In the last issue I wrote my inaugural piece entitled "The Decision" for this occasional series on BMW CCA Club Racing (CR). In this issue, I want to cover some of the basics associated with getting you and your car ready to go racing. In addition, another BMW CC club member and fellow racer, Frank Gray, offers his own tips and suggestions.

There are a few noteworthy announcements before I turn to the topic at hand. First, it is my pleasure to confirm that BMW CC has agreed to host two club races in 1999. We will once again co-sponsor, with the Boston Chapter of the BMW CCA, a club race and driving school weekend at LeCircuit, Mt. Trembant. And we will also hold a second club race and driving school weekend at Mosport; it will be the first club race we will organize completely on our own. The dates have been established with the respective track managers and approved by BMW CCA CR which has put them in their 1999 calendar of events. So please mark these weekends in your own agenda:

• Bimmers Across the Border III: Le Circuit, July 30-31 & August 1 (Fri-Sun)
• BMW CC Challenge: Mosport, September 10-12 (Fri-Sun)

As usual, Fridays will be a lapping days conducted under school rules for advanced students, instructors, and racers. School rules means, among other things, no passing unless signaled and no passing in the corners. Saturdays and Sundays will be traditional school days for which the BMW CC is widely known and justifiably proud. Amidst all of this, the club racers get their own segregated track time for practice, qualifying, and racing. (No, racers are never out on the track at the same time as students!)

This year, we are determined to improve even further on what many regard as the most exciting and enjoyable weekends of the year. These are truly great BMW CC driving festivals; fun for participants including spectators, students, instructors, racers, and even the organizers. Speaking for myself and the other Canadian club racers, we'd love to see even more of these driving festivals in the future. Come on Western and Eastern Canada. How about CR in your neck of the woods in 2000?

Once again this year, I will be serving as race co-chair for BAB3 along with Sue Rathbone from the Boston Chapter. I will also be race co-chair for the Mosport event along with Frank Gray. Your suggestions are welcome; we'd love to hear from you. For example, can you suggest a better name for the Mosport festival than "BMW CC Challenge"? Better yet, volunteer to help out. If you're interested please get in touch with me.

We are now tossing around a few new ideas for these driving festivals. We're toying with the notion of adding a concours and vendor display for the Mosport weekend. And we'd like to get more serious sponsorship too. But most of all, we'd like to see the largest fields of Canadian club racing entries as possible. We've brought this to your doorstep; its time to step in! Stayed tuned for further announcements.

Finally, based partly on BMW CC's success in holding BAB1&2, a seat on the BMW CCA CR Advisory Committee has been offered to us. I have been asked to take this position and have accepted it. My goals in doing so are: to encourage even better communication between BMW CC and CR; to maintain the original spirit of fun, safe, and "gentlemanly" vintage-style racing; and to insure that club racing and driving school participation are viewed as a "win-win" combination by everyone.

I will begin with the assumption that you have a BMW car which is already in shape to use at a driving school. You will, nevertheless, want to get a copy of the CR Rules and study them carefully to determine where your car is going to be classed and what modifications, if any, you might wish to perform to make it competitive in class. Modifications may consist of either adding performance pieces or taking them away to confirm to regulations in class. For example, you might want to add a performance chip or replace your oversize wheels and tires with stock sizes. Usually, of course, we think in terms of adding stuff but you may elect to do otherwise if you feel your car is better suited to a lower classification. Remember that you do not have to make ANY performance modifications if you do not wish to spend the time and expense but wish only to participate and not necessarily to compete in class. In other words, as long as you and your car meet safety standards, you can pretty well "run what you brung."

Since I'm not going to concentrate on performance modifications, this article is really about safety modifications and equipment that are required or recommended for you and your car. We'll take a quick look at what you'll need as a driver, what you'll need to properly outfit your car, and where and how you might go about looking after safety items.

An important caveat is in order. My summary and interpretation of the rules is not intended to replace the rules. Always consult the official regulations and, if you are unclear, the National Technical Steward. It is also the case that, as of this writing, the 1999 rules have not yet appeared and I can only offer my educated guess on rule changes.

You can request a copy of the CR rules and license application plus medical form by contacting Scott or Fran Hughes by phone, mail, or e-mail:

Scott G. Hughes
4726 Belfield Dr.
Dublin, OH 43017-2593
614-760-RACE (7223) home voice and fax
SHUGHESBMW@aol.com

Since Scott and Fran are pretty busy, I suggest you avoid phoning or keep the calls as brief as possible. You can also get a copy of the rules if you have access to the internet by downloading them from the BMW CCA CR web site:

http://www.bmwccaclubracing.com/

The CR web site is handy for numerous reasons. It lists the names and contact information for CR national and regional officers. It gives you an updated calendar of events and event results archived as far back as 1997. It has the latest application forms, rules, rule clarifications, and technical bulletins. If you don't have internet access at home or work find a friend and surf the net together. This site is worth checking out.

Another useful internet site for announcements and information is run by a group of club racers:

http://www.bimmers.com/clubracing/

This is also the site where you can get information about the CR e-mail listserv. At present there are well over one hundred club racers who are registered and there are lively discussions about rules, upcoming events, and great post-race commentary.

To join the BMW CR list there is a $10 US membership fee. You must send a check and a photocopy of your CR racing license (or license from another sanctioning body) to:

Gary Bossert
Club Racing List
11 Stillery Rd.
Lebanon, NJ 08833
mpower@ptd.net

The CR list is a great place to ask questions about car preparation, rules clarification, and safety issues. There are quite a number of list members with lots of racing experience both in CR and otherwise and you can often get your questions answered quickly by posting them here.

Sometimes its necessary to get issues of technical specifications clarified by going directly to the expert. Especially when you are setting up your car for the first time, it is important that you understand the rules and have interpreted them correctly. Fortunately, CR rules are rather brief and uncomplicated. Nevertheless, there are times when you may be uncertain For the final word on CR technical standards contact the National Technical Steward, Mike Yaskin. Mike's a great guy and eager to help.

Mike Yaskin
Bavarian Specialties
340 East Church Rd
King of Prussia, PA 19406
610-783-5690 home
610-277-6037 work
610-277-6039 work fax
BavSpec@aol.com

Since you are already an experienced driving school participant, you will already have a helmet. But you'll need to insure that it meets CR safety standards. It must be at least a Snell SA-90; Snell M rated helmets are not acceptable since the liner is not fire retardant.

If you need to buy a new helmet, I recommend you look for a full face model and not an open face model. Go for the latest specifications too. That means Snell SA-95.

A racing suit is another necessity. The minimum requirement is a one-piece, one layer suit plus fire retardant underwear. Military flight suits and go-kart suits are not acceptable substitutes for fire retardant suits. Two or three layer suits are better than the minimum standard and do not require the use of fire retardant underwear. Go for an SFI rated suit with at least a rating of 3.2A/5.

Don't try to make a fashion statement with your driving suit. It is a safety device and should fit well and be comfortable when you are seated in your car and strapped in. It should NEVER impede your movements.

You will also need fire retardant socks and gloves. Driving shoes of fire retardant material are recommended but tennis shoes with leather uppers are acceptable. Drivers with beards and/or mustaches must wear a fire retardant balaclava.

Finally, you may want to consider getting a fire retardant neck collar. The weight of your helmet contributes to fatigue in your neck muscles as you maneuver your car around the corners and a collar provides additional support. More importantly, a neck collar helps hold your head erect in the event of a crash reducing the risk of injury. On the downside, racers do report feeling confined wearing them. As of this writing, no announcement has been made as to whether neck collars will be required in 1999.

In selecting your gear, remember that racing is a warm weather sport. It gets hot, especially when you remember that you will be dressed like a snowmobile in the middle of July while spectators are in tees and shorts. You will also be working hard while you're racing and your heart will be pumping. There is no air conditioning when you race. If anything, if it is hot enough you'll be running the heater full blast to keep the engine temperatures down. (Ask me how I know!) You'll come out of your car soaking wet. Remember that when you order your driving suit.

Next up is the safety gear you need or want to have in your car. These include roll bar/cage, racing harness, window net, fire extinguisher, catch tank, and possibly a cutoff switch and racing seat.

The minimum requirement in the lower or stock classes is currently the installation of a racing roll bar. However, roll cages are strongly recommended and may eventually be required, perhaps as early as 2000, allowing removable door bars. Prefabricated roll bars are available which may also be retrofitted as full cages by subsequently purchasing and installing the front section.

Roll bar/cage tubing may be made of mild steel or alloy steel. The former is softer and easier to bend and weld. The latter is lighter but more brittle and requires special welding equipment.

All roll bars are not created equal. A racing roll bar is usually stronger than a "performance" roll bar because it is made of heavier steel and has fore/aft braces plus a transverse brace. If you purchase a prefabricated roll bar make sure it meets or exceeds the CR specifications. Remember too that prefabricated roll bars or cages are built in limited quantities and are heavy and bulky. Allow as much as two months for one to be made to your specifications and consider the costs of shipping by freight.

A well designed racing roll bar should fit without disturbing any of the interior appointments of your car, an important consideration when you also use the car for purposes other than racing. In particular, stock class regulations stipulate that the rear seat back and cushion should be replaceable after the main hoop and braces are installed.

The worst you can expect is to have to cut a small piece of carpet in order to insure metal-to-metal contact of the main hoop and body of the car. Save these carpet sections in case you want to remove the bar and return your car to "civilian" duty. (Hint: a little white glue and some carpet shavings help make the patch less detectable.)

A good prefabricated bar is easy to install when you are doing it for the second time. First timers will definitely want to take their time and proceed slowly. Remove the front and rear seats and make sure the car is on a level surface. You may need to move a fuel or brake line on the undercarriage. And you'll probably want to undercoat any area where you've drilled holes. The installation is complete by covering the bar with foam padding anywhere it might come in contact with the driver's helmet.

You may also want to consider buying or fabricating an optional harness bar, camera mount, and seat back brace for your racing roll bar. These options can be made to be completely removable affording unrestricted access to the rear seat area.

A racing roll cage extends the protection in front of the driver and beside him/her and adds significantly to chassis stiffness. Currently, CR rules allow only eight attachment points within the pasesenger compartment for stock and prepared classes (two for the main hoop, tow for the four/aft braces, two for the front hoop, and two for feet protection). Side impact door bars may also be added. Modified classes allow roll bars to extend beyond the passenger compartment which can tie directly into front and rear shock towers.

Roll bars and cages can be bolted in or welded in. The advantage of a bolt-in cage is that it can be more easily installed and removed. The advantage of a weld-in cage is strength and structural rigidity. This can be further augmented by proper triangulation of cage material albeit at the expense of ingress and egress of the passenger compartment.

Custom built roll cages can be less expensive and more convenient than prefabricated cages or they can be more expensive if design is paramount. Check the reputation of any fabricator you are considering. Talk to other racers, especially those who race the model you will, and get opinions and photographs. Plan the cage carefully with the fabricator: will the side beams allow the door to close properly and will seating be comfortable; will the front hoop interfere with any instruments or switches; will the foot protection allow use of the dead pedal; and so on. Finally, ask the fabricator to tack the bars in place before welding. Then take your helmet and sit in the car to be sure everything is to your liking. This is exactly what I did with a local fabricator here in Montreal. He did a beautiful job at about half the cost of having a prefabricated cage shipped to me and installed.

While you've got the seats out to do the roll bar or cage, you will want to insure that you are able to install a proper competition lap belt mounted to the chassis and not to the seat or seat rail. The complete 3" competition harness should be five or six point (with a 2" anti-submarine belt), no more than five years old, and meet SFI-16.1 standards. Importantly, no two harness straps can be attached to a single mounting bolt, so Y-type harnesses are not allowed.

You can go with the no-frills latch link system or go all out and buy the cam lock type. The cam lock types make the harness a bit easier to use and they sure look great. Since the harnesses need to be tight for racing also consider the minor purchase of shoulder strap pads.

Window nets are usually purchased as kits with mounting hardware. They are designed to keep debris out of the car and you in it while allowing quick and easy access by corner workers. Cars with roll cages and side beams allow the window net hardware to be easily attached.

Cars with roll bars only are more problematic especially if stock appearance is to be maintained (e.g., you don't want to drill into the door panels). Removing the door panels and fastening tabs directly onto the door frame and then replacing the panels will help hide the removable mounting hardware. Any shoemaker can re-stitch the net to make it fit exactly.

Fire extinguishers are required in stock and prepared classes; on-board fire systems are required in modified and super-modified classes if you are running on slicks. Fire extinguishers must be at least two pounds with a 10 B/C rating. Extinguishers must be securely mounted and easily reachable by the driver in case of emergency.

"Wet" type fire extinguishers are available at many hardware and automotive supply houses. Mine used to see duty under our kitchen sink. Ready to use metal-to-metal mounting brackets are harder to find without going to a racing parts supplier.

"Dry" type fire extinguishers (e.g., halon) are far more expensive. I understand that one of their advantages is that they do not leave a messy residue when the canister is discharged.

You'll also need to route the coolant overflow tube into a closed container. Just about any sturdy plastic bottle with cap will serve this purpose. Tie wraps fasten the container inside the engine compartment. By the way, this job is so easy I did it entirely myself.

Antifreeze spilled onto the track surface is as slick as black ice. The container is designed to minimize the possibility of this happening. In southern climates, the use of Redline Water Wetter is recommended in lieu of antifreeze since it is not slick. However, Water Wetter can also be added to your coolant as one way to help reduce engine operating temperatures.

An electrical cut-off switch is optional in stock and prepared classes but required in modified classes. Racers have reported problems with some of these switches, especially the single pole designs. Three pole switches may be the answer.

Racing seats are optional in all classes but many racers use them primarily for the added support they provide and also for safety reasons. If you are considering the purchase of a racing bucket be mindful that CR may mandate technical standards for replacement seats and require that they be used in combination with a seat back brace.

Before I answer the question about where to get your and the car's safety gear, I'll to give you an estimate of the minimum cost of the required gear excluding the helmet which I've assumed you already have. You'll see that it is possible to prepare a car for racing on a fairly modest budget.

The price estimates below come primarily from the 1998 Racer Wholesale catalog, a US mail order company. The prices are in US funds and do not include rate of exchange, shipping and handling, and duties and taxes. Furthermore, this list does not imply an endorsement of Racer Wholesale.

My list of places to purchase safety gear is necessarily brief and selective. I have not identified local vendors but concentrated on companies which do mail order business. I've organized the companies into three categories: Canadian, US mail order, and sponsors of BMW CCA CR.

There are two other items you'll need to have before your car is ready for CR: a timing device and car numbers. After a trial period, the chief of timing and scoring, Arlan Poole, recommended the use of the AMB TranX 260 transmitter system for installation in all CR racecars. The small transmitter is easy to install and can be unclipped between events. Several purchase options are available including: outright purchase ($220.00 US), rent to purchase ($80.00 US X 3); and event only rental ($40.00 US).

Car numbers, assigned by CR National, and classification decals are required. They must be properly sized and placed. They may not be made of magnetized rubber which tends to fly off at speed. Vinyl decals are by far the most popular choice. You may purchase these from several racer supply companies or from companies which specialize in signs and lettering (e.g., Decalcomania in Montreal). Do-it-yourselfers might try their hand at self-adhesive shelf paper.

Other goodies you might consider purchasing include a tire pyrometer and an approved camera mount. Pyrometers are important for reading tire temperatures so that you can fine tune the suspension and adjust tire pressures. Probe-type units are the cheapest and most popular but infrared units, which are more expensive, are being seen more often.

If you've got a video camera, why not put it into your racer and record all your glorious feats for posterity? You can, so long as the camera is installed on a proper racing mount with a double security system like the mounts sold by I/O Port Racing Supplies. Trust me, you'll want to do this.

There is also a serious side to using an in-car camera. First, you have a record of your race. You can use it to study your line, passes, start strategy, and so on. Second, the record might just come in handy if the unthinkable happens involving you or someone directly in front of you.

A final word on safety I would be remiss if I did not conclude this section with a plea that you consider safety first in getting ready for racing. Make sure that you have the budget to buy and install all the equipment you need. Do not feel like you should stop at only the minimum requirements either.

CR is dedicated to the preservation of the equipment and the health of all participants. It is intended to be the safest form of wheel-to-wheel motor racing it can be. Nevertheless, it is racing and incidents do happen. And they happen quickly and, on occasion, uncontrollably. When and if they do, you will be thankful that you did not scrimp on safety.

My name is Frank Gray. I have been a member of the BMW Club of Canada for five years. I attended my first Driver's School at Mosport in May 1995. Having gotten bitten by the track bug big time, I had completed over one hundred days of other schools and lapping days at six different tracks in Canada and the US over three seasons. Club racing was the next logical step.

My 1988 E30 M3 runs in the A Modified class. I have replaced the original four cylinder engine with a six cylinder E36 M3 unit, and have added a Dinan supercharger. With a host of other changes, the car puts out about 380 hp. The suspension is a fully adjustable Koni coil-over system, and the car has the full range of safety equipment as required by BMW CCA CR regulations.

CCA CR may be the next logical step for you as well. Here are, in no particular order, some important things anyone considering getting into CR needs to be doing:

• Familiarize yourself with CR requirements. You are going to have to get a CR Racer License. Doing so means being able to document a sufficient amount of driving school experience over the past two years. If you do not have enough experience, get it as soon as possible, preferably not at the same one or two tracks you already know.
• Go to schools that also have CR that same weekend. It is an excellent opportunity to get to see some of the BMW racecars, and to speak to the Club Racers there who have lots of experience to share with you.
• Develop your budget for CR. Take the time to thoroughly examine and crystallize the amount of money you have available for CR. Then talk to current Club Racers to get a proper feel for just how much you need for the car, as well as the various costs associated with each race.
• Improve your track driving skills. CR demands a much higher level of skill and familiarity with performance driving techniques than does a driving school. Attend some schools at other tracks. In addition to the BMW Club of Canada, BMW CCA chapters routinely run excellent schools at Lime Rock, Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio, etc. You should also look at attending lapping day events at these same tracks. Lapping days are designed for the more advanced driver, and give you more track time than you get at a BMW drivers school.
• Prepare your car properly. This is the tough part. You have to sit down and make some serious decisions about just what you are prepared to do to the car, and how much you are going to spend. Chances are that the car will no longer be a daily driver. There is a possibility that towing the car to events will be necessary if you get into more serious modifications.
• Do your homework with respect to who does the work on your car. Make absolutely certain that you find a reputable mechanic with proven experience in preparing a car for this kind of CR. Do not go to someone who has merely slapped performance parts on a street car. Your car will experience more wear and stress on a race weekend than a school, and only someone with experience with this type of racing will be in a position to set up the car right. The ideal shop will have strong contacts with the more respected tuners in the US, and can get access to the kind of equipment, parts and technical advice you will need to prepare a safe and competitive car.

Once you have satisfied the appropriate requirements, you will be issued a Rookie status racing license. You are considered to be a rookie, and a temporary decal on your car will identify you as such to the other racers until you have participated in two or three races. You will receive a package from BMW CCA CR which contains your license, a set of mandatory decals that must be placed on your car, and a copy of the CR rules and regulations. READ THE RULES CAREFULLY! Read them two or three times, and make sure you understand them.

You will also want to recruit two or three people to act as your pit crew. Don't worry, there are plenty of race enthusiasts at each event who will welcome the chance to help out.

It is a good idea to attend your first race at a track where you have had as much prior experience as possible. You will attend a racers' meeting the night before the race, where the Chief Steward and Chief of Tech will give you an in-depth overview of just about everything than can and will occur during a Club Race. This is your opportunity to get all the information you need to race safely the next day. There are no "dumb" questions at the racers' meeting.

This meeting is also an excellent time to "buddy up" with one of the more experienced racers. Introduce yourself to one of them, and ask them if you can spend some time talking to them over the race weekend. I have found BMW Club Racers to be the friendliest and most helpful people I have ever found at the track. Their advice will be of great benefit to you.

As should be your usual routine for a driver's school, limit the amount of alcohol you drink the night before, and get plenty of sleep. Avoid drinking too much coffee the next morning. You're going to be nervous and excited enough as it is.

Your car will be given a thorough pre race technical inspection by a very knowledgeable Chief of Tech. These guys are often volunteers who have had significant experience in active racing organizations such as NASCAR and SCCA, so make sure everything is right. They will even have a look at your helmet, driver's suit, gloves and shoes. They take all aspects of safety for real in CR.

Each CR event has separately scheduled track time dedicated to the racers for practice and qualifying, so you will have a sufficient amount of opportunity to get used to race conditions, i.e., being passed by a race car on either side of you through a fourth gear turn (trust me, it happens!).

You will also get to practice what is surely the most exiting thing you have done in a car; the rolling start. You will line up behind a pace car, wait for the green, and go for it! You'll have to really concentrate at this point; cars are literally all around you, and there is so much noise that you may not hear your own engine. That means remembering to shift into the next gear! It is also a good idea to follow some of the more experienced racers around the track, just to get a feel for the kind of line they are running in actual traffic.

When qualifying for your race, it may be a good idea to go somewhat less than ten tenths when your best lap time is being recorded. This is because it may be advisable to have more experienced racers as fast as you in front of you as opposed to behind for the actual start.

The three main objectives for your first race are as follows; be safe, finish, and learn. Don't even think about winning at this point. As mentioned earlier, CR is far more challenging than anything you've done in a school. Participate, but do more observing than actual racing.

Oh, and by the way. You'll have more fun and excitement than you can possibly imagine.