Off to VIR this evening!!! HPDS is finally here!!

[billb]

Hooray, my trunk is packed, the cooler is beside the fridge, ready to be loaded with water and Gatorade. All I've got to do is finish mowing the lawn, give the car a quick wash, and I'm heading to VIRginia International Raceway for the weekend!

http://www.bimmer.info/bmw/fgump/specmiata.jpg

Can you tell I'm excited?!?

My first driver's school ever. Not my first on-track event...that was 8 years ago in a Formula Ford at Roebling Road, Solo I.

Pictures will surely follow.

[Brian C.]

Junior looks to be in top shape. Do you put all those stickers and track labels and numbers on him too? That would make a good photo to remember. Good thing your event isn't down here in "Sunny South Florida". The official rain amount for the month of June was almost 18", and that only counts what's come down at the airport. Rain, rain, and more rain is the forcast for the next 2-3 days and I'm not looking forward to it. But thems are the breaks.

Maybe next time you do a track day you can mount a digicam somehow and set it to do mpegs of a lap or two. I've been playing with my small Sony still, with the video feature and it works pretty good. Good enough to show you slippin' and slidin'!!

Have Fun!!


Brian C.

[billb]

Type R, APC, FUBU, Powered by BMW, It's a Jeep Thing...

Nah, actually I think only a car number and run group designation.

And the nifty static decal I put in the window to advertise this (http://www.cg-lock.com/index.html)

I'll shoot some photos of it before and after (tires included). I thought about the camera mount, and the package tray would be ideal, but then I thought that might be a tad much for my first outing. All I'd have to do is bolt a mount to my childseat tether anchor point. Next time.

Looking forward to it.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th of July holiday!

[Gene in NC]

You go, Bill! The 318is is a nice car, and your pic looks like a prime example. I'd like to have one of those engines for one of my '02s.

Note that you are a real Ford man. My first car was a T Model. With top cut off and no fenders it looked like Archie's.

[Paul in NZ]

just be calm out there Bill.....and have fun!

[billb]

Holy moley. That was fun. Only saw 105 mph down the front straight, but it's not about how fast I was down the straight. It's that I learned so much about how the little E30 handles in the curves. Turn in, get it set, and let her rip! Full report coming later, but here's a teaser pic

[Jr ///M5]

Man, you've had me sittin' on pins & needles wondering how much fun you'd had fly'n around the track.....been wait'n for your post for over a week now, get busy and post those shots!!!

You had to have the time of your life, wish I could have been there with you!

Looking forward to the pics, thanks again for sharing with us!

All the best,

Jr

[billb]

Looking forward to the pics, thanks again for sharing with us!

Jr

My pleasure!

I'm planning to submit my Driver's School story to Roundel, so keep your eyes peeled down the road...

Here's a few at the track. I didn't have a whole lot of time to snap photos (usually either in class, checking out the car, or chatting with other guys in my run group). I had three confirmed "kills" Sunday...the other 318is, a 330 ZHP, and an M COUPE!!! Yep, D group rivalry was rampant. Of course, after lunch, the M coupe got religion and flew around me...


http://www.bimmer.info/bmw/billb/setup.jpg
It was, after all, July 4th weekend!

http://www.bimmer.info/bmw/billb/other318is.jpg
One of the "kills" (he actually waved me by to see my line, yeah that's it!) Good to meet you Gary!!

http://www.bimmer.info/bmw/billb/leftfront.jpg
Left front tonight 140 track miles and 400 highway miles later. Thanks Jr for the tires!!! I could not have done the event without them! They did great.


My instructor was impressed with how quickly they would heat up at the start of our session. His Alfa Romeo Milano race car wouldn't heat 'em up as quick as we did!

But chasing down the ZHP was fun...also tagged along with an E30 M3 for a little bit (in the twisties, NOT on the straights!). My Carbotech Panther Plus brakes are AWESOME!!! No fade, lots of dust, and I could brake for turn 7 uphill from about 80 mph at 75 feet and hit turn-in every time. Lovely weekend!

Then I departed the track Sunday night to head to the mountains for the week. Here's a shot along the Blue Ridge Parkway last Sunday night (7/3/05). Rain, fog, yucky night. Precursors to TS Cindy later in the week (flooded the New River Valley, where we were).

http://www.bimmer.info/bmw/billb/brp1.jpg

[Brian C.]

It looks like it was quite a fun time Bill!!

Brian C.

[billb]

Here are a few more pics taken by the professionals. I will be purchasing the CD of all the pics from them.

Here's the track:
http://www.virclub.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=23&Itemid=106

http://www.bimmer.info/bmw/billb/hpds3.jpg
The top of turn 7, need more power captain!

http://www.bimmer.info/bmw/billb/hpds4.jpg
Chasing the M3 up through turn 10...could catch 'em under braking.

http://www.bimmer.info/bmw/billb/hpds5.jpg
Braking for turn 14a, before Roller Coaster.

http://www.bimmer.info/bmw/billb/hpds6.jpg
Turn 11/12 complex...I LOVED those turns from 10 through 14!

[Brian C.]

"They don't got to show me no stinkin' copyright!"

We say that a lot here in the Police Department, especially when we want to copy stuff for ourselves!

Brian C.
:D