[connermd]

Do any of you out there plan to take your E90 on the track? I am new to track events. I just took my E90 to the track last weekend. I'd like to take it back (6 or less times per year), but I need some advice on what modifications I might need to make. Mostly, I am thinking I might need different tires..maybe brakes. Anyone have any advice or thoughts on this?

[JonnyCrash]

Originally Posted by connermd

Do any of you out there plan to take your E90 on the track? I am new to track events. I just took my E90 to the track last weekend. I'd like to take it back (6 or less times per year), but I need some advice on what modifications I might need to make. Mostly, I am thinking I might need different tires..maybe brakes. Anyone have any advice or thoughts on this?

If you want to track your car as an enthusiast, I would look into dedicated rims / tires for the track, upgraded brakes (I like Brembo, your mileage may vary) and a clear bra (3m or some other material). The sports suspension should do you for a while, but eventually you'll want a coilover suspension that you can firm up for racing. And then, once you're REALLY into it, you'll need a roll cage, racing seats with five-point harness, and, eventually, a tow hook for your dedicated track car!

If you just want to go out to the track and have fun, however, you can make do with just a clear bra and high-performance road tires.

[ZenDriver]

This is assuming you are not an experienced track driver...

Your number one priority is to make some simple, relatively inexpensive, high bang-for-the-buck changes to improve the overall longevity and usability of your vehicle on the racetrack. Your 330 can, by a factory of about 3-4, outdrive you. Your skill will increase exponentially in the beginning, but you need to get the car prepared to last for long track sessions of hard driving. The goal here is to improve the vehicle's ability to last for long sessions out on the track without suffering from diminished stock performance. Do not worry about increasing performance until your skill is far closer to the capabilities of the car.

Brakes- This is the number one area where cars suffer in long track sessions. A lot of people think brake pistons rotors and pads effect the breaking distance of a vehicle- they do not. Very small brake components are perfectly capable of making any vehicle stop easily at least one time. In fact, overall break performance is mostly increased with sticky tires and a better suspension. The true measure of a set of brakes is their ability to perform the same on the 25th stop as they do on the first. Bigger rotors, bigger pads, bigger pistons all shed heat faster and therefor, offer better brake performance.

The most basic modification you can make to your brakes is to use better brake fluid then what the factory runs. Ate of Germany (the same company that produces brake components for BMW) makes Ate Blue and Ate Gold brake fluid. They are identical but of different colors so, as you are bleeding the brakes and replacing the fluid, you can tell when the system is flushed by rotating colors. Brake fluid is important because it is hydroscopic- it absorbs water over time. The water content of the brake fluid contained in the caliper will, under heavy use, boil. This will make the pedal spongy and generally bad. Truthfully, replacing the fluid every 6 months is more important then the exact brand of fluid used. DO NOT use silicone brake fluid- it is for motorcycles and will kludge up the ABS system.

Pads and rotors are more complicated because this is a street car and I don't think you are in the mood to be changing out pads and rotors every weekend you want to go to the track. Stock pads work very well (spray some Pam cooking spray on your wheels to keep the pad dust from fusing to them- wash it off on Sunday). Ate makes a gas slotted rotor that I think is very effective at dissipating heat and trapped gas under the pad, but any quality slotted rotor will do. DO NOT BUY cross drilled rotors. They look cool and every racing team uses them but they are not designed for street use. Micro cracks get formed when the rotors get drilled and those cracks expand a little every time the rotor is heat cycled. Eventually, the rotors often crack which is extremely bad. Racing teams don't mind because they replace rotors every few track days and they watch them like a hawk. Porsche rotors have the holes cast into the plate when the rotor is formed, hence no fissures and no cracks.

Wheels & Tires- This gets complicated with the introduction of expensive run-flat tires. If you are really going to be running 6 weekends a year, go buy some used, 17" stock wheels and tires from someone who took them off to upgrade. The stock runflats will probably give you 12 full days at the racetrack and you want to run stock tires for your first 6 events.

Your purpose here is to learn. You are not the hidden embodiment of Michel Schumacher. The most critical single component for the performance of your vehicle is the tires and, as tempting as it is to run super sticky DOT legal racing slicks, the problem is that massive grip covers a multitude of driving sins.

R compound tires up the cornering speeds to levels you simply are not prepared for. They raise the adhesion limits and generally speed up the driving process to a point where you are ill equipped to handle problems. As a new track driver, I want you to have some problems- the only way you learn how to control a car is when that car actually needs to be controlled. Those stock tires are going to be giving up at speeds where you will have plenty of time for your noob track driving brain to figure stuff out and experience different car control techniques. R compound tires will speed things up to a point where you simply won't recover- you will probably spend years on the track with R compound tires without ever having a problem, but the one day where you fuck up just a bit... CHOMP... you won't have the skills to do a damn thing about it.

Your Brain- The most important item in your car is your brain. You need to show up to track days with the right attitude. Have an open mind, a closed mouth and a willingness to learn.

When I lived in the Bay Area, I was an informal instructor with the car clubs (one of those guys who is dumb enough to volunteer to get in a car with you, the noob, in the passenger seat). The worst student I had was this guy who barely spoke english and showed up in an F355 wearing full up Schumacher F1 regalia down to an exact copy of his helmet. When I first saw him, I thought- fucking A rock on cool, this guy is a dedicated stone cold pro so I'll get a hot ride in a screaming Ferrari for 2 sessions, sign him off to solo and have a free session to drive my M3.

Turns out that he had never driven on a race track in his life and the Ferrari wasn't even broken in. He just came over to the US on an H1B as some sort of Asian software madman and used his sign-on bonus to make the down-payment on the lovely F355. That didn't bother me- I like seeing enthusiastic owners of exotic cars with the nuts to take them out in anger. I did have a problem with the guy's attitude, he thought he was god's gift and that the car was all he needed to drive fast.

He was very slow around the corners (good) and my first laps were about getting him comfortable and following basic safety stuff. Specifically, I was drilling him on the things to check during the lap (glance each flag station, check mirrors and gages on the straights). Every time we would hit the front straight though, he would womp the gas like a madman and this thing was taking off like a rocket for corner 2 (1 being an ever so slight kink unworthy of really being a corner). Every lap, I was telling him to slow down because he had no concept of the proper breaking point. Guy musta had the equilibrium of a 2 year old with an ear infection.

On the third lap, bucko did his thing down the front straight and I started to try to get him slowed down well before the bridge. He steadfastly refused to listen, he just kept accelerating like an idiot. Our entry speed at 1 was probably about 130 and he was up to 140 by the first brake marker- at which point I am screaming at him to "Slow this fucking Italian fucking piece of fucking badly engineered shit down right the fuck now." He broke at the second marker and turned in with way too much speed, the car rotated and we went into the kitty litter ass first. The rear end kissed the armco pretty hard on the far side and the car sustained probably about $50K in damage. We both walked away, no worries. He apologized profusely and paid for a full medical checkup.

My point in telling this story is one about attitude and hubris. Bucko thought that by plunking down the $180 large for the F355 and all the gay prancing horse Ferrari crap that this made him an invincible driver. What I was onboard for was the world's shortest onset case of something called The Red Mist. Fighter pilots, mountain climbers, special forces guys talk about this- a state of mind where the adrenaline rush overcomes reason, you get tunnel vision and you begin to drive well beyond your reasonable capabilities.

The number one thing you need to bring with you is an open mind. A close second is humility. Cars today are very safe and most racetracks are very use friendly. Overall, the lapping day "industry" is extraordinarily safe but the number one thing that makes this a safe activity is the attitude of the drivers. There are plenty of egotistical asshats who never have an accident and think they are god's greatest gift to motor-sports since the Bentley Brothers. They live on borrowed time and their existence should be viewed as a cautionary tale instead of permission.

[db17k]

wow that's a great explanation and introduction, your student sounded like a pompus amature, hope he learned his lesson

[ben1364]

Others have offered good advice re: mods for the track. I consider such vehicle mods. to be 'down the road' so to speak. I suggest first getting training and experience. To use an analogy, one cannot buy a golf swing, no matter how much pays for golf clubs. <g>

[ward]

I plan on heading down to autocross with the bmwcca down at the marina airport at least once or twice

[Macfreak7]

On the same topic, has anyone had any experience with the people at www.drivingconcepts.com?
Also, how does this affect warranty/insurance?
TIA

[silverado]

ZenDriver,

Wow... Great advice that is very well-written! Thank you for giving so generously of your knowledge and experience!

[connermd]

Thanks for all the replies to my questions.

ZenDriver,
As usual, an exceptionally well written post. Thanks for responding to my questions. Your response was exactly what I was looking for.
I am very concerned about run-flats on the track.....after one car control clinic and one weekend at the track there is noticeably less tread...I'll start looking for new wheels and tires asap.

I've also been looking for a way to learn how to bleed and replace my own brake fluid. If anyone has a link to a good DIY on the web (or other way to learn) I would appreciate any thoughts or advice.

ward - my husband and I were at the car control clinic in Marina on 10/22. We both had a blast and learned lots. The next one is mid to late February, a couple of weeks before the next track weekend at Infineon (Sears Point).