Das Race: My '97 M3/4/5

[ScottyB]

hey another great writeup. how you guys pull off these last minute mechanical resurrections consistently is beyond me. teamwork makes the dream work eh?

enjoyed seeing your take on the new suspension, that's gotta be super cool to go out there and comfortably take mid pack knowing you've got a lot of headroom to explore in the grip department. it seems like outside of the valve soup you've got a consistently reliable machine that has plenty of room to go faster for you.

[Jake]

So I missed a Hyperfest writeup on here but it's on my blog:

http://outmotorsports.com/2018/06/a-rain...st-at-vir/

TLDR: I got hit by two Spec E30s and now my car is at a body shop.

On the plus side, I heard from the shop this morning and it looks like a BMW again:



It never ends. Onward to Pitt Race in a few weeks!

[WRXtranceformed]

Is it pretty common to beef with people who hit your car in racing? I feel like that would get really old paying for other people's mistakes / misfortunes. Or is that just assumed when you get behind the wheel on track that you could wreck and it could be your fault or someone else's and you just accept it?

[.RJ]

Or is that just assumed when you get behind the wheel on track that you could wreck and it could be your fault or someone else's and you just accept it?

This is what happens, yes.

And I've not seen any sanctioning bodies take a real proactive approach to contact on track.  Yes there are racing incidents and shit happens and everyone should be responsible for fixing their dents/donuts/etc but there's a lot that isnt.  Most groups* rely on one driver protesting another to push any sanctions, which is a really complicated and stressful process so most dont do it.  And a lot of groups worry that if they start proactively addressing contact then people wont want to come race with them and lose entry fee $$$.  

*Mostly SCCA, here. NASA is better.

[Jake]

July 2018 - NASA Great Lakes at Pitt Race
It was announced back in the start of 2018 that we'd have a joint event with NASA Great Lakes at the recently-revised (and apparently, much improved) Pitt Race, about an hour westish of Pittsburgh. I was super pumped for a new track, and thankfully the racecar got put back together in time. A huge thanks to Fairfax Collision Center and GTPeace for their hard work and reasonable pricing to get me back out on track.

On Friday, I grabbed the car from GTPeace and met Ryan and Tom in Chantilly:



We headed out through Leesburg and hit Route 15, which connected to I-70 and then the Pennsylvania Turnpike (side note: it bothers me that the signs all say "Penna Turnpike"... the fuck is a penna). The turnpike is super tight in spots and towing the enclosed was mildly uncomfortable, but the truck handled it well. Glad I got it as the Range Rover would have been a nightmare with the winds going through the mountains.

Unloaded - check out the awesome body work FCC did:



We went to dinner in downtown Pittsburgh on Friday night, at a place that used to be a church but is now a brewery and restaurant. Pretty neat:



Driver's meeting on Saturday morning - apparently "drivers-meeting-itis" is a thing that never escapes you, no matter how old. Meeting was informative but they do like to talk in Great Lakes and all of our meetings ended up a bit rambly.





The track was very fun - I hadn't really prepared much as I've just been too busy. So, I was going off of one page of race notes from a known hot shoe GTS2 racer in the region, and a couple of videos. It helped, but given the crash at VIR recently, I was super nervous about pushing very hard. I did pick up some time (about 6 seconds) throughout the weekend, but wasn't aggressive enough on the starts to stick my nose in there and fight. Need to get that mojo back for VIR in August.

That said, the car held up well. Saturday's race was cut short, my friend/fellow GTS2 competitor Scott ended up with nowhere to go as a C5 Corvette spun on the first green lap. Scott punted the Corvette and both Scott's E36 and the C5 are wrecked pretty bad. Drivers are okay although not sure about full details on the C5 racer yet. We ended up completing three laps and two of them were under caution. Not much of a race.

I pulled a Maeng on Saturday in qualifying:



Scott's crash:









Sunday had two races on the schedule - a points race in the morning and a fun race in the afternoon. I enjoyed both, although I took a Mustang to the rear at T1 in the morning race. He pushed the bumper shocks in and re-jacked-up the trunk lid a little bit. Whatever, it closes/latches and the car doesn't look fucked beyond some white paint transfer. We got no warmup/qualifying on Sunday morning, so I think the Mustang just came in on the first green lap with cold brakes and had less stopping power than anticipated. I've had that happen before, and almost taken people out because of it, so I can't be too upset. Both cars are fine and this is why we have bumpers.

I'm starting to get a little thump-thump-thump noise from the car, made worse when turning left. Thought it was a tire rolling over but I'm also wondering about a wheel bearing. May have to get the car over to Uncle Deren for diagnostics and general inspection before VIR.

Overall, was a super fun event with only small nits to pick. NASA GL does not "do" announcements, which was supremely annoying as we had some delays due to... only having one Advanced Life Support ambulance on-site. The minimum requirement is to have one ALS and one BLS (basic life support), but if ALS has to transport someone, the event stops until they can hand off the driver or return to the track. After Scott's crash, ALS was occupied and the track was cold for a while. Mid-Atlantic pays extra for another ALS ambulance (so we have two) and that keeps things running on the infrequent chance that we have to use them. Awards were given out kinda on the fly, Chris does a better job of commanding attention and presenting things with our awards party.

More photos and video to come as I have time to put it all together. The facility was great and definitely glad I went! Super, super fun track. Hopefully we can do more of these joint events as I'd like to get back there next year.

[Senor_Taylor]

That track looks neat. Sorry to hear that your rear got all jacked up again.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[Jake]

August 2018 - "Unkefer Memorial" at VIR

A fellow GTS2 competitor (Matt W) messaged me the weekend before our end-of-summer race weekend at VIR. “Hey man, how would you feel pulling your restrictor plate and running ST4?” Looking at attendance numbers, GTS2 was only going to have three or four of us instead of the usual 6+, and ST4 had another two registered. Our E36s fit well enough into Super Touring, and thus, the decision was made to change classing for the sake of contingency winnings, as most companies require five or more “starters” to pay out any sort of prizes to the top finishers. Another competitor, Nick Kelly, bumped his BRZ up from ST5 to ST4, which meant we had a total of seven starters for the races.

I towed down to VIR on Friday afternoon, stopping halfway to meet Ryan at our typical Wawa rendezvous. Our arrival saw us waiting for the gates to open (a different group had the track rented through 6 PM), so we enjoyed some “Miller Lattes” with a few other friends in line.



Once we had paddocked and unloaded our cars, I set about transforming my car from “GTS2 mode” to “ST4 mode.” Thankfully, there wasn’t much to do. GTS2 requires our cars to weigh 14.5 pounds per horsepower.

ST4’s target ratio is just 12.1 pounds per horsepower. The first step in transforming the car is to remove the restrictor plate. Four bolts allow the throttle body to pop off, and the plate slides off. Boom, now the car makes about 235-240 wheel horsepower, up from 210-220. Although there is a calculator on the NASA website, basic math made with some assumptions will provide a vague target weight. In my case, I assumed 240 horsepower, which may be optimistic for my particular car. 240*12.1 comes out to 2,904 pounds as a target weight.

When running GTS2, I must be 3140 pounds (with driver) and run about 80 pounds of steel plate in the trunk to help achieve that goal. Moving to ST4 meant I could remove all of that weight. Two bolts later, the steel plates were in my trailer and the car was lighter. If I were to truly compete in ST4, I’d have to continue “gutting” the car to reach the real target weight. As it stood, for this weekend, I was able to come across the scales at 3100 pounds with half a tank of fuel. There is a lot of weight still in the car that can be pulled, for sure.



Saturday’s practice and qualifying saw all of us pick up some time compared to our GTS2 “bests.” I started running consistent 2:11 laps, which were about a second or so faster than before. DJ helped work on my new suspension setup, adjusting the rebound of the MCS shock absorbers to help with overall grip. We also removed an end link on the rear sway bar, effectively disconnecting it from the car. This helped the car put power down to both rear wheels when exiting tighter turns.



Saturday’s 25-minute race started off well, but unfortunately ended behind a pace car. Someone in a different class spun their Porsche in the flat esses, impacting a tire wall. While the driver was okay, the cleanup required was substantial enough that it was safer to end our race early. So, we were checkered under yellow. I finished Saturday’s race in fourth place.

Sunday’s race was longer, at 40 minutes, and was amazingly a green-flag race the entire session! I struggled to get by an out-of-class racer in the first two laps, and by the time I did pass him, my competition was a bit too far ahead to truly catch. Working through traffic is a goal of mine for October’s “rematch” back at VIR. Regardless, I kept my nose clean and turned some consistent laps, ultimately finishing fourth again. Two competitors were disqualified for coming in underweight at the end of the race, which moved my overall finish up to second.



We lucked out – massively – with the weather this weekend. VIR in August is traditionally very hot and very humid, and every event there this year has involved rain or snow. The track stayed dry all weekend, with very tolerable temperatures and only mild humidity. It was a really pleasant surprise and lent itself to some new track records. Matt, in ST4, laid down an incredibly fast 2:01.9! His car is the most “ST4-ready” of all of ours, as he actually raced in ST4 in the past, with other NASA regions. The rest of us, coming from GTS2, could stand to lose a few hundred pounds.

I suspect we will all go back to GTS2 for the October event, but the extra speed and more nimble handling of a lighter car was a new kind of fun. I am curious to see what the group will decide to do for 2019, given the cars can fit in either class relatively well. I'm looking hard at ST5.

Looking ahead to October, I’ll be more comfortable with my MCS suspension and continue pushing. Some 2:10 (or less) laps should be possible with relative ease, and more aggression on the starts will hopefully keep me even closer to the pointy end of the field. Looking at data has shown which sections of the track are my strengths and weaknesses, and the answer to most of the weaknesses is simply “brake later.”

[Kaan]

Looking good! Where is the “like” button?

[ScottyB]

strong finish all things considered! wish i could find my way to VIR when the weather ends up like that...its always insanely hot or freezing for me.

[ScottyB]

Hey I was just thinking re: your "pad knock back" issue you mentioned I think in group chat....do you time your wheel bearings out?  Maybe one or two bearings have play and are pushing the caliper piston back under load.

[Jake]

Missed an Oktoberfast at VIR update but wrote about it on my blog, so have at it over there.

This past weekend was our season finale at Summit Point. In recent years' past, it's not been a W2W race weekend, with just HPDE and Time Trial going out all weekend. Chris decided to change it back and "Fall Finish Line" was born.

I got in super early and waited in line for a bit with Zach. Caught a fun odometer reading on the truck heading down.






The high for Saturday was just 40* and we had some low overnight temps anticipated. All W2W racecars are required to run water in the cooling system, which can be a problem with a low of 21* in November. Enclosed trailer FTW, I just ran the car up to temp for a bit at the end of each day and stuck it in the trailer with a small ceramic space heater going all night. Seemed to keep the trailer around 55-60* - perfect.

It was a lousy season for all of GTS2, really. Among some new track records and a lot of fun, almost all of us dealt with engine problems (me, Matt D, Chris D), crashes (me, Scott, Mark, Matt D) or both. Regardless, we're all stronger for it now and managed to share a lot of good times and laughs throughout the season. For the final weekend, I'd done the math on season points and realized I just had to show up and finish both points races to take 2nd Place for the season. It's not so much an earned trophy in the "OMG I went really fast" sense, but I managed to have a reliable enough car and keep my nose clean enough that the points did add up.



So, we all showed up and had a decent-sized field with nine of us starting on Saturday. Our warm-up was cut short by a new Spec3 driver and Boxster driver getting tangled up - we got 8 minutes into the day and they crashed over at T3 - so we didn't get much heat in the cars, not like it would have stuck around anyway.

Qualifying was qualifying, and then we had our first points race before lunch. I got a good start and was chasing Bill and Dorrian, until Dorrian locked his brakes up going into T5 and almost bit it into the wall. I slowed down to not hit him but lost Bill. Ended up finishing 6th in the first race. Didn't have to do anything spectacular in the second race, just finish, so I just kept it clean and a bit slow and finished 7th. 

I never bought a new set of tires all year, and ran the entire season on the same BFGoodrich R1's that I bought in February. My heart wasn't in it (nor was my wallet) after paying for a top-end motor rebuild and a rear-end cosmetic rebuild. I am working with Kevin from FlimFlamSpeed in Richmond to strategize and plan for the 2019 season, and "several sets of tires" are part of the list. I knew that this event would not be a fast one and I'm okay with that, but I want to focus on speed next season and having the right gear for the job is where you have to start.

Didn't run any spectacular lap times, I think I kissed a 1:24 or 1:25 at one point. Matt W (in my class) ran some 1:19's which was flying! I did get my season-ending trophy on Saturday night, and they are cooler this year than in years past. This makes five years of competition in the M3 and five season-ending podium trophies, which I am very pleased with.



Looking ahead to 2019, the GTS2 power:weight ratio has been changed. We can now run 14.0:1 instead of the current/old 14.5:1. Chris thinks that equates to about 100 lbs out of the car, or another 10 hp permissible. My car is fairly heavy so I'm excited to lose the weight. I have about 75 lbs of ballast in the trunk and it can be pulled, plus wiring can be thinned, and there's the 100 lbs. 

Definitely a difficult season, but I am very glad it ended on a positive note. I finally feel like I have an ideal setup in both the car and the support rig. Having an enclosed trailer is THE best, and having a new truck that is very capable to pull it makes for some relaxing tows to events. The car is very functional and only needs tweaking to be in an even better place for next season!

[ScottyB]

ha, this is the content i subscribed for

but seriously, proud of you bro. its been a tough season for the reasons you mentioned, and pulling out a 2nd is still worthy of the effort you put in to keep on pushing through.

i think what you mentioned about your race rig is something so many people overlook. you can have a great car, but if the stress of getting it to the track is overwhelming, you're throwing away valuable energy just being frustrated. looks like you have the truck/trailer/car dialed perfectly to drop into a promising season next year!

[Senor_Taylor]

Stealing that picture of me.

If you told me you didn't drive this weekend, I could believe it. Crazy how I never saw your car move

[rherold9]

Good job on the season overall! Even with the setbacks you got back out, showed up, and were able to take 2nd place! Talk about perseverance... Once the wallet can keep up you are going to be running hard. Keep it up

[Jake]

Good job on the season overall! Even with the setbacks you got back out, showed up, and were able to take 2nd place! Talk about perseverance... Once the wallet can keep up you are going to be running hard. Keep it up

It's been an easier time with the new job and new paycheck for the second half of the year, that's for damn sure. Certainly had my "get back on the horse" attitude tested a LOT but I'm ready for more now.

[Jake]

but seriously, proud of you bro.  its been a tough season for the reasons you mentioned, and pulling out a 2nd is still worthy of the effort you put in to keep on pushing through.  

i think what you mentioned about your race rig is something so many people overlook.  you can have a great car, but if the stress of getting it to the track is overwhelming, you're throwing away valuable energy just being frustrated.  looks like you have the truck/trailer/car dialed perfectly to drop into a promising season next year!

Thanks!

Having the rig be so well set up has been a huge stress-relief. I don't worry about an older tow vehicle needing repairs (Yukon), I don't worry about a too-small tow vehicle being unsafe (Range Rover), and the tow vehicle I have has enough technology to nearly pull the trailer itself. My favorite change has been the load/unload process - I just grab my weekend bag of clothes and hook up the trailer, or vice versa. I don't worry about leaving any random parts or tools at home, because the entire garage is on wheels. It is worth every penny.

[Goodspeed]

That #enclosedlife sounds amazing. I remember being envious of the guys that looked so relaxed, arriving & departing in comfort (not to mention having a cushy trailer to crash in) when I had to ask DJ to bring my canopy to to the track b/c it wouldn't fit in the Miata. It's a huge outlay and footprint to manage but mad respect to you for making it work in this area and maybe I can follow in your footsteps one day. I know we always talk of the slippery slope & how you really don't need more than a running car and a helmet to be out there having fun, but I've often thought that were I to dip my toes back into tracking, that I'd honestly want to have a trailer right off the bat to take a lot of stress and worry about getting back home out of the picture. It'd be a tough big-money pill to swallow but like you, I know of no one that's regretted it. Congrats on the success of the season!

[Senor_Taylor]

That #enclosedlife sounds amazing. I remember being envious of the guys that looked so relaxed, arriving & departing in comfort (not to mention having a cushy trailer to crash in) when I had to ask DJ to bring my canopy to to the track b/c it wouldn't fit in the Miata. It's a huge outlay and footprint to manage but mad respect to you for making it work in this area and maybe I can follow in your footsteps one day. I know we always talk of the slippery slope & how you really don't need more than a running car and a helmet to be out there having fun, but I've often thought that were I to dip my toes back into tracking, that I'd honestly want to have a trailer right off the bat to take a lot of stress and worry about getting back home out of the picture. It'd be a tough big-money pill to swallow but like you, I know of no one that's regretted it. Congrats on the success of the season!

i.e. Me limping a car home with no brake pads.

Mad props to Jake for living really close in to DC and still having the trailer and race car stuff going on.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

[Kaan]

congrats Jake! I meant to get around to you and shake your hand.

I packed up early Sunday due to unfavorable schedule and just a big "want" to "save the car" for comp school... more like save from a potential headache added to the offseason stuff.

My kid brother was like "ugh you need an enclosed, its cold out here and you are suffering." After a year of rain and cold, it might be something to look into (next off season lol)

[Jake]

That #enclosedlife sounds amazing.  I remember being envious of the guys that looked so relaxed, arriving & departing in comfort (not to mention having a cushy trailer to crash in) when I had to ask DJ to bring my canopy to to the track b/c it wouldn't fit in the Miata.  It's a huge outlay and footprint to manage but mad respect to you for making it work in this area and maybe I can follow in your footsteps one day.  I know we always talk of the slippery slope & how you really don't need more than a running car and a helmet to be out there having fun, but I've often thought that were I to dip my toes back into tracking, that I'd honestly want to have a trailer right off the bat to take a lot of stress and worry about getting back home out of the picture.  It'd be a tough big-money pill to swallow but like you, I know of no one that's regretted it.  Congrats on the success of the season!

Thanks! It was intimidating to purchase, own, and tow the enclosed at first but I have grown to love it. It's truly a rolling garage and I know that every tool I own is in there, so there's no risk of not having something track-side. My open trailer was a huge perk for the lack of stress should something happen (case in point, first tow ever and the M3 blew a head gasket) but this makes life a little easier still. Downside is that you really need a 1/2-ton truck to pull it and you need a 30' trailer storage spot. My enclosed is 27' nose to tail, whereas my open was 18' plus A-frame and would fit in a standard 20' parking spot easily enough. And, you could pull that with almost any SUV/truck.

Smaller steel-construction enclosed trailers aren't super-duper expensive used, maybe $3-4k.