After more than a year of on-again-off-again preparation, I recently got to drive my new M52-powered, fully-caged, and aero-sporting E30 race car for the first time. For it being the first shake down of the car, I have to say that it went surprisingly well. The car performed admirably, and...
We recently introduced the concept of string alignments, and today we are back with part two of the series: a deeper dive into the how and the why of DIY alignments. Without yet getting into the actual alignment process, we must understand why you would need to string a car...
Coming up through the HPDE ranks, there were two somewhat mythical beasts that came up a lot, in hushed tones: "slicks," and "aero." Slicks in reference to DOT radial slick tires, such as the Toyo RR, Maxxis RC-1, and Hoosier R7. Aero in reference to cars...
Gridlife is a national automotive festival tour that embraces a wide range of car culture. Festival events include on-track sessions for HPDE, time attack, wheel to wheel racing, endurance racing, and drifting exhibitions.
Since RE has grown a bit recently, I've been trying to stay aware that my new followers may not be familiar with me or my cars. Even those familiar may not know what's been going on with each car recently. If you are new and want...
I've been modifying cars for over 20 years now (it will always pain me to say that). Thus, I've probably known about string alignments for at least 18 years. It was not until recently that I started doing them myself.
In-car video is an important tool for any type of on-track driving. Reviewing video footage can help you learn from your mistakes, see where you are leaving time on the table, solicit feedback from coaches and other drivers, and serve as a record for any incidents that occur on the...
At the end of the 2021 season, I was considering moving my #74 E30 down from TT5 to TT6, in the hopes of making the car more competitive. My car never fit into TT5 very well: it has always kind of lingered between classes 5 and 6, which at the...
Say the letters "PTG," and any E36 fan will immediately have a mental image. Prototype Technology Group campaigned their BMW-contracted E36 M3 program to great success in the mid-late 1990s. The GT3 class cars featured distinct bodywork, impressive development, and legendary drivers (Bill Auberlen and Boris Said, amongst...
Friday nights at the track are the best. The whole weekend lies in front of you. Nervousness and excitement mix. The anticipation is high. Your friends are arriving at the track. Friends you haven't seen since the last event 6 weeks ago. The trash talk begins. Everyone has...
When I started building my #74 E30 back in 2016, I had some preconceived notions about driver & cockpit ergonomics. However, this was my first build focused solely on track use, and I still had a lot to learn. Early in the build, I did my best to set up...
As an early teenager that was very much looking forward to getting my driver's license and my first car, I was super in to the JDM scene. This was in the early 2000s, so while it was definitely peak The Fast and the Furious days, that isn'...