At the racetrack (Part 3)...

Team BMWCCP (with event organizer CJ)

At the end of our track run, I was positively buzzing! Probably the most exhilarating driving experience I have ever had. I always thought going down that viaduct above the Everglades from Miami to Key West, the setting for many a car chase movie scene, and the fact that I was in an MB CLK convertible at the time, was pretty hard to beat. But this goes way past that. The speed demon in me was appeased without fear of getting pulled over by the authorities.

Now for some post-run assessments.

I was happy to note that Sergio could still rev up to redline. I had not pushed the engine hard before and conditions were never right to do so on regular roads. Its still fresh on my mind that when we went onto SLEX that first night after I got the car, it was difficult to go near 100kph because there were a lot of vibrations and the engine seemed to be unwilling to power much past that point. On the drive to and from Subic, my GPS recorded a top speed of 141kph while cruising on the SCTEX. This is a definitive indicator of the big improvement in overall mechanical condition. Not only for the engine but also good marks for the suspension, brakes, and transmission.

Speaking of the transmission, I now have a better understanding of why some would insist on a manual over an automatic.  Inspite of setting mine to "Sport" mode, I was still unable to keep up on acceleration with most of the others.  There is a very perceptible lag between gear changes and the time full power kicks in to the wheels.  While I am eventually able to catch up on the straights, a gap will always open up everytime the brakes are applied.  Over a longer period, this will surely translate into a big lead for those with faster acceleration.  Having said that, it still does not change my mind that given daily driving conditions, an automatic is still the best choice.

My GPS readings at the end of the run indicated a top speed of 121kph and an average of 59kph throughout the run.  That average should be higher.  Because I forgot to stop the unit at the end of Lap 2, the parameters included the slower cool down lap and the drive back into Pit Lane and paddock which were done at typical parking lot pace.  In any case, there is no way for me to know the exact numbers because no official timing was done.  While the top speed may seem unimpressive, it has to be borne in mind that acceleration occurs in short bursts instead of continuous stretches as done in the expressways.  This is also why a faster accelerating car builds a huge advantage since it can hit a higher top speed before braking into the next corner.

After exchanging high fives, congratulations, and pictures amongst ourselves, we prepared for the drive home. It started to drizzle not too long after we finished and because of this, some of the subsequent groups backed off from using the track. As we were about to leave the paddock, the marshals approached me to offer the team another run. I asked the others if they wanted to but the unanimous decision was that the track has now become slippery and too dangerous for our skill level. Personally, I admit it was a very tempting proposition but in the end I knew it was time to stop.

True enough, as soon as we hit the street, the heavens opened up.  Although I have no news of what actually happened afterwards, I am certain it would put on hold any track activity until the weather cleared.  I had planned to give myself a tour of Subic before heading back but obviously was not a good time to do so.

On the way home, it occurred to me that this was the first chance to observe my tires for their wet weather capability.   There was no slippage that I could notice on the track and they also gripped well at highway speeds during the heavy rain.  I am using a set of moderately priced Firenzas manufactured by Sumo Tires and I must say that they are very good value for money.

Safely reached home by 9pm but only because the stretch of EDSA from Balintawak to Trinoma took almost an hour to cover.  Very irritating to think that a 3 or 4 km portion took half the time of the previous 130 from Subic.  Round trip, the total distance travelled was roughly 400 kilometers.  It is well worth noting that when I reloaded fuel back in the Greenhills area, it turned out my average consumption for the trip was over 8km per liter.  Not bad at all considering the fact that this covered spirited expressway driving, the track portion, and eventually being stuck in heavy traffic.  By contrast, regular daily driving averages 7kpl for me.

Finally, is this something I will do again?

Offhand, I will say no.  As I have mentioned in a previous post, any car will take a beating from track use.  The more its done, the greater the accelerated wear and tear.  Its always exciting to watch cars being pushed to the the limit while watching on television but people do not take into account that at the highest levels, each car is thoroughly serviced after every race in order to be at their best. This, of course, is highly impractical and not within reach of the average enthusiast.  In Sergio's case, a short, one-off track session should be no problem but I will accelerate the schedule of changing the car's fluids anyway.  In addition, the head gaskets, radiator hoses, belts and pulleys are already pencilled for replacement on the next maintenance service.  On the cosmetic side, of which I am even more particular, there is a lot of chipped paint down the front bumper.  Although this will be an easy job for a professional to take care of, the possibility to have had greater damage bothers me.  A broken windshield or headlight would have been expensive tuition for a track day.

But then again, I am keeping my options open...