MSR Club Race...

[ceegeezM3]

Well, I successfully completed my 2nd BMWCCA club race this past weekend at MotorSports Ranch and got to meet several bf.c members who were running the DE as well.

Not a whole lot to report really. The weather was pretty good considering we were in Texas in the middle of August... not too hot and lots of clouds all weekend made for decent racing conditions.

I was a little worried about the car, only because I just installed a Zionsville radiator a few days earlier and never really had a chance to drive it around before loading it on the trailer, but I had no problems at all with it and the car stayed cool all weekend, even without a fan on it. I had also rebuilt my calipers and installed a new set of Spec VR pads, again without any testing before getting to the track, but no problems there either... oh, and these Spec VR pads are amazing.

I did have one scare though, when I came in from the second practice session I heard some noise coming from the rear end as I rolled back down to my pit area. I got out and checked the diff and there is diff fluid everywhere, and the diff is way too hot to touch. I just had a new diff built by diffsonline, and MSR is really hard on diffs because of a couple tight, slow, off camber corners and I was thinking I've just burned it up completely. So I drain out the Mobil 1 gear oil and check for any metallic stuff, but it looked clean! We filled it back up with Redline gear oil and that seemed to help... no more leaking diff fluid. I was amazed that the diff still worked perfectly despite the overheating. Guess I'll put a finned diff cover on the 'to do' list for the next race.

There were about 17 BMW's and 5 Porsche's in the race group, and this was my first experience with that many cars on the track (my first race only had 7 other cars in it) so I was a little nervous about racing in traffic for the first time but I found it wasn't all that bad as long as you leave yourself a little breathing room in case the other guy doesn't see you or gets a little loose next to you. I'm sure I looked overly cautious out there on the track, but I was getting a lot more comfortable with each session.

The car was working great in just about every part of the track, except when exiting the fast sweepers I was getting some understeer that we were not able to totally dial out. There were a couple places I think I could have carried more speed if we could have fixed that.

I had been to MSR once before, a couple years ago so I got up to speed pretty quickly and since I was the highest classed BMW there I was able to qualify P1. But there was a Porsche 911RS that was driven by a very experienced club racer who was less than a second off my times all weekend. So I finally got the chance to actually run with someone, which I hadn't had the privilege to do up to this point. Tim Probert was registered to race in his IP M3, but he has been doing some Grand-Am stuff with Steve Olsen this season, and has 'neglected' his IP car a little, which apparently had a blown front shock that he didn't notice until the last minute, so he was unable to make it out.

The first two sprint races were fairly uneventful for me, but the for the final sprint, we all agreed to an inverted grid so the 911 and I started on the back row. Like I said, working my way through traffic was something I had not experienced up to this point (other than passing much slower cars) so I was hoping I wouldn't try any dumb moves or be too aggressive until the field got spread out a little. Unfortunately the guy in the 911 did the opposite and pretty much disappeared after about 3 laps.

Anyway, here's the video from the last race... enjoy. (Edit: Forgot to mention. It's 118mb, so please right click and save as...)

Some pics...
http://ceegeez.com/images/msr/msr_01.jpg
http://ceegeez.com/images/msr/msr_02.jpg

[BimmerPride04]

i was at MSR for the DE last weekend and was very amazed at all the club racer's car's there! I never had the chance to really look at your car but was utterly amazed watching it on the track! congrats on the win!

hopefully someday i can a be a club racer, but being only a freshman in college it'll be a while

again, very impressive car!

[m3lieb]

Congrats CG! I wish I could have been there. Maybe next time

[m3ltw98]

I just installed a finned diff cover on my car which has a 3.73 in it. Before, fluid would be seeping out of the bottom and would be smoking hot. I have a track event coming up this weekend so I'll report back on how it does. The cover I used is from Rogue and is gigantic. It doubles the capacity of the stock cover.

[maranelloman]

Chris, you absolutely spanked them all weekend. Doing 1:22's? Remarkable. Great driving. And your car looked perfectly set up for MSR.

Your 911 RS opponent, Keith Olcha, is a very experienced racer who often gets little competition. He is a fellow PCA instructor of mine. I'll bet he relished the fight as much as you did!

I agree ojn the SPec VR's. They are wonderful, especially in the heat, as they really come into their own when REALLY hot. Also, the finned diff cover is a must.

What oil temps were you seeing? Do you have an oil cooler?

[snk328is]

Congrats on the sweep this weekend!

I watched all three sprint races and enjoyed the reverse grid race the most. It was a thrilling moment when you passed Keith Olcha in the 911.

Congrats once again!

[BimmerPride04]

maranelloman - i think my dad, bill(imola 330), had you as an instructor. He absolutely loved you! He is still telling me every night how awesome you were, and how great of an instructor, driver, and person you were. He was amazed at what you and your car could do on the track...he wasnt feeling to hot after you took him for the ride but none the less he still very much enjoyed it

[maranelloman]

Originally Posted by BimmerPride04

maranelloman - i think my dad, bill(imola 330), had you as an instructor. He absolutely loved you! He is still telling me every night how awesome you were, and how great of an instructor, driver, and person you were. He was amazed at what you and your car could do on the track...he wasnt feeling to hot after you took him for the ride but none the less he still very much enjoyed it

Damn, dude, yer gonna make me blush...

Bill was a great student. It was a real pleasure to meet & work with him. I'm glad, frankly, that I was able to take him for a ride in my car on Saturday, since the radiator went tits_up on Sunday morning (70,000 miles on the original rad & water pump; I was ironically gonna get them both replaced this week...which I am now doing involuntarily!). He did tell me that he was slightly queasy after our drive...Sorry about that. Heh... ;-)

[ceegeezM3]

Thanks all...

Yeah, I need a Rogue diff cover for sure. The diff is from Diffsonline, and it held up great considering the abuse, but the diff cover definitely is cheap insurance.

maranelloman,
I don't have any temp guages yet... or an oil cooler. More things to put on the to-do list... this racing is expensive stuff. Keith was a great guy to race with... very clean, but very competitive too.

[sunir]

Chris...way to go on the wins...again! Damn, I don't think you've ever come in less than 1st between MSR and Hallett, fantastic! Man you gotta come race with us here in the NE or SA ...you'll be in a field full of IP, HP, DM, CM and more folks for you to race with!!...a lot of dicin' and good racing for you to have some fun with....again, congrats on the wins and the perfect record !

[maranelloman]

Originally Posted by ceegeezM3

Thanks all...

Yeah, I need a Rogue diff cover for sure. The diff is from Diffsonline, and it held up great considering the abuse, but the diff cover definitely is cheap insurance.

maranelloman,
I don't have any temp guages yet... or an oil cooler. More things to put on the to-do list... this racing is expensive stuff. Keith was a great guy to race with... very clean, but very competitive too.

I will be racing at TWS in November, codriving the car of another poster here. Will you be racing there as well?

[ceegeezM3]

Yeah, I'm planning on doing TWS too.... but I heard the hotels are already booked up in college station because it's a game weekend so I need to find something soon.

Sunir, next year man... Shooting for Mid-Ohio at least and maybe VIR. I know you guys are damn fast out there, so I'm sure I'll be doing good to just keep up with everyone.

[maranelloman]

Originally Posted by ceegeezM3

Yeah, I'm planning on doing TWS too.... but I heard the hotels are already booked up in college station because it's a game weekend so I need to find something soon.

Sunir, next year man... Shooting for Mid-Ohio at least and maybe VIR. I know you guys are damn fast out there, so I'm sure I'll be doing good to just keep up with everyone.

Chris, the BMW Club has made special hotel arrangements. Details will be available when the registration for is.

[sunir]

Originally Posted by ceegeezM3

Sunir, next year man... Shooting for Mid-Ohio at least and maybe VIR. I know you guys are damn fast out there, so I'm sure I'll be doing good to just keep up with everyone.

I don't think you'd have a problem keeping up at all in fact I think a guy like you adds value to the field in terms of good racing and the upping the 'fun' factor, I just think you'd have a lot of fun...imagine the green flag dropping and your chargin' hard into T1 surrounded by a slew of IP folks like Billy Revis, Mike Gilbert, Damion Moses, Sean Tillinghast and a bunch of others and guys in HP like Wayne L, Scott Montana, Stan Tylor, and myself....and then there's the whole gang of DM and CM guys also!...and through the race you're dicin' it up with a lot of these folks, swapping positions while pushing and being pushed by 'em....man you'll love it!

Again, congrat's on the wins Chris and great drive!...definately look forward to racing with you in the future!...come to VIR, you'll absolutely love that place !

[mijgilbert]

I second that Chris - congrats and definitely make it to whatever races you can! More competition = more fun!

[mijgilbert]

Hey Chris - I just watched the video and it's great. Congrats!!

I love how you have another key on the key ring for your racecar... ha ha ha

Oh and by the way nice save but you should've unwound the wheel a little more on track out and you never would have had a 'moment'.... sorry couldn't resist - so easy to armchair that!!

c-ya soon!

-Mike

[Scho]

The races were great!! I kept admiring your car all weekend. I saw the Zionsville radiator and asked you about it once wondering which one that was. My car got pretty hot on track in each run session. I was running the S54 M Coupe radiator which is a little bigger. I am going to order the Zionsville one before the PCA event at MSR in September.

Congrats on the Sweep!!!

[ceegeezM3]

Hey Chris - I just watched the video and it's great. Congrats!!

I love how you have another key on the key ring for your racecar... ha ha ha

Yeah, that's my poor-man's G-analyzer.

Oh and by the way nice save but you should've unwound the wheel a little more on track out and you never would have had a 'moment'.... sorry couldn't resist - so easy to armchair that!!

I was trying so hard all weekend to take that corner flat, but I never quite got it... stupid understeer.

[maranelloman]

Originally Posted by ceegeezM3

I was trying so hard all weekend to take that corner flat, but I never quite got it... stupid understeer.

There is a way to do it. Has to do with your set-up for the corner coming up the previous hill & the previous apex.

Watching your tape, you tracked out from the uphill too far from the right edge of the track (you need to be right at the edge there)...which prevented you from getting close enough to the first apex to make a wider arc to th eoutside at its track out & hit the second apex late.

If you get this right, you can be at full throttle from track out at the crest of the hill all the way thru the 2nd apex & to final track out (where you went off).

Let me know via PM the next time you will be at MSR, and I will show you. Makes that complex a blast and a half! And a LOT faster.

All IMO, of course.

[Scho]

Pics of Chris' Car at the Race:

http://www.hart-photography.com/Moto...31/albums.html

[ceegeezM3]

Let me know via PM the next time you will be at MSR, and I will show you.

Probably wont' be until the club race next year. Do you know when the new track section will be complete? Besides, I gotta start thinking about how to take T7 at TWS flat now.

[maranelloman]

Originally Posted by ceegeezM3

Probably wont' be until the club race next year. Do you know when the new track section will be complete? Besides, I gotta start thinking about how to take T7 at TWS flat now.

Well, the new course will allegedly break ground when MSR's owner pre-sells enough of the condos he is constructing, in order to have the $$$. Maybe sometime next year? Maybe never? Who knows?

As for T7 at TWS...I am nobody...but here is the way I go through there flat: Balls-out down the straightaway leading up to it; feather-lift of about 20% right BEFORE turn-in OR do a slight left foot brake UNDER FULL THROTTLE; Turn in slightly earlier than you think (although be careful now, as they have added a nasty curb at the apex); Be at full power AT turn in; The compression of the slope will hold the car at full power. Then blast up the hill!

-Dave

[Max M3]

Damn that video was awesome! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!
Loved the little floating comments. Great job.

[ceegeezM3]

Damn that video was awesome! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!
Loved the little floating comments. Great job.

Thanks!

As for T7 at TWS...I am nobody...but here is the way I go through there flat: Balls-out down the straightaway leading up to it; feather-lift of about 20% right BEFORE turn-in OR do a slight left foot brake UNDER FULL THROTTLE; Turn in slightly earlier than you think (although be careful now, as they have added a nasty curb at the apex); Be at full power AT turn in; The compression of the slope will hold the car at full power. Then blast up the hill!

That's pretty much what I was thinking too (I've been to TWS several times for DE's) Just a quick LFB before turn in to settle the car a bit. Are you are LFB driver?

[maranelloman]

Originally Posted by ceegeezM3

That's pretty much what I was thinking too (I've been to TWS several times for DE's) Just a quick LFB before turn in to settle the car a bit. Are you are LFB driver?

Yes, I am a strong LFB devotee. More so at MSR, due to the multitude of braking zones that don't involve a downshift...but also at TWS, where I left foot brake into 4 (unless I get a HUGE run out of 3 & end up upshifting on the 3-4 straight), 7, and 8.