BMW Club Racing School

If you don't feel like reading the novel, watch the Practice Race Video

You can also watch the same video with the theme song to Magnum PI HERE

The Rocky Mountain Chapter of the BMW Car Club of America brought a unique opportunity to Colorado this year, the BMW Club Racing School.

“The philosophy of BMW CCA Club Racing is to offer all BMW CCA licensed club racers a competitive driving experience conducted in a fun, safe, and friendly environment on a reasonably level, class-based playing field for all types of factory authorized or constructed BMW's. The primary emphasis is on clean driving and machinery preservation. This philosophy will be maintained by the application of common rules and procedures by the BMW CCA Club Racing Stewards at each event.”

With Bimmerworld as the main sponsor, the Club Racing School offers some of the best bang for the buck in racing schools. I was extremely impressed with the talent of both the instructors and my fellow students. The first order of business was to get the M Coupe sorted. I don’t intend to make the M Coupe a race car, or even a dedicated track car, but it is a perfect learning tool! The biggest thing holding me back at the track in the fall was the stock suspension. Here’s what I did about it, along with some other spring projects.

Spring Projects

KW Variant 3 Coil-overs with Rouge Rear Shock Mounts

Ireland Engineering Urethene Rear Subframe Bushings

Swapped Front Shock Mounts = -3.5 Degrees Negative Camber

I sourced a 3:46 torsen limited slip differential out of an ’88 635csi. The M Coupe’s original 3:15 ratio was too tall to get the most out of the S54 engine. The rumor is that BMW did that so it wouldn’t be faster than the more expensive M3. A 3:73 would be perfect for the track, but 3:46 is a good compromise for street driving and track. The great thing about the M Coupe is that any medium case differential from the ‘80’s and early ‘90’s will work. There are some advantages to having a car designed from the parts bin.

3:46 Limited Slip Differential from an ’88 635csi with Andrew's M Roadster Finned Cover

Momo Mod Drift 330mm Steering Wheel

New Dunlop Star Spec Z Tires

New Castrol 10W-60 Oil and Motul Racing Brake Fluid

Turned Rotors to Remove Brake Pad Deposits

Check-in at the Club Racing School was at 7:00am. On my drive out to HPR the forecast of rain was confirmed by a solid band of moisture pumping into Colorado from the southwest. It would be a wet morning. It would also be my first time driving on the track in the wet.

The Club Racing School consisted of about eight hours of classroom and four twenty-minute track sessions each day. The first thing we did was warm up on the track during the instructor-drive. The rest of our morning was spent discussing off-line driving and passing, followed by driving the entire track three abreast and working on passing drills. The afternoon centered on practice race starts and flags drills.

I took it easy during the instructor-drive. It was my first time on the track after all the changes to the M Coupe, I think the wet actually helped me get a feel for the car because it forced me to be smooth. After a few laps I was amazed at how well the Dunlop Star Spec tires evacuated water.

Speed came organically each with lap as I grew more comfortable with the car and the conditions. Unlike the dry, some of the best grip was off-line away from the oil and rubber deposits. There were times when I would hit puddles of standing water at close to 100mph, sending rooster tails ten feet into the air. Threading the needle between the wettest areas and best grip was just like picking the best line of the trail on the mountain bike. My karting experience also paid huge dividends in car control!

Notes from Day 1:

• The workload of clearing for passing traffic, driving off line, driving in close proximity to a lot of cars, and scanning the corner stations made me feel like a novice again.
• I don't look at the corner workers nearly enough and had to force myself to do so increasingly throughout the school.
• One great suggestion is to have a flow. Before each turn scan the corner station, braking point, downshift point, turn in, apex, and exit for potential outs and traffic.
• Use the straights to check engine instruments.
• The M Coupe has terrible mirrors. Even angled all the way out it's hard to see traffic.
• In racing, it's safer to pass and form up closer to the car being passed--like the width of a few coats of paint! This allows the overtaking car to present itself sooner and fill the mirrors of the car being passed.
• The three abreast drills and later passing drills were a lot like formation flying.
• The most efficient way to pass is to do so in a way that has the least costly effect on both car's lap times.
• Know the rules, the track, and your competition. Formulate a plan to capitalize on your strengths and everyone else's weaknesses.

The practice starts were terrifying at first, but as we all learned to trust each other the terror gave way to fun! It's really no different than a mass start at a mountain biking race. Imagine the start of 24 Hours of Moab at 100mph!

Day 1 Practice Starts and Flag Drills

Badass Lotus in the Paddock

Jo Experiencing the Nissan GT-R

After the club banquet, Casey, Melinda, and I found a one-wall car wash over a mud pit in the town of Deer Trail. Then it was off to The Lonehorn Motel for a few hours sleep. There was literally a million dollars worth of cars in the motel parking lot!

One Wall Car Wash Over a Mud Pit

The Longhorn Motel

Day two consisted of more learning of the rules, practice starts, flag drills, qualifying, and re-starts both behind a pace car and single file from a full course yellow. The last exercise was a simulated race.

We warmed up again during the instructor-drive. With an empty track and no drills, I pushed the M Coupe harder, still learning my new setup. The small deep-dish steering wheel, suspension, and negative front camber transformed the car. On the stock set up it was like a rattlesnake waiting to pounce. It would understeer, understeer, and understeer right up until that gave way to dramatic oversteer. This is mostly due to gobs of power, a trailing arm rear suspension, and a short wheelbase. It was rewarding when I got it right, but terrifying the rest of the time. The suspesion changes squelched the understeer and the small steering wheel allowed so much more precision in dialing in a little slip angle and controlling the rotation. It also finally let's me shift unimpeded - finally!

Notes from Day Two:

• A yellow is an opportunity to close the gap on the cars in front of you. Drive just as fast as during the green. Do not slow down except for near the incident!
• The turn flow works. I saw flags a lot sooner today and was much more comfortable in traffic.
• Qualifying is an art. Get a few fast laps in as early as possible in case the later sessions are cancelled, there is an incident, or conditions change for the worse.
• The fastest qualifying laps are usually just after one or two warm up laps. Once the brakes and tires are warm, put in three good laps. If your lap times are not getting better, take a cool down lap, hot pit, or call it.
• Don't try to drive a qualifying lap much different than a normal lap. Brake a little later and turn in a little faster. Very small changes! If you try to make large changes you will probably be slower than normal.
• Don't think too much about the qualifying laps. Just find your "zen" and do it!
• Drive single file on the pace laps and pace car restarts until near the start so you can keep more heat in the brakes and tires. Grid up as late as possible.
• Be more aggressive in capitalizing on passing opportunities. Metered aggression...
• Don't give up time getting passed. Hold your line and let the passing car do the work. Be safe, but don't be too polite.
• Capitalize on cars being passed ahead of you. Follow the passing car, but always have an out and make sure the car being passed is aware you are passing too.
• Draft and pull out to pass as late as possible. Stay close as you pass and tuck back in on-line quickly.
• DON'T RUN OUT OF GAS DURING THE RACE!

More Practice Starts and Flag Drills

Qualifying Session

My Best lap was 2:13:34.  Just like the instructors said, the best one was after one warm up lap.  The next two were still 2:13's, but diminishing returns.  After three laps I pulled off for cool down lap.

Go Pro Footage w/ Telemetry Overlay

Speeds & Lateral G's

Practice Race

For our last session we combined all the skills we had learned through the weekend in a practice race.  We would grid in any order we wanted and start just like a Club Race. At some point there would be a yellow flag and possible restart.  It was still an exercise so we were told to drive at 8/10ths, and for the most part we did.  I gridded near the back to work on passing.

As someone who gets paid to not run out of gas, you would think that wouldn't be a problem. Wrong! Before the session I had just over 1/3 of a tank. I had been using about 1/4 a tank on the longer sessions, so I opted to go out in a lighter car and not pay $9.05 a gallon for the 98 octane that HPR sells. It was a poor strategy as I drove the car much, much harder in the "racing environment". I would bet I was getting 6-8mpg! The needle would fall about two needle widths per lap.  I stayed out until literally the last possible drop!

Beyond Empty

After the last session we were all smiles. I could see why the instructors said the racing school was more fun than an actual race. We got a bunch of starts and mixing it up, but no pressure to win. I highly recommend it for any advanced DE student. As far as my personal racing future goes, money will be the ultimate factor in what type I settle into. Casey and I test drove an E30 race car that was an astonishing three seconds faster around HPR than my M coupe, but again that money thing.

Shots from Day 2

Corvette ZR1 and E46 M3 Race Car

The M Coupe Gridded in the Middle of 3 Generations of M3's and a 2002

3.0Csi

2002 Race Cars

1 M Coupe

Awesome Vinyl Wrap

The Esses - Turns 13, 14, & 15

The weekend was a complete blast and a reminder that it's the people, not the cars that make it fun. It was great seeing all of my friends in the BMW Club and making some new ones. Andrew gave me a dedicated session on braking points in his E92 M3, Justin took Jo for a proper track experience in his Nissan GTR, mixing it up with Kyle and Wayne in their 2002 race cars made me smile so hard my cheeks hurt, and laughing it up with Casey was the perfect therapy to unwind from the intensity of the track. Thanks to Scott Huges, and all of the instructors for putting on the Club Racing School. And thanks to Andrew, Bruce, the club organizers, corner workers, and all of the people in the BMW Club for putting on such a safe, fun, and rewarding weekend.

Packed Up After a Great Weekend

Where the Micro Buses Go to Die

I know of a sanctuary of sorts. It's not for birds, tigers, or dogs. No its inhabitants are much less organic, but easily recognizable - the original Volkswagen Bus. The Type II Transporter was born in post war Germany. It evolved from a factory converted Type I (Beetle) that was used as an internal cargo vehicle. It became an icon of a generation in both the original split window form and later bubble window version.

I had a '73 Westfalia bubble window that defined my teenage years, emptied my wallet, and taught me how to work on cars. I drove it up and down the East Coast, into the Deep South, through the Rockies, and across the Northern Plains. All at a blistering Vmax of 60mph with a long line of cars, trucks, even mopeds angrily waiting pass.

My '73 Westy

The sanctuary is a final resting spot for hundreds of split and bubble window Type II's. It's secret location, just off I-25 north of Denver, is known only to a select few. Take Erie Parkway west to the stop sign. Make a left then the entrance is about half a mile on the right. If you see the dump you've gone too far. Oh and don't turn early into the RV storage before the stop sign. The "select few" is the entire '90's era readership of VW Trends Magazine, every VW Type II forum member on the planet, and anyone who's needed a used car part from Blake's Small Car Salvage.

Okay, the secret of Blake's has been out since the '80's rendering all the good bus shells long gone. Blake's will still sell you one for $1500, but you have to provide a replacement for either the junkyard wall or parts storage the shells have become. I frequent Blake's often for E30 and Tacoma parts. They aren't the cheapest, but they usually have what I need and getting to see the buses is a bonus.

Split Window

Bubble Window

Last month I needed a window motor for the E30. The seldom travelled side roads I take to get there would be a good opportunity rev the M Coupe, so off I went in the clown shoe. Blake's is a photographer's goldmine, especially if you like rusty, industrious subjects. I didn't have my SLR, but was kindly allowed to snap a few cell phone pics as we moved from bus shell to bus shell looking for a '88.5-'92 BMW E30 driver's side window motor. As we wandered the yard the sky darkened with ominous cumulo-mamatus clouds. The grey seemed appropriate for the scene, contrasting the shades of faded pastels and rust perfectly. I couldn't help but wonder how many miles traveled, adventures had, or shear tons of marijuana had been consumed amongst fleet.

Walls and Parts Storage

This One's Got Stories

This One Too

I got my parts and went on my way. Whenever I think of my old VW bus it conjures up happy memories. The freedom it offered me to venture out on the open road, to explore a newly accessible world. It taught me to appreciate things most people take for granted, like heat in the winter or a gear shifter with the number 5 on it. I'd like to build up another one day. Maybe something with a Subaru motor and luxuries like heat. Or maybe a bone stock split window with the original1500cc motor. Either way my relationship with the venerable Type II is still intact. And just like a Type II, a trip to Blake's leaves my wallet lighter, but my heart fonder.

Of Course I Had to Take a Few with the M Coupe

Flytec Race and Rally 2012 - Wrapping Up

I compiled my Go Pro HD Hero Cam footage from Day 7 of the Flytec Race and Rally.  Steve Kroop from Flytec had a 15" camera arm and downtube mount on hand that I proceeded to over-tighten and break.  He kindly and patiently exchanged the broken mount for a new one and the Go Pro was put into action.  Thanks Steve.  I'm very please with the mount.  It strapped up solidly to the keel, both above and below, although a safety lanyard would be prudent.  Unfortunately, the camera died on the first day and on the second the lens filled with so much fog everything was a blur.  For the last day I decided to mount in next to me on the downtube so I could baby sit it.  I still had a fog issue in the start circle when I was close to cloudbase.  Then the battery died just after the second turn point, missing my super low save and landing.  As a result there isn't much of a story arc, but it gives a good view of my perspective through the start and first leg.

Day 7 Vid - Start Circle through First Leg

YouTube

Vimeo

I'm super happy with the Flytec mount and would recommend it to anyone who want's an easy, versatile, no-brainer of a mount.  A few weeks back Davis showed how it can be extended with an old batten.  I can't say the same for the Go Pro HD, which was abnormally high maintenance this comp.

While I was editing I managed to merge a few clips of Wolfe and Alex swooping the pond at Quest.  It's not going to be as good as their onboard angle, but pretty cool to watch anyway.

Wolfe and Alex Swooping the Pond at Quest

Youtube



Smugmug

After the awards ceremony John, Heather, Paris, and I piled in the Element and headed north to Atlanta.  After 3.5 hours of sleep I dropped them off at ATL then back to the room for another 2 hours. I spent the day with Adam, Kristie, and their kids until the weight of my 24 hour driving time back to Colorado was too heavy to ignore.

The Element Overloaded

The Last Push

I made it just outside of St. Louis before sleep was no longer an option.  After a short four hours I put my head down and endured Kansas in the only comfortable way - with my feet on the dash.

My Accommodations for a 4 Hour Nap

This Can Only Be Done in Kansas

Beauty on the Plains

Crossing into Colorado at Sunset

Flytec Race and Rally 2012 - Day 7

Day 7 gave me one last chance to make up for my Peaceful Slumber-induced late start yesterday. I was keen to make up as much ground as possible. A 140km dog-leg task to the north from Moultre Airport to Americus Airport was called. The only obstacles would be a small forest and Lake Blackshear, 20km short of goal. I launched early in the open window, over an hour before the first start. There were a few clouds lingering in the start circle with light lift underneath. As the ordered launches towed up a few gaggles formed. I was at the edge of the start circle way too early so I joined the main gaggle low over the airfield. After finding a few cores I was able to get close to the top of the stack for a good starting position. When the first start clock came everyone left in a massive exodus. All the gliders at various altitudes looked like a scene out of Independence Day when the earthlings attacked the alien mothership.

Day 7 Task, 140km from Moultre to Americus, GA

At 3000' I stopped with a few others to sniff out a bump, but left after one turn. In that one turn I lost the lead group, who got down super low before their first climb. For the rest of the first leg I followed one glide away with about 6 others. Near the turn point our gaggle had thinned to 3, but we were joined by low stragglers off the front gaggle. There was another gaggle about 10km to the west that paralleled our line. Later I found out that was a slightly worse line which really mixed up how everyone would make it to goal. Just shy of the turn point the switch turned off and the lift got thin and light. My gaggle splintered and almost everyone decked it. I found a low save at 700'. I was already unzipped when I hit a 50fpm bump. I clung to 50-150fpm for almost 45 minutes slowing working back up to 3000'. As I did that I saw another half a dozen gliders tag the turn point and everyone who was below me decked it. It was terrifying so I waited until someone finally joined me to head out to goal. We were only 35km away, but were bucking a crosswind. My partner across the abyss of light lift was Pete Layman. We only found one slow climb back up to 3800'. That was the last climb of the day and we landed together just short of Lake Blackshear.

Lake Blackshear from the Turn Point

Pete and I On Our Last Glide of the Day

I really thought I was going to make goal. My disappointment stung even more when I found out a solid group made it. I did a good job of working with people, not being too aggressive or too conservative. I didn't give up when I was down low and was able to claw my way up from 700'. Unlike the previous days when I decked it there wasn't one single mistake or strategy I could pinpoint as my error. It was just a fickle day. Racing hang gliders is like a three-dimensional game of chess with dice. There is definitely a luck element and I didn't quite have the talent to overcome a little bit of bad luck. 

The finish was dramatic. Jonny, Dustin, and Zippy got held up on the line to the west. Paris and Pedro took a death glide over the lake, but found lift. Then Pedro went for goal super early and Paris had to follow. Paris stopped for one turn just make sure he had the numbers and Pedro made it by a small margin. The turn cost Paris 1st place overall and $1300, but he took it stride. Overall I'm please with the comp. I finished 26 out of about 55 pilots, which is my best finish yet. I should say to that the talent this year was on another level. Everyone is just so good and it was a pleasure to see such expertise in action.

Sunset at Americus Airport

Awards Ceremony

Final Results HERE

The flying was great and most of all spending a week with the regulars was fantastic. It's really the people that make this sport. I had a thousands laughs hanging with my main partner in crime, Jon Simon. His wife Heather and Paris made the hours spent on the road pass quickly. Many thanks to both of them for such good company. I'd also like to thank the organizers, tug pilots, ground crew, and other pilots for a great week. Everyone works really hard to pull this race off every year and the rewards are well worth it.