Tooned 50: The Making of McLaren

This is good self-deprecating fun!

Ross Bentley's Instructor Series: #3 - Integrate Classroom With On-track Instruction

I am thrilled to share that world famous performance coach, race car driver, author, and speaker Ross Bentley has put together a series of instructor-focused articles exclusively for OneHotLap. Here is Part I - What It's All About and Part II - What Happens When You Ask Questions? in case you missed them. And here is today's eye-opening Part III in the series --

#3 - Integrate Classroom With On-track Instruction

This tip is primarily for Chief Instructors, or whomever is in charge of the overall curriculum for the HPDE programs for your car club or organization. 

First, a question: Why do DE programs have classroom sessions?

1. To give students something to do between on-track sessions.

2. To give classroom instructors a chance to show our students how much we know.

3. To do to students what was done to us when we first started.
4. Because it’s always been done that way.

Chasing a BMW 1M at Calabogie - July 20, 2013

Really fun session at Calabogie - ran neck and neck with a 1M for a few laps around the track.

Turn 5 (Mulligans) at Calabogie

MULLIGANS – As you are braking hard and downshifting from Sir John A., you’ll “hit” the apex of Mulligans in a straight line just as you get close to the curbing on your right. I actually like clipping the curbing slightly as I slowly ease off the brakes to loosen up the rear of the car and help it rotate for the turn. After the apex in Mulligans, you have to gently track out, unwinding the steering wheel ever so slightly. You may accelerate for a bit toward the next turn (Big Rock) and the most experienced drivers will treat the approach to Big Rock as an extension of the breaking zone for Mulligans and carry more entry speed into it.

How to drive Calabogie - OneHotLap's Guide to all turns 

complete with onboard video

This Joe Had a Lifestyle Change!

This E30 went up on jack stands. 

When it came down, it had turned into this: 

Spotted at Calabogie

Respect The Keg Helmet!

Spotted at Calabogie

This helmet's life expectancy is measured in minutes.

Bimmerfest East 2013 Presented by Turner Motorsport

What a big party! Don't miss it next year!

Calabogie Conehead

Watch the OneHotLap Evo clip a cone at speed and flip it into the car behind.

OneHotLap Quiz: What Are These Track Walkers Up To?

OneHotLap Asks: What are these track walkers up to?

1. Doing the mosquito shake dance
2. About to take a leak in the middle of the race line just to, you know, slow down the competition
3. About to flip this Passing Zone sign upside down and run away
4. Take multiple pictures of skidmarks left by a friend's car right before he went off track so they can pick on him
5. All of the above

OneHotLap Quiz: What Does This Sign Mean?

Guess what the sign stands for.

Instructor Meeting!!

BMW CCA Patroon has found a great way to save money on a PA!

Advantages:

1. Live PA is much louder than a traditional PA
2. Gets everyone's attention right away
3. Never fails to start
4. Brings its own beer!

Aerial Shot of Calabogie

What a great place to spend a special weekend!

Driving a 30-Million Dollar Car at the Nurburgring

Driving an F1 car this old is a challenge even for a modern day F1 Champion. This is a very entertaining video!

Ross Bentley's Instructor Series: #2 - What Happens When You Ask Questions?

I am thrilled to share that world famous performance coach, race car driver, author, and speaker Ross Bentley has put together a series of instructor-focused articles exclusively for OneHotLap. Here is the fantastic Part I - What’s It All About article in case you missed it. And here is today's eye-opening Part II in the series --

#2 - What Happens When You Ask Questions?
I have a pretty short, but powerful tip for you this time around.

What happens when you're asked a question? Makes you think, right? Makes you learn more, right? And what happens if you're told something you already know? You get frustrated that your "teacher" doesn't recognize that you already know what he/she is telling you. Think about that the next time you're instructing. What would happen if you asked more questions than you currently do?

Instead of "Look further ahead," you might ask, "How far ahead are you looking?"

Instead of "Squeeze the brakes hard," you might ask, "Are you squeezing the brakes hard, or stabbing the brakes?"

Instead of “Hit the apex,” use, “Are you hitting the apex?,” or “Where’s the apex?”

What do you think? Would this make you a better instructor? What other questions could you ask?

Ross Bentley

For more of Ross' writing, along with articles by other famous and not-so-famous contributors, go to www.speedsecretsweekly.com. He can be reached at ross@speedsecretsweekly.com.

Pictures from BMW CCA Boston Autocross Event 4, RG 2

Pictures by Maggie O'Brien

A Lotus Gone Wild - find out how

Can't get enough of this car but please keep your body parts 

inside the car even if it's a GT3 and it never rolls over.

This Is What Autocrossing in Your Living Room Sofa Looks Like

Watch this Jeep Cherokee passenger slide around like crazy at the autocross. See, the Jeep Cherokee guys are on a tight racing budget and had to cut corners and keep the stock passenger seat. Even riding on that cushy seat might have been OK... except they forgot to fully bolt it in. It doesn't help that this Jeep has a supercharger, weighs only 2,700 lbs and rides on fat, sticky Hoosiers:

This Is What a 47-Second Lap Around Lime Rock Looks Like

Guy Cosmo walks us through a 47-second lap aboard the No. 01 Tequila Patrón ALMS car driven by Scott Sharp. Incredible stuff! Do NOT try this at home or at Lime Rock, kids.

How Big Should a Lotus Exige Visor Be?

Question: How big should a Lotus Exige visor be?

Answer: The minimum size that fits the required warning label.

Ross Bentley's Instructor Series: #1 - What’s It All About?

I am thrilled to share that world famous performance coach, race car driver, author, and speaker Ross Bentley has put together a series of instructor-focused articles exclusively for OneHotLap. Here is Part I in the series.

#1 - What’s It All About?
I like to use the accompanying graph to illustrate a critical point about instructing.

Looking at your effectiveness as an instructor over time, you will remember when you were first asked to be an instructor. I’ll bet one of your initial thoughts was, “Me? But I don’t know much. I don’t know enough to be an instructor.” That’s a good thing, because with this attitude, you learn. Your mind is open and you’re learning to be a better instructor. Most importantly, with this attitude, your students learn.

After a little while you start to get the hang of instructing, you learn some specific instructing techniques that work (for most instructors, you learn this through trial and error, and perhaps by hearing some war stories from the old-timers), and you become even more effective at helping your students learn.

Then (and it’s true of every single instructor I’ve ever seen – and I’ve seen thousands of them), you’ll then go through a stage where you think, “I’ve got this nailed. I’m really good at this. I’m a great instructor. Just listen to me talk to my students – I sound like an expert, because I am one.” It’s this attitude that will make you  less effective at helping your students. At this point, your ego has become more important than your students.

F1: When All Else Fails, Cheat

When you can't buy your podiums, what is a team to do? You've got the best facilities you can afford or about anyone for that matter. You’ve signed the best drivers you could manage to lure away from other teams or who were dissatisfied with the rides they had. Your engineers and crew have tirelessly spent themselves. . . . .and yet the podiums and the championship points refuse to accumulate beneath your team's banner. There is one more thing to be exploited. That's right, you can cheat. 

Teams have long since tried to spend their way to podium finishes and subsequent championships in Formula 1 and other sports for that matter. But few sports have the actual operating budgets that F1 demands so when a team plays here, the budgets are behemoth to begin with. But the cohesiveness of a team's makeup and a sense of integrity and belonging can work to prevent some huge wallet from swallowing up ALL the significant talent in the pool. That has been shown again and again. Toyota's example is the easiest to see. But the idea of not having the winningest team can really affect the compensating egos of some. These are relentlessly compelled to bend all they can to prove they are the best. When their pusillanimous convictions and values fail them, they actually prove themselves to be the worst. Some recent examples made international headlines. Let's look at a few of these, shall we?

How Did God's Excellence End up at a Real Crappy Garage?!

These are the top Google search items that sent users to OneHotLap on July 12. How did God's excellence end up at a real crappy garage like that?!

M3 GTS Vs. Flying Rabbit

Hat Tip to Larry N.

We have seen baby squirrels flying around Watkins Glen, deer crashing into a fast car's windhield at Summit Point, and now a flying rabbit all the way from Poland. What a freak accident!

Fangio’s 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R Sells for Record $29.65 million

Mercedes-Benz W196R 00006/54. Photos courtesy Bonhams.

Juan Manuel Fangio is regarded by many as one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time. He is a 5-time F1 champion, a record that stood for nearly 50 years until it was surpassed by Michael Schumacher. Fangio still holds some incredible records, most of which are not likely to EVER be beaten:

1. Highest winning percentage in Formula One (46%), winning 24 of 52 Formula One races he entered
2. Highest percentage of pole positions (55.8%) with 29 pole positions out of 52 qualifying sessions
3. Highest percentage of front row starts (92.31%) with 48 front row starts out of 52 qualifying sessions
4. Oldest World Champion - 46 years, 41 days (1957)
5. World Champion with most teams (4): Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes and Maserati

And now Fangio holds the record for the driver of most expensive car ever sold at an auction: his 1954 Grand Prix-winning Mercedes-Benz W196R, which just sold for record $29.65 million. Not only was the car driven to two race wins during Fangio's second Formula One championship that year, it is the only W196 in private hands. This is a truly amazing race car and hopefully it went to an owner that will drive it every once in a while. If they are reading this, I'd like to remind them that we are always ready to help with that kind of work.

You Can Buy The Best Drift Car at... Toys R Us?!

Hat Tip to Kamal R.

A drift kart with an e-brake... for kids?!
I guess I'll have to say it's for my son when I'm buying one for myself...

Breaking Down the Tirerack's 2013 Performance Tire Test

The most important tire comparison of 2013 is out and the lap times are fascinating to look at:

Source: Tirerack.com

As the Tirerack admits after averaging nearly 100 opinions in their report, "what feels good isn't always fastest, and what's fast doesn't always feel good." Case in point: out of the top 2 performance tires (the g-Force Rival and the Direzza ZII), the Rival scored better in cornering stability, steering response, handling predictability, and even overall track rating, giving up only a statistically insignificant 1/100 of a point to the Direzza in braking modulation. The Direzza ZII still posed a lap time better by over 2/10s on a short 29-second course! The Direzza also had the best slalom time, tied with the Rival for first in average cornering, and came in second in stopping distance in the dry. It also beat the Rival in the wet.

This makes the Direzza ZII the best tire choice for performance driving. It is also available in a variety of sizes (unlike the Rival, which has limited size availability for now), costs a bit less on average, and it has proved its quality over the past 5 years with the first generation Z1. Its only drawback is that it has "... very responsive handling and excellent traction, but trades off a little civility out on the road to get it", as the Tirerack review points out. The Rival is close in terms of performance and since BFGoodrich is sponsoring this year's National Solo series, it would probably be the tire of choice for Solo competitors eyeing prize money.

Related 2013 Tire Posts:
Best 2013 Performance Tire Poll
Bridgestone RE11A: A New Suspect Has Entered the Crime Scene
Dunlop Direzza ZII - Onboard Video at the Autocross
Dunlop Direzza ZII - First Driving Impressions
Dunlop Direzza ZII: The Lap Time Comparison We've All Been Waiting for!
BFGoodrich g-Force Rival: The Plot Thickens!
First Dunlop Direzza ZIIs Shipped to Customers!!
Dunlop Star Spec Direzza ZII: A Tire as Exciting as a Date with Scarlet Johansson!

Road Signs Explained

Hat Tip to Hristo S.

So glad we clarified this!

Onboard Video from BMW CCA Boston's HPDE at Watkins Glen, May 6, 2013

One more fun session in mostly clean air.

Chicks Dig Mustangs!

Picture by Matthew Condon

Chicks really dig Mustangs. 

Drawn like a moth to a flame.

Even at BMW events. 

Here is the proof!

Pictures from BMW CCA Boston Autocross Event 4, RG 1

Pictures by Chang Ho Kim

The obligatory low-angle shot!

Best blood type there is!

What Causes Rotors to Glaze Partially Like This?

 Front driver side

Front passenger side

Does anyone know what causes rotors to glaze partially like this? These are BMW Z4 M Coupe factory rotors, floating design, running Hawk DTC 60 race pads, dual driver car at the autocross on a very hot (100 F) day. Pads had already been bedded to the rotors and both have a total of 4 track days.

How to Spot RHD Cars at McDonald's

Top 20 Times and Onboard Video from BMW CCA Boston Autocross Event 4

106 cars running and a great mix of makes in the Top 10! With temp hitting 100 F during the day, the top 3 spots went to cars on r-comp tires. The course was tight and technical - narrow win by the Porsche GT3 RS but it could've easily been won by a well set up Miata on r-comps. Here's how it looked from the BMW Z4 M Coupe on Direzza ZIIs:

They Come in All Shapes And Sizes at The Autocross

From BMW CCA Boston's July 7 autocross event

First Spy Shot of the Next Gen BMW M3

Here is the first spy shot of the next gen BMW M3. BMW M GmbH chief Kay Segler says the internal code name for the new M3 is Stroll and that the chassis is being developed jointly with performance tuner Schwinn. The M3 will feature a unique 3-wheel design that allows dramatic weight reduction. It features sticky rubber suitable for heavy track duty and it is also equipped with standard race seats and a 4-point harness. As usual, kids aged infant to pre-teen are drooling over the thought of getting their hands on one of these new toys!

OneHotLap Quiz: How Much Track Time Is Left on This Tire?

OneHotLap asks: How much track time is left on this Nitto NT01?
Bonus questions: Can the life of the tire be extended by driving offline to pick up more rubber at the track?

Just One More Mod and I'm Done!

... said no one ever!!

Why Can't I Ever Get Students Like This?!

Hat Tip To Eric K.

All I ever get is geeky guys with crappy project cars

that are all over the place in every turn. Totally not fair!

Some F1 Racing Rules Are Dumb

Based on F1 racing rules, you are allowed to change direction only once before a turn. This is how far Schumacher pushed his former Ferrari teammate Barrichello against the wall on a perfectly wide track when he was racing for the Mercedes team. How is this not a jailable offence even if you only change direction once?!

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July from OneHotLap!

Funniest Reaction to a R34 Skyline You Will Ever See!

Hat Tip to Kamal R.

Not much different from pre-teen girls seeing Justin Bieber...

One Very Cool Lancia Stratos Video!

Hat Tip to Kamal R.

It would be unreal to sit behind the wheel of one of these 

legendary cars and find out firsthand what driving them really feels like!

The Lotus Exige Doesn't Need Brakes!

Hat Tip to Chris C.

It handles so well, no brakes are needed!

Onboard a Stock Z4 M Coupe at NHMS, June 28, 2013

A nice long session in light traffic!

Onboard Sebastien Loeb's Car for Pikes Peak's New Record!

Hat Tip to Françoise T.

So this is what 9-time WRC champion Sebastien Loeb does for fun during his retirement: crash Pikes Peak's party and obliterate its record (9:46 min to 8:13 min!) in one big fell swoop. WOW! We believe Loeb is still the best driver anywhere today. How did he not win even our own best driver poll is still a bit of a mystery...

Bernd Rosemeyer - Full Flight

Source: Hulton Deutsch Collection

Germany's Bernd Rosemeyer takes the chequered flag at Donington Park in England, 1937, with an average speed of 82.86 mph. It was to be his last victory as he was killed the following year while attempting a world speed record. It's amazing to think how fast these drivers were going at the time with little or no safety equipment at all...