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E30 Race Car Blog with Video

Discussion of other cars non-Z4
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Fishy Dave
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New race car (BMW)

Post by Fishy Dave » Fri Jun 09, 2017 11:36 pm

My race 1 video from Sunday is up at last. No chance of testing, but the race the day before with TomK certainly helped with getting on the pace more quickly. I qualified 7th for both races, I was happy with that considering the car was exactly as I left it after Brands Hatch, with slightly wonky steering, questionable rear wheel bearing and rear damper. Still, it seemed to drive ok the day before :D
Overnight a kind mechanic diagnosed and replaced the fuel pump with a second hand unit that was noisy but would last, along with some used rear pads to replace the set I'd destroyed in Saturdays race. Not sure they were doing much but better than metal on metal I guess.

Race 1, reasonable start, but down to 8th, made back the place a few laps later and as the rain started to fall I was catching the pack ahead. I was hoping the rain would continue but it eased off and never made the track that slippery. I had just one chance to pass Phil as we went side by side, but he was just that bit too quick so finished in 7th, where I started in a field of 26 cars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaXAncGz5TU&t=190s


Race 2 video will follow next week :)
Corvette C6
Mazda RX-8 race car
Now sold: Z4M Roadster, the best all round car I have owned.

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New race car (BMW)

Post by Fishy Dave » Fri Jun 16, 2017 10:41 pm

Got around to uploading race 2, really good scrap with Phil, very fair and clean. 8) :thumbsup:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQH2cJHHAW8
Corvette C6
Mazda RX-8 race car
Now sold: Z4M Roadster, the best all round car I have owned.

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Fishy Dave
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E30 Race Car Blog with Video

Post by Fishy Dave » Mon Jul 03, 2017 1:08 pm

Yesterday saw the next two rounds of PBMW at Silverstone Grand Prix, a circuit I've never raced on. Sadly my dear Mum is quite ill, having had two strokes on Thursday so my head was not quite where it should have been when I started qualifying.
A packed grid of 54 cars (shared with the Toyo Tyres Racing Saloons), no testing and just 5 laps meant I qualified down in 16th, disappointing but as I was close to not taking part it was better than nothing.
I had not really changed anything on the car since the Silverstone National meeting aside from changing the rear pads, new fuel pump and chucking a bucket of water over it. Bedding in new pads took place during qually (EBC Yellowstuff)!
Starting the race so far back meant I could only just see the dropping of the national flag (the lights were used for the TTRS boys starting 20 seconds ahead). I made a good start and slowly made up places, but kept making mistakes, particularly through the important corners immediately preceeding the two longest straights. Oversteer became a big problem in the fastest corners and oil down at Beckets caused a scare for many but helped me out. I just held on to 9th place which considering the inconsistent way I was driving was pretty ok. The two cars behind me had a coming together on the very last corner of the last lap which helped me as I had one of them on the outside who may have beat me to the line. The rear camera ran out of memory the lap before, grr.

Plenty of action in the video. 5:00 crash behind, 7.55 example of oversteer, 13:04 last of the late brakers, 15:12 Oil down.

Race 1 video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh1aIweRCpI&t=513s



Race 2 with a BIG moment and spin will follow tonight. :D
Corvette C6
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Now sold: Z4M Roadster, the best all round car I have owned.

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Post by Fishy Dave » Tue Jul 04, 2017 7:38 am

Stiffened the front dampers between races which helped reduced the extremes of oversteer, well, until the spin that is. Good clean racing, fun with Phil too. :thumbsup:

Squeezed at 12:27, spin at 16:00!

Race 2 is here:https://youtu.be/AVID1E9X-qA

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Now sold: Z4M Roadster, the best all round car I have owned.

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E30 Race Car Blog with Video

Post by TomK » Tue Jul 04, 2017 6:57 pm

Sorry to hear about your ma dave :( hope things are ok. Currently on a fairly flakey connection so will have to watch in full when back but I did manage to watch the spin... accelerating all the way through copse :o that looked fun :lol:
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Post by juniorkevina2017 » Wed Jul 12, 2017 7:52 pm

id love to go just for a ride :)

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E30 Race Car Blog with Video

Post by brightonbimmer » Thu Jul 13, 2017 12:58 am

[quote=
Never done any proper racing before so definitely a novice, my plan will be to not qualify last, finish all the races, and to try and overtake someone during a race lol :driving:
[/quote]
Reminds me of when I began sailing about forty years ago. My initial goal was "second-to-last, or better", and eventually I became a club champion.
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Current cars: 2013 Honda Civic EX (daily driver, 55,000 KM) + 2003 Mazda MX-5 SE (Titanium Grey, with 22,000 KM) + 2006 BMW M6 (Indianapolis Red Metallic, just turned 67,000 KM)
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Fishy Dave
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Post by Fishy Dave » Mon Aug 21, 2017 5:26 pm

It's been a long gap of 7 weeks since Silverstone GP, with my car making one outing since when I drove it to work to give it a wash! Yesterdays race at Brands Hatch all came down to one thing, qualifying. It was my worst ever, with 19th for both races. With many of the cars so similar I'm finding it hard to go out there and be on the pace in just 15 minutes. By the end of the weekend my times are fine for top 10, but at the start just a second makes a big difference. Still, no point griping, nothing I can do about it in my situation so best just keep trying to make up places during the race.
Race 1 and I enjoyed a couple of overtakes at 09:15 and 11:45 but by then the pack were long gone. I caught up a few ahead but then made the wrong decision overtaking a lapped car at 14:15.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rLdmLBeoHY



Race 2 and I got a fairly decent start but got boxed in, guessing you didn't get a great one Phil? A shame about the accident on lap 2 which resulted in a shortened 5 minute race, but did get to have one attempt at an overtake with Phil, all very courteous and clean.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8G2V43yTuc



Next round is at Donington in September where I suspect the qualifying result will be similar, at a circuit I last drove three years ago, could be an exciting race though. :)
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Post by Fishy Dave » Thu Oct 12, 2017 11:01 am

Well, Donington was not a great event for Phil or I, with contact in the second race through no fault of our own (Phil got hit who got pushed into me). We are hoping for a happy end to the season at Snetterton on Sunday. :)
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Post by Mr Tidy » Thu Oct 12, 2017 8:13 pm

That's bad news OP.

I hope you both have a trouble-free time at Snetterton. :thumbsup:
Coupes because stunning!
Current - Silver Grey MC, Imola Red heated Nappa & carbon trim. Aeros, H & R Coil-overs, 224s, OE Strut brace, Nav, cup-holders, DSP Hi-Fi, pdc, cruise, MFSW, no CDV! E90 330i daily
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Post by Fishy Dave » Thu Oct 12, 2017 10:05 pm

Thanks :) My 325ti has just passed 100k and going strong, it seems to receive more compliments in the paddock as tow car than my race car does!
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Post by Mr Tidy » Thu Oct 12, 2017 11:21 pm

Fishy Dave wrote: Thu Oct 12, 2017 10:05 pmThanks My 325ti has just passed 100k and going strong, it seems to receive more compliments in the paddock as tow car than my race car does!
Got to love a 325ti - mine has just got to 100,700 and had the driver's airbag replaced today on the recall!

I'm using it tomorrow for elderly parent transport which is why I bought it (an E86 doesn't quite work for that) and while it may be a bit slower at least it can still provide some entertainment!

Maybe you need to think about the E46 Compact race series and tow it with your E30 race car! :lol:
Coupes because stunning!
Current - Silver Grey MC, Imola Red heated Nappa & carbon trim. Aeros, H & R Coil-overs, 224s, OE Strut brace, Nav, cup-holders, DSP Hi-Fi, pdc, cruise, MFSW, no CDV! E90 330i daily
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Post by BMWZ4MC » Sat Oct 14, 2017 4:04 pm

My old 320td was recalled in 2014 to replace the airbag at 150k miles :D
I really enjoy this thread and would love to take part. Keep posting please :thumbsup:
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Post by Fishy Dave » Mon Oct 16, 2017 11:49 am

:)
My weekend started with an 8 hour drive on Friday (M11/A11 shut), towing an empty trailer.
I had a pretty good weekend all things considered. Marshaled at 'Agostini' on Saturday, a good experience, you certainly get to see things differently once you've got a flag (or remote control for the lights) in your hand.
I got to see my car for the first time on Saturday, delivered to the circuit and fully repaired after it's damage at Donington. Graves Motorsport kindly scrutineered my car whilst I marshaled which was very kind of them as I'm not a customer of theirs.
I've not raced on the Snetterton 300 before, so qualifying on a damp track was a learning experience. Phil zoomed off in the distance putting his Friday testing experience to good use; I couldn't stick with him whilst I learnt the lines and what gear to be in.
I qualified 11th in race 1 and 10th for race 2.
I had great support from my family with both parents and a sister along which was nice.
I started on the right hand side of the grid against the pit wall. Made a decent getaway but with a tight grid formation there was no room to move and the queue of cars swept around the outside at Riches. I spent the rest of the race battling to retake those lost places, finishing 10th.
Race 2 and I was on the left side this time, but not quite such a good start so had work to do. Made back a few places then found myself in no-mans land, way behind the lead group but ahead of the pack behind. Finished 8th, I got faster through the day but still way off the pace of the leaders. It's a power circuit and my engine just isn't quite as high as it might be, but mostly it was the driver to blame this time.
No damage thankfully.
Well done to Phil for finishing third, a great achievement in his first year of racing. 8)
Just to end what was a very long weekend I'd forgotten my towing straps so had to borrow some from another driver and lashed the car down somewhat unconventionally as the sun was setting.

So, now I've got to decide do I sell and move on to other things or do I give it another year? :)
Corvette C6
Mazda RX-8 race car
Now sold: Z4M Roadster, the best all round car I have owned.

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E30 Race Car Blog with Video

Post by Mr Tidy » Mon Oct 16, 2017 10:28 pm

Sounds like you had a reasonable weekend, and the car finished in one piece so that is positive. :thumbsup:

Whatever you do decide to do, please let us know - I've really enjoyed this thread!
Coupes because stunning!
Current - Silver Grey MC, Imola Red heated Nappa & carbon trim. Aeros, H & R Coil-overs, 224s, OE Strut brace, Nav, cup-holders, DSP Hi-Fi, pdc, cruise, MFSW, no CDV! E90 330i daily
Gone - Montego Blue
Gone - Ruby Black

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