Post by jimster on Jun 2, 2009 10:55:34 GMT 1
Had an awesome day on the weekend with the mini. Endaf, Mark Chandler (aka cuddles) and myself spent the day testing it at Pembrey. We arrived at the track just before 9, and already my mondeo was telling me the air temp was 22 degrees, the forecast was 26 degrees so thought the mini may suffer in the heat. First session out I was driving with Cuddles next to me, car felt awesome, all the previous torque steer problems have now vanished. Not sure exactly what got rid of it, my guess is a combination of removing the bump steer, squaring the car up and running on slicks. The power out of the engine is awesome on the track, coming out of the corners in 2nd would often light up both front slicks. After just a few laps I got my lap time down to 1:13.71
Cuddles was next behind the wheel, this time I was passenger, cuddles was straight on it, and after 2 laps got a 1:11.57, next up was Endaf, I stayed in a passenger to learn from the pro's Endaf banged in a 1:07.37.
The car had done about 30 laps water temp was around 90, oil temp about 120, so we brought it in to cool down and check over it, made a few suspension tweaks.
This session I was behind the wheel again, with cuddles next to me knowing what the car could do I had a lot more confidence with the car and pushed it harder than I'd ever done before, I was caught up in quite a bit of traffic but managed to get a 1:10.58
We then came in again and noticed a puncture in one of the rear tyres, we didn't have any spare soft rear tyres, so we had to put some of the harder compound 770's on the back.
By now Endaf and Cuddles are both getting quite eager to beat each other’s times so they decide to go out on their own. Cuddles goes out first and set quickest time of the day with a 1:07.48, I didn't let Endaf or cuddles know his lap time, then Endaf went out and did a 1:06.14. This time is quicker than the miglias have ever done around Pembrey, (half second quicker than Hacky did last time the miglias where there). Endaf thought he could go about a second quicker once he knew the car more. Even quicker with the right shocks on the car, and some tow out on the back of the car.
The Day went on with us all taking the car out giving it a real hammering, taking out different passengers’. For some reason they would not allow us to use a camera in the car, would have had some great footage, it was by far the quickest thing on the track, and got loads of people around the car in the paddock.
There was a photographer there on the day so I'm looking forward to the photo's.
We have agreed now that we have found the limit of the shocks, and need some ohlins on there, the breaks felt awesome, the carbon metalic pads really are amazing.
So all in all an awesome day, I think we must have done 100 laps between us, the car never missed a beat. I have said in the past that I don't think a mini turbo running over 15psi could ever hold together on the track being driven hard for 10 laps in a race. Well I've just proven my self wrong.
After a few rolling road sessions, one race day, and a hard track day the car is still going strong. I will remove the engine now and check through it but so far all looks good. There is a suspect fault with one of the CV's after the boot split the car does feel harder to push, no surprise 255bhp and a dry CV don't go well together. I think I may also have a slight boost leak, because as the day went on, we seemed to get a tiny bit of lag, I'm guessing the intercooler has a small split after running 30psi.
All in all, an awesome day, and I'm feeling the love again.
There are some photo's of the event here:
www.photodirectuk.com/MSE09/12%20PE20090531/index.htm
Cuddles was next behind the wheel, this time I was passenger, cuddles was straight on it, and after 2 laps got a 1:11.57, next up was Endaf, I stayed in a passenger to learn from the pro's Endaf banged in a 1:07.37.
The car had done about 30 laps water temp was around 90, oil temp about 120, so we brought it in to cool down and check over it, made a few suspension tweaks.
This session I was behind the wheel again, with cuddles next to me knowing what the car could do I had a lot more confidence with the car and pushed it harder than I'd ever done before, I was caught up in quite a bit of traffic but managed to get a 1:10.58
We then came in again and noticed a puncture in one of the rear tyres, we didn't have any spare soft rear tyres, so we had to put some of the harder compound 770's on the back.
By now Endaf and Cuddles are both getting quite eager to beat each other’s times so they decide to go out on their own. Cuddles goes out first and set quickest time of the day with a 1:07.48, I didn't let Endaf or cuddles know his lap time, then Endaf went out and did a 1:06.14. This time is quicker than the miglias have ever done around Pembrey, (half second quicker than Hacky did last time the miglias where there). Endaf thought he could go about a second quicker once he knew the car more. Even quicker with the right shocks on the car, and some tow out on the back of the car.
The Day went on with us all taking the car out giving it a real hammering, taking out different passengers’. For some reason they would not allow us to use a camera in the car, would have had some great footage, it was by far the quickest thing on the track, and got loads of people around the car in the paddock.
There was a photographer there on the day so I'm looking forward to the photo's.
We have agreed now that we have found the limit of the shocks, and need some ohlins on there, the breaks felt awesome, the carbon metalic pads really are amazing.
So all in all an awesome day, I think we must have done 100 laps between us, the car never missed a beat. I have said in the past that I don't think a mini turbo running over 15psi could ever hold together on the track being driven hard for 10 laps in a race. Well I've just proven my self wrong.
After a few rolling road sessions, one race day, and a hard track day the car is still going strong. I will remove the engine now and check through it but so far all looks good. There is a suspect fault with one of the CV's after the boot split the car does feel harder to push, no surprise 255bhp and a dry CV don't go well together. I think I may also have a slight boost leak, because as the day went on, we seemed to get a tiny bit of lag, I'm guessing the intercooler has a small split after running 30psi.
All in all, an awesome day, and I'm feeling the love again.
There are some photo's of the event here:
www.photodirectuk.com/MSE09/12%20PE20090531/index.htm
;D
