Did 4 track days this year in my
MCS (all with the BMW CCA Bostson Chapter at NHIS), in addition to my normal complement of SCCA road racing in a non-MINI.
First time out (May '03) the car was box stock (performance run-flat tires) - one of the best stock street cars I've had on track. Could not get the car to do anything evil, even if I lifted off the throttle mid-corner. Issus: brakes went away fairly quickly (NHIS has lots of braking zones with no long straights), and the tires made a LOT of noise sliding through the corners.
Second time out (August '03), I upgraded the front brake pads to Carbotech Bobcat compound, Zimmerman cross-drillled rotors, and Motul brake fluid. Still stock tires. Less brake fade, but still not like I like them.
Days 3 & 4 (October '03) were a two-day school. Wheels and tires upgraded to Yoko AVS ES-100s on Kosei K1 Racing wheels, brakes replaced with EBC Red stuff (all 4 wheels). Added Madness 22mm adjustable rear sway bar. Starting to dial in a little evilness into the handling (a little evilness is good - and faster). I ran the sway bar full soft, which was still better than stock, but I think I could stand to go a little firmer on the bar. Brakes stopped well, but the front pads were COMPLETELY worn off by then end of the second day. To be fair, it wasn't just me driving the car. I'm in the BMW Club Instructor Development program so I had not only my track sessions on the pads, but also instructors-acting-as-students-with-me-in-the-passenger-seat sessions (a couple of hundred track miles).
The car's got plenty of power in my opinion, but needs a little help in the braking department. A little more stick would be nice, too (but that's mostly tires in my case). Most important upgrade to start is to tighten the nut behind the wheel!
-noam
