Bruiser - my black and blue E46 M3 track car

Two day event means I got to leave my car and trailer at the track overnight and drive my truck the hour home in AC and cushy ride. This is living folks!

Set a new PB on Thunderbolt today but I had to fight for it. I wasn't fighting the track, the new pavement has ridiculous traction.

My intermediate group was a truly weird mix of cars and the high horsepower cars were just always in the way and very tentative on point bys. I spent easily 70% of my laps in slow traffic even with multiple trips to the hot pits to make space. Here's hoping that day two is different either by jumping to advanced or having a critical feedback post-session download.

Be safe and have fun. 

PB from day 1. I had some great coaching in my morning sessions and a two wide exercise to start the first afternoon session with some lead/follow in the next session. PB was last session, last lap so apparently I was learning some things throughout the day!

Day 2 I had a new instructor, Matt, one of the owners at https://www.empowerautomotive.com/. I had seen him driving his absurdly fast 335d out on track at past events and it was cool to get to know him a bit throughout the day.

He helped me experiment with my strategy for turns 1-3 and it was good to get very specific feedback about different things I was trying. He was initially surprised by my entry into the octopus, but I tried it his way and it didn't work as well for me or the car. He really helped me hone my exit out of the octopus and our specific practice on 1-3 will continue to pay dividends.

Just like day 1, set my PB on last lap of the last session

 

Headed to Pocono North with NASA NE on the 23rd. It's a Sunday event and I debated getting a hotel for Saturday and trailering the car up early but for a single day event and 2 hour tow each way I'd rather get it all over with in one day.

I'm looking forward to learning the transitions from banked speedway to infield and also seeing all of the great people I met at NASA NE events last season.

Loaded the truck and trailer Saturday night and left the house this morning around 5:30 to make the trip up to Pocono. 1.5hrs later I was pulling through the tunnel and unloading to grab a free garage spot (one of the true perks of the track).

Saw three instructors I got to know pretty well last season and one ended up leading my group for the day. DE3 and 4 were combined into a 6 person advanced group with passing by point by anywhere on the track. 2 BRZs, 2 Miatas, a Cayman and I made up the group and all were driven by solid, safe,  predictable drivers.

Pocono North is short and fast, and with a transition onto the banking and back off good suspension rules the day. I worked on my transitions all day and would happily work on them another couple of events as it was so unlike any other track situation I've faced before.

I ran 4 sessions and split early to beat the rain. Set my PB of 1:00.09 in the second session after learning the track reasonably well in the first session which apparently was good enough for the Catalyst leaderboard.

Chased a 59 in the much hotter later sessions but didn't see it sadly. Ran consistent 1:00.x laps though and had some fun mixing it up with the BRZs, the Cayman and a few instructors, one in a GTS4 E46 and the other in a 350Z.

The car treated me well all in all. If I had one complaint, I would have liked more confidence inspiring braking while trail braking off of the banking into the infield after hitting vmax of 128. I felt like I struggled for consistency of application and release but on the plus side it motivated me to get lower my brake duration and build speed into the corner with each lap.

My next two events are at PittRace with NASA in July and then back to NJMP in August with BMW CCA. Can't wait!

Finally booked my hotel room for PittRace and convinced my 17 year old son to join me for the trip. It will be great to have the 1:1 time with him for the trip.

Now I need to make sure the car is completely squared away so I don't do a 5 hour tow and then break the car. Oil change is needed and I should probably get some spare rotors and pads "for inventory". Tires need to be rotated as well so I'll get a good look at the brakes when I do that.

Zimmerman front rotors and Hawk DTC 70s all around ordered from FCP Euro for peace of mind. Will be here before I head out to PittRace and I'll be happy to have them along for the ride whether I need to use them or not.

You will love Pittrace, it's an excellent track and challenging/fun track to learn. If you're up for it, we'd love to have you at Watkins Glen for one of the GVC Chapter BMWCCA driving schools. The Glen is another bucket list track. 

In reply to nsogiba :

You've piqued my interest, but I can't find the event on Motorsportsreg

Never mind, I think I finally found it: https://gvc-bmwcca.trackrabbit.com/event/details/10012732-GVC-5th-Annual-Derek-Hanson-Memorial-HPDE--121-at-WGI-2024-09-26

Decided it was time to invest in safety and took advantage of my NASA discount at OG Racing to order a Sparco suit and shoes that should be here by Wednesday. Have two MOMO undershirts on the way as well and still looking for some decent bottoms.

My seats and harnesses need a refresh but I'm waiting until end of season to make those changes.

Yes we are on Track Rabbit now, no longer on Motorsportreg.

We have events at the Glen in early August and late September. 

https://gvc-bmwcca.trackrabbit.com/event/details/10012730-GVC-Mid-Summer-Ultimate-HPDE--120-At-WGI-2024-08-02

https://gvc-bmwcca.trackrabbit.com/event/details/10012732-GVC-5th-Annual-Derek-Hanson-Memorial-HPDE--121-at-WGI-2024-09-26

In reply to nsogiba :

Thanks! I'm seriously considering the late September event. Pending discussion with the family

Suit arrived today! I was worried about sizing but the size chart was spot on and the fit is ideal standing and sitting.

Day 1 at PittRace organized by NASA Great Lakes is in the bag. Great track, great organization and my car behaved itself.

Had 4 sessions today with a lot of exercises but the 2nd session with an instructor and no exercises was the best part.

Back at again tomorrow with group 2 class starting at 7:30. This is the most classroom heavy group I've run with but it's good material.

Day 2 started at 7:30 in the classroom and we were there for probably an hour or more before a warmup session at 9:30. 2nd and 3rd sessions were a reverse grid drill with an instructor as the lead car where we built on the off line and passing exercises from the day before. Passing was by point by anywhere aside from marked braking zones and the goal was to work through the pack of slower cars, let faster cars by and get past the instructor.

This was the most fun I had both because of all the passing and off line driving but also once I made my way past the lead instructor I had tons of open track ahead and got to focus on improving my braking and lines.

Finished out the day with the 3rd session at 4:10 and loaded up for the 5.5 hr tow home. PA turnpike traffic the first 1.5 hrs was pretty rough with lots of dense traffic, hills and tunnels but we had clean sailing the rest of the way home thankfully and we're home by 10:30.

Obligatory best lap

This was my second session ever on the track and I had an instructor along for the ride who gave great feedback. I really hoped to get down to a 2:05 on Sunday but it wasn't to be as the best I could muster was consistent 2:08s.

Finally, a few reflections on the state of the car and my driving.

The car

• I ran starting tire pressures of 30 front and 31 rear and was seeing 36f/37r post session. I think dropping my starting pressure and looking for 32f/33r post session is the way to go next time around.
• I changed oil before the event and didn't have a replacement crush washer. Drain plug is weeping and I'm a dummy for not ordering a washer kit.
• Brakes are effective but not confidence inspiring. May need a bleed before next event and I'd love to experience the car with a BBK but damn what a big investment 

My driving:

• Learning a new track is no joke! I need to approach this more methodically and actually learn from my catalyst videos between sessions and make more concrete improvement plans.
• Really building comfort off line and passing but struggling a bit with visibility in my mirrors.
• Just starting to practice my heel toe and need to keep at it to get from conscious incompetence to unconscious competence.
• I can control oversteer and need to push harder through corners and trust my car control more.

I need to be more disciplined about learning a new track. Rather than watching Drive to survive the night before my first day I should have been on YouTube watching laps and looking for expert turn by turn commentary.