Hubie is convinced the transmission can be changed out in time for Sunday’s race so we load the car on the trailer and they’re off to the shop to rebuild it on Saturday. I’m alone again. Naturally.

Next morning as the sun comes up I try to start the car, but there’s no juice. By the time I find a charger and get it started, there are only five minutes left in the warm up session so I don’t go out. Rich Peterson arrives with the Mini race car that he has been rebuilding since his differential seized at California Speedway last fall and he hit the wall hard. We visit until it’s time for qualifying, but he still has a lot of prep to do so I get on the grid and wait to go out. I’m the first one there so everyone lines up behind me.

The starter whirls his arms and I accelerate out onto the course. Two Honda Challenge cars pass me and I step it up a little. It’s the first lap so we’re not going full out but I hit the Bus Stop apex as if we were. It unbalances the car and the rear end starts coming around. I stay on the gas and counter steer but it fishtails around the other way. The rear wheels hit dirt, throw up a cloud, lose traction and snap around the other way. Again I try to catch it but I can’t and it gets away. I go all in, feet trying to push both pedals through the floor. The car slides screeching sideways down the track and comes to a stop perpendicular to the traffic flow. I find first gear and just get it rolling when out of the dust cloud come two cars side by side at speed. There is nowhere for them to go so I just grit my teeth and the outside car slams into my right rear wheel at about 60 mph, spinning my car 180 degrees. All the safety gear inside the car does its job. On impact my helmet bounces off the safety net on my right and slams into the padded roll bar on my left. My HANS (head and neck safety device), held firmly in place by my very tight six point harness, limits the travel of my head and the racing seat and harness combine to keep my body in place. When it’s over all I have is a slight headache and a severely bent race car.

Whenever we screw up, the temptation to find someone or something to blame is overwhelming. But there’s no use blaming anyone but myself for this incident. As I tell my students, accidents don’t come out of nowhere. They are the culmination of a chain of events, any one of which, if eliminated, would not result in the accident. I made 6 mistakes in a row and the car ended up on the trailer.

1. With no warm up, I was first on grid in qualifying. I should have been last.
2. I didn’t warm up my tires sufficiently in cool weather. Cold tires are slippery.
3. I let the two Hondas passing me tempt me into going too fast too soon.
4. I hit the berm inside the Bus Stop Turn too high, unbalancing the car.
5. I didn’t react fast enough to prevent it from spinning.
6. I didn’t get off the track soon enough when the car stopped.

This is not rocket science. I know all these things. My brain was as cold as my tires and my luck ran out. Racing is not all spraying champagne and being kissed by pretty girls. It’s hard work and it’s dangerous work with serious consequences for errors. Those of us who do it – who love it – accept the risks and must live with those consequences.

Canyon Bob managed to swap trannies, found a loose connection at the crankshaft sensor which was causing the backfiring, made it back in time for Sunday’s race and was doing well until the engine sucked a valve about half way through the race. More bad luck. Rich circulated uneventfully and finished the race, carrying the flag for Mini.

My car is back in the shop and hopefully will be ready for the final event at Infineon in November. I haven’t seen the points standings yet, but I should still be in the lead or close to it for Rookie of the Year, a position I will no doubt lose to Mike McColligan if I can’t make the call to the post at Sears Point next month.

I have no photos of the car at Buttonwillow, so please excuse the historical one that leads this article.

Race Report – 5th Round, USTCC, Thunderhill, August 23-24, 2008

by Jerry (Siddhartha) Bradbury

In the paddock at Thunderhill

It’s one of life’s inevitabilities – just when you’ve got something all figured out, somebody else goes and changes it. After fifteen years, Thunderhill Raceway has made a monster upgrade to the track. They hauled in 6 miles of dirt, graded a wide safety band all around the track and repaved the racing surface. Sure, it’s clean and pretty and maybe a little faster, but all my braking points and turn in points are gone. I used little macadam repair squiggles on the old track and chunks of missing pavement and concrete runoffs as my marks and they have all been “repaired”. Then they put four inch high curbs in some of the apexes instead of sloping berms that you could ride up on, so that requires a line adjustment. And because the surface is new, it hasn’t had time to be filled in and smoothed out with tire rubber yet. It’s like driving on sandpaper; tires wear quickly. It’s like starting over with a brand new track. But it’s no use bellyaching about it; change is inevitable and we must adapt. That’s what we do. We’re racers.

It was a hot weekend in Glenn County, in the upper nineties and dry. The heat takes its toll on drivers and machines. Copious amounts of water are necessary to prevent driver dehydration and the fastest laps are always in the morning while it’s still relatively cool. The Mini’s supercharged Chrysler I-4 engine, even with a big intercooler, will get hotter than usual and lose horsepower toward the end of a 30 minute sprint race.

The warm up laps on Saturday featured the usual spins and offs with the added factor of much loose dirt from the newly graded perimeter being dragged onto the track as they struggled back. That made some of the corners more exciting than they had to be. Qualifying was a little more reasonable with only one Legend car wadded up into a tight fist of metal. Have I mentioned this is a dangerous sport? No injuries though, just a damaged car – and tin don’t bleed. The race on Saturday is a no point affair so USTCC ran a rolling start from the back of the pack. This meant we had to work our way through the Spec Miata/Spec 944 Porsche/Spec E30 BMW traffic to find a clear lap. I found that much to my delight, the slower cars for the most part watched their mirrors which meant I could barrel down the inside of the back straight, out brake them at the corner entrance and not have to worry about them turning in and chopping me off at the apex. My fastest lap was 2:10 and change. The big dogs of USTCC were running 2:04. *Sigh*.

Sunday in warm up I found a clear lap and dropped into the O’s with a 2:09. Still way off the pace. I qualified 6^th, but because I forgot to go directly to weigh in after qualifying, I was penalized one position on the grid and pulled up outside of Michael McColligan’s RX8 for our standing start. In the past the rear wheel drive Mazda always got the jump on me at the start and I would have to run him down on the course. This time I was determined to get it off the line. Before the green flag waved, I ran the revs up and when it dropped I dumped the clutch, steered left, held on, and ended up squeezing McColligan out at the first turn. Coming around after the first lap I noticed all the short rubber patches from the other cars and one big long one from mine. Hmmmm. Start still needs work.

Being (as my friend Vince so graciously put it) “the leader of the back markers” has its responsibilities too. I intended to motor off into the distance leaving the RX8 way behind as I usually do, but McColligan had other ideas. He stayed there in my mirrors while I tried my best to keep my car right at the limit of adhesion and not make any mistakes that would give him an opportunity to overtake. Coming down the back straight with one lap to go, a faster car passed me on the right at the corner entrance which caused me to back off to keep from hitting him and consequently losing my momentum around Turns 14 and 15. Because he was behind me, McColligan could avoid that and as we came onto the front straight he pulled out and simply drove past me. I settled in on his bumper already planning to make my riposte in the same place on the final lap. I had to stay right on him around the track, so I could pull to the right on the back straight, drag race him to the corner, out brake him on the inside and try to hold the advantage to the checker.

As so often happens in racing – or in battle for that matter – the plan goes out the window when the first shot is fired. I shadowed his car around the track, sticking like glue through Turn 8 and up the hill. But when he turned in for 9 at the top of the hill, he lost power suddenly. Being so close behind him, I had to snatch the wheel to the left to keep from parking my front bumper in his exhaust pipe, upset the car’s balance and got sideways up over the crest. When the rear end of the Mini starts coming around you must get on the power immediately or you will spin. Planting my right foot on the floor I managed to get control back and pulled past him going down the hill, carrying the advantage around to the finish. Later he told me he was low on fuel and the centrifugal force in the corner had pulled what was left away from the fuel pump and starved the engine. Pure luck.

For my efforts I won a nice trophy for Top Rookie and a pair of Permatex mechanics gloves, just in time since my fingers were coming through the old ones. The point standings are not posted as I write this, but I’m pretty sure I’m still in the lead for Rookie of the Year with two events to go. Next time we travel south to Buttonwillow Raceway due west of Bakersfield. It’s McColligan’s home track so I know he’ll be gunning for me. I’ve turned a few laps there myself this season so I’m hoping to be able to hold him off. Since the date is October 11-12, I’m also hoping for cooler weather, maybe some rain! I hope to see some of you Angelenos there too.

Ride along for a few laps in qualifying.

MiniMania/Bay Bridge Motors MINI Cooper S Leads USTCC Points Chart

At speed, Infineon Raceway

I just thought you folks might like to know what I’ve done and am doing for MINIUSA in my Rookie season in the Western US Touring Car Championship Pro Series, thanks to my sponsors. MiniMania and Bay Bridge Motors.

To see the current points chart, go to ustcc.com then click on “points”.

As you can see, I am 4th in points for the overall championship, 1st in points for Rookie of the Year, and Bob Scheer and I have combined to place MINI at the top of the Manufacturer’s Championship with three events to go. I’ve had one podium finish, but didn’t submit for contingency money because there were only 9 cars in the field. I’m hoping to make it back up there when there are 10 or more runners.

You can find me on page 137 of the October Issue of Grassroots Motorsports and on Final Drive TV #3 in the photo/video section of ustcc.com (to play the video, choose #3, then mouse to the top of the screen and click “download this video” on the pop up button.)

Next event – September 23-24 at Thunderhill. Ya’ll come!

Cheers,

Jerry

Race Report – USTCC Round 4 Infineon June 28-29, 2008

photo by jim williams

by Jerry (Siddhartha) Bradbury

It’s called Infineon Raceway, but as markets and fortunes change, it could be called Yan Sing Raceway tomorrow. Regardless, it will always be located at Sears Point in Sonoma, CA, so we old timers call it Sears. It’s a very technical track, by which I mean it requires the utmost in attention and consistency or it will bite you. Take Turn 2 too fast and you’ll loop it in that off camber corner; turn in under braking going down the three storey drop of the Carrousel and you’ll spin. Take Turn 7B too far up the berm and it will put you in the air; lift in Turn 8, the esses, and you’ll end up in the tires backwards; too fast into Turn 10 will either push you out into the BIG wall that is three feet off the track or if you panic and lift, will spin you and cram the car backwards into the tower. Now fill the track with cars faster than you and slower than you and you’ve got a lot to think about. Except if you think about it, you’re doomed. Things happen too fast on a racetrack to see something, make a conscious decision and then act on it. So you rely on your muscle memory of the racing line and let your sub-conscious do all the complicated ballistics equations required to keep you from hitting anyone or anyone hitting you. You use slow hands in the fast stuff, fast hands in the slow stuff and try to make the right decision about whether that hole in the traffic will still be big enough for you to get through when you get there.

Saturday – Couldn’t buy a clean lap today. First session the track was cold under a chilly overcast, tires were cold and slippery, brain was in the back seat. I managed to control the car without getting much heat in the tires and keep it on the black stuff while others spun or went off. Terrible lap times.

By qualifying time the sun had burned off the fog and the track was warming up. A Porsche in the group before us had dumped oil all the way into turn 7 and through turn 8, so the line was slippery and there was kitty litter all over the track. Now there was a lot of traffic, both faster and slower, and someone’s shunt was so bad they black flagged the session about 5 laps in.

Saturday’s race is not for points so you can’t win anything. You can lose though, as Pete Boveberg found out in turn 11 when a Ferrari cut across him in the hairpin and jammed on the brakes. Pete locked ‘em up but slid into the back of the red car anyway, exploding his own front end and shooting the Ferrari out of the sky. It went down in huge clouds of blue smoke, the rear end crushed against the big back tires, but not before a Porsche blew a freeze plug and dumped oil all over turn 3, causing a red flag (all stop) and finally another black flag all after 4 laps to end the session. My best time was a 2:03 – not very good. Luckily there were some lovely ladies to flirt with at the barbeque, so the day wasn’t a total loss.

Sunday morning – Outside my window the village is waking up. Sleepy eyed folks with tousled hair are scratching stomachs under t shirts and stretching. Next door a girl of about 12 is trying to hold her little terrier mix in her arms like a baby, but the dog is squirming muscularly and wants to get down and play. The Mayor of NASA just rolled by on his Segway looking like Dr. Who in his long greatcoat, checking on how things are in his village. I’ll wash up my breakfast dishes, go pull the cover off the car, check my air pressures, re-torque my wheels and get ready for the warm up laps at 8:15 where we will doubtless lose more race cars to spins and offs. I don’t know why they take themselves out like that in a 10 minute warm up session. There are no trophies to win and Mario isn’t sitting in the stands looking for the next driver for Andretti Green Racing. It’s a mystery.

Yesterday it felt like I’d left my brain in the glove box. The car was all squirrelly and it felt like I’d never been on this track before. Today is better. Warm up was uneventful except the car felt hooked up and I was back to driving two corners ahead. By qualifying time the sun had come out and warmed the track some. With brakes and tires and brain all warmed up as well, I turned a 1:59 and change. Good for me, but not so good in context. The leaders were all around 1:55, 1:56. Four seconds per lap is huge. After 10 laps that’s half a track. All I can hope for is attrition among the leaders in order to place well. As it is, I’m starting 7^th of 9 and could use some help from the Borg Collective.

We come around to Start/Finish after the warm up lap and wait for the green flag to drop. There it is and we all peel out and drive in a roaring clump up to Turn 2. There the RX8 behind me tucks into the apex and pushes me to the outside. I return the favor going into Turn 7 and regain my 7^th place, only to watch the leaders pull away. The two cars behind me fall back and I’m left to circulate by myself. I make a couple of mistakes and the RX8 closes on me, but can’t get by and I pull out another lead. I suppose you could say I’m the leader of the back markers, but that’s no great distinction.

The real leaders play nice with each other this time and I finish where I started, 7^th of 9. Later, one of the top three is disqualified for too much horsepower and I move up to 6^th and into the points at least. A few points and my $300 check are all I have to show for this outing aside from the adrenaline rush and no damage to the car. Now I have two months to try to find those four seconds. I think two may come from tweaking the carbon unit, and maybe the Bay Bridge Motors team can find two in the car. At least I have a goal. The next race is August 23-24. Stay tuned.

Mini Mania Precision Steering Amplifier Component review will be up shortly in the blog. It was a good addition to the suspension and I’ll tell you why.

Grassroots Motorsports Ultimate Track Car Challenge – Buttonwillow, June 8, 2008

By Jerry (Siddhartha) Bradbury

photos up soon

This Race Report will be a little different. No purple mountains’ majesty this time. The hills around Buttonwillow are seared a golden brown by the early summer sun; it’s flat, it’s sandy and it’s hot.

Grassroots Motorsports. The name alone conjures up the image of a couple guys in dirty t shirts wrenching on a junkyard find in the garage late at night with some cold Budweiser close at hand. The car is held together with baling wire and bubblegum and powered by go-fast grease. So by extension, the Grassroots Motorsports Ultimate Track Car Challenge should be a bunch of these cars whizzing around for the fun and the glory, right? Wrong. The winner of my class (I was placed in Independent Varsity because of the blower) was a carefully coiffed guy driving his Radical SR4. Grassroots? Excuse me, that’s a flat out race car! The paddock was full of such high dollar, high horsepower race machinery including a Morgan with an L7 Corvette engine in it, several Griggs Racing massaged Mustangs and other race cars. There’s no way I can hang with that bunch. They were turning lap times 20 seconds faster than me. A 5 second gap at the track is huge. 20 seconds is just a joke. So I figured I might as well just concentrate on learning the course. I haven’t spent much time at Buttonwillow so here was my chance to do some laps and hopefully learn some of its secrets.

Important to any athlete preparing to go is a starting ritual. Before each session, I like to do some visualization, some eye-hand coordination exercises, some right-brain/left-brain connection exercises and a little self massage before I get in the car. Then I walk up to the car, open the door, step over the roll cage and lower myself into the seat. With the door still ajar, I pick up the quick release buckle fastened to the submarine strap that goes between my legs and snap the lap belts into it. The HANS device slides around my neck and settles over my shoulders. The shoulder straps hold it in place when they are snapped into the quick release. Next I take off my glasses and place them on my right thigh while I pull my helmet on and fasten the chin strap. I stuff my glasses back into my helmet so I can see and fasten the HANS strap to each side of my helmet. The window net is rolled neatly on the sill of the driver’s door. I unroll it and attach it to the retaining clips at the top of the door, reach through it and close the door. Next my driving gloves are pulled on, the steering wheel is lowered and at last I exhale and pull the seat all the way forward, tightening the straps in the process and locking myself into the seat. A last check of battery cables, emergency cut-off switch, fire extinguisher and I fire it up and watch the lights for surprises while the engine warms up. I do it the same way every time and it is very calming. Sitting on the grid getting ready to go, I visualize driving laps and do some yoga breathing.

Now here comes a fella up to my passenger window while I am concentrating on what is about to happen. He’s ahead of me on the grid and is trying to promote some self-serving program where everybody behind him just stays back and gives him room to make a run. I respond that I will stay out of his way. If he’s faster than me, he’ll be ahead, and if he’s slower than me, I’ll pass him. “Oh, you won’t pass me,” he says, “Don’t worry about that.” Then he proceeds to go 50 mph down the back straight. Of course I pass him. Through the esses I see two faster cars coming. One passes me on the entrance to the last turn before the front straight. No problem. The other guy waits until I have apexed the corner and tracked out, then puts his left front bumper into my right rear quarter panel and keeps it there, trying to push me offline and out of his way. In the process, he shears off my valve stems and the tire goes flat. At the end of the straight when I try to turn left, I loop it and am done. All he had to do was go left and he could have easily passed me on the straight with his faster car. It was my first run-in with someone who would rather be disqualified to make his point that I shouldn’t have passed him than to pass me back. Later, I found out that car and its driver were 24 Hours of Lemons competitors – basically a demolition derby held at Altamont Speedway each year. I guess he forgot where he was. Or something. So I protested him, then had new valve stems installed on my wheel, pulled out a piece of quarter panel that was jammed underneath, laid on some duct tape and finished the day while his car sat in the paddock.

There was no chance of winning or placing with this crowd, so I just concentrated on trying to turn consistent fast laps. Approaching Magic Mountain at over 100 mph, the ABS light came on and when I got on the brakes, I locked them up and filled the cockpit with tire smoke. Back in the paddock I called Jacques, my sponsor from Bay Bridge Motors, to ask if there was anything I could do about it. “This is a good chance to learn to modulate the brake pedal,” he replied. Oh great. So I turned the emergency electrical cutoff switch on and off a couple of times and turned the ignition on and off a couple of times and the ECU finally decided that the ABS really was working after all. It gave me no more trouble.

Lessons learned: some people will cut off their nose to spite their face; Buttonwillow is fast – I was north of 100 mph in 3 places; aim for the dirt inside the berm at the Bus Stop; it takes guts to keep your foot on the floor between the Bus Stop and Magic Mountain, but the car will hold; for the last turn, slow it way down, turn in late and get back on the gas as soon as possible. I’ll be back here in October with USTCC. Hopefully, this experience will pay off then.

This was my first event with the new MiniMania Precision Steering Component in place. Look for my product review elsewhere in the blog.

Mini Mania Open House and Lawn Party

By Jerry(Siddhartha) Bradbury

What can transform a peaceful sylvan lawn in Gold Country into a carnival overnight? The annual Mini Mania Open House and Lawn Party of course! Those who were there got to see first hand all the eye candy, but for those who were not, the Mini’s ranged from an electric Moke to a VTEC powered Classic, to Randy Steven’s tricked out CVT to Robert Holt’s Purple Haze convertible to three full on Mini race cars: my sprint car, Jacques Andres’ enduro car and Eric and Colin Herricks’s rally car, and many in between. Redwood Empire Minis had the largest contingent as one would expect from their proximity to Grass Valley, but there was also good representation from NorCal Minis and one brave couple from the Southern California Mini Maniacs club.

Presiding over the festivities was Don Racine, the visionary founder of Mini Mania which is not only the largest aftermarket Mini parts depot in this country, but is now branching out to the international arena as well. Don’s Aardvark racecar, clad in all the race venue stickers of its long career was posted prominently on the lawn.

I spent most of the day talking with folks about racing and putting people into the driver’s seat of my USTCC race car. At regular intervals the whine or roar of an engine would underline the fact that dyno runs were in progress on the corner of the main building. It was a very popular attraction and many a Mini owner was seen clutching the dyno printout, while trying to find others who had less HP so they could gloat. Around noon a large group headed out for a tour of Gold Country roads which seem to have been engineered with the Mini precisely in mind.

As the day wound down, the silent auction winners were revealed and the popularity winners were announced and it was time to load ‘er on the trailer and head out for home, already planning on an appearance at next year’s Mini Mania Open House and Lawn Party.

Race Report – Round 3, USTCC at Llihrednuht 4 May 2008

by Jerry (Siddhartha) Bradbury

Standing on the track at the top of Thunderhill’s Turn 5, the Eagle’s Nest, I’m looking west down a three story drop and picking out reference points and points of timing for this blind turn. Little squiggles of asphalt patch and locked up tire tracks on the surface will help me place the car at speed and tell me when to turn, because I won’t be able to see anything on this approach. I’ll have to turn in on my POT and slide it up over the blind crest, keeping it on the black stuff as I head down the other side toward Turn 4. That’s right, 5 to 4, because today we’re running Thunderhill backwards. It’s a whole new track.

Behind me the sun slips over the horizon and turns the westward peak of Snowtop bright orange. Mount Shasta is visible to the northeast and the Sutter Buttes are limned against the blue-gray sky to the southeast. The gently rolling hills of the pasture land where Thunderhill Raceway was built are a mottled gold/green as the succulent grasses of the rainy season gradually surrender to the dry heat of approaching summer. It will be another perfect day at the races. Already I can hear the cough and mutter of cold engines getting their first taste of spark and air/fuel mixture under compression. Soon the quiet of the dawn will be ripped apart by the shriek of high revving rotary engines as the Formula Mazda cars are first out for warm up.

I arrived early on Friday to instruct for Trackmasters and to get in a few laps in the new direction. It was to be a weekend of attrition. First to fall was Canyon Bob Scheer whom I discovered sitting disconsolately on the cinder block wall running a torn supercharger belt through his fingers. His team just could not keep the race car from throwing belts, so he decided to fold his tent and pack it in for this race. Next, Rich Peterson failed to show, still working on his car, I presume. That left only me to carry the Mini flag to battle.

The population of our portable village was considerably less than last time at Infineon and I think that the new direction factored into some drivers’ decisions to stay home. Whatever their reasons, it was great for the rest of us; a perfect day and less traffic. Saturday revealed that drivers were still confused about where to go as our group split at Turn 5, some going up the hill, some going over the bypass. The Eagle’s Nest was in play because the Formula Mazdas get too much air going over the bypass and the slow turn up there makes an effective chicane. The rest of us were supposed to use the bypass. One Miata driver in HPDE 4 couldn’t make up his mind which route to take, split the difference, went off, lost the car and hit the flag box, spilling two corner workers to the ground. A massive emergency operation ensued which ended only after the injured corner workers were medevac’d out. Both are in the hospital but will make a full recovery. Belatedly the flag tower was dragged out of the hot spot between the forks and we ALL went over the hill from then on. I finished another race without a scratch and have now qualified for my national racing license.

Sunday was another glorious day and the cars continued to fail. During warm up some went off. During qualifying a Honda engine grenaded on the race line in the very fast Turn 6, spilling oil on the track. I was next around and did some ice skating before getting the car straightened out. After that, the yellow flag stayed out there and qualifying was essentially over, so I rolled into my pit early to save the car for The Show.

Jacques Andres and the Bay Bridge Motors team seemed to have found some horsepower since last time. They had traced a problem to an uncommunicative O2 sensor which was causing the air/fuel mixture to go fat at 4,000 rpm, just when the engine should be lighting up. A blown 15 amp fused was causing the problem, so I had more hp to work with this time. Still, I qualified 5^th.

This race was all about traffic and attrition. At the start, I finally figured out how to get the transmission into second gear, but could not gain any ground and was passed by the 6^th position RX8. By the end of the first lap I had reeled him in, re-passed and lit out after the leaders. I could keep them in sight, but could not close. Then we began running into back marker traffic and I was toast. The gentlemanly conduct of my history at trackdays where slower drivers point you by and where you take a breath in a tight corner and wait for a better place to pass is OVER! Now I have to learn how to pass any car anywhere on the track at any time. The racing line is out the window. So are lap times. All that counts now is position. This is a steep learning curve for me, but Sunday was better than Saturday. I found a way around Turn 14 by dropping the left front wheel off the curb there and hooking the car around the inside while everyone else went wide. I could get a good run down the hill from 9 through 8 and pass other cars at over 100 mph as they turned in for the apex at 7. I kept my foot on the floor coming through Turn 1 and got a good run down the front straight. But while I was doing this, the rest of the USTCC field was charging around and through traffic everywhere. If I can just get closer, I can train ride through traffic behind them . . . but I have to get closer. They are certainly not going to wait for me.

Then attrition began to be a factor. Around Turn 2 I saw Pete Bovenberg’s car parked in the grass. Now I’m 4^th. Coming around Turn 1 there was Dave Bongiovanni’s EVO rolling to a stop in the infield. Unfortunately, I was just a little too late to pass him before he rolled past the checkered flag, so I crossed the line still in 4^th place.

It was pandemonium at the podium. On the last lap, Curt Simmons had collided with Bongiovanni’s EVO and a Ferrari 355 while trying to pass in the extremely narrow, off-camber dip that is Turn 11. As the perpetrator, Curt’s very fast SRT4 was disqualified. Tom Lepper’s Cobalt had passed Bongiovanni as he was limping around to finish second on a flat left front tire and I was now 3^rd.

No matter how you get there, a podium finish is a podium finish. You get your name called on the PA to take your place amid applause and hoots from the crowd, you get the big trophy and the kiss, you get the magnum of champagne with which to try to drown your fellow combatants, and you get the wide non-stop grin. Champagne stings when you get it in your eyes! And it makes your racing suit and hat smell winey. But I have to say, a fella could get used to it.

A perfect example of the photogenic line versus the fast line. While the Miata is busy getting air (no traction in the air) Shiva slips by on the outside.

Dyno Testing at NCA’08

Fun and informative is the nature of this part of the Nevada City Adventure.  Very few MINIs have been left absolutely stock and thus it is fun to be able to actually measure the differences.  NO DRIVER Skill required!
Make your reservations now to have your MINI measured for wheel horsepower at the Nevada City Adventure, May 17th, 2008. We also very much would like to invite the very stock MINI to be measured to see if the factory is good to their promise also!  Each participant will receive a full color print-out of cars performance. Introducing a radically different approach to chassis dynamometer testing….

The Dynapack! – the only unique and technically sophisticated dyno available today in a market that is crowded with cookie-cutter designs. We have SOLVED the problem of tire slippage and the inconsistencies of the tire to roller interface – while our competitors try to pretend that these problems don’t exist. If you’ve operated a roller dyno, you know better. We’ve started with a clean sheet to design a dyno that truly performs and exceeds customer expectations. Why settle for a “standard” dyno when you can have so much more.
The Dynapack is a true load-brake dyno – just like the best engine dynos. We directly measure the work being performed, while others just estimate it. Since we have real hydraulic load brakes, we allow you to perform tests that simple inertia-dynos are incapable of. You can now have unprecedented control over the vehicle with a degree of resolution and precision that has to be seen to be believed.

And the Adventure starts here!

Race Report – 2nd Round USTCC at Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, CA

Waiting in pre-grid at Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, CA. photo by minispeedracr

by Jerry (Siddhartha) Bradbury

Infineon Raceway, April 11, 2008

It’s quiet tonight under this hill in Sonoma. A few lights gleam and the faint tink-tink-tink of a hammer sounds from some hidden pit area where work continues as it always does on a race car. Bright stars look down on a few early arrivals and the air is redolent of hay and the sea. All through the night the transporters pull in, towing their brightly colored cars. They’ve come from Oregon, Utah, Nevada and all parts of California to become a part of this temporary community, to see old friends, to make new ones, to race. Dawn reveals a small village sprung up over night. There are streets, traffic, pedestrians, wives, sweethearts, kids and dogs. Cars of all descriptions, from daily drivers to factory sponsored racecars have become the focus of attention as they are prepared to go on track. An air of festivity prevails over this day at the races, but an undercurrent of the potential for violence and wreckage is present as well as the tow truck rumbles slowly around the perimeter like a bright red velociraptor, tail high, looking for prey.

One of the best things about a NASA event is that there is something for everyone. You can bring your daily driver and run a High Performance Driving Event. Anything will do as long as it’s roadworthy and safe. Looking out my door once, I saw a Ford GT40, a GMC pickup, a Toyota Camry, a Porsche GT3 and a Mini Cooper S, all lined up to go out in HPDE 1. As your experience and driving skills improve you can bring your modded up street machine, change to race wheels and tires and run with the faster HPDE groups, 2, 3 and 4. Some folks have been happily doing this for years. Since these are non-competitive instructional driving events with instructors on board, your insurance should cover any mishaps (NOTE: check with your own provider to be sure). In addition, there are many classes of racing to watch featuring exciting door-to-door competition. Add to that a free barbeque Saturday night and you’ve got a really fine weekend at the track.

My Mini has a new setup for this race. Speed parts from my sponsor Mini Mania have been added by my sponsor Bay Bridge Motors and USTCC sponsor Nitto has provided four brand new NT 01 tires. This will be my first official race with the US Touring Car Championship and I look forward to hitting the grid with more horsepower and quicker lap times. Alas, it is not to be. I’ve fallen victim to modomania, something I have been warning people about for years on the Mini forums. “Change one thing at a time,” I’ve said, “otherwise you won’t have a clue if something goes wrong.” You’d think I’d listen. Instead, we made five changes to the engine and the ECU does not like it. Horsepower has actually gone down. But I’m stuck with it for the weekend, so I’ll do the best I can, break the tires in well and fix it before the next event. Even with the car being slow I manage to wheel it around to within a second of my fastest lap at Sears Point.

Bob Scheer is back with his Ireland Engineering MCS. Bob is way faster than me but because he’s not used to the track, we qualify close and we’re side by side on the grid for the race. Finally in the late afternoon our turn to race arrives. The track is hot under a warm California sun and a little greasy with all the rubber that has been laid down today. Caution will be called for at the off-camber Turn 2 and the braking zone for the hairpin Turn 11. USTCC goes out first for the warmup lap, then pulls up by start/finish for the standing start. The furled green flag goes up (engines rev) it is unfurled up high (cars seem to lean forward in anticipation) it drops and the air is filled with the sound of roaring engines and screeching tires as the field blasts off for Turn 1.

All except me. In all the excitement and adrenaline flow, I make the same mistake I did at Pahrump. I catch the detent to reverse on my attempted one-two shift and can’t find second gear. *expletive deleted*. Rookie mistake. The field streams by me on both sides and by the time I get it going, I’m behind the Honda Challenge cars. The Civic in front of me is just a little slower than me and is braking just a little sooner. I pull up next to him several times but I’m running with the pirates now. They show no mercy and give no quarter and I just don’t have the skills yet to shoulder my way by and get away.

And so I finish last. In spite of the embarrassing start it was far from a wasted effort. I have completed two more events as a provisional rookie racer without incident or going off track. One more and I can apply for my NASA National racing license and the gloves can come off. Before that happens, though, I have homework to do. I have to find more horsepower for the car and I have to practice standing starts until that 1-2 shift is automatic. Next time will be different.

It was great to have some of you Mini owners at the track cheering us on. Next time at Thunderhill on May 3-4, Bob and I should be joined on the grid by Rich Peterson in his USTCC MCS. Hopefully as more Minis join the racing we will see more of you out there, too!

Shiva kicks some Acura butt at Infineon. Photo by jimZ68

More photos by minispeedracr here:

And you can watch the last USTCC race at Thunderhill here:

Phil Wicks Driving Academy/North American MINI Cooper Challenge

 

March 28, 2008 Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch – Pahrump NV2.2 Mile Track It was an absolutely perfect day for a track event – 75 degrees, 5 mph wind.  The Phil Wicks MINI Driving Academy drew strong list of entries from various regions of the country, equally divided between basic novice, intermediate, and expert classes. Pre-registration and tech inspection were completed the day before, Thursday, at the AMVIV host hotel, Palace Station in Las Vegas.  Everyone attended the drivers’ briefing and safety instruction meeting first thing at the track on Friday morning.  Instructors were allocated to students.  Some instructors were allocated two students, one in basic novice and one in intermediate.  This meant that every student had an instructor one-on-one all day.  The first group on track was the expert group, which consisted of dedicated autocross competitors and instructors getting some fun track time.  Meanwhile, Phil Wicks delivered the first classroom session to basic novice and intermediate group.  Safety and track etiquette was covered. The intermediate group was next on track with instructors with each student.  The novice group remained in the classroom.  Phil Wicks delivered the Accident Avoidance instruction curriculum.  This curriculum deals with ABS braking, slalom (serpentine), and emergency lane change.  The track was marked with cones and students drove to each station under instruction.  The instructors guided the students to complete the course.  This continued until each student gained sufficient confidence in him/herself as well as the capabilities of their MINI.  Then, for each student, the excitement really commenced as the cones were removed from the track and the three groups started on-track instruction in rotation of 20-minute sessions. Lunch was staggered so there was no track downtime.  At approximately 1:30 pm, the AMVIV group arrived from their morning tour of the Death Valley Run.  There were about 100 MINI/Minis arriving.  They were served lunch courtesy of MINI USA.  The Solo I Autocross began.  26 cars lined up for a one lap standing start (one cool down lap).  This consisted of 5 MINI classes and 1 Classic Mini class.  The classes were quite evenly divided between 26 cars.  This was the first round of the NAMCC Solo Challenge and was a huge success.  Next came the invitation Touring Laps.  There was no fee charged for this one.  100 cars enjoyed a few…  Read the rest of the Article here... Photos courtesy of Ed Dean

 

 

RACE REPORT – March 8TH & 9TH – Thunderhill Raceway, Willows, CA

RACE REPORT – March 8TH & 9TH – Thunderhill Raceway, Willows, CA

US TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP

by Jerry Bradbury (Siddhartha)

Pix Here

Ah, the thrills of racing! The smell of high octane fuel and hot brakes, the squeal of tires, the machine gun rat-a-tat-tat of the Wankel rotaries, the deep rumble of American iron, the pretty girls in the paddock and everything on the grid from highly polished pro race-cars, layered like a Victorian drawing room with vendor stickers, to five colored back yard beaters whose quarter panels look like they have been worked over by a large angry man with a big hammer. And that’s before the race starts. When the green flag flies another set of sensory impressions rolls in: the sound of engines all around you, the rush of the wind, the feel of g forces against your harness and seat in the corners, the clatter of the chassis working under stress, the low howl from your tires as they fight for grip, the buzzing swarm of Miatas ahead that you must somehow get past or through and those pesky Hondas that dance in your mirrors briefly before blowing past.

I wish I could tell you about my debut race on Saturday at Thunderhill Raceway in National Auto Sport Association’s Performance Touring class, but I failed to make the call to the post. Oh, I was in there for “warm-up”, which to most of these crazy guys means “spank the rookies and cut ‘em off at the apex” on a cold track with cold tires. Gee whiz, fellas! And I qualified first in my group of one with the fastest time I have yet turned at Thunderhill, a 2:08 and change, but I was having electrical problems during qualifying. I lost my power steering in turn 6 with Miatas going past me on both sides and the wheel suddenly feeling like it weighed a hundred pounds. I managed to limp it around to the pits, turned it off, started it again and the problem went away. Come race time, I strapped into all my safety gear and was heading for my grid position when the panel went black and the starter solenoid would only click-click-click-click. Dead. Off they went without me and we pushed the Mini back to our pit and tore into the external master power shut off switch that is mandated by NASA rules. Sure enough, one of the poles to the alternator was dead and the car ran only until the battery died.

So we re-routed the wires, charged the battery, went to the free barbecue, drank mudslides and went to bed, satisfied that the morrow would bring better tidings.

Sunday was another perfect day, mostly sunny, in the 70’s, with a clear view of Mount Shasta and the Sutter Buttes. The paddock was jammed full of cars and transporters and most of the cars seemed to be in Group A. There must have been 70 racers on the track for warm-up. But all my opening night jitters were gone. I just warmed it up and watched my mirrors so none of the strafing runs would catch me unprepared. Sure enough, there was carnage as a few guys took themselves out during the warm-up session. Why do they DO that??! Reverse Darwinism, I guess. Good for the rest of us, as always.

Back in the pits, my support group was waiting. Canyon Bob Scheer and his dad, Jack, had motored up from LA with their race prep mechanic, Dan Pacheco. Bob runs his silver Burbank Plating 2002 MCS in the prestigious US Touring Car Championship, where they pay real money for racing. For the past two years he has been my hero and my mentor, always available to chat, diagnose problems and offer advice. His engine has been vigorously massaged by Dan with some amazing plumbing by Hubie Fuh and produces over 200 big horsepower in a lightened race car that goes like stink. All I’ll say about his suspension tweaks is that you can see twin Moton cans in the boot, ‘kay?

My JCW MCS motor is still stock. The car has been stripped and the suspension re-engineered, but it still weighs a chunky 2650 lb. and makes only 210 bhp. Still, our lap times in qualifying were only a second apart. Bay Bridge Motors in Oakland has put my car back together twice now after two costly shunts and Jacques Andres, a Mini racing wizard, has done the race prep. That’s Jacques behind the wheel of his orange and blue MINI MANIA/Andres Motorsports racing MINI that you’ve seen bicycling the car on the inside cover of MC2 magazine. I brought Lee, my treasured mechanic from BBM along and it was he who helped me into my safety gear and found and fixed my electrical problem. In addition, Vince (minispeedrcr) and Mickey (kmickey) were there with their S cars, running in the High Performance Driving Event expert class. They offered help and support to Bob and me as well.

After another qualifying run and more attrition, I was getting ready for a nice lunch when who should appear at my door but Ali Arsham, who runs the west coast USTCC. He asked me how many cars were in PTD. Ans.: One. He asked me what I was getting for running in that class. Ans. : Nothing. He then said, “Why are you wasting your time? Your qualifying times are right up there with us, why don’t you come run with USTCC? We’ll give you 4 new Nitto racing tires today, two more at each race, we offer cash for racing and if you win, MINI USA will give you $2,000.” Sold. So I applied the USTCC sticker to my windshield and got ready for my racing debut in a professional series. You can see Bob and me on Speed TV. Hey, mira mami, I’m a pro!

I lined up 11th on the grid and waited for the green flag. There it is. Let out the clutch and we’re off. USTCC starts first so there was clear track; well, except for all the rest of the USTCC guys who were up ahead there. So I motored peacefully around behind the Toyota in front of me until two fast Honda guys flew by me and went through turn 6 with about 2 inches of daylight between their bumpers. Coming through turn 14, the Toyota ahead of me sputtered and I motored past into 10th place. Hey, I passed a guy!! Coming through turn 8 next time, I saw one of the USTCC cars stopped sideways on the track with parts scattered around and leaking. Just as I was thinking “Oh boy, I’ll pass another guy!” he fired that puppy up and fishtailed up over turn 9, trailing parts and fluids, fenders flapping and bent wheel wobbling. I was sure I could catch him, but I guess he figured he had nothing else to lose, put the hammer down and stayed ahead of me.

Still I was slowly reeling him in with about 8 laps to go when the yellow flags appeared and coming up over the turn 5 bypass I saw the leading Honda lying on it’s side, smashed into pieces. Coming over the blind hill, with the green del Sol still right on his bumper, they suddenly came upon a rookie back marker putting along in the middle of the track. The lead car took evasive action but the track is tricky there. A section of asphalt running down from the high turn 5 intersects the turn 5 bypass route there and the bump upsets the car’s balance as it’s on tiptoes from cresting the hill. He miscalculated. His protruding wheel studs struck the back marker’s rear tire which slammed his nose into the pavement and caused the car to fly end over end into the weeds. End of race. He was airlifted to the hospital with some broken bones, his car was scraped up and towed off and that was our finishing position.

No, you won’t see us on the podium. Bob finished 4th and I finished 10th. But we have two Minis running in USTCC West and we’ll be back next month at Infineon Raceway at Sears Point. Stay tuned for more adventure.

Shiva Waits In Pre-Grid

Mini Mania offer Dyno Testing for all Mini Coopers at the annual Nevada City Adventure 2008

Nevada City, CA. Mini Mania Inc. is expanding it annual Nevada City Adventure to include the first ever “Vtec Encounter”, public Dyno testing, and a free clinic in MINI Cooper detailing. This will be the 7^th annual event that highlights the joys of owning and driving both the Classic Mini Cooper and the BMW MINI Cooper.

The “Vtec Encounter” will be the largest gathering in the USA of classic Minis that have been upgraded to Honda Vtec engines. These modern powers units add both reliability and performance to the classic looks and handling of the Mini.

The Dyno testing facility will be available to all any participants subject to pre-registration. Classic, BMW and Vtec Minis are all expected to be tested.

The 7th “Nevada City Adventure” for Mini Coopers is set for Saturday, May 17th, 2008. Held annually in heart of the gold country, this event celebrates both the Classic Mini as built by BMC (and Rover) and the latest MINI Cooper as built by BMW. Planning is now underway to insure this will be the biggest gathering in the history of Mini Mania in the Gold Country.
Events planned include:
* Vendor Arcade- Supplies will demonstrate product and answer questions.
* On-site Dyno Testing – measure the wheel HP of your MINI/Mini- reservations required- call for details
* ‘People’s choice’ car show with awards in a multiple of classes!
* Nevada Country tour- see some of the best of the Gold Country
* ‘Vtec Mini’ Encounter- largest ever gathering of Vtec powered Mini in the USA
* Silent Auction- Great products at only the price you want
* Raffle- Take your chance and win your choice of great products
* Free Grand Prize drawing- Every entrant will be eligible for some great prices!
* Mini Mania Open House- 15,000+ parts, 10% Discount on most parts.
* New MINI Clubman special display from Niello MINI
* Detailing Clinic – see some of the tricks and techniques to keep your car looking new for years.

Don Racine, owner of Mini Mania said “We expect this to be the biggest event of it’s kind in the area with 200+ MINIs and MINI Coopers on display. The event has always brought the old classic Mini together with the modern BMW MINI Cooper and this year we have added the “Hot Rod” Classic Mini. This community will make for a great match of personalities”

About Mini Mania, Inc.

Mini Mania was founded in 1974 and has grown to become a multi million dollar market leader that provides high quality aftermarket parts that include its own ULTRIK(tm) line of high performance parts and very specialized services to a growing customer base of approximately 50,000 consumers around the world.

Mini Mania solidified its market leadership position in 2001 by becoming the first company in the US to import the then all new BMW MINI to use as a product and performance test bed. Shortly thereafter, Mini Mania began to offer a suite of “lifestyle & performance enhancement products” that appeal to recent purchasers of the MINI Cooper(tm) automobile.

Mini Mania is headquartered in a 16,000 square foot state of the art facility in the Northern California foothills outside of Sacramento. The company’s dynamic web site is truly a one of a kind information portal for any Mini Cooper enthusiast – containing over 50,000 pages of unique content, augmented with 50,000 part number, technical articles and interactive community forums. Each month 75-100,000 individuals access the web site for research and purchase of Mini Cooper parts and accessories.

For more information – on the web: www.minimania.com, 800.946.2642, info@minimania.com

Mini to expand U.S. dealer network

Krause hints at Mini crossover vehicle

Ryan Beene

Automotive News
January 14, 2008 – 11:33 am ET

DETROIT — Mini will expand its dealer network in the United States after coming off a record year for sales.

Stefan Krause, BMW AG board member in charge of sales and marketing, said Mini will add 13 U.S. stores by 2010, making a total of 95.

The United States is Mini’s second-largest market behind the United Kingdom, after surpassing former No. 2 Germany in 2007. Krause said Mini sold 42,045 vehicles in the United States in 2007, up 7.3 percent from 2006. About 222,000 Mini vehicles were sold globally last year.

” We initially believed it to be more of a European car, so naturally we were quite surprised to have such great success in the United States,” Krause told reporters today at the auto show.

The United States also will see additional product. The three-door Mini Clubman is scheduled for U.S. launch Feb. 16 and will have a base price of $20,600, not counting shipping.

Krause said the next new Mini will be a crossover. He declined to give specifics but said the yet-to-be named crossover still will be in the small-car segment.

Source: Automotive News

MINI Cooper Nevada City Adventure 2008

The 7th “Nevada City Adventure” for Mini Coopers is set for Saturday, May 17th, 2008. Held annually in heart of the gold country, this event celebrates both the Classic Mini as built by BMC (and Rover) and the latest MINI Cooper as built by BMW. Planning is now underway to insure this will be the biggest gathering in the history of Mini Mania in the Gold Country.
Events planned include:
-Vendor Arcade- Numerous aftermarket supplies will be present to demonstrate product and answer questions.
-’People’s choice’ car show with awards in a multiple of classes!
-Nevada Country tour- see some of the best of the Gold Country
-’Vtec Mini’ Encounter- see the largest ever gathering of Vtec powered Mini in the USA
-Silent Auction- Great products at only the price you want
-Raffle- Take your chance and win your choice of great products
-Free Grand Prize drawing- Every entrant will be eligible for some great prices!
-Mini Mania Open House- 15,000+ parts, 10% Discount on most parts.

Ed D’Arata, Sales Manager of Mini Mania and who also serves as the technical expert on Vtec conversions says of the “Vtec MiniEncounter”; ” The ‘encounter’ will be the pit the best of the original Classic Mini as well as many of the new BMW MINI Cooper against the latest innovation to spring out of the Classic Sports car after-market, the Honda Vtec engine powered Classic Mini.”

The Vtec Encounter presents and opportunity to stand up and be counted! This will be the largest gathering of Vtec powered Mini in the USA. Special Awards, Special Parking and Special activities will be highlighted by technical demonstrations from the development team at Mini-tec. “Work in Progress” cars will also be displayed. A special manufacturers direct sale will allow V-tec conversion kits to be available at huge savings for immediate delivery.

About Mini Mania, Inc.

Mini Mania was founded in 1974 and has grown to become a multi million dollar market leader that provides high quality aftermarket parts that include its own ULTRIK(tm) line of high performance parts and very specialized services to a growing customer base of approximately 50,000 consumers around the world.

Mini Mania solidified its market leadership position in 2001 by becoming the first company in the US to import the then all new BMW MINI to use as a product and performance test bed. Shortly thereafter, Mini Mania began to offer a suite of “lifestyle & performance enhancement products” that appeal to recent purchasers of the MINI Cooper(tm) automobile.

Mini Mania is headquartered in a 16,000 square foot state of the art facility in the Northern California foothills outside of Sacramento. The company’s dynamic web site is truly a one of a kind information portal for any Mini Cooper enthusiast – containing over 50,000 pages of unique content, augmented with 50,000 part number, technical articles and interactive community forums. Each month 75-100,000 individuals access the web site for research and purchase of Mini Cooper parts and accessories.

For more information – on the web: www.minimania.com, 800.946.2642, info@minimania.com

Lifan 3-Series: Chinese Create 5door MINI Cooper Clone!

Monday, January 21, 2008

Lifan 3-Series: Chinese Create 5door MINI Cooper Clone!

Here we go again; the list with Chinese knockoffs has been enhanced with the addition of a MINI clone made by a carmaker called Lifan. The Lifan 3-Series (how ironic…) was introduced to the Chinese media today, and according to the translation we made from the clonemaker’s official site, the MINI(cat) will go on sale in China during the first half of the year.

Amusingly, Lifan decided to create a 5-door version of BMW Group’s MINI. Even though the Lifan 320 is somewhat disproportioned compared to the original MINI, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the resemblances between the two cars. Check out other Chinese clones here: Cadillac, Smart, Fiat Panda, Scion & Toyota RAV-4 -More pictures of the Chinese MINI after the jump

Official Statement (translated from Chinese)

Tencent vehicle – Recently, the Lifan 320 Weijiao finally lifted the veil of mystery. We have seen through the picture, Lifan The compact cars and MINI very similar, will produce cars there will not be much change. No accident, the first half of this year, this compact cars will be met with consumers. Reportedly, which amounted to 2.6 m wheelbase cars.

Source:  CarScoop

Mini Cooper Message forum at Mini Mania achieves another milestone!

Over 16,000 users have now registered for one of the longest running message forums on the Internet. The Mini Cooper forum has now been on line for more than 10 years and is celebrating yet another milestone with the number of registered users. On the forum you can find both a social network and very detailed answers to technical questions. The message forum includes both classic Mini owners and owners of the new BMW MINI Cooper.

A new feature of the message board forum is the chance to see where all you fellow Mini Coopers owners live. The new mapping option allows you to see the location of all fellow message board users.

“We are extremely proud of the message board community that has evolved around the Mini Mania Website. After all these years of supporting the Mini Cooper community it has been very satisfying to also be able to give something back. Our message board has become the biggest part of our Website and we look forward to it’s continued growth”, says Don Racine, president of Mini Mania.

The Mini Cooper message forum provides the ability for the entire community to share there ideas, problems and technical expertise with fellow owners. The forum provides allows a community to find everything from that no longer available part to the best service shops. The classified pages sell more Mini Coopers than most dealerships.

http://new.minimania.com/msgthreads.cfm