My E90 M3 Dedicated Track build (with pix!)

[b4hand]

It's come a long way to this point, so awesome to see it here!

[admranger]

I'm with you. You're chasing gremlins in sub-par track traffic situation. Clean out the scrubs so you can free up wheels for fresh tires once the gremlins are fixed.

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by admranger

I'm with you. You're chasing gremlins in sub-par track traffic situation. Clean out the scrubs so you can free up wheels for fresh tires once the gremlins are fixed.

Yup, I have brand new Pirelli DH and Hoosier A7 mounted on two of my sets of rims now.

I elected not to run today at High Plains Raceway. I was there. I was ready. The rig was ready. But conditions weren’t correct. It was 65°F and quite windy by 7:30AM. Not the right conditions for what I want to do. So, I’ll wait until later this week. Thursday is looking quite a bit better. I’ll try again then.

Was happy to hang with fsmtnbiker and Melchior at HPR today. They were neck deep in testing and tuning the E92—-multiple spring changes, alignment changes, sway bar changes, aero setting changes, damper setting changes. It was cool to watch them keep changing so much stuff trackside. What they did in one day of tuning would take me 6 months to sort out......

[b4hand]

Saw the upload on youtube. Car looks QUICK

[dogbone]

Went to High Plains Raceway yesterday. Weather-wise, this was the best day I could find that was still available for semi-exclusive. Almost the whole month of May is already booked up. So, Thursday was the day to go for it with the new Pirelli DH and Hoosier A7.

Arrived at the track early and was happy to see that the gates were already open. I'm glad I got the car ready quickly because the track went hot at 7:40AM which was 20 minutes earlier than they originally said it would.

The conditions: There were some unknowns because it rained pretty solidly on Wednesday. Rain is never great because it lifts all the oils up and makes any off-track excursion a muddy adventure. And then they were brushing dried mud....this makes the grip unknown, but certainly not ideal. They said the rain and hail pooled in Turn 14. I was warned there was still dirt in the turn, but that it was dry. The air was cool when I arrived---around 45ºF. The wind was blowing more than I had expected---a head wind down the back straight. You can hear the wind in my video in the intro when I do the walk-by.

So, with these conditions, I jumped out on track at 7:40AM with the new Pirellis.

I'll start by saying that I confirmed for myself YET AGAIN, that as an amateur driver, I need to build my pace during the day, versus going out and super-slamming from the get-go. I am just not good at going 10/10ths on the first session. But I tried.

Session 1: Pirelli DH. Took two warm up laps on the new DH to scrub them in. Then did 1:51.1, 1:50.6, took an off lap, then 1:50.3. hmmmm Was pretty frustrated. I had made damper changes that felt like they weren't working out. The tires didn't feel grippy. (I was the first one on track after the rain and sweeping. I suspect that the track was fairly green.) Get back into the pits. Start getting out of the car and------my back had spasmed/tightened up while I had been on track. I didn't even realize it until I was trying to get out of the car. Occasionally, I suffer back spasms due to a bunch of bicycle crashes over the years. I can still function. In fact, I didn't even feel it when I was driving, but swapping wheels would be more difficult.....argh.

Session 2: Hoosier A7. Left the damper settings in place. There was only one other car on track when I went out......and I caught him on my first hot lap.....Was on a 1:50.0 with only the Esses at the end of the lap left to go---ended up being a 1:50.8....bummer. Second hot lap was not good because the Esses really are the start of the next lap. I drove it anyway but the time sucked. Still was unhappy with the feel of the car.

Came back into the pits very frustrated. Two sessions with two new sets of tires.....and really nothing to show for it. I decided to revert the damper changes and add 1º more of wing angle.

(As the day went on, I worked harder to try to make sure I wouldn't catch other cars during hot laps----would sit in the paddock and watch the track more carefully before going on track to try to create big gaps before leaving the pit. In fact, I would try to come out just in front of the car but not get in their way. Didn't have any more issues.)

Session 3: Hoosier A7. Left the A7s on the car. Did one hot lap---1:49.6. Car felt way better. And I suspect the track was also becoming better. I was definitely feeling way better in the car. I was building confidence.

Session 4: Pirelli DH. Swapped back to the Pirellis. Had a couple bad starts to laps, so I kept backing off and cruising the track. Finally had a decent start and ran 1:48.6. I felt like I was braking deeper, putting the car up on berms, and just generally attacking the track harder and just driving more assertively. It wasn't perfect driving by any stretch---I had quite a big countersteer in Turn 3, but I was pushing harder and the car seemed ok with it. It was 55ºF on this run and the wind had mellowed a bit.

Session 5: Pirelli DH. First hot lap, was running 0.2 sec faster than my 1:48.6 lap. Then I went too deep into T8, lost around .3 sec. I stayed in it though and it was still a 1:48.7. I was happy to see that I could keep improving.

Sessions 6 and 7: Pirelli DH. It was approaching 70ºF. Wasn't driving too badly, but it was warm. Still managed a 1:48.9 in Session 6. Couldn't get under 1:49 in Session 7.

A driving coach who was at the track came over and watched my fast lap video. He was very nice and gave me some pointers. I would have loved to have gone out and tried his advice, but-----throughout the day, a rattling sound was getting worse and worse. I actually heard it for the first time this past weekend when I was changing my oil. I could tell it had something to do with the X-pipe's connection to the header, but couldn't do anything about it at the track. I shook the x-pipe pretty hard. It wasn't going to fall off, but it had some play in it. I decided to call it a day because I didn't want it to potentially become a bigger problem. So, I will try his advice on a future day.

I chatted with Chris on the phone yesterday and he said it was a good idea to stop because air can get sucked in if it's a loose connection which can then affect the O2 sensors which can then affect your air/fuel mix. So, I'm glad I stopped when I did.

Looking at the data from the day: I wondered what would be the fastest I could go at HPR. Now that I've done a 1:48, the question is, could I do a 1:47? I believe it is possible for the car, but I don't know if I have the consistency to pull that off. Practice practice!

So, the next step for me is to class the car officially for NASA TT.

I was asking Chris when was the next time he would be able to get back out here and put some laps into HPR. It may be the NASA TT in June. I think the June NASA event will be fun. Let's get some of you other M3 CO guys out for NASA TT in June!

[OG Shark]

So you were within 1sec of the Pirellis with the A7's - but with less track time on them and still getting yourself & the car dialed in... interesting. Think you can turn a 1:48.xx on the A7?

Ought to be comfortably in TT1 with a bit of room to spare if you use the avg whp vs the peak.

I know we talked about it the other day but just wanted to say again the car looks freaking awesome.

[tsk94]

This things starting to look like a serious Time Attack car now

On a better day, with a less green track, you got a 47 in you for sure!

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by OG Shark

So you were within 1sec of the Pirellis with the A7's - but with less track time on them and still getting yourself & the car dialed in... interesting. Think you can turn a 1:48.xx on the A7?

Ought to be comfortably in TT1 with a bit of room to spare if you use the avg whp vs the peak.

I know we talked about it the other day but just wanted to say again the car looks freaking awesome.

Thanks man! Hey wait a minute——-you’re only saying that because your logo is on there!!!!

I believe both tires can go faster than what I did, but it’s a start. Not sure if A7 can go under 1:49.....

TT1 is definitely the goal. We'll see.

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by tsk94

This things starting to look like a serious Time Attack car now

On a better day, with a less green track, you got a 47 in you for sure!

haha yeah the new aero definitely has a wild look to it.

Yeah, a 1:47 would be nice.....I'll keep working at it!

[b4hand]

Never noticed how low the car is

[MilehighM3]

A 1:48 in an M3 is beastly @ HPR! What about entering the car in the PPIHC? At your pace you could break some Porsche hearts and burst some bubbles, which would be fun to watch!

Great flying lap! You've personal best my lap (2 min flat) by a LARGE margin in my road car- aka my fat chick. I have some work to do!

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by MilehighM3

A 1:48 in an M3 is beastly @ HPR! What about entering the car in the PPIHC? At your pace you could break some Porsche hearts and burst some bubbles, which would be fun to watch!

Great flying lap! You've personal best my lap (2 min flat) by a LARGE margin in my road car- aka my fat chick. I have some work to do!

haha I think The Hill Climb is 156 turns that I will watch from the sidelines!

My E90 is exactly 10 seconds faster now at HPR than my E92. Just to refresh, the E92 is a full weight street car, no extra power (and being NA at 5000 ft makes things even tougher for the E92), no aero, with JRZ RS Pro, AP Racing and I run Pirelli scrubs on it. That 10 seconds is definitely a wild ride!

[e92me92]

maybe

[roastbeef]

how does the ten second time delta between the two cars "feel?" if you're driving both cars to the best of your ability, which car feels more wild when you're going at it? although its a faster pace, i'd bet the e90 feels less chaotic.

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

how does the ten second time delta between the two cars "feel?" if you're driving both cars to the best of your ability, which car feels more wild when you're going at it? although its a faster pace, i'd bet the e90 feels less chaotic.

Everything is more violent in the E90. The accelerations are harsher. The braking is more severe. The cornering forces are higher. Things come at you faster. The E90 is far louder than the E92. Everything is simply amped up in the E90.

When I first started tracking the E92 a couple years ago, it felt like everything was going in slow motion compared to what I was used to.

[dogbone]

I'll be heading out to the High Plains Raceway open lapping day tomorrow. Lots of things to test:

-Softer rear springs: This is the 4th set of springs I have put on the rear since the MCS install. I started in November with 13k (728 lbs), then 12k (672 lbs), then 628 lbs (which was on the car when I did 1:48 at HPR)-----now I have installed 514 lbs. According to calculations that others have done, 514 lbs on coilover should equate to somewhere between 1050 and 1100 divorced. My gut is telling me this is where I ultimately want to be. Very interested to see how it feels. If it's too soft, then I have 571 lbs on hand and can swap those in. Might even swap them at the track if I'm really not happy with 514.

-New alignment: Wanted to try some alignment changes. I have reduced the toe out in the front a bit. I have increased the toe in on the rear a bit. Curious to see those differences.

-Rev issue: We have adjusted the blow off valve on the supercharger to see if that could be the cause of the revs hanging. Really curious to see if those changes affect the car's behavior.

Being an open lapping day, conditions will be unknown for trying to put down fast laps. The morning temps will be favorable and the forecast doesn't seem to be calling for much wind. So, if I can sneak a good lap in the morning, that would be cool. I'll start the day on scrubs and feel things out. If things feel good, I'll probably put the good DH on to really feel how I can throw car around. Tomorrow will be all about the "feel" of the car.

[admranger]

For the rev hang, have you eliminated vacuum leaks as a cause via a smoke test? <insert obligatory legalized marijuana joke here>

[sbo76]

This is such a great thread. I saw you out at Chuckwalla last year and marveled at the car. Can't wait to see what times you are turning now on the CA tracks i am more familiar with this year.

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by admranger

For the rev hang, have you eliminated vacuum leaks as a cause via a smoke test? <insert obligatory legalized marijuana joke here>

Don't think a smoke test has been done. But the vacuum is very strong. When we pull the line going to the blowoff valve, it wants to take your finger off.

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by sbo76

This is such a great thread. I saw you out at Chuckwalla last year and marveled at the car. Can't wait to see what times you are turning now on the CA tracks i am more familiar with this year.

Thanks! Hope you found something useful in here. What were you driving at Chuckwalla?

It's been a long but worthwhile process of learning the new car setup---suspension, aero, engine swap, alignments---since I brought it here to Colorado. I am eager to return to CA in the Fall and see how the car does. If you're curious about lap times, the first post in this build thread has all my personal best times at every track I've visited.

[sbo76]

Originally Posted by dogbone

Thanks! Hope you found something useful in here. What were you driving at Chuckwalla?

It's been a long but worthwhile process of learning the new car setup---suspension, aero, engine swap, alignments---since I brought it here to Colorado. I am eager to return to CA in the Fall and see how the car does. If you're curious about lap times, the first post in this build thread has all my personal best times at every track I've visited.

I have an e46 - semi race prepped (weight reduction, full roll cage, suspension, etc). At chuck walla I am turning low 2:00’s. The car is probably capable of under 2:00 but no where near you are running ! I just brought it back to CA for the summer so hope to see you on the track!

[dogbone]

Let's file this one under---Yay softer springs!!

Went to High Plains Raceway yesterday to test the softer rear springs, alignment and blowoff valve adjustment. As expected, with the upcoming vintage car race weekend, the traffic on track was quite intense. The speed differential between a late model supercharged track car versus a vintage open wheel racer is dramatic and requires quite a bit of vigilance. Honestly, I think HPR should have run 3 groups---a vintage group, and then their normal fast and slow groups. I think it would have been much safer.

Anyway, how did it go? The day was a great success for me.

-Softer rear springs: LOVE AFFAIR! I love these latest 514 lbs rear springs! Rear feels planted. Car is fairly neutral. There’s a hint of understeer on exit if I get on the gas early but nothing unpleasant. The feel of the car was encouraging me to toss it around harder without feeling like I had to manage the tail as much.

-Alignment: I like the new alignment. I’m going to keep it for the time being. Could still see experimenting a bit. But I feel the turn in is a bit smoother and less abrupt. And I feel that I was sawing at the wheel a bit less.

-Blowoff valve: I believe the adjustments we made to the blowoff valve were helping. On my original engine, I could always hear the blowoff valve. But since the swap, I wasn’t hearing it. Yesterday, I could hear it working again. I believe the engine is better now.


I never did put any good tires on. The first session of the day showed me that the speed differential between cars would prevent any clean hot laps. Here’s a small taste of what it looked like on track. You ain’t going nowhere when it looks like that.





There was a heavily modified 964 Cup Car out there—bigger 3.8 engine, wider wheels with sticker Pirellis, weighs under 2200 lbs. Had fun duking it out for a couple laps in the clear sections of the track. I caught up to him I guess while he was warming up. Once I got on his tail, he couldn’t shake me. I was passing him on the front straight, but we caught up to a vintage racer, so I backed off. We were pitted near each other in the paddock. After the session, he came over. Interesting guy—races World Challenge GT4, big endurance races, etc. He was wondering what the heck was in the car because he couldn’t get rid of me….He asked if my car was 2400 lbs…..hahahahaha uh no. I enjoyed chasing after him because I was tossing the car around and it was sticking. Here’s the 964.


Yesterday was not about lap times. In traffic, I was able to run a 1:51.0. The car is giving me the vibe that it’s ready to rock and roll. I am so eager to put good tires on and let it fly. Not sure when that will be though…..Anyway, I feel like my confidence is building again, which is a great feeling. I’ve mentioned it before, but I felt like I lost a step last year due to not driving most of the year. Yesterday, with the way the car felt, I was having so much fun and really felt that my confidence is returning. I’m very glad I brought the car to Colorado in November. It’s been a bumpy road, but I’m hoping I’ll come out of these months with a car that’s ready to put down some good laps.

I’ve classed the car into TT1 for NASA—done all the dynos and weighing the car and submitted the paperwork. Hopefully, I’ve done everything right, but I think I have a good TT1 contender on my hands. I’ve signed up for my first NASA TT event with this car at High Plains Raceway in June. Looking forward to that. I will be running A7. Impossible to run Pirellis in TT1.

Looking further into the future: For some time, I have been wanting to visit various tracks around the country. Last year, we had big plans to visit the East Coast, but Covid crushed all that. Those original plans had someone else doing transport. I have always known that the Tundra was not made to haul 10,000 lbs across the country. In November, the Tundra brought the rig to CO—1000 miles in a day. It did well, but any big hills have always been a challenge with so much weight. Having the rig here in CO makes visiting tracks around the country seem more feasible. So——I have recently acquired a diesel tow vehicle to make the longer hauls possible. Now that I have a proper diesel, my new plan is to bring the E90 to CO for the summers and then take it to CA for the winters each year. Tracking in California in the summer is no fun due to the heat. The only CA track you’d want to run in the summer is Laguna Seca. But you can also run that in the winter. So, my thought is to return the car to CA some time in October. Go to CA several times in the winter to run at all the fun tracks in CA. Then, maybe in Feb/March, take the rig to COTA for SuperLap. Then after COTA, bring the rig directly to Colorado, where it will be based until October. While it’s here in CO, I can use that as a launching pad to go to the East Coast or Road America, or Utah Motorsport Park, or whatever. Then in October, take it back to CA. If I hate doing all the driving myself, I guess I can hire a driver to take my rig. As a test/first step, I signed up for an event at Watkins Glen in August. If that all goes well, I may consider doing NASA Hyperfest at VIR in October. Ultimately, I have no idea how feasible this all is, but sitting here typing about it sure is fun!