Time Trial Results
12-09-2006, 07:31 AM
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Well, I took my 07 550i to Budds Creek for the Time and Tune event and was able to get 4 runs in during the day. I got a lot of good advice from the board members here and tried them all but was unable to break into the 13's and was quite disappointed with the results. Best time - 14.034. Best speed - 105. Being a novice at this I'm sure that my driver technique played significantly into the results but I was expecting better performance out of the car and think that it also had some effect on the times as well. I think I know where I need to brush up, not sure if I'm getting the best out of the car.
I have to say that if you have never been to an official race track to time your ride it can be a lot of fun and highly recommend it - great people, fantastic cars, good, competitive yet friendly atmosphere on the track and no shortage of advice from your competitors while in the line up. There were only two "classes" in the Time and Tune - above and below 11 second ETs. I felt a little "different" in my shiny, new BMW lining up with a fire-belching, not-street-legal almost-a-funny-car but paid no attention to that. The tree and the tach and the track were my sole focus. I learned to anticipate the green a little and didn't red light once but still need to work on that a bit since my reaction times were kinda geriatric. Really has nothing to do with age - it's a practiced, finely-honed technique and doing it right make a big difference on the other end of the track.
The car was pretty much the way I drive it - spare in the trunk, burned down to 3/8s tank of gas for the runs (long way between gas stations at Budds). Here's what I played with - DS on and off. DTC on and off. I avoided the water but the guys who use it still drag it up to the staging area so it was always a bit wet. Since, on the track, I was a bit wrapped up in running the race I didn't notice a whole lot of difference among the setups. I think my technique, or lack of it probably had more to do with the results than anything. But I do want to mention this - Since I had the DME reprogrammed last month to fix a rough start problem the car seems a bit slower and can't help but wonder if that reprogramming "detuned" it a bit.
So - the mid-thirteens escaped me that Sunday but I'm sure that between me and the car it's there somewhere. Next trial is high end on a proper road course and I'll let you know about that when I'm ready. Thanks to everyone who offered their advice and, again, try the drag strip even if only once - we had a great time!
I have to say that if you have never been to an official race track to time your ride it can be a lot of fun and highly recommend it - great people, fantastic cars, good, competitive yet friendly atmosphere on the track and no shortage of advice from your competitors while in the line up. There were only two "classes" in the Time and Tune - above and below 11 second ETs. I felt a little "different" in my shiny, new BMW lining up with a fire-belching, not-street-legal almost-a-funny-car but paid no attention to that. The tree and the tach and the track were my sole focus. I learned to anticipate the green a little and didn't red light once but still need to work on that a bit since my reaction times were kinda geriatric. Really has nothing to do with age - it's a practiced, finely-honed technique and doing it right make a big difference on the other end of the track.
The car was pretty much the way I drive it - spare in the trunk, burned down to 3/8s tank of gas for the runs (long way between gas stations at Budds). Here's what I played with - DS on and off. DTC on and off. I avoided the water but the guys who use it still drag it up to the staging area so it was always a bit wet. Since, on the track, I was a bit wrapped up in running the race I didn't notice a whole lot of difference among the setups. I think my technique, or lack of it probably had more to do with the results than anything. But I do want to mention this - Since I had the DME reprogrammed last month to fix a rough start problem the car seems a bit slower and can't help but wonder if that reprogramming "detuned" it a bit.
So - the mid-thirteens escaped me that Sunday but I'm sure that between me and the car it's there somewhere. Next trial is high end on a proper road course and I'll let you know about that when I'm ready. Thanks to everyone who offered their advice and, again, try the drag strip even if only once - we had a great time!
12-09-2006, 10:17 AM
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Originally Posted by geokr1' post='365358' date='Dec 9 2006, 11:31 AM
Well, I took my 07 550i to Budds Creek for the Time and Tune event and was able to get 4 runs in during the day. I got a lot of good advice from the board members here and tried them all but was unable to break into the 13's and was quite disappointed with the results. Best time - 14.034. Best speed - 105. Being a novice at this I'm sure that my driver technique played significantly into the results but I was expecting better performance out of the car and think that it also had some effect on the times as well. I think I know where I need to brush up, not sure if I'm getting the best out of the car.
I have to say that if you have never been to an official race track to time your ride it can be a lot of fun and highly recommend it - great people, fantastic cars, good, competitive yet friendly atmosphere on the track and no shortage of advice from your competitors while in the line up. There were only two "classes" in the Time and Tune - above and below 11 second ETs. I felt a little "different" in my shiny, new BMW lining up with a fire-belching, not-street-legal almost-a-funny-car but paid no attention to that. The tree and the tach and the track were my sole focus. I learned to anticipate the green a little and didn't red light once but still need to work on that a bit since my reaction times were kinda geriatric. Really has nothing to do with age - it's a practiced, finely-honed technique and doing it right make a big difference on the other end of the track.
The car was pretty much the way I drive it - spare in the trunk, burned down to 3/8s tank of gas for the runs (long way between gas stations at Budds). Here's what I played with - DS on and off. DTC on and off. I avoided the water but the guys who use it still drag it up to the staging area so it was always a bit wet. Since, on the track, I was a bit wrapped up in running the race I didn't notice a whole lot of difference among the setups. I think my technique, or lack of it probably had more to do with the results than anything. But I do want to mention this - Since I had the DME reprogrammed last month to fix a rough start problem the car seems a bit slower and can't help but wonder if that reprogramming "detuned" it a bit.
So - the mid-thirteens escaped me that Sunday but I'm sure that between me and the car it's there somewhere. Next trial is high end on a proper road course and I'll let you know about that when I'm ready. Thanks to everyone who offered their advice and, again, try the drag strip even if only once - we had a great time!
I have to say that if you have never been to an official race track to time your ride it can be a lot of fun and highly recommend it - great people, fantastic cars, good, competitive yet friendly atmosphere on the track and no shortage of advice from your competitors while in the line up. There were only two "classes" in the Time and Tune - above and below 11 second ETs. I felt a little "different" in my shiny, new BMW lining up with a fire-belching, not-street-legal almost-a-funny-car but paid no attention to that. The tree and the tach and the track were my sole focus. I learned to anticipate the green a little and didn't red light once but still need to work on that a bit since my reaction times were kinda geriatric. Really has nothing to do with age - it's a practiced, finely-honed technique and doing it right make a big difference on the other end of the track.
The car was pretty much the way I drive it - spare in the trunk, burned down to 3/8s tank of gas for the runs (long way between gas stations at Budds). Here's what I played with - DS on and off. DTC on and off. I avoided the water but the guys who use it still drag it up to the staging area so it was always a bit wet. Since, on the track, I was a bit wrapped up in running the race I didn't notice a whole lot of difference among the setups. I think my technique, or lack of it probably had more to do with the results than anything. But I do want to mention this - Since I had the DME reprogrammed last month to fix a rough start problem the car seems a bit slower and can't help but wonder if that reprogramming "detuned" it a bit.
So - the mid-thirteens escaped me that Sunday but I'm sure that between me and the car it's there somewhere. Next trial is high end on a proper road course and I'll let you know about that when I'm ready. Thanks to everyone who offered their advice and, again, try the drag strip even if only once - we had a great time!
12-09-2006, 12:25 PM
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Originally Posted by SergeyM' post='365419' date='Dec 9 2006, 02:17 PM
It is pretty strange you did not notice any much difference between DSC on and off. Seems like traction was you problem. Could you post your 60' time? Also did you try to lower rear tires pressure?
12-09-2006, 12:32 PM
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The times you posted aren't that different than what was recorded on my G-Meter by brian1225 in his 550. There is definitely an art to knowing how to launch properly with a Step.
12-09-2006, 12:53 PM
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Originally Posted by vegastrashed' post='365467' date='Dec 9 2006, 04:32 PM
The times you posted aren't that different than what was recorded on my G-Meter by brian1225 in his 550. There is definitely an art to knowing how to launch properly with a Step.
12-09-2006, 05:30 PM
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Originally Posted by geokr1' post='365473' date='Dec 9 2006, 04:53 PM
Yep - launching is definitely an art. But I was expecting mid-13's as I've seen posted here for both the 550 and 545 in the quarter and I thought I would do a little better despite my inexperience. I need to go back in the spring and run her again. Nobody next to me at the stoplights on the way to work will be safe until then...practice, practice, practice......
12-09-2006, 05:48 PM
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Originally Posted by geokr1' post='365358' date='Dec 9 2006, 09:31 AM
Well, I took my 07 550i to Budds Creek for the Time and Tune event
12-10-2006, 05:47 AM
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I agree with Sergy on the run flats the extra unsprung weight of the run flats will definitely affect your times.However I do not agree that launching a step is that easy.I have quite a bit of drag strip experience and I bettered my times from a 13.899 to a 13.644 by fine tuning my starting method.I made 4 runs,each one was better than the last.I found that going though the water and spinning my tires clean worked best for me.I think if I made about 10 runs I could have improved my time to about 13.50.It takes some experimenting with the track surface on stock tires to get best results.With drag slicks it would take only a couple of runs to get best results because the traction is magnitudes better.You definitely should have the DTC/DTS off for best times.
12-10-2006, 06:09 AM
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Did you take a look at your reaction times (where it says R/T) there? That looks to be the reason you were out of the 13's.
12-10-2006, 06:15 AM
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Originally Posted by Znod' post='365519' date='Dec 9 2006, 09:48 PM
Do you happen to know your altitude, the temp F, the dew point F, and your altimeter setting (i.e., bars of mercury in Hg)? If so, then I can fine tune your results for you. Without allowing for these factors, you really have no idea how good or how bad your passes were--unless someone else with a car like yours was, for example, doing mid 13's.