Moving the thread here. Thanks for the emails. We have decided not to do a webcam, but I am updating this every day or two with a new picture. Probably won't have too much detail and nothing more than an overall view, but fun to watch the car come together none the less.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=680267

Tonights pic, the 4th installment. Basic 6-point cage is in the car, dash fitted (for now), pedals, steering column, seat all in for mockup.

Tonights pic, the 4th installment. Basic 6-point cage is in the car, dash fitted (for now), pedals, steering column, seat all in for mockup.

Looking good. I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm really enjoying this, so thanks for taking the trouble.

It's my absolute DREAM to build these car, I too thank you for the look inside!

Thanks again James. Definitely going to be a lot of views on the thread. Best part is when people see the car on the podium on tv they can say they saw it all go together in steps :)

quick question...do you weld the chassis to the frame table or does it just sit?

also do you have any tips for when it comes to installing a cage and you need the car to be level? is it frame table or bust?

Awesome. Thanks for sharing this James!
-Ted

quick question...do you weld the chassis to the frame table or does it just sit?

also do you have any tips for when it comes to installing a cage and you need the car to be level? is it frame table or bust?

Jigs are made that hold the chassis in place.

As for the car being level...95% (maybe more) of shops that do cages (or think they can lol) just weld tubes in wherever and just have the car sitting there in the shop on the ground.

Realistically its overkill, but for professional level, every bit helps. Rotisserie is a required tool for shops that do higher end cages and chassis work.

...and if you are a crazy Mod class guy, you can tell yourself it makes a difference ;)

Just my kind of thead! :)

We have definitely proven that you can take a twisted car that has been wrecked and still make it align straight and run fast. But the strong preference is to start with something perfectly straight. If you put enough effort into fixing it into this position, 3 years later with no major hits it will still be straight.

thanks guys for the replies. so do you think it would be alright if i put the car on jackstands and level it by putting metal under the jackstands? this should make the car level and keep the loads pretty even i would think.

You don't have to worry about it warping down, it is up that does it. Honestly, a surface plate and techniques like this are rarely worth trying to duplicate for smaller projects. The fact is, the difference is minimal and to get that difference you have to do it right, and to do it right you would spend enough money that I would be willing to bet could be better spent somewhere else better.

But in WC or a lot of other pro series, that minimal difference might be a tenth of a second a lap and we are already spending top dollar on every piece in the car and this is where the next place to spend is. Ever notice how lesser powered pro cars are faster than most in a club race? Little touches... One more good reason an old pro built car is worth more a lot of the time than a car with seemingly more "fast" parts.

Did I mention we have 2 for sale :)

Friday night - cage is shaping up nicely. 4 weeks until it is loaded on the trailer for Sebring.

It is pretty awesome how fast the WCT cars are, especially considering they are on RA-1's. Great drivers with lots of setup time, and attention to detail, it all adds up.

Cage/chassis is coming along nicely, thanks for increasing the resolution a bit lol I dont know James, I can almost make out where tubes are going...

So are you going X brace or Nascar bars for drive door? ;)

Another cool idea to do with these pictures when you are done is make a short GIF or movie out of them and put it on the website as a timelaspsed video to show how it was built (I'm doing that with a garage project).

So are you going X brace or Nascar bars for drive door? ;)

Dunno :dunno
Whatever is required I guess.

Oh, I thought WC was open to that type of stuff.

James, check your email in 2min about your E46's for sale, thanks.

Is that Marks in the picture??

Is that Marks in the picture??

I see a goatee...

You don't have to worry about it warping down, it is up that does it. Honestly, a surface plate and techniques like this are rarely worth trying to duplicate for smaller projects. The fact is, the difference is minimal and to get that difference you have to do it right, and to do it right you would spend enough money that I would be willing to bet could be better spent somewhere else better.

But in WC or a lot of other pro series, that minimal difference might be a tenth of a second a lap and we are already spending top dollar on every piece in the car and this is where the next place to spend is. Ever notice how lesser powered pro cars are faster than most in a club race? Little touches... One more good reason an old pro built car is worth more a lot of the time than a car with seemingly more "fast" parts.


sounds good. thanks for the reply.

Yes - Marks in the "trunk". Here is today's - on my phone so the light is not so hot. 2 more days and it is out for paint!

What's the cage material DOM or 4130 CM? I am not sure I know enough to ask but thought I would anyway. I assume that if it is 4160 it is TIGed.

Chris

Do you mean 4130 CrMo? :)

I only see a tig welder in the picture, so thats a good clue, but I'm sure some spots were migged to fill gaps or tight places.

I'm also assuming its Mild steel?

You sold the windshield?!?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
http://www.imageyenation.com/images/blog-gallery/talladega_nights_trailer.jpg
Looking good! Can't wait to see all 3 cars on the track this season. I will make it to at least one event.

You sold the windshield?!?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Looking good! Can't wait to see all 3 cars on the track this season. I will make it to at least one event.

This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient, but I DO love fig newtons.

That was fast James. I think "you" will make it by Sebring.....

4130, fully TIGed. Anywhere you MIG a spot makes it look like crap due to the impurities. With some experience, trickery, and special equipment, we weld 360deg of a bar with the TIG (we = Marks, not that I have anything to do with that). The backing plates are MIGed onto the shell and we do seam welding with the MIG. Takes some time, but it is done right when we finish.

Ah, ok. So you're welding the 4130 tubing to the mild plates.

Having the roof off is a big plus :) Assembly (or preassembly) is where good cage builders differentiate from great cage builders.

Not sure I agree with the "mig looks like crap" statement though, a good mig welder can make gorgeous welds, and if the fabricator makes the sheetmetal/tubing gaps minimal, Mig is barely needed. The gaps are what kill the inexperienced.

No mild... Maybe MIG doesn't look like crap, but side by side, a MIG weld is obviously not as clean as a TIG. This picture is pretty good at illustrating the difference.

Oh I definitely agree, but it also depends on the Mig welder...assuming thats your picture, you have a Very good tig welder, but there are better mig welders out there. Problem is we're dealing with thin sheet metal thats not very pure, even with a chassis in white, its just tough. I definitely prefer tig when you can, and if we're dealing with 4130, I would always tig.

I'm also assuming that picture is not of a finished joint? Is that half a tube, where is that?

Was there a reason you chose to Mig weld the 4130 to the chassis?

No mild... Maybe MIG doesn't look like crap, but side by side, a MIG weld is obviously not as clean as a TIG. This picture is pretty good at illustrating the difference.

I'll be honest, that TIG weld made me touch myself.

Here' is a cage RRT removed that was done by another shop :eek:

Oh I definitely agree, but it also depends on the Mig welder...assuming thats your picture, you have a Very good tig welder, but there are better mig welders out there. Problem is we're dealing with thin sheet metal thats not very pure, even with a chassis in white, its just tough. I definitely prefer tig when you can, and if we're dealing with 4130, I would always tig.

Rule of life Steve, there is always someone better... Impurities are a big issue.

I'm also assuming that picture is not of a finished joint?

No - almost finished. We will take some JB weld and cover up the tight spots as a finishing touch. Doesn't everyone? :rolleyes

Rule of life Steve, there is always someone better... Impurities are a big issue.

No - almost finished. We will take some JB weld and cover up the tight spots as a finishing touch. Doesn't everyone? :)

Very true, ALWAYS someone richer, faster, smarter.

You have the special BMW Motorsport JB weld though, right? :devillook

The "clean" look welds has more to do with prep more then anything, also with a mig the angle of the gun and technique used to lay the bead down can change the overall look very quickly sometime you cant tell the difference between the two. Mig welding is much less effected by "impurities" in metal and poor prep then tig too.

Back on topic now the car is looking great, love the front shock tower setup. Impressive amount of work done so far, your time frame is nuts btw.

Yes - Marks in the "trunk". Here is today's - on my phone so the light is not so hot. 2 more days and it is out for paint!

Looking good! Marks is really coming into his own as a fabricator! Are you letting him go home at night, or does the new shop have a cot? :D

Will they allow E92 coupe chassis with the 2.5L like they used to allow the M3 chassis with 2.5l?

Looking good! Marks is really coming into his own as a fabricator! Are you letting him go home at night, or does the new shop have a cot? :D

Funny - I put a shower in the new shop thinking it would be used a lot and it hasn't been touched yet. We have 6 guys in the shop now and they are definitely working some hours, but it would be considered a relaxed schedule compared to some past years.

One car in 4 weeks? Thats nothing lol......Do you guys plan to build the wiring harness in the hotel rooms at Sebring this year, or on the drive down?

Subscribed. :)

No mild... Maybe MIG doesn't look like crap, but side by side, a MIG weld is obviously not as clean as a TIG. This picture is pretty good at illustrating the difference.

It has more to do than with looks (and I am not an expert) in regards to 4130. Pre and post heat are also issues. MIG does not preheat. Anyway like everything else in life, Google MIG 4130 and read all about it. I just thought that some would like to know the materials being used for posterity. My cage is 4130 and beautifully TIGed (not by me) but I did put about 700 seam welds (MIG 12 lbs of wire) in my chassis. Yes Steve I did FEA on every joint prior to welding. Even ole JC called them pretty.

Chris

Nice Chris:) Any recent pics of the car?

Looks great, can't wait to see more pics!

One car in 4 weeks? Thats nothing lol......Do you guys plan to build the wiring harness in the hotel rooms at Sebring this year, or on the drive down?

Hard to say. Not everything is in our hands. Pretty sure Bassen will knock out the paint in a week or less. I am hoping Sunbelt comes through with some engines and Motec is doing the harnesses - otherwise, I think we are all set. We may even get to bring this puppy to test days.

Nice Chris:) Any recent pics of the car?

Unfortunately I don't have any that are small enough to post, and I don't have a web site. There wouldn't be a lot of detail anyway due to NDAs.

Chris

Unfortunately I don't have any that are small enough to post, and I don't have a web site. There wouldn't be a lot of detail anyway due to NDAs.

Chris

You're a funny dude, I hope we can meet at a race soon.

Looks great so far James...I really need to get a TIG.


-Rick

Looks great so far James...I really need to get a TIG.


-Rick

Miller has some very nice new models that are pretty affordable for the performance you get.

Tig welding when done correctly is usually the best process for most welding properties. That being said, mig welding is the welding of choice for almost all production sequences for two reasons; cost (due to speed of welding) and training. A do it yourself garage mechanic or small shop with limited time for welding should get a mig set-up. Much easier to control the welding process and much easier for small fit-up work and akward positioning. Many cages and cars have been mig welded for years and they are every bit as strong as a tig set-up. Unless you're going into exotic materials or need milspec results, tig is unnecessary for most applications. James' fabricator did a very nice job if that is a tig weld, but I bet he wished he'd just had a mig gun and could be done in half the time.

I hesitate to post this one even...

I see a little side exhaust tunnel action :) nice

Is the cage structure done, or will it be given more tie-ins to the subframes and gussets and whatnot?

Whats that orange canister on top of the car, or is it something in the backgorund?

Do I see a painters mask being worn, or are the filters hidden by the chassis?

Remember Steve, this is for an interest story - a progress report. Not a technical discussion :)

It was worth a try ;)

is that Big Dave manning the rotisserie?

Yup - he is working it from the top. Looks like an anthill - guys crawling all over it.

I thought the purpose of this thread was to let Steve J ask 21 questions. Is that not the case?

I thought the purpose of this thread was to let Steve J ask 21 questions. Is that not the case?

I thought so too..whats up with that? :D

And its 22 , not 21...

I hesitate to post this one even...


James, I don't get it? Why did you write " I hesitate to post this one even..."???

Car is looking awesome. Man, I wish I could intern over the next month with your guys. :D

Good luck bro with the tight schedule.

James feels he's giving too much away by posting pics, so he was hesitant to post any pics, let alone naked chassis shots.

Nah - after 300 rotisserie posts from Steve, I didn't know if I could take another one.

Its got some beefy wheels, thats for sure :)

James,

Is that car for "el diablo" ? :devillook

-Howard

:)

Tonights project, then to paint in the AM.

So what are we supposed to do, guess what part of the chassis it is?

Whats the hole for, maybe that will give a little better hint.

Is that even on the car?

Clay man, you got to check out Holder/Brads thread for reference on how to photographically document a project build ;) lol j/k

I know what it is..... Next time give us something that is a little challenging.

See you soon..

I know what it is..... Next time give us something that is a little challenging.



Ah c'mon, can't say that and not finish the thought :)

Sorry - I was sure you would chime in as to what the picture showed Steve. I can document the next club car we build here. Not sure there are too many places giving open discussion and documentry on pro projects where the final goal is to retain a competitive advantage. I guess I am posting what I think is neat and interesting, and shows the progress - like I initially said I would. Feel free to ignore the thread, but I am sure we will miss you ;)

The cool part on this one is the coloration - not what part it is.

Steve you will just have to spend the rest of the night trying to figure it out. I can't believe you of all people do not know what that is.

Your slipping Steve.....

It looks normal to me. ;-)


Haha get it, normal.

Jackass ;)

Coloration...yea I definitely see some hot spots; Flash makes an optical illusion.

Team Cadillac has a pretty cool website, but its not during the process...but than again thats a factory team.

http://www.cadillac.com/cadillacjsp/spotlight/teamcadillac/car/index.jsp

James, do you not agree with the indepth research gone into Mulsannes Corner?

What does this even mean?

Jackass ;)

Coloration...yea I definitely see some hot spots; Flash makes an optical illusion.

Steve you will just have to spend the rest of the night trying to figure it out. I can't believe you of all people do not know what that is.

Your slipping Steve.....

:lol

James, feel free to document the car that is swapping places with the e90. Just send the pics to me, no need to document it here ;)

Thats what I get for trying to watch OCC while posting lol They got a sick 5axis waterjet last year and the episode just aired.

[QUOTE=dmwhite;8713803James, feel free to document the car that is swapping places with the e90. Just send the pics to me, no need to document it here ;)[/QUOTE]

Here is stage 1 - E90 out. Should have a pretty blue E36 to stick in the corner and pile parts on tomorrow. I will make sure I send you some.

What does this even mean?


Sorry. The coloring is from the annealing - you can see the color change as the metal is heated. You have to hit all your weld joints on a 4130 cage.

Sorry. The coloring is from the annealing - you can see the color change as the metal is heated. You have to hit all your weld joints on a 4130 cage.

What state is the tube in your cage? If it is normalized its totaly unnessicary and might be harmful. Hope you guys used temp sticks to make sure you didnt over heat.

Looking good James. Now time for Bassens "flare" to be added :)

Judging from the joke (or attempt lol fellow enginerd type joke) its normalized.

I hope you guys doused the welds with water to cool them fast, I heard thats what the competitive teams do. :devillook

E36 to stick in the corner and pile parts on tomorrow.
sounds like what Bassen used it for :D

Sigh, my late night sarcasim failed to convey :(

Been TIG welding for a few years now and I'm well aware of the HAZ in an area that has been welded.

BTW, nice looking car.

Sorry. The coloring is from the annealing - you can see the color change as the metal is heated. You have to hit all your weld joints on a 4130 cage.

What state is the tube in your cage? If it is normalized its totaly unnessicary and might be harmful. Hope you guys used temp sticks to make sure you didnt over heat.

I promise, we are on it...

Lets not forget that these guys have been doing this for a number of years and the competition/development in WC is in another league compared to CR. Not just one level up....

I have watched BW since the begining and thay have come a long way and do all the things that a pro team does.

I do not think they need advice from a forum. I am sure they have the right people in the right places.

See you next week James. El Diablo et al...

Well I just got finished welding some random alum. peices mabey I got flashed bad and didnt read into it cause im goning blind :help otherwise love the quick progress on the car

Thanks for the comments guys. This is definitely the tightest timeline we have been on, for any type of car. Was nice to see it headed out last night (this morning?). Now to get subassemblies wrapped up in time...

Sorry - I was sure you would chime in as to what the picture showed Steve. I can document the next club car we build here. Not sure there are too many places giving open discussion and documentry on pro projects where the final goal is to retain a competitive advantage. I guess I am posting what I think is neat and interesting, and shows the progress - like I initially said I would. Feel free to ignore the thread, but I am sure we will miss you ;)

The cool part on this one is the coloration - not what part it is.

It is very cool, looks like a seat belt hole. I am not sure that we would miss Steve BTW.

Thank you for taking the time to SHARE this with us, because I know that your time is pretty much used up.

Chris P. Lewis
E46 Builder

It is very cool, looks like a seat belt hole. I am not sure that we would miss Steve BTW.

Thank you for taking the time to SHARE this with us, because I know that your time is pretty much used up.

Chris P. Lewis
E46 Builder

Don't worry Chris, I ain't going no where :flipa I'll probably be following Evosports/Holders project more though.

I am not sure that we would miss Steve BTW.


Nice. Classy. :(

Don't worry Chris, I ain't going no where :flipa I'll probably be following Evosports/Holders project more though.


Steve:

Is that double birds that you are flipping me?

Be prepared for war if so!

My arsenal is extensive.

Chris (See you in turn one) Lewis

sounds like what Bassen used it for :D
I only used your car, cause my car was covered with your parts. Now mine is covered with e90 parts, so don't feel bad.

I only used your car, cause my car was covered with your parts. Now mine is covered with e90 parts, so don't feel bad.

hehe, i never feel bad when my car is in your hands...why do you think i always say that i want you to do whatever you want to with it? ;)

I've heard several people say that in regards to Bassen, very nice to have that reputation, like OCC :) Awesome work.

Dave - your car sure is pretty now!!! One of the guys took some pics, but Friday was a nuts day so we didn't get them out to you...

Dave - your car sure is pretty now!!! One of the guys took some pics, but Friday was a nuts day so we didn't get them out to you...
if i cant be fast, i might as well have a purty car :D

Any updates James? :)

I saw the E90 at Bassen's shop. The paint job looks amazing!

The Deer Slayer returns ...

Thanks. Spent 5 days at VIR, so not time to update right now. They are starting to assemble the new shell, will get a pic or two up when I get a free minute.

mmmmmm, 5 days at VIR :drool:

Look forward to the update!
-Ted

Thanks. Spent 5 days at VIR, so not time to update right now. They are starting to assemble the new shell, will get a pic or two up when I get a free minute.

Thanks, sounds like things are going ok then. :D

Assembly begins.

Still looks wet...tell the guys not to leave fingerprints. :)

I'll be able to see this thing down at Sebring, right?

You going to spring for Margaritas again?

Looks great.

JP

James,

How about another akward dinner at the Thai place?

Margaritas and akward Thai - always in for that...

Ok I'll start the count down for you James.

11 days to go :lol: She's looking a bit bare. Any shakedown days planned?

Ok I'll start the count down for you James.

11 days to go :lol: She's looking a bit bare. Any shakedown days planned?

The street and Practice Session 1 are common answers. I'll go with Practice Session 1. :D

Nah - that was an AM picture, looks more like a racecar every hour. Just wrapping up the fab on the parts that bolt on now, then it all slaps together. We have some testing time planned, so we will see...

Ok I'll start the count down for you James.

11 days to go :lol: She's looking a bit bare. Any shakedown days planned?

Hey, at least it has fenders now, right?

which car was at VIR last weekend? It sounded really good!

The #37 - but they are all the same. Actually, that didn't have the new trans yet. With the gear whine, they sound pretty sick now.

It would be sweet if they let all the cars run race gearboxes.

The #37 - but they are all the same. Actually, that didn't have the new trans yet. With the gear whine, they sound pretty sick now.

Awesome work!!

Aren't you supposed to be at the track?

Awesome work!!

Aren't you supposed to be at the track?

Aren't you on your way down here?????

Jordan

The #37 - but they are all the same. Actually, that didn't have the new trans yet. With the gear whine, they sound pretty sick now.

I bet it does!

Should be a sick ride, James....let me know when I can schedule some seat time :D

Just wanted to bring this back up, they are practicing at Sebring in a couple hours and wanted to wish all the BMW teams competing goodluck!

Jason Martinelli- Tecmark Autosport Ltd.
Phil Parlato - Phil's Auto Body Racing
James Clay - Bimmerworld
Seth Thomas - Bimmerworld

Not a huge entry list, but we'll see how the first race goes.

Dearest Bimmerworld:

if you get me a ride along at MMP, I'll be more then happy to buy your team dinner at Squatters in Salt Lake City.

Your Pal;
Squatters Management. ;)

Just wanted to bring this back up, they are practicing at Sebring in a couple hours and wanted to wish all the BMW teams competing goodluck!

Jason Martinelli- Tecmark Autosport Ltd.
Phil Parlato - Phil's Auto Body Racing
James Clay - Bimmerworld
Seth Thomas - Bimmerworld

Not a huge entry list, but we'll see how the first race goes.


So does this mean that BW E90 #3 did not make it to the race, or that their rental guy fell through?

I'm suffering from some serious Sebring withdrawel right now, first time in years i haven't been there. I love the debauchery that goes on in the dark down there! That and this wacky Koni schedule with a race in jan and then a break until april is adding to the withdrawel.

Don't forget James Sofronas in the GMG 325ci. Go James!

Clay was 6th in today's practice, Sofronas 9th, Seth must have had some troubles...

Sofronas was not onthe entry list, I guess he decided last minute to bring the touring car too on behalf of GMG. He was in the top 10 in GT with his new 997 gt3 as well.

In the BW press release, it seems they are still looking for the right person to rent the car.

Its pretty interesting to see how fast everyone is so far compared to last year, did the track/surface change at all?

Also its interesting to compare ALMS GT2 times to WCGT, obviously they are spec'd significantly different, but its still interesting to see different specs of similar cars and the huge time difference.

Just a quick update:

Very nice results, the three big guns for BMW's are in the top 8, with Seth performing the best in qualifying...as usual, he's a very good qualifier.

Qualifying :
4: Seth Thomas
6: James Clay
8: James Sofronas
13: Jason Martinelli
20: Phil Parlato

Lets hope he can get up to the front quick as he has proved he's great at before, and stay there for a great finish!

Goodluck BMW's!

Pole Qualifying this year was almost ONE second behind 2006 times(Auberlen).

Also interesting to note Thomas Qualified 5th in 2006 with 2:20.240, and this year he qualified with a 2:21.164.

And for comparison to GT, 2006 yielded pole qualifying time of 2:08.764, while 2007 was 1s FASTER at 2:07.679....GT faster, TC slower.

Qualifying looks interesting...folks that were running near the front in practice lost a lot of time in qualifying (Crescentini, Galati, Espenlaub, etc).

Congrats to Seth and James!

Congrats James & Seth - go get 'em tomorrow! I love seeing the three Bimmers in a row on the grid. Can't wait! Race is tomorrow at 11:05 AM. Live timing is here:
http://leaderboard.vfx.com/SCCA/TC/LiveTiming.asp?width=800

"In the BW press release, it seems they are still looking for the right person to rent the car."

I am not sure if they want to rent or find a 3rd driver that can actually drive... eitherway; watched both practices live (on computer) and qualifying (on computer) and was interesting to see Jeff Altenburg pulling a 2:19. Very happy to see both BW cars in top 10 and will be interesting to see how they finish.

We also don't know if James is having problems with the fresh E90, since it is probably it's first shake down... also perhaps they are trying to be smart about weight penalties....

James knows I am open to test for them, just have to rob some banks first. :help

Here's a Picture of this years car from world-challenge.com, Looks like he's going over a pretty big bump.

Pole Qualifying this year was almost ONE second behind 2006 times(Auberlen).

Also interesting to note Thomas Qualified 5th in 2006 with 2:20.240, and this year he qualified with a 2:21.164.

And for comparison to GT, 2006 yielded pole qualifying time of 2:08.764, while 2007 was 1s FASTER at 2:07.679....GT faster, TC slower.


With all the cars on track and all the different rubber I'm sure the track is a mess. The ALMS cars with thier soft tires leave rubber everywhere.

These cars looked sick at Road Atlanta last weekend!

"Here's a Picture of this years car from world-challenge.com, Looks like he's going over a pretty big bump."

Gotta love the inside of T17.....

So is the new car being raced, or are the two 06 cars being run this weekend?

The ALMS rubber did not help? :)

T17 definitely makes for good pictures though.

Another shot:

http://www.world-challenge.com/files/photos/thumbnails/DSC_2076-720_720x0.jpg

From the photos, it seems both Seth and James are running E90s.... I believe they only had one E90 in the mid-late 06 season, and two E46s.

From the photos, it seems both Seth and James are running E90s.... I believe they only had one E90 in the mid-late 06 season, and two E46s.

I'm pretty sure Clay and Thomas each had an E90, and this thread is for their 3rd E90.

2006:

http://www.bimmerworldracing.com/data/gallery/gallery_ls_06_5.jpg

http://www.bimmerworldracing.com/data/gallery/gallery_ls_06_9.jpg

I think you are right :)

With all the cars on track and all the different rubber I'm sure the track is a mess. The ALMS cars with thier soft tires leave rubber everywhere.

As long as you stay on line, the ALMS rubber adds all sorts of grip. Laptimes always went down when I ran Star Mazda on ALMS weekends compared to running Formula Mazda on SCCA National weekends.

I'm pretty sure Clay and Thomas each had an E90, and this thread is for their 3rd E90.

3rd car is still a work in progress....and its gorgeous!

Depends on ambient temp, humidity, etc too. I used to work corners alot during pro weekends. I remember during the ALMS Washington DC race walking across track in one of the hairpins under the subway bridge, I nearly walked out of my shoes the track was so sticky. Or walking across track at Turn 5 in Atlanta on the Petit weekend and your shoes would squeak as the rubber squirmed against each other because it was so slick. I think sometimes the sun will actually bake the rubber on the track and make it hard and slippery just like heat cycles do.

It rained the night before the race, so the rubber was washed off from all of the practice days.