05/22/2010 - Driving School @ Shenandoah

[kokyudoza]

Thanks! My girl needs more experience with her Corolla. Chees!-Nick

[thomaslynn]

Any special requirements for cars participating? Basically am I going to need to have anything on the car safety wired, or anything else in order to get through safety inspection?

I see this on motoreg:
"Cars must be inspected by a qualified service facility before the event. A properly completed tech inspection form (supplied) must be presented at the track. It is your responsibility to ensure that your car is safe and roadworthy."

On you typical new 335i would there be any changes necessary during the inspection?

[1996 328ti]

Any special requirements for cars participating? Basically am I going to need to have anything on the car safety wired, or anything else in order to get through safety inspection?

I see this on motoreg:
"Cars must be inspected by a qualified service facility before the event. A properly completed tech inspection form (supplied) must be presented at the track. It is your responsibility to ensure that your car is safe and roadworthy."

On you typical new 335i would there be any changes necessary during the inspection?

I would replace your brake fluid but other than that you should be OK once you get your car tech'd.
Does your 335 have an oil cooler?
Contact David Ortiz (Chief Tech Inspector) at odortiz@yahoo.com if you have further questions.

[thomaslynn]

Yea, have the oil cooler and the fluids are fresh. Is there some list of qualified service facilities?

[1996 328ti]

Yea, have the oil cooler and the fluids are fresh. Is there some list of qualified service facilities?

http://www.nccbmwcca.org/content.php...ech-Inspection
You are not limited to those listed.

[kokyudoza]

I have a 2007 low-mileage 335i w/sport package. Should I get an oil cooler installed for this event?

[pseto]

I have a 2007 low-mileage 335i w/sport package. Should I get an oil cooler installed for this event?

very few 335s with sport package didn't come with the oil cooler, are you sure you don't already have one?

[Ethan Blank]

I'll use this thread as an excuse to get on my soapbox (again).

While I understand if instructors want to decline to get into a convertible on track, I can't understand the NCC's position that any convertible, including (for example) a car that participates in a track race (such as a spec miata) is not allowed to participate in an NCC HPDE event. How can that be???

The HPDE events are learning schools, not competition events. The refusal of the NCC to allow convertibles to participate is frustrating to people like me, who would like to participate in the club's track events, but instead have to drive with other clubs.

I will be at Shenandoah this weekend, with Track Daze. I really enjoy the Summit Point tracks, and it's a shame that instead of supporting the club's programs, the club sends me to other clubs.

I haven't seen anyone in the NCC or CCA group adequately address their reasons for this; in last month's Roundel, a letter was published on this topic, and the response was, "there are many other activities you CAN participate in". No explanation as to why convertibles, with an approved roll bar, can't participate in HPDE. Unsafe drivers, no matter what car they are in, are not welcomed at HPDE, and for very good reason. Banning convertibles doesn't make the track any safer for other drivers.

As one of my instructors (a racer) at VIR said, he prefers the convertible since if (god fobid)there was a wreck, he could be pulled out from the top, rather than through a narrow window (and he was a slender man!).

Under the tight controls that exist at an HPDE for safety, and assuming an approved roll bar and the broomstick test are all passed, why can't convertibles benefit from the learning experiences of an HPDE? If the "true" purpose of the HPDE is to educate, then the club is doing convertible drivers a great disservice, preventing them from participating in what has been a very educational (and enjoyable) experience for me.

As I understand it, CCA policy leaves the decision on convertibles to the individual chapters; there is no mandate to allow or not allow convertibles on track. This has led to a variation in how chapters treat it; the NJ chapter allows spec miata (someone said one of the organizers of their HPDEs is a spec miata driver, hence the permission for that type of car); NC chapter I believe allows convertibles with the roll bar.

I just want to have some logic behind these decisions; I understand (and agree with) the NC approach. I don't understand and don't agree with the NJ approach. There should be some rational basis to the decision; I don['t understand the NCC's total ban on convertibles (whether with a roll bar, roll cage, hard top, etc.)

[woodym3]

I haven't seen anyone in the NCC or CCA group adequately address their reasons for this; in last month's Roundel, a letter was published on this topic, and the response was, "there are many other activities you CAN participate in". No explanation as to why convertibles, with an approved roll bar, can't participate in HPDE. Unsafe drivers, no matter what car they are in, are not welcomed at HPDE, and for very good reason. Banning convertibles doesn't make the track any safer for other drivers.

Ethan,
This subject has been discussed ad nauseam on this and other forums and no amount of complaints from convertible owners is going to change the policies of BMWCCA or the National Capital Chapter. I've made no attempt to keep up with the various polices of the national club, the many chapters, tracks, and other organizations. Arguments against allowing rollover-protected convertibles range from the ineffectiveness in gravel traps, the lack of our tech inspectors' expertise in analyzing the rollover bar/cage construction, the reluctance of instructors to get in such cars, etc. While I would feel as safe riding in a Spec Miata as any other car, the NCC policy also has prohibitions against race cars that are not licensed and insured for the street. I should also note that I don't think the NCC Driver School leaders that make decisions on this ever read this forum.

[kokyudoza]

very few 335s with sport package didn't come with the oil cooler, are you sure you don't already have one?

How do I tell if my car has an oil cooler?

[Ethan Blank]

How do I tell if my car has an oil cooler?

Look in the wheel well on the front passenger side; if there's a rectangular grate that looks like a vent cover in the side of the wheel well, that's for the oil cooler. You might want to have the tires at an angle to see clearly into the well. The grate is on the forward (towards the front bumper) side of the well.

I am fairly sure that the '07 335 sport package had an oil cooler. I had to add the Dinan oil cooler (which has a higher capacity than the stock one) to my '07 335, but that's because I don't have the sport package on mine. It became standard on all 335s, I believe, starting with the '08 models.