E9x M3 LAP TIMES (Road Course)

[surewin]

Car: E92 M3; 6 speed manual
Track/Course: Buttonwillow Raceway CW13
Best Lap Time: 2:05.77
Brake Pads: Stock pads with stock rotors
Tires (Size & Model): Michelin Pilot Super Sports 245/35/19 front; 265/35/19 rear
Suspension: stock suspension with 220M wheels
Other Mods: M Performance Exhaust, Castrol SRF, DTC off

17OCT2015; Speed Ventures Black Group; Session 4.

This was my 4th time on a track and 4th time at Buttonwillow. Looking back on this footage I can see where I can make my lines tighter. I know I can carry more speed through bus stop and use more of the track in that sector. However, this session I wanted to focus on managing the weight balance of the car while trail braking and exiting the corner. My confidence in the car's handling grew as I was able to get more familiar with rotating the car while trail braking. I didn't really focus too much on braking points, especially since my stock pads overheated mid session.

I realized that my pads overheated when I lost brake bite power and I had to slam on the brakes even harder to slow down. The brake bite power I was receiving when I was slamming on the faded pads was about the same bite power I was getting when I wasn't braking as hard on normal temp brake pads, so I knew then that I previously wasn't slamming on the brakes hard enough.

I lost confidence in the brakes after they over heated and started braking earlier than I wanted to. I'll be upgrading to a Stoptech BBK for next time. In the end it'll save me money on pads and rotors than if I stayed with the OEM rotors and a more aggressive pad.

I was glad I was able to get a 2:05 lap time with my stock set up during this visit, which was 4 seconds faster than my fastest lap time during my last visit at Buttonwillow.

[M3 Number 86]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

the camber plates at -2.5 made a noticeable difference in turn-in. the car wanted to rotate even more as i let off the throttle, which helped with my confidence in 8-9.

need MOAR camber.

[m3bs]

Since nobody has posted anything (unless I missed it) from Palmer Motorsports Park, I'll be the first. I was in the area for family business and decided to try it out. Rented a E92 M3 from Jeff at MotorsportExp.com for the day. Stock except for H&R springs, PFC08 pads, RE71R tires. I spent most of the day watching my mirrors while trying to learn the track. Lots more time to be found out there, but 1:58.8 was my best for the day.

[redpriest]

Originally Posted by surewin

Car: E92 M3; 6 speed manual
Track/Course: Buttonwillow Raceway CW13
Best Lap Time: 2:05.77
Brake Pads: Stock pads with stock rotors
Tires (Size & Model): Michelin Pilot Super Sports 245/35/19 front; 265/35/19 rear
Suspension: stock suspension with 220M wheels
Other Mods: M Performance Exhaust, Castrol SRF, DTC off

17OCT2015; Speed Ventures Black Group; Session 4.

Haha, we can see our S2000 friends spun out at 10:55 and I gave you a point by that next lap.

[surewin]

Originally Posted by redpriest

Haha, we can see our S2000 friends spun out at 10:55 and I gave you a point by that next lap.

haha- I don't remember seeing him after that. It was good meeting you! Next time I go on track may be in March. I'm looking to go to Laguna Seca. Interested in going?

Can't wait to get my Stoptechs

[M3 Number 86]

Originally Posted by surewin

haha- I don't remember seeing him after that. It was good meeting you! Next time I go on track may be in March. I'm looking to go to Laguna Seca. Interested in going?

Can't wait to get my Stoptechs

March?!?!

[surewin]

Originally Posted by M3 Number 86

March?!?!

lol yeah. I don't get to go too often since I'm often busy with my 1 1/2 year old. Plus I don't really want to go during the hotter seasons. I've only been on a track four times- all at Buttonwillow

When is the next time you're going out?

[redpriest]

Originally Posted by surewin

haha- I don't remember seeing him after that. It was good meeting you! Next time I go on track may be in March. I'm looking to go to Laguna Seca. Interested in going?

Can't wait to get my Stoptechs

March is an eternity away, but I'm sure I'll be there, haha.

I'm going to Willow Springs next weekend. New set of RE-71Rs ordered; I'm hoping with my new Ground Control camber plates I don't eat through them in 4 track days.

[M3 Number 86]

Originally Posted by surewin

lol yeah. I don't get to go too often since I'm often busy with my 1 1/2 year old. Plus I don't really want to go during the hotter seasons. I've only been on a track four times- all at Buttonwillow

When is the next time you're going out?

Nov 27th with Speed SF....I don't know, I get all itchy if it's been a while. Like right now, I haven't been since Oct 9 (was open test half day and crowded so didn't feel like I got my day in - but wife only allows once (maybe twice) a month so I"m dying right now).

But at least I live right next to Angeles Crest when I need to hear/smell some exhaust engine note. We also have the 2015 exhaust meet at EAS in a couple weeks so got some car stuff going on to hold me down in the meantime.

Installed new rotors and getting new studs installed tomorrow.

[surewin]

Originally Posted by M3 Number 86

Nov 27th with Speed SF....I don't know, I get all itchy if it's been a while. Like right now, I haven't been since Oct 9 (was open test half day and crowded so didn't feel like I got my day in - but wife only allows once (maybe twice) a month so I"m dying right now).

But at least I live right next to Angeles Crest when I need to hear/smell some exhaust engine note. We also have the 2015 exhaust meet at EAS in a couple weeks so got some car stuff going on to hold me down in the meantime.

Installed new rotors and getting new studs installed tomorrow.

Sweet! I love driving ACH. I'm planning on going to the EAS exhaust meet. My brother, Stephen Uy (on Instagram), might be coming, too. I'll tell him to bring his 981 Cayman S.

[surewin]

Originally Posted by redpriest

March is an eternity away, but I'm sure I'll be there, haha.

I'm going to Willow Springs next weekend. New set of RE-71Rs ordered; I'm hoping with my new Ground Control camber plates I don't eat through them in 4 track days.

Nice- How much camber do you usually run front and rear?

[redpriest]

Originally Posted by surewin

Nice- How much camber do you usually run front and rear?

Stock, which is -1 degree I believe.

[redpriest]

First time doing Streets of Willow.

'11 E92 M3 ZCP DCT
Track/Course: Streets of Willow CW
Best Lap Time: 1:28.00
Brake Pads: AP Racing Radi-CAL BBK front (CP9660)/rear(CP5040) - Ferodo DS1.11
Tires (Size & Model): 275/275 Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R
Suspension: Ground Control Camber plates (-2.5 front), stock suspension
Other Mods: Dinan front anti-roll bar (middle setting), Macht Schnell Stage 2 intake, Macht Schnell Underdrive Pulley, BPM Stage II tune (8600 RPM limit), BPM DCT tune, Akrapovic Evolution exhaust (full), Castrol SRF React brake fluid

Need to get better and smoother, preferably without going two wheels off (which happened a couple times). It's not very forgiving and I need a new driver side fender splash guard and undertray.

[dogbone]

Ok, I have two new personal bests to share-----full aero----ooooh ahhhhhhhh:

Went to PCA San Diego's Chuckwalla weekend on 10/24-25. Very nice time. Nice crowd. They are a strict group though. Lots of rules to follow. Anyway, this was my first weekend driving with a front splitter (full aero). Bottom line: I love it! The APR wing went on the car first a few months ago to help settle the very light gutted rear of the car. It worked, but (of course) it was inducing some understeer at speeds over 80mph in wide rounders like Riverside at Buttonwillow and Turn 2 and 9 at Big Willow. Previous to the gutting and caging, my car always had a nice balanced feel at all speeds and situations. So, I was not surprised at the understeer, but it was interesting to feel because I never really dealt with it before. Anyway, the front splitter's tip was set at 5" from the tip of the bumper to keep it legal for time attack. With new tires, the car feels AWESOME. With beat up tires, there is a bit of understeer, but nothing like when the splitter was absent. Chuckwalla goes into my books as a success, which was capped off by the PCA time trial at the end of the weekend. I took Second place out of 46 cars. A Porsche beat me by 0.5 second. Anyway, this was a reduction of 3 full seconds of my previous best.

E90 M3
Track/course: Chuckwalla CW
Best Lap Time: 1:55.87 (transponder)
Brakes: AP Racing - Cobalt Friction XR2 front/XR3 rear
Tires: Hankook TD - 295/30/18 square on Apex Arc-8 10.5" (tires on 1st day)
Suspension: JRZ RS Pro
Other mods: VF620, Akrapovic X-Pipe with stock exhaust, RD Sport front sway bar, car is gutted with full roll cage, APR 67" GT-250 wing, carbon lip, APR front splitter, Euro-MDM on.


Then today (11-1) I went to Big Willow with Speed District. As always, Josh puts on on a nice day. It was warm! Darn! It was 77º in the first session……c'mon it's November!! Anyway, the car stuck to the track like glue with the full aero and decent tires and I was able to reduce my personal best by 2.4 seconds. (Buttonwillow is next on the list later this month. I'm very hopeful that the aero will prove as formidable there too.)

E90 M3
Track/course: Willow Springs - Big Willow
Best Lap Time: 1:28.44 (transponder)
Brakes: AP Racing - Cobalt Friction XR2 front/XR3 rear
Tires: Hankook TD - 295/30/18 square on Apex Arc-8 10.5" (tires on 2nd day)
Suspension: JRZ RS Pro
Other mods: VF620, Akrapovic X-Pipe with stock exhaust, RD Sport front sway bar, car is gutted with full roll cage, APR 67" GT-250 wing, carbon lip, APR front splitter, Euro-MDM on.

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by surewin

Car: E92 M3; 6 speed manual
Track/Course: Buttonwillow Raceway CW13
Best Lap Time: 2:05.77
Brake Pads: Stock pads with stock rotors
Tires (Size & Model): Michelin Pilot Super Sports 245/35/19 front; 265/35/19 rear
Suspension: stock suspension with 220M wheels
Other Mods: M Performance Exhaust, Castrol SRF, DTC off

This was my 4th time on a track and 4th time at Buttonwillow.

I gotta tell ya, from watching your video, I'm blown away that this was your fourth time on a track. What I'm talking about specifically is that your ability to catch the car as it pushes past the limit of the tires is extremely advanced. You make it look quite effortless. I watched more than 2 dozen catches just in that session, including an almost-tank-slapper coming out of Bus Stop (at 14:10) which you handled without any trouble. You show complete poise and keep the gas pedal pressed properly on every catch. Have you ever done karting or autocross or skid pad or car handling clinics or---I don't know---video games?

I'm curious to see more of your driving in the future.

[kaiv]

Originally Posted by surewin

Car: E92 M3; 6 speed manual
Track/Course: Buttonwillow Raceway CW13
Best Lap Time: 2:05.77
Brake Pads: Stock pads with stock rotors
Tires (Size & Model): Michelin Pilot Super Sports 245/35/19 front; 265/35/19 rear
Suspension: stock suspension with 220M wheels
Other Mods: M Performance Exhaust, Castrol SRF, DTC off

17OCT2015; Speed Ventures Black Group; Session 4.

This was my 4th time on a track and 4th time at Buttonwillow. Looking back on this footage I can see where I can make my lines tighter. I know I can carry more speed through bus stop and use more of the track in that sector. However, this session I wanted to focus on managing the weight balance of the car while trail braking and exiting the corner. My confidence in the car's handling grew as I was able to get more familiar with rotating the car while trail braking. I didn't really focus too much on braking points, especially since my stock pads overheated mid session.

I realized that my pads overheated when I lost brake bite power and I had to slam on the brakes even harder to slow down. The brake bite power I was receiving when I was slamming on the faded pads was about the same bite power I was getting when I wasn't braking as hard on normal temp brake pads, so I knew then that I previously wasn't slamming on the brakes hard enough.

I lost confidence in the brakes after they over heated and started braking earlier than I wanted to. I'll be upgrading to a Stoptech BBK for next time. In the end it'll save me money on pads and rotors than if I stayed with the OEM rotors and a more aggressive pad.

I was glad I was able to get a 2:05 lap time with my stock set up during this visit, which was 4 seconds faster than my fastest lap time during my last visit at Buttonwillow.

Looks pretty darn good for a 4th time!! Not to mention a stock car! Impressive

[kaiv]

Socal guys:

ACS 11/7
CVR 11/22 (have $20 off coupon)
BRP 11/27

Would love to see more E9x :-)

[kaiv]

:P

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by kaiv

:P

hehe I'm working on it. Driving about 25% of the time with it off, and running about 2-4 seconds slower than with MDM on. I just run more conservatively with it off.

Today, after running my fast time, I switched to my worn out tires. In one of the sessions, the first hot lap was with MDM on and it was 1:32, then turned DSC off during that session and ran 1:34 with hot greasy tires and a hot engine. (It was 87º.)

I'm looking towards Buttonwillow now. Haven't been there with full aero yet. Gonna work on a good MDM time there (would love to see 1:51.xx), and then we'll see where I go after that.

The car feels super stable with DSC off and full aero. I'm looking forward to driving it more.

C'mon kaiv, it's only been 4 years------don't rush me!!!!

[roastbeef]

ran a low 1:28 (i think) at streets of willow with speeddistrict on 10/31. i liked it, but i definitely like big willow much more. this was my first time here and the vid is from the second session when i made my best time (sorry, no fancy time overlays). made a lot of mistakes. i wasn't smooth and consistent until after lunch and the heat of the day had set in.
the mid-course blind crest had a constant cloud of dust throughout the day and it gives the illusion that someone spun. there was also pretty good sized rocks in that area that took a toll on the confidence. they got swept away every few sessions but they were back. they could really improve the track if they made decent rumble strips and runoff. lots of dirt and rocks on the track and it sucked.
i turned traction control off, got one clean lap in, then spun it after turn 1. no damage, didn't get it on the gopro because the card was full.

[redpriest]

Originally Posted by dogbone

Ok, I have two new personal bests to share-----full aero----ooooh ahhhhhhhh:

I knew I'd seen your car before dogbone Was good to meet you, we met at the gas station and I got to see your incredible car up close. Fantastic time, it's pretty amazing how fast you're able to go through some of those turns. Thanks for posting the video; can definitely learn from your lines!

[redpriest]

Here's a video of my 1:28.00 streets lap:

I had a booboo earlier on that could have really gone badly, but my car miraculously escaped major damage:

RIP splash guard and driver side undertray:


Like roastbeef said, I apparently need to keep multiple trays on hand when I make these kinds of mistakes