Bill Dearborn

Was at the BMW HPDE at Watkins Glen this weekend. Cold mornings equal cold track and cold tires. This was the first session and first lap of the day for the A group (very advanced) and the temp had just climbed to 40. I got the next best seat in the house for this neat little incident that didn't cause anything except some underwear damage.

http://s58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...80512_1235.flv

Bill

John Shiels

good nothing wrecked and some excitement

willhaveC6

Wow - It never really gets boring does it? Glad you worked it out Bill.

95jersey

very common place for problems

willhaveC6

Not enough braking going in and lifting mid-corner???

There is a lot of traction if you are on line...

PA Z06

It that what it was, It looked so sudden that it almost looks like something broke.

Z06cool

Something broke or a late downshift and locked the wheels for a second?

JVetthead

Looked like he pulled the parking brake
or hit 1st instead of 3rd

SHOCheapRacing

Bill

Thanks for letting me ask you again about your track mods this weekend at Watkins. I was running the Z16.

At least this guy did not end up like the one instructor M3 and that red RX8. I guess he kept from hitting anything because I did not see it in carnage lane.


Tom

drivinhard

Bill Dearborn

Glad to always help a fellow racer. This event wasn't as bad as some BMW events I have been to over the years. The first one I attended in 94 5 cars left the track on flat beds.

As for the spin the roll bar blocked the camera's view of him coming to a stop facing traffic. He never left the pavement. Luckily, it was the first lap on very cold tires and we were all taking it easy. If I had been cooking down into that corner at over 100 like I usually do I would have been a lot closer to him than I was this time. The video doesn't really show the smoke coming off his rear tires. I asked some of the other Bimmer drivers in the group if they knew what happened and they confirmed that he got 1st gear instead of 3rd. Don't know why he shifted there since he was supposed to be an experienced driver.

When he first started going around I thought he was going to continue outward and for an instant thought about going to the right but then he went toward the inside.

Bill

davidfarmer

was that REALLY the tire noise from that car???? That was super loud! Reminded me of the old "doctored up" Dukes of Hazards shows where they had tire squeeling on DIRT!

Anyway, good clip!

Bill Dearborn

You should have been sitting in the car with me. It was loud and surprised me somewhat since there is usually so much noise from my car it is hard to hear things outside the car.

Bill

sperkins

Holy crap that was violent.

It looks like it scared you too.

Bill Dearborn

Lets say it really surprised me. I took my laptop to a club meeting tonight and some of the members watched it. I just told them to watch the first car. The surprised looks on their faces must have been what mine looked like. Some of them even flinched a little.

Bill

Wayne O

Nice video. I like BMW's well enough (I had 3 different ones) but I've seen quite-a-few spinout on the track. I also have on-track video of a couple Bimmer's spinning out in front of me. I sadly saw a new M5 spin and broadside a wall/tire barrier...he dented-up the entire side of his car. I know it's driver error and often happens during the first lap or two with cold tires but even so...a lot of stock BMW's (even with decent tires) seem squirrely going around corners.

That said, we all know there are some awesome BMW's. I watched the Ravenswave Racing BMW's last month...one of their cars in particular was just incredible.

Thanks for sharing the video...that looks like a fun track!

Wicked Weasel

There is a video at WGI fromt he inside of a Lotus. You can see from the video he is really smooth. Each turn was like a work of art until turn 10 where he proceeds to spin the car ending up on the grass between the track and the blue armco facing backwards looking at turn 10.

At this point the video was stopped to show us that at anytime something can happen so always be on your toes.

The video was then restarted and you are thinking well everything is over so why are we watching more and then all of a sudden a BMW comes flying between the Lotus and the Armco. There must have been less than an inch between the 2 cars and the armco.

I heard both guys hugged after that incident (and maybe went to the bathroom).

I have to find the video since I know it was posted on Youtube. It is the scariest "almost" hit I have seen.

sperkins

Please do. I'd like to see that one.

Bill Dearborn

Its nice having a world class track just 69 miles from your home. It is a very fast track and the corner where the spin occured is a 180 degree turn with the apex about 50 ft higher than the entrance and the exit about 100 ft higher than the entrance.

Bill

Wicked Weasel

they talk about here but I cant find the video



http://nybmwcca.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1721