I am sure MiniUSA has looked at this many times and asked the same question. Would a Mini race series in the United States costs offset an improvement of the brand image or sales. Although I would love a Mini spec race, but I happen to agree with their decision to date.

MINIUSA seems to have enough cash to send people on free trips to Europe (from the US), to cover their top tier events, like MINI UNITED.

Wow you’re right Frank. Flying a couple journalists to Europe on $800 plane tickets is surely about equal to a multi-million dollar national race series. Yeah, what’s stopping them!!!!

MINIUSA is most certainly not a cash strapped operation.

Man you really ended the argument there. “Most certainly” is obviously better than “most” and “certainly” on their own. Nothing else needs to be said does it?

Really?

MINIUSA seems to have enough cash to send people on free trips to Europe (from the US), to cover their top tier events, like MINI UNITED.

MINIUSA is most certainly not a cash strapped operation.

Think you pointed out my one problem with this race car. No car I have ever driven is perfect, modify..modify..modify is my history. Starting with a 65k base Mini to modify isn’t likely, sure do look forward to my future factory JCW.

Siddhartha would love to see the stats on your track car and some photo’s. Sounds like you have a barn stormer.

The only stat that matters is a 2:06 time around Thunderhill, which set the Time Trials Class D record in May 2007.

Check out the process here:

http://www.motoringunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5177

Sad indeed, the amount of $ for grassroots racing in the States relative to the strength of our car culture is pathetic. In contrast, look at many European countries and others like Australia/NZ — they have numerous top level motorsports series like F1, MotoGP, WRC, DTM, Aussie touring car, etc. in addition to more grassroots, smaller, well-supported, sponsored series like MINI Challenge.

The price for building a MX-5 cup car is darn close to what MINI will be charging, and personally I’d much rather race the MINI. You can build a spec Miata for significantly less, but even the top guys in that class are paying upwards of $50K for “cheater” spec cars with engines made from matched components (B&B is not allowed, but people will always stretch the rules to the nth degreee).

Compared to the entry price of $250K or more for a competitive Speed World Challenge car, and the MINI actually starts to sound like a bargain. Don’t get me worng, I can’t afford the spec MINI, but given its components and the labor that goes into building a dialed, reliable, safe race car, the price is not obscene.

If you wanna go race regionally for the least amount of money, a series like spec e30, spec 944, spec Miata, Honda Challenge is probably the way to go…

I totally agree about the color selection from Mini though, we need more choices. Bring back silk green, and EB.

Mazda has done well with the Miata/MX-5 cup series. I think the price of admission is a good bit less than 60k, though.

You’re absolutely right. However (as you point out) the price of entry is substantially lower and thus the opportunity to get large (regionally based) fields in much higher.

Mazda has done well with the Miata/MX-5 cup series. I think the price of admission is a good bit less than 60k, though. The series was televised on Speed Channel. From what I’ve seen of interviews with MINIUSA execs, they won’t be supporting major race series, which would be necessary for a MINI cup series to succeed.