Here’s a summer flashback article for your enjoyment –

Can I count this as seat time in a GT4 Sprint X race car?

My son Nathan works at Honda R&D and one of his car guy friends at Honda, Robert, is a team member for the Classic BMW GT4 Sprint X Class car.    Classic BMW races in the World Challenge series which came to Road America on September 19-21.   Since I was going to the races, Nathan told me that Robert would show me the race car and talk about the team.  Here was an opportunity I could not pass up.  I checked on the racing schedule for Saturday to see what time could work.

The two qualifying periods were at 9:45 and 10:05 am, one session for each of the two drivers required for Sprint X class.    I arrived at Road America before the first qualification and watched both Sprint X qualifying periods.  The class has two drivers and they qualified individually.  Their combined times set qualifying position for the car.  After the second qualification I went looking for Classic BMW’s pit location.   My son had sent me a photo of Robert to help me find him.  I spotted Classic’s pit location and headed that way and saw Robert.    My son must have shown Robert a photo of me because as I got closer it was apparent that he recognized me.

Robert was with the Sprint X cars which were corralled together waiting for inspection and release.  Robert and I talked about his involvement in two different race teams, my Chump car endurance racing and our Club’s driving schools until the cars had to head to inspection.   I spent the rest of the morning watching the Saleen Cup race and qualification of the TC class cars which Classic BMW runs two M240i cars in.   After lunch I headed toward the Classic BMW trailer and arrived as the M4 GT4 Sprint X car was being set up to conduct camber adjustment and alignment.   Robert talked about the car and we compared it to my similar chassis F80 stock M3.   The GT4 runs a wide 305 x 18″ tire where my track tires are 275 x 18″.  The GT4 brake calipers were really massive 6 piston AP calipers with Performance Friction Yellow pads about 1″ thick. They made my stock Brembo calipers look puny.  The engine is basically the same as my M3 but Sprint X series controls the HP output.  For this race the output was set for 380 HP.  This is controlled by a power stick, a USB flash drive they plug in.   The 380HP is less than my stock M3 at 425HP.

After talking about and looking over the car, Robert asked “Do you want to get in the car”?  Needless to say the answer was YES!    I opened the door and saw an X brace at the door which provided a lower opening in the roll cage than our Chump Endurance car cage.   This simplified entering somewhat but climbing in is still the best description.   I entered the same way as our chump car, both legs over the cage bars and drop into the seat.   The race seat was snug and fit me well.  The steering wheel was in a good position for me but is adjustable. Robert then repositioned the peddles and I was ready to drive, as if that would happen.   Sitting in the cockpit was quite amazing and the gauges and information was far beyond any performance street cars and our Chump car.   The steering wheel has neat features that we could use like pit speed limiter (PSL), drink button, radio and other unidentified buttons that I did not know the function.   The dash and information pod contains numerous pressure and temperature read outs, info that I like but is now lacking in the modern street car.   After a good amount of time in the seat I needed to get out since they wanted to move the car to check the alignment on the TC class M240i’s.  No, they did not ask if I wanted to move the car to the next stall.

This was a cool experience to be in a GT4 at the race track.   I am looking forward for the next World Challenge at Road America to visit with Robert and the team. Car 29 placed 2nd in the Sprint X class in Saturday’s race.  Classic BMW is battling with 2 other teams for the championship and they were 2 points behind going into the weekend.

Three years ago, during the European delivery of my m235i, I was very lucky to have the opportunity to attend a Formula One race at Monza.  After we planned the car pickup date and made all the hotel arrangements though Italy and Switzerland I found out that the race was on the day we were passing by Monza on the way to lake Como.  I had to go and we only needed to leave earlier and arrive later in the evening at our hotel in Bellagio Italy.

For this year’s Europe trip, my wife Chris was looking at Mediterranean Cruise lines as asked me why would a cruise ship stop for two days in Monte Carlo in May.   That was the launching point for planning a combined trip to France and Monaco which included three days at the Monaco Formula One race.   Chris searched through options and found the tour group Motoexpress operating out of the UK.  They specialized in tours to selected Formula One races and Moto GP races.   We tied this trip together with 10 days in southern France in the Provence area along the Mediterranean.   Chris planned an extensive driving schedule though southern France Provence area for the 10 days prior to the Formula One Event.    We rented a car and GPS for the trip.   We stayed in three cities and made day trips through the country side.  Driving there was amazing.   The roads seemed to follow old trails.   Sometimes you could see for a few miles and the road would wonder back and forth.  A straight section for over ¼ mile seemed rare.  It was an enjoyable to drive and I wish I had my BMW rather than the rental.   We visited many charming mountain top villages during the 10 days.   Most were from Medieval time built in the 1300 and 1400’s.  We visit historic site, villa’s and enjoyed the drive thorough the country side.

After 9 days, we headed toward Nice to pick up our son who was joining us for the race weekend.  We drove to our resort set up by our tour group.  We decided to stay at the resort a night earlier and do some local touring on Thursday.   Thursday, I drove into the gorges to view the scenic view and waterfalls and yes, to drive the mountain roads.  Every time I have been in the European mountains I have been surprised at the difference between Europe and the US.  Rural Europe has minimal protection from driving off the cliff’s which does grab your attention.   Thursday night we headed for the local mountain town, St Paul De Vence, for dinner.  We walked into the village through the main arch way and was amazed at how charming the village was.   It is the most charming village I have visited in the 8 trips we have made to Europe.

Now Friday morning has arrived and we are meeting for breakfast with the others in the Motoexpress tour.  Friday morning schedule started with a side trip to Cannes to catch the end of the Cannes film festival.    Shortly after noon we got back on the bus and headed for Monti Carlo along the coast line which provided frequent views of Mediterranean.  When we reached the city limits, the bus was directed around the many streets closed to vehicle traffic for the weekend.  After parking we trekked through the city following our tour guides.  It was over a mile hike up and down hills.  We arrived at one of the entrance to the Formula One village.  We passed through and headed toward the entrance to the pit’s.  Since we had tickets for Sunday race, we could visit the pits and walk the track.   Groups of fans waited at the pits hoping to see a driver.  Our decision was to take to the track walking to the starting grid and stopped at starting position 1 and 2.  It just didn’t seem real that I was standing on position 1 of a formula One race track in Monte-Carlo of all places.   We continued to walk down the water front looking for our Sunday seats, checking other location for views and admiring the yacht’s and yacht’s and yacht’s.  Eventually we headed back to our meeting point.  We found out later that Daniel Ricardo was the only major driver that did come out and sign autographs.

Friday night we returned to St Paul De Vence for dinner and enjoyed character of the city.

Saturday morning the group met for breakfast, loaded on the bus and headed for Monte Carlo.   The city was more crowded Saturday.   The buss traveled around more to get around the blocked streets.  The parking spot was in a different location so we saw a different area of the city as we walked through.  We passed by exotic car dealers.  Could have picked up a nice Porsche GT3, Aston Martin, Lotus or Ferrari.   Our walk seemed longer but that could just that is was hillier.  Our seats we were at Casino Square.  We were directly across from the casino looking at the front entrance.  The track at this point was a U shape.  The cars turned toward us onto to a short straight made two right turns in front of us and made a left and disappeared toward the tunnel.  We watched the F1 time trials, watched some and heard a lot of the Formula Renault, Porsche Mobil 1 Super Cup time trials and a Formula 2 race.   The blistering roar of the cars echoed through the city.  We soaked up all the experience we could during the time trials.  On our way back to the meeting point, we stopped frequently to look at the many vendors selling the F1 merchandise along the street, trying to decide what items to bring back.

Returning Sunday morning, the bus was directed to a different location and we walked through some new parts of the city.   As we walked the roar of the Porsche Cup Car echoed off the buildings elevating the anticipation of the race.  Sunday schedule was the Porsche Mobil 1 Super Cup and Formula Renault prior to the F1 festivities.   The super cup and Formula Renault are the standard brutal non-turbo charge beast which raddle your fillings.  After the morning races, we went out and found a table at a street side cafe and enjoyed lunch.  We returned for the start of the race activities.  The long-anticipated time has arrived.  The F1 cars went by on the reconsent lap and it was only minutes until the start.  Then the leaders race by and the crowd came alive.   Now I could soak up the experience of Monaco F1 race.  Our seats were in section K2 over half way up the stands.   The view was excellent, no the view was amazing.   We could see the cars racing uphill towards Casino square.  After the cars exited the tunnel, we could see them weaving through the Nouvelle Chicane and then race downhill to the harbor directly at us.  They turned at the harbor and raced pass us and we could see them weave around the swimming pool.   We could see about 20% of the track.  Section K1 and K2 are excellent places to view the track.  We spend the time watching the multiple location but mostly watching from the Nouvelle Chicane down to the harbor, turning and racing by directly in front of us.  The Monti Carlo street course is a difficult place to pass.  We saw a lot of attempts and a few successful passes at the corner in front of us as they entered the harbor.  There are 78 laps on this short 2.06 mile street course which provided more continuous flow the cars.  I was quite pleased to have Ferrari win and have both Vettel and Kimi on the podium.   It would have been fantastic if we could have worked our way to the winner’s circle and enjoy that experience but that was impossible to accomplish with the mass of people and the need to get back to the bus.  After the F1 race, we headed out with the hundreds of thousands of race fans.    Being at the race was exciting.   But it was more than just the race.   When I attendee the Italian F1 race at Monza in 2014, I just attended the race on Sunday which was still quite an experience.   Here at Monaco, we experienced the entire event.  It was three days immersed in the track activities and walking through Monti Carlo which is hard to describe all the architecture and the views.  It is truly an event to remember.  If you are interested in attending the Monaco F1 race I really recommend us a tour group such a MotoExpress.   It is an experience you will enjoy.