New E46 HPDE photos + track day tips

[hooRAH]

I just got some new photos from the event that I promised earlier, and since I typed up a bunch of first-time track day tips and my original thread had a humorously misleading title, I thought I'd make a new one with a correct title.

Here are photos. They'd be perfect if that stupid kidney grill didn't fall out!




And here are the tips:

Yeah, here are a few:

1 - Do not eat indian food the night before. Bathroom facilities at the track are usually sub-par. I sincerily apologize to anyone that had to use the bathroom at PBIR at any point in the day.

2- There is a lot of prep work that goes into one of these weekends, so don't leave it until the last minute. Each little task doesn't seem like much, but when you put them all together, you'll probably spend at least 3-4 hours on the most basic tasks like
- Putting painters tape numbers on your car
- checking all of your fluids and tire pressures
AGAIN
- making sure you have all of your forms printed out and ready
- getting ALL of the crap out of your car. After you get it out, go back and get the rest you forgot. No matter how bare I get the car, theres always a pile of crap I hadn't thought about that needs to be handed to the wife at the last minute. Sunpass, DICElink, cig lighter, pennies in the ashtry, floor mats, glove box crap, etc.
- getting gas

Theres a ton more stuff that goes into a weekend, like actual mechanical car prep and getting supplies/spare parts, but those are the most basic and they still take awhile. Since check-in is usually at 7:30, you can see that if you try to do any of this the morning of you'll either be late or be up at 5am.

To sum all of that advice up in one line: When you go to bed the night before, be ready to wake up, get in your car, and leave.

Regarding being asked if a shop had to do the tech inspection:

Yeah I was a bit confused by that myself. With PBOC, you have to have it performed by a shop, but I've never been charged for one. With NASA, it appears you can do the inspection yourself, and they run you through their own tech inspection at the track.

The 'on-track' tech inspection usually consists of checking your tires, brakes, brake fluid, and helmet. They'll ask you what type of brake fluid you use, or something like that. If your answer is "ATE super blue and I did it last week", they'll probably wave you on through. If your answer is "uh......whatever the dealer uses at inspection II" you'll have a tough time and they will scrutenize everything.

I don't know if you saw my thread about the ball joint, but I was 100% certain my car would pass tech as I flushed my fluid, had good pads with 70% left, new powerflex CABs, new belt tensioners, etc. Car was solid, right? Wrong.

When I took it in for the pre-tech inspection, the guys at the shop put it on a lift and found play in one of the ball joints that I missed (I replaced the CAs at about 65k miles, I have 95k now). So, I missed something pretty serious by not lifting the car and checking for play in the wheels.

So, you seem like a very detail oriented person and we've done most of the same repairs on our cars, so I'm sure you'll be fine, but if a shop will offer a free tech inspection - you might want to take them up on it jsut to have a different set of eyes on the car.

More mechanical/preparedness advice:


1 - If you get to Sebring early enough, you can get a paddock stall, which is not only less messy than checking your tire pressures in the dirt, but a lot cooler being in the shade.

2- bring spares. When I go, I try to have a few spares on hand to help me get home in case I get into trouble. Not everyone has these things lying around, so consider it a guide and not a rule.
- spare brake pads (new autozone w/ with a reciept to return or old used pads will work). Just in case the pad gets really destroyed and you need to limp the car home.
- spare belt - again, just in case you throw the belt off on the track and need to get home. Old belt will do, or again, a new one from autozone but keep the reciept.
- spare quart (2) of oil.
- power steering fluid, coolant, and trans fluid. How much is up to you, but you may find that driving hard on the track causes your fluids to "slosh" and require a little topping up or topping over. Its not a terrible idea to run 1/2 to 1 quart overfull on your engine oil due to the sump running dry on a high G turn. For example, on my last event, I found that under extreme manuvers, my power steering fluid was leaking past the seal on the cap, and I had to add a little.
- a new bottle of brake fluid and a brake bleeder: Brake fluid boiling is very possible on the track, even probable. Being able to flush a new quart through between sessions can be the difference between a great session or sitting it out in the paddok (or going into a wall).
- TIRE GAUGE: You'll want to be keeping track of tire pressures and writing down your performance notes after each run.
-Jack/jackstand/torque wrench: If you try to do everything with the stock spare jack, you'll be there all day.
-towels + glass cleaner: Its florida. When you get there, your windshield will be covered in bugs.

I can't think of anything else. I can usually fit all of the above mentioned items in one large rubbermaid bin that fits nicely in the trunk of the coupe.

Also, the following items are nice to have, but complicate the transport to/from the track:
-tailgating canopy
-cooler with drinks/food
-camping chairs
-sunscreen
-spare tshirt for the ride home (you'll likely be sweating non-stop throughout the day).

My "pit" crew for the event (not including my wife, who was very supportive.)



Rest of the photos in the previous thread:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1307246

[Smilez@EuroDyne]

looks really fun man. 50bucks will get you some matte black grills. just saying :P

thanks for the tips

[hooRAH]

Originally Posted by Smilez@EuroDyne

looks really fun man. 50bucks will get you some matte black grills. just saying :P

thanks for the tips

Sigh, I know. When my left one broke, I wanted to keep the chrome, so I ordered a pair of stock ones. Anyway, I guess I didn't realize that they came apart, and that if I ordered the matte black one, I could switch back to chrome if I wanted by swapping out the insert.

Anyway, they sent me two passenger sides, and told me I could swap out the wrong one for the correct one, so Im doing that today. Hopefully can get it worked out, I should have just bought the matte ones.

[dak1b]

cool dog, ha

[sockethead]

Your car looks well balanced in those pics.
I used to do motocross... you're right, you can never be too prepared.. I'd take the whole bike apart every couple of races..and have a lot of spare parts. I found that prepping the bike mentally prepared me for the race as well.
I'm hoping to get on the New Jersey Motorsports Park track soon. Thanks for sharing the tips, I'm sure they will help.

[danewilson77]

Great writeup and pics hooRAH. Thanks for the info

[hooRAH]

Originally Posted by dak1b

cool dog, ha

Thanks, she likes to "help" with whatever it is you're doing, thats why I say she's part of the crew. By help, I mean take whatever is in your hand and run away with it.

Originally Posted by sockethead

Your car looks well balanced in those pics.
I used to do motocross... you're right, you can never be too prepared.. I'd take the whole bike apart every couple of races..and have a lot of spare parts. I found that prepping the bike mentally prepared me for the race as well.
I'm hoping to get on the New Jersey Motorsports Park track soon. Thanks for sharing the tips, I'm sure they will help.

Yeah the car felt pretty balanced. This is the first car I've driven that in stock form doesn't feel like is leaning or pushing all over the place. The only mod is the poly FCABs (which do help a bunch) and the fact that it has relatively new shocks (but stock).

If anything, I think some simple mods like a strut bar for the front and rear would be more than enough. I did feel a few times like the car didn't have enough power, but, oh well. Someday I'll swap it out for an M3

[nathancarter]

Thanks for the tip about the spares... I hadn't thought about that.
I hadn't planned to buy track pads yet. I was planning to use up the rest of my OEM street pads now, so I can switch to some low-dust street pads. But, if I use up more than I expect at the track, I still need to drive home. Guess I'll get some Autozone pads, or go ahead and buy the Akebonos that I expect to use after the OEM pads are worn through.

Belts, too - I was gonna change my belts (they're a little cracked) but I suppose I'll toss the old ones in the box to take with me. I think I have an old expansion tank and cap lying around too... just in case, y'know.

Also good tip about getting there early for a paddock stall. I'm on the fence about getting a hotel room. I can probably get up early and drive over, it's only about 1:45 away from home, and the cost of a hotel room could be put to better use elsewhere (track pads or ... whatever).

Also also, good tip about the rubbermaid bin. Can probably fit everything in there except my big-ass floor jack. (seriously, I need a lightweight low-profile rolling jack in a bad way)

I've got TMS sway bars sitting in the garage. Need to do those one weeknight .. and my belts, and my brake fluid.