Interesting tidbits from our 2001 race team intro event. We held it last week at the Milwaukee Mile (press releases available in the press room at www.ski-doo.com )

As a part of the event, I organized an event to put the Team Ski-Doo pro racers and the media through a Mazda Rotary Rockets school at the Milwaukee Mile. It was a blast. It included an autocross course (with street cars), and slalom exercise course and laps on the full mile in the Mazdas.

Why should Badger Bimmers members care? Because this school is normally held on a road course (none were available in our schedule), the promoters were understandably nervous about the combination of unskilled reporters + open wheel race cars + concrete walls.

Therefore, they opted to use a car to pace the field -- a sort of lead and follow exercise. But after a miserable attempt at using a Camaro (haha) as a pace car on the relatively flat Mile, the organizers pulled me aside and asked if I would be willing to let the lead instructor drive my personal car to pace the field.

With brand new 255x35x18 P-Zero Russos and brand new Brembos, I was a little apprehensive, but I agreed to give it a go for one session. In the end the tires held up wonderfully all day, and the 2000 323Ci held an average of 130mph on the straights and 95mph in the corners. At the end of the day, the instructor wanted to know if it was for sale.

Dave Thompson

I became a member of the Badger Bimmers last fall when I took delivery of a 2000 323Ci. It's wonderful. My driving experience is as follow:

Skip Barber 3-Day Performance Driving School at Road America
Derek Daly 1-Day Formula Ford School at Las Vegas
100 miles of private instruction in a PPG Dayton Indy Lights car (1997 Lola)
I've also had about 100 miles of total lapping time over four years at Road America in my former car (1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX).
  
I am looking forward to getting involved with the club this summer. I love to drive and I love to socialize with people who love to drive. But in order to get the most out of my new Bimmer, I'm always looking for opportunities to learn.

Thanks very much!

Dave