At Cal Speedway with BMWCCA Driving School (many pics) - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

palantirion · 11th October 2006, 09:16

So here's my writeup on the BMWCCA Driving School held this time at California Speedway.

First, some pics of the venue. A beautiful morning at the track:

Looking back at turn 21 and the start/finish line:

The hot pits:

From turn 3 looking back at turn 2:

Turns 3 and 4:

From the other direction, with some cars on track:

I was surprised by the degree of organization BMWCCA exhibited with the scheduling and implimentation of the event. I'm guessing there were around 150 participants, and a LOT of instructors, which makes menial tasks such as serving lunch quite a bit more challenging than at the smaller schools I've attended.
The instructors:

...were very good, some of them I recognized from Driving Concepts. My instructor the first day was Matthew, who was insistent on me perfecting the line of the track before disengaging DSC. This was difficult for me at first since I am used to throttle-steering my M5, and my DSC has no idea what to do with the added diff, power, and grip from my mods. Regardless, Matthew had the right idea. I learned the track quite quickly and when we turned off DSC later in the day it was easy to hustle around the track. My instructor for the second day was Dennis. The first session I showed him what I learned the first day, and he signed me off to run solo as they were short of instructors and I was safe on the track. Unfortunately I had to cut the day short as I was getting excessive pad transfer. But that's a story we'll get to later...

I thought the track looked quite technical - at least in map form:

...but it actually had a nice flow and interesting challenges.

We didn't run the NASCAR turn 1, but had a chicane instead. This was probably the most fun turn on the track as I came up to it at about 135mph and then braked down to 85. I carried a touch of brake through turn-in, and then quickly transitioned to WOT as I headed down the banking onto the apron.

I transitioned to maintainance throttle on the apron and slowly drifted up onto the banking again for turn 2. Later on, as my confidence increased, I was able/willing to transition to WOT here as well, getting up to about 130mph before the braking zone for turn 3.

Turn 3 entry speed was probably around 45mph, and has a very late apex to set up for turn 4. It took me a full 1/2 day to finally stop turning in early on 3 - it feels like you are bringing the car to a complete stop after 130mph! Then it's a short stab on the throttle and a tap of brakes to plant the front:

For turn 4:

...a right-hander, which I can't say I ever felt I got perfect, but rarely got "wrong" either. I think it's just one of those turns you don't "feel" as well as others.

Turn 5 was very fun. You get to trail brake and throttle oversteer as much as you feel comfortable - and it's a pretty fast corner.

It combines with turn 6 to create a double apex turn that can be taken as a single apex turn. The trick is to be patient with throttle application on exit so you don't kill your momentum for the upcoming straight.

Next comes the only part of the track that made me nervous. Turn 7A:

...and 8A is a fast kink that I "should" have gone through at over 100mph. I'd hit about 110 before the kink, but never felt I could shed the speed before turn 9 so I'd lift and glide through instead. But then, I'm not racing

Turn 9 was the longest slow turn on the track:

It has a very late apex and is followed by a long straight, so it's important to get right. Mostly, don't turn in early - after that it's an easy turn. As always, progessive throttle input.

Turn 10 is the first part of the kink after turn 9:

I started using a light throttle and letting the understeer take the car through the kink, but later I realized that if I just stayed on the throttle and lifted a touch the car would turn in naturally (or spin if you lift too much

):

...then back to WOT for the straight.

I got up to about 120mph or so before the braking zone for turn 12:

This was the second hardest part of the course on the brakes. I trail braked a lot into 12:

...apexing late to set up for turn 13. Turn 14:

...is more like an extension of 13, and sets up for turn 15:

...which you don't want to early apex or you'll be too far to the left for turn 16:

Here I dabbed the brakes a little both to slow my beast down and also to get a little more rotation. Turns 17, 18, and 19 are really one long turn which you apex at turn 19. Here my M5 could accelerate faster than it could turn, so I had to be patient and lift just enough to clip the cone at 19. Then I simply unwound the wheel and floored it onto the banking through turns 20 and 21:

Here are some more pics on Tiamat on the track:
On the back straight between 6 and 7A:

Passing an E36 in the same place:

Setting up to pass a 911 on the straight between 11 and 12:

Here are some short vids I made. I apologize for not having any in-car footage, but I screwed up and hit the wrong button

-HERE are some drive-bys of my M5 on the front straight. The sound is a little weak because at this point I was off-throttle.
-HERE is a partial lap with the turn numbers superimposed.
-HERE is me passing a 928 after turn 11. Note, he WAS off throttle a little to let me pass

Here are some pics of my M5 at the track. Note the Duplicolor spray-on bra. It's ok, but takes a while to remove with soap and water later. In the future I'll be going back to tape.
My M5 next to RoadWarrior687's VF-blown 540i:

The bra:

By one of the garages:

Next to Stickman's M5:

Her first time on the grid at Cal Speedway:

So, again I shrug off Chris's advice (my tuner from BMS) and don't switch my pads to those he suggested. This time I was using BHPs, which he said would be fine on most tracks - but NOT Cal Speedway. I figured I wouldn't be going that fast my first time there - WRONG!

Anyway, aside from losing two sessions due to excessive wheel shudder, no damage was done. I just need to drive it on the street until the cementite gets ground off.
This is what pad transfer with BHP pads looks like:

Here are some other cool cars from the event. The first is possibly the neatest car there. It's a 2002 running a blown Mazda rotory engine putting down 419rwhp! Coming off turn 9 it accelerated as fast as my 470hp S2! I also loved it's stance and overall aesthetic:

Here are pics of Stickman's M5:

Here's a pic of Stickman's and Mike's cars in the paddock:

Mike's 540 on track:

RoadWarrior687's 540 on track:

Oh, yeah, and this was there:

I didn't get to drive it much, but from what I can tell it's the bee's knees! Everything I love about the M Coupe is tighter and more precise in the Carbon Coupe. I can't wait to rent it from TC Kline and spend some quality time evaluating their components! More pics:

Anyway, that's it for now. Hope it was interesting.

Archille · 11th October 2006, 09:44

Very Cool!!! Wish I was there. That banking is a blast on a motorcycle.

My teammate and I will be out there for a trackday weekend with Fastrackriders and Pro-Italia on 10/15-16.

JPint · 11th October 2006, 11:13

Exelent coverage of the event mate . Glad you had fun !

You have stoptecks on and they still couldn't do the job ? O my what a nightmare .

aaronmiles · 11th October 2006, 15:27

Love the wheels.... nice job... that spray on stuff not too hard to get off I hope?

Beamer_usa · 11th October 2006, 18:31

Great pics! Never heard of that spray on bra? How did it work?

Jon@TheMShop · 11th October 2006, 18:54

I was there too! Took my E46 M3 and I can't wait to go again. My M3 is bone stock except for the front Euro rotors.

Here's a pic of the M3 and the brake dust or deposits being caked up inside the Euro floating rotors.

Mark_m5 · 11th October 2006, 19:13

Great writeup Earl! Looks like you had a team of photographers with you. I posted the one pic my son took of your car on my thread about Car Control Clinic on that Saturday.

I'm planning on joining the "D" group next time.

wilsodh · 11th October 2006, 19:14

Wonderful report Earl. Your write ups are second to none. This really whets my appetite for some driving instruction and track time.

What was the deal with wheel shudder? Material build up on the rotors?

Btw...who is doing all the camera grunt work while you guys are out there playing??

Dave

gbogh3 · 11th October 2006, 19:26

Great Pics Earl, wished I could have made it. Looks like a really fun track!

Does the spray stuff protect as well as tape? How's getting it off? It looks cool! You can have the car in Flat Black and then wash it!

Hawkwind · 11th October 2006, 21:42

Great lunch time reading and viewing. Thanks!