Tarheel's VIR Grand East School

[woodym3]

The list of confirmed students and the waitlist is now on their website:

http://www.tarheelbmwcca.org/springschool2006.htm

[1996 328ti]

Seeya there.

ALong with Doug, Neil and Joel B.

[FT]

Steven,

It looks like Joel will be leaving around 12 pm on Friday, we might pick him up on our way

[1996 328ti]

I swapped my front brakes so it's one less thing I need to do next Friday.
VIR weather

[dbonner]

Forecast is looking good for next weekend, with 20% or less chance of rain, and temps hitting the 50s during the day. Putting on my track tires and new pads this week. Doug

[1996 328ti]

I swapped pads yesterday since it was in the 50s.
Leaving my snows on though.
Pulled the tires off the rack. Each tire had a groove because of how I stored them. A few laps should take care of that.

Talk to other M5 owners before swapping your rear pads.
Being that you have more weight in the rear it might not matter, but my braking improved once I stopped using track pads in the rear. I had too much rear brakes.

[SharkD]

While you're down there, would you mind asking any officials with the Tarheel chapter to actually check their email...

I added them as a secondary chapter more than 3 months ago (edit: 2 months ago, actually) and haven't heard anything from them... and I've sent a couple of emails over the last month and still not a peep.

(I know that I'm really going to miss the NCC when I move south and Tarheel becomes my primary and NCC my secondary.)

[1996 328ti]

While you're down there, would you mind asking any officials with the Tarheel chapter to actually check their email...

Joella is good at returning email. jj8088 @ aol.com. I don't get any regular emails from them like the calendar reminder I send out. Currently (as of last week) your primary chapter is still NCC with Tarheel being your second chapter.

[rjohnm3]

SharkD, With whom in Tarheel Chapter have you attempted to communicate? I read and answer ALL of my email, I am the coordinator of the HPDS schools. jj8088 @ aol.com.

If you mean why haven't you gotten the footnotes newsletter (which would be the only communication you would get for becoming a second chapter member), that is controlled by the mailing lists sent out by CCA. Until THEY send us your label we don't know that you joined us. BTW welcome aboard! Note that after you move you can keep NCC as the primary membership, just ask CCA to leave you there.

Usually those that join Tarheel as a second chapter send me or Sandra Ford, the HPDS registrar, an email with their confirmation letter from CCA and we send an electronic application so they can send the application in with the Tarheel members. The Tarheel website has lots of good information for new members and in the Q&A it suggests that you contact me or Sandra Ford if you have joined the chapter to get into the HPDS. Too bad you didn't take the inititave to check the website.

JoElla John

Tarheel Chapter HPDS Coordinator

[1996 328ti]

Ah oh.

[SharkD]

Check your PMs -- I don't want to threadjack. I added the Tarheel ch. on 1/6/06. I emailed Paul Mele ( melepaul@bigfoot.com ). Twice. And I didn't contact you, JoElla, b/c I didn't have any plans to sign up for the current school.

Oh, and way to get off on the right foot by misinterpreting my post and then belittling me in public. It was insulting enough, when I read it in the PM you sent me.

Smooth first impression. I hope this isn't indicative of the way that the Tarheel Chapter is run.

Oh, and JoElla, perhaps the webmaster should take the initiative to check the website... after digging through to the bottom of the drivers' school page, Paul Mele has a wholly different address listed: Paul.Mele@usermail.com -- which isn't mentioned on the Officers page.

And what I meant by "missing" the NCC is the fact that the officers and instructors are definitely responsive here to members' emails and posts, whereas, thus far, the Tarheel officers don't respond (and when they do, they're rude) and there is no user forum (aside from a clunky email list - that has a grand total of 25 posts since August 2005 - that forces you to wade through 10 pages of banner ads before you can sign up).

[1996 328ti]

And what I meant by "missing" the NCC is the fact that the officers and instructors are definitely responsive here to members' emails and posts. . .

I don't know what transpired but knowing Joella, no harm was intended. Our chapter is the way it is partly because I have no life outside the chapter.

The only reason I mentioned Joella's email is because I know she responds to them.

[SharkD]

The ironic thing is that Richard was probably the primary reason that I had such a good experience at my first Drivers' School -- and that led to this downward spiral of multiple HPDEs and dedicated track cars and r-compound tires and HANS devices...

[1996 328ti]

Whatta great weekend I had.

[dbonner]

Whatta great weekend I had.

Me too! The weather was a pleasant surprise, particularly on Sunday when track conditions were perfect, sunny, high 50s, and very little wind. The Grand East Circuit is lots of fun with plenty of variety, elevation changes, and high speed turns. The M5 exploded out of HogPen onto the front straight and did real well in and out of Oak Tree and through "Stevie Wonder". (Okay, admit I was slower in other sections). That 4.2 mile circuit easily accommodated 170 students in 4 run groups with very few glitches. Grand East Circuit may be the standard for future TarHeel Schools if this successful school is any indication.