Unofficialbmw.com

BCMike · Joined: 26 Jul 2002 Posts: 262 Location: Vancouver BC

Just got back from Mission Raceway after seeing Dale take the checkered in class and 7th overall in his race this weekend. The car ran strong. He made some passes, got it a little loose a couple times coming out of turn 5, and braked later diving into the first turn hairpin on every lap. It all worked to help him hold off a strong late charge from another E30 flying strictlybmw colors. It sounds like he had quite a time in qualifying and practice on Sat. but we'll let him tell that story.

jrez · Joined: 04 Jun 2001 Posts: 50 Location: Canada

Awesome! I wonder if he had in car video? be cool to watch.
Does Dale have previous seat time?, cause if not, that's an impressive debut. But regardless,that result with a fresh car is really a great result.

Congrats,

John

dale · Joined: 22 Aug 1999 Posts: 3087 Location: Seattle, WA USA

I'll cut straight to the exciting stuff. On Sat morning, I was out for a practice session, and the car felt absolutely awesome! I totally expected it to be funky in some aspect due to all the different issues I've worked through in the last year, but it was rock solid.
My best lap time of that session was a 1:23.9 for the Mission Raceway course.
To put this in perspective, the other drivers of E30s were in the 1.25, 1.26 and 1.28 range.

I had borrowed some rear shocks, so after this session I installed my freshly rebuilt Ground Control shocks, and went out for my first qualifying session.

I was on the first lap, the tires were cold, the new rear shocks made the rear suspension an unknown, and I decided to try and take a tricky corner(#4) on the track, faster then I ever had before. Expensive triple mistake.
When I turned in, the front tires didn't turn as I expected them to and I went for an off-track ride at a good clip.
I ended up on some tires and hit a small tree with the fender behind the front wheel when I had almost come to a stop.

Front left fender trashed, front spoiler trashed, grill broken, hood dented, drivers door banged up, tire marks all over the car.
The good news is the suspension and drivetrain were all perfectly fine. We pulled the fender off, pounded it more or less into shape, banged some of the dent out of the door so it would open and close.

We can probably save the door, fix the hood with bondo, get a new fender, a new spoiler, paint everything, and I'll be back in business. I hope to have all that done before the May Seattle race... we'll see.

Pics to come when I have time to upload some.

BCMike, it was great meeting you, I wish you could have hung around a little more after the race so we could have chatted.

Bobm, thanks a million for going to get an emercency mirror for the drivers door!

Dale

dale · Joined: 22 Aug 1999 Posts: 3087 Location: Seattle, WA USA

On the video request, some friends shot video, I'll have to see if I can get a copy of it. He was a ways back from me so I don't know if I'll be in it or not.

Seat time: yes, this is my 4th year of racing, and 7th year of driving BMWs at the track.

Dale

[ 04-19-2004: Message edited by: dale ]

bobm · Joined: 25 Mar 2004 Posts: 19 Location: Woodinville Wa

Glad to help with the mirror. I forgot to ask if the racing tape angle adjuster held beyond the first lap?

It's quite impressive how the community of racers helps each other out in big and small ways. 10 minutes before pre-grid as I was taping the mirror in place on Dale's car (a small contribution, for sure), Dale was helping to fix a fuel system problem on a competitor's car. Tools and supplies are loaned, advice is sought and given, snacks are brought and shared. But when the green flag comes out and the race is on, the competition is pretty intense.

dale · Joined: 22 Aug 1999 Posts: 3087 Location: Seattle, WA USA

The pic above that BCMike posted was Sunday afternoon, just before the main race.

The accident happened on Saturday afternoon, and I spent a good portion of the time between Sat afternoon and Sunday morning fixing the car as best we could to make it raceable on Sunday.

Here are some post-accident, pre-quick-fix pictures: http://www.unofficialbmw.com/racing/crunch/

Doesn't look bad from the rear, or passenger side, but the front and left side still look pretty rough. Oh well.

Dale

[ 04-19-2004: Message edited by: dale ]

[ 04-19-2004: Message edited by: dale ]

gmiller · Joined: 10 Jan 2004 Posts: 27 Location: Kirkland, WA

A real testiment to E30 design. Start with one Tiger Tank chassis, remove 20,000 lbs, add neutral handling and a decent motor, great brakes, and you get a car that can race and survive excursions in the forest and crush errant RX7s.
What Dale is not telling us is where he hides the nitros bottle.

4 seconds faster with 70lbs of ballast???!!!!

dale · Joined: 22 Aug 1999 Posts: 3087 Location: Seattle, WA USA

Hey Greg,
I've got 70 pounds of ballast, but that's just to get me up to legal weight!
I weighed in at the end of the race at 2661, started the race at about 2692.
Burned 31 pounds of fuel (and rubber and sweat) in that 25 minutes. I was calculating that I'd use up 35 pounds, so I came out well in that regard.

Dale

gmiller · Joined: 10 Jan 2004 Posts: 27 Location: Kirkland, WA

Wow, and they thought I was close at 2686. My question remains, is Nitros lighter or heavier than air?

RedBaron86325 · Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2004 12:42 pm Post subject: Dale was tree-mendous

Dale's Race Track Tree Trim Service

Fastest trimmers in the Pacific Northwest. Our trimmers are track tested for the quickest possible removal of old, low to the ground branches. We specialize in making that tough apex as WIDE as possible. When you need that increased visibility around your circuit, you can count on Dale's Race Track Tree Trim Service.

It appears you had a great time with a little misfortune. Bolt on another body panel and you should be good to go. Goes to show how a small suspension change can make a big handling change. The work on a real race car is NEVER done.

dale · Joined: 22 Aug 1999 Posts: 3087 Location: Seattle, WA USA

RedBaron: the major reason I went off was I tried a new move on cold tires.
The change in shocks didn't impact the handling all that much, but the cold tires and faster entry speed spelt disaster.

Lots of folks were teasing me about adding a forest scene to the side of the car.
It was pretty funny looking with twigs sticking out of the door jamb.

BCMike · Joined: 26 Jul 2002 Posts: 262 Location: Vancouver BC

More from Dale's Mission Adventure:
Since Dale has agreed to tell the tale, here's some pics of the 192 in action...

First in marshalling, nose and left front after repairs.

Taking to the grid.

Pushing the limit apexing the turn 2 horseshoe. Notice that left front tire leaving tera ferma!

and finally taking the checkered.

kyshadetreebmw · Joined: 16 Apr 2003 Posts: 849 Location: Berea, Kentucky

Hey, sorry about the bumps after all that work. But as the old man said in "The Godfather", "This is the business we have chosen" You are a good sport.

dale · Joined: 22 Aug 1999 Posts: 3087 Location: Seattle, WA USA

Quite a transformation for 3 or 4 hours of work:

From this:

To this:

SaturdayNightBimmer · Joined: 15 Feb 2004 Posts: 443

Ooooh NOOOOOO! Geez Dale, after following the progress on this 'lil beast, and then the new paint, she was a perdy thing. Can't believe you broke her in the hard way.

You have surprising patience. I'm sure I would've at least beaten up a garbage can, a stack of tires, something. The frustration level must've been huge. Good job on pounding it out. AH HA! Now I see where you released the anger! Good show mate!