Track forum general chit chat.

[Shmelgy]

Originally Posted by turbo_joe

Any info or pics of how the door is "quick" removable? Would love to do this to my car this winter when I do a full cage since I am either gutting the stock door or going with carbon doors

I'll get you a pic of mine. If I remember correctly, its a lot easier to do on the e92. Mine just pop right off, but the door has to be at least ~75% of the way open or else you'll be rubbing it against the edge of the fender.

[SAMM3Y]

On Bikes it's "you're done for the day after you leave the track twice but if the bike goes DOWN on one you're done for the day." Cars should be "if you spin or leave the track twice you better be a damn good salesman after debriefing on why you should be allowed back out". Your average $250 busy track day isn't the place to be pushing the limits to 3 off extremes. I guess if you're working on certain corners and have a good gauge on who and what is around you push it harder then but track spacing should be on your mind. Also if you're leaving the track and spreading debris across it and the sessions are getting flagged you're taking away from others.

[OG Shark]

Originally Posted by sc_tr0jan_m3

It hasn't been mentioned enough but rain days are really the best track events you could attend. Everything's slower speed and you get to test your ability to catch the car in slower speeds.

I know after 2 rain weekends back to back at my member track I was able to drop nearly a full second when I went back out in the dry. You'll learn far more in a rain day than a dry day.

Agree - love rain days at the track - definitely can put some good work in on car control. Just don't go full stupid like I did and almost put it in the wall... slick track, 50*, and on slicks...

I like to watch this every now and then to remind myself to be less dumb...

[turbo_joe]

Originally Posted by Shmelgy

I'll get you a pic of mine. If I remember correctly, its a lot easier to do on the e92. Mine just pop right off, but the door has to be at least ~75% of the way open or else you'll be rubbing it against the edge of the fender.

Would be greatly appreciated

[Richbot]

This discussion of removing doors to get out of the car in the trailer makes me wonder/worry if you guys are doing 15-second drills

[Richbot]

Originally Posted by sc_tr0jan_m3

It hasn't been mentioned enough but rain days are really the best track events you could attend. Everything's slower speed and you get to test your ability to catch the car in slower speeds.

I know after 2 rain weekends back to back at my member track I was able to drop nearly a full second when I went back out in the dry. You'll learn far more in a rain day than a dry day.

nobody ever reads my posts *pout*

[turbo_joe]

Originally Posted by Richbot

This discussion of removing doors to get out of the car in the trailer makes me wonder/worry if you guys are doing 15-second drills

Just makes things easier, I can climb out with zero problems. Been doing it since I bought my trailer.

Not sure what that has to do with a 15 sec drill, which you can normally open the door

[dparm]

Originally Posted by turbo_joe

Just makes things easier, I can climb out with zero problems. Been doing it since I bought my trailer.

Not sure what that has to do with a 15 sec drill, which you can normally open the door

You can't always assume the door will open. What if the car slides into the wall on the driver's side? What if another car clips the door and the latch is jammed?

[turbo_joe]

Originally Posted by dparm

You can't always assume the door will open. What if the car slides into the wall on the driver's side? What if another car clips the door and the latch is jammed?

I get that, but I can climb out just fine. I am lazy and dont want to climb out when loading the car

I have thought about just using a winch to load the car but the DCT is dumb and wont easily go in N with the engine off. You have to manually override it

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by turbo_joe

I have thought about just using a winch to load the car but the DCT is dumb and wont easily go in N with the engine off. You have to manually override it

I use a screwdriver inside the gear shift assembly to manually put the car in Neutral for trailering. I put the car in Neutral, engage the parking brake and then strap the car down.

Do you leave the car in Park when trailering? My understanding is that you want the car in Netural while trailering.

[SYT_Shadow]

I'll give my two cents on the subject of spinning and offs.

Firstly, I strongly disagree to take people out of the event after one or two 'offs'. 'Offs' do not always mean the same thing, sometimes an 'off' is dropping a wheel, other times it's staying on the asphalt but beyond the 'track limits', and other times it's a 4x4 grasscutting excursion.

One of the things I try to teach students if to not pinch the goddamned wheel. That if the car is going off, to stop pinching the wheel and trying to force it to stay on track.
Pinching wheels to not go off --> possible trip across the track into the wall
Keeping the wheel straight and allowing the car to go off in a controller way --> safe solution
When the organizers have made a big deal about 'X offs --> out of the event', people will try to pinch the wheel even more than they would naturally.

A good club has instructors going out periodically in other runs to see what is happening and takes feedback from good flaggers. A dangerous asshole can be dangerous without spinning or going off track.

I only run with very established groups, mostly PCA, as I strongly desire the organizing club to control the event vs a Ben Hur scenario

[CorruptCommie]

Originally Posted by turbo_joe

I get that, but I can climb out just fine. I am lazy and dont want to climb out when loading the car

I have thought about just using a winch to load the car but the DCT is dumb and wont easily go in N with the engine off. You have to manually override it

This is the dumbest shit ever, the X5 won't do it either. So if I can't fire up the engine, guess what the first thing I'm going to need is... to put it in N for the tow truck.

[dparm]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

Keeping the wheel straight and allowing the car to go off in a controller way --> safe solution

Bingo. This is why a recon lap is really important -- understanding where it is "safe" to just drive straight off (hopefully most places) and where you might need to be more evasive. Also helps you know where you can safely rejoin.

Just drive straight off, check the mirrors for other traffic, and then just drive back on. In most cases I don't even need to slow down very much.

[omgzirra_exe]

Originally Posted by dparm

This is why I got out of autocrossing after a few years. Cheaper, sure, but I only got 5-10 minutes of actual driving all day, where I didn't even remember half of what I did wrong on the next session.

I know folks here do it and to each their own -- I just outgrew it.

i probably spent more time memorizing the layout than actually trying to drive lol i suck at autox for that reason.

[omgzirra_exe]

Originally Posted by turbo_joe

I get that, but I can climb out just fine. I am lazy and dont want to climb out when loading the car

I have thought about just using a winch to load the car but the DCT is dumb and wont easily go in N with the engine off. You have to manually override it

you can code the dct cars to start with out pressing the brake pedal. theres also other methods that just involve coding or general software.

for example. i can force my car into N with the software. then force it back into park and turn off.

you can also code it to always start in N also instead of P.

[turbo_joe]

Originally Posted by dogbone

I use a screwdriver inside the gear shift assembly to manually put the car in Neutral for trailering. I put the car in Neutral, engage the parking brake and then strap the car down.

Do you leave the car in Park when trailering? My understanding is that you want the car in Netural while trailering.

I always just shut the car off so it engages the parking lock. Once I gut the car more doing the neutral override wont be an issue but as of right now I would have to pry up my shift boot every time

[Shmelgy]

Originally Posted by turbo_joe

Would be greatly appreciated

Here you go

[roastbeef]

I thought you had carbon doors?

[omgzirra_exe]

i figured your door was just a drop bolt on the hinges where you just gotta lift up and over.

some of my drifter friends have this same method of quick removal.

[turbo_joe]

Originally Posted by Shmelgy

Here you go

That’s a lot easier than I was thinking. Looks like you just chopped off the bottom half of the hinge use a pin to hold them. Not around my car so can’t look at my doors right now. Is that a modified factory pin or something you bought/made?

[Shmelgy]

Originally Posted by turbo_joe

That’s a lot easier than I was thinking. Looks like you just chopped off the bottom half of the hinge use a pin to hold them. Not around my car so can’t look at my doors right now. Is that a modified factory pin or something you bought/made?

Racewerkz did this for me when they built the cage. From what I remember, there's a bolt that goes through the underside that mates up with the top one. So you essentially just take out the bottom one and leave it like that, while cutting off the bottom half of the support (circled below)

[Shmelgy]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

I thought you had carbon doors?

Not installed yet 😢