My RX8 was in the shop and I needed a car for Leguna Seca so I purchased a Bone Stock 2000 BMW 328CI 5-speed with 196K miles and put on some 245/40/18 Nitto NT01 tires. I was very pleased with the cars handling and brakes despite the very soft suspension and small brakes (compared to my rx8) The engine Torque was nice (205 ft lbs) but the engine lacked upper end power and a 6K RPM red line felt strange too me.

Leguna Seca was a new track for me so I was learning the car and the track at the same time and I was fighting the tendancy to turn in early all day. I got better but I still had room to improve. I intentionaly took it easy on the brakes, as the stock pads would not work so well after a few hard laps.

Overall I was very happy with the track day. Learned a new track and a new car. Started out with laps times in the 2:05 range and worked down to a best lap of 1:53.5 average laps in the 1:54-1:54 range.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BV1OScJetU

 

Cool, glad to see you were able to run dispite car in the shop.
I will be track side on July 7-8 for the Grand Am race. Great track.

Did you sell most of your Idemitsu?

 

That RaceChrono looks awesome! How is it to use in practice?

 

is the corkscrew as daunting as Jeremy Clarkson makes it seem?

 

Were having a dyno/tune/meet/trackday on July 9-10 at Thunderhill.

I still have several cases.

 

What's nice is the display will tell you if your faster or slower then your best lap, so if you do something different you will know if it helped or hurt your times.

It's also real easy to review the data, speeds and times.

 

First time over I almost lost it because I really had no idea what was on the other side. After a few laps I was just trying to improve my line and increase my entry speed.

 

I went to that track a few years ago when we watched a speed bike racing. A lot of twisties and curves on that track. Nice place, it's near the Napa Valley (wine country), in northern California, a few minutes from San Francisco.

 

No that track would be Infineon Raceway/Sears Point. Mazda Raceway/Laguna Seca is in Monterey about an hour and 1/2 from San Francisco.

 

nice driving and nice vid. That vette didnt get too far ahead of you even after a full lap.

 

My bad, i got confused, your right

 

My driving was ok, I was turning in a little early most of the time, missing the first apex of the cork screw, and I took it very easy on the brakes (on purpose).

That vette should have been running low 1:40's but instead he was bairly into the high 1:40's.

Leguna Seca is an interesting track. With the straight aways and up hill climbs, big power cars are able to get around quickly, but a lot of the turns are sweepers and favor well balanced/momentum cars and good drivers that are able to brake late and turn in with a lot of speed.