BMW to Compete in One Lap of America in M3 Competition Package w/ M Performance Parts

[georgere]

Hmm should have gone with Michelin

[SteveMaguire]

Originally Posted by calbears

Steve, just tried to use the discount and they said it's not a valid/current code

EDIT: Looks like the code has now been verified. Should work now. I just scheduled a 2-day school at Thermal July 7

Glad they sorted out the problem.

Steve

[SteveMaguire]

Road Atlanta, one of our favorite tracks when Mike has spent thousands of miles behind the wheel of various BMW’s. In fact, Mike has been driving Road Atlanta for so many years, his first laps were in a Roman chariot with a full complement of horses!



It was great to see so many friends from the local Peachtree BMW CCA Chapter take the time to stop by and offer their encouragement for our One Lap adventure.

If you have never been to Road Atlanta, you owe to yourself to put it on your bucket list of tracks to visit and experience this 2.5 mile track full of elevation change and experience the exhilaration for driving through turn 12 as fast as your pucker factor will allow.

Here's turn 12

So far, we’ve been fortunate with awesome mechanical reliability, all we’ve had to do is wash the car, check tire pressures, and torque wheel nuts. Others have not been so fortunate. The No 4 Mitsubishi Evo broke a crank the Roadkill Firebird need a new engine, but in typical One Lap fashion they both vowed to get repaired their respective rides and join up with the event later.

Here's a section of the BMW competitors in the padock. Our car in the foreground followed by Robin Sparrow's E92 M3 co-driven by Tom Lappin, next up is the E93 M3 of Dan & Ben Schaut, a father & son team, and finally Neil Simons heavily modified 1M driven on this years event by Brian Hair.



Both sessions ran flawlessly for us, Mike completed the morning run in 4:57.136 and the three afternoon laps in 4:57.936, good for 10th position on both occasions and just for good measure we left Road Atlanta in 10th place overall.

Steve

[Gibson6594]

Any insight as to why they chose an M3 over an M4?

[SteveMaguire]

Originally Posted by Gibson6594

Any insight as to why they chose an M3 over an M4?

Makes it easier to unload our luggage

[SteveMaguire]

Originally Posted by Oreganoflow

may i know the front and rear tire sizes?

thx.

Continental Extreme Contact Sport
Front 265/35x19
Rear 305/30 x 19

Steve

[SteveMaguire]

Here's a video from Road Atlanta from Monday.

Steve

[Brake_Late]

Originally Posted by SteveMaguire

Here's a video from Road Atlanta from Monday.

Steve

12 Turns of amazing
and those Esses

[Brake_Late]

Originally Posted by SteveMaguire

Here's a video from Road Atlanta from Monday.

Steve

[SteveMaguire]

Here's our video from Sebring with telemetry as provided with GoPro 5 Black Edition

Steve

[calbears]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

I think they probably wanted 19" all around just for a more durable setup (more protective sidewall) since they have to drive these for many miles over the period of the event. They could have used the available 19" rear 763M rather than the 20", but that would send a conflicting message since I think they specifically market the 20" rear at the M3/M4 the while they want the 19" to be used on the M2.

I asked Mike Renner about this when they were at Dominion Raceway. The simple answer is logistics. Since Continental sponsors them (and the PDS) and the car will be used at the center, they have many 19" tires available. Going with the 20" set up would require ordering tires just for that particular car.

The car came to the center with the 20" 666M wheels, they're taken off and fitted with the 19" 437Ms. When the car is done at the performance center, they'll put the 20"s back on.

[Iceman1]

Originally Posted by SteveMaguire

Continental Extreme Contact Sport
Front 265/35x19
Rear 305/30 x 19

Steve

Thanks Steve.. Does Steve or anyone have any feedback on how these sizes affect overall diameter difference front to back, fitment on stock 19's, and any impact on DSC?

[Iceman1]

Originally Posted by SteveMaguire

Here's our video from Sebring with telemetry as provided with GoPro 5 Black Edition

BMW M3 at Sebring - One Lap of America 2017 - YouTube

Steve

Sweet, what as your best time at Sebring? Also what brake pads and fluid are you using at Sebring? Thanks!

[SteveMaguire]

Day 5. Today we were at what could be considered our second home track Carolina Motorsports Park (CMP) near Kershaw, South Carolina. This would be familiar territory for Mike and our BMW Performance Center BMW M3, so a good result was expected.

The dry weather continued to bless the 2017 edition of One Lap and we were fortunate to secure one of the garages to shelter from the sun.

We arrived at CMP in 10th overall, hoping to consolidate our position during the day before heading north to Dominion Raceway in Virginia. Lining up in 10th place meant we were playing with the high horsepower cars including GTR’s, Porsche's, Vette's, and Viper's of various configurations, all with putting considerable more power to the wheels than ourselves. Some of the GTR’s were reputed to have over 1000hp!

Here's a video the current top ten cars we are up against.

So, for the first session Mike placed 15th with a time of 5:24.180 and 13th in the afternoon with 5:29.292 good for 13th.

BMW M3 & Sponsors

Our BMW is one of the BMW Performance Driving School's BMW M3's with a few BMW M Performance Parts; Coilover Suspension, Carbon Fiber Front Splitter, Carbon Fiber Mirror Caps, Carbon Fiber Rear Spoiler, Titanium Exhaust, and Alcantara Steering Wheel with Race Display.

The team is sponsored by BMW Performance Driving Schools, BMW M Performance Parts, IHG Rewards, and Continental Tire.

BMW Performance Center https://bmwperformancecenter.com/

BMW M Performance Parts http://www.shopbmwusa.com/BMW-PERFORMANCE

IHG Rewards https://www.ihg.com/rewardsclub/

Continental Extreme Contact Sport Tires http://www.continentaltire.com/produ...-19550zr16-84w

About One Lap of America

Each year The One Lap of America runs in May and during the course of eight days’ visits eight or nine race venues across the country.

At each venue competitors complete for points in Autocross, Time Trials, and Skid pads against the clock. For more information about the One Lap of America visit http://onelapofamerica.com/

[SteveMaguire]

Day 6 saw One Lap of America competitors arrive at a wet and windy Dominion Raceway. The schedule had two sessions on the road course followed by a single session on the 0.4 mile banked oval. However due to the weather conditions the oval was cancelled, which didn’t really bother to many of us as we had a 750 mile drive to our next track; Gingerman Raceway in Michigan!

We came into the event 10th overall and were determine to hold or position or possibly improve. The track for the morning session was extremely wet and as this was the first time many of had been to this relatively new track, caution was the word.


Photo Credit to Mike Gessner


Photo Credit to Mike Gessner


Photo Credit to Mike Gessner

During our drive from the BMW Performance Center to South Bend for the start we ran into heavy rain which was the first time we had experienced the Continental Extreme Contact Sports in wet weather and both of us commented how well the car dissipated the water and how stable the car felt at highway speeds. Now we would really put the tire to the test running for a time.

As soon as I met up with Mike after the run I asked him about the tires and he reported how predictable the tires felt and the confidence it gave him committing to the corners. Looking at the results he ran a 5:08.128 good for 11th position, so were very satisfied with our run, only the usual suspects with their high horsepower or AWD cars ahead of us.

Here's a short flyby video from the front straight.

For the afternoon (this video) the rain had almost stopped, at least for the early runners, but as we were running our session the rain started to sprinkle. Mike ran a 5:07.044 placing us 16th for the session. As we were packing up our M3 to leave for our long drive north the heavens opened up once more, so were fortunate to get a decent result and left Dominion still in 10th place overall.

BMW M3 & Sponsors

Our BMW is one of the BMW Performance Driving School's BMW M3's with a few BMW M Performance Parts; Coilover Suspension, Carbon Fiber Front Splitter, Carbon Fiber Mirror Caps, Carbon Fiber Rear Spoiler, Titanium Exhaust, and Alcantara Steering Wheel with Race Display.

The team is sponsored by BMW Performance Driving Schools, BMW M Performance Parts, IHG Rewards, and Continental Tire.

BMW Performance Center https://bmwperformancecenter.com/

BMW M Performance Parts http://www.shopbmwusa.com/BMW-PERFORMANCE

IHG Rewards https://www.ihg.com/rewardsclub/

Continental Extreme Contact Sport Tires http://www.continentaltire.com/produ...-19550zr16-84w

About One Lap of America

Each year The One Lap of America runs in May and during the course of eight days’ visits eight or nine race venues across the country.

At each venue competitors complete for points in Autocross, Time Trials, and Skid pads against the clock. For more information about the One Lap of America visit http://onelapofamerica.com/

[SteveMaguire]

Day 7 at Gingerman Raceway was our final track day for the 2017 One Lap of America. We had arrived at our Holiday Inn Express in South Haven, MI, at 12:30am after the 750 mile drive from Dominion Raceway, VA. So, after a few hours of sleep we were up and heading to Gingerman which was only a few miles from the Holiday Inn Express hotel.

The weather could not have been more different from what we experienced yesterday in Virginia.; blue skies, low humidity, and perfect temperatures.

Here are a few pics from the paddock. You can run whatever you want as long as it's road legal.













These two sessions would be the penultimate time trials of the week and we were determined to make a good showing and hold on to our top 10 position in the BMW Performance Center BMW M3.

Gingerman circuit is located on 350 acres and offers a full spectrum of driving situations: high speed straights and short sprints, long sweeping corners and tight apexes, heavy and light braking, and elevation change. All contained in a 2.14 mile course.

For our morning run Mike completed 3 laps in 16th place with a time of 5:09.964 followed by a 5:12.991 in the afternoon and another 16th position.

BMW M3 at Gingerman Raceway - 2017 One Lap of America - YouTube

So we left Gingerman in 9th place overall and had a relatively short drive to South Bend for the final event of this year’s One Lap of America tomorrow.

The two sessions would be the last of the time trials of the week and we were determined to make a good showing and hold on to our top 10 position in the BMW M3.

BMW M3 & Sponsors

Our BMW is one of the BMW Performance Driving School's BMW M3's with a few BMW M Performance Parts; Coilover Suspension, Carbon Fiber Front Splitter, Carbon Fiber Mirror Caps, Carbon Fiber Rear Spoiler, Titanium Exhaust, and Alcantara Steering Wheel with Race Display.

The team is sponsored by BMW Performance Driving Schools, BMW M Performance Parts, IHG Rewards, and Continental Tire.

BMW Performance Center https://bmwperformancecenter.com/

BMW M Performance Parts http://www.shopbmwusa.com/BMW-PERFORMANCE

IHG Rewards https://www.ihg.com/rewardsclub/

Continental Extreme Contact Sport Tires http://www.continentaltire.com/produ...-19550zr16-84w

About One Lap of America

Each year The One Lap of America runs in May and during the course of eight days’ visits eight or nine race venues across the country.

At each venue competitors complete for points in Autocross, Time Trials, and Skid pads against the clock. For more information about the One Lap of America visit http://onelapofamerica.com/

[SteveMaguire]

After 8 days of competition on this year's One Lap of America, it time for competitors to let there hair down and celebrate making it through the gruesome race.

So for those so inclined we had the opportunity to burn some rubber; Continental Extreme Contact Sports in our case and have some fun while entertaining the crowd with our BMW Performance Driving School BMW M3.

BMW M3 & Sponsors

Our BMW is one of the BMW Performance Driving School's BMW M3's with a few BMW M Performance Parts; Coilover Suspension, Carbon Fiber Front Splitter, Carbon Fiber Mirror Caps, Carbon Fiber Rear Spoiler, Titanium Exhaust, and Alcantara Steering Wheel with Race Display.

The team is sponsored by BMW Performance Driving Schools, BMW M Performance Parts, IHG Rewards, and Continental Tire.

BMW Performance Center https://bmwperformancecenter.com/

BMW M Performance Parts http://www.shopbmwusa.com/BMW-PERFORMANCE

IHG Rewards https://www.ihg.com/rewardsclub/

Continental Extreme Contact Sport Tires http://www.continentaltire.com/produ...-19550zr16-84w

About One Lap of America

Each year The One Lap of America runs in May and during the course of eight days’ visits eight or nine race venues across the country.

At each venue competitors complete for points in Autocross, Time Trials, and Skid pads against the clock. For more information about the One Lap of America visit http://onelapofamerica.com/

[SteveMaguire]

Here's a video the current top ten cars we are up against.

Day 8 Awards Banquet at Tire Rack.

Hosted between row upon row of tires and rims competitors sat down to probably the first relaxing meal they had encountered in eight days!

Our BMW Performance Driving School BMW M3 came through the entire event without any issues, leaving us only to clean & polish the car every couple of days while our competition wrenched on their cars adjusting this and that. A true testament to the quality and capability of BMW’s. Remember this M3 was run in the very same configuration which you could purchase from your favorite BMW Center.

We finished 10th overall and first in Luxury Sedan and Stock Touring classes and received three beautiful trophies for our efforts.





As the banquet came to a close we said our goodbyes to friends new and old we began our journey home to South Carolina, though as is now tradition we stopped overnight in Newport for our celebratory dinner at the Hoffbrau House with fellow BMW competitors Tom Lappin and Robin Sparrow.



Will we be back next year? What will we drive? Who knows, but we both hope to return to this amazing event.

BMW M3 & Sponsors

Our BMW is one of the BMW Performance Driving School's BMW M3's with a few BMW M Performance Parts; Coilover Suspension, Carbon Fiber Front Splitter, Carbon Fiber Mirror Caps, Carbon Fiber Rear Spoiler, Titanium Exhaust, and Alcantara Steering Wheel with Race Display.

The team is sponsored by BMW Performance Driving Schools, BMW M Performance Parts, IHG Rewards, and Continental Tire.

BMW Performance Center https://bmwperformancecenter.com/

BMW M Performance Parts http://www.shopbmwusa.com/BMW-PERFORMANCE

IHG Rewards https://www.ihg.com/rewardsclub/

Continental Extreme Contact Sport Tires http://www.continentaltire.com/produ...-19550zr16-84w

About One Lap of America

Each year The One Lap of America runs in May and during the course of eight days’ visits eight or nine race venues across the country.

At each venue competitors complete for points in Autocross, Time Trials, and Skid pads against the clock. For more information about the One Lap of America visit http://onelapofamerica.com/

[SteveMaguire]

Originally Posted by Draper

Thanks for sharing the details. It sounds like an awesome time all-around.

Are you planning to do a post-event write-up somewhere?

Didn't really have plans to do a recap but I have added additional posts and video documenting each day of the event.

Steve

[SteveMaguire]

Originally Posted by JibSTir13

Are the competitors required to haul their own gear? The Vette and Toyota appear to to be.

Would you post some pics if you guys are hauling something? Interested in seeing the setup - it's rare to see something like that on an M.

Fortunately there is enough space in the M3 to carry everything we need without towing a trailer. Our gear consists of:

• Travel bag for each of us
• Small tool kit including torque wrench and tire pressure gauge
• Window cleaner and rags
• Cleaner and polish
• Bottled water (for us not the car)
• Bag of GoPro cameras
• Driving suit, helmet, shoes, and gloves

That's about it as we don't plan or expect to have any mechanical issues. After all this is a BMW

Steve

[SteveMaguire]

Originally Posted by Iceman1

Sweet, what as your best time at Sebring? Also what brake pads and fluid are you using at Sebring? Thanks!

I can't provide individual lap times as we didn't record them, only the total for the entire run.

Morning Run - 7:25.943
Afternoon Run - 7:32.296

We are using the Carbon Ceramic Brake setup and Motul brake fluid

Steve

[calbears]

Originally Posted by SteveMaguire

Will we be back next year? What will we drive? Who knows, but we both hope to return to this amazing event.

It's gotta be the F90 M5, right?