VIR - first race summary

It was a great race weekend at VIR! The weather held out for two days so we had great weather on Friday and Saturday before the torrential rain came in for Sunday. I was proud to fly my new FAAN flag and put the FAAN logo on my car - everyone gave very positive feedback about the RaceFAAN program and took part in the raffle - we raised $660 during the event thanks to the generosity of the racers and the organizations that contributed prizes. Special thanks go out to HMS Motorsport, Turner Motorsport, VAC Motorsports and the TireRack for their generous prize contributions!

My car was great and right out of the trailer I was able to get up to speed very quickly. With the FAAN logo on the hood I knew the car would be fast, and it was! Even though there was only one other Spec E36 car at this event (Tom Tice #10), I enjoyed racing with him and several of the J-stock, K-prepared and J-prepared cars as well.

Friday's first practice session was smooth, giving me a chance to work into the car and feel it out. My fast lap in the session was 2:18.2 which was only a half second slower than my fastest lap of the weekend - which shows that the car and tires were consistent throughout the weekend. Although I had a bit of oversteer to contend with, I was able to manage it throughout the weekend and will try to dial it out in a testing day before the next event. In qualifying I had about 5 seconds on Tom and qualified first in class and 32nd overall. The Friday points race was the same - I ended up 33rd overall (out of 59) and 1st in class - the first ever Spec E36 class win!

Saturday's first practice session was wet - not active rain but the track was wet. The car was stable on the wet track with no standing water. The racers held a meeting and voted to move the feature sprint race from Sunday to Saturday because the Sunday forecast was horrible, so the 2nd practice became a qualifying session. I qualified with a 2:18.9 and then again took first in class (28th overall out of 57) in the Feature sprint race. The "Fun" enduro (in quotes because every race is fun, but this one was not a points race) was held only an hour or so later - and I finished 23rd out of 44 overall and first in class, beating my in-class opponent by 47 seconds.

Sunday dawned as a torrential downpour - the nor'easter hit hard and it was raining throughout the day. During the soaked qualifying session, I had my tire pressures too low, making the hydroplaning horrible at anything above 60 mph. After two scary and slow qualifying laps I brought the car in - resigned to a starting position in the back of the pack. The rain let up for a little while and gave us hope for a drying track, but on the pre-grid it began a steady rain that would become a torrential downpour during the race. I was able to get a good start and passed a couple of cars before turn 1, but then was held up by 2 K-Prepared cars that were having a rain dance together. I picked them off over the course of three laps, but by then Tom Tice had built about a 7 second lead on me. I caught up in just one lap - and was on his bumper for the rest of the race but couldn't find a safe way past in the standing water and zero visibility so I finished only one second behind Tom in the final race of the weekend. Credit to Tom for keeping his cool and we all put the cars back on the trailers in one piece, which is really the biggest goal of any race weekend for me.

All in all, it was a fun, successful race weekend. The car worked well right out of the trailer and was consistent and safe all weekend. I was on average 4 to 5 seconds per lap faster than my only competitor, so I think that as we tune the car and more competitiors build new Spec E36 cars we will have a lot of close competition. We raised a bunch of money for FAAN, and I was able to safely put the car back in the trailer and head north. I picked up the first ever class win(s) in Spec E36, at a premier race weekend. Unfortunately the threat of rain kept away most of the 10+ families that had planned on attending, but that doesn't dampen the spirits of the RaceFAAN team. Next event will be at Lime Rock park in Lakeville, CT. I'll see you there!

VIR Event details - Danville, VA

VIR’s tag line is “Fun, Fast and World Class” – and it is! I’m really looking forward to my first race of 2007 and the first ever RaceFAAN fundraiser! This is an amateur racing event so it will be a FREE, low-key, family-friendly and easy event to attend, and there is no cost for spectators, even thought you have almost unlimited access to the paddock and grounds! Hopefully there will be many families there with kids (of all ages) that have food allergies, so it will be a nice chance for kids to see that there are others dealing with the same issues they are.

There is no prize money to the racers so we all do it for fun, but during the race we all want to do our best and put on a good show for the spectators. There should be more than 70 race cars in the BMW races, and another 100+ in the vintage races (VDCA), so there will be a lot of great cars to look at in the paddock and watch on the race track. Assuming the weather is nice, this should be a great event!

Event Schedule:

Here are the scheduled events for Saturday and Sunday afternoons (mornings are mostly practice sessions). This shouldn’t change drastically so feel free to make plans based on this information. I am racing in the BMW group, but the VDCA is another organization that is running races in different run groups. So even when I am not racing there will be plenty to see, on the track or in the paddock. Saturday will be the only day that people can get rides on the track, so if you are interested in this, please let me know ahead of time so I can set them up, and please plan accordingly. Overall, I recommend coming on Saturday as the race is longer and the touring rides are available.

Saturday April 14th – afternoon schedule:
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch & Touring Laps of the race track
1:30 – 2:00 BMW qualifying session
2:00 – 4:00 VDCA qualifying races
4:00 – 5:30 BMW race (1 hour+)

Sunday April 15th – afternoon schedule:
11:00 – 12:15 Lunch & quiet time
12:15 – 1:00 VDCA Qualifying
1:00 – 1:30 BMW Qualifying
1:30 – 3:00 VDCA Races
3:00 – 3:30 BMW Feature Race (1/2 hour)

What to expect when you arrive at the track:

When you get to the track gate, you will be asked to sign a waiver. This is standard policy at all race tracks I have ever been to, and all people entering the track will need to sign. Once you enter the track, make a right and follow the signs to the main paddock area. You will cross over the track and continue on down the hill past the prancing horse statue and into the paddock. Remember where you crossed the track – this is a great place to come back to and watch the race later, as it provides a great view of the upper and lower esses.

Once you get to the paddock area at the bottom of the hill, you will notice two red buildings on your right – they are the main tower area and the food stand / restaurant. The food stand serves burgers, hot dogs, chicken, fries, etc. I have never asked them about their food handling policies so I would suggest you bring your own food if you have any concerns. The observation deck above the restaurant is another great place to watch the races as you have a clear view of turns 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. There is also an ATM, race shop and picnic tables in this area.

My trailer will probably be located to the left of the paddock (as you enter) near the “false grid” where cars line up before the races. I have a red, white and blue BMW race car and will be flying an American flag (and hopefully a FAAN flag too). Please come by and say hello. As I mentioned before, there will probably be more than 150 cars in the paddock area. You can find a good place to park your car and can wander around looking at cars and talking with drivers freely. Everyone loves what they’re doing so they will probably be very willing to talk and share.

It shouldn’t be too loud in the paddock or watching the races, so you likely won’t need ear protection unless you’re unusually sensitive - my 5 year old daughter has come to several races and has had no problems with it. Wear something comfortable to walk in – you will definitely spend time on your feet walking through the paddock.

If you want to move around when you’re at the track to see the races from different corners, you are able to move from spectator area to spectator area at will. There are great viewing areas all around the course – besides the two I’ve already mentioned you can see some great action at turns 12 (oak Tree) and 14 (the Roller Coaster). See the attached map for details.

Directions to and information about Virginia International Raceway (VIR):

VIR is a 3.27 mile long road racing course with 17 turns and 130 feet in total elevation change. It features a 3000 foot front straightaway, a 4000 foot back straightaway, and two sections of esses that are a real hoot to drive. There are good directions to the track on the VIR website at http://www.virclub.com/, whether you are driving from Roanoke, Richmond, Raleigh or Greensboro areas. The track is located on the border of VA and NC about 5 – 10 miles east of Danville, VA. Click on this link to get directions from your address to the track via Mapquest:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=&searchtab=home&address=4180+Pointer+Road&city=Alton&state=VA&zipcode=24520

Donations to FAAN

While this is a completely free event and no donation is necessary, any and all donations to FAAN are appreciated. I will be giving away or raffling off shirts, hats, sweatshirts and a number of other things that have been donated by HMS Motorsport, the TireRack, VAC Motorsports, Turner Motorsports and other organizations. If you would like to make a donation please bring a check and make it out to FAAN, or feel free to donate through the FAAN website, and please make sure to put “RaceFAAN” in the comments box when making your donation. Anyone who donates will be entered automatically in the raffle/drawings for the different items. Please see http://www.racefaan.com/ for more information on the RaceFAAN program or to see the fundraising progress. Thank you for your participation and support!

If you have any questions any time between now and the event, please feel free to email me at mike@racefaan.com or call me on my cell phone at 617-797-6222. I look forward to seeing you at VIR!

About BMW CCA Club Racing and Spec E36

About BMW CCA Club Racing

The racing organization I compete in is called BMW CCA Club Racing. It is affiliated with the BMW Car Club of America (the BMW CCA). Since 1995, BMW CCA Club Racing has grown from only a few events per year to over 40 events held all over the country, with more than a dozen classes of cars to ensure that every BMW has a place to race. The club racing website is located at www.bmwccaclubracing.com - I have also been the webmaster for the last three years so please enjoy the website, and if you don't, be gentle!

One of the best things about BMW CCA Club Racing is that it operates under the "13/13 rule of vintage racing." This is a set of rules that severly discourage reckless racing behavior by placing severe penalties on anyone who causes damage to their car or others. BMW CCA Club Racing attracts the type of drivers who are competitive and enjoy racing, but who do not have a "win at all costs" attitude that causes so many racing wrecks to happen. I love this club racign organization because there's great, tough competition but you don't have to repair the bodywork after every race! The people are great and you will always find racers in the paddock helping other racers - even their closest competitors. At the end of the day it's really fun to race against good people, and to have some good food and beer as well.

BMW CCA Club Racing holds races all over the country, and BMW race cars from all different eras with different engines and speeds are competing on the track at the same time. There can be a real difference between the fastest and the slowest cars on the track -it's a lot of fun to watch. What that means is that you're really competing against the people in your "class" - there may be 60 cars in the race but you're only competing against the 5 others that are in the same class as you, with similarly prepared cars. There are many levels of preparation to choose from, with "stock" classes being the least changed from their street car origins, "prepared" cars allowed some more modifications, and "modified" cars that may be completely changed from their street car roots, inside and out. There are also "super modified" cars which were typically factory-built race cars that are now competing at the club level, and the new "Spec E36" class that I am entering.

About Spec E36

Spec E36 is a new class in BMW CCA Club Racing for 2007. A “Spec” series means that everyone has virtually the same car, so the driver becomes a much more important part of the competitive picture. Since everone has mostly the same car, tires, engine, suspension, brakes, etc., it becomes less of a "spend more go faster" class and more of a close competition with focus on the racecraft of the drivers. "E36" is the model designation for the BMW 3-series that was built between 1992 and 1998, so all of the cars will have the same basic chassis with only slight differences. I'm really looking forward to it and I think that this could become the biggest classes in club racing within the next few years.
- My donor car: 1993 BMW 325is
- HP / weight: Est. 200 hp / 2760 lbs (with driver)
- Engine modifications: No modifications allowed
- Suspension, brakes & tires: Defined spec for all cars in class – all cars have the same shocks, springs, swaybars, brakes and tires
- Interior: Gutted interior, Full 6-point roll cage, fire system
Specific rules for the race series and the Spec E36 class are located here, on the club racing website.

Captain America?

The car is painted!! Thank you to Phil Sansossio of Sansossio Auto Body in Natick, MA! It looks amazing and is ready to be towed over to Landshark Automotive to be built into a race car. Here are a couple of pictures as it's in Phil's yard. The reason that it looks so high off the ground is that it is so light - there is no engine, no interior or anything so the stock springs are lifting the car way off the ground. Once the Spec E36 racing suspension is on the car and the engine is back in, the car will be back to a normal racing ride height of about 6"-7" off the ground.

The last one is a picture of the car at Landshark, ready for assembly... We've got a lot of work to do! Thanks in advance to Lenny & Dimitri at Landshark - they do great work.

Want to Donate to RaceFAAN? Here's how.

RaceFAAN is a season-long fundraiser to benefit FAAN – the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (http://www.foodallergy.org/). FAAN's mission is to raise public awareness, to provide advocacy and education, and to advance research on behalf of all those affected by food allergies and anaphylaxis. They need your help to drop the checkered flag on the race to cure food allergies - please support their efforts by donating some amount per race lap that I complete during my race season. I'm hoping to complete about 300-350 race laps over the season, so I'll leave the amount of support up to you. Every penny goes to FAAN and donations are all tax deductible. Any help is appreciated - you can be a RaceFAAN too!

To make a sponsorship commitment for later payment: please send a email to mike@racefaan.com with the amount or a certain commitment per lap.

To make a donation right now - you can use a credit card or send a check.

To use a credit card, click here to go to the FAAN website donation page and make sure to write "RaceFAAN" in the "Donation Comments" box.

To send a check, please make the check payable to "FAAN" and send it to:
RaceFAAN, c/o FAAN, 11781 Lee Jackson Highway, Suite 160, Fairfax, VA 22033-3309. Please make sure to write "RaceFAAN" somewhere on the check.

I will add all committed or paid amounts to the fundraising tally on the website. Thank you so much for your generosity and for helping FAAN's mission of advocacy, awareness and research!

About Food Allergies and FAAN

The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) was established in 1991. FAAN's membership now stands at close to 30,000 worldwide and includes families, dietitians, nurses, physicians, school staff, representatives from government agencies, and the food and pharmaceutical industries. FAAN serves as the communication link between the patient and others.

For more information on FAAN, click here.

For those of you not familiar with food allergies or anaphylaxis, they are an immune system response to a food that the body mistakenly believes is harmful. Anaphylaxis is a sudden, severe, potentially fatal, systemic allergic reaction that can involve various areas of the body (such as the skin, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and cardiovascular system). Scientists estimate that around 4% or 12 million Americans suffer from true food allergies (6-8% of children under 5). While many children outgrow some or all of their allergies, many others must cope with the challenges and potentially devastating consequences of food allergy throughout their lives. The cause of food allergies is unknown; there is no known cure, and it is not clear what the best path is to help children increase their chances of outgrowing them.

For more information on food allergens, click here.

Destruction

Here's a quick picture or two of the car being disassembled in my garage before getting sent to HMS Motorsport to have the roll cage installed. A pretty messy job! Luckily Phil from Sansossio Auto Body lent a hand, as did Peter Bergwall and Eric and Beth Heinrich. Great friends and the car was reduced to a messy shell and my garage was filled with parts that were once part of a proud BMW. After using a heat gun to remove the sound deadening and some PB Blaster to get rid of the remaining adhesive, the car was ready to go.