The rules are simple: 

• You are here to experience what the car can do, not set a lap record.
• Don’t abuse the car, no speed shifting.
• Do not put any wheels off the track.
• Drive as may cars as you like, or have time for.

Understanding the importance of not bending up any hardware I generally go to the brakes about a marker early, especially on the first corner or two to be sure the brakes are up to snuff. Prior to the BMW M3 I was in a Dodge Challenger SRT. The Challenger is a great car for cruising Main Street, but the M3 is more at home on the track.

The M3 is a well-balanced car and very stable at the speeds you don’t tell your wife about, and she knows better then to ask. Braking and cornering capabilities are far more then what is presented in this reconnaissance lap.

Kudos go to our Camera Man Todd Johnson who road shotgun, shooting freehand for the duration of the lap around Road America.

As one of the legions of Skip Barber graduates that take vehicle dynamics seriously, I highly recommend professional training before turning a wheel on the track. Then follow the instructions, “Go get’m!” 

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