Phil Wicks Driving Academy/North American MINI Cooper Challenge

Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch – Pahrump NV
2.2 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 oountry, 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 laps of the Spring Mountain racetrack.  At the end of the session, most cars lined up on the grid for a group photo opportunity.  Everyone had big smiles and thanked PWMDA for the opportunity to experience driving their car on the race track.

The first round of the NAMCC Race was staged next.  Unfortunately, due to some cars not meeting the complete safety requirements (insufficient roll cage protection) and attrition, only 3 cars responded to the call to race.  As word continues to spread about this grassroots, economical and eager little series, more and more MINI racers will realize what a great opportunity exists to race their MINI among other MINIs and help fill the grid with colorful, competitive MINIs.   The NAMCC television partners, MavTV waits in the wings to televise what they believe is a terrific racing platform for television coverage.  The NAMCC goal is to essentially replicate the original British version of the MINI Cooper Challenge.  In that spirit, Phil Wicks Racing loaned wheels and race tires to one racer after damaging his car in practice.  Jeff Johnstonbaugh was extremely grateful for the spirit of camaraderie shown by Phil Wicks Racing and was able to compete..  Jerry Bradbury, #37, sponsored by MINI Mania; Jeff Johnstonbaugh, #223, sponsored by Bidspotter.com; and Clark Brownstein, #68, sponsored by MINI Mania and prepared by Precision Motoring, lined up on the grid for the standing start.

#223 won the hole shot into turn one, #37 and #68 side by side for the first few bends.  They managed this without incident or spinning off to the excitement and amazement of the many spectators.  #223 held on to the lead for the first lap.  On lap 2, #37 – Jerry Bradbury – with extra horsepower and driving experience, took the lead.

So it was #37, #223, and #68 for the next lap.  #223 – Jeff Johnstonbaugh – was on loaned wheels and tires and probably was still getting used to the unfamiliar Kuhmo tires.  #68 – Clark Brownstein – was able to get by #223.  So it was #37, #68, and #223.  Next lap, #68 – Clark Brownstein – was able to pass #37 in the tight esses before the front straight.  So #68 led #37 with #223 dropping farther back.  It remained that way until #37 was able to pull the same maneuver in the same place on #68.  At the white flag lap, last lap, it was #37, #68, #223.

On the last lap, at the back section of the course between turns 7 and 8 complex, cars were battling for final race positions.  Brownstein managed to get past Bradbury, who subsequently tried every maneuver in his lengthy repertoire of racing moves to get back into the lead into the final s bends, but #68 just held the lead onto the front straight and a drag race to the checkered flag.  #68 just headed #37 by half a car’s length.  #68, Clark Brownstein; #37, Jerry Bradbury; and #223, Jeff Johnstonbaugh, was the final result.

The cars completed their cool down lap and returned to the cold pit road for trophy presentation and press interviews.  All drivers congratulated each other on a very hotly contested race and conducted in a true example of gentlemen racing displayed in the first round of the NAMCC.

Point standings are:
#68         Clark Brownstein                                              12 points
#37         Jerry Bradbury                                    9 points
#223      Jeff Johnstonbaugh                                          7 points

Fastest laps:  #68 – 1:59.199
                          #37 – 1:59.354
                     #223 – 2:12.393

First Round NAMCC Solo I – Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch – Pahrump NV

All 26 competitors were issued transponders and attached to the front of their cars.  There were no extra fees for entry or transponder use.  Each driver had three twenty-minute sessions on the track and the full 2.2 mile course was driven by each driver Solo.

The cars were set off at 30-second intervals.  So at any given time, there were 5 cars on track as each car completed its cool down lap after taking the checkered flag and came back on pit road.  The next car set off on its standing start hot lap watched by a large crowd who really enjoyed the tires spinning, blue smoke and burning rubber.

Very impressive was #1 T.C. Kline in a Group 3 R56.  Only cold air intake and exhaust cat back mods, but unlimited suspension, tires and brakes.  This was quite clearly the best handling car of the day and very well driven by T.C.  Matt Jensen, #41 in Group 4 JCW Spec racecar on street tires very deservedly won Group 4.  Matt is a past competitor in the NAMCC Race Series.

Nathan Munits in Group 3 drove extremely well in an absolutely showroom stock PWMDA entry..     

The winners of each class are as follows:
Class 1: Barry Koehler                    12 points

Class 2: Clinton Campbell              12 points
                                Seana Doughty   9 points

Class 3: T. C. Kline                            12 points
                                Nathan Munits                    9 points
                                Michael Lagrasta                7 points
                                Sandy Rehart                       5 points
                                John Weitz                            3 points
                                Justin Hurst                          1 point

Class 4: Matt Jensen                       12 points
                                Lex Pearce                            9 points
                                Kevin Adkins                        7 points
                                Brian Adkins                         5 points
                                Malcolm Adkins                  3 points
                                Jerry Craft                             1 point

Class 5: Clark Brownstein              12 points

Classic MINI:      Mike Spangler                   12 points
                                Dave Dalton                         9 points

The North American MINI Cooper Challenge (NAMCC) is pleased to announce that the leading Mini/MINI aftermarket performance parts company, Mini Mania of Nevada City, CA, has agreed to be the official race parts supplier for participants competing in the series.

“We are very excited to add Mini Mania to our growing venture,” said series owner and organizer, Phil Wicks.  “I get calls all the time from interested racers on how they can transform their MINI into a racecar and now we have an official parts supplier to help them more easily make the transition with the professional expertise and know-how of Mini Mania guiding the way.  We look forward to many new race cars joining our series in the coming season.”  Additionally, racers with MINI racecars already on the race track can take advantage of quick changes and obtain needed parts promptly with the extensive inventory and technical expertise of Mini Mania.

The North American MINI Cooper Challenge is a grass roots series developed by long time Mini/MINI driver, Phil Wicks.  Wicks is one of the leading experts in the world on Mini performance having raced the car during the early years of its development.  Now, 40 years later, with the introduction of the BMW-built MINI, Wicks is again at the forefront of MINI performance.  The NAMCC is designed with similar competition rules and format as the very successful MINI Challenge Series in the UK.  Racecars in the UK series are eligible to compete in the U.S. version of the series.  As more and more series around the world are developed for the MINI Cooper, a global effort on developing a global MINI racing series has commenced.  The NAMCC is working toward their goal of being part of a global series of MINI Cooper competition.  With the addition of Mini Mania as the official race parts supplier, another step toward making that goal a reality is closer
at hand.

Mini Mania will develop several racing “kits” to most easily transform MINIs into racecars eligible to compete in the NAMCC.   Links from the NAMCC website will keep racers informed of new race parts and information to keep their racing MINIs motoring down the track for many seasons.

The Phil Wicks MINI Driving Academy, organizers of the North American MINI Cooper Challenge, announce the addition of a SOLO 1 Championship to their growing stable of MINI performance driving arenas.  The North American MINI SOLO 1 Challenge will commence in 2008 and will be scheduled at each Phil Wicks MINI Driving Academy event throughout the 2008 calendar year. 

“We have found that our customers are truly excited to learn that we are adding a SOLO 1 championship to our events,” said Phil Wicks.  “We scheduled several SOLO 1 events this year and it was an outstanding success.  This new championship will enable more performance drivers who love competing in their MINI Cooper to experience the thrill of competition and driving their MINIs without the added expense associated with full-bore racing.  The SOLO 1 Challenge will add dramatically to our events, increase our ability to showcase MINI performance to more drivers and provide enthusiasts an effective outlet to learn additional performance driving skills.”

The North American MINI SOLO 1 Challenge will have its own championship as well as select events counting toward the North American MINI Cooper Challenge championship.  “We’ve patterned our events after the British MINI Challenge Series,” added Wicks.  “Originally, the MINI Challenge consisted of races, autocrosses and hill-climb events, all counting toward the overall championship.  We felt that an American version of this type of competition would add to the spirit of the MINI Challenge.  Just like the name suggests, the North American MINI Cooper Challenge champion will have proven his or her ability over a variety of driving challenges to lay claim to the championship title.”

 The North American MINI Cooper Challenge racing series recently crowned its 2007 champion.  In a repeat performance from the inaugural championship season, Waylen Hunsucker from Indianapolis, IN won the championship for the second year in a row.  His car is sponsored by Way Motorworks and M7 Tuning.  Second place in the final standings fell to Clark Brownstein, from Bay Area, CA in an M7 Tuning sponsored MINI and third to Robbie Davis of Charleston, SC, in an M7 and Hendrick Autogroup MINI.   Series champion, Hunsucker will be eligible to compete in the UK MINI Challenge Series as a guest of the series as a result of winning the North American Championship.  In last year’s UK event, Hunsucker was able to finish in the top ten in what many would describe as the most competitive MINI Cooper racing series in the world.  The North American MINI Cooper Challenge is sponsored by MavTV, Alta MINI Performance, Hendrick Automotive Group, Kumho Tires, M7 and Minspeed. 

 SOLO 1 competition is similar to an autocross where each competitor drives around a defined course one at a time.  The competitor with the lowest elapsed time wins the event.  Competitors are penalized with a time penalty for knocking over driving cones set up strategically around the course. The primary difference between an “autocross” and a SOLO 1 event is that SOLO 1 is staged on a racetrack.  With Phil Wicks MINI Driving Academy events held at various race tracks around the country, the addition of a SOLO 1 schedule was both economically feasible and a logical extension of Phil Wicks’ competitive events. 

There are a number of additional elements in planning stages for the North American MINI Cooper Challenge.  Extensive discussions have taken place in relation to the development of a global racing series, all held under a similar rules structure that would allow MINI racers around the world to compete in any one of several international series.  The North American MINI Cooper Challenge is being designed to incorporate this philosophy and rules structure.  The growing affiliation with the U.K.’s MINI Challenge is an on-going example of this reciprocal cooperative arrangement.

The 2007 North American MINI Cooper Championship (NAMCC) starts its second season of racing at Spring Mountain Motorsports Raceway in Pahrump, NV, near Las Vegas on Friday, March 23^rd. 

NAMCC’s television partner, MavTV national cable network, approached the series with a special request.  One of their television reality programs, “Bikini All Stars” wanted to shoot some scenes for an upcoming episode using MINI racing as a backdrop.  As a result, forty of the nation’s, if not the world’s, most beautiful and stunning models are scheduled to visit the track to shoot special scenes of the program with NAMCC MINI Coopers as background.  In honor of the NAMCC, the models will also sport “mini” skirts in addition to their bikini wardrobe adding a, how-do-you-say, special attraction to the seasoning opening event!

“I’m excited about our 2007 season,” added series organizer Phil Wicks. ”The addition of the ‘Bikini All Stars’ is a fun addition to the racing scene.  My vision for this series is to make it the most entertaining and cost effective form of racing in the United States.  What other series would get an offer to host some of the world’s most beautiful models?  I am thankful that the producers of the show and our friends at MavTV thought of the NAMCC series when they needed a special location to shoot their program.”

So now fans of the NAMCC will get two chances to watch the racing competition on MavTV; one from the coverage of the race itself and again from the “Bikini All-Stars” program.  With MINI racing and mini skirts, there will be action on the track and perhaps just as much attention off the track as well!

Official sponsors of the North American MINI Cooper Championship are MavTV, ALTA MINI Performance, Hendrick Motorsports, Kumho Tires and the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation (official charity).  For more information on the NAMCC visit www.minidriving.com.  For more information on Bikini All Stars visit www.mavtv.com.

The second season of the North American MINI Cooper Championship (NAMCC) got underway under perfect weather conditions at Spring Mountain Raceway in Pahrump, NV near Las Vegas, on Friday March 23^rd.  Two rounds of the championship were contested with a special appearance by the 2006 British MINI Challenge Series Champion, Gareth Nixon taking on the U.S. counterparts for this race as part of his season-ending championship prize.  The 2006 NAMCC Champion, Waylen Hunsucker had previously contested one event of the British series at the end of the 2006 season.  Hunsucker, a relative rookie in racing went up against the more veteran British racers and managed a top ten finish in the highly competitive UK MINI Challenge Series.  Here in the USA, the NAMCC is in its more formulative stages and interest was high to see how well the American drivers could do against the veteran British champion.

At the traditional  “standing start” of the first race, series newcomer and pole sitter, Bob Scheer took a narrow lead from 2^nd place Nixon.  Randall Smalley followed close behind in 3^rd.  At the end of the second lap, Scheer got sideways and Nixon, taking advantage, moved into the lead but clipped the corner of Scheer’s car.  Both continued, albeit Scheer had fallen to 3^rd behind Smalley.  As Scheer tried to close the gap back to the leaders there was contact with Smalley and both were forced to retire.  Meanwhile the action was not only at the front of the grid.  Brian Black was charging closely behind U.S. series champion Waylen Hunsucker, but fading brakes resulted in Black hitting Hunsucker from behind bringing Black’s race to a premature conclusion.  Hunsucker motored on but was unable to catch the UK champion who had managed to open a gap between himself and Hunsucker.  At the checkered, UK champion Nixon beat U.S. champion Hunsucker with series newcomer Clark Brownstein driving Phil Wicks’ Racing showroom stock MCS taking the checkered in 3^rd place.

With several of the most competitive entries sidelined for the 2^nd race, Gareth Nixon found that his primary competition would be from U.S. champion Hunsucker.  But after the start, Nixon’s greater experience in racing MINIs began to show as he managed to increase his lead by about a half second each lap.  Despite the hard charging efforts of Hunsucker, he was unable to catch Nixon to finish in 2^nd place with Brownstein repeating his 3^rd place finish and rookie racer Carolyn Kujala in another showroom stock MINI Cooper S finishing 4^th.

“We have come a long way in a year,” commented series organizer Phil Wicks.  “It is a challenge to create an American version of the highly successful British series, but I am proud of our competitors here today and they managed to give Gareth Nixon a bit of a run for his money.  This was no pushover and one mistake by Nixon would have changed the result.  Our guys did a very commendable job and it was an exciting race to watch.  I want to thank all of our competitors for putting on such a great race.”

Series official sponsor MavTV was there in force with five cameras covering the on track action and five in-car cameras recording the action from the cockpit.  “The MavTV guys were great,” added Wicks.  “They are so enthusiastic about MINI racing and it shows in their approach to covering our races.”  In addition to MavTV, series official sponsors include ALTA MINI Performance, Hendrick Motorsports, Kumho Tires, Minnie Pearl Foundation (official charity) and newly added M7 Tuning.

The next events on the schedule are rounds 3 and 4 of the western division series The Streets of Willow at Willow Springs, CA on May 12-13.  The series will then move east for the first of the eastern events at Summit Point Raceway on May 18-20.