Lap Counter: 187.5
Greetings fellow gear heads, ring fans, and friends. It's been a while but I'm back! It is now early November and 21 laps later, but they were some intense laps. These past few months have been full of ups and downs for me in relation to the track. Here is a short summary:
1. went mountain biking on the course with some friends
2. close call
3. my 4th endurance race
4. tuning a street car for the track
5. welcoming new friends and coaching
6. race team drama
7. good friend rolls his car
8. had an epiphany of sorts
I want to write a blog post dedicated to each of these in the future, but not right now. The sun just came out and its warm outside. (Germany in November). Its much too rare of an occasion for this season so I can't spend it inside. Maybe get one last car wash out of the way.
For now, i wanted to touch on point 4. For the past 2 years I have been driving GT3's on the track exclusively and driving an M3 sedan on the street. Didn't really mix the two as they both seemed very capable in each of those environments. Well, I'm never one for leaving things "stock" for too long so I decided to work on the M3 a bit so I could have fun in the family hauler as well.
Here is a recent video of me taking a couple friends for some laps. Enjoy and I'll update this blog soon!….unless the weather stays like this and then I'll just be heading back to the ring of course! :-D
E90 M3 on the ring with Jim
A blog to share my experiences in and around the mecca for gear heads, the Nurburgring.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Ring trip planning
Lap Counter: 166.5
Its been a very busy last few weeks personally, but I wanted to get some new posts on the blog.
Today is about planning for a trip to the ring. My next trip will be in a few weeks.
First and foremost is car preparation. If you are bringing your personal car then here is a checklist.
1. Tire Condition. - I'm running on Michelin Pilot Sport Cups for dry and PS2's for rain. Weather forecasts are never reliable as its very unexpected at the ring. Lately I have been favoring running the PS2's all the time since they work decent in dry and wont try to kill you when its wet like the cups will. Looking forward to when the new Pilot Super Sports are available in sizes for the GT3 RS.
Here is the site I use for checking weather at the Nürburgring. Weather2 Nurburgring Circuit
2. Brake Condition - There is nothing more frustrating than going all the way out to the ring and running out of pads after your first lap....been there and done that. will not repeat. Lately, if the pads look to be about half-way done, I pull them out and measure them. If they are actually halfway done, I just put a new set in. I take an extra set with me as well just in case. Brake pads and of course rotor wear are only part of the equation however. When was the last time you changed your brake fluid? Brake fluid is hydroscopic. It absorbs water over time. water has oxygen in it. oxygen doesn't compress too well in a hydraulic system and this particular system is keeping you from becoming part of the scenery at very fast speeds. I recommend the highest temp fluid you can get your hands on. I'm big fan of Castrol SRF. Motul RBF600 and even ATE Super Blue will do better than oem fluid.
3. Data Acquisition - How do you know you are doing well if you have nothing to measure with? I invested in a RaceKeeper data acquisition system and it has really helped with refining my line, using the throttle evenly, and being smoother overall. I'll post video of a session using this amazing system. Worth every penny! For my system check, I make sure it all works and have my 32GB SD cards ready. The system can be configured to automatically turn on and start recording. Very little work on this item.
4. Gear - Even a tourist day, I still bring my helmet and HANS device. I also pack a pair of sunglasses, balaclava, and driving gloves. Good driving shoes are a must as well. I'm a Piloti fan myself for tourist days. They make heal-toe easy with the padded sole and its easier to walk in them versus thinner and narrower racing shoes.
5. Fluids and Tools - The ring is about 5 times larger than most tracks. Count on needing fluid for yourself and the car. Pack bottles of water to avoid being gouged in the local venues. Drink plenty of water as you can get dehydrated very quickly on the gauntlet run. Make sure to have at least 2 full bottles of oil for the car along with rags. The most important tool you will need every time is a good Tire pressure gauge. I prefer a 60psi range analogue gauge. keep it in the door pocket or glove box.
6. Cash - Cash is still king in Germany. The one gas station within 15km's of the track sometimes has their credit card machine go down. You don't want to make it out there and not have enough money on hand to complete a lap.
7. Maintenance Log - How do you keep track of all this stuff? Well how about a spreadsheet or even notes on your cell phone. Just make sure to keep track of date, mileage, and condition of the things you check. This makes it easy to know when you need to do something. In the end I always manage to work on something late the night before a trip. A good log just helps reduce the unknowns.
Thats it for today. I'll update this soon.
Its been a very busy last few weeks personally, but I wanted to get some new posts on the blog.
Today is about planning for a trip to the ring. My next trip will be in a few weeks.
First and foremost is car preparation. If you are bringing your personal car then here is a checklist.
1. Tire Condition. - I'm running on Michelin Pilot Sport Cups for dry and PS2's for rain. Weather forecasts are never reliable as its very unexpected at the ring. Lately I have been favoring running the PS2's all the time since they work decent in dry and wont try to kill you when its wet like the cups will. Looking forward to when the new Pilot Super Sports are available in sizes for the GT3 RS.
Here is the site I use for checking weather at the Nürburgring. Weather2 Nurburgring Circuit
2. Brake Condition - There is nothing more frustrating than going all the way out to the ring and running out of pads after your first lap....been there and done that. will not repeat. Lately, if the pads look to be about half-way done, I pull them out and measure them. If they are actually halfway done, I just put a new set in. I take an extra set with me as well just in case. Brake pads and of course rotor wear are only part of the equation however. When was the last time you changed your brake fluid? Brake fluid is hydroscopic. It absorbs water over time. water has oxygen in it. oxygen doesn't compress too well in a hydraulic system and this particular system is keeping you from becoming part of the scenery at very fast speeds. I recommend the highest temp fluid you can get your hands on. I'm big fan of Castrol SRF. Motul RBF600 and even ATE Super Blue will do better than oem fluid.
3. Data Acquisition - How do you know you are doing well if you have nothing to measure with? I invested in a RaceKeeper data acquisition system and it has really helped with refining my line, using the throttle evenly, and being smoother overall. I'll post video of a session using this amazing system. Worth every penny! For my system check, I make sure it all works and have my 32GB SD cards ready. The system can be configured to automatically turn on and start recording. Very little work on this item.
4. Gear - Even a tourist day, I still bring my helmet and HANS device. I also pack a pair of sunglasses, balaclava, and driving gloves. Good driving shoes are a must as well. I'm a Piloti fan myself for tourist days. They make heal-toe easy with the padded sole and its easier to walk in them versus thinner and narrower racing shoes.
5. Fluids and Tools - The ring is about 5 times larger than most tracks. Count on needing fluid for yourself and the car. Pack bottles of water to avoid being gouged in the local venues. Drink plenty of water as you can get dehydrated very quickly on the gauntlet run. Make sure to have at least 2 full bottles of oil for the car along with rags. The most important tool you will need every time is a good Tire pressure gauge. I prefer a 60psi range analogue gauge. keep it in the door pocket or glove box.
6. Cash - Cash is still king in Germany. The one gas station within 15km's of the track sometimes has their credit card machine go down. You don't want to make it out there and not have enough money on hand to complete a lap.
7. Maintenance Log - How do you keep track of all this stuff? Well how about a spreadsheet or even notes on your cell phone. Just make sure to keep track of date, mileage, and condition of the things you check. This makes it easy to know when you need to do something. In the end I always manage to work on something late the night before a trip. A good log just helps reduce the unknowns.
Thats it for today. I'll update this soon.
Friday, July 8, 2011
ADAC 24Hr Race - M3 #215 Photos
Lap Counter: 166.5
Its now the 2 week anniversary of our finish in the 24H race. Its been a very busy 2 weeks, but I must admit not an hour goes by when I'm thinking about that epic race.
I recently purchased a set of photos from Vividot, the official photographer for the ADAC 24 Hour race. I selected 7 of them to post here. They are all of our car, #215 throughout the race. I'm glad to say we have pictures from Start to crossing the finish line and I hope you enjoy them.
Photo 1. This was taken on the first lap of the race on the GP track at Turn 1, Castrol-S. We qualified in P8 out of 13 cars. After the first 2 hours, we were as high as P4.
Photo 2. This was probably actually taken during a practice session 2 days before the race. I'm driving out of the pit into pitlane. My first drive in the 24H was at night. My first drive in the daytime, the car looked a little crunched up ;-) Still great photo.
Photo 3. Here I am driving on the GP track in the Schumacher-S. The 24H race was the first time I drove on this section of the GP track. After several laps of braking before entering I came to the realization that you don't have to actually hit the brakes at all for it. Its very fast and very fun piece of track!
Photo 4. A night of racing would not be complete without a glowing brake shot. This was taken late dusk on the first evening. I'm not sure what part of the track this was at. It was very hard for me to overcome the urge to turn off my high beams when approaching another car. I have my mom to thank for teaching me good manners.
Photo 5. This is probably the last photo of the car before her drastic accident and long recovery. This is me driving into the pits after completing what was the longest 6 laps of my life. after coming in and handing the car off to my teammate I remember thinking I wanted to go right back out and do it again! What a great way to spend a Saturday night!
Photo 6. Back in the light of day, I now call our car "Crusty". Crusty is doing a great job. She lost some subframe bolts, whacked into a barrier, whacked back into shape, broke her driveshaft, broke her suspension, but after all that drove straight and true. No overheating, no wandering, just plain fast and predictable like an M3 always is. just be easy putting her in 4th and she was like butter.
Photo 7. Crossing the finish. Here is our trusty crusty 215 crossing the finish line next to her sister car. Z4 finished in P2/13. We managed P8/13. Not bad. Yes we were down for over 8 hours, but we finished!
Thanks for viewing!
Good night, Jim
Its now the 2 week anniversary of our finish in the 24H race. Its been a very busy 2 weeks, but I must admit not an hour goes by when I'm thinking about that epic race.
I recently purchased a set of photos from Vividot, the official photographer for the ADAC 24 Hour race. I selected 7 of them to post here. They are all of our car, #215 throughout the race. I'm glad to say we have pictures from Start to crossing the finish line and I hope you enjoy them.
Photo 1. This was taken on the first lap of the race on the GP track at Turn 1, Castrol-S. We qualified in P8 out of 13 cars. After the first 2 hours, we were as high as P4.
Photo 2. This was probably actually taken during a practice session 2 days before the race. I'm driving out of the pit into pitlane. My first drive in the 24H was at night. My first drive in the daytime, the car looked a little crunched up ;-) Still great photo.
Photo 3. Here I am driving on the GP track in the Schumacher-S. The 24H race was the first time I drove on this section of the GP track. After several laps of braking before entering I came to the realization that you don't have to actually hit the brakes at all for it. Its very fast and very fun piece of track!
Photo 4. A night of racing would not be complete without a glowing brake shot. This was taken late dusk on the first evening. I'm not sure what part of the track this was at. It was very hard for me to overcome the urge to turn off my high beams when approaching another car. I have my mom to thank for teaching me good manners.
Photo 5. This is probably the last photo of the car before her drastic accident and long recovery. This is me driving into the pits after completing what was the longest 6 laps of my life. after coming in and handing the car off to my teammate I remember thinking I wanted to go right back out and do it again! What a great way to spend a Saturday night!
Photo 6. Back in the light of day, I now call our car "Crusty". Crusty is doing a great job. She lost some subframe bolts, whacked into a barrier, whacked back into shape, broke her driveshaft, broke her suspension, but after all that drove straight and true. No overheating, no wandering, just plain fast and predictable like an M3 always is. just be easy putting her in 4th and she was like butter.
Photo 7. Crossing the finish. Here is our trusty crusty 215 crossing the finish line next to her sister car. Z4 finished in P2/13. We managed P8/13. Not bad. Yes we were down for over 8 hours, but we finished!
Thanks for viewing!
Good night, Jim
Thursday, June 30, 2011
39th ADAC 24 Hour Rennen Nürburgring
At 4pm on Saturday June 25th, 202 Cars from 170hp to 670hp all left the starting grid. Combined there were 1200 drivers. total crew members for the race was likely over 3000 people to keep the cars driving 25.3 kilometer laps for 24 hours.
24 hours later only 135 cars drove over the finish line. One on only 3 tires.
Our car was #215, an E36 M3 running in V5 which is a stock class for gas engines between 2.5L and 3.0L in size. There were 13 cars in our class.
We had 4 drivers in our car. It was equipped with stock rotors/calipers running performance friction pads, 295 HP from the oem M3 engine, Manual Transmission 5-speed. Yokohama slicks and rain tires. It had 4 Xenon driving lights in the oem light housing.
In order to drive the 24 Hour race you need a few things.
1) FIA Group B International License.
2) FIA approved gear (Helmet, Hans, Suit, Underwear, Shoes, Gloves).
3) At least 2 completed races under your belt at the Nürburgring.
I'll add these helpful traits. Not mandatory, but they sure help!
4) A couple screws loose upstairs.
5) Should not be afraid of darkness, speed, walls, flying, and combination of those at any point.
6) Insomnia
7) Hearing the phrase from co-driver, "Zee brakes may not work" does not affect you from jumping into car and driving as hard as you can. (refer back to requirement 4)
The feeder series for the 24Hr race is a set of 10 endurance races held at the track called the VLN. [URL="http://www.vln.de"]http://www.vln.de[/URL]
I drove in Race 2 (4 hour race) and 3(6 hour race) earlier in the year with a different team running a BMW 130i. These were my first races on the track. I drove my 100th lap on the track in my first VLN race. After the 24Hr race I now have 166.5 laps on the track.
I have been driving on the Ring since 2006 but only going regularly since I moved to Germany in summer 2009.
ok, enough of background, here is how my weekend went.
2 days before the race.
Practice 1 and Qualifying 1 (at night)
I was familiar with the E36 M3 from owning and racing one back in the US briefly however I never drove the "real" E36 M3 with the 321hp S50 motor and 6 individual throttle butterflies so I was very excited! I drove a 130i in SP5 class for my first two stints and its actually a little faster car however the short wheelbase makes it a tad bit nervous when braking without being completely straight such as the 240kph turn at Tiergarten on the front straight. The first practice session goes off without a hitch and I feel right at home in my new M3. (The car was actually built with entirely new parts from the ground up in 2010).
Racing on the Nürburgring during the day is no picnic. For qualifying and the race itself you must drive as fast as you can and 90% of the field is in faster cars. You are told to hold your line and the overtaking car must go off line to pass, but I will tell you that they can easily take the line right from you and in a spot you really do not want it to be taken away at so for the most part you try to make sure the big shot, big $$$, professional teams such as BMW ///Motorsport are not too disturbed from claiming glory for an entire corporation and throngs of fans. On the other hand just because someone has a GT3 cup car behind you does not mean they know what they are doing. You go as fast as you can until you are told to stop. The ideal racing line is the line that makes for the shortest lap time. Try to drive it with 201 other cars at the same time and you will see not a single lap goes by where you can drive that ideal line. You have to make thousands of adjustments on every lap. There is never a quiet time in the office when racing. Since there are so many classes racing together you get used to chasing down your next competitor or keeping in front of the guy behind you then to turn that off and become moving chicanes for charging MB SLS, Audi R8 GT, 911 GT3 R, and M3 GT2's…not to mention the occasional $4 Million P4/5 competitione and $1 Million LFA GT. Usually you see them coming in your mirrors, can't miss the yellow lights. then you see corner workers waiving blue flags frantically. you pick somewhere that you can maintain your speed and stay the f@ck away from the freight train going double your speed. Don't worry if you can't get out of the way, just be predictable and the overtaking drivers handle the rest. I was passed in the middle of the karussell by a GT3 dropping almost right on top of my car. It must have dropped 5 feet before hitting the pavement and it kept going. Anyways, I have "THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE".
By the time I drove the 24 Hour race all of this is old news. been there, done that. Lets see what driving at night is like. HOLY SH1T!
Yes, driving at night is way more hard. Its insane and I love it! All of your reference points you used in the day are gone! they are absolutely not there anymore! In most cases you just have to remember. The track is very very dark. No lights at all illuminating the surface except your car's lights. Every car has tinted rear windows because without it you would be blind when another car approached you. Since you can't tell how fast cars are approaching anymore you now play a game of watching lights. if they look bigger a few seconds later, watch out. if they look the same, still watch out as its probably a different car and that other set of lights is now a GTR right on your blind side.
On a long lap your eyes play tricks with you. When you are relatively alone they adjust to the darkness. then you have fans taking photos all around the track. you see christmas lights in all the camps around the course. I swear I saw a ferris wheel. You also smell all the BBQ's going on and it makes you hungry! Better hurry up so you can go in! The good part about racing at night is you also don't see as many walls so you can go even faster :-D
1 day before the race.
Qualifying 2 (afternoon)
The next day, the team decided to skip qualifying/practice. There were 10 cars that crashed the day before and earlier so they don't even make it to the starting grid. It had been raining most of the day so I think it was very wise to sit it out. It did give us time to practice driver changes though.
You would think in a 24 Hour race you can be leisurely changing drivers….nope. You may very well lose due to one slow driver change. BMW lost by a measly 4 minutes. If they reduced driver changes that would have made up the time. There is a lot going on in a drivers change that I won't get into here, but you are fully occupied and usually doing multiple things at once. You can read more about it on my blog. Anyways, we got it down to 50 seconds which is the time it takes to refuel.
We qualified at P7 in our class and P129 overall with a time of 10:11.613 set by our fastest driver, Michael Rebhan. If you take the time of the GP track off the lap time we were running in the low 8 minute lap of the Nordschleife. Not bad for a 15yr old car is it? Our car is listed [URL="http://adac.24h-rennen.de/Teamdatenbank.4147.0.html?&no_cache=1&tx_stinno24hteamdatenbank_pi1[uid]=26631&cHash=61596fb20f"]here[/URL]. Our car weighs 1300kg or 2,866lbs.
To compare, the fastest M3 GT4 which runs in SP10 class weighs 1380kg (3,042lbs) and did a 9:18 lap time. There isn't a stock class for the E92 M3 so its not easy to compare but I would gamble it would be very near the E36 and E46 M3's lap times.
Since I had some time i did a little sight seeing and got to see the new M5, M3 CRT, and looked at my competitors. I drove the E90 M3 to the race btw…good to show up in an M3 and racing an M3! :-)
Race Day
So finally I get to the big day….very long day too! The race starts at 4pm. I was on track at 11am. Since I'm the newb on the team I didn't start. We left that to our hot shoe. Instead during the pre-grid I got to walk around and take some photos.
I got to talk to Jim Glickenhaus and wish his team good luck. I met him in an earlier race.
Since there are over 200 cars and only 34 pitboxes you get lots of neighbors. The P4/5 team was right next door on this race. I did see an interesting car in my bay, a 911 GT3 Cup car…which is very common place, but it said C Harris on the doorsill…hmmm I wonder if thats who I think it is?
Why yes, its Chris Harris :-)
After checking out the other cars I headed back to ours to wish our starting driver good luck. We got a nice photo of all the drivers together.
So 4pm comes and off goes 200 cars! Actually the grid is split into 3 groups. The first group being the fastest. We are in the 3rd group. The cars do a single lap and then there is a running start on the start/finish line in front of the paddock on the GP track. The roar of all the fast cars is like nothing you have ever heard. They are so fast by the time the 3rd group is on their first flying lap, the 1st group is already beginning to overtake them.
I am the 3rd driver so its looking like my first stint will be around 6:40pm. Well in a race shit happens. Our second driver came into the pits early after nearly losing the car. He said the cars rear end jumps away from the body during cornering. The car is in the pit with wheels off in 1 minute and 8-man/woman team is inspecting the suspension on all 4 corners at the same time. The crew then gets the entire rear drivetrain and exhaust off the car in 8 minutes. The team discovers the rear subframe bolts have sheered. This is somewhat common on E36 race cars. since the subframe is reinforced, the weakest link is now these bolts. Unfortunately they don't have another set of bolts so off they go to the other teams looking for the parts. They find the necessary parts quickly enough but they are different so some more ingenuity is required to make it work. We got the car out and had our lead driver check it out by about 9pm.
My first stint in the car is night laps! I drove at around 10:30pm until 11:40pm. Adrenaline and fear are plenty to keep me awake and focused. My laps fly by. We have a radio to talk to the crew while driving so this is a great comfort. Just in case though each driver resets the trip odometer. you can count in multiples of 25 to see how many laps you do. After a few laps its very easy to forget and its really not good to run out of gas! For me, the radio was not working. luckily i reset the trip odometer like I was trained to and I could tell how many laps I did. I came in after the 6th lap since the gas lamp was on.
After I got back to the pits I had about 3 hours of rest. When the driver before you is driving his laps you have to be on standby just in case something happens. I hopped into the bed in our team trailer and took a quick 1 hour nap. Just before my hour was up, I got a call from my co-driver. He was the driver that took over after me. He told me that he wrecked the car in Tiergarten and apologized for ruining our weekend. I first asked if he was okay and when he said he was fine, then I told him, I don't care about the car. As long as you are okay. Shit happens!
The crew chief later told me that they were waiting for the car to be towed back and they would see if they could fix it or not. My co-driver told me he was overtaking a car and started his braking about 3 meters past the normal braking point. the car had enough speed that it understeered into the berm and then launched into the armco. He was probably going around 90kph at the moment of impact.
After about an hour of waiting the car made it back to our pit box.
The entire front left corner was smashed in. The impact was hard enough to break a motor mount and moved the transmission over enough to break all the nuts holding the shifter in place. The front bumper reinforcement moved about a foot to the right.
The crew didn't even look over it. They just grabbed sledge hammers and tools and just went to work on the poor car.
After much bending, they found the engine still ran fine, the radiator did not break, and even the electric fan still ran.
The team worked tirelessly for over two hours throwing out broken parts and putting in new ones. Next came lots of zip ties and racers tape.
The car was finally ready to go at about 4:30am
With the crew pushing the car out back into pit lane a small crowd had formed and everyone was cheering!
Unfortunately the driver couldn't get the car to move and back it went into our pitbox. The drive shaft snapped and completely failed. At that point I was utterly exhausted and had to get some sleep. I took a one hour nap and was woken by my co-driver being shaken to go drive. It was 7:30am and we had a lot of racing to do still!
After just one lap however our driver came back in the pits. The front right wheel had about a 45 degree camber on it. The top of the strut sheared off from the upper strut mount. This was now our third incident! After the strut was replaced, Michael went out and did his fastest lap of the race! I jumped in right after and also drove my fastest laps! Maybe it was due to the weight reduction?
I was amazed at how well the car drove despite all the damage. I could only give credit to an amazing team! The crew did not sleep and along with bringing our car back to life, they also supported our 2nd car which managed 2nd place in class, a BMW Z4.
After 24 hours, 8 hours in intensive care, our team crossed the finish line!
We finished in 8th place in our class out of 13! We were 134th on the field. only 134 cars crossed the line…but we did cross it! because of that we were one place higher than even the mighty BMW Motorsport GT2 M3 #7 which placed in 135th.
This race is so special because it allows amateurs to mix it up with the big fish on the worlds longest and most challenging race track. I'm humbled by the talented people involved in making this race happen, drive their hearts out, and keep the cars running. I'm looking very much to my next race in September and 24 hour race in 2012 hopefully ;-)
Here are some photos from previous races at the ring.
I was able to meet Sabine a few times. She is super sweet just don't get in her way on the track though!
My last race before the 24 hour race our neighbors was the BMW Motorsport team. I looked out my door and there was Mr. M himself! Dr. Mario Thiesen, the BMW Motorsport Director! Very friendly guy! I asked him if he had any openings and he said he would get back to me ;-)
Here is my 130i catching air and landing! I didn't know it at the time but the 2nd M3 behind me in this photo is the very M3 I drove in the 24Hr race. I'm sure that car will be back and better than new in no time.
Thanks for reading!
Regards,
Jim Chambers
aka karussell - yes my favorite corner on the track!
24 hours later only 135 cars drove over the finish line. One on only 3 tires.
Our car was #215, an E36 M3 running in V5 which is a stock class for gas engines between 2.5L and 3.0L in size. There were 13 cars in our class.
We had 4 drivers in our car. It was equipped with stock rotors/calipers running performance friction pads, 295 HP from the oem M3 engine, Manual Transmission 5-speed. Yokohama slicks and rain tires. It had 4 Xenon driving lights in the oem light housing.
In order to drive the 24 Hour race you need a few things.
1) FIA Group B International License.
2) FIA approved gear (Helmet, Hans, Suit, Underwear, Shoes, Gloves).
3) At least 2 completed races under your belt at the Nürburgring.
I'll add these helpful traits. Not mandatory, but they sure help!
4) A couple screws loose upstairs.
5) Should not be afraid of darkness, speed, walls, flying, and combination of those at any point.
6) Insomnia
7) Hearing the phrase from co-driver, "Zee brakes may not work" does not affect you from jumping into car and driving as hard as you can. (refer back to requirement 4)
The feeder series for the 24Hr race is a set of 10 endurance races held at the track called the VLN. [URL="http://www.vln.de"]http://www.vln.de[/URL]
I drove in Race 2 (4 hour race) and 3(6 hour race) earlier in the year with a different team running a BMW 130i. These were my first races on the track. I drove my 100th lap on the track in my first VLN race. After the 24Hr race I now have 166.5 laps on the track.
I have been driving on the Ring since 2006 but only going regularly since I moved to Germany in summer 2009.
ok, enough of background, here is how my weekend went.
2 days before the race.
Practice 1 and Qualifying 1 (at night)
I was familiar with the E36 M3 from owning and racing one back in the US briefly however I never drove the "real" E36 M3 with the 321hp S50 motor and 6 individual throttle butterflies so I was very excited! I drove a 130i in SP5 class for my first two stints and its actually a little faster car however the short wheelbase makes it a tad bit nervous when braking without being completely straight such as the 240kph turn at Tiergarten on the front straight. The first practice session goes off without a hitch and I feel right at home in my new M3. (The car was actually built with entirely new parts from the ground up in 2010).
Racing on the Nürburgring during the day is no picnic. For qualifying and the race itself you must drive as fast as you can and 90% of the field is in faster cars. You are told to hold your line and the overtaking car must go off line to pass, but I will tell you that they can easily take the line right from you and in a spot you really do not want it to be taken away at so for the most part you try to make sure the big shot, big $$$, professional teams such as BMW ///Motorsport are not too disturbed from claiming glory for an entire corporation and throngs of fans. On the other hand just because someone has a GT3 cup car behind you does not mean they know what they are doing. You go as fast as you can until you are told to stop. The ideal racing line is the line that makes for the shortest lap time. Try to drive it with 201 other cars at the same time and you will see not a single lap goes by where you can drive that ideal line. You have to make thousands of adjustments on every lap. There is never a quiet time in the office when racing. Since there are so many classes racing together you get used to chasing down your next competitor or keeping in front of the guy behind you then to turn that off and become moving chicanes for charging MB SLS, Audi R8 GT, 911 GT3 R, and M3 GT2's…not to mention the occasional $4 Million P4/5 competitione and $1 Million LFA GT. Usually you see them coming in your mirrors, can't miss the yellow lights. then you see corner workers waiving blue flags frantically. you pick somewhere that you can maintain your speed and stay the f@ck away from the freight train going double your speed. Don't worry if you can't get out of the way, just be predictable and the overtaking drivers handle the rest. I was passed in the middle of the karussell by a GT3 dropping almost right on top of my car. It must have dropped 5 feet before hitting the pavement and it kept going. Anyways, I have "THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE".
By the time I drove the 24 Hour race all of this is old news. been there, done that. Lets see what driving at night is like. HOLY SH1T!
Yes, driving at night is way more hard. Its insane and I love it! All of your reference points you used in the day are gone! they are absolutely not there anymore! In most cases you just have to remember. The track is very very dark. No lights at all illuminating the surface except your car's lights. Every car has tinted rear windows because without it you would be blind when another car approached you. Since you can't tell how fast cars are approaching anymore you now play a game of watching lights. if they look bigger a few seconds later, watch out. if they look the same, still watch out as its probably a different car and that other set of lights is now a GTR right on your blind side.
On a long lap your eyes play tricks with you. When you are relatively alone they adjust to the darkness. then you have fans taking photos all around the track. you see christmas lights in all the camps around the course. I swear I saw a ferris wheel. You also smell all the BBQ's going on and it makes you hungry! Better hurry up so you can go in! The good part about racing at night is you also don't see as many walls so you can go even faster :-D
1 day before the race.
Qualifying 2 (afternoon)
The next day, the team decided to skip qualifying/practice. There were 10 cars that crashed the day before and earlier so they don't even make it to the starting grid. It had been raining most of the day so I think it was very wise to sit it out. It did give us time to practice driver changes though.
You would think in a 24 Hour race you can be leisurely changing drivers….nope. You may very well lose due to one slow driver change. BMW lost by a measly 4 minutes. If they reduced driver changes that would have made up the time. There is a lot going on in a drivers change that I won't get into here, but you are fully occupied and usually doing multiple things at once. You can read more about it on my blog. Anyways, we got it down to 50 seconds which is the time it takes to refuel.
We qualified at P7 in our class and P129 overall with a time of 10:11.613 set by our fastest driver, Michael Rebhan. If you take the time of the GP track off the lap time we were running in the low 8 minute lap of the Nordschleife. Not bad for a 15yr old car is it? Our car is listed [URL="http://adac.24h-rennen.de/Teamdatenbank.4147.0.html?&no_cache=1&tx_stinno24hteamdatenbank_pi1[uid]=26631&cHash=61596fb20f"]here[/URL]. Our car weighs 1300kg or 2,866lbs.
To compare, the fastest M3 GT4 which runs in SP10 class weighs 1380kg (3,042lbs) and did a 9:18 lap time. There isn't a stock class for the E92 M3 so its not easy to compare but I would gamble it would be very near the E36 and E46 M3's lap times.
Since I had some time i did a little sight seeing and got to see the new M5, M3 CRT, and looked at my competitors. I drove the E90 M3 to the race btw…good to show up in an M3 and racing an M3! :-)
Race Day
So finally I get to the big day….very long day too! The race starts at 4pm. I was on track at 11am. Since I'm the newb on the team I didn't start. We left that to our hot shoe. Instead during the pre-grid I got to walk around and take some photos.
I got to talk to Jim Glickenhaus and wish his team good luck. I met him in an earlier race.
Since there are over 200 cars and only 34 pitboxes you get lots of neighbors. The P4/5 team was right next door on this race. I did see an interesting car in my bay, a 911 GT3 Cup car…which is very common place, but it said C Harris on the doorsill…hmmm I wonder if thats who I think it is?
Why yes, its Chris Harris :-)
After checking out the other cars I headed back to ours to wish our starting driver good luck. We got a nice photo of all the drivers together.
So 4pm comes and off goes 200 cars! Actually the grid is split into 3 groups. The first group being the fastest. We are in the 3rd group. The cars do a single lap and then there is a running start on the start/finish line in front of the paddock on the GP track. The roar of all the fast cars is like nothing you have ever heard. They are so fast by the time the 3rd group is on their first flying lap, the 1st group is already beginning to overtake them.
I am the 3rd driver so its looking like my first stint will be around 6:40pm. Well in a race shit happens. Our second driver came into the pits early after nearly losing the car. He said the cars rear end jumps away from the body during cornering. The car is in the pit with wheels off in 1 minute and 8-man/woman team is inspecting the suspension on all 4 corners at the same time. The crew then gets the entire rear drivetrain and exhaust off the car in 8 minutes. The team discovers the rear subframe bolts have sheered. This is somewhat common on E36 race cars. since the subframe is reinforced, the weakest link is now these bolts. Unfortunately they don't have another set of bolts so off they go to the other teams looking for the parts. They find the necessary parts quickly enough but they are different so some more ingenuity is required to make it work. We got the car out and had our lead driver check it out by about 9pm.
My first stint in the car is night laps! I drove at around 10:30pm until 11:40pm. Adrenaline and fear are plenty to keep me awake and focused. My laps fly by. We have a radio to talk to the crew while driving so this is a great comfort. Just in case though each driver resets the trip odometer. you can count in multiples of 25 to see how many laps you do. After a few laps its very easy to forget and its really not good to run out of gas! For me, the radio was not working. luckily i reset the trip odometer like I was trained to and I could tell how many laps I did. I came in after the 6th lap since the gas lamp was on.
After I got back to the pits I had about 3 hours of rest. When the driver before you is driving his laps you have to be on standby just in case something happens. I hopped into the bed in our team trailer and took a quick 1 hour nap. Just before my hour was up, I got a call from my co-driver. He was the driver that took over after me. He told me that he wrecked the car in Tiergarten and apologized for ruining our weekend. I first asked if he was okay and when he said he was fine, then I told him, I don't care about the car. As long as you are okay. Shit happens!
The crew chief later told me that they were waiting for the car to be towed back and they would see if they could fix it or not. My co-driver told me he was overtaking a car and started his braking about 3 meters past the normal braking point. the car had enough speed that it understeered into the berm and then launched into the armco. He was probably going around 90kph at the moment of impact.
After about an hour of waiting the car made it back to our pit box.
The entire front left corner was smashed in. The impact was hard enough to break a motor mount and moved the transmission over enough to break all the nuts holding the shifter in place. The front bumper reinforcement moved about a foot to the right.
The crew didn't even look over it. They just grabbed sledge hammers and tools and just went to work on the poor car.
After much bending, they found the engine still ran fine, the radiator did not break, and even the electric fan still ran.
The team worked tirelessly for over two hours throwing out broken parts and putting in new ones. Next came lots of zip ties and racers tape.
The car was finally ready to go at about 4:30am
With the crew pushing the car out back into pit lane a small crowd had formed and everyone was cheering!
Unfortunately the driver couldn't get the car to move and back it went into our pitbox. The drive shaft snapped and completely failed. At that point I was utterly exhausted and had to get some sleep. I took a one hour nap and was woken by my co-driver being shaken to go drive. It was 7:30am and we had a lot of racing to do still!
After just one lap however our driver came back in the pits. The front right wheel had about a 45 degree camber on it. The top of the strut sheared off from the upper strut mount. This was now our third incident! After the strut was replaced, Michael went out and did his fastest lap of the race! I jumped in right after and also drove my fastest laps! Maybe it was due to the weight reduction?
I was amazed at how well the car drove despite all the damage. I could only give credit to an amazing team! The crew did not sleep and along with bringing our car back to life, they also supported our 2nd car which managed 2nd place in class, a BMW Z4.
After 24 hours, 8 hours in intensive care, our team crossed the finish line!
We finished in 8th place in our class out of 13! We were 134th on the field. only 134 cars crossed the line…but we did cross it! because of that we were one place higher than even the mighty BMW Motorsport GT2 M3 #7 which placed in 135th.
This race is so special because it allows amateurs to mix it up with the big fish on the worlds longest and most challenging race track. I'm humbled by the talented people involved in making this race happen, drive their hearts out, and keep the cars running. I'm looking very much to my next race in September and 24 hour race in 2012 hopefully ;-)
Here are some photos from previous races at the ring.
I was able to meet Sabine a few times. She is super sweet just don't get in her way on the track though!
My last race before the 24 hour race our neighbors was the BMW Motorsport team. I looked out my door and there was Mr. M himself! Dr. Mario Thiesen, the BMW Motorsport Director! Very friendly guy! I asked him if he had any openings and he said he would get back to me ;-)
Here is my 130i catching air and landing! I didn't know it at the time but the 2nd M3 behind me in this photo is the very M3 I drove in the 24Hr race. I'm sure that car will be back and better than new in no time.
Thanks for reading!
Regards,
Jim Chambers
aka karussell - yes my favorite corner on the track!
9 Years to drive 24 Hours
Lap Counter: 166.5
Before I write about my experience at the 24 Hour race I wanted to write about the path and lessons I learned that got me to this point. Its been a long journey and at times very frustrating, but like anything in life worth doing, it takes hard work!
My 24Hr race story began in 2002 with a then brand new E46 M3. As soon as I got the car broken in, I was headed to the nearest racetrack. At the time that was Road Atlanta with the BMW Car Club of America (CCA) Peachtree Chapter.
Being a typical young driver with a hot European sports car, I thought I would be setting a course record in it. Boy was I wrong! I learned that I had a lot to learn about this sport and it would be something that would challenge me both physically and mentally all my life. Honestly all it took was that first lap with my instructor and I knew I was hooked.
Lesson 1: Always look to learn something new even if it is the 1000th lap on your home track in your favorite car.
I advanced through the ranks of BMW CCA's excellent driver education program and quickly settled into the upper intermediate group where I was quite happy driving at what I thought “fast enough” speed. I stayed away from the Advanced folks because I was frankly scared at how fast they drove their cars. I knew I would get ran right off the track if I threw my lot in with those crazy drivers! Then a very wise driving instructor placed me in Advanced. I immediately complained that I wasn't ready and he told me that I must be uncomfortable to grow. You learn from adversity and challenge.
Lesson 2: Always look to challenge yourself. When you are comfortable you stop growing.
(Caveat Emptor: Please don't just drive as fast as you can because you will go right off the track, this is not what I mean!)
After getting adjusted to Advanced, I also started instructing for various clubs in exchange for more track time. The E46 M3 was my "gateway drug". It was my first new sports car and I grew with it changing the car to better meet the rigors of tracking. By 2005 I would be going to the track 2 to 3 times a month. I made many friends from many different backgrounds and I think this is also such a huge factor in where I'm at now.
Always keep your eyes and ears open. Ask your friends what they feel about the track and their cars. You will find that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses in driving and the driving line could be different from yours. Try them all out and take what works best for you and your car.
Lesson 3: Make a habit of collecting new peers and mentors. Ask for feedback. Try it their way and adopt it as your own if it works.
Along with driving big tracks I routinely went to autocross/slalom's. Through the years I have found that many of the "track rats" looked down on autocross yet many of the students I instructed with this attitude could clearly benefit from learning car control. Once things got out of line on a big track, they were at a loss on what to do and I would have to counter steer for them from the passenger seat. Car control or rather bringing a car back under control is an absolutely critical skill-set to have, especially at the Nürburgring where there is no room for errors. Years of autocross has made this dance something I can do without thinking about and anything that you can make easier for yourself in a race, you should do. Autocross is also very fun as its a way to compete in your car safely and at lower cost.
Lesson 4: Autocross and Car Control Clinics are mandatory. Its the only way you can safely practice saving a car.
In 2006, the racing bug bit so I bought an E36 M3 with a friend and prepared it for club racing. I took the car in the rain (on slicks and no side windows) to Driving Concepts Racing School at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. With a full cage, that car felt every bit as fast as my E46 in the corners and racing other drivers was invigorating and scary at the same time. Again, I was out of my comfort zone and very happy for it! Unfortunately after the school, every time I took it out on track there was a problem. Being an amateur with little to no trackside support, the car ended up spending more time on the paddock than actually moving. In racing I learned that the equipment is only half the equation.
Lesson 5: Races are never won if the driver can't finish. A dependable team is absolutely critical!
At the same time I was dealing with my new race car issues, I was also planning my first pilgrimage to Car Geek Nirvana. Otherwise known as "Grüne Hölle / Green Hell". I told my wife out of the 2 weeks we spent in Milano, Nice, Monaco, Pisa, Florence, Paris I just needed 2 days in this tiny town in western Germany. Looking back I got the bargain of a lifetime.
On August 18, 2006 I began two love affairs. For my first trip to the Nürburgring I wanted to drive an M3 naturally, however I couldn't find one. I did find that I could rent a 911 C2S for quite a good deal. I never drove a Porsche before but I had many rides in them on tracks back in the USA. I expected a very nervous driving car, but I was pleasantly surprised by a vehicle that seemed to be an extension of my arms and legs. The car knew exactly what I wanted to do. Just the tool to drive on the worlds longest and most dangerous racetrack for the first time!
I met a Scotsman online who was a regular at the ring so I arranged to meet him trackside with his CSL. (My dream car!) I first took a ride with him (brought my helmet with me of course) and I was instantly addicted to the track. My new goal would be to master her 73 turns one day!
I asked my new friend to ride with me and guide me as I crawled around the track and its many blind turns. The lap seemed to be over in an instant afterwards but I still remember driving that entire lap. I remember the smell of the hot tires and the sound of the engine. I also remember thinking "God where is the end of this track, it just keeps going!" There was a long section where we were all alone with the Nürburgring and it made me feel like the track was all mine. Then all of a sudden I'm driving in a corner with 3 cars going right by me like I was stopped. There was one turn in particular, a right hander; after clearing it I felt like I was driving straight up and around a mountain top! Did I go the wrong way? No, that was just Berdwerk and part of that 1000 foot elevation change this track has. On a lap you get to practice flying, you get sideways G's, negative G's, and lots of shifting. After completing my first 8 laps over two days, it was time to return the car and head on to Paris for our flight home.
The first visit to the Nürburgring is very special. You can feel electricity in the air. Your senses are completely overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, and smells of this beautiful and historical track. You can tell you are surrounded by thousands of people cut from the same cloth. You are home!
Flying back to LA I decided two things. 1) I needed a Porsche. 2) I had to get back to the Nürburgring. I figured out a way to kill two birds with one stone and found an open build allocation for a 2007 GT3 with european delivery. After spending a painful 11 months selling my beloved M3's and waiting, I returned to the Nürburgring with a shiny new GT3. I spent the following 2 weeks on the Nordschleife and the GP track. For more pictures from that trip, please check out my site at http://www.jimchambers.com/gt3.
During this time I didn't have any instruction so I knew I wouldn't improve much however I managed to keep a level head and bring the car home safely.
Lesson 6: Practice doesn't make perfect. Only Perfect Practice makes Perfect. Seek to have instruction if you want to improve.
Flying back to LA again after a total of 16 laps on the ring, I knew I needed to make driving the Nürburgring a regular occurance so I immediately started making plans for a return trip the following summer. Throughout the rest of the Fall/Winter of 2007 and Spring of 2008 I made it to the track in my GT3 usually 4 days per month. I drove the car at every track in California except Thunderhill. I still enjoyed my home tracks very much and I was occupied with learning a new car, racecraft, threshold braking, and trail braking. Still, I knew it would never be the same as the thrill from driving on the Nürburgring. I spent many nights watching laps of the ring preparing for my return trip.
In August 2008 I returned with my family in tow this time. I rented a 1 series hatchback with a manual transmission. The plan was to land in Paris and drive straight to the ring in time for some evening laps. When we landed at CDG instead I ended up getting a Peugot diesel coupe. No matter, as long as it has 4 wheels!
On this third trip I was getting very comfortable with the area and knew my way around. I even took my family on a lap where my son promptly fell asleep. I guess I wasn't going fast enough, but it was a very very slow car. At 21 laps on this track over 3 years, I barely knew 5% of it.
It turns out the return flights back to LA from europe always end up costing me a lot of money and alters my life. Our flight home on this trip was no different. I had an epiphany. Why not just move to germany? My wife and I were both at a place in our careers that we could actually work there. We both love europe and Germany would be an excellent place to raise kids. So the following summer, July 2009 we emigrated to Germany. Depending on how much right pedal I give the car, I'm only about 3 to 4 hours from the track. Since then I have felt right at home. Its just like I always belonged here. I'm so glad I followed my instincts and made the move.
Lesson 7: Racing is a sport of human spirit. Follow your gut instinct, its always right!
After arriving in Germany to stay in the summer of 2009, I started making monthly trips to the ring. Sometimes I would even drive up Sunday morning, drive 2 or 3 laps, and then head home. Usually though I would stay overnight at one of the guest houses. My favorite quickly became the Hotel am Tiergarten since it was very close to the track, they have excellent food, and its a staple of the old Nürburgring. It also happens to be Sabine Schmitz's family business and where she grew up.
As it turns out Germany can have a very brutal winter and I found this out in November. After only going to the track 3 times, the snow started. The Nurburgring is closed as long as there is snow on the track and they don't plow so they wait it out. I wouldn't see the track until May 2010! The only upside to the long winter was I got to snowboard some and work out my arms/back shoveling snow 2 or 3 times daily from my driveway for 4 months straight!
During the winter, an opportunity presented itself for me to order a GT3 RS. I had been following the news of the Mk 2 997 RS and was very fortunate to be in a position to get my hands on one. The GT3 had been a very good track car and right at home in Germany however it was time to part ways and I found a very worthy owner for her.
The new car was delivered like the last one right in the factory at Zuffenhausen, Stuttgart on 31 May 2010. My plan was to drive her directly from the factory floor to the Nürburgring but a torrential downpour meant it wouldn't be a very good idea. The GT3 comes equipped with Michelin PIlot Sport Cup tires which are horrendous in the rain. The GT3 RS is also much more neutral than the GT3 was and more powerful so I wasn't used to the new car's characteristics. Instead we crawled home slowly in the rain and I ended up breaking her in on a trip to Italy and back via the mountain passes in Austria.
Interestingly enough, right before I picked my GT3 RS up from the factory, Chris Harris and 3 other drivers actually raced the very same street car in the 2010 24hr race. They managed to do quite well despite the 911 GT3 Cup car having a tremendous advantage over its street based cousin. The news just made me want the car even more!
Before tackling the Nürburgring, I decided I should get some professional coaching from Porsche on how to drive the new car. I signed up with Porsche's excellent Sport Driving School at their test track facility in Leipzig, Germany. The track is essentially a collection of the worlds most famous circuit corners. I was happy to drive Laguna Seca's corkscrew again without having to ship the car back to California. The 997.2 GT3 RS is probably the easiest GT Porsche to drive. As long as you maintain throttle in turns as with an 911, its an absolute monster on the track. I'll probably go into detail on the school in another blog post so I'll leave it at that.
Lesson 8: Know yourself and know your equipment. Never blame the car; in racing its up to the driver to get to the finish line.
I'll stop for now on my background and write several other shorter posts about my experience in germany. I hope it inspires someone out there. I would like to leave with a thank you to my family and friends for supporting me. I really couldn't have done anything without you.
Regards,
Jim Chambers
Before I write about my experience at the 24 Hour race I wanted to write about the path and lessons I learned that got me to this point. Its been a long journey and at times very frustrating, but like anything in life worth doing, it takes hard work!
My 24Hr race story began in 2002 with a then brand new E46 M3. As soon as I got the car broken in, I was headed to the nearest racetrack. At the time that was Road Atlanta with the BMW Car Club of America (CCA) Peachtree Chapter.
Being a typical young driver with a hot European sports car, I thought I would be setting a course record in it. Boy was I wrong! I learned that I had a lot to learn about this sport and it would be something that would challenge me both physically and mentally all my life. Honestly all it took was that first lap with my instructor and I knew I was hooked.
Lesson 1: Always look to learn something new even if it is the 1000th lap on your home track in your favorite car.
I advanced through the ranks of BMW CCA's excellent driver education program and quickly settled into the upper intermediate group where I was quite happy driving at what I thought “fast enough” speed. I stayed away from the Advanced folks because I was frankly scared at how fast they drove their cars. I knew I would get ran right off the track if I threw my lot in with those crazy drivers! Then a very wise driving instructor placed me in Advanced. I immediately complained that I wasn't ready and he told me that I must be uncomfortable to grow. You learn from adversity and challenge.
Lesson 2: Always look to challenge yourself. When you are comfortable you stop growing.
(Caveat Emptor: Please don't just drive as fast as you can because you will go right off the track, this is not what I mean!)
After getting adjusted to Advanced, I also started instructing for various clubs in exchange for more track time. The E46 M3 was my "gateway drug". It was my first new sports car and I grew with it changing the car to better meet the rigors of tracking. By 2005 I would be going to the track 2 to 3 times a month. I made many friends from many different backgrounds and I think this is also such a huge factor in where I'm at now.
Always keep your eyes and ears open. Ask your friends what they feel about the track and their cars. You will find that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses in driving and the driving line could be different from yours. Try them all out and take what works best for you and your car.
Lesson 3: Make a habit of collecting new peers and mentors. Ask for feedback. Try it their way and adopt it as your own if it works.
Along with driving big tracks I routinely went to autocross/slalom's. Through the years I have found that many of the "track rats" looked down on autocross yet many of the students I instructed with this attitude could clearly benefit from learning car control. Once things got out of line on a big track, they were at a loss on what to do and I would have to counter steer for them from the passenger seat. Car control or rather bringing a car back under control is an absolutely critical skill-set to have, especially at the Nürburgring where there is no room for errors. Years of autocross has made this dance something I can do without thinking about and anything that you can make easier for yourself in a race, you should do. Autocross is also very fun as its a way to compete in your car safely and at lower cost.
Lesson 4: Autocross and Car Control Clinics are mandatory. Its the only way you can safely practice saving a car.
In 2006, the racing bug bit so I bought an E36 M3 with a friend and prepared it for club racing. I took the car in the rain (on slicks and no side windows) to Driving Concepts Racing School at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. With a full cage, that car felt every bit as fast as my E46 in the corners and racing other drivers was invigorating and scary at the same time. Again, I was out of my comfort zone and very happy for it! Unfortunately after the school, every time I took it out on track there was a problem. Being an amateur with little to no trackside support, the car ended up spending more time on the paddock than actually moving. In racing I learned that the equipment is only half the equation.
Lesson 5: Races are never won if the driver can't finish. A dependable team is absolutely critical!
At the same time I was dealing with my new race car issues, I was also planning my first pilgrimage to Car Geek Nirvana. Otherwise known as "Grüne Hölle / Green Hell". I told my wife out of the 2 weeks we spent in Milano, Nice, Monaco, Pisa, Florence, Paris I just needed 2 days in this tiny town in western Germany. Looking back I got the bargain of a lifetime.
On August 18, 2006 I began two love affairs. For my first trip to the Nürburgring I wanted to drive an M3 naturally, however I couldn't find one. I did find that I could rent a 911 C2S for quite a good deal. I never drove a Porsche before but I had many rides in them on tracks back in the USA. I expected a very nervous driving car, but I was pleasantly surprised by a vehicle that seemed to be an extension of my arms and legs. The car knew exactly what I wanted to do. Just the tool to drive on the worlds longest and most dangerous racetrack for the first time!
I met a Scotsman online who was a regular at the ring so I arranged to meet him trackside with his CSL. (My dream car!) I first took a ride with him (brought my helmet with me of course) and I was instantly addicted to the track. My new goal would be to master her 73 turns one day!
I asked my new friend to ride with me and guide me as I crawled around the track and its many blind turns. The lap seemed to be over in an instant afterwards but I still remember driving that entire lap. I remember the smell of the hot tires and the sound of the engine. I also remember thinking "God where is the end of this track, it just keeps going!" There was a long section where we were all alone with the Nürburgring and it made me feel like the track was all mine. Then all of a sudden I'm driving in a corner with 3 cars going right by me like I was stopped. There was one turn in particular, a right hander; after clearing it I felt like I was driving straight up and around a mountain top! Did I go the wrong way? No, that was just Berdwerk and part of that 1000 foot elevation change this track has. On a lap you get to practice flying, you get sideways G's, negative G's, and lots of shifting. After completing my first 8 laps over two days, it was time to return the car and head on to Paris for our flight home.
The first visit to the Nürburgring is very special. You can feel electricity in the air. Your senses are completely overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, and smells of this beautiful and historical track. You can tell you are surrounded by thousands of people cut from the same cloth. You are home!
Flying back to LA I decided two things. 1) I needed a Porsche. 2) I had to get back to the Nürburgring. I figured out a way to kill two birds with one stone and found an open build allocation for a 2007 GT3 with european delivery. After spending a painful 11 months selling my beloved M3's and waiting, I returned to the Nürburgring with a shiny new GT3. I spent the following 2 weeks on the Nordschleife and the GP track. For more pictures from that trip, please check out my site at http://www.jimchambers.com/gt3.
During this time I didn't have any instruction so I knew I wouldn't improve much however I managed to keep a level head and bring the car home safely.
Lesson 6: Practice doesn't make perfect. Only Perfect Practice makes Perfect. Seek to have instruction if you want to improve.
Flying back to LA again after a total of 16 laps on the ring, I knew I needed to make driving the Nürburgring a regular occurance so I immediately started making plans for a return trip the following summer. Throughout the rest of the Fall/Winter of 2007 and Spring of 2008 I made it to the track in my GT3 usually 4 days per month. I drove the car at every track in California except Thunderhill. I still enjoyed my home tracks very much and I was occupied with learning a new car, racecraft, threshold braking, and trail braking. Still, I knew it would never be the same as the thrill from driving on the Nürburgring. I spent many nights watching laps of the ring preparing for my return trip.
In August 2008 I returned with my family in tow this time. I rented a 1 series hatchback with a manual transmission. The plan was to land in Paris and drive straight to the ring in time for some evening laps. When we landed at CDG instead I ended up getting a Peugot diesel coupe. No matter, as long as it has 4 wheels!
On this third trip I was getting very comfortable with the area and knew my way around. I even took my family on a lap where my son promptly fell asleep. I guess I wasn't going fast enough, but it was a very very slow car. At 21 laps on this track over 3 years, I barely knew 5% of it.
It turns out the return flights back to LA from europe always end up costing me a lot of money and alters my life. Our flight home on this trip was no different. I had an epiphany. Why not just move to germany? My wife and I were both at a place in our careers that we could actually work there. We both love europe and Germany would be an excellent place to raise kids. So the following summer, July 2009 we emigrated to Germany. Depending on how much right pedal I give the car, I'm only about 3 to 4 hours from the track. Since then I have felt right at home. Its just like I always belonged here. I'm so glad I followed my instincts and made the move.
Lesson 7: Racing is a sport of human spirit. Follow your gut instinct, its always right!
After arriving in Germany to stay in the summer of 2009, I started making monthly trips to the ring. Sometimes I would even drive up Sunday morning, drive 2 or 3 laps, and then head home. Usually though I would stay overnight at one of the guest houses. My favorite quickly became the Hotel am Tiergarten since it was very close to the track, they have excellent food, and its a staple of the old Nürburgring. It also happens to be Sabine Schmitz's family business and where she grew up.
As it turns out Germany can have a very brutal winter and I found this out in November. After only going to the track 3 times, the snow started. The Nurburgring is closed as long as there is snow on the track and they don't plow so they wait it out. I wouldn't see the track until May 2010! The only upside to the long winter was I got to snowboard some and work out my arms/back shoveling snow 2 or 3 times daily from my driveway for 4 months straight!
During the winter, an opportunity presented itself for me to order a GT3 RS. I had been following the news of the Mk 2 997 RS and was very fortunate to be in a position to get my hands on one. The GT3 had been a very good track car and right at home in Germany however it was time to part ways and I found a very worthy owner for her.
The new car was delivered like the last one right in the factory at Zuffenhausen, Stuttgart on 31 May 2010. My plan was to drive her directly from the factory floor to the Nürburgring but a torrential downpour meant it wouldn't be a very good idea. The GT3 comes equipped with Michelin PIlot Sport Cup tires which are horrendous in the rain. The GT3 RS is also much more neutral than the GT3 was and more powerful so I wasn't used to the new car's characteristics. Instead we crawled home slowly in the rain and I ended up breaking her in on a trip to Italy and back via the mountain passes in Austria.
Interestingly enough, right before I picked my GT3 RS up from the factory, Chris Harris and 3 other drivers actually raced the very same street car in the 2010 24hr race. They managed to do quite well despite the 911 GT3 Cup car having a tremendous advantage over its street based cousin. The news just made me want the car even more!
Before tackling the Nürburgring, I decided I should get some professional coaching from Porsche on how to drive the new car. I signed up with Porsche's excellent Sport Driving School at their test track facility in Leipzig, Germany. The track is essentially a collection of the worlds most famous circuit corners. I was happy to drive Laguna Seca's corkscrew again without having to ship the car back to California. The 997.2 GT3 RS is probably the easiest GT Porsche to drive. As long as you maintain throttle in turns as with an 911, its an absolute monster on the track. I'll probably go into detail on the school in another blog post so I'll leave it at that.
Lesson 8: Know yourself and know your equipment. Never blame the car; in racing its up to the driver to get to the finish line.
I'll stop for now on my background and write several other shorter posts about my experience in germany. I hope it inspires someone out there. I would like to leave with a thank you to my family and friends for supporting me. I really couldn't have done anything without you.
Regards,
Jim Chambers
Saturday, June 25, 2011
ADAC 24Hr Race - Day 3 Practice
Lap Counter: 146.5
Yesterday was practice and a lot of rain. The team decided to not risk the car before the race and instead we worked on driver changes. This is my 3rd endurance race so I'm not entirely new to the process, but I was amazed at how many things need to happen in proper order at an exact time. I think it will help me to write it out and maybe helpful to someone considering endurance racing.
Driver Entering Pit
60kph in 2nd gear while in pit.
Once in pit, loosen shoulder straps only 5 inches.
Just before stopping undo harness latch.
throw left shoulder harness up on seat ear while holding wheel with right hand.
throw right shoulder harness up on seat ear while holding wheel with left hand.
Stop parallel to pitbox tapping the pitboard but do not hit crew!
Neutral and Turn off car.
Scoot seat all way back.
Exit car as quickly as possible.
Driver Leaving Pit
As soon as other driver gets out enter car as quickly as possible.
Pull shoulder straps down while crew sets lap harnesses.
slide seat forward while letting crew position exactly for you.
crew will buckle in shoulder straps and make tight.
gently place the car in 1st gear, clutch down, car off with hand on ignition
radio plugged in.
watch only crew in front of you with pit board.
when gives the start signal, start the car and go go go!
All of this happens in 50 seconds.
Ok getting ready for the race!
Yesterday was practice and a lot of rain. The team decided to not risk the car before the race and instead we worked on driver changes. This is my 3rd endurance race so I'm not entirely new to the process, but I was amazed at how many things need to happen in proper order at an exact time. I think it will help me to write it out and maybe helpful to someone considering endurance racing.
Driver Entering Pit
60kph in 2nd gear while in pit.
Once in pit, loosen shoulder straps only 5 inches.
Just before stopping undo harness latch.
throw left shoulder harness up on seat ear while holding wheel with right hand.
throw right shoulder harness up on seat ear while holding wheel with left hand.
Stop parallel to pitbox tapping the pitboard but do not hit crew!
Neutral and Turn off car.
Scoot seat all way back.
Exit car as quickly as possible.
Driver Leaving Pit
As soon as other driver gets out enter car as quickly as possible.
Pull shoulder straps down while crew sets lap harnesses.
slide seat forward while letting crew position exactly for you.
crew will buckle in shoulder straps and make tight.
gently place the car in 1st gear, clutch down, car off with hand on ignition
radio plugged in.
watch only crew in front of you with pit board.
when gives the start signal, start the car and go go go!
All of this happens in 50 seconds.
Ok getting ready for the race!
Friday, June 24, 2011
ADAC 24Hr Race - Day 2 Qualifying
Lap Counter: 146.5
What a day! The E36 M3 is running perfect and we have a great team/crew. We managed to qualify in P6 for our class! The highlight was most definitely driving at night though. The track is so different. The usual reference markers on much of the track that you begin to take for granted are simply not visible anymore. Instead you end up developing a new line and this can be very exiting depending on the result. As an example, on a tricky turn called Kallenhard I ended up using a sentence written in white paint for the turn-in point. I never saw it before in the daylight. For almost half of a lap I was all alone out there and my eyes adjusted to the darkness which was great however it also made me nearly blind when the next set of cars with blinding driving lights started approaching. The sights at night is amazing too. All along the course you can see all the campsites full of lights. I think I even saw some carnival rides. Lots of flashes from cameras too which doesn't help! Here are some photos. Looking forward to practice later today and watching Porsche Supercup qualifying (the largest porsche race ever!). Tomorrow the race starts at 4pm!
What a day! The E36 M3 is running perfect and we have a great team/crew. We managed to qualify in P6 for our class! The highlight was most definitely driving at night though. The track is so different. The usual reference markers on much of the track that you begin to take for granted are simply not visible anymore. Instead you end up developing a new line and this can be very exiting depending on the result. As an example, on a tricky turn called Kallenhard I ended up using a sentence written in white paint for the turn-in point. I never saw it before in the daylight. For almost half of a lap I was all alone out there and my eyes adjusted to the darkness which was great however it also made me nearly blind when the next set of cars with blinding driving lights started approaching. The sights at night is amazing too. All along the course you can see all the campsites full of lights. I think I even saw some carnival rides. Lots of flashes from cameras too which doesn't help! Here are some photos. Looking forward to practice later today and watching Porsche Supercup qualifying (the largest porsche race ever!). Tomorrow the race starts at 4pm!
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