bmwcar 0208.pdf

048-052 BMWCar 0208 4/1/08 10:32 Page 48

048-052 BMWCar 0208 4/1/08 10:32 Page 49

BMWCAR TRACKDAY

Brands Hatch played host to the inaugural BMW Car magazine track

day, which, despite the winter weather, proved to be a huge success

R ain, wind and cold are usually not the best combination of elements for the ideal track day. The corners

may be wider on a race track, and there’s less of a chance of anything coming the other way, but it

always takes a delicate touch to get the most out of powerful rear-wheel drive machinery in the wet,

even more so when the wipers are at full chat and the car in front has disappeared in a cloud of mist.

It wasn’t quite a full monsoon for BMW Car magazine’s inaugural outing at Kent’s famous Brands Hatch

circuit, but it was still damp enough to give us cause for concern on the day.

Happily, it seems that our readers are made of sterner stuff. The morning’s briefing session was filled to the

rafters with drivers and passengers who had taken the first Thursday in December off work to blast their

respective pride and joy around the twisty 1.2-mile Brands Indy, and we counted 60-plus cars lined up in the

paddock and pit garages.

The range of machinery was also highly impressive, with a particularly strong showing from local BMW track

and motorsport specialists Bexley Motor Works and ETA Motorsport, both sporting a selection of serious looking

track-prepared E36 and E30s, as well as Hartge specialist Birds.

The West London-based company had arrived en-masse with a number of customer cars, as well its new Six

Series demonstrator, which was on display in the pitlane. It was also great to see the Birds-tuned Z8 that graced

the cover of the recent December issue being put to good use around Brands. The retro Roadster is a rare

enough sight on the roads, let alone on a track day, so to watch it dicing with all the other traffic on the Brands

bends was a real treat.

With regards to former featured cars, we also spied the Evolve-fettled Z3 M Roadster that we test-drove in the

048-052 BMWCar 0208 4/1/08 10:37 Page 50

Above left: ‘BMW Butchers’ 3 Series track car was distinctive to say

the least. Above right: local track day and motorsport specialist ETA

Motorsport are no strangers to Brands, with Geoff’s venerable E12

taking up pride of place in the pitlane. Wintery conditions didn’t

spoil the fun, with over 60 cars enjoying the day

048-052 BMWCar 0208 4/1/08 10:39 Page 51

BMWCAR TRACKDAY

Hartge specialist Birds was out in force at Brands.

New 6 Series demonstrator featured Hartge front end and

alloys, while tuned Z8 impressed on the twisty Indy

Autumn of last year. It was owner Jason Harper’s first ever track day and, despite a minor excursion onto the grass

at Surtees in the morning session, it was encouraging to see him find some real pace in the afternoon, thanks to

some expert guidance from the Brands Hatch instructors.

Another car worthy of note for entirely different reasons was an old E30 that had been modified with some

rather unusual accessories. Looking more like something that would appear on Scrap Heap Challenge than on

the starting grid of a race circuit, the venerable Three Series had been chopped, hacked and butchered (well, the

owners did call themselves the ‘BMW Butchers’) to such an extent that we weren’t quite sure if it was even going

to make it to the end of the pitlane. It did, however, surprise us all by running faultlessly all day, not the fastest car

on track to be sure, but certainly one of the more eye-catching. It also goes to show just how much punishment

an E30 can take and still keep going. They don’t make ’em like they used to, you know…

On the opposite end of the scale was a pristine, white E92 M3 that was lapping at an incredible pace, proving

that the new M3, in the right hands, is truly a formidable piece of engineering, especially in a track environment.

What was equally as impressive was how well all those that ventured on to the track, coped with the slippery

surface. It’s very rare for a track day to finish without at least a couple of stoppages, because after all, it’s perhaps

the only opportunity all year that some owners really get to let rip in their cars without fear of having their collar

FEBRUARY 2008

048-052 BMWCar 0208 4/1/08 10:33 Page 52

Below: white is definitely the way forward

with the new M3, the E92 putting in some

seriously fast laps around Brands Hatch

felt by the Boys in Blue. With this in mind it was testament to everyone that took part on the day that the

red flag was waved on only a couple of occasions. This, combined with the open pitlane format, meant

that everyone was left to enjoy a maximum time on track, a real bonus considering the lack of daylight

in December.

As it was, end of play was called at just after 3.30pm, the setting sun finally calling a halt to the

proceedings. The rain had let up slightly in the afternoon, allowing a little more heat in the tyres, although

the general consensus seemed to be that the puddles made the day even more enjoyable.

A goodie bag and free CD of pics from the event were provided for all those who wished to take

home some memories of the day, with many already giving a thumbs up for a return visit to Brands

Hatch at some point in the spring or early summer.

With such a good response from our first track day, let’s just say that plans are definitely being made

for a second, although while it will no doubt be bigger and better, with a few more star attractions,

passenger rides and hopefully fine weather, we don’t have any firm dates to tempt you with just yet.

Don’t worry, we’ll give plenty of notice, although once we do, book early to avoid disappointment if

you’re hoping to beat the rush and bag a place

●

THANKS & CONTACT:

MotorSport Vision Tel: 01474 872331, Web: www.motorsportvision/trackdays

52 BMW car

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