#Poopxit: How scary was the Nurburgring last week end?

The BMW 235i Racing  is a fairly benign race car, designed for durability and ease of use.

The Nurburgring however is anything but.

On our first trip there, many years ago, CG and I were stunned at the complete lack of grip in the moderate rain falling on that day.    Sure, we probably had old tires on a somewhat unfriendly car (a 360 Modena)  but,  even at first timer's cautious speeds,  the 'Ring made Connecticut's notoriously slippery "Slime Rock"  seem sticky.

Imagine then a complete deluge for a full VLN race.   Imagine that when spray is not making obscuring every detail, your windshield will randomly fog up.... or a combination of the two.... plus violent aquaplaning....and random slow cars appearing in front of you.

Yeah  #Poopxit.

CG completed VLN4, I'm still waiting for his videos but here's one from our friend Gabriele Piana, also a competitor that day,  which will give you the idea of what "just another summer day in the Eiffel" can look like.

NASA Spec E30 racing still rocks.

Don't believe it?  Check out this video from the NASA North East debut race at New Jersey Motorsport Park this past week end.

You ride with our friend (and Merritt BMX boss) Sean Curran,   the gray 477 car is driven by Chris Allen.   Curran finally got the best of it when Allen went "agricultural" on Lightning's turn 7.

Close, fair,  grassroots racing at it's finest.  These  boxy BMWs  from the 80s make for great race cars: relatively inexpensive they are easy to drive yet challenging to drive fast.  They make for an ideal entry level racer.

Unfortunately, despite a worldwide production of over 2 million chassis, E30's are starting to get more difficult to find  so please,  don't crash any more of them!

Axis of VLN: Road to the Nürburgring 24.

CG was in Germany last week, popping his VLN cherry! 
Here's the scoop. Enjoy, dream....

I have been visiting the Nürburgring for almost 10 years,  ever since AC and I took a break from a Monaco Grand Prix week for a "quick" drive up from the Riviera in his Ferrari 360... back when speed limits were not as strictly enforced in France.  

That was a great wake up call to the awesomeness and intimidation the 'Ring is.  We survived a few Touristenfahrten laps in the wet with the car in one piece but, it was so slippery we both thought there was something wrong with the car’s tires, but we got good marks from the locals for actually taking a Ferrari out on track rather than just the parking lot.

I have done many pilgrimages to the Nürburgring since,  almost on a yearly basis skipping just a few while focused on racing in the US.   In the past decade,  in part because of Jeremy Clarkson’s 10 minute challenges and the emergence of "Sabine, Queen of The Ring",  Touristenfahrten has become too popular to safely lap at decent speed in a fast car.   Private track days, like those organized by RSR or Destination Nürburgring,  are now the hot ticket,  especially when complemented by renting one of RSR Nurburg’s track weapons, preferably one of Stuttgart finest GT3 du jour. 

Oh! how times have changed from the Alfa 75’s days!

200 MPH, dodging trees and stone walls.

Photo: Tony Goldsmith

Isle of Man TT defies comprehension, explanation and physics.   Every year we are left speechless at how riders are willing to hurl themselves between trees, stone walls and houses at speeds which your mind tells you are impossible with little apparent regard for their own mortality.

It's terrifyingly awesome.

We ride on a BMW S1000 RR during practice with possible Top Gear replacement host/Wolverine stand in, Guy Martin.  Duke Video's description claims 200 mph.

No further comments needed.

I want some of what they are smoking at BMW

...because it must be incredible.

Hero: Alex Zanardi to race the 24 Hours of Spa with BMW

Not sure there are any superlatives left to describe what Alessandro Zanardi has accomplished in his "second" life, without a doubt he is one of the world's most inspiring sportsmen.

Adding to his list of accomplishments Zanardi, a BMW Brand ambassador, will race in the 2015 Total 24 Hours of Spa later this year.
Zanardi, 48,  will be the only disabled driver in the works Z4 GT3  and BMW Motorsport  has the challenge to adapt the car's controls while, at the same time,  allow for driver changes to be possible in a competitive amount of time.

"If you first look at it, it seems impossible that a guy with no legs like me lines up together with ‘normal’ drivers in such a highly competitive, tough and prestigious event."  Said Zanardi  "But I know that my friends at BMW Motorsport have all the technical expertise and innovative ideas to master this challenge."

BMW Motorsport boss Jens Marquardt added: "For sure, it is not an easy task to develop the modifications which are required when Alex shares the cockpit with other drivers. But is a great challenge for our engineers at BMW Motorsport which we face with a lot of enthusiasm. We can’t wait to see Alex lining up on the grid of this prestigious race in our BMW Z4 GT3."

The 24 Hours of Spa takes place the 25-26 of July and, just in case you think you have a busy sporting schedule consider that, after the Belgian classic, Zanardi will compete in the Para Cycling World Championship in August before heading to Hawaii in October for his second Ironman World Championship triathlon.

Legend.

Adrenalin!

".. the best thing about driving a touring car verses a single seater.. is that you can rub"
Joey Hand

And that right there is the essence of tin top racing, it's a contact sport.

Tim and Nick Hahne of StereoScreen are super talented filmmakers, we've been fans for years    Their latest film for BMW looks to be the juiciest yet,  the history of BMW Touring cars.

Unfortunately Touring cars, especially in DTM,  are now almost as complicated as F1 cars and most touring car series racers  have little in common with their street going namesakes. Aero and great tires have largely eliminated the early turn in, curb smashing heroics of 20 years ago  celebrated in this film.

Still, tin tops offer great action because, well...because fenders!

"you could smell the rubber, that was real racing"
Hans Stuck

Coming in November 2014.

( tx Stig! )

Motorsport, she's a cruel mistress.

It was the culmination of a year of planning.  A new motor was built,   140 gallons of diesel burned for the 15 hour tow from New Jersey to compete for the NASA Eastern National championship at Road Atlanta and things were looking good.

It would be fair to say Peter Thibault is the most naturally talented racer among our Team Axis group, speed comes easy to him.   An amazing mechanic with seemingly endless knowledge of how to get things fixed, one way or another, Pete spent countless hours making sure the Axis of

Oversteer Spec E30 was,  if not exactly pretty, as quick and reliable as possible while staying within the rules.

The NASA Championship consists  of a qualifying session and two qualifying races leading up to the big final on the Sunday.   Positions on the  earlier races determine the grid for the final.

Pete qualified 10th for the first race out of almost 40 cars, he finished the race in fourth.  Race two he started fourth and finished third insuring a row two starting spot for the final.

If front, top dogs in SpecE30,  Robert Grace and Eric Palacio, winners of the qualifying races respectively.  Sharing row two, Steven Lako.

Unlike most other classes, Spec E30 feature a standing start.    The cars are off climbing though Turn One,  up and over the roller coaster of  the Road Atlanta "esses"  and on to the the back side of the track.

Thibault holds his third place position behind Grace and Palacio as the cars start down the long back straight.

In racing,  especially in spec racing,  so much is about that opening lap.   You need to get it done and set the tone for the rest of the race, after that it becomes about managing the car.    Pete got it done.

It was a brilliant move:  as Grace and Palacio were fighting it out for first into the T10a and 10b chicane, Thibault laid back a little thinking

Photos Matt Russell/Axis of Overster

the two  would end up compromising their exit speed on the climb towards the bridge.

I worked perfectly, Pete took the inside line and swooped past on the plunge towards the start finish line, he was first at the end of lap one.

Lap two saw Thibault stretch out his lead while others fought for position.   It would be a long race but the hard work was done, from there it would be a matter of managing the tires and not making any mistakes...

but it was not to be...

At some point in lap three, the shifter starts feeling stiff and then, approaching turn 10 the transmission just fails, Pete left with a box of neutrals and understandably upset...

A small part inside the transmission, a piece that had never failed before decided to pick that very moment to do so.

And that's motorsport in a nutshell for you, a cruel mistress to be sure but one hard to resist.

Congratulations to all of this year's National Champions, see you next year!

BMW i8: a quick glimpse into the future

I was fortunate enough to get a test drive of the BMW i8 but I'll say right off the bat it was not anywhere near long or in conditions varied enough for me  to offer a complete opinion so I won't pretend to offer a review.   But I did get enough seat time for some initial impressions.

Earlier in the week, on the Axis Facebook page,  I had asked what readers were most interested in knowing about the new hybrid  BMW.   Most replied they were curious about sound and brake pedal feel.  Clearly our readers are as mental as we are but I can reassure them, the i8 brakes and makes noises!

But more on that later.

The first impression of the car is that it manages to be look concept car futuristic yet, somehow, perfectly plausible on the road.  Not Lambo crazy but people did stop and snap pictures.
Naturally, dropping  through the exposed carbon fiber that frames the gull wing doors gives a sense of occasion but once inside, you find the familiar layout of a BMW and are immediately at ease.

Driving position is very good, the interior wraps around you but you don't get a feeling of a small tight car.  Visibility is very good, controls where you expect them to be.

Press the start-stop button and  all you hear are some sci-fi electronic sounds.  Slip it into drive with the familiar BMW shifter and off you go in almost total silence.

Now, that may or may not appeal to you but there is no denying it's a pretty cool experience.

When you set off, the i8 behaves exactly like any auto transmission car:  ease off the brake and it starts rolling,  it's no golf cart.   When you're done being green, a push of the gear lever to the left into sport mode changes the dash from blue to red and snaps the little turbo 3 pot to life.

So,  how does it sound?   It sounds pretty cool.  There is a lot of spitting and popping and turbo snap on the off throttle and on shifts,  Sounds something like a slightly more polite Alfa Romeo 4c engine.

It's augmented you say?  OK,  so what,  you probably changed the exhaust to augment the sound of your car, I know I did.   It is just not an issue in real life.  It's not like you feel the sound is coming from the speakers, the source is from behind of your head, pretty much where you would expect it to be.

Does it go?  yeah, this is not a Prius,  it feels about like an M3 in pick up.   Dynamically I can't say much because of the nature of the test I got but in a straight line? Oh yeah, it's got a very satisfying push.    Geashifts are very quick both up and down.
You CAN disable DSC fully but I had no possibility to try any hooligan moves and can't confirm or deny the i8's  power slide credentials.

Steering is light but not as light as in the latest 3 series sedans.

No, in real life it doesn'tt really look like it ate a 911

The ride is calm in regular mode but stiffer than I imagined it would be in sport mode.   I was surprised you cannot choose, say, sport mode with a soft suspension setting but I may have lost that in translation with my BMW France hosts.

Brakes feel 95% like normal BMW brakes, they are a little more grabby than you might expect in the very first part of the travel but then felt just like on an M car.  An odd little wobble after initial application is the only clue something different is happening underfoot, with regeneration and all but I assure you, it's very subtle.

The best party trick the i8 pulls off is in how perfectly seamless the drivetrain is,  There are no jumps, no shudders when the car changes from one mode to the next, even between full electric to full IC.  The brakes and the throttle feel the same in full electric more as they do in all out sports mode.   That must have been incredibly difficult to achieve.

On a practical note, it has a trunk somewhere between a 911 and an Exige, but BMW teamed up with Louis Vuitton for a custom fitted set of luggage to fit in the rear "monkey seats".

So who would want this car?  That's a very interesting question.  For about the same price you could order a Carrera S with all the available performance options, including the $17k power kit.  Or a no option GT3.  Or a Vantage S. Or a Maserati Gran Turismo.
The i8 might be a better GT car than any of those, I'd love to try it on a long trip one day.  Cruise in near silence and then light it up when you feel the need.  Neat trick.

Even if the milage the i8 returns is spectacular, nobody will buy it to save on gas,  they will buy it for the idea of it, to be different and to be first on a road that, eventually, we will all have to travel.
With the i8, BMW has shown that it does not have to be a dull boring road at all.

BMW is now the world's best GoPro Remote!

And you can run the M Lap timer at the same time.

Of course baller CG already ordered an M4,   when he gets it you will get the "beat on mercilessly" review, promise.

Throwback Thursday: BMW Eargasm

Dan Morgan/Flickr

While we reflect on sounds produced by the new "green" race cars whooshing around La Sarthe this week end, lets bask in the glorious sounds of a now 20 year old race car.

Justin Bell got to drive the Big Mac from  BMW North America's fabulous historical collection around Mid Ohio.  GoPro was along to record every possible angle and capture that amazing engine wail.

Chassis 17R, Ex Team Bigazzi was driven to eight place overall in the 1996 24 Hour of Le Mans by Nelson Piquet, Johnny Ceccotto and Danny Sullivan.

Turn it up!

Fresh off the presses:  BMW has announced GoPro integration for their cars via iDrive apps.  Check out the press release and info on the Axis Facebook page



If you'd like a more raw experience, less cameras, more sound, let me suggest this clip

Easter Hooning.

Stee took big black Bertha and some old Hankooks up to Monticello for a little holiday hoonage.  The tires did not survive the festivities.

Happy hooning everyone!

S.O.H.!

BMW pondering a return to F1 as an engine manufacturer?

BMW still holds the record for the most powerful engine every fielded in F1,  1430 hp out of 1500cc in qualifying (i.e. it will blow up after three laps) trim in the late 80s.  But the Bavarian's second try at F1 as a race team ended rather badly,  just gave up and quit in 2009.

The new hybrid engine formula has piqued the interest of more manufacturers.  Honda will enter the battle in 2015, there are whispers Ford might revive Cosworth's stillborn design and now BMW is said to be mulling a return to Formula 1 as an engine builder.

The source is Giancarlo Minardi who points to a steady presence of Roundel connected engineers observing F1 testing and rumors from Germany of a May decision date in front of the BMW board of directors for a return, possibly as early as 2015.  The project is being promoted by BMW's marketing arm via Dr. Steven Althus, Director of Brand Management.

That BMW would even consider a return to F1 would be a big coup for the proponents of the new regulations, and possibly a help for economically struggling teams.

Sauber is an obvious choice but what if Red Bull's relations with Renault go sour this season?  The prospect of a Red Bull BMW must look quite tasty both in Munich and Salzburg.

Win one for Jean Todt over Mr. E in their continuing power struggle for control of the circus.

Andy Priaulx answers our reader's questions.

Taking time off the Roar Before the 24 practice sessions at Daytona International Speedway, four time FIA touring car champion and BMW works driver Andy Priaulx answered questions from readers on the Axis Facebook page.

Andy gave us his views on racing in America,  learning tracks, simulators, insulting your race car, differences between V8 Supercars and DTM,  the mental aspects of racing and even where the Race of Champions should be held in the future.    

Ten minutes well spent for any fan and aspiring racers.

Journalists in DTMs!

Recently, BMW invited a number of journalists to drive one of their DTM cars in Spain.
No surprise, Harris is first out of the box with his report...

Bored with the US GP? Try this mental motorcycle video.

Didier Grams and his BMW at Macau

There's a very good chance today's US Grand Prix will be a snoozer after the first lap, with Sebastian Vettel once more taking off beyond DRS range, winning the race and then playing to the crowd with donuts and Kimi Raikkonen imitations.

If that's the case, or perhaps at some points during the inevitable and interminable commercial breaks NBC will insert at crucial points during the race,  have a look at this.



The rider is Didier Grams on a BMW who placed 8th in the 47th edition of the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix

(Hat tip to Kevin York!)

Throwback Thursday: Niki Lauda's Early Years

Niki Lauda driving a BMW 3.0 CSL in the DRM

I thought it might be of interest, with the imminent release of Ron Howard's Rush to have a look at Lauda's early racing career.   Granted, this documentary is pretty lame but it does show Lauda racing BMW sedans and CSL's in the early 70s something many might not know he did.

Lauda's involvement with BMW continued throughout his F1 career, he was the winner of the inaugural BMW M1 Procar season in 1979.
Lauda, as you might imagine he would, remains pretty handy behind the wheel in his later years, winning a Procar revival race in 2008.

Bimmerworld Racing debuts BMW F30 racer.

Virginia-based BMW experts head to Wisconsin looking to strengthen their standing in the Street Tuner championship while also starting the on-track development of its brand-new BMW F30 chassis

Photos: MotorsportMedia/Halston Pitman

Cheers to our friends at Bimmerworld racing for they debut of a new BMW race car built on the latest F30 chassis.  The new car will join the team's E90 based cars in the Grand Am Continental championship, Street Tuner class.

Leading GRAND-AM Continental Tire Series team BimmerWorld Racing will have two objectives in mind this weekend at the Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

The three-car program, which has fielded BMW’s 328i chassis built on the E90 platform since joining the series in 2010, is once again in the Championship hunt. Two of its entries are currently inside the top-10 in both the drivers’ and teams’ standings.

With seven rounds already completed in the 11-race season, Road America marks beginning of the final push towards the 2013 Street Tuner title for BimmerWorld. And with the No. 82 CRC BRAKLEEN® BMW 328i driven by Seth Thomas and Dan Rogers sitting fifth in the standings, and the No. 81 BimmerWorld BMW 328i of Gregory Liefooghe and Tyler Cooke in eighth, team owner/driver James Clay sees great opportunities ahead for both cars to improve their respective Championship positions.

“We are still nicely in the pack for the Championship race and with four rounds remaining; each race is becoming more important,” he said. “With Road America being the first of two back-to-back races, coming through this one clean and with a solid result is critical. We have a solid team and equipment, and this is our time to shine.”

Axis of Wayback: Volvo 240 Turbo vs BMW 635 CSi

It was Brick vs Shark at the 1985 Bathurst 1000....

SPECTACULAR PASS AT MID OHIO

Bill Auberlen and Robin Liddell held a seminar on proper side by side racing.

Photos: Turner Motorsport

Grand Am has seen its share of asshattery lately  mostly at the hands of Colombian driver Gustavo Yacaman,  the Baghdad Bob of racing ( "Not my fault, Rojas gave me no room"!).  

Here are a couple of real pros showing you can race side by side at the limit and not ball it up.

Turner Motorsport's Bill Auberlen is catching the Stevenson Motorsport Camaro of Robin Liddell at Mid Ohio, a very technical track with slippery off camber corners.   Auberlen sets the Camaro up for the "Esses" on the outside of turn 6 and makes a great lunge into 7,  a tricky left with a blind exit. Beautiful.

Auberlen, with co-driver Paul Dalla Lana won the race after the Corvette of Eric Curran was penalized for blatantly punting the Turner M3 in the final lap.