Performance & Racing

NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AEROFLOW

The partnership will begin immediately

Aeroflow Performance Products has signed a multi-year agreement to become the naming rights partner for the 400 Thunder Drag Racing Series. The series will now be known as the 400 Thunder Aeroflow Drag Racing Series, encompassing both the sportsman and professional divisions. “Aeroflow have been part of the fabric of drag racing for so long now, and this announcement is about reinforcing their commitment to the future of the sport,” 400 Thunder General Manager, Jason Hedges, said. “Having worked with the team from Aeroflow on the Aeroflow Future Stars Program for junior competitors, it is clear to me that they are want this sport to flourish. “This is a considerable investment in the future of the 400 Thunder Series and will help to cement the 400 Thunder Aeroflow Drag Racing Series for years to come.”

Aeroflow Brand Manager, Glenn Collett, agreed with Jason’s sentiments. “Drag Racing is home for us, these are our people. The appointment of Jason Hedges to the 400 Thunder General Manager role has made this decision an easy one for us,” Glenn said. “Drag Racing has such a loyal and passionate fan base, and with the excellent Kayo / Fox Sports broadcast agreement bringing more fans to the sport, I can only see positives for 400 Thunder in the future. “We look forward to bringing the 400 Thunder Aeroflow Drag Racing Series to fans across the country over the coming years.” The partnership will begin immediately, and Aeroflow will have a presence at many upcoming events. The partnership will also see a refresh of the 400 Thunder brand with a co-branded 400 Thunder Aeroflow Drag Racing Series logo. For more information on Aeroflow, visit www.aeroflowperformance.com For more information on the 400 Thunder Aeroflow Drag Racing Series, please visit www.400thunder.com.au

TOP FUEL CHAMPIONSHIP CONCLUDES IN STYLE

The Burson Auto Parts sponsored Lamattina Top Fuel Racing Team took runner-up honours in 2022

The inaugural Burson Auto Parts Australian Top Fuel Championship came to an end at the spectacular Nitro Up North event held at Darwin’s Hidden Valley Dragstrip on June 17 and 18. While Lamattina Top Fuel Racing (LTFR) team owner and driver Phil Lamattina missed out on the title in a duel that included racing his Burson Auto Parts team mate Shane Olive twice, it was rival Peter Xiberras who took home the 2022 Burson Auto Parts Top Fuel Championship trophy after an impressive season long performance. “Congratulations to Peter and his team, they have done a great job and deserve the rewards,” Phil said. “We have nothing to complain about, we had a good season. I was the first driver to win two events and my teammate Shane won his first event in a rookie year, plus a stack of podiums. “None of this would be possible without the support of Burson Auto Parts and Fuchs Lubricants, we are lucky to have such awesome support from them as well as Dayco, Rocky Lamattina and Sons and everyone else who has helped along the way.” While the team results saw Phil Lamattina fall just short of the championship title, this marquee event was fantastic for the teams and the fans, held in conjunction with the Supercars and the Australian Superbikes Championships at the Merlin Darwin Triple Crown. Phil went into the final with 450 points, just 10 points behind championship leader Peter Xiberras. In his rookie season, Burson Auto Parts Top Fuel Dragster driver Shane Olive arrived at the event with 260 points and at sixth position in the championship. The Darwin track provided some challenges for each car’s tune-ups. Along with the heat and humidity, track conditions were challenging with no racing on the dragstrip held during the day, and very limited racing on the surface in the lead-up to the event. Phil finished the championship as Runner-Up with 500 points, 40 behind new champion Peter Xiberras. Shane finished in sixth with 330 points in what was an outstanding rookie season. Team boss Phil explained, “of course we are disappointed, but that’s racing, you win some, you lose some.” “We will be in Alice Springs to start the new Burson Auto Parts Top Fuel Championship season in just two months, so now we will prepare for that. Whether it is myself or Shane, it’s time for some gold for the trophy cabinet.” The 2022/23 Burson Auto Parts Top Fuel Championship gets underway as one of the major attractions of the Red CentreNATS event taking place in Alice Springs on September 1 and 2. For more information, visit www.topfuelchampionship.com.au

SCHAEFFLER EXTENDS SPONSORSHIP WITH GRM

The company is backing Dylan O’Keefe in the Supercheap Auto Touring Car Racing Austraila Series

Automotive and Industrial supplier Schaeffler has announced its renewed sponsorship with Garry Rogers Motorsport’s (GRM) race driver Dylan O’Keeffe for the upcoming season of the Touring Car Racing (TCR) Australia Series. Continuing their partnership from 2021, the sponsorship deal will not only allow Schaeffler to offer its full support to the partner team by being officially affiliated with all aspects of Dylan’s racing programme but also strengthen Schaeffler’s position as a recognised automotive aftermarket player and connect with its audiences in Australia. “As an iconic brand in Australia Motorsport, we are excited to continue our partnership with Dylan and GRM,“ Schaeffler Australia Head of Automotive Aftermarket, Warren Barnett, said. “As one of the leading automotive aftermarket suppliers, motorsports provides one of the most important platforms in heightening the Schaeffler brand. “Dylan’s on-track excellence and off-track technical expertise at GRM continues to be an excellent representative of Schaeffler’s automotive competence in technological and engineering expertise.” As the latest in a worldwide factory-derived motorsport program based on four and five-door production models from the small car segment, the TCR Australia series includes sporty iterations of models popular with the Australian market, including the Honda Civic, Hyundai i30, Renault Megane and Volkswagen Golf. With seven races in different locations across the country scheduled for the 2022 season, Schaeffler’s renewed partnership follows as interest for the racing series increases, garnering over 1.2 million in viewership across five races in 2021, with a 75 percent year-on-year growth in viewers in 2021 compared to 2019. “Dylan’s continued professionalism and passion for racing both on and off track continue to impress after becoming the first Australian to compete at the opening round of the World TCR Cup at Belgium’s Zolder circuit, a feat that can be considered to be the golden pinnacle of TCR racing,“ Garry Rogers Motorsport Team Principal, Barry Rogers, said. Part of Schaeffler’s sponsorship benefits includes Schaeffler’s logo signage on Dylan‘s race suit, car, front of his helmet, and logo placements on pre and post-event email newsletters. “It is great to have Schaeffler onboard as a major sponsor to help maximise GRM’s potential to get results for our sponsors and ourselves,“ Dylan said. With the brand’s active involvement in Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) in Europe with drivers Sophia Flörsch and Marco Wittman, the sponsorship comes as Schaeffler looks to get increasingly involved in Asia Pacific’s motorsport scene. “The TCR series has the potential to become what DTM is to our European colleagues, and I think Australian motorsport fans feel the same way. It is the excitement and the willingness that TCR drivers have to push themselves beyond their limit,” Warren said. For more information, visit www.schaeffler.com

THE PERFECT MATCH FOR EVERY AMG

Whether on the Nordschleife or Down Under

Australia loves AMG vehicles: in hardly any other country in the world is the market share of the sporty sub-brand greater in relation to Mercedes sales. But Mercedes-AMG is not only on top Down Under: in the legendary 24-hour race at the Nürburgring in 2022, the factory teams, which are all equipped with Bilstein suspensions, took second and third place. The 24h race celebrates its anniversary – two places on the podium for Mercedes-AMG

From 26 to 29 May, the legendary endurance event in Germany took place for the 50th time and it was extremely exciting right up to the end. Certainly, numerous petrolheads from Australia followed the action live on the screens. And who knows, maybe some of them even mingled with the 230,000 spectators at the track. Towards the end, unpredictable weather gods challenged the teams to a game of tyre poker. Although Mercedes-AMG’s choice proved disadvantageous in this gamble, GetSpeed’s trio of Maximilian Götz, Adam Christodoulou and Fabian Schiller still took second place with the number three car. Right behind them, their teammates came in with number four – alternately driven by Maro Engel, Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella. The Mercedes-AMG Team Bilstein by HRT with start numbers 12 and 6, painted in the suspension manufacturer’s striking blue and yellow, also achieved a respectable success with places seven and eight. The number 6 was also driven by Nico Bastian, among others. “The 24h Nürburgring was a real highlight, as always. I got to drive the top qualifying, the start and the finish,” Nico said. The 32-year-old racing driver is also known to workshops as the presenter of the video series ‘Suspension Fundamentals – powered by Bilstein Academy.’ As a result, he is now very familiar not only with racing suspensions, but also with the subject of standard replacements for road use. As an AMG fan, he naturally knows exactly what Bilstein has to offer customers in this regard. Car number 12 also played a special role, presenting the new Bilstein logo with ‘full speed,’ featuring a simplified depiction of the shock absorber and a simpler basic design. The reduced look enables a modern and clearly staged customer approach: flexible and userfriendly. Under the new claim ‘Way Ahead,’ Bilstein also summarises its own ambition to offer all customers and partners a head start, be it in development, in terms of market coverage or in the use of suspension technologies. Perfect replacement for air suspensions and electronically controlled suspension systems

In the aftermarket, for example, the German suspension experts offer the perfect shock absorbers and air suspension modules for the C-Class W205 and the E-Class W213, including the AMG versions. Unlike many other IAM suppliers, all components are 100 percent compatible with the factory features, including the electronic damper control. Moreover, the quality is also completely at OE level. After all, Bilstein is the OEM for many Mercedes models. The Bilstein B4 gas pressure shock absorber, for example, is 100 percent the same as the factory-fitted components in terms of quality and functionality – but at a lower price. This applies to the actively controllable DampTronic variants just as much as to the basic product used for passive suspension systems. The Bilstein B6 DampTronic shock absorber is available for people who have to master particularly tough everyday conditions with their vehicle or who simply want to improve its performance. It stands for improved OE replacement in combination with active suspension systems. Going beyond the original, it offers a noticeable plus in safety and performance – even without lowering or changing springs. Its higher power reserves are particularly effective in the following scenarios: on poor or winding roads, when driving in a dynamic style, in dangerous situations, when towing a trailer, when transporting external loads – such as bicycle racks or roof racks – and generally with heavily loaded vehicles. Bilstein B4 air suspensions

Defective air suspensions are often replaced by relatively inexpensive remanufactured parts. However, the price advantage comes at the price of various disadvantages in terms of performance and functionality. Bilstein B4 air suspension modules, on the other hand, are a real alternative to expensive original parts. As one of the few aftermarket options, they are completely new from the factory, while remanufactured air suspension modules include used shock absorbers with uncertain wear status. In addition, manufacturers of remanufactured components often disable the electromagnetic control valve instead of replacing it. This turns a high-end system with active control into a passive one. Not so with Bilstein: B4 air suspension modules or B4 DampTronic and B6 DampTronic shock absorbers let cars drive like on day one. For more information, visit workshop.bilstein.com Photos: Copyright BILSTEIN 2022.

ACL PARTNERS WITH RACING WITH AUTISM AUSTRALIA

ACL Bearing Company (Australia) has a long and rich history in Motorsport

ACL has an extensive series of partnerships with many global motorsport teams at all levels of professionalism and participation. Now, a chance meeting between ACL General Manager Chris Brooks and Jessica Benge, the Founder of Racing with Autism Australia (RWAA) at the Symmons Plains Supercars round, has progressed to a new partnership. Chris says this partnership with RWAA is an extension of the Launceston-based company’s support for motorsport and the broader community. “We are very pleased to be involved with RWAA, the programs and support they provide for their racers is fantastic,” Chris said. RWAA originally began as a small project in June 2020, with an aim to support five people on the Autism Spectrum involved in racing. It is now a not-for-profit incorporated association which supports 33 racers across Australia. These racers are called “Racing with Autism Australia Supported Racers” and are involved in numerous genres of motorsport including karting, speedway, motocross, and circuit racing. RWAA has also recently launched its “Pit Stop” which is a safe place for people with disabilities to attend at community and motorsport events. The Pit Stop provides an inclusive and understanding environment that has equipment that can be utilised by people who may need to take a break at a large event. Jessica says that the partnership with ACL has allowed RWAA to purchase a reliable and sturdy custom marquee which gives a professional and welcoming look for the Pit Stop. “We cannot begin to express our gratitude for this partnership and for Chris and the team at ACL for realising the importance of our purpose and our goals. We look forward to continuing the partnership with Chris and ACL into the future,” Jessica said. “Racing with Autism Australia is based around not just creating awareness, but educating people about the autism spectrum, providing opportunity for people on the spectrum and by doing that, creating acceptance for every individual. “It has become a family environment for many of our supported racers who at times previously had felt as though they were alone in their day-today struggles. We will make a difference, we will educate, we will inspire, and we will change people’s lives.” RWAA is also working towards a school, community, and corporate presentation plan where they will provide education around the Autism spectrum and how people can be more inclusive in today’s society. These presentations will be based around the inspirational stories of its supported racers and will be linked to the story of Canada’s Austin Riley who with his father began the original Racing with Autism program. To learn more about Racing with Autism Australia, search for ‘Racing with Autism Australia’ on Facebook or Instagram. For more information on ACL RACE Series performance engine bearings, visit www.aclperformance.com.au

ACL BACKS THE LOCALS

The Tasmania-based company is supporting a new championship in its home state

ACL Bearing Company (Australia) Pty Ltd has been a long-time supporter of Australian Motorsport across the breadth and depth of the country from Grassroots to Supercars. It says it has been thrilled to partner this year with the recently formed Hyundai Excel Racing Tasmania (HERT) series in its home state. The 2022 Tasmanian Championship consists of six rounds and kicked off in March with the final to be held in November, with events alternating between the major Tasmanian tracks of Baskerville and Symmons Plains. “We have been involved with the category in Victoria for the last couple of years and we are excited to be naming rights sponsor for the category in its first full season here in Tassie,” ACL General Manager, Chris Brooks, said. “We developed a RACE Series Performance Engine Bearing product for the Hyundai Excel a few years back and we are excited to be the naming rights sponsor for the Hyundai Excel Racing Tasmania category in its first full season. “To have such an exciting development category in our home state is a great opportunity to watch the growth of local drivers as they set out on the development of successful motor racing careers.” Brooks said that Tasmania has a rich and successful Motorsport heritage and has produced many fine motorsport exports over the years. It is hoped that HERT will unearth the next crop of drivers to continue the tradition. “We are very pleased to partner with a highly respected, iconic Tasmanian automotive company for our series,” Hyundai Excel Racing Tasmania President, Craig Twining, said. “The support of ACL will enable HERT to provide a professional administered development race category for developing drivers within the state. “Hyundai Excel racing is growing nationally, and it is a low-cost entry-level category for circuit racing as a development platform for young drivers. The participation at our events is growing with over 20 cars on the grid for the recent rounds.” For more information on Hyundai Excel Racing Tasmania, visit www.facebook.com/x3tas For more information on ACL RACE Series performance engine bearings, visit www.aclperformance.com.au