I'll see Heeter's autox vid, and raise him mine

[Dave]

special front end body work

[Charlie]

Nice vid
tight course
but what did you use to mount the camera with?

I've got an ioport camera mount attached to the rollbar.

-Charlie

[Charlie]

Charlie, that was a good video. Your car sounds awesome and turns very well. I've done a lot of track events but don't really attend AutoX (never mind there are very few that I know of in South Africa), because they are a bit confusing. Anyone who completes a course like the one on your video so well has my respect. Well done.

What did you do to your intake to achieve that sound, or is it your exhaust ?

The sound is the exhaust, an 8 year old stromung with a rust hole beginning to develop in the midpipe. Creates a nice growl ;)

You can sort of hear it in this vid too:

http://www.charliegrafton.com/videos/MidOH_7-9.wmv

-Charlie

[Andreas]

Hi Charlie,

Thanks, enjoyed MidOH_7-9.wmv. I see you have quite a few videos, I hope some also show your car from the outside.

You look like you've really mastered your car, you take good smooth lines, the tyres are screeching slightly from being on the limit yet you only make minimal corrections on the steering wheel - sounds like a good recipe for fast lap times. Too bad we live in separate countries and cannot race together.

I counted only 4 gear changes for the whole lap. Looks like your engine has a fair amount torque to pull so nicely through what seem to me to be long gears - have you changed your diff ratio (I used a 4.44 LSD on my Alpina) ?

Anyway, let me download some more videos.

[Charlie]

Hi Charlie,

Thanks, enjoyed MidOH_7-9.wmv. I see you have quite a few videos, I hope some also show your car from the outside.

You look like you've really mastered your car, you take good smooth lines, the tyres are screeching slightly from being on the limit yet you only make minimal corrections on the steering wheel - sounds like a good recipe for fast lap times. Too bad we live in separate countries and cannot race together.

I counted only 4 gear changes for the whole lap. Looks like your engine has a fair amount torque to pull so nicely through what seem to me to be long gears - have you changed your diff ratio (I used a 4.44 LSD on my Alpina) ?

Anyway, let me download some more videos.

Appreciate it man, I've finally started to get comfortable with the setup on the car, really loving the Turner J-stock setup with the -3.5 degrees of camber up front. Right now, the diff is the stock 3.73 LSD, I'm looking to swap to a 4.10 to let me use 4th more in a few spots. I'm playing around with other "mods" on the car to keep me under the 20 pt limit for the class the car is in right now (TTE).

-Charlie

[Dave]

Andreas,

Not trying to inflate Charlie's ego here, but I personally have been studying his MidOhio vids in preparation for my first time there next month. I have no expectation that I will be able to pull it off like him just yet, but . . .

[Andreas]

Hi DaveCN

When studying Charlie's videos, bear in mind that his car is well sorted. Just watch 2lapsaug5.wmv and see how much ground he makes up on other cars, not straight line acceleration, all later braking and high cornering speeds.

I don't know how experienced you are or how good your car is, however I would advise that you try to build up slowly on that circuit, especially going over those crests.

Watch Mid Ohio 8-14 hires.wmv, you'll see that on the first crest (playback pos = 1min 15sec) his car has some understeer at the beginning of the corner and he quickly corrects about mid-corner, taking out about half the steering angle, as the grip comes back. Now I'm thinking if you get that wrong and release the steering too late, you'll probably swop ends and have a nasty experience just as you go over the top of the crest sideways / backwards.

A different car setup might also require a different approach to that corner - I'm thinking shock rebound which would affect how "light" your car becomes over the crest.

Also notice his body language for the first two fast sweeps, he opens and closes his hands. It's almost as if he has to convince himself to go through them as fast as he does whereas his gut is telling him it's not possible. Most people do follow their gut in such cases and apply some brakes and this is where you can make up time by staying on the accelerator.

Hey Charlie, hope you don't think that I'm over-analyzing your videos. If I'm wrong with my above deductions, I apologize. You were the one in the driving seat, so only you will know the whole truth.

Charlie, it's a shame you ended 2lapsaug5.wmv where you did, I was just beginning to enjoy the total dominance of your E30 over other cars on the track ; would have enjoyed seeing you overtake that whole bunch.

[Dave]

Andreas,

Thanks for the comments. As far as setup, my car is fairly similar to Charlie's, except he is running J-Stock suspension and I am on coilovers. Other than that, they are both fairly stock e30s. He runs r-compund tires, and while I just acquired a set, I will not be using them at first at MidOhio. I'll be on Falken Azenis - grippy for a street tire, but not quite an R-comp.

And as I said, I have no notion that I'll start out anywhere near that fast - right now, I am looking at his videos to learn the line primarily. Following that, I am noting braking zone locations, shift points, etc.

When I get there, it'll be an instructed session and I cross my fingers I get a good instructor who will be there to guide me along the way.

Again, thanks for your input.

[Andreas]

DaveCN,

Glad to hear that you are reasonable and want to start cautiously. I always build up to my best effort, even when I go to a track that I know well. This philosophy has "saved" me on a few occasions where for some reason a track has less grip than the last time you were there.

Maybe you should arrange to meet at the track with Charlie and let him take you around the track. Based on his posted videos, it looks like he has a lot of experience around that track and could most likely help you more with your E30 than a instructor could.

Besides it should be interesting to compare the handling of the two cars. I've read that it is very difficult to set up a coilover suspension to get the most out of it. Particularly critical are the diagonally opposed corner weights of the car which can be unequal even if ride height is equal on all four corners - has to be set up with the driver in the car. Many people actually "go backwards" when installing coilovers because they don't set up the corner weights of the car properly by using scales.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy your track day at MidOhio and post some vids. If possible leave your windows closed (or just slightly open) so that there is more engine sound and less wind noise.

[e9nine]

.... If possible leave your windows closed (or just slightly open) so that there is more engine sound and less wind noise.

We are required to have windows fully open over here by club rules. I speak for the events I have witnessed and participated in.

[Dave]

Thanks Andreas. I am not totally new to trakcing the car, but MidOhio will be a new track for me. I am confirmed to be at a BMW CCA school there next month - and they usually have good instructors - hopefully I will get an e30 guy as I did at my last CCA event. Typically, they will only allow you on track with your instructor.

Depending on the instructor, I dont doubt Charlie might be of more help -- though I dont have a special booster seat for him. ( :-) ) THough some of the CCA instructors are quite good.

I wont be pushing 10/10ths, or likely even 8/10ths the first day - it will be all about getting comfortable with the track, learning the line, etc.

As for windows, you are required to run the fronts open (no matter the weather). I may try to put a foam piece over the mic to cut down on the wind noise if possible.

BTW, what part of SA are you from? My uncle hails from there.

[Charlie]

Andreas, man, you're making me blush over here. I can be smooth, the car's setup really helps that, fast, I'm not so sure of.


As for the wind noise, NASA makes you keep both windows down, so no easy way to cut down on the noise. I might try and get some solo sessions with the BMWCCA in later august, they tend to let you run the passenger window up.

Dave, I'll talk to Dave (Royce) about sneaking out in Group 3 or something if you want a ride. Also try and find JD Ellis when you get out there, he is amazing at that track. He's owned some e30s, and was one of my first instructors.

-Charlie

[Dave]

Dave, I'll talk to Dave (Royce) about sneaking out in Group 3 or something if you want a ride. Also try and find JD Ellis when you get out there, he is amazing at that track. He's owned some e30s, and was one of my first instructors.

-Charlie

unfortunately, the NASA weekend is looking doubtful for me at this point. But if I make it, I'll take you up on that shotgun if Dave'll let us.

[Andreas]

Here is something you guys may want to investigate to improve your sound in your in-car videos.

It's an external mic with a cover made up of some type of animal fur which is very effective at 'killing' wind noise. An additional benefit is that you can mount the mic away from the camera and the open window.

[Andreas]

DaveCN,

I live in Johannesburg, about a 10min drive from the Kyalami race track.