The Winding Path From Autocross to Super Touring to Spec E46

For the driver that takes the full picture into consideration, moving into a new category is always a challenging process fraught with questions, let alone making the leap into another form of motorsport entirely. The normally analytical mind is burdened with all the possible options. When weighed with all these potentials, there’s a tendency to go with what feels right, rather than what is the most prudent decision – especially if the one deciding is young and eager.

That was the case with Connor Lydon, who made a rapid ascent from autocrossing to ST4 in just a couple years.

Following his start carving cones in parking lots, Lydon began an intensive period of study under the guidance of Ryan Rich, a seasoned endurance racer who helped him learn the intricacies of the road course. The two worked closely and focused on understanding AiM data with the intention of acquiring the foundational understanding needed to make the next step prudently. Going to these lengths to learn the essentials properly was an example of youthful wisdom that served him well, even if it didn’t always stick with him.

After packing 47 track days into one year, Connor felt confident to leap into Time Trial. He and his father Tim decided that the increased speeds warranted a full cage and other goodies to ensure safety. After an impromptu trackside chat with Justin Ross, Lydon decided that wheel-to-wheel wasn’t all that far away. “Justin Ross checked out our car and encouraged us to try. It would slot it nicely to Super Touring 5, and I was looking for a way to dip my toes in the water,” he added.

However, the car only barely slotted into what is a highly competitive class. “At Thunderhill, where we ran our single complete ST5 race, we learned how ill-equipped we were for this level of competition. We were 6 seconds off the pace, due in part to not having any aero or a fully functioning differential. This is what happens when you don’t build your car to the rules.”

He had to wonder what life would be like if he built his car to the rules. The chance to explore that question came after an unfortunate weekend at Sonoma, when Tim Lydon, driving in practice for his first ST5 race, had an incident.

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“After the incident at Sonoma, my dad and I decided to look into running a different class. He liked the idea of running something a little more cost effective and competitive – Spec Miata or Spec E46 had caught his attention; something that was slower, but better for driver development. I always wanted a faster car with more aero, power, and tire. I wanted something that my 20-year-old mind considered more of a challenge.”

Hasty and Hungry

Connor Lydon’s youthful exuberance won out that time, but Tim Lydon had some say in the matter. If there was a way a father’s experience could temper his son’s wide-eyed decision, it was in insisting on purchasing a prepped car rather than building an ST4 machine from scratch. “When this car popped up, we jumped. Within a week of Sonoma incident with the white car, the blue car was sitting in our driveway.”

During his first shakedown with the car, Connor was mostly satisfied. “It drove really well. I posted a 1:23.8 at Thunderhill West on my third lap in the car.

Honestly, the main challenge with the car, then and now, is just how much grip it has. Whatever I asked, the car did it. I was scaring myself pretty regularly, so I had to learn how to grit my teeth and silence my mind.”

Entering ST4 was doubly difficult because the two had to learn a new car as well as a new range of tracks – they decided to drive south and compete in Southern California. They started lapping it regularly, running at Willow Springs and Auto Club Speedway.

The basic package worked well enough, but they opted for a set of stiffer springs in search of more response. This proved to be a misstep, because the car hopped its way to the edge of the track in one of Willow Springs’ scariest corners at 120 miles per hour. One heck of a bullet to dodge in one’s first ST4 race.

Still racing on a provisional license, Lydon showed remarkable fortitude pushing on to finish midpack in that race. To place well, drive cleanly, and learn the new tracks is a tall order for anyone, but his thorough preparation had finally paid off. Soon, he’d earned his race license and started looking for ways to make the E36 stronger.

Getting onboard with one of the best respected BMW builders in the area helped them dial out some of the car’s laws. With Tony Colicchio’s spec bump steer and roll center correction kit, camber plates, and a set of MCS two-ways with revised damping and a milder set of 750-pound springs, the machine was transformed. The icing on the cake: a Diffsonline race differential with a TC Designs extra-capacity housing to avoid overheating.

Then came the matter of mass. At 2,900 pounds, the car was not quite as light as is easily achievable with a stripped E36. Cutting the next 150 pounds required Mashaw’s fiberglass doors, hood, and trunk.

While Colicchio’s additions weren’t cheap, they completed the list of modifications Lydon felt were necessary. From then on, running the car consisted of regular maintenance and little else. Relatively little work for something capable of lapping Buttonwillow 13CW in 1:55.2.

Such a light car with a 3.73 final drive can accelerate rapidly with a moderate amount of power. Sunbelt high-lift cams, custom long-tube headers, and M50 intake manifold help this refreshed S52 engine produce a respectable and somewhat peaky 270 at the wheels – a little less than grunty in second-gear corners, but fast enough to hit 144 miles per hour in the middle of Auto Club’s Turn 1.

Having confidence in the car came at the right time. “After making those changes, we learned Nationals would be held at Laguna Seca, a track I knew well. We made our goal to compete that year. We finalized the wiring, added an AiM dash, and I began running thousands of laps on the simulator,” Lydon said.

Rude Awakening

The preparation was respectable, but sadly insufficient. “Inspecting the competition was disheartening – we knew we were outgunned after one lap around the pits.”

“We learned then that the caliber is a lot higher at national events. The drivers were just incredible. While I could hang in the midpack in regional events, Nationals was a rude awakening,” he recalled.

Lydon finished his first race 15th in a field of 25, so, for the final, he decided to gamble. “On Saturday, it started raining as we rolled up to the pits, so we disconnected the sway bar and softened the shocks, left on rain tires, and went out with the hopes that the weather would level the playing field. Of course, the sun came out and the track dried as we started our pace lap.”

VIDEO

Ride along with Connor Lydon during the last two laps of his Championshps at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 2022.

He and “Michael “Stubz” Hilo were the only two that were on wets that race, and thanks to a little attrition and a few mishaps from the other drivers on Hoosiers, Lydon brought the E36 home in ninth.

After Nationals, the Lydons had to acknowledge some harsh realities. “We accepted that ST4 has a high cost to perfecting a chassis. The cars are really fast, but getting one in front-running shape costs around a hundred grand – that’s a lot of money. They needed more power, more driving time, and Tim Lydon was starting to look elsewhere.

“After watching the Spec E46’s race that weekend, he’d fallen in love. The pack was so much tighter than any other,” Lydon added.

There were other factors to consider. The Spec E46 would class in ST5 or E2 with the 15-minute addition of a wing and splitter. That versatility was appealing – so was the cost. For the price of making the E36 a front-running ST4 car at the next Nationals, they could build a Spec E46. It took a little time, but the disappointing results from the previous weekend had snubbed out some of the youthful exuberance that’d pushed the Lydons into buying the all-out ST4. This time around, they’d take a more pragmatic approach.

Following that frustrating and eye-opening weekend, Lydon took a step back from racing to pursue an education. He started at CSU Chico while his father built the Spec E46. When he was able to get back into racing the following summer, he was pleasantly surprised to see that college hadn’t slowed him down any.

“I qualified on pole and finished second in the first race. That was awesome! Because the mechanical parity is a real thing in Spec E46, it didn’t matter that my car wasn’t perfect. It was down on power and up on weight, but that only made it clearer that, while there are still skills to refine, I’m not far off a competitive pace!” Lydon exclaimed.

At subsequent races where he wasn’t quite so quick, he was not bored – processions are not possible in Spec E46, it seems, which usually draws fields twice the size of those he saw at the regional ST4 races. “You could have the hardest-fought battle for last place. For example, to secure a second-to-last place finish, I had to pass someone with two wheels in the dirt at 90 mph between Riverside and Grapevine running 25CCW!” he said, grinning.

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“The best thing I’ve learned regarding competitiveness in Spec E46 – aside from getting TC to help dial your car in – is to not overdrive your tires. You need some rubber in reserve for those last-lap passes!”

It’s not just this heightened competition that makes Spec E46 the better setting for Lydon – the camaraderie is just as enjoyable. “Spec E46 has got a tight community. They smile and lend a hand, and they really socialize. I mean, they do two race weekends a year with big barbecues and raffles. I hate to admit it, but that cohesive feeling just wasn’t quite there in ST4 for us.”

Typical Spec E46 expected turnout between 10-18. Kontrolle Cup can expect between 20-30, and the new Hoosier RCES tires are sure to raise the level of competition.

Jumping from class to class has allowed the Lydons to figure out what really matters to them. “Club racing is something we all do for fun in our free time, and we should build cars that we enjoy driving – and, sometimes, that means being competitive. I believe racing brings us all together both as friends and as competitors, and when you’ve got both, the outright speed of the car means a lot less.”

ST4 E36

SPEC E46