[Guest]

As promised, here's the full scoop on last weekend's BMA CCA Drivers School out at Summit Point.

But rather than troubleshoot all of the vBulletin formatting here, I just wrote it up in Front Page and uploaded the results to my Bimmerfest web space.

Warning- I am NOT a web designer and, hence, this is not the most efficient page ever built. It will take longer than most to load (it's the pics).

But hopefully it'll encourage someone who might not have done so otherwise to sign up for and attend one of these schools.

Here's the link- http://www.bimmerfest.com/members/TD/bmw_cca_ncc_drivers_school.htm

 

[nate]

Good Page :thumb:

The Track looks like a lot of fun. I would like some elevation changes That track probably has more elevation than this whole state

I'm going to the PCA school on Sat/Sun, unfortunately it is supposed to rain every day through Sunday Hopefully the track won't flood

edit: Where are the pictures of the M5s and E46s?

 

[Nick325xiT 5spd]

Way cool/ :thumb:

 

[Dr. Phil]

Nice write up TD:thumb:

Sounds like something all of us should consider

 

[Mike 325xi]

Great write up Tom...it looks like you had a blast and learned a lot :thumb:

 

[Guest]

edit: Where are the pictures of the M5s and E46s?

Two of the M5s are in the first paddock pic. And you can see one of the E46s in the second "False Grid" shot (there were only 3 or 4 TOTAL at the school).

And I appreciate CD-55 taking the pics so I am not about to comment on the content. Hell, I wanted pics of me out there. Plus, as I said in the write-up, I only had the 8 MB card in the camera, so storage space did become a consideration. Next time I'll take the 64 MB card and shoot everyone else.

 

[nate]

Two of the M5s are in the first paddock pic. And you can see one of the E46s in the second "False Grid" shot (there were only 3 or 4 TOTAL at the school).

And I appreciate CD-55 taking the pics so I am not about to comment on the content. Hell, I wanted pics of me out there. Plus, as I said in the write-up, I only had the 8 MB card in the camera, so storage space did become a consideration. Next time I'll take the 64 MB card and shoot everyone else.

I was just kidding But it would be nice to get an M5 pic. I may actually do a DE in an M5 this summer :dunno: Or at least get some good pictures.

4 E46s? Not bad. Last one that I went to, there were 2, my 328Ci and a 330i. There were no non-M E36 and 3 E36 M3s, on a track only car. But, it was a Porsche event :dunno: Also, E46s outnumberd both E36s and E30s at the last Auto-X :dunno:

 

[ayn]

Nice writeup TD! Sounded like u had fun! I drove on a wet track the second day of my first DE as well, I kindda liked it, people drove slower so I won't get intimidated by cars wanting to pass, and I got to learn just as much if not more. Like I would experience the things that only happen at high speed on a dry track in a much much slower speed.

Last Friday was the first day to signup for the April PCA DE, I'm gonna skip this one coz my house closes that same week and I'll need money for stuff when I move into the house in June. I'll definitely get out there as soon as I can though! lots of fun!

--Andrew

 

[Chris330Ci]

Thanks for the great write-up TD! I hope to attend my first school sometime soon... :thumb:

 

[Spiderm0n]

TD.... thanks for the great info. I am now determined to get to a track sometime.

 

[Guest]

TD.... thanks for the great info. I am now determined to get to a track sometime.

As I've said repeatedly... DO IT!

 

[___lk___]

hmm, those pics make me wonder about what they're teaching you to do...

unless there were rules against actually using the whole width of the track, it seems like you are in the wrong place lining up in some of those turns...again, maybe they're just trying to show you some basics...i dunno.

 

[Guest]

hmm, those pics make me wonder about what they're teaching you to do...

unless there were rules against actually using the whole width of the track, it seems like you are in the wrong place lining up in some of those turns...again, maybe they're just trying to show you some basics...i dunno.

WTF lk? Regardless of what it may LOOK like to you, everyone was more or less on line. Granted this was the C Group, so not everyone was EXACTLY where there should be. But everyone was very close (within a few feet). Why in the hell do you chime in so negatively? What's to be gained ?

 

[Big Al 330i]

TD, I believe I remember you saying that your insurance covered this because it is considered a school. Am I correct? If so, I have a question. I know an autocross is not covered by insurance because it is a timed event. But do you think the car would be covered if I signed up for an autocross school?

 

[___lk___]

Why in the hell do you chime in so negatively? What's to be gained ?

sorry man, didnt mean to come off negatively...it's just that there seemed that maybe they weren't out to show you the fastest line around a track...sorry if u interpreted that as an attack...u said u were in the newbie group, so i assumed that speed wasn't the primary goal.

for future reference, study this pic:

the fastest line thru that turn in "line m"... if you need more proof of that, i can give it to you...or just watch how pro F1/Indy drivers take a similar turn.

now, this is you, right? look how/where you are lining up that turn...

you are 10-15 feet too far to the right...sorry if that pisses u off, but that's why i was saying that they were probably trying to show you guys other things at first (i.e. not the fastest way around a track).

...but don't blame me for pointing that out.. others might think they're going to that course to learn things that maybe aren't being taught...excuuuuuse me.

 

[Guest]

TD, I believe I remember you saying that your insurance covered this because it is considered a school. Am I correct? If so, I have a question. I know an autocross is not covered by insurance because it is a timed event. But do you think the car would be covered if I signed up for an autocross school?

On first reading, that sounded like a grey area to me too. But, as I understand it, placed finishes and/or timers makes it competitive. And only competitive events are not covered by insurance. So, I guess technically, an autox school WOULD be covered.

Still, I doubt anyone is going to suffer any damage at an autox, much less an autox school.

 

[Big Al 330i]

On first reading, that sounded like a grey area to me too. But, as I understand it, placed finishes and/or timers makes it competitive. And only competitive events are not covered by insurance. So, I guess technically, an autox school WOULD be covered.

Still, I doubt anyone is going to suffer any damage at an autox, much less an autox school.

Thanks for the reply. The NY Chapter of BMWCCA is having an autocross school at the Nassau Coliseum on May 25th. I am considering it.

 

[Guest]

sorry man, didnt mean to come off negatively...it's just that there seemed that maybe they weren't out to show you the fastest line around a track...sorry if u interpreted that as an attack...u said u were in the newbie group, so i assumed that speed wasn't the primary goal.

for future reference, study this pic:

the fastest line thru that turn in "line m"... if you need more proof of that, i can give it to you...or just watch how pro F1/Indy drivers take a similar turn.

now, this is you, right? look how/where you are lining up that turn...

you are 10-15 feet too far to the right...sorry if that pisses u off, but that's why i was saying that they were probably trying to show you guys other things at first (i.e. not the fastest way around a track).

...but don't blame me for pointing that out.. others might think they're going to that course to learn things that maybe aren't being taught...excuuuuuse me.

lk-

I understand THE LINE.

Look at the track map I provided in the link. The turn you chose to highlight is Turn 6. Turn 5 is taken rather tight leaving you mid track as you head in to turn 6. This pic was taken after the initial track in point. The apex point at turn 6 is early to allow your line to reach out to the outer edge of the track before turning in for turn 7. Apply all of this to the map and you'll see what I'm talking about.

This is NOT a regular, constant radius turn,e specially considering where the prior turn leaves you and the subsequent turns require you to be on exit.

In full context, I am where I am supposed to be in that turn.

 

[___lk___]

In full context, I am where I am supposed to be in that turn.

i'd have to see the course...but from the map, i would take 5 slower, since it's so tight anyway, just so i could set up 6 (a nice wide sweeper) and get back all my speed (and then some) that i scrubbed off before entering 5...turn 6 should be taken on-the-boil...if u were braking upon entering 6, after that nasty little turn 5, then u were way slower than u should have been.

next time you're there, take 5 like a grandma, just so you're setting up 6 for the kill...that whole turn should have been taken at 9/10th's....but you're right, if you try to take 5 w/o thinking ahead to 6, then you end up exactly where u were entering 6...

if take my advice, your instructor's expression will be :yikes: next time, instead of .

 

[CD-55]

sorry man, didnt mean to come off negatively...it's just that there seemed that maybe they weren't out to show you the fastest line around a track...
.

Sorry lk, but TD is right on line if you happen to think about the entrance and exit curves, which are out of view from the picture. In the picture, you should notice that cement patch... it has far more grip that the greasy black-top. BTW, the experts were taking nearly the exact same line as TD that day.

CD-55