Which would you track?

I wouldn't track anything unless I had track insurance.

 

Yes they do, actually. No one in Pro racing even takes the start without insurance. We require it for our rental drivers. There are several companies that offer track insurance, they would be able to provide the details. I can get you a phone number if you need, PM me...

 

If I were you I would track the 348. It is really a sweet car on the track. I was keyed up before my track day event thinking that I would ram it into a wall. it was my first track day experience of any kind.

Once on the track though, the steering, brakes, overall grip, and long throttle travel gave me instant confidence in the car.

I was driving at a reasonable quick pace (by my standards) - meaning I was rarely if ever squealing the tires thru the turns. Start slow and slowly build speed, you should be fine.

Just make sure you have enough meat on your tires - particularly those in the rear - otherwise you might get a bit too much oversteer.

If you get your braking done in the straight and enter the corner with a steady but small throttle position, the car is really benign. It's when you jam on the brakes in the middle of the corner or let out the clutch abruptly in the corner that you can make it spin.

Porker with AWD and traction control - where's the fun? Besides you must have already tracked so you are not getting any new experience.

 

I think before I track my car, I would like to take a course of some sort. I'm sure there are some great driving/racing schools about.

 

Nice pics Eric--I thought I saw Robert and Toggie's cars in there..

 

Really? Does it cover the loss of the car or liability? Liability lines exist but for the car? The porsche guys would love to have this. There have been huge long threads on this subject in P circles and there is alway one agent who will stretch the wording of the policy to include DE track driving but then as soon as a bunch of racers call up suddenly the line evaporates as policy holders ask the underwritere specfic pointed questions. Maybe this only happens when P guys call? Anyway if you can get on track race insurance for the value of the car and or liability post it here I am sure they would like the business.

 

NEITHER. Id track these..
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My plan would be to track the 348 at least once to find out (Sepang F1 track) where it's limits are but then use my daily driver WRX for future track events.

It's not the 348's limits or my skills that are in question, but rather the other drivers on the track. The track events here are more open and less strict than the ones I ran with with PCA (esp the Philly/Riesentoter region which really run a tight ship - a good thing IMHO). We've got family seater slushbox Civics on the track along with I'm-18-but-have-an-Evo-thanks-to-daddy cars out there duking it out. Kinda like a Nordschleif open day I guess!

I wish the f-club here would have some dedicated track days but there are too few members, even less so track junkies. Typical more-show-than-go Asian bling-bling crowd.

If I were back in the US and running with the PCA, I may take out the fcar more often but the thought of a busted clutch costing 5x on a 348 than a WRX would always be lingering at the back of my mind.

 

Rob, your at the wrong site!

 

I would track your 348. As long as you stick to within your driving limits, then you should be fine and you would have a hell of alot of fun tracking your 348. If you think you are Michael Schumacher out there, then you're in a world of hurt!

 

When I get on track, I simply keep three things in mind:

1. It's for fun -- not competition. There is no "prize" for lap times in a DE event.

2. If I can't sleep at night with a wrecked Ferrari in my garage, I need to stop driving.

3. "You break it, you buy it".

I have slid off track plenty of times in my 348. Some tracks are very forgiving, others are not. Chose your track days carefully, and don't, for the love of God, drive without an instructor in the passenger seat on your initial day.

 

No Im not.
Ps: Any new pics of your car ??

 

Daniel's advice is solid. Another item - watch how the track day is run by the host organization before you commit to an event. Some of these clubs are real "loosey goosey' about rules and safety, how many cars are on the track, when to let a driver out without an instructor.

Personally, I never drive without an instructor. I'm not nor do I desire to be a race car driver. I am in the school to refine my skills and explore the car in a safe environment. I don't want to be on the track with drivers who do not share this objective. There are schools for maniacs and wannabe racers.

I know I am going to be funding my own insurance while on the track - virtually every recent policy I have seen omits coverage from any event on a track, even parade laps (so think about that while you are cruising Laguna Seca this August). I have not checked into track coverage - perhaps I will do this.

I suggest that the BMW schools are very well run and have excellent rule enforcement. No idiots, no fools, no competitive driving, lots of instructors and you cannot drive alone unless you are signed off. They are very hesitant to sign you off the first of a 2-day event unless they know you from previous schools.

At the risk of offending some FCA and PCA members, I will opine that I have not found this to be as true at their events. It could be the egos or the personalities involved or just a different mindset. I do notice that there are far more incidents at FCA and PCA schools than at BMWCCA events and there must be a reason.

 

I can't comment on FCA events as I didn't have an fcar back when I was in the US but like anything else, I think it comes down to people. PCA sets some baseline rules but the level of enforcement is up to the clubs.

As I had mentioned above, the Philadelphia/Riesentoter PCA region is very strict. There's a full tech inspection, with the car up on lifts, two weeks before the event. Brake fluids have to be no older than 6 months (don't ask me how they check this - by murkiness I guess) and I once got dinged for having rotors below a certain thickness (my tech argued that they should've passed me but I replaced them regardless). Then, at the track, there's another short inspection including throttle cable, brake lights, wheel nuts, and loose items inside cabin and (front) trunk. Progression up the levels is also very strict where beginners and occasional track goers need instructor waiver before they can go solo.

Compare this with another PCA region I ran with where a newbie was doing some pretty fast laps in his WRX Sti even though his line was all over the place (it was the car, not the driver). The driver whined that other drivers were slowing him down so the organizers upgraded him to the instructor/expert level. Idiot rolled his car at the bottom of one of the turns (Summit Point) on his first lap out and totaled his car. Luckily, neither the driver nor anyone else was injured, but you can see a situation where it could've been more serious.

My experience is that in Asia, safety is less of a concern. Maybe because there are fewer lawyers or being a less litigatious society, or they just don't friggin' care. But with the group I saw running, there was no tech inspection and the wide range of cars (and performance levels, not to mention driver experience) on the track all at once freaked me out. Sorry to sound biased, but an automatic 1.6l Honda Civic has no business being on a track with a modified 340 hp Mitsubishi Evo, even if the drivers are just as experienced.

 

I did a track day at silverstone yesterday in my 348. Drove a total of 230 miles plus the laps on teh track.

The car now idles better, gives a better oil reading and the A/C electrics have started to work 100% again.

As long as you drive with common sense and have good instruction, then there should'nt be any problem.

 

- its not that bad. Just have a wary eye on your mirrors and
don't fight for corners.

- how's your car ?

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