The day started off at 8:30 am with some classroom time. The instructors went through the basics and reassured us that this entire event was extremely safe (don't worry Mom). After that we jumped into the cars: 3 brand new 135i's and 3 brand new 335i's. Jake and I were paired up in one car (we switched back and forth between the 135i and 335i all day). Each car was equipped with a walkie-talkie so the instructors could tell us what we are supposed to be doing at all times. Man, they had more trust in us than we did!!
We started the day on the slalom. Having Jake in the car really got me fired up since he kept pushing me to drive faster and to turn quicker. The instructors reminded us to keep our eyes up and to be looking ahead as we repeated the exercise. After the slalom was the braking exercise and learned that it takes four times as long to stop when the speed is only doubled. Our exercise involved stopping on a slick surface while turning (ABS makes that all possible). I don't think that I have ever really stomped on my brakes as hard as we did. We had to get the car up to 55 mph and then slam on the brakes. That was really fun! My heart was really pounding.
They set up short race obstacle course (should take someone 25 to 28 seconds to drive). The course involved slalom, a tight corner, an s curve, acceleration through a curve, and a slight incline. We practiced running through this course in the morning and then competed for time in the afternoon.
Another thing that we worked on involved a skid pad. This skid pad was made of polished concrete and the sprinklers kept the surface nice and slick (check out the video on the links below). The instructor would sit in the passenger seat and pull the E-brake to invoke a slide and it was up to us to correct the slide through steering the car! That was really hard work! After we could keep the car from spinning out (although letting the car do a 360 was pretty fun), the instructor turned on the stability control. That made a huge difference since the car's computer could keep the car from sliding out without much input from the driver.
We also worked on an abrupt lane change. Our lane on the track ended abruptely with a line of cones to block our path and there was a small opening to the left in the next lane. After switching lanes, we had to slam on our brakes. INTENSE! The instructors had us go through the exercise at 30 mph, 35 mph, 40 mph, and 45 mph. As the speed increased, the exercise became harder to perform since the lane change had to be quicker but smoother otherwise we would nick the edge of the cone on either side of the small opening.
Jake and I had a really good time at this school (so much so that we are making plans to go back when he graduates!). Well worth the money and the time spent! Not to make this any more of a commercial, but check out these websites for pictures and videos: http://www.bmwtransact.com/microsite/performancecenter/index.html or http://www.bmwusa.com/standard/content/experience/events/pds/default.aspx
2 comments:
Wow Paul, that sounds like so much fun! You're giving me some good ideas for future presents for Roy:)
Hi Paul, very cool!
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