# it's the driver, stupid!



## blackdawg (Jan 4, 2002)

that's my mantra to myself.

i was just at gateway raceway this weekend watching a BMWCCA club race as well as some SCCA action. my instructor from my previous driver's school was racing in the ITA class (lowest class, lightest and smallest engine'd): this is mainly CRXs, first gen. RX7s, miatas. 

he won his race. his fastest time in a car with about 120HP on the road course is about a 1:15 flat. when i watched the BMWCCA race, the fastest 2 cars were an e30M3 highly prepped (time--> 1:10) and an e36m3 (time--> 1:15). imagine the times he could rip in those higher powered RWD's?

well, i can.

he took my car, on its crappy kumho ecstas (very, very greasy on the track) and ran 1:13s. his first 2 laps in the car. 

so, mostly, it's always the driver, stupid! (to me); but our cars are so capable most of us will never truly know. i doubt i could run a 1:20 on street tires.


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## Guest (Apr 1, 2002)

blackdawg said:


> *that's my mantra to myself.
> 
> i was just at gateway raceway this weekend watching a BMWCCA club race as well as some SCCA action. my instructor from my previous driver's school was racing in the ITA class (lowest class, lightest and smallest engine'd): this is mainly CRXs, first gen. RX7s, miatas.
> 
> ...


So true. And it illustrates the foolishness of most performance mods on cars driven by all but the very best track experienced drivers. A typical driving school instructor or A group student will get around the track faster in an E30 318is (135 hp) than any of us will in an E46 M3 (333 HP). Guaranteed.

I encourage anyone who thinks that they're a great driver to go to a CCA drivers school to learn just how piss-poor of a driver you really are. Academically, I knew I had a lot to learn but going to school made me aware of just how much I have yet to learn.


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## in_d_haus (Jan 2, 2002)

yup, it's all true.


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