E9x M3 LAP TIMES (Road Course)

[Gearhead999s]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

Just shows how much cars have evolved in the last 20 years. Sometimes makes it scary when a totally novice student shows up in a brand new M3, Z06 or GTR

Brings back memories. I also ran the "old track" back in the mid-nineties in a modded VW A2 GTI (1920lbs and 188WHP) doing Solo 1 events. My best time was a 2:02.something.

I do miss some features of the old track. Especially the hump (turn 9). They lowered it significantly (about 14' if I remember correctly) and you barely feel it anymore (at 1:11 in my vid, you can actually see how they cut in the mountain on both sides of the track). Rumor has it F1s caught air on this turn back in the days. You would get no weight on the tires, then wait, wait, until the car settled and then hard as hell on the brakes for turn 10. That excitement is gone. However, the track is much safer and still very fast and tons of fun. You must come back, would be fun to see you there .

In a car a lot faster than our 335is you had to nail that crest straight on or you got real squirrely as I did in a Mustang that would spin the tires in 4th gear there.To go quick there you had to run a soft setup as it was so rough.The pavement was so abrasive that a wet lap time was only 4-5 seconds slower than the dry.I had good sucess there as it was where I got my 1st class win in a Pro race and clinched our Championship there.Of the 3 races that we ran there in 1990 2 of them were wet.Fond memories of there for sure.I will try to make it there for sure this year!

http://www.autocourse.ca/index.php?file=results.html

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by Gearhead999s

In a car a lot faster than our 335is you had to nail that crest straight on or you got real squirrely as I did in a Mustang that would spin the tires in 4th gear there.To go quick there you had to run a soft setup as it was so rough.The pavement was so abrasive that a wet lap time was only 4-5 seconds slower than the dry.I had good sucess there as it was where I got my 1st class win in a Pro race and clinched our Championship there.Of the 3 races that we ran there in 1990 2 of them were wet.Fond memories of there for sure.I will try to make it there for sure this year!

http://www.autocourse.ca/index.php?file=results.html

You have an impressive racing track record. . Must be quite rewarding to have a national championship in your portfolio .

My tracking history is much more modest, amateur hobby only, but having fun nonetheless .

You are right about how abrasive the track was. It must have been quite a challenge to manage tire wear in full fledge races. I remember how tough it was on tires, and we went out only for 5-6 lap stints.

Looking forward to see you at Tremblant next year .

[Gearhead999s]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

You have an impressive racing track record. . Must be quite rewarding to have a national championship in your portfolio .

My tracking history is much more modest, amateur hobby only, but having fun nonetheless .

You are right about how abrasive the track was. It must have been quite a challenge to manage tire wear in full fledge races. I remember how tough it was on tires, and we went out only for 5-6 lap stints.

Looking forward to see you at Tremblant next year .

Yes I was very fortunate as I was a sponsored driver who just just showed up & drove.We ran that car for 4 years and the last year we ran in the Canadian Touring car Championship in a much improved form.But with the realities of finances, it was just not possible to keep racing.So it was more time on my career that allows me to pay for my playtime.I would still love to be racing and have come really close a few times to putting deals together in sedans for a high profile series in Canada & US but never quite came together.But I still love driving on the track so I will continue to do it at a level that I can afford as it just takes too much money & time to continue competitive racing.
In a 3 hour we would burn through the rock hard Firestones that were the spec tire.In the wet if we softened up the bars & shocks and we would chunk the left side tires during the race.

[wwjd15]

Track/Course: Buttonwillow 13CW
Best Lap Time:1:58.542
Brakes: AP BBK
Tires (Size & Model): Hankook RS3 275/35/18 x4
Suspension: Moton CS
Other Mods: front lip, gt wing, catback

[klammer]

Originally Posted by wwjd15

Track/Course: Buttonwillow 13CW
Best Lap Time:1:58.542
Brakes: AP BBK
Tires (Size & Model): Hankook RS3 275/35/18 x4
Suspension: Moton CS
Other Mods: front lip, gt wing, catback

A bit slower this time eh??? Probably a vette in the way huh?? :

[wwjd15]

Originally Posted by klammer

A bit slower this time eh??? Probably a vette in the way huh?? :

Ahh, last time was on NT01's. This time was on RS3's but there are lots of Honda's. I found out that our V8 M3 is no faster than 4 cylinders Honda in terms of straight line performance.

[klammer]

Originally Posted by wwjd15

Ahh, last time was on NT01's. This time was on RS3's but there are lots of Honda's. I found out that our V8 M3 is no faster than 4 cylinders Honda in terms of straight line performance.

I guess it depends on how long the straight line is, my first car, 1988 ford festiva 5 spd, could hang with most cars 0-15 mph

[AM150]

Track/Course: Road America
Best Lap Time: 2:46
Brake Pads: Stock
Tires (Size & Model): Stock
Suspension: Stock (ZCP)
Other Mods: None
Excuses: First and last time on track with the M3, way too scared of piling up my new shiny expensive car, left MDM on all day, cried like a little girl through the kink, will be back to using my S2000 on track from now on .

[wwjd15]

Track/Course: Buttonwillow 13CW
Best Lap Time: 1:56.634
Brakes: AP BBK
Tires (Size & Model): Nitto Nt01 275/35/18 & 275/40/18
Suspension: Moton CS
Other Mods: front lip, gt wing, catback

[1MOREMOD]

Originally Posted by Gearhead999s

The pavement was so abrasive that a wet lap time was only 4-5 seconds slower than the dry.

pacific raceways here in washington is a lot like that i can go nearly as fast on a semi wet track but its hell on tires.

[yyoo]

Originally Posted by wwjd15

Tires (Size & Model): Nitto Nt01 275/35/18 & 275/40/18

I'm curious...why the different sidewall heights?

Also, how do the NT01s wear compared to the RS3s? I know the NT01s are R Comp, but I've read they wear like the RS3s. Are you finding that to be the case?

Thanks!

[wwjd15]

Originally Posted by yyoo

I'm curious...why the different sidewall heights?

Also, how do the NT01s wear compared to the RS3s? I know the NT01s are R Comp, but I've read they wear like the RS3s. Are you finding that to be the case?

Thanks!

40 series sidewall looks cooler just kidding. Taller tires in the back suppose to be a bit faster, plus, they can match the ride height I have on my streets tires which is AD08 275/35/19.

RS3s should last longer, but I'm not happy with the wear. every time when I hear street tires, I expect something like AD08 which last for very long time.

[von_zoom]

In our Firehawk 325is

Gearhead - did you race with Ray Korman, Davie Jones, and John Andretti in the Firehawk series. My 525i that I track today was made and is still prepared by Ray Korman for each event. We talk about the Firehawk series and the difficulties with racing the Fords and Chevys. Must have been a lot of fun.
vz

[wwjd15]

Track/Course: Willow Springs, aka Big Willow
Best Lap Time: 1:30.449
Brakes: AP BBK
Tires (Size & Model): Nitto Nt01 275/35/18 and 275/40/18
Suspension: Moton CS
Other Mods: front lip, gt wing, catback

[mastek]

Originally Posted by wwjd15

Track/Course: Willow Springs, aka Big Willow
Best Lap Time: 1:30.449
Brakes: AP BBK
Tires (Size & Model): Nitto Nt01 275/35/18 and 275/40/18
Suspension: Moton CS
Other Mods: front lip, gt wing, catback

That's a reeeaally fast time at Big Willow.
I could be mistaken -- but that might be a record for a street legal car (at least a BMW)
Congrats - do u have an in-car Vid of that lap??

[Gearhead999s]

Originally Posted by von_zoom

Gearhead - did you race with Ray Korman, Davie Jones, and John Andretti in the Firehawk series. My 525i that I track today was made and is still prepared by Ray Korman for each event. We talk about the Firehawk series and the difficulties with racing the Fords and Chevys. Must have been a lot of fun.
vz

We got our ECU from Ray Korman and he offered us lots of advice.The Canadian rules were far more liberal than the US rules so we were running to a different spec.We had our own stars at the time so we did not need the Americans We had Ron Fellows,Paul Tracy,Ken Wilden,Richard Spenard,David Empringham,Scott Maxwell who all won major North American road racing championships later on.That was the peak time in Canadian racing with 5 great national series before the Tabacco Advertising was banned.
I ran a couple of US Firehawk races in a Mustang & Camaro with the best finish of a fifth place at the Glen.I also ran the Camaro at the 24hr Mosport race where we finished 6th after 2 rear housing changes & a clutch change.The General Tire Saleen Mustang team did a 45 minute engine change at 3 in the morning.Those 24 hour races were something that I will never forget as you saw some really weird things when you are in the middle of the night on a 3 hour shift.When we ran the BMW for the 24 it was totally drama free and we won our class by over 25 laps only to get DQ'd over an engine builder oversight on hiding the porting work he did by forgetting to sandblast his handiwork. That was pretty widespread as they had to go to the ninth place car that was legal to award the winEverybody else was tossed out of the results.

[OC3]

Track/Course: Big Willow
Best Lap Time: 1:36.135
Brakes: Brembo BBK, Endless pads
Tires: Hankook R-S3 275/35/18
Suspension: Ground Control
Other Mods:

[wwjd15]

Originally Posted by mastek

That's a reeeaally fast time at Big Willow.
I could be mistaken -- but that might be a record for a street legal car (at least a BMW)
Congrats - do u have an in-car Vid of that lap??

Thanks! Unfortunately, I didn't have any vid for that. My car was on used Nt01 which had used 3 hours at Buttonwillow, I was planning to use the rest of them. But it turned out I improved 0.5 second than last time. I will record a video when I can do 1:29 next time with new tires.

Originally Posted by OC3

Track/Course: Big Willow
Best Lap Time: 1:36.135
Brakes: Brembo BBK
Tires: Hankook R-S3 275/35/18
Suspension: Ground Control
Other Mods:

King of MDM!

[OC3]

^

[Richbot]

If the NT01's are anything like the R888's, they're fastest right before they cord.

[paradocs98]

Track/Course: NJMP Lightning
Best Lap Time: mid-1:18s
Brakes: StopTech ST60/ST40 w Street Performance pads
Tires: Nitto NT01 275/35-18 all around
Suspension: Dinan Stage III
Other Mods: Child booster seats and stray Cheerios removed

Track/Course: NJMP Thunderbolt
Best Lap Time: mid-1:38s
Brakes: StopTech ST60/ST40 w Street Performance pads
Tires: Nitto NT01 275/35-18 all around
Suspension: Dinan Stage III
Other Mods: Child booster seats and stray Cheerios removed

Still a work in progress...

[klammer]

Originally Posted by paradocs98

Track/Course: NJMP Lightning
Best Lap Time: mid-1:18s
Brakes: StopTech ST60/ST40 w Street Performance pads
Tires: Nitto NT01 275/35-18 all around
Suspension: Dinan Stage III
Other Mods: Child booster seats and stray Cheerios removed

Track/Course: NJMP Thunderbolt
Best Lap Time: mid-1:38s
Brakes: StopTech ST60/ST40 w Street Performance pads
Tires: Nitto NT01 275/35-18 all around
Suspension: Dinan Stage III
Other Mods: Child booster seats and stray Cheerios removed

Still a work in progress...

Some nice weight savings without the cheerios weighing you down, and I usually keep both kids in car to help promote a rear bias while on track