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      05-21-2011, 12:10 AM   #1
dleb
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NHMS HPDE vids, thoughts greatly appreciated :)

Hello all. I am longtime lurker that has benefitted tremendously from the collective wisdom of this site, many thanks to everyone. I've been doing HPDE at NHMS, 3 days last year and 3 so far this year, and thought to see if the group here has any advice. The following is one session, split into 2 due to time. Part one is a little tough to bear at first because of traffic but eventually it clears. The car is a DOT legal, but nicely track modded E36 M3 on Dunlop Star Spec tires.

Advice is appreciated. I know of at least 2 areas i am consistently screwing up and there are a milion smaller ways to be faster.



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      05-21-2011, 02:21 PM   #2
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You seem to be turning 1:25-26 laps without traffic in the new chicane to chicane configuration, which is good pace. A somewhat modified E36 M3 should be able to get closer to 1:20s with better rubber, so you do have a few seconds to pick up. NHMS is a tight technical track with elevation change and rewards handling over power. I was turning high 1:21s in a bone stock Z4M on the crappy OEM contis, and a similar time in the E30 M3 on Hoosiers before major suspension and engine modifications.

Others and I made comments on NHMS here:

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthr...00#post9084300

I didn't watch the entire session, but you don't seem to be using all the track exiting 10. You have the chance to straighten the wheel and get on the throttle there if you track all the way out.

You seem to be trail braking a little into 9, but you can be more aggresive with that and brake later.

I can't tell if you are trail braking into 2b or not, but the fast way around there is to actually get on the throttle after hitting the apex of 2a (I try to get on the curb there with the inside wheels), and then trail brake hard into 2b to set yourself up for 3. That's my approach, and I've seen known fast drivers do the same thing when I rode shotgun with them.

The bowl should be more or less a constant steering input corner until the next apex, and you need to steer the car with the throttle going up the hill.

Hope this helps.
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      05-21-2011, 05:18 PM   #3
dleb
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This is great, thank you. Ultimately, I think i got down to 1:24-1:25 area pretty consistently. My next outing will be on Nitto NT01's.

Your points are right on, definitely things to work on next time. For sure I'm braking too much in 9, and definitely not getting wide enough in 10. I think i'm also crabbing in at the entry to the bowl, thereby messing with my turn-in.

The other thing that may not have been apparent is that i'm riding the rev limiter in 3rd gear for 1-2, sometimes 3 beats before braking into T3 and the bowl. 3 track days ago, staying in 3rd was perfect but as speed has increased, I think I need to shift more. I'm not advanced enough to just do this on the fly without breaking rhythm so next session will be a test going to 4th in T3 and the bowl. My guess is that i'll hit the limiter even earlier on the Nittos because I'll be able to carry more speed through the previous corner.

Thanks again for your help/thoughts. I'll be at the track for 3-4 DE days at the beginning of June, let me know if you'll be there.
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      05-21-2011, 07:25 PM   #4
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Yeah, with stock final drive, one can get stuck in 3rd on more than one place at NHMS. That ultimately boils down to how fast you can upshift, and how comfortable you are with downshifting shortly after--especially when you need to trail brake, etc. (And your redline, mine is at 7800 now). In my case, I found that shifting up is faster than riding the limiter, but your experience might be different. I'm changing my final drive, so I'll be shifting earlier from now on anyway. One thing though is I don't understand how you can be at limiter in 3rd between 1 and 2a. There is no way you can be going into 2a that fast. You must mean into T3, which is where you exit the NASCAR track and go uphill.
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      05-21-2011, 07:39 PM   #5
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Yes, correct, T3 on the backstretch before the uphill right. My gearing is 3.38. Im fine shifting up, then down one for the bowl, up one, then down two for T3...well, time will tell here
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      05-21-2011, 07:49 PM   #6
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Also, if you were time trialing, you could put the front right on the curb braking into 10. Some clubs put a cone there to keep people off that curb. It's not good for your suspension, and it is a bit strange to be braking hard onto a curb, but it does get you that extra foot or so before turn in. Without being in the car with you, my guess is that apart from the driving line pointers, your main improvement will come from simply pushing the car harder. You have more grip, but that will require you to work the wheel more at places. Not that you want the car sliding around too much, but it does seem like you are leaving some grip on the table. I might be there for the Boston BMW CCA event at the end of June. See you around man...
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      05-22-2011, 07:23 PM   #7
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Thanks for all of your pointers. I'll be there June 30th, Dakar e36 M3, feel free to drop by my pit area.
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