[Dascamel]

Originally Posted by Ramos

HAHAHA... You're too busy to press a button!!!
Glad my car is manual, otherwise I see myself getting lazy

Its very tempting to get lazy... My instructor on Friday told me to cut it out also and work on gearing for smoothness. It does help. DS in the 335i is extremely rough.

[satakal]

Originally Posted by aus

I only saw a point-by by the Miata, and you tapped your mirror. Is it just random passing? That's crazy compared to how the CCA does it.

Originally Posted by Dascamel

Satakal, I would never run that config with Speedventures or NASA. Buttonwillow is one thing, but at those speeds, I can't imagine being on the track with those few idiots that hold my life in their hands.

This is pretty standard non-school stuff. I think its why you don't see many leased cars on track at these type of events. There were passing zones. I think. Mainly, no passing in corners.

Buttonwillow with NASA is a fun one. That one weekend we ran it counter clockwise, we were in that session where "points are recommended by not necessary". I know I didn't give my permission to be lined up on the outside of the "onramp/buttonhook" 3 wide. I got gang raped by 3 e36s. I was freaked out and told to get over it.

When you see cowboy stuff like that, it makes you really appreciate the value of a BMWCCA event. Safety number one. Top shelf instruction number two. A well run show number 3.

[Ramos]

Cut what out? Please tell me you were not letting the car shift for you??
et tu Brutus? Hahaa

Anyhow, as much as I love the thrill of rowing your own gears and the satisfaction of nailing a heal and toe perfectly, I can see how having DTC would allow you to focus on everything else and not on the shifting so much

[Ramos]

1000 Posts for Satakal .. YAY you post whore

[Dascamel]

Originally Posted by Ramos

Cut what out? Please tell me you were not letting the car shift for you??
et tu Brutus? Hahaa

Anyhow, as much as I love the thrill of rowing your own gears and the satisfaction of nailing a heal and toe perfectly, I can see how having DTC would allow you to focus on everything else and not on the shifting so much

Last month with Speedventures at Buttonwillow I was, it allowed me to focus on the car and my lines. That being said, on Saturday, and Sunday I was focusing on proper gear selection. I was taking turns mainly in 3rd and sometimes in fourth just to create smoother exits and it helps. The auto modes wold kick down too low if your carefull, throttle becomes way too abrupt. Anyway, the transmissions are getting so good, it wouldn't shock me if in the next 5-10 years MTs will slowly phase out.

[satakal]

Originally Posted by Ramos

1000 Posts for Satakal .. YAY you post whore

thanks. I just noticed that.

[satakal]

Originally Posted by Dascamel

Last month with Speedventures at Buttonwillow I was, it allowed me to focus on the car and my lines. That being said, on Saturday, and Sunday I was focusing on proper gear selection. I was taking turns mainly in 3rd and sometimes in fourth just to create smoother exits and it helps. The auto modes wold kick down too low if your carefull, throttle becomes way too abrupt. Anyway, the transmissions are getting so good, it wouldn't shock me if in the next 5-10 years MTs will slowly phase out.

yeah, in april at button, your day went much better when you offloaded the brain power of shifting to the car. You had more processing power available to actually drive and drive well.

[Ramos]

Guess it's not that hard to get signed off to A group when you're not even shifting :P
Just kiddin' man... hehehe... I would love to try the DTC someday

[aus]

I definitely have respect for the manual guys. There's enough going on with just flipping a couple levers, but managing heal-toe and rowing the gears (with the possible money shift always in the back of you mind), just adds a WHOLE LOT of extra work to the process.

[Hit_Apex]

Originally Posted by aus

I definitely have respect for the manual guys. There's enough going on with just flipping a couple levers, but managing heal-toe and rowing the gears (with the possible money shift always in the back of you mind), just adds a WHOLE LOT of extra work to the process.

Thinking about the money shift is as bad as focusing on the wall exiting T2, or staring at the water lining the right side of the fairway off the tee. Seriously, once you're in a rhythm it all just flows.

[aus]

Obviously you're not thinking about it when you're driving.

[BRO]

My instructor was giving me lots of advice. With that in my ear, listening for the engine speed and shifting was too much to process. I tried it part of a session, but gave it up. When I ran Big Willow with SV a few months back, I manually shifted the whole time.

[mike-y]

I've always told the beginners I drove with to just leave it in drive and learn the lines and track first. I remember riding with a friend who had an Audi TT with DSG a while back, and he was all over the place. I told him to leave it in sports mode and just drive it. He resisted at first, but finally listened to me and was able to drive much better after that.

My E90 is step, and I don't like manually shifting it. It just doesn't feel natural and direct like a proper manual. And there is lag, so you always have to anticipate your shifts, and account for the extra time. dealing with all of that while learning how to drive on the track can't be good.

I can see manual shifting at big willow being a lot easier though, since you are in 1 gear for most of the track, lol.

[Dascamel]

A proper manual transmission forces you to learn the right way, no other choice. Need to be quick efficient, have all your shifts planned out before they even occur. I'm sure first few times on the track, it can be real fun. Paddle shifting is like a cheat mode, but eventually still need to plan everything out or you will upset the balance of the car as you get faster.