[bmargolis]

Today was a CT Valley Chapter BMWCCA driving school at Lime Rock Park. The temperature reached a scorching high of 35 degrees, a full 20 below "average" for CT this time of year. Oh well, at least is was not raining! There were even a few snow flakes floating around the track.

To give you an idea of my ability as a driver, I'm in the "Intermediate" group. There are two groups below me and one group above me. I have driven solo in the Intermediate group as well. I'm in the top 1/3 in my group.

My 335i is absolutely bone stock, with 3,500 miles on the odometer. After an oil service yesterday I inflated the tires to 40 front and 38 rear and was off to the track at 5:45am. The front left tire got up to 50lb after the first session, even at those cold temperatures, so I backed out 4lb per tire after that.

My first session was at 10:00am and it was still in the 20s. The tires sure took a while to find any grip, but after a couple of laps they were as warm as they were going to get. The 335i has a TON of torque and it was actually fantastic around the circuit. Lime Rock is a VERY technical track, with every corner being important to drive properly. If you don't do hit the apex' right and keep up your exit speed...you're going to lose a lot of momentum. Overall, the car was very fun on the track and held it's own against 911's and M3's. The brakes were more than adequate for Lime Rock and I never once experienced any fade at all. Lime Rock is pretty much a 3rd gear track with only a single shift into 4th and back down again needed. I never hit the rev limiter at all. On the back straight, even with a really good run in, I never got to 7,000 rpm before needing to brake for the uphill.

I found that driving with the DSC partially disabled (one press) was fine for me. It only interrupted at the crest of the uphill where the car gets light. It also saved me one time when I missed an apex at the downhill and went in too fast AND off line. No DSC and I may have gotten a wheel off. At the end of the front straight, I was going about 125 - 130 mph. The front left tire takes a beating at LRP, but the run-flat's held up just fine.

I'll be back there in a month for another day and hopefully the weather will be MUCH better.

The oil temperature was never a problem, always staying in the same range that the car runs in on regular street driving.

I burned 12 gallons of fuel in about 80 miles.

[bartman32]

Sounds like a lot of fun! I'm jealous! Can't wait to get mine again and be able to do that soon!

[th4tk1d]

sounds like a great time! glad the 335 holds up to the abuse of track days.

[Matt@Camber-Toe]

I wonder how the sedan will fare? I plan to do H&R springs and a rear swaybar, considering the sedan is a bit porkier and a higher CG.

[wj4]

Originally Posted by itsbrokeagain

I wonder how the sedan will fare? I plan to do H&R springs and a rear swaybar, considering the sedan is a bit porkier and a higher CG.

The 335i manual sedan has already been tracked at Willow Springs by e90member AlVin. He came in at number 6, beating out his friend's E46 M3. His car was the first street car, the first 5 cars were for track only. He was stock as well, on OEM runflats!

[rawpower]

yeah pretty soon i wanna track my car too

[E90330iS]

How fun! I wonder if 330is are fun track cars also!

[bartman32]

Hoping to track my e92 May 12&13 at San Diego Chapters Driving event at Buttonwillow - this assumes I get the car in time...

[Jobu]

Got my new E92 335i last week, and am planning to do the NJ BMWCCA at SPR in late July. How did the runflats hold up? Do you think you took say, 1/10th out of the tread? More/less?

[S4to335]

Originally Posted by wj4

The 335i manual sedan has already been tracked at Willow Springs by e90member AlVin. He came in at number 6, beating out his friend's E46 M3. His car was the first street car, the first 5 cars were for track only. He was stock as well, on OEM runflats!

Yeah, I took my totally stock car to the Reno/Fernley raceway for a two day even last month...it did ok...but the car pushed really badly..I needed to adjust the pressures but didnt and it resulted in my tires getting chewed on the outside edge pretty badly. My next event I will be in Utah sharing my buddy's car...a stage 3 B7 platform Audi A4...then I will probably be back at Sears Point with my car in October. Decided to sell my race car...so my BMW will be my only track car now.

[S4to335]

Originally Posted by Jobu

Got my new E92 335i last week, and am planning to do the NJ BMWCCA at SPR in late July. How did the runflats hold up? Do you think you took say, 1/10th out of the tread? More/less?

I should take a shot of my runflats...I lost way more that 1/10 of my tread...with a two day event in Nevada.

[ward]

Originally Posted by E90330iS

How fun! I wonder if 330is are fun track cars also!

every car is fun at the track! just go!

[ward]

Originally Posted by S4to335

Yeah, I took my totally stock car to the Reno/Fernley raceway for a two day even last month...it did ok...but the car pushed really badly..I needed to adjust the pressures but didnt and it resulted in my tires getting chewed on the outside edge pretty badly. My next event I will be in Utah sharing my buddy's car...a stage 3 B7 platform Audi A4...then I will probably be back at Sears Point with my car in October. Decided to sell my race car...so my BMW will be my only track car now.

what did you think of fernley?

are you running with the www.hookedondriving.com group?
I've run with those guys at laguna, buttonwillow and thunderhill, and they put on a good event imo

[sdiver68]

Originally Posted by itsbrokeagain

I wonder how the sedan will fare? I plan to do H&R springs and a rear swaybar, considering the sedan is a bit porkier and a higher CG.

I'll let you know after June 9-10th at Gateway International.

[S4to335]

Originally Posted by ward

what did you think of fernley?

are you running with the www.hookedondriving.com group?
I've run with those guys at laguna, buttonwillow and thunderhill, and they put on a good event imo

Fernley is ok...just too many turns...you never have any high speed sweepers like turn #2 at Thunderhill. I learned on Thunderhill..and have a lot of fun there...my favorite track is Laguna...I dont like sears that much...probably because one of my students hit the wall at the turn in for turn one...and my door hit the wall...too many walls at Sears to hit. I was getting nauseous at Fernley...if that tells you anything.

The hooked on driving event is run by David Ray...I use to race with him in Spec Miata..so I know him relatively well. I have yet to run with them..but got close a couple of times. I would probably ask if I could instruct.