MotorWerks Magazine Volume 2 Issue 1

THE ULTIMATE READING EXPERIENCE! VOLUME 2 ISSUE 01 AUGUST 2012

Published by TreeFree Publishing A division of Webtronic Enterprises

! e m i T w o ’s Sh

It

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This Month 6

Bimmercruise ‘11

16

R53 MINI Swansong

18

Motoring Society

22

MINIs On The Dragon

28

Bimmercruise - The Story

32

Mosport Preview

44

Road Trip 1

54

Carbon MINI

56

Road Trip 2

72

Featured Photographer!

70

Performance Directory

80

Coming Next Month

Canada’s biggest BMW show

Anglo - American team aims high

Check out MINI lovers from Houston Great photos

Randy Sparre and his dream.

Good things happening at CTMP. Santa Pod’s BMW Show!

Lots of neat carbon pieces for your MINI. Speed events in the UK.

Our very own Melissa K Smith.

Check out all our great advertisers.

You have to check out what we have in store for you next month.

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From the Editor’s Desk It’s been two long again! That’s right, too long since the last issue. Being a small company with limited resources is part of the problem as well as personal issues with two deaths in the family to compound things.

Sorry about the weight but I believe you will enjoy it and the next one will not be that far away! It will feature some great photography from world famous venues like Daytona, Indy and Mosport! Our new project car will be unveiled.

In addition to bringing you great articles and photos we are working on developing our new Video Byte segments where you can hyperlink to a video about the car or product you are reading about. This adds an extra dynamic that with only benefit our readers by adding an extra dimension to the article. Bear with us as we develop the product.

I just wanted to remind you that all the adverts in the Performance Directory are hyperlinked to our advertisers websites. These are the people who make it possible for us to bring you this magazine, please support them. Check out their websites and when you purchase anything tell them you found out about them through MWM. Be part of MWM by sending in photos and data about your car. We will include interesting vehicles in the Readers’ Ride section. Wanting to make a point? Send a letter to the Editor and tell the World what you think! Go to our website, www.motorworksmag.com and click on Contact to view the contact info for Readers’ Rides and Letters to the Editor.

Enjoy

Editor, MotorWerks Magazine

MOTORWERKS MAGAZINE (MWM)

is dedicated to all BMW and MINI enthusiasts covering their cars and lifestyles.

Issue 04 - AUGUST 2012 Editor - Ian Rae E-Mail - ianrae@motorwerksmag.com Phone - (905) 467-5148

CONTRIBUTORS

Ian Rae, Dipal Patel, Ken Wilden, Tony Weber, Halston Pitman, John Venditti, Rich Simpson, Lyndon Handy.

CONTRIBUTIONS WELCOME

Photographic and Editorial contributions to MWM are welcomed.

Photgraphs must be sent in hi-res format and can be .JPEG or .TIFF. Editorial contributions to be in Word format. Contributors must make every effort to ensure there is no infringement of copyright belonging to any other person or persons. MWM is not responsible for any such misrepresented contributions. Contact the Editor by e-mail to discuss any editorial concepts.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ian Rae, Janis Rae, Melissa Smith, Halston Pitman, Dipal Patel, Tony Weber, Logan Weber, Paul Schmitz, Trevor Andrusko Various BMW & MINI images courtesy BMW Group Press Club

ADVERTISING

Advertising Manager - Janis Rae E-Mail - janrae@motorwerksmag.com

CREATIVE ADVISORS

.

Jim Weekes - J Graphics Scott Brown - Scott Brown Graphic Designs Mike Goodwin - MG Digital

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MOTORWERKS MAGAZINE (MWM) is published by TreeFree

Publishing, a division of Webtronic Enterprises. Contents may not be reprinted without express written permission of the Editor. The publishers do not accept any responsibility for the use of copyrighted material from unsolicited sources. The publishers also cannot be held responsible for any errors or ommisions in articles published by MWM. All brand names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners. The BMW and MINI names and logos are registered trademarks of BMW AG and their subsidaries. MWM is not directly affiliated with BMW, any of its distributors or dealers.

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A CANADIAN CLASSIC!

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When Bimmercruise ‘11 rolled around it was another unqualified success. The turnout and quality of cars was indeed impressive.

Unfortunately the talk of the event was not about what was good about Bimmercruise but about the bad. The bad had nothing to do with Randy Sparre or any of his team. Mother nature decided not to cooperate and in the early afternoon hit with a storm that devastated the nearby picturesque town of Goderich north west of Toronto with a full blown tornado. Darkening skies and rising wind gusts had vendors running to take down shelters before they became projectiles heading towards one of the biggest gatherings of BMWs Bimmercruise had seen in years.

A dejected Sparre told us, “What can you do? We hoped the bad weather would hold off for a bit longer and considering how the weather forecast was leading into Sunday it was amazing how many turned out for the event in the first place.

Even after the storm had passed people came back just to hang out and make sure everyone was OK. That is what is great about the BMW community, they care!”

He was indeed right about the turnout! The line-up leading into the Powerade Centre was all around the block. The cruise portion of the event was well received and as you can see from the lead photograph all manner of BMWs were lined

up ready to hang out with fellow enthusiasts.

Title sponsor BMW Autohaus was on hand with a great display that ranged from wheel and tire packages to lifestyle products. The setup at the Powerade Centre was perfect for the Manufacturers Midway with companies like JRP Online, Bimmian, RMP Motors as well as ourselves. We had Project 335 on hand as well as a Dinan tuned M3 Cabriolet from Budds’ BMW. The Trillium Chapter of BMW Clubs Canada were on hand providing some fast action entertainment in the form of an Auto Slalom counting towards the club championship.

So was Sparre ready to throw in the towel as far as running Canada’s premier BMW show?

“No way, that weather just makes me more determined to make 2012 even bigger and better! In fact I have just concluded negotiations to move the event to the newly renamed Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Development track (formerly Mosport Park) and add in lapping in addition to the auto slalom event that will again be part of Trillium’s championship.

More information about this year’s event and photo galleries showcasing previous events can be found at the BimmerCruise website at www. bimmercruise.com Remember to keep Sunday August 26th clear for Canada’s biggest BMW show.

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The badge says it all!

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IT is the end of an era as the iconic MINI bids farewell to the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, but former British Mini Challenge champ Chris Knox is determined to give the little star one final stage to shine on.

Chris, from Elderslie in Renfrewshire, Scotland, wants to give the little car a MINI Swansong for the final two rounds of the series, at Laguna Seca and Lime Rock.

He will team up with RSR Motorsports as part of a British/American dream team to get the Cooper S on the grid for a final showdown and hopes it will be in front of thousands of MINI aficionados.

MINI owners, fans and dealers on both sides of the Atlantic will get their chance to be directly involved with the R53 MINI Swansong in one of the most exciting and novel race programs ever put together.

Instead of one big corporate sponsor, the guys want loads of smaller businesses, dealerships, MINI owners and race fans to club together and they could WIN a stack of goodies.

Chris has already started building his reputation in the States with a stunning debut show in the BMW Performance 200 on the famed Daytona International Speedway road course at the Rolex 24 Hours meeting in January.

and has turned the R53 Cooper S into a car that could not only challenge for race wins but as they showed last year, championships as well.

The recent third place at the inaugural event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway showed there is life in the old dog yet!

Through Facebook I heard that the R53 had run out of time at Grand-Am and 2012 was going to be its last season. They are great little cars and the fans love them. Along with Ian Rae of MotorWerks Magazine, I felt the car needed to go out on a high.”

The two, contacted RSR team principal Randy Smalley about a unique opportunity for MINI fans to be part of the big send-off and give the car a racing Swansong to remember. Randy said: “When Chris contacted me I thought it was a great idea. The R53 MINI has been good to us but with no outside help to develop the R56 or the R58 it looks as if 2012 will see the end of RSR running the MINI brand. It is not that the car has become uncompetitive, it is just too old a model for Grand-Am to allow in their series. It would be fitting for us to give the MINI a good send off and Chris’s MINI Swansong is a great way of doing it. It allows MINI owners and fans to come and check us out and allows them to be part of MINI history - something they will remember for the rest of their lives.?

So how will it work? Chris explained: “The MINI is still a British brand, even if BMW now owns it.

Wouldn’t it be cool if we ended this part of its racing heritage by having a British and American driver share the car in the final two rounds and invite local MINI aficionados to become part of Chris said: “RSR Motorsport has been a that history! We want to invite MINI owners, competitive presence in Grand-Am for many years fans, and dealers on both sides of the Atlantic to He shared the RSR Motorsport MINI and was immediately on the same pace as the regular drivers and set the teams fastest ever lap of the circuit.

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pledge small amounts to come up with the total funding. Through the gofundme.com website, friends, acquaintances, MINI owners and businesses can pledge any amount to help make this dream come true.

All donations will be returned if we do not get close to our target. But we believe this program is as big a winner as the car. We are determined to make this happen and we are equally as determined to give MINI fans the chance to come along for the ride. I honestly believe that Laguna Seca and Lime Rock Park are two tracks where the MINI can still excel and RSR Motorsports have the tools, knowledge and talent to make it happen.”

MINI owner Norman Nelson - creator of the MINI Thunder events at Thunderhill - is already backing the project. He said: “As a certified MINI nut it is indeed a sad time for myself and other MINI fans. We loved the fact that we could cheer for the brand as it ran in the top tintop series in the USA. With it being the last event for MINI on the West Coast you can be assured my friends and I will be out in force, cheering on the RSR guys and Chris.

We already have a MINI Corral organized for Laguna Seca and would love for someone to do

the same at Lime Rock. I have got to know Chris over the past six months as we have talked over the Internet and can see he is indeed a talented and highly motivated individual who is perfect to represent the British side of this MINI Swansong, so let’s make this happen, people!”

Chris added: “I look forward to meeting all the MINI fans at Laguna and Lime Rock. This can be a MINI celebration that everyone will remember.

Thanks to Randy for the opportunity to run with such a quality team, knowing we can give the MINI the Swansong it deserves!

We are working on promotions for the great people who decide to donate to us. Norm is giving away three free entries to next year’s MINI Thunder event, MotorWerks Magazine is giving away free advertising to companies who donate over a certain dollar value and we are looking for lots of other ways to give something back.

Ian Rae, at MotorWerks Magazine, is going to publish an E-book recording all aspects of the MINI Swansong with all contributors thanked by name. Keep up to date daily with all our news on Facebook by searching Chris Knox Racing or R53 MINI Swansong, with all updates also on our website at www.chrisknox.co.uk. All have links to the donation page on the GoFundMe.com website.

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Houston MINI Motoring Society Being a MINI fanatic, it would only make sense for Stuart to hang out with like-minded people and they would be the Houston MINI Motoring Society (HMMS), a group of MINI owners that want to share interests, experiences and love of MINI’s with other members. The club was incorporated in February of 2003, with a view of making MINI ownership even more rewarding and entertaining.

The club has a general membership meeting on the first Saturday of each month. The location varies, and is listed on the website, www.hmms. org in the weeks before the event. Several restaurants around town have played host to the meeting and some members have even been kind enough to invite members into their homes.

The monthly meetings promote socializing, sharing the latest MINI news and planning future activities. The goal for HMMS is to promote a club atmosphere that is fun and family friendly.

Other activities include road trips, “mod” days and parades. Road trips have included visiting Waco, Austin, Moulton and Dallas. Attractions visited include the Dr. Pepper Museum, Gainsco Racing, Jester King Brewery. Joint events with the Dallas/Ft Worth, Austin and San Antonio MINI clubs are always a huge success and the club is open to suggestions for other road trips that would be of interest to their members.

The club is socially responsible and supports local charities to give back to their community. They

have adopted a stretch of beach at Galveston Island State Park, which is cleaned several times a year in co-ordination with Texas Adopt A Beach and they support the Ronald McDonald House by serving a meal or two during the year.

Community Family Centers is the third charity that recieves support from the club.

Several HMMS members have participated in track days that give them the opportunity to push their MINI to the limits on a real racetrack and improve their driving skills. An active group of auto-crossers participate in local events where they can participate in true grassroots motorsport without breaking the bank.

For more information on Houston Mini Motoring Society the please contact Gretchen Conley, the HMMS Treasurer by e-mail at gleeconley@ comcast.net

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Beach clean-up at Galveston Island State Park

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S I N MI e h t n o N O G A R D

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Words and Photos

by Stuart Mackay

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Photography on the Dragon I have to admit I am a self confessed Canon nut and my cameras of choice are a Canon 7D, 20D and G12. I have XXX and XXX lenses that will swap between the 7D and 20D dependant on what I am shooting. For action video I use a Go-PRO HERO-2. As you can see by these images I am a big fan of selective color. “I love how selecting a few objects and leaving them in color with the rest being balck and white

changes an image. It focuses on the object you want the viewer to look at and that is the purpose of photography. It is about telling a story. In the one below you can tell how much the kayaker is in awe of the rapids. The one on the right focuses on the MINI but the beautiful background reminds you inanimate objects like cars can be beautiful too”

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Bimmercruise - The Story -

By Randy Sparre

The winter 2000 season was when myself and two friends, Kevin Kukkonen & David Sinodhinos started planning a local car cruise that would involve a bunch of BMW enthusiasts driving their cherished rides through scenic parts of Southwest Ontario. The idea sounded good as it differed from the usual parking lot meets that were going on at the time (and still do!). With help from others, we designed & printed flyers to market the event and circulated them through various BMW-specific shops in the GTA. This worked out well as the turn out of BMWs was impressive for a first time event.

Bimmercruise 2001 took place in an auxiliary parking lot at Centennial Park in Etobicoke. A local BMW tuner shop (Motronix Motorsports)

asked me if he could set up a canopy tent and display parts and some customer cars. That was the start of our Midway display. Approximately seventy BMW’s showed up ranging from several dozen E30s to a brand new Z8. Everyone was having a great time conversing about each other’s cars, experiences and passion for the marque. A local ice cream truck unexpectedly stopped by, providing relief from the August heat.

With the packed parking lot, lineup for ice cream and the interest the Motronix Motorsports display was getting we sawthe event was viable and that insight was to allow us to better plan for future events.

After the “show” portion, spectators & competitors, ‘Cruisers’ set out on a convoy cruise to Kelso Conservation Area in Milton, ON. Luckily everyone managed to stay together without the need for route maps and a line of BMW’s started to pile into Kelso park. This was the inception to a fantastic annual event that many enthusiasts

look forward to each summer.

Naturally, being heavily involved with each event I’ve had my fair share of memorable experiences over the past 12 years. In 2002 & 2003 we moved the show to Applewood Plaza in Mississauga. This parking lot was on the North Service Rd which had a clear view to the QEW. As a GTA commuter, I can surely attest to our terrible traffic jams; but this was the first time I was responsible for causing one. Traffic was at a snail’s pace in both directions for the duration of the show (5hrs) as rubber-neckers couldn’t take their eyes off the event. After the show, crowds of people on the sidewalk would convince departing ‘Cruisers to initiate big smokey burnouts while leaving for the cruise. As if motorists on the QEW didn’t have enough to look at!

In 2004 & 2005 we hosted the show at Todaredaca Park in Mississauga.

Weather didn’t cooperate much for this venue as both years were wet.

2005 was especially depressing as it started to snow half way through the mid-October day. Everyone crammed inside a camp building for warmer/dry shelter. To make things worse, we had BMW Motorsport flags donated from Trillium BMW to dress up the park entrance which were stolen throughout the day. On a lighter note, I remember a specific competitor that arrived in the morning (driving slowly with his hazard lights on) with an open bucket full of soap-water in his passenger foot well. He used it to wash his car at the show! Needless to say, the judges awarded him the “Cleanest Car” trophy by day’s end. By this time, I began to realize how popular the show was getting as our numbers were still strong even in the worst weather conditions. This determination and enthusiasm from ‘Cruisers continually helps motivate me to make each show better than the last.

In 2006 & 2007 we teamed up with BMW-Trillium Chapter and held Bimmercruise at Mosport’s infield during their Advanced Driving School (ADS). This decision was a welcome change (benefiting both organizations) allowing everyone to see how the school is run and watch some fast cars on the track. Trillium was gracious enough to let a handful of ‘Cruiser try out the skidpad

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satisfy your Speed tooth.

Action packed with a six-speed transmission, MacPherson suspension and a road-devouring 208-horsepower engine, this John Cooper Works two-seater lets you feed your craving for speed.

And when hit you 80 KPH, the rear poiler automatically raises for better downforce, begging you to go even faster in the fastest MINI yet. THE NEW MINI COUPÉ. HOLD ON.

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exercises with supervision. The crowds loved watching people abusing their tires in a controlled environment so I introduced a burnout contest in 2008 when Bimmercruise moved to an industrial plaza in Ajax. To save the asphalt, we had a 500kg (3m x3m) steel plate brought over from a neighboring steel mill with a forklift. All this effort and we only had 3 cars sign up to compete in the tire shredding ritual (1st place was a new set of tires from our sponsor!).

Another unique addition to 2008 was the use of an in-ground dynamometer provided by a shop within the plaza. This expensive device is used to measure the HP & Torque of cars and even had the capability to simulate a quarter mile race (without wind drag of course). It was a busy day with many competitors trying it out to measure their true power. Offering ‘Cruisers more to watch than just a static car show was becoming extremely advantageous as I was noticing the crowds staying around throughout the entire day. This lead to future Bimmercruise events at racetracks allowing competitors to drive their performance machines while at the same time giving spectators more to action to watch.

Toronto Motorsports Park (TMP) – Cayuga was the stage for our 2009 Bimmercruise. This show differed from any other in many aspects. Due to scheduling, I was unable to secure the entire venue exclusively. That meant we had to share one of the tracks (drag strip) with their weekly test & tune crowd which included a huge variety of Domestic & Asian modified vehicles. Additionally, the venue was also shared with a sister-event; Eurofest. Eurofest was a premier event geared for all types of European vehicles.

Numerous web forums & clubs would gather many members and cruise to TMP for the days’ festivities parking together within the show representing themselves. In addition to TimeAttack race sessions and open lapping on their road course, Eurofest also offered a new style of drag racing called “roll-ons”. This is where two cars (usually high powered exotics such as Lambos, Ferraris, Porsches etc) would race down the quarter mile track by commencing the acceleration run from 3rd gear @100km/h

finishing slightly after the quarter mile marker sometimes just under 300km/h!. Because of the sheer size of TMP grounds, I rented a Segway to get around the park. The most memorable moment of Bimmercruise 2009 was racing a Mustang GT down the drag strip on the Segway, which incidentally ran out of battery power at the 400m point requiring me to carry the 45kg device back! My initial premise offering ‘Cruisers more than a static car show may have gone overboard.

There was so much going on at TMP, it really didn’t feel like the typical Bimmercruise so many enjoyed attending previous years. Admittedly, it was very taxing for me and volunteers to successfully organize such a large event (Eurofest included).

This leads up to the past two years where Bimmercruise, in conjunction with Trillium-BMW autoslaloms were held at Brampton’s Powerade Center which offered a great central location, clean washroom facilities, amazing vendor turnouts (logistics?) in turn, more prizes for competitors, general public raffles, day-long racing action, mobile dyno and last but certainly not least, the tail end of a Tornado (that leveled Goderich) hit our show with such ferocity that to this day one vendor has yet to find their 10’x10’ canopy tent! Since Ajax’s 2008 event, we’ve made a point of offering a mobile dynomometer at each of our events. This is a simple, cost effective way to keep people entertained and allows enthusiast a chance to really see if all that money on modifications actually netted them more power.

Since our inception in August 2001, the Bimmercruise show has evolved in many ways.

Growing every year in numbers (vendors, prizes, competitors and spectators) and offering more to see throughout the event but one thing has always remained the same; You could always be reassured there will be a large BMW convoy associated with the show. With the exception of two years (2001 & 2002) the cruise departs from a predetermined location, usually 80km-100km away from the show grounds. Maps are handed out the morning of and volunteers (who know the route) guide the long convoy of cars (adhering to the posted laws) to its final destination.

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With time and priorities changing, David & Kevin were no longer able to help organize the event after the 3rd year. It was up to me to keep the legacy going! Don’t get me wrong, there have been numerous times I’ve felt like giving up organizing such a large event, but the constant interest and energy from participants, volunteers, friends & family have helped me stay focused. On that note, I’d like to mention the most important person that makes our events run smoothly; my wife Anita. Her managerial and organizational skills are invaluable in the main registration tent throughout the entire show.

After years of personally competing in many show & shines, it would only seem fit to offer equivalent prizes to our loyal Bimmercruise show participants. This added expense was naturally offset by contributions from local sponsors using this niche BMW only show to advertise their product and/or services to a target

demographic. Many sponsors have been very faithful over the past decade. Some that quickly come to mind (in no particular order) are BMW Club of Canada - Trillium Chapter, MaXbimmer web-forum, RMP motors, Daytona Motors, Bimmersport Automotive, Chuck’s Auto, Cross Avenue Auto, Luxury Auto Body, D’Sylva Tech Tuning, Auto Evolution, MotorWerks Magazine, Engine’s Unlimited, Carbonio, Bimmex/Europa, various dealerships including Parkview, Autohaus, Mississauga, Serpa and many more that have come on board more recently.

In the end, after 12 years we are proud to have 30+ regular sponsors, 80+ trophy classes, 250+ cars, and (literally) over $10,000 in prizes and giveaways. We look forward to seeing everyone this year on Sunday August 26th at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park – Mosport Driver Development Center (DDT) where we’ll once again make another memorable show!

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Words and Photos s by Ian Rae

Mosport Preview

When it was announced in late May 2011 that Don Panoz had sold Mosport Park to three Canadian partners including noted racer, Ron Fellows, Orlando Corp. chairman Carlo Fidani and Trailcon leasing president Alan Broughton you could imagine the buzz that went around Canadian motorsport. Fellows was asked, how did it feel to own the track where he first tasted racing action as a spectator at the 1969 Canadian Grand Prix and where he has had huge success?

“It’s awesome,” Fellows said. “This place is very close to my heart. I grew up racing here, watched a ton of races and had a lot of really cool firsts at Mosport: My first drivers’ championship, my first Trans-Am win, a World Sportscar win with Ferrari, Johnny [O’Connell] and I dominated several American Le Mans Series races there, and then I managed to bag that win last year in the World Challenge in their 50th anniversary, which was important to me.”

Fellows excitement has drifted down to the racers, fans, photographers, in fact anyone with an interest in Canadian motorsports. That excitement was evident when I arrived for the

2011 American Le Mans Series event at the track. I had never seen the the Park so full of spectators in many years. For the BMW and MINI fan there was lots to entertain them and going forward into 2012 it is only getting better.

The track has seen many improvements over the winter. A new tunnel can now accomodate two haulers and has a pedestrian walkway. Us photographers have not been forgotten and we not have walkways over the tunnel and are no longer risking life and limb to capture these actions shots that you so love. Paddock space is extended and paved in readiness of the events Fellows and his team are trying to entice to the newly renamed Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.

The fans have not been forgotten about and new access roads now allow fans to bring their campers to the tiered infield camping spots. Two new bridges allow spectators to move easily between infield and outfield without travelling huge distances.

Best of all the upgrades are not finished!

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EVERY ISSUE is

FREE!

That’s right, every issue is free! Just surf into our website and browse through the latest issue or check out our archives for the ones you have missed. MotorWerks Magazine touts itself as ‘The Ultimate Reading Experience’ and that certainly is the case as far as lovers of BMWs and MINIs are concerned. Tell your friends about us and even drop us a note if we made you happy or mad! Tell us what we are doing right or wrong!

We do need advertisers to come on board and allow us to continue doing this. Call us to talk about cost effective marketing. We have a solution for every budget!

Call Ian Rae on (905) 467-5148 or e-mail us at ianrae@motorwerksmag.com

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p i r T d Roa Part One

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Santa

Pod Raceway

Words: Ian Rae, Photos: Ian and Janis Rae.

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When it comes to entertainment, nobody in motorsport is better at putting on a show than Santa Pod Raceway in the United Kingdom. It was something we noticed in 2006 when we covered their FIA sanctioned ‘Main Event’ drag race for RPM Magazine. Their ‘BMW Show’ was no different and you had to be super aware of what was going on around you to take it all in. In addition to drag racing and show and shine for the attendees, the ‘Pod’ had stunt shows, drifting complete with ridea-longs, dyno pulls, a Jet dragster and a handling course that anyone could try our with their own car.

Famed for its super sticky, all asphalt drag strip, the staging lanes were full all day with all manor of BMW cars and bikes. Both standard road and modified cars took their turn to better their personal best elapsed times or even settle the odd grudge match. We saw all sorts of power plants under the hoods, classic BMW, big block V8 and high tech LS1 power. My personal favorite was the M5 V10 transplant into an E46! 1320 Mini and their customers impressed with some very quick MINIs that alternated between the track and their assigned Midway area recieving further tweaking

Mattie Griffin put on a great display with his BMW 800R

It’s a diesel!

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every pass.

Interspersed with the BMWs a few locals tested their American Muscle drag trucks and entertained with sub ten second passes. One of the most impressive BMWs was Dave Gamble’s BMW 1602 which recorded a 14.2947 seconds @ 96.44mph to win the four cylinder class. Powered by a 2,500cc M3 motor the retro Bimmer proved small and lightweight with big power was the way to conquer the dragstrip.

The Autoglym Show Car Paddock, had some of the nicest BMWs and MINIs in the country on show. The quality of preparation was amazing but while many deserving winners took away awards there were many cars that were trophy worthy but went home without any reward for all the hard work put into their appearance.

Santa Pod’s Live Action arena hosted Jon Moore of the Terry Grant Stunt School, and top BMW bike stunt rider Mattie Griffin, who both amazed the fans with their talent for doing things the rest of us mortals can only dream of. Griffin showed that the 800R is indeed a superbly capable bike when ridden by someone with his talents.

Above and below: Jon Moore puts on a great display of stunt driving

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Below: A rolling road dyno was on hand to give you the true HP of your car.

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The Live Action Arena doubled as a handling track when the stunt teams were taking a break.

Two sessions were run, where all-comers were able to take their road car and to challenge the twisty track that had many a driver sit back and realize it was not as easy as it looked. Mark Webb driving an E36 328i recorded the ‘Best Time of the Day’ with a 21.77 seconds run.

For those fans of going sideways, there was a drifting demonstration with the added bonus of being able to go for a ride-a-long. Featuring some of the Japanese models that seem to dominate the sport, as well as a few BMWs, there was plenty of action and smoking tires.

The biggest applause being kept for the guy who actually shredded his tires and had to limp back to the paddock on a flat tire.

Behind the stands a manufacturers Midway was laid out with all sorts of new and used goodies on display for both BMW and MINI owners.

So there you go, Santa Pod’s BMW Show is a fantastic day out for anyone with petrol (gas) running through their veins. It is so diverse nobody can get bored. Plus, for a racetrack the grub is good! Check it out!

Info available at www.santapod.co.uk or www.bmwshow.co.uk

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CARBONMINI - Super Cool Carbon for MINIs. Most MINI enthusiasts would agree that their ultimate “youification” is to add John Cooper Works carbon fiber to their vehicle. Unfortunately JCW branded parts are priced well beyond what most MINI owners really want to spend on personalizing their ride. While cheaper alternatives are available from overseas vendors, they are often of poor quality and fit. Through our good friend Norman Nelson, MotorWerks Magazine was recently introduced to a company called CARBONMINI located in San Francisco, California. According to their website, they are the only company on the planet currently offering premium carbon fiber parts and accessories exclusively for the MINI Cooper brand. They design, develop and offer premium carbon fiber MINI components at prices that most MINI owners can actually afford.

Erin, one of the partners, told MotorWerks, “As MINI owners we were not satisfied with what was available on the market. So we pulled together our resources, know-how and passion for the MINI and created CARBONMINI. We are a team of diehard MINI owners who truly believe MINIs are the best cars in the world for fun, performance and eco-friendliness. Together the CARBONMINI partners have owned BMWs, Mercedes, Porsches, Land Rovers and even a Lamborghini, but we have all switched to the MINI for reasons clearly apparent to all MINI owners world-wide.”

CARBONMINI only works with top fabricators in the US and Europe using aerospace-grade dry carbon fiber to create the best possible parts for the MINI and offers them to owners at factorydirect pricing, which provides a savings of 40% or more. They are so confident about the quality of their products that each part carries a twoyear warranty, doubling that of any company or MINI dealership.

The company currently produces components for R50, R52, R53, R55, R56, R57, R58, R59 and R60 models. These include things like, door handle overlays, fuel filler trim and overlay, headlight trim and washer overlays as well as interior components like steering wheels inlays.

Not only is CARBONMINI making a difference in the MINI community, they are also making a difference in the global community. Erin tells

I N I M N O B R CA l Super Coo Carbon!

MotorWerks that they are a socially responsible company and have committed to setting aside 25% of their profits to reinvest as interest-free loans to needy causes in developing countries.

Stuart Mackay’s Chilli Red R56 Cooper S featured on pages 30-36 makes good use of CARBONMINI components to turn his ‘S’ into an eye catching one off that turns heads wherever it goes.

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Best of all! CARBONMINI has a deal if you are looking to add some carbon fiber to your MINI. They have generously offered a 10% discount to MotorWerks Magazine readers. Simply use promo code “MotorWerks” in the message box at checkout and you’ll receive a 10% rebate on your entire order. To learn more about CARBONMINI and their products, please visit their website at www.carbonmini.com.

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Words: Ian Rae, Photos: Ian and Janis Rae.

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Returning to ones roots can be an intimidating thing. We all remember the good old days but looking back twenty odd years, were they really that good? Our trip to the United Kingdom in 2011 would allow that question to be posed and answered. Purposely scheduling the trip from Wednesday to Wednesday made for three available weekends. Six days! But I was at one track or another on seven days when you throw in attending Friday a British Kart Championship round at Larkhall near Glasgow.

Next up was my first visit to Forrestburn, which is located just off the M8 Motorway half way between Glasgow and Edinburgh. It was hosting two rounds of the Scottish Hillclimb Championship, one on each day of the weekend.

In typical Scottish summer weather (cold and drizzle) we travelled along the narrow one lane access road to the track.

Speed hillclimbing in the UK is classed as an entry-level motorsport run against the clock rather than other cars. Many of the cars driven to the track, wheels and tires changed and driven home when competition is over. Those MotorWerks Magazine - Online at www.motorwerksmag.com -  59

who do tow tend to be with open trailers and SUVs, making them much shorter and easier to manouvere than the rigs we use over here. Many of Scotland’s motorsport venues are in bleak locations but in Forrestburn’s case it works for them. The pimple like hill is 1030 meters (almost 3400 feet) long and was the first purpose built hillclimb track built in the UK since Brooklands in the 1930s. Therefore the Monklands club has no real noise issues or chance of housing encroaching on the track. I was impressed by the track surface at Forrestburn, having been purpose built, it was way better than many a track I have run on.

The paddock reminded me of my home hillclimb track, Rumster, where I competed in my first speed event way back in the 70s. A paddock was cut out of the hillside to provide hard parking for competitors and on the day we visited was muddy due to the drizzle that fell through the day. Not that rain or inclement weather stops the competition.

Simply put, if it gets too greasy, the

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Jennifer Bremner shares a Radical with her husband

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wets come out and competition continues un-impeded.

One of the great things about hillcimbing and speed events is the ability to share a car. Two drivers can run the same car in the same class, thus making the sport very affordable. In my case I ran a Clan sports car with Henry Sinclair in the Modsports class and am proud of the fact that Henry never beat me in the time we shared the car. It is quite often the case that cars are shared by father and sons, wives or daughters, the kids help when they are younger and once old enough they get behind the wheel for some family rivalry. Current BMW DTM driver and former WTCC World Champion Andy Priaulx started his car racing career in hillclimbing, sharing a Pilbeam MP58 with his father Graham. Priaulx’s talent shone through right from the start and he won the British Hillclimb Championship in 1995.

Classes are available for almost any sort of car, starting with road going versions. That tends to be split further by engine capacities or if the car is a sedan or sports car. Then there are the modified

Stuart Brown cleans the slicks with a heat gun!

sedan or sports classes which allow up to full blown racecars.

Single seat racecars are not left out and are split by capacities and age. Historic racing is huge in the UK and hillclimbing has classes for all manner of cars. The premier class used to feature castaway Formula cars with the likes of Cosworth

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DFV motors but people like Mike Pilbeam came on the scene and developed cars purely for hillclimbing. Pilbeam may have started the trend but since 1998 it has been the Gould marque that has become dominant. The shorter hills of Scotland tend not to suit the larger, bigger engine machines and motorcycle engine single seaters have dominated on hills where a more nimble car is required. On this weekend it was an old friend of mine, Gary Dickson who would take the wins on both days.

The other speed event I attended was the Sprint at Boyndie kart track where racers again compete against the clock running in similar classes to those used in hillclimbing.

Kart tracks are perfect for the single car format and normally come with better facilities than hillclimb tracks. I was familiar with Boyndie from my days in karting, it was where I took my first win over then Scottish Champion Pete McCallum.

I got to hang out with another friend, Stuart Brown who was competing in his motorcycle engined OMS single seater. I could see things had not changed much in the twenty years I had been away from speed events. It was evident the comeraderie and willingness to help fellow

competitors was still there. Speed events are a grassroots motorsport that anyone can get into without breaking the bank. Check it out and have fun!

Editors note!

The Boyndie experience stirred up the competetive juices withing me again. My drag truck build is on a bit of a hiatus until the winter and I needed something to play with. The many track days now available are a viable option to get one’s fix, as are Autoslalom events. I did not want to use Project 335 to do this, so set out looking for a vehicle that would serve the purpose. Having hung out with noted MINI racers and team owners, Randy Smalley and Alain Lauziere, the decision to source a MINI was taken.

Enter Cooper RSR! Our new MINI project.

Designed to give our MINI readers interesting feedback, RSR is also a tribute to Smalley and his team at RSR Motorsports whose campaign with the MINI R53 will end in 2012 when the car is too old to compete in Grand-Am’s Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

Fellow ex-karter Les Campbell

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Complete brake systems/component upgrades

805-987-STOP(7867) www.thebrakeman.com

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Performance Directory

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Featured Photographer Melissa Smith introduced herself to me at Homestead in 2011. She was a cute blonde with a lens almost as big as herself. Once I checked out her work I could see she had a great eye for composition and knew how to handle that lens and the camera attached to it.

Melissa found her passion in Motorsports photography in 2007 when she relocated from Dallas, Texas to Tampa Bay, Florida. She was taken to a Grand-Am race and was bitten by the racing bug. The rest as they say is history. She currently shoots for MotorWerks Magazine on the Grand-Am tour and has done a phenominal job for us.

Melissa’s is not only adept at motorsports photography, through her daughters involvement with horses she has become a fine equestrian photographer. School sports, family portraits and landscapes are other genres where she excells behind the lens.

Melissa accepts commisions and can be reached at melissa@mkspix.com

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Feature Shot: BMW to the Fore!

I had the opportunity to shoot all the BMWs and their drivers that we competing in the 2011 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. As you can see the appointed day at Virginia International Raceway was a bit of a challenge weather wise. For a marque like BMW this is a good reminder how many quality teams they have running in both Continental classes, any one of them has the ability to challenge on any given day!

Inset: Can you say Cute?

Patrick Dempsey may be best known as a movie and TV star but to us in the Grand-Am paddock he is a very capable racer. He brings focus onto our sport and that is not a bad thing!

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Above - The Gamma 88 prototype is race weary but still plugging on!

Right - An exercise in color!

Left - Teamwork at Ganassi, at Daytona.

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Your Advert Here!

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Call Ian - (905) 467-5148

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CONTINENTALTIRE.CA

Autocross is grassroots motorsport using your own car in a controlled environment. The emphasis is on car handling and the driver’s skill.

Come along and check out the BMW Clubs Canada Trillium Chapter series run in and around Toronto.

Enjoy the casual atmosphere with great people.

COMING NEXT MONTH

Joy is Trillium BMW AutoX

Daytona 24 Hours Grand-Am at Indy SUV Super Test Bimmercruise ‘12 - Canada’s #1 BMW show And Much, Much, More!

www.trillium-bmwclub.ca

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