Feature: California Beaming
February 1, 2007
As I arrive at BMW’s special on-location Performance Driving School, located at the California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., I quickly realize that pulling up in a Lexus SC 430 is probably not the best way to win over the hearts of my peers. It is, however, a great way to break the ice.
"What do you drive?" is the question of the day as the
students assess their classmates—in true L.A. fashion—by the status of the cars
they drive. "Not all of the participants in the school are BMW owners," says Dan
Gubitosa, director of the school, which is based in Spartanburg, S.C. "In fact,
only 40 percent actually own a BMW. The rest are simply enthusiasts who just
want to drive our cars." With those parting words, I find my place among the first group
and head toward the display of M3s, M5s, and M6s. I choose to run my first lap
in the passenger seat of the course instructor’s M3 as we make our way around to
the 1.45-mile inner road course. Orange cones show the proper braking line and
apex around each bend, but the complete lesson is only realized with the
assistance of the instructor, as he dictates the exact course of action on every
angle of the track. "Each of our instructors is BMW-certified," says Gubitosa.
"They all have different levels of driving accreditation under their belts, but
we always have a few of our core trainers give the new guys the BMW treatment." However, the inner road course, which offers up more dopamine than any
double-shot espresso, is only a precursor to the adrenaline-inducing pleasure of
the skid pad to follow. After a short break to refuel our empty stomachs and exhausted tanks, a new set
of instructors leads us out onto the infield. The excitement builds as a water
truck floods the asphalt, and eyes grow wide, and the skid pad course beckons.
There are two skid pads, two M3s, and two instructors as we are led two by two
around opposite sides of the saturated track. While we drive around the wet
circle, the ride-along instructor gives us a crash course on the definitions of
understeer and oversteer. I feel confident in my understanding of the terms’
literal meanings, but as we continue, words become reality. “When I tell you to
‘goose it,’ you need to put the pedal to the floor,” says the instructor. “Goose
it!”
A half-day of perfecting driving techniques on the interior road
track (top) and a spin around the skid pad (bottom). (Click images to enlarge) ; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
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With only one hour in the classroom and six hours on the track,
BMW does a great job of satisfying the desires of the demographic. After the
classroom session, focusing on understanding the simple physics of driving,
cornering, braking, and handling, our class of 40 is divided into two groups.
Half of us will go to the inner track to perform lead-follow exercises, explains
lead driving instructor Jim Clark. The others will be at one of three stations
practicing braking, skid pad maneuvers, and autocross. "And remember," says
Clark, "be smart out there: The best drivers on the road know what they can’t
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West Coast BMW enthusiasts lined up at the California Speedway for a taste of the
acclaimed Spartanburg, S.C., driving program. (Click image to enlarge)
The lead-follow exercises begin at a reasonably harmless
pace—mostly in first and second gear around the corners—but as drivers become
more familiar with the course and the cars, the pace quickens. The "BMW
treatment" seems to be a bit more intense than most of the students are
accustomed to on their daily commute. During the three-hour session, cars are
occasionally seen on the side of the track, temporarily abandoned as drivers
hold their heads between their legs, purging their bodies of overwhelming
nausea, along with their breakfasts. Hitting 60 mph around the corners and
bolting to well over 100 mph on the short straightaway prove to be easier
handling exercises for the Bimmers than for the greenhorn drivers.
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