E9 Driven (on Lime Rock racing circuit)

duane_sword

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E9 friends... I took my coupe to a track day yesterday, WOW!

Lime Rock Park in CT is a great circuit, around 1.5miles long and a roller-coaster with elevation changes and a nice technical track with off camber corners and complex double-apex twisty bits... ideal for the coupe!

The track day was hosted by SCDA (Sports Car Drivers Association) and they do a great job. Professional, well managed, good people.

Amongst various Porsches, Lotus, modern M3s, Corvettes, Miatas, several of the new Nissan GTRs the coupe performed well.

E9 Driven. Yes indeed.

If you would like higher resolution versions let me know.
 

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Great photos, glad you got there okay

Good thing Mario was ready to help out with your X5 issues.
The other NE track you simply must do in an E9 is Watkins Glen. I don't like the bus-stop, but it's still one of the great tracks for the bigger BMW's.

John
 
Yes my BMW X5 dumped a water pump at the right time and place... at Vintage Sports & Racing... Better that it happened there than somewhere on the MA pike with my trailer and a coupe in tow. Thanks Mario!

A pleasure to meet you John and your coupe(s).
 
Duane, what tires are you running? Car looks very composed. If you could email me a high res shot of photo number 1, that would be great.

Thanks, Bob.
 
Lrp2

Also interesting that they ran the full corner (where your pic is taken) and did not force you through the new portion of the track. Did anyone spin going up that hill?
 
Lime Rock Park layout

Tod, yes the SCDA prefers to run the original layout of the track. They have three classes of drivers (novice, intermediate, advanced) and the instructors ensure that drivers are driving within their abilities yet finding the balance to explore the car and it's abilities.

The right-hander chute up the back straight is a blast... and it is one of those corners when it feels right when you have hit the apex right..... there is a depression mid-apex that compresses the car and feels like it helps launch you up the hill... be sure to have the wheel straight as you exit the top of the chute... hence the hill's reputation for spitting cars towards the wall.

I want to go back. Frankly I preferred track time in my coupe than my E46 M3 a few years back... so much more engaging and more feel with the coupe!
 
Bob, I will send you the high resolution photo separately.

The tires on I run are Continental Premium Contact2 205/55 R16 running 30PSi at the track... After 10 laps it was up to 38PSi. Great tires. The tires were "talking" quite a bit in the twisty bits of the track... Good feedback to the driver.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1336185188.305280.jpg
 
Yes I am also unfamiliar with this device known as a trailer in reference to my coupe.... It was infact my first time taking the coupe to an event on a trailer... I should plug the Featherlite brand trailer, a very well designed trailer (and yes there is such a thing as a crappy trailer).

The track is 3+ hours from Boston, rain was forecast and I wanted to take the chance of going but not driving for 6 hours in rain (but rain did not fall while we were on the track... .Only rain on the drive to and from the track, yes it is an open trailer). I drive the coupe to all events though this time for the track day at Lime Rock Park I made an exception....

I hope I am still worthy of keeping the E9_Driven badge proudly displayed on the grill of my coupe. :)

Anyone else taken their coupe on the track at speed (ie not a parade lap, but flinging your coupe through the bends and opening it up on the main straight?).

Drive Em' !
 
A day at the races

Duane:

Here's my edited re-post of a hot lap at the now defunct Race City Motor Park in Calgary. A really rough surface with no elevation changes, two very long straights connected by a convoluted hairpin at one end and several looped sections at the other. Supposedly a novice lapping session but with several exotics and hopped up sports cars taking friends out for a ride at the same time. I tried to keep up or get out of the way.

http://s54.photobucket.com/albums/g120/decoupe/Race City Hot Laps/?albumview=slideshow

Doug
 
That's one fine 'track' car you have. Driving on the track at speed, that's what I call, living the dream. Love the monochrome look of the clear turn signal lenses on a silver car, a minor detail that really sets your amazingly built car apart.
 
SCDA is a great group. Real mix of cars friendly drivers and instructors. I took my Polaris coupe to Lime Rock, the Glen and other tracks for 20 years. That bridge before the straight at Lime Rock has to experienced. Sit the car down right and it is driver's heaven.
I first ran with my local BMW chapter. But some driver's complained to the officials that my car was smoking on deceleration(all our big sixes do when pushed hard). Hey dickheads, we are on a racetrack! Of course they were driving new M cars and drove the instructors crazy with their attitude.

If you want to know what our cars can really do, what they were really built for, buy a helmet, some tires and go. My first time I was hooked.

Steve ONeill
 
I got a ride around Mosport in Marcus Glarner's race CSL. I don't think he was holding back either. Was quite a ride.

csl.jpg
 
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