MotorWerks Magazine V5 Issue 1

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 1 - 15 SEPT 2015 Published by TreeFree Publishing a Division of Webtronic Enterprises

WINGS OVER Sebring

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Book Size:

P u b l i s h e d B y Tr e eF r e e P u b l i s h i n g a Division of Webtronic Enterprises

Ed i t or - i n - Chi e f / Pub l i s h e r Ian Rae EDI T ORIA L We s t C o a s t US A Ed i t o r Mi d We s t US A Ed i t o r E a s t C o a s t Ed i t o r

No r ma n Ne l s o n Da v i d L e w i s Cr a i g Ne l s o n

S e n i o r Wr i t e r

C hr i s K n o x

S e n i o r Wr i t e r

A s h l e i g h Mo r r i s

S e n i o r Wr i t e r

Jo h n Ve n d i t t i

S e n i o r Wr i t e r

Mi c h a e l J. D e s c h a mp s

PHO T O GR A PH Y Director Photography

Ha l s t o n Pi t ma n

Photographer

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to creating your Cover W T O RE ACH US template. The Page HO Count

must be exact when creating Phone: your Cover template..

You’ll (905) 467-5148 need to upload aianrae@motorwerksmag.com PDF for the pages and at least one cover type.

Remember, all books must be an even number of pages. The first page will be on the right side as you open the cover and the last page will be on the left side as you close the book. Hardcover books include an end sheet on both the front and back of the inside pages for binding purposes.

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CONTENTS

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FEATURES 14 Take it to the Hill 6 28 A Week with the F55 38 Monterey Magic 42 California Towing 62 Paying Hommage 72 Car Week in Monterey

HOTSTUFF 110 It is lighter, Stronger, Faster 116 MINIs on the Mack 128 A MINI with an EDGE

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REGULAR COLUMNS 4 On The Grid 6 On The Schedule 8 Product News 122 Featured Photographer 134 Contacts

RACING 59 BMW Race Report 82 Wings over Sebring 96 Grassroots W2W Racing

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ON THE GRID BIMMERTOOLS.COM to be the official tool supplier for Indian Summer Racing Taylor Handwerk joins the Indian Summer Racing team for a four car MINI Cooper attack on the B-spec class at the 2015 Daytona SCCA Runoffs. The team that comprises Mac Korince, Ryan Hall, and Tony Suppa is also pleased that BIMMERTOOLS.COM has come on board as the official tool supplier for the event.

With Daytona being a drafting track it is imperative that ISR comprises a four car team to create a good draft and help the lap times drop. The plan is to run so close as to fill the podium with ISR drivers. The action starts on Sept. 21st with the race running on Sept. 25th!

Handwerk himself has enjoyed his first year of B-Spec racing with the MINI and had this to

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say. “We were very happy with our performance this year in the SCCA Majors Tour. The MINI was new to us as was the series.

Luckily we adapted quickly to the car; it is a great platform. It has had the pace all season, setting b-spec lap records at Summit Point and NJMP Thunderbolt, but we could do no better than second place all year. We are partnering with Indian Summer Racing for the runoffs at Daytona International Speedway. We’ve raced against them all season and know how they run their team; it is a top notch organization. The opportunity to work with them at the runoffs presented itself so we took it. We hope their experience and technical knowledge will help us achieve our first victory of the season. I can’t think of a better place to do it than at the National Championship race in Daytona.”

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Lauziere becomes CTCC’s winningest active driver With his win in race eight at Circuit ICAR, Alain Lauziere team principal of Octane Motorsportsbecame the Canadian Touring Car Championship’s winningest active driver with twenty career wins! A two-time National champion in the Touring class Lauziere is currently leading the points heading into the last two races at Circuit ICAR on September 19-20.

Chaves adds another Rookie of the Year title in 2015 Columbian born racer Gabby Chaves added yet another Rookie of the Year title to his resume at the conclusion of the Verizon Indycar series. Chavez who spends many of his off hours in Indianapolis teaching at the Miles Ahead MINI Motoring School at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway added the Verizon series rookie title to the one he won earlier in the year at the Indianapolis 500

HUME MEDIA returns to Targa Newfoundland in force!

Targa Newfoundland is a grueling five day race through the scenic landscape and picturesque towns of Newfoundland, Canada. John Hume and his team are entering the race for the fifth consecutive year.

This year the team is bringing two BMWs and two MINIs to the ‘Rock’ as it is known affectionately

by Canadians. The BMWs will be piloted by Hume himself and his son John Jr with Ron Bartleet co-driving Snr and Justin Crant alongside Jr. The MINIs have a pair of capable ladies in the passenger seats, Nicole Troster with Craig MacMullen in a 2013 GP while LilCooper or Christina Kroner sits alongside Norm Hass in a 2006 GP. We race because we love racing, but we are also racing to raise money for a great cause. The Multiple Sclerosis Society has received over $90,000 raised in

the previous four years. This year we are hoping to be able to raise even more money to help with the MS Society’s important work.

Thank you to all those who have sponsored us or made donations in the past. Please consider adding your name to the list of donors or sponsors for this year’s race! http://targa.humemediainc.com

Christina will be updating her LiL Cooper Facebook page all thru the event. www.facebook.com/ lilcooprtv

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ON THE SCHEDULE Oktoberfest 2015 Presented

By Michelin September 21-27, 2015

New Jersey and New Jersey Motorsport Park.

The 46th Annual Oktoberfest will run from Monday, September 21 through Sunday, September 27, 2015 and will feature many of the events that longtime attendees have become familiar with at previous shows, including the renowned Pirelli Concours and the BMW CCA Foundation sponsored golf tournament, both held this year on the grounds of the host resort. Other events like the Pirelli Throwback Thursday dinner and the gymkhana precision driving course will return too, each with new themes related to the eves new location.

Oktoberfest’s signature rallies and street driving events return as well, along with the Bridgestone Autocross, local area tours and activities in nearby Cape May, tech talks, dinners, and social events—and so does the German biergarten, which has proven to be a member favorite in all its forms.

The 46th Annual BMW CCA Oktoberfest Presented by Michelin will be hosted by the New Jersey Chapter and held at the Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club venue, this year’s Oktoberfest trades the highaltitude adventure of Colorado’s Beaver Creek resort for the oceanside experience—and trackside thrill—of Absecon,

BMW To Be Honored As Featured Marque of 2016 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion August 18-21 Woodcliff Lake, N.J., August 17, 2015 — The full, rich heritage of the Ultimate Driving Machine® will be celebrated when Bavarian Motor Works is honored on the occasion of its 100th anniversary at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.

The celebration takes place August 18-21, 2016 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on the scenic Monterey Peninsula.

“The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is a perfect stage on which to celebrate 100 years of BMW,” stated Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO, BMW of North America, LLC. “The BMW brand and the legend of The Ultimate Driving Machine® was forged on and continues to be refined on racing circuits all over the world.

In the United States, Laguna Seca has played a starring role.

This year, our BMW Z4 GTLM racing cars finished 1-2 in IMSA competition there - almost 40 years to the date a BMW 3.0 CSL won our very first race on the classic circuit. BMW is delighted to be able to share our passion for great automobiles and

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motorsport with the world next year.”

Bavarian Motor Works has an enormously rich history. The patriarchs of the brand, Karl Rapp and Gustav Otto instilled a robust DNA in the company in 1916 through the combination of their respective businesses.

Beginning as an aircraft engine

manufacturer, adding motorcycles in 1923 and automobiles in 1928, a century later BMW has become one of the most respected, innovative and popular brands in the world.

“We are honored that BMW will celebrate its milestone anniversary at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion,” said Gill Campbell, CEO/General Manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “Ludwig Willisch and his management team have been enthusiastic supporters of historic racing here in Monterey, right down to having Ludwig drive in the 1975 BMW 3.0 CSL. It will be a truly international gathering.”

More than 900 entry applications will be received for the limited

550 positions when requests for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is open October to February. For many, the Rolex Reunion is a motorsports museum springing to life, as authentic cars from as far back as the pre-war era fire up and tackle the challenging circuit.

Following the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will remain the center of BMW focus for a second consecutive week as the circuit will host the BMW Car Club of America’s annual Oktoberfest and the BMW Rider’s Association Annual Rally on August 24 - 28.

ABR GT Superseries to conclude 2015 at CTMP DDT The non contact Canadian race series will conclude its 2015 season at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park’s Driver Development Track on October 10th. Running with the Ian Law Car Control School the ABR series will again see three races during the day as previous events. There will be half hour lapping session leading up to the races.

Series promoter Alan Balinsky is excited at the prospect of running at the DDT, “Side by side racing has never been done before at the DDT and I am especially proud that we will be the first series to do so. At first I was not sure if it was doable or not but a friend and I tried running

together when we were up there instructing and we managed it no problem.”

To run with the series go to their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ groups/1436689883249278/ and download the entry form.

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PRODUCT NEWS Link Engine Management ready to take on all-comers in the six cylinder market with the new G4+ Fury ECU Christchurch,New Zealand based Link Engine Management has been in the ECU business for over twenty years. During that time they have produced both ‘Plug & Play’ and ‘Stand Alone’ systems that satisfied the needs of motorheads all over the World.

Now they have hit another home run with their new G4+ Fury ECU. Designed and built to be the best six cylinder ECU on the market, the Fury delivers the results and comes equipped with

G4+ Fury Specifications Inputs 10 digital input channels 4 analog temperature channels 9 analog volt channels 1 internal wideband lambda controller 2 trigger inputs 2 knock inputs Outputs 10 auxiliary output channels 8 peak and hold injection outputs 6 ignition outputs +5V sensor power supply +8V sensor power supply Communication 2 CAN bus modules 1 serial (RS232) connection 1 USB tuning connection

all the ‘Must Have’ features right out of the box, including things like onboard digital wide-band lambda and e-throttle. Alan Booth the Link Business Development Manager explained, “We started off designing the Fury to fit into a niche market but as it developed it just got so good, it turned out to be the best product around for six cylinders.” He smiled as he went on,”And that is going to keep our customers happy! To take full advantage of all the power available in the Fury the company updated our software to PCLink V5.4.0 which is now available for download on our

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website.”

Link Engine Management is a fast moving High Tech electronics development company. We have the largest range of ‘Plug In’ ECU’s for motor vehicle engine management in a single range, offering support to the Professional racer through to the street enthusiast.

More information on the company can be found on www.linkecu. com and www.facebook.com/ linkecu or direct to the Fury page at http://www.linkecu.com/ products/engine-managementecus/g4plus-fury

Other Software - PCLink Internal electronic throttle

Fast tuning with keyboard control

driven commands Internal barometric pressure Six hundred pages of help by sensor “right-clicking” 32 MB of internal logging Powerful logging analysis built memory

into PCLink Trigger scope hardware Tabbed, user-configurable layout

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50 years in 123 minutes: The stunning BMW Motorsport documentary “ADRENALIN – THE BMW TOURING CAR STORY” now available on DVD and Bluray.

A one-off documentary on the 50-year history of BMW Motorsport in touring car racing is available now: “ADRENALIN -THE BMW TOURING CAR STORY”, produced by brothers Tim and Nick Hahne (both DE).

Together with their crew, the two filmmakers spent an entire year travelling throughout Europe, during which time they conducted about 30 interviews with BMW Motorsport drivers and management past and present.

They also dug out previously unreleased archive material.

Because of this they were able to produce a 123-minute, in-depth, breath-taking and emotional sport documentary, which offers a fascinating insight into life at the limit and features entertaining stories from the pit lane.

“This is the ultimate

documentation on the history of BMW in touring car racing,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “The film had me captivated right from the first minute. The clips show emphatically what a magnificent history BMW has enjoyed on the touring car scene. I find the footage from the 1960s and 1970s particularly fascinating,

and ‘Strietzel’ Stuck wax lyrical about the good old days and tell their stories from the paddock, I cannot help but chuckle. And I get goosebumps when Bruno Spengler lifts the glass trophy in the air as the DTM champion.

Those memories are still just as vivid as Marco Wittmann’s title win this year. I can only recommend any BMW fan to watch this film. Never has the history of BMW Motorsport been told with such emotion and evocatively as in this film.”

Tim and Nick Hahne, and their production company STEREOSCREEN, have been a household name for motorsport fans all over the world since their feature-length documentary film “24 hours – ONE TEAM. ONE TARGET”. In 2011, they accompanied BMW Motorsport throughout its preparations for the endurance classic at the Nürburgring and filmed the race in the “Green Hell” at close range.

STEREOSCREEN has now followed this hit with “ADRENALIN – THE BMW TOURING when the drivers courageously CAR STORY” – the most hurled their cars round the comprehensive documentary racetracks, sometimes drifting on the story of BMW in touring wildly. Many of these drivers car racing, including original are heroes, whose success has footage and interviews with made them legends. When Jochen Neerpasch (DE), the Johnny Cecotto, Roberto Ravaglia first managing director of © MotorWerks Magazine - 11

BMW Motorsport GmbH, and Paul Rosche (DE), who was instrumental in many of BMW’s greatest motorsport successes as technical director. Legendary drivers like Johnny Cecotto, Roberto Ravaglia, Steve Soper, Hans-Joachim Stuck, Marc Surer, Joachim Winkelhock and Alex Zanardi take viewers on a breathtaking journey back in time.

Three-time World Touring Car Champion, Andy Priaulx, current BMW Motorsport DTM drivers – Bruno Spengler, Augusto Farfus and DTM champion Marco Wittmann – Charly Lamm, team principal of BMW Team Schnitzer, and BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt reveal their personal experiences with BMW in touring car racing.

The documentary kicks off in the 1960s, when the cars were still prepared “in the

open countryside” and the drivers drifted their way around the Nürburgring and the Ardennes rollercoaster in SpaFrancorchamps. As well as the founding of Motorsport GmbH in the 1970s, it also looks into the iconic Procar races with the BMW M1, which formed part of the support programme on Formula One weekends. Looking back at memorable wheel-to-wheel battles, the documentary brings to life the incredible success story of the BMW M3, which is still regarded as the most successful touring car of all time. Another of the film’s many highlights is the sensational return of BMW to the DTM in 2012, when the manufacturer completed a sensational hat-trick of titles in the Drivers’, Manufacturers’ and Team championships.

The title sequence for

Arai becomes official helmet of MotorWerks Magazine Motorwerks Magazine takes safety very seriously, two of our long-time advertisers have been in the safety business for many years. Colin Grandy of Leaf Racewear and Bob Zecca of Driving Impressions and our Editor have long discussions online about safety in motorsport and what can be done to improve it. In upcoming issues we will be talking more about this subject but here we will talk about the latest alliance we have formed in the safety field.

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“ADRENALIN –THE BMW TOURING CAR STORY” was filmed in the BMW Museum. This setting offered racing cars from the different eras, set against sophisticated light installations.

The successful debut of the BMW M4 DTM at the Hockenheimring in May 2014 provided the scene that framed the film. This is where the documentary starts and finishes.

Two high-class composers were assigned the task of providing the background music: Tony Anderson and Danny Odom. Ben Lukas Boysen, aka “Hecq” also contributed key musical elements.

“Hecq” is currently regarded internationally as one of the most innovative sound designers around.

You can find more information on “ADRENALIN – THE BMW TOURING CAR STORY” at www. adrenalin-film.de.

BIMMERTOOLS is Official BMW and MINI Tool supplier to MotorWerks Magazine Have you ever looked at getting BMW or MINI specific tools without pating throught the nose for them? Through the BMW CCA Racing Series I met Taylor Handwerk who owns BIMMERTOOLS.COM. Taylor is the sort of guy that will go out of his way to help you out. I was looking for a tool to retract the rear piston on a MINI and saw that BIMMERTOOLS had them I asked about the kit that you see to the left and Taylor came back I only needed the single tool.He then came back with the cost of the kit was only slightly more than tool itself and a lot cheaper than some MINI specialists are selling it for. I also grabbed a piston spreader to make life easier when fitting new pads.

Jay Braxton is another whose life is dominated by the safety aspect of racing. He spent many years at HANS extolling the virtues of a head and neck restraint device before many series mandated them.

He then moved to Simpson Performance Products to continue the good work when they bought the product.

In the last year he setup MPH Race Products to provide Dealer and Race support for the Arai Americas Automotive line of helmets. You will have seen Arai helmets about but they seem to get a lot more press in the motorcycle world. Jay’s job is to help promote them more to the automobile side and at the same time provide track support to drivers using Arai.

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Driving Impressions expands product lines.

Driving Impressions Incorporated has been around since 1983.

Bob Zecca started it out as an automotive accessory boutique in a mall which became a chain of stores in malls around New Jersey. But he did not want to sell floor mats when he could could have been selling driving suits to the likes of John Andretti and Wayne Taylor? To that end Bob took on the American right to OMP and when they established their own distributorship he looked elsewhere for premium product. Last year he forged an allegiance with MIR to handle their line of automotive racesuits.

Our continuing mission is to educate racers on the advantages of high-quality safety equipment.

We have to make people realize that spending more than the bare minimum on their safety equipment will make them more comfortable in the car, resulting in clearer thinking and faster lap times!

Alongside his premium lines Bob has developed the Team DI line for the more budget concious racer but at no compromise to safety. Coming soon is a new Grid shoe costing $79.95

For those looking for more affordable carbon helmets Bob has long been a retailer of ZAMP. The new ZAMP RZ44C with top air option is available for $569.95 and includes free shipping and a Team DI balaclava.

characteristics Stainless Steel Hardware screws and binary post built with high quality and strength to give long lasting strength Kevlar Webbing Tether connects helmet to restraint Spring Clip Quick Connect allows easy connect/removal from helmet with one hand Replaceable Padding washable/ replaceable padding gives ease to clean and/or replace for continued comfort Helmet Hardware all hardware needed to connect included.

SFI 38.1 Certified

Also available from Driving Impressions is the new series ZTECH 1A Head and Neck restraint that has new features never before seen in the head and neck restraint market. These new patent pending features include: Advanced Axis Adjustment allows you to adjust width, Arm angle, and Arm width. Fit different body shapes and sizes and adjusts

Bob is a believer in the fact that motorsport makes product better and one Italian manufacturer who cat say that is Beta Tools. In fact the MotorWerks Magazine race trailer toolbox includes Beta tools from British karting days thirty odd years ago.

Team DI has a special running for the remainder of September where the buyer of a C27S collapsible tool trolley recieves a free rachet/socket set.

to different race vehicles. Glass Reinforced Nylon a lightweight and very specialized material which offers leading structural 14 - MotorWerks Magazine - The Ultimate Reading Experience!

800-275-4667 www.teamdi.com

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l l i H e h t o Take it t

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Over one hundred and seventy MINIacs headed for the hills on the Sunday of President’s Day weekend, the hills of northern California that is. Thunderhill Raceway Park was again the venue for Stormin’ Norman’s MINI Thunder, the largest MINI only HPDE in North America.

Drivers drove from as far afield as Nebraska and Vancouver, Canada, with celebrity coach Chris Knox flying in from Scotland. Knox, the two-time Maxed Power UK MINI Challenge Champion was on hand to drive the unique TWIN

twin engined MINI along with his coaching duties.

Record setting temperatures continued the run of Stormin’ Norman’s magic with perfect weather for the sixth event in a row. “I order it up from God” Norman Nelson says. “And so far he has delivered”. The annual event had Neillo MINI, O2 Motorsports and MINI Mania back as premier sponsors, Eric Diamond, Nelson’s partner in the event told us, “Having sponsors like this who have been involved since day one is essential to us being able to hold

this event and making it affordable for the students, we could not do it without them and thank them for all their support.”

As is normal the event started on the Saturday evening with a Casino night in the Thunderhill Clubhouse. Those signed up as drivers or coaches went gambling with $500 MINI Mania bucks and could play Blackjack, Craps, Roulette and Poker before cashing out and choosing from a myriad of vouchers, certificates or prizes donated by the likes of MINI USA, Red Line Oil, M7 Speed, MINI

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Two-time Maxed Power UK MINI Challenge Champion Chris Knox outfitted his road ride, a 2015 F55 Cooper S with his familiar triple 8 numbers before showcasing the four-door on the new five mile Thunderhill track.

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info@gpgarage.it 349-7100617

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Mania, CARBONMINI.COM, Craven Speed, Neillo MINI, MotorWerks Magazine, Steven’s Creek MINI, LED, Dynaplug and MINI Thunder.

Norm and Jesse Nelson donated a pair of autographed Paddy Hopkirk posters from the Candy Store event.

Many of the entrants took advantage of having MCE Racing on the property with their dyno shop. Kevin Murray offered great discounts on dyno runs for all MINI Thunder entrants, they got three dyno runs with air fuel ratio, HP, and torque print outs for $59.95 which was great value.

MCE Racing also handed out trophies for the highest output in each of the MINI Thunder classes.

Revolution Motor Werks were on hand at MCE for those looking to step up their performance with a RMW engine tune. Jan Bruegemann and Colin Greene were kept busy most of the day with late model MINI’s lined up and one happy R53 owner left with an additional twenty horsepower. Bill Hartner owner of the Bully MINI Cooper S was especially happy as his canned Internet tune that he previously thought to be awesome was massaged further on the MCE Racing dyno to provide another fifteen horespower.

Long time MINI Thunder participant Jim Ahl said, “MINI Thunder was great again this year.

Love the people & the track. The new section is a real challenge in tying corners together. I hope it’s included next year. MINI Thunder was wher I started my track days and I will be back many times I hope.”

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“ The new track section is very technical and has about every kind of corner you can think of.

Early, late apex, blind entry/exit you name it. It’s a great ‘Mini’ track for sure as it’s fairly tight compared the the old section of the track. Personally I loved the new section and look forward to running it again real soon. “ Dennis Racine.

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The West Coast’s premier HPDE event for MINI and Mini owners and enthusiasts! The date for Stormin’ Norman’s MINI Thinder VII has been set for Feb 14th, 2016.

It will be once again held at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, CA. The event will follow the standard format of

registration and a Casino night on the Saturday evening before the event.

Motorsport Reg registration site will again be handling the signup and will be running shortly. News, details, etc to follow soon. www.facebook.com/ StorminNormansMiniThunder

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“February was my first MINI Thunder and very first track day. I had a complete blast. I learned a lot about driving and about my car.

It took weeks to get my heart rate down and the ear to ear grin off my face. The program was perfect and everyone I dealt with was great. I would be back next year except for a business calendar conflict (Valentines day doesn’t help). However, I am hooked on track days and am doing HOD at Thunderhill this month. For

obvious reason! Can’t compare short to long track. My beginner sense is that the short track may be just a little less challenging because of a few tough turn sequences on the extension, but then, the challenge is a reason to drive.”

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Rick Gilbert

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I loved MINI Thunder and thought it was a great time. Norm does a good job getting it set up and organized.

It’s always wonderful to see so many MINIs together in the same place and to get to talk with fellow owners. It is one of the events I loom forward to the most every year. I enjoyed the new extension, it’s perfect for the handling characteristics of our MINIs. I was a little nervous about the five miles at first, I thought it would be way too long, but I was

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wrong. I thought the length was nice and not as difficult to learn as I expected. Granted I haven’t been on a lot of tracks, Thunderhill is by far my favorite.

Jeremy at Craven Speed

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Words by Chris Knox, photos by author and Ian Rae Š MotorWerks Magazine - 31

In February this year I flew to the USA for Stormin’ Normans MINI Thunder VI at Thunderhill Raceway, California. Part of my trip would include spending time with the new F55 MINI Cooper S four-door. I landed at San Francisco airport and was greeted by my friends from CarbonMINI who whisked me off to MINI of San Francisco to collect my ride for the week. The staff at MINI of SF were so friendly and it really was a pleasure to meet them all!

As I got the keys and climbed into the brand new F55 the first thing I noticed was how far the interior and tech had advanced over my own R56 JCW. I literally sat outside the showroom and messed about with every button to get a feel for it before I let myself loose on a busy San Francisco.

On leaving the dealership I met up with my friends from CarbonMINI again for lunch and we decided to take both cars for a tour around SF. First up was a stop at Lombard Street, then Palace of Fine arts and the Golden Gate Bridge. The F55 was the perfect tool for driving around the city as it was comfy, nimble and in Eco mode the miles per gallon was impressive for a turbocharged 2.0 engine. Darkness fell as I began the two hundred

and fifty mile journey north to Shasta where Norm resides. Once again the F55 showed it excelled in all conditions and was a joy in cruise mode, I had to turn down the brightness of the heads up display and mood lighting as it got a little bit overpowering but its an awesome addition to the interior. The Harman Kardon speaker system was a big upgrade over my R56 system. I

was in my element cruising north in the F55. I arrived in Shasta late at night and it was lights out after a long days traveling; in fact the red cups did not even come out. As we headed to the circuit the following morning, we were joined in convoy by members of Shasta MINIs. Everyone took turns in having a seat in the F55 and the several positives were being singled out including the colour, interior and wheels.

Everyone, myself included, was a bit unsure of the front end look to the car at first but it grew on

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me the more I took pictures of it and bonded with the car over the week.

As we arrived at MINI Thunder, the city of Willows turns into MINI City. Being the new kid on the block I wasn’t surprised to be the only F55 Cooper S among three hundred plus MINI’s. Then to be positioned at the front of the field for the annual group photo was something I never expected. It just goes to show MINI/Mini fans love all types.

I was lucky enough to be able to give some MINI fans a lap of the Thunderhill Raceway track. This is when I was blown away by the car. Being slightly bigger than its two door counterpart, the F56, I didn’t expect much from the car on track. The stock brakes lasted the whole session without fading once and there was plenty of grip from the runflat Dunlop Sport Maxx tires. In my capable hands the F55 was overtaking cars it shouldn’t have been overtaking!

The torque from the bigger motor was a big part of that and made a huge difference on track. The paddle shifters were spot on and provided slick gear changes no matter where the steering wheel was pointing..

After spending seven days with the car I felt like it was my own, I didn’t want to hand it back!

Hopefully my next trip over to MINI Thunder VII may include a JCW! Although I will miss all that interior space of the F55! :)

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It was nice being selected to head up the annual group photo with the F55

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r e e n i g n E ! n i W o T X-1

A few months ago I got to spend some time with Jan Brueggemann of Revolution Motor Works. Of course the main topic of our discussion was the RMW X-1 track day car that was featured in the last issue.

As with most car builds things take longer than expected, especially when you want to get things right the first time.

The X-1 is no different and Jan’s

biggest issue was the body, he wants it to look more like a super aggressive MINI. With that in mind the issue at hand was how to proceed with the build. “I really wanted to get the car out there so the public could see the build quality and all the great products from our partners but I felt the body was letting us down and would not allow the X-1 to make the

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statement we need it to make when officially unveiled. To that end the decision was made to forge ahead and get the car to the track as is and once we had confirmed the chassis spec and we happy all systems worked as intended we would strip the car and plate or coat the parts as need. The body could then be worked on at the same time to give it the DTM look I

am wanting.” Jan went on, “Since the last update we have received our Forgeline GA3R wheels in transparent red that will look killer with the paint scheme, the motor has been run after filling all the systems up with great product from Red Line Oil. The main issue we have been having is with the paddle shifters but we have decided to go with a manual shift in the meantime so we can at least get to the track and get some development miles on the car.”

So one Thursday morning Jan and I braved the LA traffic and headed Northwest to get me first live look at the car. My first impression? Wow! The car is a work of art, the welds laid down by a true craftsman. Components have been positioned to make them easy to work on when the front or rear body panels are removed from the car. I agreed on the look of the body, the wide stance was aggressive but the flowing line were not aggressive enough.

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Look how well fitted everything is in this shot. Barry and Jan did a lot of planning before executing this. Remember the measure twice cut once mantra, sheet metal is the same. The entry shroud for the radiator looks as if it is part of the radiator. The exit shroud runs with the chassis bar and the fuel cell with the twin Aeromotive pumps has an angle that matches the exit shroud. This is how a racecar should look, not as if the components are just plonked down in any old fashion. In addition to them being easily worked on, they are easy to remove as well. The plumbing running to the rear RMW turbocharged engine is intergrated to run parallel to the exit shroud and fuel cell and is positioned to minimize and chances of damage.

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The rear of the X-1 is no different as far as planning was concerned. Every little detail counts on a car like this. Notice the rotated intercooler to avoid putting another bend in the aluminum tube to the turbo. Imagine how easy this car is going to be to work on with the removable front and rear clips.

You see dzus fasteners on all the panels, the X-1 can be stripped down to a bare chassis in no time at all. If the unfortunate happens it can be rebuilt very quickly. BK Fabworks main business is Off-Road trucks and in that game you don’t give up, you strip the truck and fix it!

The X-1 is built with the same thought process.

We mentioned earlier the X-1 is going to be running three-piece GA3R wheels from Forgeline Motorsports. But you can see they will be five stud on a Chevy bolt pattern. There is a reason for this. We went with the Forgeline because of their proven record in all sorts of road racing, their wheel are strong and built to finish races but in the very odd occurence when some wayward rookie ploughs into the side of the X-1 and wrecks the wheels, all you have to do is head to the parking lot and find a nice Corvette owner who is really into racing.

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Our Cars are Bold.

Our Instructors are the Real Deal.

The Venue is Legendary.

Think you have what it takes to master advance motoring at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? Regardless of your age or exprience level, you can learn to motor like a pro at the world's most famous race course.

Led by 7-time Indy 500 competitor, Stephan Gregoire, the MINI Performance Motoring School offers a full day of handson instruction in adrenaline-filled driving. Or, give your teen driver an experience they'll never forget – and the skills to motor with confidence – with the half-day MINI Teen Motoring School.

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Monterey Magic The Concept M4 GTS is unveiled

A year on from the launch of the BMW M4 Coupe, BMW M Division is presenting an initial preview of a high-performance model for use on the road and, above all, on the race track: the BMW Concept M4 GTS. The move sees BMW M Division once again returning to its roots.

The BMW offshoot, founded in 1972 as BMW Motorsport GmbH, not only caused a sensation with

its iconic BMW M1 racing car, but developed the first turbocharged engine to win the Formula One World Championship and was the force behind what remains the world’s most successful racing touring car – the Group A BMW M3.

And so the new BMW Concept M4 GTS continues the tradition of BMW M3 special models already illuminated by the BMW

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M3 Evolution (1988), BMW M3 Sport Evolution (1990), BMW M3 GT (1995), BMW M3 CSL (2003), BMW M3 GTS (2010) and BMW M3 CRT (2011). Technology honed in race competition, a hike in power, a commitment to lightweight design and limited production numbers have ensured these sharpest examples of their type offer unbeatable performance coupled with

an emotionally powerful and exclusive driving experience.

“While the BMW M4 Coupe embodies the ideal combination of motor sport genes and unrestricted everyday usability, the BMW Concept M4 GTS previews an emotionally powerful and exclusive special model conceived with an eye for trailblazing technology and a keen focus on the race track,” explains

Frank van Meel, President BMW M Division. “Despite its outstanding track ability, it is still fully roadlegal. This is racing technology for the road in the truest sense.”

The BMW Concept M4 GTS showcases new technologies destined to make their series production debut in a new model to be unveiled at a later date. For example, the BMW Concept M4 GTS features the innovative water

in California, USA. Optimised down to the finest detail.

The BMW Concept M4 GTS builds on the BMW M4 Coupe’s dynamic and emotional use of forms. Yet its character as a high-performance special model, in which every detail has been developed to fulfil its purpose as a successful track machine, also comes immediately to the fore.

injection system that has already provided a significant output and torque boost in the BMW M4 MotoGP Safety Car. In addition, the BMW Concept M4 GTS has rear lights with OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology that give the high-performance model a whole new look when darkness falls.

The world premiere of the BMW Concept M4 GTS takes place on 13 August 2015 surrounded by top-flight classic automobiles on display at the Monterey Car Week

The manually adjustable front splitter and rear wing – both in exposed carbon – ensure perfect aerodynamic balance and allow the BMW Concept M4 GTS to be adapted for both individual race tracks and for use on the road. Another example of the engineers’ rigorous adherence to lightweight design is the CFRP (carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic) bonnet, which lowers the car’s weight and centre of gravity further still. A wide front air intake optimises airflow and © MotorWerks Magazine - 41

minimises front axle lift.

The dynamic and exclusive presence of the BMW Concept M4 GTS is accentuated by the exterior paint shade Frozen Dark Grey Metallic, with the Acid Orange accent on the front splitter creating an effective contrast. The lightweight, forged and polished light-alloy wheels in 666 M styling also feature an Acid Orange accent. The 9.5 J x 19 (front) and 10.5 J x 20 (rear) wheels are fitted with Michelin Sport Cup 2 tyres (265/35 R19 at the front, 285/30 R20 at the rear). The mixed-size tyres

provide the ideal conduit for the stand-out dynamic attributes of the BMW Concept M4 GTS. Water injection: power up, fullload fuel consumption down.

The engine powering the BMW Concept M4 GTS is equipped with the same innovative water injection system that has endowed the BMW M4 MotoGP Safety Car with a noticeable increase in output and torque.

The water injection system introduced by BMW M Division sees the engineers using the physical effect of water when vaporising to draw the required

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energy from the ambient medium. The water is injected into the plenums of the intake manifold as a fine spray. When the water vaporises, the intake air cools significantly. As a result, the final compression temperature in the combustion chamber – and therefore the engine’s tendency to “knock” – is reduced, enabling the turbocharged engine to use higher boost pressure and earlier injection timing.

This technology ensures an increase in output and torque, while at the same time reducing the thermal stress

on performance-relevant components. All of which also enhances the stability and durability of the turbocharged engine. The BMW Concept M4 GTS therefore brings highperformance technology directly from the race track to the road.

The strong performance potential of the turbocharged six-cylinder in-line engine already demands an exceptionally sophisticated thermal management system for the engine and ancillary units.

To ensure optimal operating temperatures in all situations, the M Division engineers have developed a highly innovative and effective cooling system. It

comprises a main radiator plus additional radiators for the highand low-temperature circuits, transmission and turbocharger in order to keep temperatures stable. The turbochargers are cooled by means of an indirect intercooler, assisted by an additional electric water pump.

OLED rear lights radiate ultrahigh precision.

The BMW Concept M4 GTS is fitted with innovative rear lights featuring OLED technology.

OLEDs (organic light-emitting diodes) are a new type of light source producing full-surface and homogenous illumination – in contrast to LEDs, which emit

light to a single point. Their low installation height of just 1.4 millimetres and the ability to actuate individual light modules separately create fresh design scope in lighting concepts.

OLED technology enables extra flexibility and forges an unmistakable appearance that signals exceptional precision.

OLED technology heralds a new era in light design and lighting concepts, and opens up new possibilities when it comes to a characteristic and distinctive light signature for BMW models – both for their daytime driving lights and during the hours of darkness.

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Ca

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a i n r o f

i l a

G N I TOW

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Anyone who has come across members of the Shasta Mini Club will no doubt know they are totally into Theme cars. With Minis like Norman Nelson’s MNE Eagle to Steve and Stacey Lowery’s XS Woody, the northern Californian club tends to hog the limelight at many of the events they attend.

The newest addition to the club is Jesse Nelson’s Tiny Tows, a 1962 Mini pickup she had built as a Mini tow truck. Jesse had been after Eric Gunderson of Auburn, CA. to sell the truck to her for seven years and he finally gave in to her persistence in early 2014 and Tiny Tows is the result.

The British Motor Corporation produced a total of 58,179 Mini pick-up trucks over the years but we are not sure how many made it across the Atlantic. Built on the longer Mini van platform the the pick-up and van shared a front facia that did without a separate grill, instead they had slots in the stamped metal panel allowing air to flow in and cool the engine as well as supply air to the carburettor.

This added to the utility look of the pick-up and that was enforced with the fact that in early cases a heater was an optional extra.

Norm and Jesse purchased the truck in March 2014. She wanted a plain truck, but then we decided to “theme” it. We thought about an ice cream truck, a cement truck, and others but we decided that we should honor the all the tow truck drivers who risk a lot for motorists every time they go out on a job.

Mods that we did: Interior: New seats, harnesses,

custom dash, custom center console, custom door panels, carpet, and door pocket covers.

LED Lighting, stereo, with speakers and sub-woofer, Momo steering wheel, battery, Engine bay: Steel braded fuel hoses, oil cooler with steel braided hoses, chrome crankcase breather, custom starter, tandem brake master cylinder, electric fuel pump, exhaust header and custom exhaust, silicone coolant hoses, stainless steel fuel tank, Tow Truck Conversion: Aluminum frame and diamond

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plate bed cover, tow truck boom, with 2500# electric winch, compressor, jumper cables with extra battery, fuel can, fire extinguisher, J-Hooks, tool box with tools, gloves, vest, custom LED warning lights and flashers, tow truck road markers, powder coated finish on boom & railing.

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Spec Sheet: Overall length: 130.2” Overall width: 53.5” Wheel base: 84.2” Bed size: 54.75” L X 39.2” W Weight: Front Axle: 855 Lbs. Rear Axle: 514 Lbs. Total Weight: 1369 Lbs. Right Hand Drive Wheels: Wolfrace 4-lig, 10” dia, X 5J wide VIN: AAU7198729 Original engine: 850 cc 4 cyl.

HP+ 56.1 @ 5316 RPM

Torque: 62.4 Ft Lb. @ 3670 Rpm Current engine: 1380cc A+ engine 4 Speed manual transmission - special wide ratio with 2.98 final drive

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BMW Race Report

The M3 still brings the challenge to the IMSA big boys.

Who is going to the new M6 GT3? Turner is!!

Three platforms vie for BMW greatness in Conti Challenge

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BMW Half Term Report at CTSC When the Camaro Z/28.R came in the CTSCC series the word

was out that the BMW M3 was finished, out of date compared to this purpose built Motown monster. Never the less the guys over at Fall-Line Motorsports continued with their proven well

sorted chassis, worked hard and Trent Hindman took the 2014 GS Championship.

With the rumored build level of the new Ford Mustang GT350R-C, everyone expected Ford to again raise competitiveness levels in Š MotorWerks Magazine - 53

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the class; so what was going to happen to the M3? Was it going to fade away as expected? FallLine has built quick Porsches for other series and the Rum Bum team has shown that 911 platform is still competitive in the GS class. Fall-Line decided to stick with the V8 BMW and see how 2015 would go.

So how did the first half of the season go for BMW and the admitedly long in the tooth M3?

The year started off with a fourth place finish at the BMW Performance 200 at Daytona for Hindman and Ashley Freiberg.

The TLSS Motorsports M3 of Ken D’Arcy and Sam Schultz had a weekend they would rather forget and did not start. Watkins Glen suited the M3 and was a good outing for Hindman/ Freiberg, qualifying eighth and coming through the field to finish second behind Andrew Davis and Robin Liddell. A trip to Canada and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park marked the mid point in

the series and it was another to forget for the Fall-Line team with a non-finish. The Hindman/ Frieberg pairing leaving Canadian soil sitting in eighth spot on the Championship table.

Over in the ST class it was Team TGM who ran the best BMW of the three that finished in the top six. Ted Giovanis and David Murry had one of their best finishes when they stood on the third

step of the podium in the BMW Performance 200 at Daytona.

With three different platforms in the top six which would become the most dominant during the rest of the year? The F30 of BimmerWorld, E90 of Team TGM or E82 of Burton Racing.

At Sebring it was the Giovanis/ Murry pairing that again were top BMW, this time moving one step higher on the podium which moved them into second in the ST championship. Next up was the Bimmerworld duo of James Clay and Jason Briedis in ninth making Sebring a race to forget for the other BMW teams.

The Mazdas dominated the top three spots at Laguna Seca with the BimmerWorld BMW of Andrie Hartanto and Tyler Cooke taking their turn at being lead BMW. The best Giovanis/Murry could salvage out of their West Coast trip was a twelfth position which surprisingly put the duo into a tie for the lead with former BimmerWorld drivers Greg Liefooghe and Eric Š MotorWerks Magazine - 55

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Zimmermann.

Watkins Glen saw two Mazdas lead home a Porsche with the 1 Series of former Champions Terry Borcheller and Mike LaMarra making the top ten in the eighth spot. The TGM team only managed 26th, which dropped them down to fifth spot on the Championship table.

The trip over the border to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park always favours a well setup car.

Borcheller and LaMarra proved the hilly Canadian track suited their 128i by finishing fourth with the next BMW, that of Hartanto and Cooke back in tenth. So at the half way point of the championship the best BMW

runners were just inside the top ten with Team TGM sitting in ninth, the Burton 1 Series of Borcheller/LaMarra 13th and the first BimmerWorld F30 of Briedis/ Clay 15th. It has not the year the ‘Bavarian Boys’ would have liked but you know they will not give up. lets see what the second half of the season brings.

After the BMW Z4 GT3 crowned its final major appearance at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps with victory for BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS, the anticipation among BMW Motorsport and its customer teams is now rising ahead of the arrival of the BMW M6 GT3.

The new car will take over as the manufacturer’s figurehead on the GT racing scene, and will do battle for victory and titles in many racing series around the world. The car features thoroughbred racing technology: the BMW M6 GT3 has

incorporated many findings from BMW Motorsport’s works projects The BMW M6 GT3 will once again raise the bar in terms of performance, while the running costs are considerably lower than those of its predecessor.

BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “When it comes to performance, the BMW M6 GT3 is uncompromising: the 4.4-litre V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology, which has only been slightly modified compared to the production engine, generates up to 585 hp, depending on the classification. l The BMW M6

GT3 also sets new benchmarks when it comes to driveability, ergonomics and safety. It already goes beyond the GT3 regulations for 2016.

“At the recent tests I was really impressed with the driveability of the BMW M6 GT3,” said Andy Priaulx “It’s really a big step forward compared to the BMW Z4 GT3 – and we have recently seen in Spa that this car is already car already looks more than promising. The BMW M6 GT3 has real potential – and I simply cannot wait to race it.”

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H

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Paying

HOMMAGE

In August every year car enthusiasts from all over the world gather for the Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach to immerse themselves in the fascination of both automotive treasures from years gone by and pioneering studies for times to come. The BMW Group has come up with something very special this year with the world premiere of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R – a car that celebrates both the 40th anniversary of BMW in North America and the heady racing success of the BMW 3.0 CSL in 1975.

1975 was the year the Bavarian manufacturer founded BMW of North America, its first official sales company outside Europe. It was also the year in which BMW Motorsport made its debut in motor racing stateside – in the IMSA series – with a specially made BMW 3.0 CSL. Just a few weeks later BMW recorded its first, historic triumph at the 12 Hours of Sebring. This was followed by a succession of victories, including one at Laguna Seca, just 15 miles from Pebble Beach. BMW’s rookie year duly culminated in the white BMW 3.0 CSL, decked out in eye-catching BMW Motorsport livery, winning the manufacturers’ championship at the first attempt. This success, coupled with the car’s striking design and the “Bavarian Motor Works” legend emblazoned across © MotorWerks Magazine - 65

the sun protection film on the windscreen and rear window, announced the BMW brand’s arrival in racing-mad North America with a bang.

“Motor racing is all about the ability of cars to mesmerise, about the unbridled joy of driving,” explains Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. “And as such it represents the heartbeat of BMW. Back in 1975, as today, winning races came down to how man and machine could work together. Technical innovations have taken the effectiveness of this partnership to ever great heights. And with the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R we’re aiming to show how much closer the driver and car can grow in the future.”

A new level of driver focus – the interior.

Given the aim of achieving the best possible fusion of driver and car, the driver was the logical starting point for the design of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R. For the seamless integration of the driver into the car, the designers extrapolated the principle of driver focus beyond the geometric form of the interior.

In the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R, the idea of centring attention on the driver begins with his immediate surroundings. This new approach led the designers first to the driver’s helmet, race suit and seat before moving onto the lines and surfaces of the interior.

This way of doing things changes the nature of conventional

interior functions. As the layer of interaction closest to the driver, the helmet visor assumes the functions of a display and projects situation-based information such as the car’s speed, gear engaged and engine revs into the driver’s direct field of view. The BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R thus enhances the driver’s direct perception.

The idea of the Head-Up Display, which has already proved its effectiveness in series-produced BMW models by flagging up

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driving-related information without distracting the driver, is therefore expressed in a whole new way. “Eyes on the road, hands on the wheel” is the name of the game – i.e. enabling the driver to concentrate fully on the job of driving the car.

As well as helping him to do his job, the driver’s race suit (a classical design by Puma®) visually expresses the connection between the driver and the car.

If both the driver’s hands are on

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the steering wheel, illuminated piping integrated into the sleeves of the suit shows the progress of information – from the shift impulse display, for example – out of the steering column over the driver’s arms and into his visor.

The side-section design of the large carbon-fibre seat shells reflects the anatomy of the seated driver, thus providing maximum support in any driving situation. At the same time, the seats ensure the driver’s body has the best possible connection with the car, giving him a physical feel for it with almost his whole body, in any situation, and thus allowing him to react faster and more effectively.

The seat shells follow a rising diagonal path rearwards, a line extended behind the seats into the rear by a structural carbonfibre element that increases the torsional rigidity of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R. The white seat surfaces with fanned-out quilting, integrated into the seat shell, mimic the design of the driver’s race suit, while BMW Motorsport’s signature stripes on the six-point safety harness add an extra splash of colour.

Commitment to lightweight construction and technical refinement.

In the area around the driver’s seat, the designers have drawn back the covers on the lightweight design of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R and lent tangible form to its racing character. A carbon-fibre roll cage integrated into the structure of

the car’s roof and side sections forms the basis for the interior’s singularly minimalist geometry.

All the elements in the interior are there out of absolute necessity; every component has been designed with a purpose, a function linked directly to the structure of the machine or the job of driving. In an interior made almost entirely from carbon fibre, the only woodlike presence is the “instrument

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panel” – actually a cross-member and purely structural element.

This is a reference to a central element of the earlier BMW 3.0 CSL, in which even the racing version had distinctive wood trim ringing the whole of the interior.

A particular highlight here is the additional information illuminated through the wood. Recalling the BMW 3.0 CSL’s victory at Laguna Seca in May 1975, the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R displays the

track layout and braking points through the instrument panel’s wood strip. By using light in this way, this ultra-sophisticated, super-smooth information display removes the need for a classical display and slips perfectly into the car’s minimalist interior design philosophy. Only the small central eBoost charging display interrupts the flow of the otherwise unbroken wooden surface. BMW Motorsport stripes for the instrument panel surround lend extra colour.

The commitment to paring the car down to the bare essentials places particular emphasis on the steering column. As a mechanical link between the driver and car, it is home to all the operating elements and controls. The only “comfort” function are the two vents on the sides of the steering column, which supply the driver with fresh air at ambient temperature. A small display on the steering column provides the driver with secondary information such as lap times, overall race time and the car’s current track position, as required. Other racing elements in the interior include red anodised safety features, such as the outlet nozzles for the fire extinguishing foam, the extinguisher itself, and the two switches on the centre console for the emergency shut-off and fire extinguishing mechanism. The rear only has space for two helmets integrated into the centre tunnel. These are held in place by a belt when not in use. Underneath the longitudinal braces jutting out to

the rear are the covers for the eBoost energy accumulators.

Meticulously crafted aluminium sleeves add high-quality accents at the junctions between individual structural elements.

In its materials and detailed solutions, the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage displays both technical sophistication and subtlety of form.

Motor racing through and through – the exterior.

“Both inside and outside, the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R is primarily a reflection of its function,” explains Karim Habib, Head of Design BMW Automobiles. “The exterior and interior design is based around the requirements of motor sport as far as the car and driver are concerned; aerodynamics and driving dynamics on the one hand, the most direct connection between driver and machine on the other. In my view, that’s something the Hommage car expresses in a very emotional way. At the same time, all the details from the BMW 3.0 CSL are present in the Hommage model.

And they are all there to be discovered in their original form.

It’s a bow to the 1975 car.”

The exterior design of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R is a pure expression of motor racing.

The stretched body is framed by distinctive air deflectors, powerful wheel arches and a prominent rear spoiler, which likewise cite the successful IMSA racing version of the original BMW 3.0 CSL. Every detail of the

Hommage car has its origins in the successful racing machine from 1975, but all have since been updated and integrated technically into a modern design language. The colours and graphics used, not to mention the addition of a number 25, reference the extraordinary record of success notched up by the works BMW 3.0 CSL in 1975. Indeed, the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R even revives details such as the “Bavarian Motor Works” decals on the windscreen and rear window. Swathes of exposed carbon fibre spotlight the 1975 model’s commitment to lightweight construction and, as a cutting-edge material, bring it into the modern era.

Power and athleticism – the front end.

The front end of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R, one of the broadest and lowest of any model in the BMW family, positively exudes power and athleticism.

The flow of the surfaces and graphic accents in the front apron showcase the car’s wheels and underline its wide, powerful impression. In the centre of the front end is a large version of the signature BMW kidney grille, which references the upright form favoured at the time. The familiar four-eyed face – with its contemporary, hexagonal interpretation – emphasises the sporting intent of the front end. Laser lighting and LED technology enable slim, modern light graphics, and the narrow contours of the headlights give © MotorWerks Magazine - 69

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the BMW the focused look typical of the brand’s cars. A stylised, blue-lit “X” inside the lights separates the light functions from one another and, at the same time, recalls the X-shaped headlight taping used for endurance races. The large, black front splitter made from carbon fibre and with accents in BMW Motorsport’s colours sets the seal on the front end as it plunges down to the road. Together with the kidney grille, it creates a large stylistic aperture, providing a visual hint of the engine’s power and performance. From the side, the front apron and kidney grille present a modern take on the shark nose design that was already turning heads in 1975, ensuring the car would be easily recognisable.

From the side – sporting flair with a touch of elegance.

The long wheelbase and sweeping bonnet stretch the Hommage car’s silhouette visually and lend it a touch of elegance to go with its dominant sporting

brio. The familiar line graphics along the car’s flanks further strengthen this impression. The exclusive exterior colour Brilliant White with its slight metallic effect adds a gleam to the surfaces and lends the powerful contours a vivid sculptural impact. The line graphics in BMW Motorsport colours pick up the surface movements in the front, rear and flanks, further emphasising the car’s sinewy looks. Dark carbon-fibre surfaces round off the flanks at their lower edge and point to the commitment to lightweight design of the original BMW 3.0 CSL. The matt gold 21-inch light-alloy wheels with black inlays add a special flourish.

The rear end – muscular presence.

The rear of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R makes a statement of maximum sporting intent. The large rear spoiler and carbon-fibre double diffuser are straight out of the racing car blueprint and brim with aerodynamic sophistication.

The powerfully contoured rear apron draws the eye to the car’s wheels and, in so doing, visually showcases the power of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R. The BMW Motorsport line graphics reproduce this movement, further strengthening its muscular presence on the road. The rear light design is particularly distinctive, a strip of LEDs extending along the spoiler to link the two lights and providing a stylistic border for the rear end.

The BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R also cuts a dynamically imposing figure when viewed from above.

The bonnet fans out in a wide “V” from kidney grille to headlights, recalling a striking and dynamic element of earlier BMW coupes.

The BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R therefore combines all the classic BMW hallmarks within a modern and emotionally rich design language, adding even greater lustre to the already glittering engineering achievement of 40 years ago.

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CSL Trivia! * A two-door coupĂŠ built for BMW

by Karmann from 1968 to

1975 (internal name BMW E9). * The 3.0 CSL homologation special, was very successful in racing in European Touring Car Championship and the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft. * Five hundred 3.0 CSLs were exported to the United Kingdom.

* The 3.0 CSL was raced in the IMSA GT Championship in 1975, with Sam Posey, Brian Redman and Ronnie Peterson all winning races. * The first two BMW Art Cars were 3.0 CSLs; the first was painted by Alexander Calder and the second by Frank Stella. * Dutchman Toine Hezemans

won the European Touring Car Championship in a 3.0 CSL in 1973 * The 3.5 CSL was built for Group 5 racing and won three races in the 1976 World Championship for Makes for BMW.

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It’s Car Week in Monterey

and Norm and Jesse visit the BMW Villa amongst other places!

Words and photos by Norman Nelson

If you have never experienced “Monterey Car Week” it is something you might want to add to your bucket list. When I use the term “experienced” it’s appropriate. This is not an “event”, “car show”, or “rally”, it’s an experience in life.

For those of us that consider ourselves “automotive enthusiasts”, the Monterey Car Week will take you to a new level.

Although it is called a “week”, it’s actually overlaps both before and after, making it almost two weeks long. But don’t despair, there is

plenty of things to do and see to fill every minute.

Over 85,000 motoring fans converge into the Monterey Bay Area, which includes, Monterey, Carmel, Pebble Beach, Pacific Grove, Seaside, Laguna Seca and surrounding areas. In addition to the marvelous cars that are there for racing, show, and action, these 85,000 fans bring their favorite cars to town to show-off as well.

The Monterey Bay Area is one of the most scenic and expensive places on the planet. It is nestled

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along the picturesque coastline of the Pacific Ocean about one hour south of San Francisco. With moderate temperatures, brilliant sunshine, cool evening sea breeze, spectacular seascapes, lush green golf courses, and beautiful cypress and pine trees it offers a soothing backdrop for your eyes. But when Monterey Car Week starts, the activities and the crowds grow like wildfire.

To give you a better feel for the area neighborhoods and the kind of homes that sit atop many of the sea bluffs, here are some

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numbers according to Zillow the Real Estate value website. Let’s take Pebble Beach where the median home price is $653,500 which is not the average but that half the homes sell for less and half more. While we were in the area we noticed several homes for sale one of which had an asking price of $35,000,000.00.

So in this kind of area the mantra for the ‘Week’ is “Plan early and book ahead”. The many homes that go up for rent during this time are booked a year in advance. Both the price of hotels, and the rental homes can raise 200% or more as the “week” approaches. Consider finding a three bedroom home with a yard and adequate parking. Arrange with some other friends to share it with the cost. This will put you in some quiet neighborhoods, be able to shop for groceries, cook or BBQ, and save some ‘real’ money if you don’t have to dine at the many fancy restaurants.

Now that you have the lay of the land, and have made you plans for accommodations, let’s get to the ‘nuts & bolts’, the CARS themselves. These are some of the finest, rare, and exotic automobiles ever built. During the ‘Week’, there are several daily auctions going on with many of these gems going up for sale.

The auctions include JR Auctions, Mecum Auctions, RM/Sotheby’s Auctions, Russo & Steele Auctions, Rick Cole Auctions and the Pebble Beach just to name a few. At the RM/Sotheby’s Auction a 1964 Ferrari 250 LKM set a new record going for $17,600,000, © MotorWerks Magazine - 77

followed by a 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione which went for $13,200,000.00.

Late on Saturday, the three day auction totals were reported to be $338,400,000.00. And after all the dust had settled, Hagerty Insurance reported the end of the week totals to be $402,200,000.00 with an average sale price for each car of $460,656.00.

Of course many of the cars that come never go up for auction.

Some are sold over a glass of wine at one of the golf resort decks overlooking the Pacific Ocean. These sales are not included in the above figures.

There are “Concours D’Elegances” at several locations during the week. These are the shows that require you to submit an application with photos and pedigree for your car in order to be considered for entry. These cars must meet some of the highest standards to even be considered. General admission to these types of exhibits run anywhere from $300 - $600 per person just to get in to see the cars. The “Quail” as it is known, is one of these gatherings located at the prestigious Quail Lodge & Golf resort in the Carmel Valley.

There are 200 cars accepted for display and the cost, if you can get a ticket, is $600 each.

Well enough of the setting, the real estate, and the costs. Here is the story of our journey to Monterey Car Week.

My wife, Jesse and I were asked to come to Monterey by our close

and dear friend, Pat Kaye of the Mini Collective. Pat had made contact with several other classic Mini friends and put together a rental house in Pacific Grove and caravan plans for the journey.

This was Jesse’s birthday week, so I asked her if she would like to go. She said yes and plans started immediately. As it turns out we waited a bit too long to decide and Pat and some other longtime Mini friends Jerry & Geri

Neil Blank in Corte Madera and headed across the Golden Gate Bridge and south along coast Highway 1. We stopped at Emily’s Bakery in Santa Cruz for breakfast and ran into a friend of ours who was also headed to Monterey.

He was driving an open roadster Allard, wearing the traditional leather jacket and leather driving cap. That made quite an attraction with the Allard and all our classic Minis. It was a fun

Del Castello had rented a nice house within walking distance of downtown Pacific Grove.

This was a gold mine. I am still kicking myself that I didn’t act sooner. Pat and other friends has several relaxing evening parties and BBQ’s with many of our Mini friends in a safe, quite, relaxing, and affordable setting. That’s where we will be next year!

Our caravan started for us in Redding where Jesse & I set out on our 1962 Austin Mini Pickup truck, and I drove our 1973 Rover Mini Coupe. We joined up with Pat and the Jerrys in Novato in Marin County and then picked up

drive down the twisting coastal route but as we approached Monterey we split up and headed to our respective hotels/homes for the week with plans to meet for the Carmel By The Sea Car Show the next morning.

Jesse and I checked into our hotel in Salinas, a place where I often stay when I travel to Laguna Seca for race weekends.

It is about 40+ minutes from the main Monterey Bay Area.

We expected that being so far away we would probably not see many at the hotel but we were pleasantly surprised to find the parking lot filled with exceptional

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exotic cars. We met several in the lobby as we parked in front and entered to check-in. Some were there are spectators, some were crewing and some driving in the Rolex Motorsport Reunion at Laguna Seca. We felt much more at home and part of the festivities. They all made us welcome to their group.

Tuesday morning we got an early start and headed for Carmel but met up first with some of our other friends Jean & Lesley Patenaude who had found a B&B in Pacific Grove. We decided to take the “long” way to Carmel, along the famous 17 mile scenic drive. Jean & Lesley had brought their 1958 Isetta so we all headed out along the drive through Pebble Beach. It was filled with

stunning views of the deep blue water, white pounding surf, cool clean ocean and and rolling green fairways. We approached Carmel to find that parking was at a premium or totally non-existent.

We ended up parking about 10 blocks away and hoofed it up the hill to the “Concours on the Avenue”. The exhibit filled the entire downtown area. They had blocked off five blocks one way and three blocks the other.

No traffic was allowed expect for foot traffic. The streets were lined with beautifully prepared vintage and exotic automobiles.

We first met our good friends Mike and Mary Kearney of Seven Enterprises who had their classic Mini entered. It was the only Mini Cooper accepted to the show and

it was well deserved.

As we talked I glanced over and noticed a sand gold XKE Jaguar that I knew had to belong to Randy Smalley. It was great catching up with Randy and his beautiful bride Jill. Randy a true gentleman and autoenthusiast, was the owner of RSR Motorsports who had campaigned the factory R53 Mini Cooper in the Continental Sports Car Challenge Series for years before the R53 was outlawed due to its age. Randy had brought out his prize winning XKE along with some other gems in his transporter.

We strolled the town and saw so many fantastic cars. This could have actually taken days to see everything. While standing and © MotorWerks Magazine - 79

enjoying an ice cream cone, I turned and noticed former Indy racer and current team owner Bobby Rahal standing next to Jesse and Mike Kearney talking with them. It is amazing the people you run into in Carmel during the ‘Week’ and we had only been there for a few hours.

We had been invited to another event so we decided to return to our cars and try to beat some of the traffic. We headed to the Classic Motorsports Magazine/ Hagerty Kick Off Cruise and reception being held at the Folktale Winery in Carmel Valley.

As we entered the traffic control people stopped us and asked for us to park right up front. It was an honor to hold that place so everyone coming into and leaving came right by our Minis.

We had one more stop to make at a party at a private residence on the Quail Lodge Golf Course.

It was an amazing home and car collection. But it was getting late and we needed to get back so we could get an early start the next day to clean and prepare our Minis for the “Little Car Show” on Lighthouse Avenue in Pacific Grove the next morning.

This was the 6th Annual Little Car Show that attracts little cars only. Under 1500cc and you must submit a request and photos to be accepted. Thankfully we were and enjoyed the whole day. What a popular show, large crowds, music, food, and awards. Jesse’s Tiny Tows was a big hit and ended up taking four awards, including Peer Choice Award, Pacific Grove Youth Center Choice, and merchant

awards from Big Green Zucchini Real Estate and Otis Auto Sales.

Pynt Syz did not go home empty handed taking the Most Smiles per Mile Award. There were hundreds of small cars entered and many Mini Coopers. Our friends Jean & Lesley took home an award in their 1958 Issetta as well.

The next day we had pretty well open so we took our time in the morning and decided to go someplace special for lunch. Since we were to attend the BMW Press Conference later that afternoon at the BMW Villa in Pebble Beach we decided to go to the Bench Restaurant located at 1700 17 Mile Drive which overlooks the 18th green. Spectacular views and a great meal!

Then it was off to the BMW Press Conference. This was a world

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premier viewing of the new BMW 3.0 CSL Race car and the new BMW M4 GTS Concept Car. In typical BMW tradition they had pulled out all the stops and brought in all the guns, including race driver Brian Redman, Bill Auberlen, Bobby Rahal. The cocktail reception started at 5:00pm with ample fine food and beverage. The press corpse was out in force with Fox Sports 1 covering the entire event with several cameras and reporters.

As 6:00 approached the show began. Bill Auberlen drove up to the courtyard in the famous #25 BMW with wheels spinning and a cloud of dust. I will let the photos do the talking with regards to the beauties we saw before us. It was indeed a show to remember.

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Wing

LAP

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g n i r b e S r e v O gs

TSC C o t W C J 6 5 F e gs th in r b e h t t r o p s r o t P Mo

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MINI returned to its racing roots at Sebring when Indianapolis, IN based LAP Motorsports brought two of the brand new F56 MINI Cooper JCW cars to compete in the second round of the Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge. The return to North American tracks was announced

by MINI at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January when they unveiled the new JCW which they have billed as the most powerful factory produced MINI ever.

LAP team principal Luis Perocarpi has been busy since December when they received the cars, turning the new platform into a dedicated racecar. He explained, “We are a bit behind the eight ball going into 2015 as we just received the cars in December, plus it is a brand new car that nobody has any experience of, so we are learning as we build. It was a thrash getting to Sebring but it was worth it without a doubt. The fans loved seeing the MINIs back on track; we understand what that means to them, as we have been MINI owners before this race deal was even thought about. We knew this year would be tough but bringing a new car that had never turned a wheel before Sebring and making it to the finish 18th out of thirty cars makes me happy and very proud of the guys on the team that made this happen. Remo (Ruscitti) and Dan (Clarke) did a great job bringing the car to the finish considering the car was brand new to them and they really did not know what

to expect.” The second team car driven by Stephen Simpson of the Miles Ahead School and Lukas Johnson dropped out after nineteen laps and did not finish.

From Round 2 in Florida it was a cross-country trek to Laguna Seca and a venue familiar to us here at MotorWerks Magazine.

It was the site of the first R53 MINI Swansong event back in 2012 when Chris Knox came out from the UK to drive with Randy Smalley and give the R53 a proper Anglo American send off. It was also the first MINI Car Corral we had organized and our man on the West Coast; Norman Nelson wanted to do it again.

Check out the related article ‘All friends together’ in this issue.

Burnaby, BC based Ruscitti was the only driver to return to the drivers seat at the famed California road course. He would however feel at home as the three drivers joining him were also Canadian. Ruscitti would be joined by Torontonian, Zach Meyer in the #37 car, while Pirelli World Challenge regulars Wei Lu of Richmond, BC would share with his PWC team owner Glen Nixon, Mission, BC in the #52.

The brake issues that had caused some concern at Sebring showed up again at Laguna but having to run standard Cooper S brakes

Continued on page 58

Wendy Doyle, AKA The Boss There is not much she won’t turn her hands to, from working the office to building racecars.

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Luis A. Perocarpi Team Principal, LAP Motorsports

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It’s been a fantastic start for our team. The CTSCC is the toughest endurance racing series in North America and there are teams that struggle to be competitive. We have been strong from the first time we unloaded at Sebring, thanks to the awesomeness of the JCW. The car is fast straight off the showroom floor.

Other than one top ten finish at Laguna Seca, our results have not shown our full potential. I guess the racing gods are challenging us but that’s ok, it’s racing!

I always say “In racing, you work hard for disappointment in search of glory”.

I’ve put in lots of sweat and tears, yes, literally tears into this program.

LAP is a family affair, everyone at home is working hard to put our cars on the podium.

Wendy keeps all the dots connected and the boys spend their free time after school, at the race shop, helping us to prepare the cars for the races.

The Mini owners who come to the Corrals at the races are awesome and their support is greatly appreciated.

We have three races left and a podium is so achievable, I can almost taste the Champagne!

Above: Where does this bit go? Luis, help!

Below: Getting miles and data at Sebring.

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instead of the JCW spec Brembos was putting the team at a disadvantage. It was indeed worn out brakes that would eventually end the day for the Lu/Nixon duo as the slid off the track with thirteen laps to go. Ruscitti who was in the #37 by this time after a solid drive by Meyer steadily drove to the finish to record the first top ten by the team.

Ruscitti told us “Heading to Laguna Seca I felt fairly confident in what we were bringing. I spent the previous week in Indianapolis at the shop and tested at Putnam Park where we made huge progress. As we went through practice the car felt really competitive and the track really suited to the turbopowered car. Zach handed the car in good condition for the final stint of the race and believe we made the most of our opportunity dealing with the issues we had. I was elated to have brought home MINI’s best result to date.”

He went on, “I feel like a top five finish could have been in the cards for the #37, there had been a mishap during our stop and were hampered by the braking issue, we were fighting for sixth position with about forty-five minutes left before I made a call to save them so I could have something to fight at the end of the race. That is what gave us a fighting chance for the top ten finish after a we got a late race caution.”

Miles Ahead MINI Driving School partner and instructor Stephen Simpson is enjoying racing the cars he instructs in as well as

No I in TEAM! Luis told me he could not do this without the dedication of his team. He explained, “I have no full time crew, I’m the only one at the race shop with occasional hired help. Race weekend crew are contracted and three of them are old team mates from my open wheel days in Champ Car/Indycar.

Lead engineer Rob Ridgely, engineer Brad Moase and truck

driver/tire specialist “Foggy”.

MINI USA hooked us up with their engineer Zdravko Miric and he has been with us from the very first race at Sebring and has kept the cars running flawlessly! The rest of the guys are friends that I worked with throughout the paddock and we have a couple of hard-core mini fans volunteers like Mike Bober who go above and beyond to get to a race to help us out.

dealing with the manufacturer.

When asked about the first half of the season he told us, “I am very excited to have been involved with the MINI brand getting back into professional motorsport in the CTSCC. It has been a challenge, especially thinking back to our first race at Sebring when the first mile one of our cars turned was straight from IMSA’s tech inspection into qualifying. It has been an exciting challenge developing the race cars as we start to work our way

up the grid and I look forward to continuing our development into the final few races of 2015.

Another aspect that has been really nice is the support from so many MINIacs! We have many MINI owners come up to us over race weekends showing their support to the race team and the brand.

It is so exciting to see the partnership between LAP Motorsport and MINI USA develop and I am confident the two will achieve a great deal of success

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The first mile on the #37 was at Sebring, straight from Tech Inspection Š MotorWerks Magazine - 89

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The only lap of competition for the #52 after a long hard day and night for the team.

Mike Bober was not officially on the crew at that point but told us this, “I wasn’t really a member of the team for Watkins Glen, I just threw my hands into the mix because it seemed like every bit of help was needed. I think we all knew we had a good challenge facing us, but we are dedicated, and we overcame several speed bumps that were thrown at us through the night to get the #52 back on track.

The most impressive thing to me was how many other teams, drivers, and even IMSA officials came over to congratulate us on getting her running again in time for the race. I knew at that moment the LAP Motorsports Team may be one of the newcomers to the series, but they were already earning the respect of the paddock.

To see all that work basically thrown away was heartbreaking for all of the MINI JCW Team. It did however prove that we won’t let obstacles get in our way, and we’ll keep fighting to get our MINIs and drivers on the podium.”

Mike has previous MINI raceteam history from the R53 days in Grand Am. He explained, “Back in 2011 I met Randy Smalley and the RSR team at Lime Rock Park, in a similar way to how things started with the current MINI team, I started out by pitching in where I could. I traveled to a few races with RSR, including a trip to Northern California for a 25 Hours Of Thunderhill event. The 25 hour was an adventure to say the least, but it was probably my first real experience actually working, traveling, and living with a race team.

More recently I helped out a Pirelli World Challenge TCB team that ran a Mazda 2.

Not nearly as exciting as a MINI Cooper S or JCW, but the driver Ernie Francis Jr. is going to go a long way in this sport.” © MotorWerks Magazine - 91

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together.”

From the elation of a top ten finish on the West Coast it was on to Watkins Glen International and another classic circuit this time in the rolling hills of Western New York.

The prospect of rain boded good and bad for the team. They fully expected the MINI to show its strengths in the wet but as they had not even test fitted the wet wheels and tires there were still a few unknowns to be sorted out.

The Thursday test day went well with the team trying different setups on each car but with the weather still being forecast as being rain all day on Saturday the team used Thursday and Friday to gain as much data as they could. The curve ball when thrown was a huge one. Remo Ruscitti was running in second practice when he and one of MINI’s BMW cousins got together and Remo had a huge off.

“I believe I had just gone P9 and was on another quick lap so I stayed out.” Stated Ruscitti, “On this lap I was approaching a slowing BMW 1 series and as I passed him down the straight heading to the final two corners I was tagged on my right rear quarter sending me straight into the Armco. It was really unfortunate to happen but the team did an amazing job getting the car back together only for my co-driver to be hit on the second lap causing enough damage to retire us for the race. This was really unfortunate because I felt we had a really good shot at that rain filled race.”

Above: In pristine shape at the start of the weekend.

Below: The first lap in terrible conditions.

Below: Zach Meyer drove the first stint at WGI.

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It was a sad looking #52 returning to the paddock in a sorry shape; I have to say I had my doubts about it being fixed for the race on Saturday but Luis said it would and I have found out when he says things like that, he makes it happen.

Anyone who knows him will tell you he makes full use of his cell phone, well that Friday he was burning up the airwaves sourcing parts and organizing help but come Saturday morning it was an almost pristine #52 that sat in the team garage ready to race, albeit from the back of the grid.

Cody Ellsworth took the start and on only the second lap got into an altercation with another BMW and the #52. The #37 in the meantime driven by the Meyer / Simpson pairing kept the pedal

to the metal and finished just one lap down on the ST class leaders Stevan McAleer and Chad McCumbee in the CJ Wilson/ Modspace Mazda MX-5.

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That is the story so far in 2015, next issue we head to Lime Rock Park, Road America and Virginia International Raceway.

Mixing it up with multiple Porsches.

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W s t o o r Grass

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ae R n a I y b s oto h P d n a s d r Wo

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In the last issue I wrote about the ABR GT Superseries providing a venue for grassroots racers to get involved with wheel to wheel racing without the costs more commonly seen racing with other sanctioning bodies. Sure Chumpcar and LeMons give you that opportunity, but not with a racecar you may already own. The Superseries is designed to bring out both former racers who have cars tucked away in the garage doing nothing or just those who want to see what it feels like to race side by side. All who have raced with the series agree the ‘Non Contact’ aspect of the event is what attracts them along with the lower running costs. Series promoter Alan Balinsky explained, “The ABR GT Superseries has gained a lot of interest because it is affordable, fast, fun and easy to join. No license is required, there is no ridiculous tech

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and we have very basic simple rules. Where else can you see a Nostalgia and Late-Model NASCAR running together on the same track?”

Eric Nummelin, a big supporter of the series was more economical with his descriptions of the series, but no less enthusiastic, “It’s just plain fun!”

Based at Toronto Motorsports Park in 2014 the series expanded its horizons this year. The first round was held at Shannonville Motorsports Park in May as the supporting event for the Canadian Touring Car Championship. July 11 saw another first for the series when it returned to TMP for the Nitro Nationals, a combined drag race and road-racing extravaganza. Never before in

Canada had a drag race event been run with a road race on the same day at the same venue.

Due to the separate nature of each track a huge number of fans got to see the best of both forms of motorsport. And coming up on September 10th the series moves to the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and their DDT facility for round three where the ABR GT Superseries will put on the first wheel-to-wheel event to be run at the revamped circuit.

Round three will also see the implementation of a new class structure designed to open the series to more cars. Anyone with a four point roll bar and maintaining factory side intrusion protection on

all doors, factory front and rear crash protection will be able to run in the GTS (GT Street) class.

A gutted car with no cage will not be legal to run with the series. Balinsky elaborated, “Our recent meetings and Facebook page discussions have proved there is a need for racing like this but we need more entries to make it viable in the long term. It is a great series for Chumpcar teams to compete in shorter events. In fact our threerace per event format allows three drivers to run a race each during the day. Heck they can even change drivers mid race if they want to. The addition of the GTS class opens the race portion of our series to many who were previously lapping with us; it is a good move for sure.”

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Round 1: Shannonville Despite forecasts of severe inclement weather thirty-eight of the forty registered racers ventured east of Toronto to run on the same 2.47 km, 9-corner PRO track as the CTCC racers were racing on. Thanks to presenting sponsor Russ Bond and his kartSTART.com concern, none of us got wet at the drivers meeting, instead we huddled together with whatever hot drinks we could grab under the kartSTART.com canopy. Along with the precipitation that had moved in overnight the temperatures had dropped and coats were the order of the day. CTCC’s John Bondar welcomed everyone and explained how the day would proceed and that courtesy of MINI Canada the pace car would be a new F56 JCW MINI Cooper S. He was followed by Alan Balinsky who went over the minimal rules of racing and explained that winning was all about bragging rights and with no trophies or money to be won there was no need for any red mist to develop in front any drivers eyes.

As the cars entered the track I could see once again the plethora of makes and types of racecar that so impressed me at the 2014 event I attended. The weather indeed leveled the playing field and big power did not rule on the slick track. Dylan Gibson was one who impressed with all sorts of passing in his FWD making one wonder how this kid would perform in a series like the CTCC. There were all sort of lurid slides due to the weather but any off track excursions were more about over enthusiasm than anything else. I just loved watching David Strachan in his NASCAR sawing away at the wheel while dealing with no power brakes and no power steering in the inclement weather. All he needed was a cigar to chomp on and the title Good Ole Boy would have fitted to a tee!

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Round 2: Toronto Motorsport Park Perfect weather greeted the racers and fans that arrived for round two at TMP for the Nitro Nationals on May 11th. Being part of the ‘Big Show’ allowed fans of drag racing to check out road racing and vice versa. The Nitro Nationals is the biggest show TMP puts on and it was great seeing people like former Top Fuel driver Ike Maier checking out the road racing and asking how you could get into it. From my point of view it was great running in race three with David Strachan in his Nostalgia NASCAR, Chung Tam in his BMW Z4 and Vic Simone in his Procharged Infiniti G35. It was like we were attached to an elastic band expanding and contracting as each of us made gains or losses on each lap. My late decision to enter the race was my downfall as I forgot to fill the fuel tank after the last lapping session and it was left to the other three to duel it out to the end.

Chris Lawson who won race one at TMP was another enthused with the ABR series. “I love the ABR racing series for its fun factor. It is a great group of guys who are grass roots racing, with easy accessibility for guys just starting out. The racing is clean, and affordable, with good competition. Nowhere else can you get into racing with as much ease and support.” Running what looks like a NASCAR truck Lawson told us “It was originally a Pro Tour Truck, and that series ended in the early 2000. I got it in 2011 and have been running it in CASC GT Sprints GT-2, and in SCCA SPO class, now it has found another place to race.”

Vic Simone, Chung Tam and David Strachan duelled all day.

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Trevor Goddard ran well until an expire

ed engine ruined his day.

Chris Lawson took the win in TMP race 1

A Lotus Elan and the car it inspired, the Mazda Miata.

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Our friend Eric Nummelin was doing a bit more than racing at the Nitro Nationals, he was evaluating one of only two sets of NA Carrera Advanced Technology Bias Ply race tires in North America. Nummelin’s Ford Cougar is the ex Mumm Brothers World Challenge car and has a pretty trick Multimatic Dynamic Suspension on it as well as a set of lightweight Forgeline RS rims making it a good candidate for the evaluation test. Eric was that impressed that he ordered more tires for the BEMC 61st Annual Indian Summer Trophy 3 Hour Enduro at CTMP. Mark Clyde who runs the sister Cougar was running on the new tires for the first time and finished second in the three hour event and he had this to say, “We ran the entire three hours on the NA Carrera slicks. It was damp with light rain the entire race. I was surprised how much grip the tires had in those conditions.” When asked if the tires transformed the car he added, “They did feel very predictable and that gives you a lot of confidence in the conditions lile we ran in.” Clyde paired with Len Clue drove his first ever laps of CTMP during this event and the duo drove to a second place finish in the GT class.

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Chung Tam helped organize the TMP event and also used it as an excuse for a TCMC Reunion He told us, “The Toronto Chinese Motorsport Club (TCMC) was founded in 1990.

I can’t believe it’s been 25 years? And to mark that milestone I have worked with Alan Balinsky on this event at TMP. For those who have stayed in the sport, we asked that they bring their race car to participate in the TMP/ABR GT Super Series. But most importantly it’s a great excuse for old friends to get together to share our passion for speed and BS about how fast we were back in the day”

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“It is Lighter, Stronger, Faster”

Gary Savage started off autocrossing in Oregon in a Datsun 510 and over the years, won several regional class championships and set four different hillclimb records. He built my cars from the ground up and has been the tire changer, mechanic, crew chief & driver for a long time. He has run an original ’70 Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda Factory Trans-Am car at historic races across the country including the Goodwood Festival of Speed, as well as other open-wheel, GT and prototype cars over the years.

His daily driver for the last ten years has been a 2000 BMW 540i 6-speed M-sport

(with Bilstein/Eibach suspension upgrade, E39 M5 limited slip diff & M5 wheels) and the car is just about to turn over 250K miles with the original clutch and even has several track days and a hillclimb on the car. For the last couple of years, he has been co-driving in vintage events with my friend in his E36 325i and Ferrari 360 Challenge car, instructing at HPDE events and working on sponsorship to run in World Challenge GT/GTS or IMSA in 2016.

He has been with Braille for 3 ½ years and really enjoys working with factory teams globally and that includes the guys at BMW since they have been running Braille lithium in the DTM cars

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for years as well as the RLL team running in IMSA. He loves seeing the transfer of technology that has been used in these cars into the street & track day vehicles where the owners want the very best and are looking for every advantage they can get to make their cars into top performers.

Gary was good enough to talk to us here at MotorWerks Magazine and answer a bunch of questions about what to look for when considering a new battery for your road or track day car.

More Info can be found online at www.braillebattery.com

So just how does one spec a lightweight battery and the proper charging for it?

Very good question and there are so many variables to cover here that I will try to do it as simply and quickly as possible, as we could likely spend a bit of time on the phone covering all of this. As a small, performance battery company, we try to make sure the customer gets the right battery for the application and knows how to maintain it in order to cut down on warranties, as we are not able to just keep swapping batteries out like the big companies out there. We are all about power, performance & reliability whether an AGM or lithium battery.

Lets take our project MINI Cooper RSR as an example.

This is a great one to start with, so I’ll give you the rundown on this specific vehicle.

It is a track day car that sees some road use. It sits around a lot and might just hit the road once every two weeks, the track once or twice a month either for a trackday, Time Attack or AutoX event.

The car is supercharged and runs a 16% over pulley which would mean more to turn over when starting the car. The factory alternator runs as normal. It would be good to get a lighter battery but still one able to start the car.

Braille’s motto is “Lighter, Stronger, Faster”, so I’ll give you both an AGM and lithium recommendations for the Mini.

First, the ONLY reason that the OEMs put such a large battery in the car is to ensure that the car can sit for months with the parasitic draw of the vehicle (computer, alarm, etc.) and not have a dead battery. There is also the fact that ALL lead based batteries also self-discharge all by themselves, so the capacity of the battery is the main thing they need. They certainly do NOT like the weight added to the car, as it doesn’t help performance, mileage or overall efficiency, but it is the nature of the beast.

Oh, they are also cheap. It still amazes me that even the high end cars costing six figures mostly still have a flooded leadacid battery in them, so you end up with the metal around the battery tray getting eaten away over time. You’d think that for safety and less maintenance that AGM (sealed maintenancefree) batteries would be used, but that is rarely the case in OE batteries. With all the computers and electrical demand these cars have today and they still put the cheapest power supply they can in the cars, unless it’s one of the few that has a lithium option available or is standard. More on that shortly.

With any lightweight performance lead battery, you have the compromise of less weight at the expense of capacity. Now,

in a daily driver, huge capacity is not as critical (as discussed previously, it has more to do with ability to sit for long periods of time) and if the customer knows that a smaller, lighter battery has less capacity, you simply need to use a charger/maintainer on the battery if it is going to sit for certain periods of time. As is the case with any battery, the more it is kept near full state of charge the longer life and better performance the battery will deliver. Pound for pound, our AGM batteries offer more cranking power and capacity than our competitors. Many of the smaller lead batteries are intended for powersports application and NOT automotive applications, where we assume they are being used in a street or race car and come with the SAE terminals to make it easy to install to standard battery cables.

For a lightweight AGM battery in our line, the ideal option would be our B2015, which is the standard 4 & 6 cylinder battery that has been used for years in the Import Tuner vehicles from Honda, Toyota, Subaru, Scion, etc. It is a fifteen lbs battery, so you save the better part of twenty pounds over the stock battery and have similar or better cranking power. The way our batteries work in the lightweight AGM line is the first 2 numbers is the Ah capacity and the second is the weight. The B2015 is a 20 Ah battery at 15 lbs. For reference, the largest of our lightweight AGM line, the B3121, © MotorWerks Magazine - 113

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is our standard lightweight V8 battery option used in hundreds of Corvettes and others that typically run a full size Group 34 (or similar) battery, whether stock, an Optima or other brand and are looking to save weight.

So, the two models in between the B2015 and B3121 offer some options more in regards to size & fitment and can be used in a variety of vehicles. Power & capacity are the variables to consider, BOTH, as having high cranking power but low capacity (typical of our batteries) doesn’t mean you can just go off the PCA rating and not consider capacity.

Going too small would be like taking out your fuel tank and replacing it with a water bottle.

Sure, you will be able to start the car, but you won’t get very far since you will discharge the battery quite a bit (relative to its size) in just cranking and don’t want to run out of juice. Another compromise of going with a small, lead battery is that you will sacrifice some life, as the battery has to work much harder than a large one, but when looking at that kind of weight savings and getting two to three years (average, some up to five years), it is a cheap upgrade compared to how much it would cost to save twenty lbs by purchasing any other component to simply save weight.

As you may or may not know, Braille is the world leader in lithium performance/racing starting batteries, having built the first lithium battery back in

2009 for drag racing and making the first commercially available 12 & 16 volt lithium starting batteries for competition. Braille Lithium batteries are the latest technology in starting batteries, be it for a pro race car or “weekend warrior” and everything in between. Braille has been known as the professional grade “racing battery”, but over the last few years, we have seen more sales into the performance & exotic car markets, primarily those run on the track at HPDE events or others like Porsche, BMW, Lambo, Ferrari, etc. Most of those cars come with a forty to sixty pound battery, so going to a ten to eighteen pound battery is a significant weight savings, not to mention the electrical performance benefits. Most of these batteries are in the $1500-2000 range for race cars and exotics where the electrical demand is significant, so power & capacity is VERY important.

When a customer is looking for the smallest, lightest and most powerful options, they look at our professional race grade MicroLite line.

In the last couple of years, we have come out with batteries designed for the enthusiast/ track day/hot rod consumer at models in the $500-$999 range.

The specific lithium upgrade I would recommend for your Mini is our 6.4 pound GreenLite GU1R lithium battery. It has nearly 1000 cranking amps and was designed specifically for the “Import Tuner” market,

those who are street & strip car owners that are looking for ways to maximize the performance of their vehicle. As stated earlier, the more “fine-tuned” and dialed in that these cars become, the electrical performance of Braille lithium batteries is even more significant than the weight savings. Essentially, it’s like switching from pump gas to race fuel for the electronics, as every electrical component works better with lithium than it does with lead. Braille lithium runs a full volt higher than lead and is more stable as electronics put a load on the battery. Here are the benefits: Braille Lithium delivers a higher, cleaner voltage which improves the performance of every electrical component and has shown to provide: quicker starting, improved management & data logging performance, less horsepower draw from the alternator due to efficient charging (5 times faster than lead), will last 3-5 times longer (especially under the harshest environments), much more reliable, all of this on top of the significant weight savings. They also don’t self-discharge, so if the battery is disconnected (no draw or via power disconnect switch), they can sit for over a year and still have over 13 volts to start the vehicle. To get all these benefits in one simple step makes it a very cost effective upgrade!!

It is due to these reasons that Braille Lithium is currently being © MotorWerks Magazine - 115

used in every Indycar & new Indy Lights car, every car in the DTM (Audi/BMW/Mercedes), SuperGT (Nissan/Honda/Lexus/Subaru) and Australian V8 Supercar (Volvo, Nissan, Mercedes, Holden, Ford) series, nearly every car in the IMSA TUDOR series (factory Corvettes, Vipers, Ferrari, Porsche, BMW), Formula 1 and top teams in NASCAR, drag racing, off-road, Rally (all Olsbergs cars), along with the Porsche GT3 Cup champions in Germany & Canada and so on.

The GU1R comes as a combo with a lithium charger for $599.

While it does cost more on the front end, some see the weight savings and electrical benefits as a very cost effective upgrade, the fact that it will also last 3-5 times longer (with less than a 10% loss in performance over the life of the battery), it becomes a cost neutral or cost savings proposition. We have Trans-Am / GT1 cars running the GU1R for more than a year in competition and is listed as adequate for small block V8 applications with standard compression and light/ moderate electrical demand. Hot rods and race cars with carb, ignition & gauges are fine, but a modern vehicle like a Corvette or other would need more capacity, thus a model with double the capacity. (something like our Intensity I34X, for example) The exotics or other performance vehicles typically use our Carbon Intensity lithium models as a direct drop-in upgrade.

When looking at batteries

the thing I see is different manufacturers quoting different current values and different time lengths.

Size and weight are easy to compare between brands but how can the consumer ensure they get a battery that will work for their particular application and they won’t be baffled by numbers.

How does the fact that people are adding a lot of electronics to their racecar affect the choice.

Braille quotes PCA and AH, can you explain what numbers are really important. Other manufactures like Optima quotes CCA and MCA and AH. Odessy quotes PCHA, HCA, CCA, MCA and AH at both 10 hours and 20 hours. Rock batteries quotes Amps CCA @ 20 second rate, Reserve Capacity minutes and peak Discharge Amps at 15 Seconds First, I will address the “Cranking Amps” ratings: First, both CCA & CA ratings are a sustained 30 second draw down test at 0 degrees & 32 degrees, respectively, down to 7 volts.

This rating system is relatively outdated since it doesn’t take 30 seconds to start a car (even at freezing temps or below) AND nothing works below 10 volts, anyway. A PCA rating is a Pulse/Peak Cranking Amps the battery will deliver for 5 seconds at 80 degrees, which is more relative to a starting condition in

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a modern street or race vehicle.

Additionally, Braille lithium batteries do not have a CCA or CA rating, as they react totally differently in that they will deliver a constant voltage while cranking all the way to 80% depth of discharge, where lead batteries have a linear drop in voltage with a high amp draw and drops below 10 volts at roughly 50% depth of discharge. In cold weather, Braille lithium batteries will selfwarm during use, meaning you can turn on the ignition/lights/ etc. for 30-60 seconds to pull energy from the battery and you will get the same cranking power as you do on a warm, sunny 80 degree day. Even if you just

Former BMW racer Marc-Antoine Cam at the wheel of the Braille Battery/Gr

start cranking when it cold, it will continue to get stronger and stronger while cranking, where lead typically will drop off in the other direction. Even in a discharged state, a Braille lithium battery will deliver nearly the same voltage & cranking power as it does at 100%, eliminating the risk of not having enough power in a small, lead battery that is discharged.

The Capacity & Reserve numbers really only come into play when you either 1) let the car sit for long periods without a charger, 2) run a race car that does not have an alternator (total loss) or 3) you have an alternator

failure and will have “x” amount of run time before you run out of juice. You want to have adequate capacity, but many of those numbers really don’t relate in a practical way, as one vehicle can have a 40 amp draw when running, while another can have 100+, so reserve capacity has to be factored in at these draw rates and not 20 amps.

Once you have the battery chosen how do you ensure it is looked and poor maintenance wastes the investment?

Both of our AGM & lithium batteries come with a “How to Maintain your Braille performance

battery” sheet. It covers all the basic scenarios in regards in how to properly maintain your lightweight battery. The added benefit of our lithium batteries is that we have a fraction of 1% failure rate and many of those rare situations have to do with an alternator or charger failure, abuse, used outside of spec, etc. that would potentially damage any battery. Being that we build out batteries to be used in the extremes of racing, they are typically doing “light duty” when used in a street/track day/ autocross type of vehicle. So, there are lightweight AGM option and with Braille lithium you can “have your cake & eat it, too”.

mirand rafoid Chevy.

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Saturday morning, I awoke much too early for a party. Parties are for evenings; these are not things that start in the morning.

But there I was, at 7:00am, with 2,500 of my friends and their MINI Coopers at MINI on the Mack!

Did I actually know all 2,500 people? No, but they all had the same type of feelings I had!

Excitement and hope. We were all excited and hoping that we

would break the record for largest parade of MINI Coopers, which is currently held by London & Surrey MINI Owners Club with 1,450 MINIs. (Editor’s note: Our own West Coast Editor Norman Nelson is part of that record and has the certificate to prove it.)

The previous attempt was made in 2013 and started out as an idea between two guys according to Jason Deutsch, the MINI Cooper Sales Manager in Grand

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Rapids Michigan. This quickly grew to one hundred people, then to the previous total of 842 and ½ MINIs. Yes, there was ½ of a MINI there also in the form of a trailer.

2013 was a bit of a rushed attempt in contrast to this year’s attempt. The volunteers that helped put this together had been working for an entire year to try to beat the record. In speaking with Tonine McGarvie, MINI Event

in numbers and we could push further, faster. So we met up with a few MINIs outside of Indiana Dunes and headed northwest.

Specialist, she was grateful for everyone’s help and wished that everyone could stay longer to have more fun! After helping put everything together like this, of course everyone wants the party to last longer!

The weekend started out for my wife Jennifer and I early Friday morning when we got on the road from Chicago, Illinois to catch up with a group from Indiana. We figured there would be strength

The road was long and interesting and it was great to ride with friends. Along the way, we picked up more MINIs, complained about the MINIs we saw heading the wrong direction, and in general had a great time.

There’s something great about running in a group of MINIs isn’t there?

The only issue I had on the way up was hitting a pothole hard enough to drop the dash above my legs down onto my feet.

After I pulled over, was able to inspect for damage, and got everything back under control, I decided everything looked well enough to continue on the adventure! (When I got home, a quick run to my local shop gave me the confirmation that I didn’t ruin anything with that hit.)

Getting to the bridge is an amazing feeling, watching it appear in the distance and slowly coming up to the mammoth pillars and looking almost straight up into the sky on your way up.

Ok, my wife says it wasn’t that bad, but it was pretty darn high for someone who is afraid of heights!

Going across, we went straight to the Little Bear East Arena.

This was one of the two places where registration was set up to happen. Pulling into the lot, we saw many of the MINIs who passed us on the way up; some that we saw at gas stations and

even some that we saw in rest areas. It was good to put names to the horn beeps and waves as we went past each other. The other area to register was back across the bridge at the Baymont Inn and Suites. I was tempted to cross back over just to see who ended up there for registration.

Over twenty volunteers handled the event; you could see that right away by how quickly the lines were moving. Everyone knew what they needed to do and they were taking care of all the drivers and their passengers like a well-oiled machine. They even had a spot to take care of the canine passengers so they could get some water after a long trip! That was a really nice touch and it was something that could be expected from MINI with their love of all animals.

Registration at the hotel went through with no problems and we were welcomed to St. Ignace with open arms. This is a wonderful town that I plan on visiting more in the future. The restaurants are great, the shops have wonderful souvenirs, and there’s always the boat trip out to the island!

We were invited out to dinner with some friends of ours from the MINI community to a place that wasn’t even on our radar.

Boy, we were glad we went!

Some of the best food we had was at Timmy Lee’s Pub. We met some new friends, also! A table full of MINI people makes for an interesting conversations and laughter that I promise will drown out everyone else at a large pub. It can also make for © MotorWerks Magazine - 119

a long evening the day before a large long cruise with 2,500+ of my friends.

The next morning started too early for my bleary eyes.

Jennifer, already had her coffee and was out on the deck watching the waves wash over Lake Huron and all the way across to Mackinac Island. I rolled out of bed and threw on my new MINI on the Mack t-shirt and headed out the door. Then I turned around, went back in and told my wife we were leaving.

I’m telling you, some days I’m not on top of my game.

The trip over the bridge to the gravel pit was amazing. Every turn you took, everywhere you looked, there was a MINI Cooper.

I have never seen anything like this in my years with my MINI. I was in heaven and then hell, because, of course, we had to go over that towering bridge again.

As much as I love this event, the bridge always leaves me frightened. This fear of heights will be the death of me, I tell you.

Arriving at the gravel pit, everyone was in high spirits and lined the road to get to their spot.

Whenever another MINI arrived, a cheer went down the road! It was a great sensation to pull into there and get cheered. I felt like I should address everyone and thank everyone for coming. This got a poke from my wife and I was told to keep driving.

When it was time for the announcements, we found it difficult to hear what we needed to do. There probably should be additional speakers for the people

in the back because most of what we heard were other drivers chatting and a baby crying.

Regardless, everyone got ready for the road trip to try and beat the record. Unfortunately, as we could not hear the instructions clearly (route sheets would have

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been useful), we and a large quantity of MINIs went down the road and got off at the wrong exit. This required us to go back to the off ramp and try again, which ended up with us getting off at the wrong ramp again!

The third time was the charm,

though, and we finally went through all the correct check points to make sure our cars counted.

Going back over the bridge with everyone wasn’t as bad for me this time. I figured the bridge wouldn’t sacrifice all these MINIs to Poseidon so there wasn’t as much to fear. Then we got to my second-most favorite part of the ride, cruising through town! It always seems like a lot of people come out to wave and cheer us on and that feels great. Maybe next time I should throw candy to people during our parade through town like our town does on the 4th of July…

Arriving at Little Bear Arena proved to be another difficulty, there didn’t seem to be enough parking, or at least there weren’t enough signs to indicate where to park. It something that should be thought about in two years at the next attempt as we saw quite a few drivers giving up and heading back out. Once parked, it was another party for everyone! Walking amongst the cars and talking with everyone is one of my favorite activities. Meeting new people is an amazing experience, especially when you know you have something to talk about already.

The sun beat down on all of us while we were there and I’m sure more than one person got sunburned, I know Jen and I did. I knew this was the place to be, though and there was no way we were leaving.

Then I found out there was food around the corner.

Hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans, a few different salads and then cookies for dessert! It was a delicious lunch and kept us all going through the day.

The announcement was made that we fell short, 1,319 cars total; not enough to break the record.

But we all did the best we could and brought as many MINIs as we could drive at once. After the raffles and the auction, many people split up. Some went to see the band playing on the lakefront while others went to the island. There were still MINI friends everywhere you looked after the event was over and that made the weekend special.

The next morning, we looked at the long trip home and said our goodbyes to old friends and new. We got on the road determined to come back again and next time, we’re going to beat that record, I know it.

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Featured Photographer Foster Peters - Johns Creek, GA

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Nikon D610 200-400mm 360mm, 1/800th sec, F4.0, ISO 400

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I picked up my first camera at the age of twelve and haven’t stopped since. I have an associates degree in Photography.

My passion is in Fast Action Photography. I have worked with many newspapers and news organizations in Atlanta such as 11Alive, WSB-TV, The Gwinnett Daily Post and The Gainesville Times. I am a track photographer at Road Atlanta and have traveled across the country covering events such as: the NASCAR Nationwide Series, TUDOR United

Sportscar Championship, Formula Drift, Grand-AM, TRANS-AM, RedBull Motocross, The Women’s US National Soccer Team and many more. I have been published by Mazda Corporate, MiniUSA, Audi Sport, Jalopnik, National Geographic, and worked on set with Sharp Entertainment for the show ‘Doomsday Preppers’.

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Nikon D610 200-400mm 400mm, 1/160th sec, F5.0, ISO 400

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“But VIRginia International Raceway is a horsepower track, the Mini shouldn’t be competitive there”.

Words by E photos from rfan Modir, stock MINI Thund er and EDGE M otorworks VI

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“But VIRginia International Raceway is a horsepower track, the Mini shouldn’t be competitive there”.

They were not really the words the team at EDGE Motorworks needed to hear before embarking on a 6,000 mile round trip from California to Virginia towing that exact MINI but we had a belief in what we were doing and wanted to show the world what a properly prepared and setup Justa could do.

The team at EDGE Motorworks has been racing their 2005 Mini Cooper (Justa) the past two seasons with the intention of making one of the first competitive Mini Coopers in multiple classes. It may look like an ‘S’ but it is a plain jane Cooper with no huff or puff. The team consists of driver and head technician Anthony Zwain and fellow EDGE employees Timothy Taylor, Angelo Todoran and myself Erfan Modir.

When I look back at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in July, we felt we had a home field advantage at the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) West Coast Nationals. The Mini had a freshly built engine from Jan Brueggemann of Revolution Motor Works in Southern California who had previous experience in building normally aspirated Coopers with rally Champion Markus Saarinen. Now with the ability to rev up to 8000 RPM and with a very flat torque curve our Justa really moved like it was an S. And that got confusing for a few people when they saw the

scoop on the bonnet. But after lifting the bonnet and showing them, there was much muttering and shaking of heads. Especially by those who could not catch us.

Throughout the weekend we had our hearts set on taking home the TTF trophy. For those of you not too sure what TTF is, it is Time Trial where just one fast lap is all

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that is needed over the weekend to take home the coveted number one spot and a National title.

The Mini, piloted by EDGE shop foreman, Anthony Zwain threw down that quick lap, a 1:47.620 (beating the competition by more than two full seconds) during the Saturday session to take home first place in TTF that we really

wanted. This win at Laguna Seca encouraged us enough to venture cross-country to the East Coast Nationals. Unanimously, the team at EDGE agreed that the Mini is not only competitive but downright dominating the competition and the East Coast needed to see it.

Fast forward one month and

EDGE technician Angelo Todoran volunteered to tow the MINI and two other cars (Spec Miatas to offset fuel costs) to VIRginia International Raceway for the East Coast Nationals. The ECN would start on September 3 a week after NASA Norcal held an event at Thunderhill Raceway.

This meant Angelo had to haul

30,000 pounds from Thunderhill Raceway directly to Virginia and make it in time for Anthony to get in some testing.

Going into East Coast Nationals at VIR, we wanted to capitalize on the 6,000 mile roundtrip journey from coast to coast by getting as much track time as we could.

We signed up for PTF, TTE (there Š MotorWerks Magazine - 133

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MOMOMOTORSPORT

were not enough entries for TTF) and GTS1. The TTE rules still meant fastest lap of the weekend would take the championship but GTS1 and PTF were competitive side by side racing, meaning fastest laptime was for bragging rights only. It was first past the chequer who would hoist the trophy and spray the champagne.

Anthony had never physically driven VIR, only practicing on iRacing and watching YouTube clips. During Friday’s practice he threw down fastest lap in PTF which was a 2:22.756, nearly four seconds faster than the second placed runner so that made us happy.

Saturday’s races were qualifying races in which Anthony finished in first for PTF and fourth for GTS1. Sunday was to be the big day, the whole reason why EDGE Motorworks had traveled so far. The GTS1 and PTF races were unfortunately run back to back, meaning the EDGE team had twenty minutes between GTS1 and PTF races. This usually does not pose an issue, but since rules are different between the classes, there was weight that needed to be removed/added as well as remapping the ViPec ECU for the different power/weights associated with the different classes.

With the Cooper all set up to run GTS1, Anthony would start fourth, ready for 45 minutes of wide open throttle racing in a class where nobody ever really expected a MINI to do well. Obviously nobody had told Anthony that and he climbed all

the way to first place for several laps before dropping to second and holding that position for more than half the race. Due to the extremely long straights at VIR, our little MINI just did not have enough grunt to keep up with the BWW E30s and their torque. He dropped to third to finish the race, becoming one of the first to podium with a Mini Cooper in a GTS race. Since the Mini is low on power, Anthony used a tactic called drafting; meaning you drive bumper to bumper on the straights to be more aerodynamic. The downside to this, the car can get extremely hot due to the lack of airflow.

Between the GTS1 race and the PTF race, we literally had to throw ice-cold water on the engine and radiator to bring the temperature down.

Up next was PTF, the bread and butter class for this MINI; it was built for this class so we were expecting great things. Starting first, Anthony kept this position for the duration of the race.

Not letting anyone behind him catch up or even come close, totally dominating the opposition, finishing the race nearly twenty seconds ahead of P2.

Naturally, the team was ecstatic.

Taking home some hardware, a third and a first. It was time

for the champagne showers and trophy celebration. NASA promotes good sportsmanship, and EDGE Motorworks decided to hang around and cheer on the other classes as were receiving their trophies. When the TTE trophies were being handed out, we knew that they had placed fourth fastest time and were not receiving anything. But little did we know, the third placed car had been disqualified and Anthony was bumped up a spot meaning we had another trophy to cart bart to California.

We left VIRginia International Raceway with three trophies, one in each class we had signed up for. A third place in TTE, a third place in GTS1, and a first place in PTF. Taking home a National Championship in both TTF/ PTF classes was worth the long cross-country trip. In addition to this sweet victory, the EDGE Motorworks Mini Cooper now holds the VIR track record in PTF with a 2:22.067.

The team wants to thank the NASA officials and the awesome staff at VIR who provided a great racetrack for the event.

EDGE Motorwerks is indebted all our sponsors, TC Design, TFB, Hoosier Racing Tire, TC Kline Racing and Revolution Motor Works.

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CONTACT POINT

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COMING NEXT MONTH More RMW X-1 Ciao Italia - GP Garage Cooper RSR gets M7 goodies Safety is YOUR issue MINI Road Warrior

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