Hi friends,
As promised, am reporting back on what was an absolutely fantastic weekend at Road Atlanta. Thanks to all for the tips - which definitely came in handy (also got the track insurance!).
To begin with, the drive from DC to RA. One word: hairy. We got approx. 5 inches of snow the night before, and when I set off very early the next morning there was a nice layer of ice on the roads, including sections of I-95. I took it REAL slow and was impressed by the car's traction and handling. Didn't slip or slide once.
RA was a blast. I was running in C group, and was extremely nervous the first session. My shifting was all over the place as I learned the line, but luckily I had an awesome instructor who gave perfect advice and helped me gain confidence. By the third session, I was doing much, much better. I basically kept it in 3rd most of the time, up-shifting to 4 between T5 - T6, after T7 (to 5), and between T12 and T1.
The M4 is an absolute beast and could clearly handle much more than I was capable of pushing it. This being my second time tracking the car, I kept within my comfort zone and did not try pushing my luck. I ran on MDM the entire time, and by my final sessions it was not kicking in as aggressively, which means hopefully that I was learning something. What was weird is that the DSC light would flash on WOT after T7 and at several points along the back-straight. Does this mean I would have spun the wheels with all the nannies off at those points?
T12 is awesome. First couple of times my heart was definitely in my throat, but once I got the line down fairly well, it became exciting--as opposed to terrifying. I felt at ease with T3 and T5 at slower speeds, but once I picked up the pace, I found myself stumbling. Ditto for T7. One more track day and I think I could have gotten fully comfortable with those.
T1 and T6 - wow - you can really carry some speed through those corners. My instructor kept pushing me to ramp it up a bit, but fear got in the way. Again, one more day...
Tires and brakes were perfectly fine, and held up well. No issues there, but again, I was not pushing it.
My instructor, Dwight, was wonderful. He's a professional racer and took me out in his new GT3 Cup. Having never ridden in a proper racing car, I was completely gob-smacked.
Still haven't wiped the grin off my face. That car is so visceral and raw at speed - completely different universe from the M4. My addiction has deepened.
I also want to give a shout-out to SherM4n who I met at the track - thanks for your advice, and it's always great to meet a fellow bimmerpost addict out on track !
There were 2 other M4s out on track, as well as Mike Renner with an M3 from the performance center, who was taking people out on laps. I wanted to ride with him to see how these Ms are supposed to be driven, but he always had a 10-person line waiting for the same thing.
I came out of RA with deepened appreciation for what this generation M can do. What an amazing car. Photos and a video of one of my better laps below.
Cheers all!
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