[paradocs98]

Originally Posted by klammer

Wow, that was real close Nice save

Thanks. Even though I reacted to the initial slide, I still just felt like a passenger...

Originally Posted by M3 Esq.

Ha ha, wait, what? You allowed french fries to be eaten in your car?

I know--it was probably mine. Don't tell my kids!

Originally Posted by PeterM1

Yeah, same line here. I'm assuming you're in advanced based on your lap times, have a look at your videos, the vast majority of cars don't brake or tap at T4. If you take T2/T3 wide, brake for T3, stick all the way to the right you should have plenty of space to turn hard left and stay on the throttle all the way before you brake for T5 again.

If you do it right, cheerios, fries and spare change will land neatly on the passenger side

That's the difference--I don't brake while sweeping into T3, I just modulate the throttle. But then I brake to set up for cutting left into T4. You're suggesting instead that I brake a bit to get me into T3 far to the right side, then get on the throttle from then all the way through that little chute and T4? I'll try that next time.

Originally Posted by besiktas

Holy crap, that was a close call!
glad you are ok!

Me too.

Originally Posted by ixm3

One other line...
I tap and take T2 early which swings me wide for the entrance of T3. I apex the last bit of curbing of T3 and as I unwind from T3 I turn in for T4.
If it works right, the only use of brakes is the turn in for T2. If needed you can throttle steer the arc from T2, exiting T3, and into T4.
To me, its one of the best characteristics of Lightning.

I'll try it.

Originally Posted by Purple Derple

I will just say I never made it to turn 2. It was very poor form.

Ouch.

Originally Posted by Groundpilot

Very lucky not to hit the wall at that speed. It seems to me that you got on the power too soon and too hard. That corner is very tricky and things can get very hairy if not done right.
You had planty of run of area and instead of trying to save it and stay on the track, you should have gone straigt to the grass.
I almost ran out of the road in that same spot first time, when i was learning the track. Twice, two cars spun right in front of me and i was able to avoid the contact both times.
Anyway, glad you didnt damage the car or yourself.

It was interesting, because it's a line through there that I've tried a lot, and I didn't really see it as being any different or a problem until I clipped the step-up edge of the curbing on track-out. I guess I normally come pretty close to it, or at least touch the track-out curbing further down track once it's smooth and established. This time I was just a bit off from what I normally do. But it sounds like a lot of others on here find the HPDE line through T5 not only safer but faster.

Originally Posted by lucid

Not sure why you are trying defensive lines through that turn in an HPDE, or why the racer mentioned that approach for you to try. It doesn't do anything for you because that is not the faster way through that corner. The HPDE line you describe is more or less the fast line. I put many qualification laps in at that track (~1:15s in a ~2500lb/220whp E30 M3), and that is pretty much how I drive it with the exception of trail braking hard to rotate the car before the uphill.

Trying defensive lines can help you explore stuff I guess, but then you need to take it down a notch or you will run out of room like you did. That is a hard turn to pass people in a race in general although I've done it a few times. The main issues there are that usually there is a lot of crap that gets kicked onto the track downhill, and if you take an outer line down the hill, grip can be unpredictable and combine that with the off-camber "feel" of the drop, you can get in trouble. I've put two wheels off coming down several times, but the only time I spun there was due to my stupidity of trying a bit too much in my X-E92 M3 on old formula and cold BFGs on a damp track. I ran out of skill really fast on that one and ended up a few meters from the wall you drove past.

Very helpful info--thanks. I do like to try different lines at times to see if they are faster, or just to practice for those occasions when you might find yourself taking a late point-by and having to enter a turn off-line. I want to know how to handle those situations, even if they're infrequent. This club racer I had ride with me a couple of months ago (runs an E36 M3, but I don't recall his name) was adamant about not taking the school line through T5, but based on your comments here and this experience, I think I'll follow your line. Do you instruct for NASA or SCDA? I'd like you to ride with me.

Originally Posted by Jaypod

Yikes! Close one - glad you were able to save it!

Thanks.