BMWCCA driving school?
 

Anyone here ever done one? I considered doing the one at Braselton, GA [Atlanta track] when I had an E36, and wondered about doing it with the E53. The one next weekend, sponsored by the Peachtree BMWCCA, already has 187 registrants! See Driving Schools

I may do it in the Fall ......

If memory serves me right, Miniz Guy did a CCA driving school course and loved it. He doesn't post here as often as I think he goes to school in St. Louis and is on the rowing team, but try to pm him. I forget his first name.

I've done lapping days with the Porsche Club and BMW Club. Before I had kids I was also a driving instructor for the BMW Club. Its very addicting and if not kept in check can get extremely expensive.

Do you have any specific questions?

I'd like to try an autocross with our 4.6, just to say I've done it, but I don't think it would be as fun as my Mini or any other car weighing less than 2 tons :)

If they have some type of Car Control Clinic, that is a MUST DO! You'll learn more there than you will at a lapping day.

Just checked the calendar for your Peachtree Event. Road Atlanta is on my list of tracks I want to drive when I retire with my RV towing a race car around North America...

The Peachtree BMWCCA event next weekend [and again in September] is a high performance driving ['car control'] type class, with some time on the Road Atlanta track with an instructor. I've never driven Road Atlanta, but watching "Rush" this past weekend, plus my recollection of a conversation with a guy in the auto manuf. biz who sold us a very sweet 06 Benz 320 cdi [who did some road racing at Road Atlanta in an M3] got me thinkin', always dangerous for my wallet ..... I fancy myself a competent everyday driver on the curves, generally able to find the line, but could really benefit from training.

I'm not sure how other chapters do it. Puget Sound chapter offers HPDS - High Performance Driving Schools (lapping days) and CCC - Car Control Clinics.

CCC is a pre-requisite for the HPDS's. At the CCC you get taught Threshold/ABS braking, Emergency maneuvering while braking, Slalom, Skidpad, and then combine everything into a short autocross. Everything occurs typically under 60mph in a large paved area with almost zero risk of damage except for hitting the orange cones and leaving rubber marks on your bumper.

The HPDS typically occurs on a track driving at track speeds, not highway speeds. Speeds range from 25mph (hairpin corners) to 150+ (fast cars). I'd think your X5 could potentially see 110-120 on the track with a stock setup...I kinda think your Benz may be faster around the track than your X5, although maybe not as fun? Definition of fun varies.

So, if you don't have any previous high performance driving experience, I strongly recommend finding something like the CCC first to learn the basics. It is extremely fun despite the low speeds, maybe more so because you get to drive your car at 100%+. At the BMW HPDS's, you are typically reigned in at 80-90% even as an advanced driver. They are also cheaper. After a CCC, definitely drive Road Atlanta and give us a review!

Thanks, good tips. the posting for the Peachtree BMWCCA event at Road Atlanta appears to combine some features of both CCC and some performance driving track time. A CCC first looks like a great idea. I'll look into it!

Did a quick search in your area for something like a CCC, nothing quickly came to surface. Something as a not quite as good alternative would be an autocross. You can get a feel for your car at the limit at low speed in a safe environment*. Cheapest possible track experience, but you normally would only get 8 minutes of driving time per day, 1 morning session, 1 afternoon session, with each session having 4 timed laps of around 1 minute. I'm not patient enough for autocross, I'd rather go karting for the same price and much smaller time commitment.


*Danger - orange cones everywhere

Years ago, I was a driving instructor for BMW CCA for about 15 years running, and helped organize dozens of these events. It is a HUGE amount of fun to do. I'm not sure that an X5 is the best ride for one, but it would still be fun. These events can be pretty tough on tires and brakes. If you decide to go, a fresh flush of the brake fluid is important prior to the event. Given the high weight of the X5, I'd go with high temperature fluid. Make sure your pads and rotors are in excellent shape, and I'd consider some semi-metallic pads for the X5. Depending on the track, brakes could become an issue with an SUV as heavy as the X5. Don't be too disappointed if you leave the track with warped rotors and needing new pads.

Tires with a LOT of tread depth can also cause problems. High performance summer tires will be much less prone to these issues than all-seasons, but you can actually chunk off bits of tread. Again, the weight of the X5 will magnify this concern. Most regular driver's school participants have separate wheels with high performance tires just for the track, but this would be overkill for a first time participant. It will take numerous events to get anywhere near the limitations of your vehicle.

One other thing to keep in mind is that it's almost impossible to total a car at an autocross, (I HAVE seen two rollovers though in many, many years of participation). The risk factor is MUCH higher during a racetrack driver's school, and there is a small but distinct chance of seriously damaging or even totaling your vehicle. It does not necessarily have to be your fault, you could have a tire failure or other mechanical failure. Another participant could drop oil on the track; there are any number of unforeseen events that could cause an accident. When you're going at high rates of speeds, things can happen. And your collision insurance is likely to be null and void. I know you can buy separate event coverage for your car, but I can't provide a source at this moment. So if you're ready for the risk to your X5, go for it. When you add up all the costs, it's a pretty expensive day; but hard to beat on the fun scale.

If you don't want to take the risk with your X5...there's always Skip Barber.

Road Atlanta - I would agree, decent summer tires, ideally half worn already, and some high performance brake pads would be best because of the elevation changes. Stock brake pads won't last a full 30 minutes and brand new all season tires will get destroyed.

Before taking any vehicle to the track, the suspension should be in excellent shape, i.e. no worn bushings/ball joints/shocks. If you have more than 60-70k and haven't replaced any suspension parts yet, you most likely need to before the track. You're also going to put huge stress on your cooling system. You're at 8 years on your cooling system. Take a look at your hose fittings and hoses, if they are turning a brownish color (they should be black) they need to be replaced. Any of the smallest leaks need to be replaced. Making sure you don't get a coolant leak while on the track is less about your car overheating than it is for the safety of the other cars because coolant is pretty much the most slippery thing ever.

Like Skyline says, most insurance companies don't cover track incidents. But some do as long as it is not a TIMED event. Check your plan. Here is a good thread on General Insurance policy info, not necessarily any specific info on track coverage although I think it is discussed a little. Also the companies are regional to the NW, but the knowledge should apply everywhere. The Great Insurance Policy Review Thread

Thanks, guys, good tips. My cooling system is in good shape, but I expect I'll need a front brake job/fresh brake fluid [hi-temp] before taking it to Road Atlanta, and beating up my fairly new [6k miles right now] Conti AWS is a concern, even if I don't flog it. I'll investigate further before the September training event. Barber might be an option.