Coming down the mountain !!!!
 

Well, I should say, "coming down the hill !! "

THUNDERHILL that is !!

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...0-3022_IMG.jpg

Had a great time. Was my first time at Thunderhill racetrack and I LOVE it. What an amazing track. I had a small off track excursion that resulted in a mouth full of dirt and bruised ego. Lucky enough though, I kept the shiny side up. The Pcar felt amazing with the new mods: RS CLUTCH, RS Light Weight Flywheel, H&R Coilovers... ohhhh ahhhhh is about all I can say.
Had some problems with the transmission on the last day though. Think I either messed up the linkage or busted a pin. The car got stuck in a high gear and would not shift out. DOLP !! but at least my brother and I got a full day and a half with mucho mucho track time.

The X5 did a great job towing. No problems and had plenty of power and was very stable.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...brary-3148.jpg

On the way home from Thunderhill, the auto trailer had a huge blow out. We were traveling south on I-5 near Tracy and smoke was billowing from the back. Within 1/2 sec. of seeing the smoke, the tire exploded. We pulled over, called BMW roadside assistance and they sent out a dude with a jack and we hooked up the spare.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...brary-3156.jpg

I didn't tell BMW Roadside that the tire that blew was on the trailer though. Figured the less they knew the better !

-- NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF.....

So, I would have left the track un-fulfilled had I not taken the X through some paces. I gutted the tow vehicle and lined her up in the pit. I got the nod and 10 seconds later, the X5 was hauling ass through turn 1.
I can't even tell you how impressed I was with the X. I hit over 125 down the front straight, went through the turns with some serious speed and even chased down an EVO.. I knew you guys would enjoy these pics so here goes. -- For the record, I only took her out for five laps. The brakes were understandably starting to get soft and I didn't want to push it too hard. I knew I still needed the X to get me, my bro, and Pcar back home.

Enjoy !!
-- Hey M5, check your rearview !!
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...brary-3133.jpg
-- Vroom Vroom !
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...brary-3134.jpg
-- Into the cyclone --
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...brary-3136.jpg

B :)

Awesome story and pics!! That is what Hayaku needs for towing his Ketchup....a 4.8iS and a nice trailer!! :D

That is friggin' awesome! I love how your Arctic Silver 993 looks on the trailer behind your Titanium Silver X5. It's great that you have a tow vehicle and a trailer. I'll take either one of the two vehicles. :D Great pictures. It looks like you had a blast. What were the reactions when the 4.8is hit the track? I bet you raised some eyebrows.

Great story! Great pics! Sounds like you had a blast. I'm jealous. Thanks for sharing, B. :thumbup:

Juan

NIce pics. Sounds like you and 4.8 had a good time. :thumbup:

Nice toys. :thumbup:

That's awesome, B! Thanks for the pics and the tale.

JV

Awesome!! Next time can I tag along?! :dunno: :thumbup:

THANKS GUYS !!!

It really was a fun trip. PNG, I wish you had decided to join us. Maybe next time if your not floating in your new pool with a missing Pcar.

For the record, the trailer wasn't mine, I rented it. Luckily it had a winch otherwise I have no idea how we would have got it back on the trailer with no first or second gear.

I think my next track day will be with POC (porsche owners club) at the streets of willow. Assuming my car is working again by then.

It was a great feeling getting back out on the track again, it was only 2 years :tsk:

I don't know if I'll ever take the X5 out for hot laps again. It was a ton of fun but could really use some upgraded front brakes. Not that the car didn't slow well, it did, the brakes just got soft too quickly. But that's to be expected with +4000 lbs.

And yes, people at the track did make comments about the X. They were inpressed. I had some guys that passed me in a worked 944 and they got a good laugh at how fast I was moving it. They were a little afraid about the sway though. But again, it's a SAV..

Hope to pass you soon.
B

Good read! I think it's impressive that you can take an X5 to the track and look respectable.

It's an achievement to roll around in a vehicle nearly twice the weight of track cars.

Great story & pics :2thumbs: - Your X5 has nothing to apologize for :D - I doubt anyone else put their tow vehicle out on the track - An X5 with SP, Dinan upgrade with camber plates and larger brakes will turn those snickers into 'Holy Cow'!! :cool: - You did confirm my opinion of the brakes :( - Would like larger, but need 17" wheels for winter.

Very cool Seth.. take it you went to the tracquest event? :thumbup:

very nice b... glad you had fun! i've yet to do t-hill and am very jealous... then again, i may be facing 25 hrs of it soon...

35 days and counting since my last outing and i'm very itchy to hit the track again and i won't be back out till late september...

Sanguru and Hayuku,

Yep !! it was a tracquest event. Lots of great drivers and fast cars. It actually amazes me that a 1997 911 is now one of the slower cars on the tracks. i guess 282hp ain't much by today's standards. With Cadillac's coming stock with 400hp, E46M3's with 345hp, etc. etc. Last decade's standards have a hard time keeping up.

Hayaku, Thunderhill is one of the best tracks I've ever driven and I've driven a lot of tracks:
Limerock
Pocono North, East, Long
Sebring
Moroso
Homestead
Daytona
Laguna Seca
Willow Springs..

Thunderhill is definately one of my top 3. You will love it. Very technical.
I am going to try to do streets of willow in sept. with Porsche Owners Club.

Hope to pass you soon.
B

282hp aint no slouch...

poc record at wsir for a POC II class '83 911SC, 180 HP, stock springs (adjustable sway bars allowed ), 2750lb, no headers,no gears or race shocks, the record is held by Mike Sirolli, at 1:36.288, running hoosiers 225 50-16-7, 245 45-16-8.. for anyone that's been to wsir, 1:36 is moving!

if its near the end of sept, i may make it out for another shake down run if the cage is completed in time...

thanks to verbalkint's refferal I just wanted to say how cool it is to see that someone else has taken their X to Thunderhill!

Let me refer you back to my post so you can read about what's going on:

http://www.xoutpost.com/x5-e53-forum/...tml#post136046

Sweet.