Track Weekend at Texas World Speedway

[Doctor///M]

EDIT: Hot off the "press": seems like the demolition of the track will be delayed. Great news!!!

This was (claimed to be) the last HPDE held at TWS before it's finally shut down. The event was so popular that all run groups sold out within 9 minutes of registration start time! Enjoy the pics!!


Making my way to TWS



The line up outside the entry gate:



This isn’t meant to be a track review of my car, but feel free to ask questions about anything you’d like to find out specifics on. This was my second track event (full weekend) with the M3 this year, the previous being at Harris Hill.



I ran in the green group, but my instructor graduated me to blue on my final report card.

Some pics from the paddock on day 1:


























We all ran the 2.9 mi CCW configuration with 15 turns including a banked straight from the main loop (pic from parade lap).



It was expected to rain all weekend, but the rain held out on Saturday and came down for the first 3 of 4 sessions on Sunday. As a result, I got to experience the car in both dry and wet conditions with a fully stock setup.

Since it was a new track for me, I spent the first two sessions on Saturday working on the racing line and kept the car with MDM settings for the rest of the day. The classroom sessions were even more critical, and the instructors from the Drivers Edge were simply awesome. For all the turns – the fast turn 1 coming off the oval (hit 130 at times), on- and off-camber slow and fast turns, decreasing radius turns, the carousel and the chicane – the car was simply awesome.



I restricted all my braking to straight line (no trail braking experience yet) and did not experience any brake fade on the first day. By the end of Saturday I was happy with my consistency and finesse (Rick pounded this in our heads). I was also a lot better at keeping flag stations in sight than my previous track days, and I’m happy that these concepts stick in the subconscious – as far apart and infrequent as they are in my recent life

The pics below were proofs taken from the track photographer who I intend to purchase a few from. Apologies for the water prints.















Anyway, the first run on Sunday was greeted by pouring rain and about half of our run group backed out – great for those of us who decided to continue. I however had to keep full DSC/DTC on since the track was slick. I had to throw out any concept of a race line as a result, and with each lap the standing water area changed. Anywhere I could find traction in corners was a good line, and on a couple turns the car understeered quite a bit and had to correct to save the car. A couple ambitious folks in my run group found themselves waaaay off the track and had to be towed out of the mud. Other intermediate and advanced run groups saw some serious mishaps, and I was glad to be running much slower than they were. I was bale to get some runs with my instructor, who did what I thought were impossible wet laps. It showed me that driver skill is so much more important than engine figures and slapping on piggyback tunes.










All in all, I was extremely happy to have experienced the car in both dry and wet conditions on the same weekend. I feel a lot more confident with understanding what I can and cannot do with the car, especially in the wet. It simply is (to me) the best all round car in the sub-65k price range. If you haven’t yet done one of these, be sure to experience it at least once. Not only do you get to learn so much about your car (and yourself), but the motorsport enthusiast crowd takes the whole car thing to another level. I can’t wait to attend another one!

Farewell TWS, and be safe out there people!!!

[SakhirM4]

Great review!!

Rest in Peace TWS

[Doctor///M]

Originally Posted by SakhirM4

Great review!!


Rest in Peace TWS

Thanks! It really is too bad that the (unstable) track foundation and College Station expansion led to this. It's however not uncommon the growth that many Texas cities have been seeing the past few years.

[chmura]

Great post! I need to sign up for my first HPDE event. My buddy told me to go to a NASA organized HPDE event. Was this that?

[Doctor///M]

Originally Posted by chmura

Great post! I need to sign up for my first HPDE event. My buddy told me to go to a NASA organized HPDE event. Was this that?

Thanks! This was a Drivers Edge event. There are many great experienced groups that organize HPDEs both locally and nationally including NASA and SCCA. You'll certainly enjoy every minute!

[Gac101177]

Great post, I did my first HPDE last mont and will be back @ Roebling Road this weekend love it, questions you said this its your second track event on the M3 stock tires and brakes?

[Doctor///M]

Originally Posted by Gac101177

Great post, I did my first HPDE last mont and will be back @ Roebling Road this weekend love it, questions you said this its your second track event on the M3 stock tires and brakes?

Thanks! Yeah, second with this car but tracked before with my previous 335. Night and day difference between the two. I'll be getting an oil change done this weekend, and the tires probably have one or two track weekends left in them. Not sure what the pads look like though - will also get them checked and report back on wear.

[Gac101177]

Originally Posted by Doctor///M

Thanks! Yeah, second with this car but tracked before with my previous 335. Night and day difference between the two. I'll be getting an oil change done this weekend, and the tires probably have one or two track weekends left in them. Not sure what the pads look like though - will also get them checked and report back on wear.

Thanks that it's amazing, I was worried about my tires and brakes I been told by few friends I should be ok, but reading about you doing two events gives me a little peace of mind, pump up for the weekend.

[Lalit@autocouture]

Good stuff

[VMRWheels]

Nice! Wow pretty awesome turnout of cars

[Doctor///M]

Originally Posted by Gac101177

Thanks that it's amazing, I was worried about my tires and brakes I been told by few friends I should be ok, but reading about you doing two events gives me a little peace of mind, pump up for the weekend.

You'll be good! Report back on the experience!!!

Originally Posted by Lalit@AUTOcouture

Good stuff

Thanks man

Originally Posted by VMRWheels

Nice! Wow pretty awesome turnout of cars

Indeed!