My first track Day...

A few months ago Phil Wicks called me up and let me know that he was running one of his Driving Academy’s at Virginia International Raceway (VIR). He wanted to get the local MINI club, DC Metro MINIs involved and wondered if I could post the event to our club forum. My husband Mark and I signed up pretty quick and I got very excited about my first time on the track. I decided to bring my new 2014 All 4 Countryman, rather than my

R52 Tigger as I wanted to learn how to handle her better. I’ve autocrossed the last few years but have never been on a track and what attracted me to the Phil Wicks Academy was the idea of getting instruction in a controlled environment. I only got my Countryman a few months ago; it was in addition to my R52 that I love but really didn’t love driving into DC and back every day. I wanted a nice commuter car and thought the CM would be a great choice. She’s True Blue Metallic and I named her River. I quickly fell in love with my new MINI and found that I really liked the height, even after years sitting low in Tigger. I was also really surprised at how nimble she was and how she didn’t feel big at all. River is totally stock, OK a few Dr. Who

themed stickers but other than that she’s stock, and she’s still got the All Season run flats. A part of me wondered why not bring the cabrio out since Phil Wicks allows them on the track. In the end I really wanted to get to know this car and figured this was my chance.

Mark and I spent the night before in a room on the track. It was great waking up and being a one-minute drive to the registration building. The morning was freezing; I was wishing I had packed gloves but the excitement of running on the track quickly made me forget that. The cars were all covered in frost and all I could think about was how cold the track would be. I’ve autocrossed on cold days and didn’t enjoy it, what am I doing out here? I’m sure that I’m going to spin right off the track.

We got registered and I grabbed some coffee, it was some of the worst coffee ever but it woke me up! Note to self; bring your own coffee next time. I had to get the frost off of the windows and add the numbers. Great, we had blue tape and I have a blue car, so the numbers went onto the windows. Luckily the classroom was in a nice warm room. Mark was in the Red Class and I was in Green. The Red class guys are more advanced and would get to go out alone; the Green class students were all getting instructors. All I kept thinking was “Please let mine be nice, I don’t want one yelling at me GAS!!! Brake!!!!! GAS!!!! BRAKE!!!!” I’ve been there in autocross and while it’s helpful after you know something it’s not helpful when you’re nervous and have no idea what to expect.

Phil went over the rules of the track, he showed us the course map, and he talked about the day and got us all settled. Finally he paired us up with instructors. I was assigned to Chris, I was sharing him with two other students but in four sessions I would get to work with him twice. I looked back at him, he’s a big dude but he looked nice. Please be nice cause right now I’m really nervous. Nervous that I’m going to roll my Countryman doing something stupid, or that I’ll miss a flag and stay on the track too long, or drive off the course. I had managed to figure out many things that could go wrong. It is amazing what goes through your head before your first track session!

They announced our class and out I headed, I grabbed my helmet and got in the line. I was first, crap! I didn’t mean to be first! Why must I always be so prompt, but first I was so I took a silly selfie with my helmet on and waited for Chris. He came over soon after and said “I see, you’re one of those that is first. Looks like you’re ready to go.” He got in and we started chatting. I asked that he focus on just a few important things and not tell me everything that I was doing wrong. I explained that if I get too much information I’ll get overwhelmed and forget it all. He told me not to worry, that his style is to focus on just a few things. He also told me that Phil likes to give him the “special students”. Hmmm what does that mean? So I told him I’m the DCMM club president and he said, replied with saying that I was a dignitary, which must be why he was working with me. Dignitary works better than special for me, I’ll take it! First time out we were going to point out all of the course flaggers and he was going to show me the lines. Well, that sounded easy enough. He said that another student would be following us, as he wanted to learn the lines.

We headed out and headed to the first right turn, he told me to go to the far left and then turn sharply. I didn’t do it right and next thing I know he’s got my steering wheel and bam! We’re turning!!!! He says hold it, hold it!!!! And the car magically makes the turn while I am SURE that we’re going to drive right into the grass. We’re now set up for the next turn and the steering wheel dance continues with me resisting the poor guy at every movement. He grabs the wheel, I fight for it but try really hard to let him take it. The control freak in me is screaming and the outer Ali is cursing up a storm. You see, I curse when I’m nervous AND when I’m having fun. There was a ton of foul language going on in that car. I could hear Chris laughing.

By the end of the first lap it started to make more sense and we did 3 or 4 laps total with me fighting for the steering wheel and poor Chris trying to explain it to me. He was AWESOME, he didn’t once yell at me and he seemed to be having fun. He was so damn calm.

The next heat I was set to go it alone. Was I scared? YES!!!! I am not ready for this!!!! But I braced myself and got into the line a lot further back. Next thing I know Phil Wicks himself is jumping in. Well Phil and I did the steering wheel dance while he barked at me “Stop using your brakes, there’s no reason for brakes here” I cursed more and used a bit more gas. Phil was determined to get me through a turn without brakes. Working with Phil was a blast and the information that he gave me was very much like what Chris said, I like consistency and that made things easier to understand. OK, this was a lot harder than I expected.

After that Chris took me out for a session with him driving River for a few laps. He was having fun with the All 4 and he really made use of the long straight as I watched that needle climb well past 100 to about 120. This made

me realize that maybe I could go faster than 80 in the straight. River felt so solid and she was doing really well. I fell in love with my new MINI again.

Third go around and I was by myself. Phil comes over to the car and reminds me repeatedly to point the other cars past in the straights. “ You remember how to point right?” “Well yes Phil, I’m getting very good at that part. I promise I’ll point people by.”

Out I went and I was nearly the last car out. Which works out great for the first turns but its not long before the front people are catching up and I’m working my pointing skills. I did fine and was really starting to have fun. Later one of the other drivers sincerely thanked me for those pointing skills.

More classroom time and the certificates were given out. I had one more session out on the track and I was excited. Chris joined me and I was pretty much the last car out. I mean if you’re slow then you’re slow and it’s best not to ruin anyone else’s time. We did the steering wheel dance through the tight turns but on the S Turns

I was confident and whipped through them at a respectable speed, Chris commented that I had found a rhythm and that I was handling them really well, he even said like an intermediate driver. We got to the oak tree hairpin and he yells at me to gas it. I yelled back “ARE YOU SURE?” and I did it!!! We flew out of that turn into the straight and I was screaming for pure joy (and cursing). I also had to point someone past as their version of screaming out of a turn was a bit faster than mine. For me, this was amazing as I was really feeling my MINI and enjoying it. I knew that it wasn’t going to just fall over and the “Big MINI” it didn’t feel top heavy or have a lot of body roll. That Countryman I felt amazing after the challenges of a track day. Phil Wicks Driving academy gave me a good environment to start in. The track is intimidating and it’s fast. While I know I was one of the slower drivers out there I also accomplished what I set out to do. I learned my new MINI and I got out there. The feeling is nothing short of ecstatic! I’m back home now and love to amuse my carpoolers with my new faster lines when I hit the on and off ramps. I tell them not to worry; I’m a race car driver and fully trained :-)

River is my daily driver and I kept saying that she’s not going to be modified. I need one practical car, but you know, maybe some better tires, some suspension, just a few little tweaks that’s it, maybe a tune? I’d really like a better exhaust. And so it begins all over again!

Alicyn Drew is the President of the DC Metro MINIs club as well as a contributing photographer to MotorWerks Magazine. Her website is www.alicyndrew.com

The Phil Wicks MINI Driving Academy is the world’s bestknown MINI specific driving school. More information can be found at www.minidriving.com