I want to do a track day with the M5!

[Mitch]

My brother and I want to do a track day, perhaps at Little Talledega sometime in Dec or January? Any ideas?

[blackstig]

I would say see what's open with Road Atlanta through your local SCCA Chapter or NASA Chapter.

That would provide a better driving experience, high speed sections and technical sections changing suddenly and drastically will keep you on your toes all day.

-Stig

[Stretch]

Come on up to Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC one weekend. Track days have finished for the season but Turn One Motorsports should be releasing the new schedule of open weekends/ track days, drivers schools etc. soon.

[88e28]

I would like to take my vert on the track and open it up but they won't let them on.DAMN.

[Stretch]

Get a roll bar and I know you can run at Kershaw. Autopower makes one that would suffice. Or if you know someone good with a tube bender, welder and notcher, you can build one for about $150 in materials.

Copied from another page outlining SCCA Spec Roll bar/cage work:

The SCCA allows only four materials for roll bar construction: seamless, DOM and ERW mild steel and chrome moly. Seamless tubing is produced using a process that is similar to forging. It has a refined grain structure and has a slight spiral twist for added strength. Drawn Over Mandrel (D.O.M.) tubing is made from steel strips and welded together. It is then cold drawn down to a smaller diameter and thinner wall to give it more strength. Electric Resistance Welded (ERW) tubing is made by rolling flat steel into a tube and welding it together. It is easily identifiable by the short flashing on the inside of the tube.

Any of these materials are usable, but ERW tubing needs to be thicker than the others for the same strength. Mild steel is available in many types depending on the metals it is made from. Some are stronger, while others are easier to form. The SCCA requires roll bar or cage material to be SAE 1010, 1020 or 1025. Due to its greater strength, chrome moly (SAE 4125 or 4130) can be thinner than mild steel but is much harder to weld properly. It must be "normalized" after welding, which involves heating and slowly cooling the entire structure in a specialized oven. If this is not done weld embrittlement can weaken the structure.

Some racecars have been built with stainless steel or aluminum roll bars, but these are highly specialized (and expensive). They are often not allowed in amateur racing due to the difficulty of welding and normalizing them, which can lead to failure even if the welds look good to the naked eye. Mild steel is actually the best material as it is easy to weld properly (by a professional) and does not require treating before use.

The diameter and wall thickness of your bar will be determined by the weight of your car. A good starting point is 1.5 inches in diameter x .120 wall for cars under 1,500 pounds; alloy (chrome moly) could be 1.375 x .090 wall. For 1,500 to 2,500 pound cars 1.75 x .120 (mild) or 1.625 x .102 (alloy). For cars over 2,500 pounds consider 2.25 x .120 (mild) or 2.00 x .102 (alloy).

Roll cages can use smaller tubes since a cage is a stronger structure. For under 1,500 pounds, tubing could be 1.375 inches x .095 (mild) or 1.375 x .080 (alloy). For 1,500 to 2,500 pounds the SCCA requires 1.5 x .095 (mild) or 1.375 x .095 (alloy). Over 2,500 pounds required 1.50 x .120 (mild) or 1.50 x .095 (alloy). These dimensions are for properly designed and triangulated cages. If you are planning for a more basic cage, then stronger tubing would be appropriate. Some other clubs require a 3/16-inch inspection hole be drilled in a non-stressed portion of the bar, so tech inspectors can verify the wall thickness.

[Philip]

Sounds expensive.

[88e28]

Not on my e36 car is to nice.

[Stretch]

Sounds expensive.

Spec cages are...it sucks. The price of steel has gone through the roof lately.

[Mitch]

That is awesome information!! Hmmm, I know that the roll cage will make the M5 much more structurally rigid, but do I want to go that route with the M5 yet? Or wait until I get a E30 and make a purpose built track car for Club Bimmer? It might happen sooner than we think if I sell the 944.

[88e28]

Put the Roll bar in the E30 not M5 car is to nice.

[kendogg]

Little talledega would be great for a beginner. I know there is talks of putting together a D-level school to prep people before going to Road A. I know when I was a D student, my first time on Road Atlanta I thought was awesome, but there were people there in much, much faster cars going far slower than me, and it wasnt all that safe - especially when I was left foot braking into 12 to keep from punting an E46 M3 off the track, or when I had to slow way the hell down on the back straight fr the E60 M5 putting around at 80 mph :shifty

Mitch, just keep an eye out, look at trackschedule.com to see what is open and available. If you see something that looks good, go for it!! I want to get to TGPR at some point, and am hoping it's one of the places I can get to test out this season.