A wise driver snacks lightly at lunch: The afternoon kicks off back on the track, specifically a short and technical course that stacks a slalom, going into a wide curve, followed by a 90-degree turn, an uphill section with a chicane at the top, a fast downhill section, and finally, a wide final corner, which can easily catch you out.
If you’re good, you can get around the whole thing in 22 or 23 seconds. It also feels genuinely fast in parts, although you likely max out at around 60 mph. As with the other sessions, cones mark apexes, braking points, and things you should generally aim for, while a slow lap with an instructor helps figure out the nuances.
Despite all that, there’s still potential for mischief. Entering into the final corner a touch hot on one of my later laps, I subsequently added an unscheduled off-roading section to BMW’s course: Clean through a cone wall and right off the track. After wrestling the car back onto the asphalt, I promptly spun out.
In my defense, most of the learning experience is working out where the limits are. I’d definitely just found one. Still, my record of ending up in the mud every time I visit BMW’s Greenville Performance Center still stands.
