Bedford Track Day

[XKaLiBaR]

I finally took my baby on a track. It was an awesome track, as its the biggest one in the uk. I chose this track as my first track day, because its on an open airfield, and so you can see round the bends. Making it safe, as i experienced it, when a porsche gt3 lost it in front of me round the next bend, and i was able to avoid it easily. (i must of pressured him too much :p )

First off, i want to say that it was the best day i have ever had :D I would recommend this to anyone. Especially the bedford track.
The day was organised by a company called RMA. A lot of city guys came, so loads of porsche gt3's, gt3 RS, turbos. Loads of M3s and a few csl's.
I slept at 2am, woke up at 5am. So it was a great start to the day :D Arrived at track at 8:30, just in time for the most boring guy ever giving the tasks for the day.
We had half an hour to drive around the track at max 50mph to familiarise ourselfs with the track. It took like forever to get round, because its such a long track. Luckily ther was colour coded cones to help you familiarise yourself with the track.

My car performed excellently, handling wise and power. Thanks to the pulleys, eibach springs and anti roll bars. I kept the traction control on, as i didnt want to take a risk of crashing on my first track day, plus i didnt want to wear out my tires. It was just as good fun, and i must say, i used to hate the traction control, but on a track its very smooth. I just hate it when it kicks in on a straight, when you change up a gear and it bounces like a dog.
The bad points of my car, has got to be the brakes. They were my only downfall. I was able to do about 2 laps, before the brakes stopped working. Literally they were like sponge and scary, when they didnt work. So i just went round the track slowly, not braking much, cooling the brakes and tires down. Then I carried on driving properly :D
When i went into the pit stop, I rolled the car back and forth, to not let the pads heat the disc in one spot. By doing all this my discs are not worped. My pads are f*&ked though :D Which is cool, as i wanted to replace them with Axxis pads.

Heel and toe is a must in my opinion. As i do this everyday on the road, its second nature to me. It really does help you balance the car better. By doing that i was able to keep up with faster cars, with the novice drivers.
I managed 9 - 9.5mpgs on the track and 30mpg on the way back home :D
i filled up a full tank before i left home, then i had to fill up again, at lunch time, and was on reserve tank when i got home. 2 full tanks! CRAZY! They have a petrol at the event, which was handy.

Here are some pictures some company called fresh orange took. I've ordered a cd with better quality pics. I will post them up, when i get them through the post.

That ckio behind me was a rocket! But then again it was a cup car. It took them corners very fast
http://www.fresh-orange.co.uk/upload/event295/all/BMW%20Red/GR2_8860.jpg

http://www.fresh-orange.co.uk/upload/event295/all/BMW%20Red/GR2_8729.jpg

http://www.fresh-orange.co.uk/upload/event295/all/BMW%20Red/GR2_8550.jpg

http://www.fresh-orange.co.uk/upload/event295/all/BMW%20Red/GR2_8326.jpg

http://www.fresh-orange.co.uk/upload/event295/all/BMW%20Red/GP1_6900.jpg

That green GT3 RS behind me was the sexiest car of the day for me :D
http://www.fresh-orange.co.uk/upload/event295/all/BMW%20Red/GP1_7283.jpg

http://www.fresh-orange.co.uk/upload/event295/all/BMW%20Red/GR2_8207.jpg

http://www.fresh-orange.co.uk/upload/event295/all/BMW%20Red/GP1_7510.jpg

Some pictures i took in the pit stop. I had actually washed my car the day before. All that dirt you see on my car, is actually not the track, but the drive to Bedford. Never knew fog could be that filthy!

[BMW JAY84]

Cheers for that mate. Sounds like an awesome day out. I want to drive bedford myself. It's also the track evo uses for most of it's tests and track time. Out of interest how did you get booked onto this and if you dont mind me being cheeky what was the price for the day ? :)

[sonny]

has the 6th pic of the m3 is the door caved in on that??

[XKaLiBaR]

has the 6th pic of the m3 is the door caved in on that??
yea, but it was like that when he got ther.

A guy my girlfriend works with, goes track days constantly. He helped me get into this. The day cost £135, but i had to pay an extra £25 for a passenger. Not all track event organisers charge for passengers. On top of that i spent £120 on petrol. I also got insurance, which cost £177. But i wont get it next time. Track insurance has 10% excess.
Breakfast and Lunch you have to pay for also.

Im going to go again in either end of January or February. Depending on the weather. Hopefully will have 2 other M3s to join me :)
You going to come along Jay :D? Trust me, its the way forward.

[BMW JAY84]

Yeah mate well up for that !! Hopefully have a few mods on by then :D

Cheers for the invite. Drop us a PM with the details when you know

[Mud]

Keep an eye out here, as there will be some organised ET trackdays coming next year ;)

[peppernick]

Awesome fun! :cool:

Bedford is a really nice track (and safe 'relatively'), plenty of high speed fun.

You need coilovers, larger roll bars ;) ........... and proper brakes :D

[BMW JAY84]

Its all good the more the better :)

[XKaLiBaR]

Awesome fun! :cool:

Bedford is a really nice track (and safe 'relatively'), plenty of high speed fun.

You need coilovers, larger roll bars ;) ........... and proper brakes :D

My eibach springs did well i thought. But coilovers would of been better. I will probably change my shocks soon, when they wear out. Not sure which shocks i will get to go with my eibach springs.

Jay, you definately need Anti roll bars. thats probably the best mod to the handling for the money.

But the best mod ever, is bigger brakes! Braking is the most important thing on a track. Its such an expensive mod though :( Im puttin all my mods to a halt so i can save up for my bigger brakes. Definately will get a 6pot for the front for starters, leaving the rears with just axxis pads, till i save up for the rears. 4 pot should be ok for the back.
However, I will be getting some little mods next month. Rogue Engineering transmission mounts, and RTAB.

[BMW JAY84]

Call me crazy but I thought the M3 handling was pretty bang on to start with ?

[XKaLiBaR]

It is, but it is lacking a bit of that perfection. I was keeping up with a lot of cars i didnt think i would be able to. most probably due to my mods and driving. The Anti roll bars, are much thicker, so you have even less roll on the car, going round bends. You will see the difference when we go on the track.
What mods you going to do? How much pads you got left on your brakes?
Check this site out http://m3.madrussian.net/modnotmod.shtml
Very good advice.

[BMW JAY84]

Excellent site mate cheers for the link.

First mod will be spacers then a few cosmetic bits and springs. Brakes and a rear suspension mount were replaced just before I bought the car 2 months ago. So im reluctant to bin those virtually new OEM items to replace with aftermarket.

Out of interest what advantage do the rogue engineering pulleys offer ?

Sorry for all the questions :confused:

[XKaLiBaR]

Excellent site mate cheers for the link.

First mod will be spacers then a few cosmetic bits and springs. Brakes and a rear suspension mount were replaced just before I bought the car 2 months ago. So im reluctant to bin those virtually new OEM items to replace with aftermarket.

Out of interest what advantage do the rogue engineering pulleys offer ?

Sorry for all the questions :confused:

http://m3.madrussian.net/review_re_udp.shtml

You dont need to change your brakes just yet, you will need new pads after the track though. the holes in my discs were full of pad dust :D But thats all good, because its an excuse to get Axxis pads ;)

[XKaLiBaR]

you should get some braided hoses for the brakes, and performance brake fluid if your going track dude. Or else you will be lucky to get round 1 lap. Thats probably the most important thing you need to do.

[Chaos]

and performance brake fluid if your going track dude. Or else you will be lucky to get round 1 lap. Thats probably the most important thing you need to do.
More like 'that's probably the funniest thing I've heard this week'. :D

If you can only do 1 lap without changing your brake fluid, you have WAY bigger problems than a fluid change is going to fix...

[XKaLiBaR]

its a 4 mile track dude.

[peppernick]

its a 4 miles track.
I did the Nurburgring in 2 consecutive laps with standard BMW DOT4 brake fluid in my Z4M. That's 28 miles ;)

[Mehmet]

Post up a thread when you are going next :)

p.s. have i seen your car in Edmonton/Enfield area at a car show before by any chance?

[XKaLiBaR]

does the z4m have same brakes as the m3? did you have braided hoses? the ring is 28 miles??? jesus!

[XKaLiBaR]

Post up a thread when you are going next :)

p.s. have i seen your car in Edmonton/Enfield area at a car show before by any chance?

that was probably my mates car you saw.

[Chaos]

its a 4 mile track dude.
Unsurprisingly, I already know. ;) Your braking problems were down to the sloppy oem brake pads/discs that BMW fit, which just about every E46 M3 owner for time in memorial has documented at least once after trying to have a spirited drive with them; they had nothing at all to do with the brake fluid. Have a read up on what brake fluid does and how the various types change - you'll see why.

The 'Ring is 14 miles, Nick was talking about doing 2 laps, 2x14 = 28.

[peppernick]

does the z4m have same brakes as the m3? did you have braided hoses? the ring is 28 miles??? jesus!
The Z4M uses CS/CSL brakes (front discs are slightly larger than that on the standard M3). But yes, I did my first Ring outing with the Z4M this year running stock brake discs and pads, rubber hoses and DOT4 brake fluid. They were fine, but BBKs are much better :D

[XKaLiBaR]

about to say! 28 miles would be nightmare to get through in 1 go. The brake fluid doesnt make much difference i agree. the crappy oem brakes fade before the oem fluid gets hot enough to not work. the braided hoses are good though.
I wonder how the axxis pads will perform. I cant wait to get BBK.

[Chaos]

Only reason I pointed it out was because Jay was asking what to do to his car - an hour ago you told him he wouldn't finish a lap without changing his fluid, now you're agreeing that it doesn't make much difference. Good job it's xmas eve and the stores aren't open for him to have already gone out and bought some. ;)

A BBK makes a massive difference on the track - one of the biggest, in fact. The Axxis will give you more bite and more longevity over the bars of soap that the oem pads are, but they're blown away by a full big-boy setup; you'll grin when you get that. :) I find a BBK a tad tiresome on the road from time to time, mainly in town where you need tiny inputs to adjust speed, but it's probably just cos I'm turning into an old fart these days.

[XKaLiBaR]

which bbk have you got, and how much did you pay?

[Chaos]

A set of Brembos and a set of VTTRs, plus a set of Performance Friction pad/disc upgrades. All 3 were special prices for varying reasons, so it won't be of much use to you, but generally you ought to be looking around £1.4-1.6k for a front set and £1.2-1.5k for the rear, with the exception of the Bumbles which will cost you a tad more for the badge. Personally, I'd talk to Teddy about VTTRs and Roy about Stoptechs - depending if you want hardcore or less hardcore (but still top performance).

[dxb335d]

Looks like you had a great day Baris, how much was this and when is the nexT?


Carlos

[XKaLiBaR]

£135 plus £25 for passenger and £10 for helmet hire per person, if you aint got one. Insurance will be about £160, if you choose to get it.

the next one will be either end of january, or february. are you going to come along to the next one carlos? :)

Chaos, have you got 6 pot at the front?

[peppernick]

Chaos, have you got 6 pot at the front?
Until Dan finishes his turkey, yes he has 6-pot VTTR up front on his M3 vert.

[Chaos]

Hehe :D. Yeah, 6-pot front and 4-pot rear on the M3.

[Styler]

looks like a fun day out, i've never been on a track but love to go see motorsport live, especially F1. Would love to one time! Not sure if i would take my own car though, in case i put it into the wall, lol.

[XKaLiBaR]

thers no walls at the bedford track. except on the straight... no excuse styler! :p

[Styler]

thers no walls at the bedford track. except on the straight... no excuse styler! :p

I'm sure i would manage to find one some how, lol. Sounds good though, next time.

[XKaLiBaR]

Got my pictures through today, so i thought id post em up :D

http://87.194.35.237/attachment.php?attachmentid=11937&stc=1&d=1198873935

http://87.194.35.237/attachment.php?attachmentid=11938&stc=1&d=1198873935

http://87.194.35.237/attachment.php?attachmentid=11939&stc=1&d=1198873935

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http://87.194.35.237/attachment.php?attachmentid=11943&stc=1&d=1198873935

http://87.194.35.237/attachment.php?attachmentid=11944&stc=1&d=1198873935

http://87.194.35.237/attachment.php?attachmentid=11945&stc=1&d=1198873935

[dxb335d]

Altho your car is filthy, it looks really good mate!!

Looks like there was so quick motors there aswell.

[dxb335d]

£135 plus £25 for passenger and £10 for helmet hire per person, if you aint got one. Insurance will be about £160, if you choose to get it.

the next one will be either end of january, or february. are you going to come along to the next one carlos? :)

Chaos, have you got 6 pot at the front?


Yes mate i would love to, Bedford is not far from me either.;)

Pm me when your next going!!


Did you take out insurance? this is insurance for your car right? not 3rd party only type thing?

[mystic sport]

Nice pics, i wouldn't mind giving beford a go at some point. Dan and Nick are bang on the money regarding a BBK. I tried various different combinations of disks and pads and Roy always told me it was a false economy and just bit the bullet for a BBK. In the end I had to go for one and the difference is huge. The braking is so much stronger which in itself is awesome but THE best part is that is stays strong 'consistently'. When ever you press the pedal you know it will slow/stop the same as it did on the previous press and the one before that no matter how hard you have been pushing the car.

[BMW JAY84]

Awesome pics dude. Looking forward to this !! Like the way the ///M is leading the way in front of a GT3 RS quality

[adood84]

:cool: but why do you have the tow thingy on the bumper?

[XKaLiBaR]

:cool: but why do you have the tow thingy on the bumper?

Its a requirement for all the cars on the track, incase you have an accident or breakdown, they can just tow you away quickly ;)

I love the pic of the back car, just looks like im driving into the sunset :D

Mystic, im getting the axxis pads, for next track day, as my discs are still pretty cool. However, im doing some research on some linear coilovers to get before the brakes (if they survive the next track day :p) Also might get some 18inch OEM rims for track use. So a pretty hektic list of things to get still, but the car will be awesome when its finished. I do look forward to my big red brakes :D

Carlos, i think im going to book it 5 days before the event, if ther are places left. At least that way i know what the weather will be like. Dont fancy the rain :( The insurance is from a track specialist insurance company. most normal insurance companies dont do it, and its third party.

[peppernick]

Great pics!

I was there 2 years ago ....... :)

[mystic sport]

Mystic, im getting the axxis pads, for next track day, as my discs are still pretty cool. However, im doing some research on some linear coilovers to get before the brakes (if they survive the next track day :p) Also might get some 18inch OEM rims for track use. So a pretty hektic list of things to get still, but the car will be awesome when its finished. I do look forward to my big red brakes :D

I would definately do the brakes first. In my experiance this is THE biggest fault of the M3. The stock suspension with eibachs is pretty damn good but the brakes are woeful. To each their own but the brakes would be first on my hit list ;) .

I am torn weather to sell my OEM 18s as I simply can't be arsed with swapping them over, even just three or four times a year is too much agro for me. Need to track the M3 on 19s to see what it is like on 19s :confused: .

[Mud]

Need to track the M3 on 19s to see what it is like on 19s :confused: .

Eh? You've been endlessly banging on about the handling differences between 18s and 19s and never even used 19s on the track! LMAO

[XKaLiBaR]

im looking to buy some 18s ;)

[mikem]

19`s will be fine Paul, I had 19`s on a completely stock vert with Conti`s and I couldn`t find any understeer and I`m sure if you ask anyone who had a Pax lap with me, they`ll tell you I`m not exactly blessed with Finnese. :D

[dxb335d]

Only third party insurance? i would not be keen on that.. I would want my car fully comp really on track? spose they would charge a fortune for that?


Carlos

[Chaos]

Be lucky if you can find anybody at all who'd offer you any price at all on that TBH.

[dxb335d]

You reckon? so its stuff it and get on with it attitude with the insurance compaines. But if another person on track is third party and wrecks your car they pay out for you?

then they will need to determine whose fault etc?!

surely then EVERYONE should be made to have third part insurance, but then thinkof the headache every time there is a track, or is this third party crap just incase you kill someone and your not liable to any claims for death.

[peppernick]

You reckon?
Yes.

3rd party track insurance mainly covers personal injuries/death. If you're prepared to track your car, be prepared to write it off.

Of course you can still find cover, but it'll cost an arm and leg just for the day.

Dodgyken will be a good person to ask this, as I'm sure there will be plenty of fine prints.

[XKaLiBaR]

ive booked for the next track day on the 9th February. i see your name is still on ther peppernick.

[dxb335d]

ive booked for the next track day on the 9th February. i see your name is still on ther peppernick.


at bedford? is that a sunday? i think i am goign to santa pod that day:rolleyes:

[mystic sport]

Eh? You've been endlessly banging on about the handling differences between 18s and 19s and never even used 19s on the track! LMAO

Drove a 328ci on 19s on track and that was where I based my assumptions ;) . Admittedly they were rep wheels but the sensation wasn't what I liked hence my bias towards the 18s.

Forgot to add that I am still not the biggest fan of the 19s on the road. I am conceding defeat to the tart within though as they do look nicer but the drive isn't as good, particularly on some of my favourite lanes, the car feels more nervous and hence i am more nervous :p .

[mystic sport]

im looking to buy some 18s ;)

I might have some to sell :( . Need to clear some garage space according to my missus :( :( :( .

[XKaLiBaR]

its on a saturday carlos.

mystic, let me know when you want to get rid of them. im ready to buy em.

[dodgyken]

9th Feb? I might check the calender - who is it with??

I doubt my suspension and new panels will be fitted by then - but who knows.

As for what makes a good track day car - Dan may disagree:

1) Something disposable - if you can't afford to tank into a tyre wall then think twice. I tapped a tyre wall in the Z4, exitted the track backwards at 70mph into a gravel trap - repair costs £100 pit costs, £35 headlight remounting - and a bunch of stone chips

2) Servicing. Make sure the car is up to date servicing and all maintenance is done - no fluid leaks etc

3) Brakes - speed is useless unless you can get rid of it - start with upgraded pads for far better stopping power - DS3000 are perhaps the best example of track pads. Then upgrade hoses for better feel and regularly change the fluid. Next stop is a front BBK - 6pot is probably as much as you need. As for the rears - you should be fine with stock calipers and disks but uprated pads

4) Tyres - so you have the straightline speed and you can stop. What about going round corners? ARB? Coilovers? Nope - your best bet is a set of 18" wheels running Toyo 888R tyres - you will get a massive improvement in cornering speed.

5) Suspension - thicker ARB are not the answer - in fact they actually destroy part of what you are trying to achieve. Independent suspension should be just that - and not held too firm with an oversized ARB. E30 M3s with a good suspension can lap very quickly with no ARBs. As with most things there is the rule of diminishing returns but a good coilover setup will be money well spent - but don't expect much change from £2.5k for a good setup.

6) Weight - this is your enemy - ditch it - as much as possible.

7) Seats and harnesses - will enable you to understand far more of what the car is doing. You can feel and control the way the car moves because you move with it - it becomes natural.

But above all - technique - you can't beat practice with some trianing thrown in. A well driven car with less power, and technically a worse chassis will beat a powerful well setup car if the driver is noticably better.

[XKaLiBaR]

nice write up ken. im wondering though, i had my oil changed before i went to the last track day, and i have probably done about 150miles since then. i shouldnt need to change the oil again do i? i topped up a litre at the weekend.
you think brake fluid needs to be changed everytime?

you do make it sound worse than it is on a track lol. the oem pads are crap, but i still had a lot of fun. the ARBs do justice on an e46. im getting axxis pads put on mine for the next track day. then im waiting for which ever go first, my discs or shocks. then i will replace them with bigger and better parts. ive done some research on coilovers, and linear ones are the way forward. TCK or KW clubsport.

i hope you make it for february.

[XKaLiBaR]

Heres a little insight to the track day, that someone wrote on another site.

The usual thing is to get the car prepped before the briefing to save time(the car will be at Bedford near the hospitality suite and not at the pits at this stage.

After sign on, a briefing and some 'snap' everybody will be asked to follow a circuit car to the pits. I think they cometimes take you straight on a two lap familiarisation (ducks and drakes no ovetaking and not exceeding i think 70mph) at this stage although sometimes they also take you to the pits first to allow you to dump stuff off before familirisation. Make the most of these two laps as Bedford is flat and bland and hard to remember.

Then you go into the pits and normally after the last cars finish the familirisation the pit exit is opened for Open Pit Lane. I usually get the car ready some more at this stage and go out after 5-10 minutes as there is no rush and often the track is either damp or loads on cold tyres out there and probably one of the most likely times for a prang (along with last thing and the cars knackered and so are you but your very brave!!).

When you get on track the laps are about 3.8 to 4.2 miles long on the GT and GT+ circuit and you will soon forget how many you have done so best way os to just make a mental note of the time you leave the pits and try to come back in 15 - 20 minutes later at most. This will be around 5-6 laps but plenty as brake and tyres do suffer.

Most important thing to do all day is to keep a check on tyre pressures and let your brakes cool down. If its a mild day tyres will take obviously longer to warm up and brakes will cool down quicker. If you think you havent been too hard on the car you could do 10-15 minutes and then a couple of laps cooling on track then 10 minutes more.

I have warped discs at BEdford by coming in too quick and not allowing them to cool naturally (moving car) so make sure you warm down the car for at least half a lap at Bedford (no braking) and if a red flag gets put out and you have to drive into the pits dont just drive in and park up if you have not had time to cool down, go for a little drive around the autodrome area back to the signing in point just to allow the discs to cool.

With cups on a warm summer day the pressures can rise by up to 6-7 psi on track (at 32psi hot they usually cool down to 26 psi at the end of the day). So start at say 32 maybe depending on weather and just keep letting them down when you come in hot so that max pressure is around 32-34 (personal choice).

Good luck

[dodgyken]

Oil shouldn't need changing now - and the BMW dynamic interval should help. But a quick DIY oil change never really hurt a car.

[Mud]

Drove a 328ci on 19s on track and that was where I based my assumptions ;)

Eh? So from that you knew that the handling of the M3 would be better on 18s than 19s? Cos you drove a different car with 19s on track once.....LMAO

[XKaLiBaR]

it all depends on the suspension setup imo, and most importantly on the tires used on the 18s/19s

[mystic sport]

Eh? So from that you knew that the handling of the M3 would be better on 18s than 19s? Cos you drove a different car with 19s on track once.....LMAO

Seriously Mud, I stand by what i say. I am not the fastest of drivers out there but i can feel what a car is doing and it felt nervous. I prefer the slightly more forgiving ride of the 18s. The turn in isn't (well seems to me anyway) as sharp and so you don't need quick reactions. Just find 18s more forgiving.

I drive my car pretty hard on some of the country lanes in Kent. I know pretty much all of them like the back of my hand and I can feel a marked difference between an M3 on 18s and 19s. The 19s just don't feel as poised and a bit more crashy and i personally feel that i can't push on as fast as in my previous M3 on the 18s - to me it feels less predictable. I still have the 18s in the garage and am tempted to switch back but then I keep thinking back to how the car looks on the 19s.

Everyone said I would change my mind and it looks like I am even though I swore blind I wouldn't :rolleyes: .

Anyway, I have bought some more 19s today so I guess there is no going back to 18s. What I want to do is try the Falken 452s in 19" on the car as I reckon I may be able to find a happy ground on them. I am currently running the OEM pilot sports which I guess are the PS1s and they are not as good IMHO as the 452s but then I have only used 452 in 18" form. Dan really rates PS2s and so does many others so maybe that should be something I look at in the future?

[richbe]

do they have noise level restrictions on cars that do track days there?

[m3cslboy]

there are two tests you must pass.

First your car will be subjected to a static test, in which the noise level is measured 50cm away from your exhaust pipe with the engine at 75% of maximum rpm. The reading must not exceed 101 dB(A) it may even be 95 now .

Secondly, and more significantly, your car must comply with their drive-by noise limits. The noise emission from your car must not exceed 87 dB(A) measured 20 metres from your car, which shall be accelerating maximally at over 60 mph.

Great a fecking huge carbon airbox and a Non Resonated supersprint = feck off, go home you loud fat bastiche.

I've been black flagged for noise pollution twice at Beford :( my own fault though !!

Not many tracks left where they allow more than 100db. So either get a quiet exhaust system, OEM, or try the steel wool trick.

[XKaLiBaR]

i have supersprint, and i was ok. ther was cars ther last time that were much louder than mine. the only person that got in trouble was my mate drifting in every corner :D