Track Days

[Brad1138 0]

Hey guys, im keen as to get into some motor racing, i have a 323i e36 and im keen as to get out on the track. How, When and Where can i do this? I havent been on the track before so some advice for begineers would be great too, cheers.

[Grant 4]

Hi

Your best bet is to joing the BMW Car Club (www.bmwclub.org.nz), and then come along to the driver training day at Taupo in early April.

Not only will you get some driver training, you will also get the chance to do some laps on the Taupo racetrack in your car.

Otherwise Pukekohe has open testing days reasonably regularly, but it would be wise to do at least one driver training day before you attend one of these.

Cheers

Grant

[cainchapman 0]

Grant is spot on. The other option, if you want some low speed car events is the Auckland Car Club's grasskhana. They are heaps of fun too. Out in Ranui.

Join the BMW club.

[Guest Andrew]

Couple of options:

If you want to race - start building an E30 for the upcoming E30 Spec race series.

If you want to learn to drive do the driver training

If you just want to thrash your car round the track - there are heaps of open days at pukekohe ($90 bucks). But this is perhaps throwing yourself in the deep end - especially if you are using your daily driver. Most of the cars there are at least mildly modified for track usage. In fact there is one tommorow which I will be going to with the race car.

http://www.pukekohepark.co.nz/modules.php?name=Calendar - for the pukekohe calender.

You can obviously go to anyone which isn't race car only testing.

[kiwipetrolhead 1]

Hey I just posted a new thread, one of my questions there is about the BMW club. So it has been partly answered in this thread, although I live in Palmerston North so I am keen to know how much occurs in the lower North Island - like at Manfeild and other things not too far away.

I am an ex kart racer (1980s - 250cc gearbox class), and I have had a drive in a F/Ford around Manfeild (the Richard Lester Shell Scholarship in 1991, the year Greg Murphy won it).

I have also taken a number of road cars around Manfeild at various times over the years when they used to have public open days for $10. Once I was in an old standard 1300cc Avenger and passed a Falcon on the outside of a sweeper, as well as an RX7 (the wimps ). Now things have changed for these open days it is a full-day event and bolted-in fire extinguishers are required and stuff, so I have not bothered.

But organised BMW events for my road cars would be good.

I am a very competent driver. On the day I attended Lester's F/Ford scholarship (there was 18 of us) I was consistently 2 seconds per lap faster than the next quickest guy and he was a 'current' Rally Sprint Driver (while I was only a 'retired' karter), and he was 2 seconds faster than the third quickest guy - and of the 176 guys that entered in total, I was lised in recognition amoungst the top 20 (although we were not placed in any order by lap times or anything), so I am quite skilled and even though that was in 1991, but I am still fast despite no serious competition driving since my 1980's karting days. So I'm not really after training, I don't feel I need it. In fact, I think I'd give most instructors a decent run for their money.

Basically I'm look for something for a bit of fun really and low-cost (my wife won't let me spend our money you see).

Cheers

Paul

[kiwi535 538]

the events the club are directly associated with are driver training days.Wellington ussually has one round september/october at manfeild .We missed last year cos it clashed with the election,so we may have one earlyish this year.Its all low speed stuff tho.Auckland tend to have a driver training day early in the year at Taupo,and ussually have some "free Laps" later,helmet required if you intend to exceed 100 km hr.The intermarque sprints dont require roll cages but you need a log book,helmet and extinguisher(its good to have an extinguisher anyway!) and there are about six sprints from mid to end of year.

[petone 0]

more on intermarque sprints- must be a member of motorsport affiliated car club, BMW club is. log book not needed if you only doing one round. also need 100% cotton overalls.

Should probably do one of the training days first tho so you know what to expect

[Guest Andrew]

Basically I'm look for something for a bit of fun really and low-cost (my wife won't let me spend our money you see).

You are the perfect candidate for the upcoming e30 specification racing series -

Approx. 8 - 12 g car cost build - very little season costs. And real equal field racing - where driver skill matters - not car setup.