The last truly local race of my season and, with air temperatures well into the 90s and the largest grid of the season so far, it was going to be a scorcher any way you look at it.
Tag: BMW
Sprint race
After getting what turned out to be a leaking head gasket replaced (long story but, based on past experience with this head design on another BMW racecar, I was worried I’d warped the head) along with some missing internal bolts (!!), there was nothing stopping me from heading to Portland for the traditional Father’s Day … Read More “Chicane Challenge XXXII” »
Sprint race
With a dramatically different weather forecast for this race compared to the last, it represented my first chance to really push myself and the car, and generally to see “what’s what.” As well, Pacific is a more technical track than PIR and thus harder to get right, so this week-end was also going to highlight … Read More “Spring into Summer 2024” »
Sprint race
First race week-end with a new racecar means all kinds of things to figure out and/or get used to, from learning what driving style suits the car best, to getting to know your competitors in the class, and even simple things like the best way to load the trailer. Thinking caps on, kids!
Endurance race
If you’ve read my report for the previous running of this race, back in the fall of 2007, you’d know that I’d intended to run my car in an enduro for the first time, but the costs associated with giving it full-fledged enduro capability were looking to be a fair bit more than I’d expected. … Read More “Four Hours of Pacific Raceways” »
Sprint race
A trouble-free week-end in Seattle a couple weeks earlier had me confident of finally having a good outing at Portland with the M3… but I’d felt that way before. A strangely-rare opportunity to race against Lou Greenberg’s 1995 M3 (essentially the same engine/intake/exhaust modifications as me, but still with the original body panels) had me … Read More “Jim Swanson Memorial XI” »
Sprint race
Although the car’s issues were dealt with shortly after the May race in Portland, work obligations kept me from June’s race in Portland as well as the double week-end (plus special BMW-only race) in Spokane. Having decided that enough was enough, I quit my job to have more time for racing. (I’m kidding. Mostly.) My … Read More “Car Tender Challenge” »
Sprint race
After the teething problems (and other, uh, “episodes” ) that kept me from racing much last year, and especially after the enduro earlier this year, I was rarin’ to go racing with the M3. Unfortunately, and despite a decent end-of-year race in 2006 and an awesome day with the BMW Club in February, there was … Read More “Rose City Opener XVI” »
Sprint race
As was somewhat expected, the first race outing for the car resulted in several problems. What wasn’t expected was that the problems would be both numerous enough and severe enough for me to decide to pack it in and head home before the racing had even started. With those issues apparently resolved and the final … Read More “2006 Final Dash” »
Sprint race
Not counting three enduros in someone else’s car, I haven’t raced in two years. Obviously, this wouldn’t have done anything beneficial as far as my racing skills are concerned, but running a new car meant there was always going to be an element of “rebuilding” this season. Having said that, being forced to wait for … Read More “Jim Swanson Memorial X” »