Update: Prep for Driver's School

["M3 Buzz" <M3Buzz@xxxxxxxx>]

hello again - I posted the attached note way back at the end of July when I
registered for my first Driver's school, looking for advice on mods - what I
got back was solid recommendations about the biggest mod I could make before
the track - work on ME.  Boy, can I tell all of you that YOU WERE RIGHT ON
TARGET!  I did nothing but change the brake fluid before the event and check
the rest of the tech checklist.  The car is awesome, and I now know it'll be a
few (many?) more schools before I'm more capable than it is.  I had an
absolute blast!  Thanks to all who said to keep it stock for now and invest in
the schools - that's good advice.  I learned more about the line by feeling it
in the seat of the pants than any amount of talking it and seeing it in
books/videos, etc.  Braking is easy to describe, but to do it right, you need
to have someone keep you off them longer than you might be tempted, and then
BRAKE HARD and turn in!  Again, nothing like experience.  And Pocono is
forgiving, but the only mud on my car was put there by the car I was about to
pass when he put a tire into the puddle at the apex - no excursions, but
plenty of squeeling tires to tell me I was close enough...did I say I had a
BLAST?!

Although my baby is no longer a virgin, it's still in pristine condition,
although the pads are a bit thinner, but I made up for that in smiles and
adrenaline for two days.  The only thing I'm considering, maybe next summer,
are harnesses and track tires - to save wear and tear on the left knee and the
expensive street tires.....will revisit this list to tap the incredible
knowledge here when I get closer to doing those two...THANKS again to all who
replied to my original note!
Tom
'99 M3

>Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001 21:10:15 -0400
>From: "M3 Buzz" <M3Buzz@domain.elided>
>Subject: Re: Prep for driver's school
>.....
>hello all - new to the list, had a question very likely asked before, sorry
>about that, but here goes:  I'm a couple of months away from my first
driver's
>school - Pocono on 10/6-7 with the Delaware Valley BMWCCA chapter - and
wanted
>a quick hit list on things to consider and/or definitely do before the
school.
>I have a stock '99 M3, and am considering a K&N filtercharger with an OBD II
>re-program (Turner offers a package, any feedback on that appreciated too).
>Will also need to be talked/walked through first brake fluid change and
>probably other prep stuff I don't know about.  Any thoughts on best
>bang-for-the-buck mods (and not too many bucks either) are welcomed.  Got
the
>bug when doing a lunch-time touring in the M3 on the Pocono track during 7/1
>Italian cars weekend!!  Now it's time to get myself up to speed, so to
speak,
>on what to expect and what would be useful to have...also, have read the
>driver's school FAQs etc, so I have some idea, but nothing beats real life
>experience!  Look forward to many years of discussion here, hopefully soon
>I'll be able to add something!
>  Tom
>  ///M3 'buzz'
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