First rule for going to the race track: Don’t take a car that you can’t walk away from—financially and mentally. Although I am finally to the point where I could walk away from my M3 financially, even though it would be quite a loss, I don’t think I would be able to walk away from it mentally. The history behind the car and how it has become a part of my life is too great, and I am sure that I would shed quite a few tears if something happened to it.
But how can I push myself on the track and improve my skills if I am consciously unable to step beyond my limits in my car?
I have some good friends who have built a couple of E30 race cars and E36 M3 track cars, who have kindly tossed me the keys a few times. This has allowed me to push a little harder on the track and not worry too much, as the cost to replace these cars is lower than my M3! But these opportunities don’t come around very often, and they are usually for a single track session or a few autocross laps—just enough time to get an idea of how the car drives, but not enough to get comfortable and start really pushing and learning.
That’s why I am really excited to be attending the BMW CCA Members-Only Two-Day M School at the Thermal Club in June. I’ll get the opportunity to drive one of their new BMW M3s for two full days—at one of the most premier private motorsports facilities in the world! This is something that has always been on my bucket list, and something that I wouldn’t be able to check off for quite a while without the great discount for being a BMW CCA member!
I got a taste for the BMW Performance Center experience at the Spartanburg facility a few years ago. I remember how excited I was when we arrived in the morning for breakfast. The waiver forms were passed out with BMW Performance Center pens. I happily signed my life away and turned in my form—and I still have that pen!
The day was filled with off-roading X5s, playing with 335is on the wet skid pad, and then an autocross in a 335d. Just when we thought we were all done for the day, we were thrown into M5s—and the resident instructors demonstrated how to drive the circuit completely sideways. They even finished off the lap with a 360-degree pirouette as they exited the wet skid pad. I was never a drifter, but this exhibition of car-control skill just amazed me. I had tasted the Kool-Aid, and I wanted to come back for more!
I’m still not a drifter. I pride myself in producing clean lines—but it’s all part of the curriculum at the two-day M school. As I mentioned earlier, I am excited to finally be able to push my limits. I’ve never had the opportunity to try drifting, and because I am a BMW CCA driving instructor, this will be a great skill to add—although I have no intention of instilling this particular skill in my students!
If you want to take the next step—while not risking your own car—you can join me at the Thermal Club in June; we’ll be there June 13–14. If those dates don’t work, there are three other Member-Only M Schools this year:
- May 16–17 in Spartanburg, South Carolina
- June 13–14 in Palm Springs, California
- October 10–11 in Palm Springs, California
- November 7–8 in Spartanburg, South Carolina
You can find more information and registration details here: https://www.bmwcca.org/nationalevents
I’ll be writing up the school for Roundel, but you can also follow my adventures on the BMW CCA social-media channels throughout the weekend. As they say, somebody else’s car on somebody else’s tires: What more could you ask for? And while I have no intention of damaging anybody’s car, at least I won’t have to worry about walking away from my own beloved M3!—Nate Risch
