For reasons I still don’t understand, BMW invited me to race an E46 M3 GT, a real GT2 car run in the American Le Mans Series, during this week’s Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca. Come say hi!
For me, the best thing every year at Monterey Car Week isn’t seeing cars sitting still on some pristine golf course or parked outside a fancy hotel, it’s time spent at Laguna Seca. I don’t want to see an overly clean Ferrari being gawked at by an army of people in salmon pants [Ed note: quietly removes salmon pants from luggage – MH], I want to see icons moving around a legendary track. Even though this event is more exhibition than race and the drivers aren’t aiming for lap records, it’s still fantastic to see a real Shelby Cobra or a train of GT cars from the 1990s or 2000s flying down the Corkscrew.
Every year, BMW brings a small fleet of classic race cars to run in the event. I’ve been lucky, and have been asked to run one of the cars for the last three years they have competed. I got the call again this year, and I’m bringing you fine Autopian folks along for the ride.
I’ll be in an E46 M3 GT this year, a car PTG campaigned in the ALMS more than 20 years ago. It’s not the V-8 GTR, which is currently on display in the Petersen as part of a 50 Years of 3-Series exhibit, but it has a straight-six, a six-speed dog box, and looks rad as hell. I’ve never sat in the car before, so my first chance to get settled in the car will be Wednesday’s practice. I’m sure it’ll go fine. My goal is to just have fun; I’m stoked to get this opportunity and just want to get quicker over the weekend. Oh, and I don’t want to break the car. Like, I really don’t want to break the car.
I’ll be competing in the Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup, a group of GT and prototypes from 1991 – 2011. It’s stacked with rad metal. BMW is also running a 2011 E92 M3 GT. There are about 36 Porsche 911s of different specs and eras, from 993 to 997. There’s a RealTime NSX, a Viper GTS-R, an Audi R8 GT3, and an Audi R8 LMP1. There’s even a Panoz. Check out the full list here.
I’m running daily from Wednesday to Saturday, with the race on Saturday being a 40-minute “mini-enduro” with a required pit stop. Here’s the full schedule:
Wednesday Practice: 2:55 – 3:20 pm
Thursday Qualifying: 2:55 – 3:20 pm
Friday Race 1: 2:45 – 3:10 pm
Saturday Mini-Enduro: 5:35 – 6:15 pm
Come on by and check out the car, and feel free to heckle me.
All photos: BMW
The post I’ll Be Racing A Vintage BMW For The Autopian At Laguna Seca This Weekend, Come Say Hi appeared first on The Autopian.
