Lime Rock + rain . . .

[DrewZ]

Went to Lime Rock Park last Friday for the NJ Chapter Drivers' School. Although Thursday and Saturday were sunny and in the 70s, Friday was rainy and in the lower 50s. Oh well. Since it was my first time @ Lime Rock, I was bumped down into the novice run group. With the rain, I wasn't too unhappy about the bump. It poured like shortly before the first run, and then got progressively better as the day went along. Some parts of the track were almost dry by the time my last run started. At least 4 cars went off onto the grass before my first run. Before the first session, my instructor told me there was no way I'd get signed off by the end of the day. I spent the first session learning the track and the wet line. Even so I had to catch the car a couple of times. During the second run, I carried too much speed into West Bend, and turned in too late, losing the back end. As I was about to give up & put both feet in, my countersteering paid off & the car came back under control. After that, the rest of the day really came together. There were some neat cars in my run group: a new Carrera, 2 G35 coupes, a Dinan-badged M Coupe, an E46 M3, a couple E36 M3s, an '03 540i Sport. Even with all those neat cars in my run group, me and my 2-ton station wagon didn't get passed the entire day. It was a hell of a lot of fun catching the Carrera in the esses, then passing on the front straight. Passing the M Coupe and the E46 M3 was also pretty damn satisfying too. And at the end of the last run, my instructor signed me off. Now I just have to figure out when my budget and schedule will let me drive again . . .

Link to Ed Walters' pics

[Jason]

How did the big car handle through the esses? I have only done the barber school up there so I was in formula dodge. I am looking into going up there for the June 7th-8th school and Club race. should be a good time.

[DrewZ]

Fastest I saw was 100 before braking into Big Bend. The big car does pretty well through the esses (for a big car). To get a more accurate idea of the car's capabilities, I'd have to run it in the dry in the intermediate group. If I don't get back there for the June school, I'll probably be there for the October school.

How did the big car handle through the esses? I have only done the barber school up there so I was in formula dodge. I am looking into going up there for the June 7th-8th school and Club race. should be a good time.

[warton]

Went to Lime Rock Park last Friday for the NJ Chapter Drivers' School. Although Thursday and Saturday were sunny and in the 70s, Friday was rainy and in the lower 50s. Oh well. Since it was my first time @ Lime Rock, I was bumped down into the novice run group. With the rain, I wasn't too unhappy about the bump. It poured like shortly before the first run, and then got progressively better as the day went along. Some parts of the track were almost dry by the time my last run started. At least 4 cars went off onto the grass before my first run. Before the first session, my instructor told me there was no way I'd get signed off by the end of the day. I spent the first session learning the track and the wet line. Even so I had to catch the car a couple of times. During the second run, I carried too much speed into West Bend, and turned in too late, losing the back end. As I was about to give up & put both feet in, my countersteering paid off & the car came back under control. After that, the rest of the day really came together. There were some neat cars in my run group: a new Carrera, 2 G35 coupes, a Dinan-badged M Coupe, an E46 M3, a couple E36 M3s, an '03 540i Sport. Even with all those neat cars in my run group, me and my 2-ton station wagon didn't get passed the entire day. It was a hell of a lot of fun catching the Carrera in the esses, then passing on the front straight. Passing the M Coupe and the E46 M3 was also pretty damn satisfying too. And at the end of the last run, my instructor signed me off. Now I just have to figure out when my budget and schedule will let me drive again . . .

Nice write up, nice photo! You must have been doing something right to be able to play with an M Coupe and an E46 M3... sounds like lots of fun.

Peter

[DrewZ]

I'll tell you it was all driver's skill

But I'm sure that many other factors helped my big heavy car to run with the ponies . . . maybe my tires were better in the wet, maybe my instructor encouraged me to push a little harder than their's did, maybe their electronic override programs were a little too intrusive, maybe they had open diffs . . .

All I know is that I wish I had in-car video of me overtaking the "better" cars.

Nice write up, nice photo! You must have been doing something right to be able to play with an M Coupe and an E46 M3... sounds like lots of fun.

Peter

[Kamil]

what kind of tires were you on?

[DrewZ]

what kind of tires were you on?