willhave8

Yes, you are right it was turn 9. I remember the guiding turn in 'cone' being just below the top of the small rise at the start of the turn. If I turned there, I scared the crap out of my instructor as I was exiting very early which aims you at the fence. The key was late turn in but that requires you to get up on top over the small rise before turning and just never felt right either. I have watched my vids and I did it okay 50% of the time. As a result, I was slowing down too much.

But I was nailing the boot. So I got that goin' for me...

Since I don't plan on racing, it is learning the nuances of each corner on the various tracks that makes this enjoyable.

RX8SpdDmn

I agree. I'm trying to go to as many new tracks as I can afford. This year, I added Putnam Park and BeaveRun to Watkins Glen. It's fun learning the nuances of each turn.
However, what I really like is when I have to go into a turn OFF-line. That happened quite often with TracQuest, as they allow such liberal passing. Next year, I'd like to do the BMWCCA's racing school, which basically teaches every line EXCEPT the DE line. If I get my racing license as a result of it, that's cool, but I probably won't use it for another year or two. I'd really like to do the One Lap of America, which is partially why I'm trying to gain experience on all different tracks.
Next year, I'd like to do MidOhio, Barber Motorsports Park, and VIR. We'll see what I can afford.....

BlueRenesis82

I wish I had the disposable income to go racing

bbq0801

SpdDmn,

I can definatly attest to the 124 on the backstraight with a stock '8, thats exactly where I was before braking into the bus stop.

I went to the september BMW CCA school. Youre right about them teaching everything but the racing line... one other thing they didnt really get into, considering it was my first time on the track, was the correct braking points. I think they had me braking wayy too early for most of the corners, the notable exception being the left hander coming out of the boot (9?), where I managed to get some of that oversteer you got when you were trail braking into the bus stop.

One question though. If you are coming out of the bus stop with enough speed to have to brake for the right hand sweeper (I wasnt), how does all the braking into that corner have to be trail braking or do you just go as straight as possible toward the turn in point?

Do any of you guys know of an easy way to mount a camera beteen the seats in an 8... besides a tripod and bungee cords..?

EDIT...actually it was the october school.. last one of the year, and the bmw club race was also held that weekend

RX8SpdDmn

Look earlier in this thread for details on how I mounted my tripod.

I wasn't braking for the outer loop (big right hander after the bus stop). I was usually staying in 4th gear down the back straight and all the way down to turn 6 (laces of the boot).
I learned a new line, which required me to have the power in 3rd gear, so, I'd downshift to 3rd under braking in the back straight and take the right hander going into the bus stop. Then, I'd turn left a little early and a little harder so that I could shoot straight across the left and right exiting the bus stop. To make use of this, I would want to be accelerating, hence the downshift to 3rd. Then, I'd just go off throttle entering the outerloop. The only problem was that I'd be upshifting to 4th during my trackout. I believe that, when my car was stock, I was upshifting right at the completion of my track out, so it wasn't a big deal.
It's a minimal gain and I wasn't always doing it. I usually just stayed in 4th.

I did my first 2 schools at the Glen with the Genesee Valley Chapter BMWCCA. I'm from Rochester. Were those the guys you went with?

BlueRenesis82

Same here, but I used a wood dowel to secure it a little more up and down