FOCUSING ON THE BMW AND MINI LIFESTYLE ISSUE 02 MARCH 2011
Published by TreeFree Publishing A division of Webtronic Enterprises
BMW ACTION AT MOSPORT
VINTAGE LOVE AFFAIR RON FOSS’ PASSION FOR A 2002
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HIGH OCTANE EQUIPE KEN WILDEN, A DRIVEN INDIVIDUAL FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER - JOHN ZHANG
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This Month 16
A Driven Individual
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Vintage Love Affair
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Take it to the Track
32
A Year in Review
34
Ontario’s Man to Beat
36
Supply and Demand
38
5th Annual CME
40
CCTCC kicks into high gear!
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Standing Up For Your Rights
44
High Octane Equipe
47
New Year! New Look!
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Have you got what it takes?
5
On The Grid
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Product News
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Track Notes with Ken Wilden
76
Featured Photographer
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Face To Face
90
Reader’s Rides
92
Budds’ BMW Ultimate Ride
94
Coming Next Month
Ken Wilden is Driven, Driven to perfection, Driven to succeed. Ron Foss’ passion for a 2002
Autocross a true grassroots motorsport.
John Venditti reviews the Trillium Chapter 2010 AutoX series. Daniel Bertoja is tough to beat with his MINI
The truth about high tech vehicles and batteries We got rid of winter by heading to the CME John Bondar unveils the new branding.
SEMA Action Network stands up for the regular motorist too! Alain Lauziére talks about teamwork and winning championships. RSR Motorsports enjoys Daytona, looks forward to Homestead. Endras BMW has a dream job on offer REGULAR COLUMNS Racing news from around the globe! Latest and greatest for BMWs and MINIs.
An insider look at racing through the eyes of Ken Wilden. John Zhang creates ART!
It’s all action at MINI Thunder II
Minis and BMWs from all over the world. Rod Hoddinott’s home grown turbo E30
You have to check out what we have in store for you next month.
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From the Editor’s Desk Well it did not take long for the days to pass since we got Issue One in the can. Before I knew it, was time to start all over again. In the past two months some really interesting things have happened. The feedback we received about the magazine has been great. Everyone loves the Flipbook format and when I say we are excited about the future that is an understatement. We have been talking to people in Norway, Belgium, the U.K. as well as all over North America. Everyone wants to be part of the magazine! Many MINI enthusiasts have come forward, happy that the MINI brand is included in the magazine. What you are going to see is a mix of MINIs, some new after BMW took ownership but you are also going to see some classics. They are as much part of MINI history as a 2002 is part of BMWs, even though they had a different manufacturer. More importantly they go back to an era where the owners themselves had more control over modifications, a time when ingenuity made you stand back and say WOW! A time when individuals could dictate how a car looked and performed. Our photographic fans you are going to love the great photos from John Zhang in our Featured Photographer section. This guy is good! Yet he started out on his own with a thirst for knowledge and as they say the results speak for themselves. I just wanted to remind you that all the adverts in the Performance Directory are hyperlinked to our advertisers websites. These are the people who make it possible for us to bring you this magazine, please support them. Check out their websites and when you purchase anything tell them you found out about them through MWM. Be part of MWM by sending in photos and data about your car. We will include interesting vehicles in the Readers’ Ride section. Wanting to make a point? Send a letter to the Editor and tell the World what you think! Go to our website, www.motorworksmag.com and click on Contact to view the contact info for Readers’ Rides and Letters to the Editor.
MOTORWERKS MAGAZINE (MWM)
is dedicated to all BMW and MINI enthusiasts covering their cars and lifestyles.
Issue 02 - MARCH 2011 Editor - Ian Rae E-Mail - ianrae@motorwerksmag.com Phone - (905) 467-5148
CONTRIBUTORS
Ian Rae, Dipal Patel, Ken Wilden, Tony Weber, John Venditti, Rich Simpson, Lyndon Handy.
CONTRIBUTIONS WELCOME
Photographic and Editorial contributions to MWM are welcomed. Photgraphs must be sent in hi-res format and can be .JPEG or .TIFF. Editorial contributions to be in Word format. Contributors must make every effort to ensure there is no infringement of copyright belonging to any other person or persons. MWM is not responsible for any such misrepresented contributions. Contact the Editor by e-mail to discuss any editorial concepts.
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Ian Rae, Janis Rae, Dipal Patel, Tony Weber, Logan Weber, Paul Schmitz, Tony Presto, Lucas Scarfone, Various BMW & MINI images courtesy BMW Group Press Club Various GRAND-AM photos courtesy GRAND-AM Media BimmerWorld & RSR photos courtesy Wes Dunkel
ADVERTISING
Advertising Manager - Janis Rae E-Mail - janrae@motorwerksmag.com
CREATIVE ADVISORS
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Jim Weekes - J Graphics Scott Brown - Scott Brown Graphic Designs Mike Goodwin - MG Digital
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MOTORWERKS MAGAZINE (MWM) is published six or more
Enjoy Editor, MotorWerks Magazine
times a year by TreeFree Publishing, a division of Webtronic Enterprises. Contents may not be reprinted without express written permission of the Editor. The publishers do not accept any responsibility for the use of copyrighted material from unsolicited sources. The publishers also cannot be held responsible for any errors or ommisions in articles published by MWM. All brand names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners. The BMW and MINI names and logos are registered trademarks of BMW AG and their subsidaries. MWM is not directly affiliated with BMW, any of its distributors or dealers.
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On The Grid
New look and support for BimmerWorld. BimmerWorld’s familiar blue, white and yellow colors will continue be seen on both the team’s BMW E90 Street Tuner entries and its two new BMW E92 M3 Grand Sport cars, it was a revised livery complete with new sponsors CRC and Johnstone Supply that was unveiled at Daytona. GearWrench and Chin Motorsports also returned to support the BimmerWorld four-car team. CRC Industries, known for its range of popular specialty automotive chemicals, has sponsored BimmerWorld for some time, but as CRC Industries marketing manager Julie Williams explained, CRC’s expanded support of BimmerWorld matches the increased promotional value the team offers with its GRAND-AM racing activities. “CRC Industries has sponsored BimmerWorld on a smaller level over the past few years and we are so impressed with the growth and hunger we’ve seen from this team,” she said, “that it was an easy decision to increase our partnership with them for 2011. The timing is perfect, too. As we celebrate the 40th birthday of CRC Brakleen(R), the #1 selling brake parts cleaner in the industry, BimmerWorld will play a pivotal role in conveying our brand message and awareness to the next generation of specialty-chemical users. “It’s a perfect fit for CRC, as we’ll be reaching both professional technicians and heavy DIY’ers with BimmerWorld through the GRAND-AM series. Race fans will recognize that since a winning team like BimmerWorld depends on CRC chemicals for fast results done right the first time, they can rely on CRC for top-tier quality, too.” The familiar CRC logos will be found on all of BimmerWorld’s GRAND-AM cars, with CRC most prominently displayed on the hoods of the No. 80 and 81 BimmerWorld BMW E90 ST entries. Johnstone Supply, through Harold Petit, the owner of a chain of Johnstone Supply stores, will be found on the hood of the No. 79 BimmerWorld BMW E92 M3 driven by team owner James Clay and his co-driver, Seth Thomas. With more than 350 stores nationwide supporting the HVACR industry, Petit has partnered with Clay’s team with
a specific goal in mind. While CRC Industries is looking to create brand awareness in the sports car community with BimmerWorld, Johnstone Supply is targeting the B2B opportunities that an alliance with BimmerWorld can bring. “I’ve partnered with BimmerWorld for several reasons. First, as a company, they are friendly, helpful and honest, which matters in a customer service business like mine. Next, I see a great chance to develop new relationships through our partnership with the team to entertain customer and new potential clients through this wonderfully exciting sport. It’s hard not to get excited and motivated to bring your business and your passion together, and even for those who’ve never seen a race in person, I think what we’ll have to offer at the track will open a lot of new doors for our company.” GearWrench, the maker of precision hand tools and one of BimmerWorld’s most enduring supporters, returns for 2011. The BimmerWorld team found itself in need of lightningfast fixes throughout the highly competitive 2010 GRANDAM season, and as Crew Chief Jason Marks explains, having the best tools in the shop, in the paddock and on pit lane is a major advantage when speed and accuracy is required. “GearWrench products are very innovative and somehow thousands and thousands of years since man began using hand tools, GearWrench still seems to engineer truly impressive tool designs that allow us to do our job faster. Having their products behind us with our expanded 2011 car count is very important to our success. Chin Motorsports returns to the BimmerWorld fold for 2011 as the two companies continue to expand their relationship. Known for their premier high-performance driving experience (HPDE) events, Chin Motorsports will serve as the primary host to BimmerWorld’s large customer base of HPDE enthusiasts, and as a platform for the high-caliber driver coaching services offered by Clay, Thomas, and David White through their NextLevelDriving.com operation.
RMP Competizione to return to CTCC.
Canadian Touring Car racers, Rocco Marciello and Mike Delle Donne are returning to the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Continental Tire in 2011. The duo who run BMW E90s built by Marciello’s RMP Motors concern have made many changes over the winter. Both cars now feature a Motec M800 ECU and by
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all accounts both drivers are encouraged by the results of their initial development. Marciello stated, “The car is so much more tuneable now, it even sounds so much better. By all indications the horsepower numbers we should be making will put us in the ball park to do well in the series.” Delle Donne added, “It is good to go into the season on a positive note, last year we were behind the eight ball right from the get go! This year we will have to do a little bit of learning to fine tune the cars with the Motec, but that is way easier when you are able to run lap after lap and get the data required to go forward. We are excited about running the Continental tire this year, by all accounts it will be way more consistent than what we are used to. That should make for interesting racing.” The Toronto based team intends to continue development at a local track as soon as the weather improves.
New venue for Canadian lapping days! The Grand Bend Motorplex has long been know for providing Canadian racers with a great venue for drag racing. For over ten years the track has been the home of the IHRA Mopar Canadian Nationals. The owners, the Spriet family have consistently over the years ploughed money back into the facility and have added a paved 1/4 mile tri-oval and motocross track over the years. Now, 2011 will see the opening of a multi layout road course that will cater to cars, karts and bikes. The new track will receive final paving in May or early June with bikes being scheduled first in an effort to allow the surface to properly cure before allowing cars to run. There will be a in depth interview with GBR Chief of Operations in the May issue of MWM. More info can be found on www.grandbendraceway.com
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Sordo signs on with MINI WRC team! Spanish driver Daniel “Dani” Sordo has been signed to drive alongside Kris Meeke in the new MINI WRC Team. The MINI will make its return to World Championship rallying with the this coming season. “There has been a great deal of excitement surrounding MINI’s return to the WRC, so to be part of this new team is a fantastic opportunity for me,” says the 27 year-old Sordo. “I’m sure MINI has a big future in the sport. I’m looking forward to working with Kris Meeke, having completed a very successful test with him in Sardinia last November.” Dr. Wolfgang Armbrecht, Senior Vice President Brand Management MINI, says: “Both Dani and Kris fit well with the MINI brand, and can offer the MINI WRC programme not only experience and speed but also the right chemistry we need to build the team.”
retained the title in 2004, while gaining further international experience at WRC rounds in Argentina, France and Spain. After clinching the Junior World Rally Championship title in 2005, Sordo then joined the Kronos Total Citroën World Rally Team in 2006 when he was first paired with Loeb. Sordo finished the 2006 season with four podium places, 49 points and fifth overall in the Drivers’ Championship. He has driven for the Citroën Total World Rally Team since 2007, and while in the WRC has achieved a total of 17 second place finishes, taking the third step of the podium 12 times. In 2007, Sordo finished fourth in the WRC Drivers’ Championship, was placed third in the standings in 2008 and 2009 and finished the 2010 season fifth overall. In 2011, the MINI WRC Team will enter at least six WRC events which will give Sordo and his co-driver Diego Vallejo the chance to work closely with the Banbury, UK-based, Prodrive outfit responsible for preparing the MINI WRC.
BMW starts winning early in 2011!
“Dani may only be 27, but he is already one of the most experienced drivers in the WRC and has been competing at the very highest level for the last five years,” says David Richards, Chairman of Prodrive. “I believe with the new MINI WRC and in the right environment, he can now take the next step and add to his 29 podiums with victories on WRC events and become a challenger for a WRC title.” Sordo began his career in motocross when he was 12 years old, also achieving success in hillclimbing, karting and touring cars. He first drove in a WRC event at the Rally Catalunya, the Spanish round of the series, in 2003 in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII, finishing 18th overall. He won the Spanish Junior Rally Championship that year, and
BMW picked up its first victory in 2011 when the Need for Speed Team Schubert triumphed with the #76 BMW Z4 GT3 and drivers Claudia Hürtgen, Augusto Farfus, Edward Sandström and Tommy Milner at the 24-hour race in Dubai. The sister car of Bill Auberlen, Matt Plumb, Boris Said and Canadian Paul Dalla Lana at the wheel, completed an excellent team result with fifth place overall. After 24 hours, the victorious BMW Z4 GT3 crossed the finish line with Hürtgen at the wheel and a three-lap lead over the second-placed Ferrari F430 GT2 of Team AF Corse. Third place went to the Black Falcon Mercedes Benz SLS AMG GT3. The JR Motorsport team also made it into
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the top 20, finishing 16th with a BMW M3 GTR. “Everyone in the team gave everything – and we were rewarded with the win today,” commented Farfus. “This race is completely different to the Nürburgring 24 Hours, which I also won with Team BMW Motorsport in 2010. However, I must say: Dubai is very special. The atmosphere is fantastic and the drivers all support one another. I really, really enjoyed myself.”This was BMW’s third overall victory at the 24-hour race at the “Dubai Autodrome”. The Duller Motorsport team won the inaugural event with a BMW M3 CSL and repeated the feat a year later with the BMW Z4 M Coupé. Current BMW works driver Dirk Werner (DE) was also involved in this success as a driver. The third victory means that BMW now is the most successful manufacturer in the history of this endurance race. This latest success has once again proven just how competitive the BMW Z4 GT3 is. The car, which has been in the BMW Customer Racing range since 2010, celebrated victories in the FIA GT3 European Championship in its first year. Powered by a 4.4-litre, V8 engine, this racing car has also impressed on more than one occasion on the endurance circuit, and it has now sealed its first overall victory at a 24-hour race in Dubai.
BMW to Intercontinental Le Mans Cup! Following the debut of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup last year, BMW will once again in 2011 line up in the racing series, organized by Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO). BMW Team RLL (Rahal Letterman Lanigan) will fly the BMW flag at the two races on American soil. At the four European races and the championship’s Asian round in China, BMW Team Schnitzer will be responsible for fielding the two BMW M3 GT2 cars.
Five BMW works drivers will be behind the wheel in the ILMC. Andy Priaulx, Augusto Farfus and Jörg Müller have been confirmed as regular drivers for BMW Team Schnitzer. Priaulx and Farfus will head to the USA for the ILMC races that form part of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). In Sebring and in Road Atlanta they will support BMW Team RLL and BMW works drivers, Dirk Müller and Dirk Werner, as well as the two Americans, Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand, who will be battling for points and victories throughout the entire ALMS season.
“The Intercontinental Le Mans Cup enjoyed a successful debut in 2010 – and we were able to experience victory in the LM GT2 class with the BMW M3 GT2 at the season finale in Zhuhai,” said BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen. “We have decided to continue to support this relatively young series and to line up with two cars in the new LM GTE Pro category. We expect a close competition again this year, and for this class to be extremely hard fought in 2011. The highlight of the season is obviously the Le Mans 24 Hours, which also forms part of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. Fans of BMW Motorsport can look forward to some exciting racing on three continents.” The ILMC season gets underway on 19th March 2011 with the classic 12-hour race at Sebring, which is also the curtain-raiser to the American Le Mans Series. Last year BMW Team RLL won the GT Team and Manufacturer titles in this series. One BMW M3 GT2 will be driven by Dirk Müller, Hand and Priaulx, while Werner, Auberlen and Farfus will alternate behind the wheel of the sister car. BMW Team Schnitzer will join the action at the six-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps on 8th May. Just over a month later the team travels to Le Mans for the legendary 24-hour race (11th/12th June). After another two European races in Imola and Silverstone on 3rd July and 11th September respectively, the ALMS finale in Road Atlanta provides the stage for the second ILMC race in the United States on 1st October. The season will end in China on 12th November.
MINI Meet North returns in 2011! Be sure to mark your calendar for the 2011 Mini Meet North. Held at the historic Mosport International Raceway, MMN is held during the annual Vintage Automobile Racing Association of Canada (VARAC) Festival on June 17-19. Event organizer Tamer Metawalli told us, “Mini Meet North 2010 was a great success. I have to thank our sponsors and everybody who attended! MMN will be the featured event at the VARAC Festival.
It is open to all Minis and Mini variants (from 1959 to 2011). Our goal is to have the largest Mini event ever in Canada. It will be a great opportunity for car enthusiasts and their families to share and enjoy their passion for such a great car. We’ve introduced a Mini only section (including trophies/prizes) in the show and shine car show. All the entrants of the car show will be allowed to do a couple of
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parade laps on the Historic Mosport road race track with all the Minis staying on the front straight for a panoramic commemorative photo. A road rally has been planned, as well as a dyno to be set up for those who wish to test their cars and find out how much power they really have under their hoods. A bunch of other events are in the planning stages and will be announced as are confirmed. A pre-registration form is now available online at the MMW website at www.minimeetnorth.com
year,” said AIM Autosport principal and Daytona Prototype chief engineer, Ian Willis. “Fortunately for us we will have consistency on our side as we will be returning with our team personnel from last year intact including our proven driver pairing of Burt and Mark. At least our drivers are up to speed having each just come off great runs at the Rolex 24 and that experience will be key in helping the team catch up. The decision to switch to Dinan BMW was difficult, but when we weighed the benefits and potential in both the short and long term we became confident that this decision will bring on track rewards.” “Dinan has noticed the excellent performance of AIM,” said Dinan Engineering founder, Steve Dinan. “We feel the team has tremendous potential and we wanted to come on board and help them to grow into a championship winning effort.” AIM Autosport launches its 2011 season at the Grand Prix of Miami, March 4–5 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida.
Talking of Dinan Power!
AIM Autosport switches to Dinan power! AIM Autosport will add Dinan-tuned BMW engines to its Daytona Prototype sports car package this year as it looks to return to race-winning form. The team is also happy to announce that Burt Frisselle and Mark Wilkins will be back to drive the car. Sponsorship is the last piece of AIM’s puzzle this year, but all should be in place shortly. After being approached by BMW tuner, Dinan Engineering, last fall, AIM will use a 5.0-litre, V8 BMW motor this year. Over the course of seven years, Dinan has developed the engine to its current level of performance and success in Grand-Am competition. With a well-established reputation for fielding superbly handling and competitive cars, AIM Autosport believes the BMW engine that won last year’s Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 and finished first and second in this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona will be the tonic it needs to
rejoin the ranks of race winners. “We have our work cut out to catch up with the other teams who have been testing and racing already this
Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, Joey Hand and Graham Rahal using Dinan BMW power gave car owner Chip Ganassi a unique place in racing’s history books when they won the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Ganassi became the first car owner to win the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400 and Rolex 24 consecutively.
It was the Ganassi team’s fourth victory in the event over the past six seasons, the first for Dinan Engineering. Its being calling it the “Chip Slam.” It also was the third victory and fifth straight top-two finish for the No. 01 TELMEX/ Target Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates BMW/Riley and Pruett’s fourth overall triumph in the event. Pruett won his fourth Rolex 24 while adding to his record list of class victories with nine. It was the second triumph for Rojas. Hand led the most laps in the event (116) for his first Rolex 24 victory, while Rahal followed in the footsteps of his father, IndyCar great Bobby Rahal, who scored a career-breakthrough victory in the 1981 race. Ganassi’s second Dinan powered Riley finished in the runner-up spot with drivers Jamie McMurray, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon.
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Product News
Submissions: A high quality jpg. image of the vehicle must be submitted for each motor sports event or show per ballot. Only one ballot per event or show per person. The recipient must have rights to use the submitted photo in a magazine advert. Any breach of photographers copyright is the responsibility of the racer and TrackMart Inc. is not liable for any legal proceeding that may come out of the use of the image in their advert. More information on TrackMart Inc., their contingency program and the DefNder™ G70 head & neck restraint device can be found on their website at www.trackmart.com
Get rid of complex wiring, GET SMART!
No strings contingency from TrackMart Inc. TrackMart Inc. of Woodbridge, ON is once again offering a no strings contingency award for those Canadian racers who run their decals during the 2011 season. A racer simply has to register with the company, apply the TrackMart/DefNder™ G70 decals and send in a hi-resolution .jpg from an event they attend through the year. Best of all the racer does not even have to own a DefNder™ G70 head & neck restraint device to win! Each month, one award will be drawn at random from the eligible entrants who have sent in an image. Winners will receive a $250.00 product credit on a DefNder™ G70 head & neck restraint device from Track Mart Inc. The vouchers can on be used at a Track Mart Inc. approved vendor. In the event that a winner of an award has already purchased a DefNder™ G70 from Track Mart Inc. or one of its authorized vendors then a $250.00 cash prize will be substituted for the product credit. The winners will also have their names, details and photograph posted in 1/3 page magazine advertisements in Inside Track Magazine and on the TrackMart website. The contingency program is administered by TMI’s Jay Cordiero and paid for entirely by Track Mart Inc. It is solely the competitor’s responsibility to properly register and neatly apply decals before being eligible to win and registration in the program must be completed before the date of the event in question. Requirements: Open to motorsport competitors with eligible vehicles. Decals Required: YES. Number of decals: Two. Contingency decal location: The official Track Mart/DefNder™ decals must be visibly displayed on each side of the vehicle. Vehicle Eligibility: The program is open to any motor sports vehicle that utilizes a rollover protection cage with an appropriate race harness. Event Eligibility: Any sanctioned motor sports event in the world, any car show in Canada.
Solving the wiring complexity of the modern race car, the Racepak SmartWire is a fully programmable power control module. While traditional wiring provides control of vehicle electronic components through the routing of wiring to single or multiple fuses, relay and circuit breaker panels, the Racepak Smartwire functions as a central “command center” for all vehicle wiring. Based on Racepak’s exclusive single cable V-Net technology, the Racepak SmartWire module is the
electronic “starting point”, with a direct main power connection from the vehicle battery to the module. Each input/output is then user defined, both in function, power requirements and current exceeding limits via a USB connection to the user’s PC. The design of the module functions to both reduce overall installation weight / clutter, while providing a quicker reacting electronic system, through the solid state switching design. Manual activation is achieved through use of a supplied, eight switch Racepak SwitchPanel. From the Racepak Smartwire module, a single small cable is routed to the SwitchPanel, reducing wiring clutter. Users needing additional switch panel capabilities can easily expand through the use of a “jumper” cable to a second Racepak SwitchPanel. The V-Net compatibility insures a seamless integration with existing Racepak data logger or displayed equipped vehicles, while also providing a future upgrade path for additional inputs, control modules and instrumentation, when utilized as a standalone power control module. Each Racepak SmartWire Kit includes the module, switch panel and connector kit. More info can be found at www.racepak.com
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BimmerWorld/C&R Racing Radiators and Oil Coolers
More info can be found on his website at www.fubrication.com
The new line of OE-fit coolers provide the BMW performance enthusiast the highest level of heat protection available on the market. All designs are manufactured by C&R Racing, a long-time provider of BimmerWorld for racing coolers, using the same precision production and premium components found in the BimmerWorld racecars. The new E46 M3 Radiator uses CNC-machined hose necks and brackets for precise fit and bulletproof reliability. A premium performance 56mm core increases cooling capacity 25% versus the stock part. Brackets also included to fit the BimmerWorld/C&R Oil Cooler - the only 2-pass cooler available. Additional fitments are in prototyping, scheduled for a summer release.
Carbon, anyone? Terry Fu started FUbrication in April 2008 to produce carbon fiber parts he did not see readily available in the marketplace. He put together a talented team from all over the world to work together, creating innovative products for BMW, MINI, and Porsche. He currently has parts available for the R53, R56, R60 MINIs with components for BMW and Porsche in development.
BMW Active E coming to the USA That’s right, BMW electric cars are here. In 2011 you will see some BMW Active E cars testing in the USA. Based on the 1 Series Coupe it features an emission-free, powerful
and compact drive system. The ActiveE represents typical BMW driving pleasure in a new, emission-free form. The heart of the BMW ActiveE is the powerful electric synchronous motor, the components of which were designed with the requirements of the MCV in mind and which are now being tested in a pilot production series. Maximum power output of the electric drive system is 170 bhp. Maximum torque of 250 Nm is - as is typical of electric MotorWerks Magazine - Online at www.motorwerksmag.com -  13
vehicles - available from a standstill and, for the first time, remains utilizable across an exceptionally broad load range. As a result, the BMW ActiveE accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 9 seconds, the 60 km mark being reached in less than 4.5 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited at around 145 km/h (90 mph).The synchronous motor and power electronics of the ActiveE were developed entirely in-house to provide exceptional efficiency, optimal power development and a compact design. The innovative character of the electric drive system is reflected above all in the relation between engine output and space requirement. The entire power pack including power electronics and transmission with differential is integrated into the modified rear-axle support of the BMW ActiveE, and with a 125 kW output, still has a total weight that falls below 100 kilograms. The USA, Europe and China will share a test fleet of over one thousand ActiveE vehicles that were produced at the Leipzig plant, providing further valuable insights into the everyday use of the vehicle. The findings will serve to deepen the knowledge already gained on the everyday use of electric vehicles and to learn more about customer requirements. The feedback from customers testing the MINI E and the BMW ActiveE will be fed directly into series production of the MCV, which the BMW Group will be launching under a new sub-brand in 2013.
Take it to the Next Level! Driver coaching has become more in-vogue in the past few years, it is a great way for a racer to shorten his learning curve. Looking to take coaching to the next level is BimmerWorld owner James Clay and fellow professional racers, Seth Thomas, David White and Randy Mueller with their new venture the Next Level Driving (NLD) program. Each program is 100% custom tailored to each individual client. Many years of working with all sorts of drivers, from new shoes to seasoned pros, made it clear to the quartet that everyone’s mind works differently, their skill sets are varied and therefore programs have to be tailored to suit the client. As true professional coaches, they have a big box of tools that ensure that the methods used are the correct ones to give the client the desired result – speed, consistency, racecraft, safety, and ultimately success. Unlike race schools that are largely entertainment for thrill seekers, the Next Level coaching program hones skills in the client’s car – the one going to be driven or raced and
the only limits are set by safety factors and the client’s increasing abilities. A private coaching event will most likely cost less than a professional school and the gains will be greater and come quicker due to the dedicated attention the NLD program provides.
Teaching the client about datalogging is a huge part of the program. Data is hands-down the most effective tool for driver improvement. As professional racers, the NLD coaches have spent thousands of hours pouring over data to find tenths of a second. If a client is geared to understand graphs, he will be taught this skill and some unique ways that our coaches have uncovered to look at generated data to identify and achieve time gains – 90% of their clients have left with a productive
understanding of the NLD method. If not, the coaches will read and interpret client data and present the findings. Either way, the gain from this fantastic tool is realized. The only focus and only measure of success is the client’s improvement. Whether they are an experienced racer working to break through a plateau or a new driver looking for the fast-track program, contact Next Level Driving to take your driving to the Next Level. NLD has partnered with Chin Motorsports, TrackDaze, and other performance driving programs to provide the learning environment and track time, but coaches are available to travel to other events throughout North America to share their craft. More info can be found on their website at www.nextleveldriving.com.
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! N E V I DR
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Words by Ian Rae, Photos by Author, Gary Grant, BimmerWorld / Wes Due 16  - MotorWerks Magazine - Online at www.motorwerksmag.com
enkel Motorsport Photogr aphy Magazine - Online at www.motorwerksmag.com MotorWerks
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were so many check marks on the plus side for BimmerWorld that the BMW team won out in the end. True, their new V8 M3 program is new to them but just look at what they did when they entered GRANDAM in the ST class in 2010, they tied for points in the championship, the final decision was only made once the third place finishes were taken into account. That is impressive to say the least, their dedication and professionalism is what made the difference to Bob and I when we made the decision to run the Bizrate.com program with BimmerWorld.” The Bizrate and BimmerWorld partnership may be the latest step on Kenny’s racing ladder but there is more to this forty something racer from suburban Toronto, as we will reveal. Kenny has a checkered career in motorsport, he was not a child motorsport prodigy, no making a name for himself in karting, he got into the sport through much hard work and determination. Wilden had put himself through racing school and got bitten by the racing bug. He went and bought himself a Honda Civic for the Michelin Honda series that ran out of Southern Ontario and Quebec. He prepared it himself and
A Trans Am win at home!
Ken Wilden’s life is all about driving. He owns a thriving driving school in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga. He has been racing since his early twenties and has multiple championships to his name, he was one of the Canadian stunt drivers on the Renny Harlin / Sylvester Stallone racing movie Driven. In fact that movie title describes the Oakville, ON native best. He is Driven to perfection, Driven to succeed and he does it admirably in all aspects of his life. When Kenny Wilden got behind the wheel of the #78 BimmerWorld BMW M3 Grand Sport car it was not the first time had driven a BMW. He may be more famous for his exploits in the Player’s GM series or taking the Rehagen Mustang to the 2009 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge GS Championship but returning to the driving seat of a BMW is a sort of homecoming for him. Back in 2005 or so Wilden drove with Al Wortzman in Kirk Spenser’s team out of Ancaster, ON. It was not the best of times, there were many mechanical issues and the team was not very competitive but it gave Wilden the appreciation of how good a BMW handled and performed. “I always loved driving BMWs, they have such a great racing heritage and when the time came for Bob Michaelian and I to look for a new team, the BMW runners were high on our list. It was a four-month process where we looked at Stevenson Racing and their Camaros plus a few others but when decision time came there
as he puts it, just ran and ran. The series got to run at some of the classic tracks and events in North America. Wilden smiled as he said, “Look at the tracks we ran on, Mosport is a huge ballsy track whereas Shannonville is very technical. The other places in the series were somewhere in between the two, so after mastering Mosport and Shannonville there was nowhere you could go and not get on the pace quickly. Plus you got to run at the Grand Prix weekend at Montreal and the Molson Indy. What more could a young guy ask for.” Then came the move to what many think was the greatest showroom stock series ever. It was the heyday of tobacco sponsorship in Canada and Player’s got together with GM to create the Player’s GM series for third generation Camaros and Firebirds. Wilden joined the series in its third year, 1989 with backing from Young Drivers of Canada. As a franchise owner for YDC, the Player’s GM series was an ideal place for Wilden to showcase his business and have fun doing it. With racers like Richard Spenard, Ron and Rob Fellows, Scott Maxwell, David Empringham and Robin Buck it was a cut and thrust series, no quarter was given or asked. Wilden went on, “It was an amazing series; one that I don’t think has been
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The Bizrate, com Mustang at Watkins Glen
bettered to this day. Everything was so close in that series. I know by the fact that we won the series and won many races, there was no cheating, everyone had the same equipment, motor, shocks, springs, fuel, tires and even brake pads! The only thing we ever did was to make sure the springs in the diff were fresh but that was not cheating, just good preparation. Because the cars were so similar, you really had to learn how to drive, especially with the guys we were competing against. That also opened the eyes of the guys who were two or three seconds off the pace, they had no excuse like bigger engines or better equipment, it was all down to the driver, if you wanted to be a front runner you had to focus on your driving and see where you could make up time. Remember back then, datalogging was not so prevalent, you had to work it out yourself.” Wilden would move on to single-seaters in the Champ Car Toyota Atlantic series. Driving for Mike Shank Racing, he would finish second in the series in 1999 with one win and
four podiums. An anticipated move to Champ Cars in 2000 was 95% done when both Wilden’s major sponsors had to pull out as both companies were sold and the marketing focus changed. “It probably is the biggest disappointment of my life, being so close to Champ Car and then having the rug pulled out from under me. I don’t miss singleseaters now but I do miss the power, those things were fast, especially on an oval. Mind you I think an Atlantic round Mosport would be scary.” After Toyota Atlantics Wilden would get behind the wheel of an array of racecars, varying from Showroom Touring to Trans-Am and Daytona Prototype. A Trans-Am win in front of a home crowd was the pinnacle of that period until Wilden hooked up with Rehagen Racing and their Mustang. The year went well and Wilden would finish as Series Champion with 317 points, Bret Seafuse and James Gue runner-upped with 309 points. 2010 was not to be as successful for Wilden but the positive part of the year was being paired with Bob Michaelian, the pair gelled
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Bob Michaelian
them to change to how they do something. With Bob we can review the data, I suggest a change and within a couple of laps he has accomplished it and is immediately quicker.” Michaelian added, “The great thing about Kenny is he has so much experience. When he gives me advice I can see the difference within a few laps. He can verbalize a lot better than most when getting across what he wants and when it comes to setting up a car he is the master. The time we have in these cars during practice is limited so it is important for us to get on the pace as quickly as possible.” He went on, “When we went testing for the first time with the BimmerWorld M3 we started off around the bottom of the timesheets but Kenny is so methodical and patient he just worked away with the engineers and worked to get the data we would need when we came back to Daytona. Don’t get me wrong,
Close racing in the GRAND-AM Grand Sport class
right away and formed a formidable partnership even if it was let down at times by the Mustang’s performance. That brings us back to Wilden and Michaelian getting behind the wheel of the BimmerWorld prepared Bizrate. com BMW M3. Part of Wilden’s job within the Bizrate. com program is acting as a driver coach for Michaelian. The duo had run together at Rehagen during 2010 and worked well together. Wilden remarked, “Bob is the guy who brings the program to the table, he works at Bizrate.com and put together the deal with them. Obviously the more exposure we get them, the happier they are. We have to do well to get that exposure, so we both have to be competitive. There is a term in motorsport, ‘Gentleman driver’, it tends to be used for people who have no problem with bringing sponsorship but they don’t necessarily have the talent required to be racing at that level. Bob may have brought the cash but he has the talent to match. It is rare for me to point out something to a co-driver where it may require
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and was heavily involved in growing the brand, then things changed, we were no longer family, just seemed we were numbers any more. I found out about DriveWise and after much soul searching and discussion I decided to go with them. When I left, a large number of YDC franchise holders moved over with me. My school is based in Mississauga, ON and caters both to new drivers and commercial driver testing. MWM – The commercial testing is quite high tech from what I saw when I sat in on an evaluation. KW – It is, we have a state of the art GE Driver Development simulator that allows the driver to see the road and surroundings in three planes. It is extremely adaptable; we can throw a multitude of scenarios at the person being tested. We can even make it snow, which is handy up here in Canada. MWM – How accurate are the results? KW – Pretty good, people who are flustered when we throw multiple scenarios at them will get flustered behind the wheel of a vehicle as just as easy. It really is a great indicator of whether they will be a good driver. MWM – You mentioned Mosport being a challenging place. Ever had a big off there? KW – Yep I did. The positive side to it was it was just around the time people were sort of getting interested in the HANS device. I had the clips on my helmet but had not bought a collar yet. I was driving for Leighton Reese and he was one of the first to actually use one religiously. He was totally sold on the deal. I was looking around in the trailer for something and I came across the HANS. I asked if I could use it. It was a good job I did as the rear suspension broke at the bottom of corner two and I hit the wall hard. When the device was sent back to HANS they Team owner, James Clay is excited
the guys at BimmerWorld are great, they are very talented but I think having Kenny on board is going to be a huge asset to them. The sixth place finish was great for a first time out but you just have to look at how successful these guys at BimmerWorld have been through the years. We just need to keep getting top six finishes and by the end of the season should be challenging for a championship. Kenny Wilden is a huge part of that plan and I’m confident the Bizrate.com M3 will get the success we and BimmerWorld deserve. BimmerWorld team owner James Clay wholeheartedly agreed with Michaelian, “ I’m really excited having Kenny and Bob on board, it is important for us to win races and Kenny is a key player in that happening. Realistically we are 1½ to 2 years behind the other BMW M3 teams, it is going to be an uphill battle so any help we can get to shorten our learning curve is a bonus. Kenny’s experience gives us a different perspective, we have a familiar group of faces in the team, all great guys with a lot of experience but when Kenny suggests something outside of the box to us, we know it is because there is something he has seen in the past that might just be what we are looking for to move forward. He adds validity to the process! The rest of the season should get very interesting.” The first race proved to be so. Michaelian qualified the car in ninth spot in the Fresh from Florida 200, the season opener in the GRAND- AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Michaelian would start the car but when attacked by a wayward Mustang spun to twenty-third spot. He would recover well to twelfth before handing the car over to Wilden who would eventually finish the Bizrate.com M3 sixth. Wilden said, “It was a good result considering, it bodes well for the rest of the year.” With the first GRAND-AM event over, Wilden got a chance to sit down with MotorWerks Magazine to discuss his past, present and future, both personal and in racing. MWM - First of all we have to clear up a few things. There is some confusion in your bio about your birthplace. KW – Oakville, ON born and that’s where I currently live. I grew up and went to school in Burlington, ON MWM – Ken or Kenny? KW – I’m Kenny at the track, I guess it just looks more business-like to be Ken now that I am over forty, but Kenny is fine. MWM – The bio says owner of a driving school in Hamilton, ON, is that right? KW – That is history; back in the days when I had the franchise for Young Drivers of Canada. My region actually covered as out as Brantford but once the bean counters got control of the company they started to nickel and dime us, which was bad. I had been involved with YDC for a lot time
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An evaluation on the GE Simulator
said I had destroyed it, they estimated the deceleration g-force to be in the region of 85Gs. What amazed the doctors was I was not even knocked out. They never expected me to walk away from an accident like that, never mind still be conscious. It no doubt saved my life. I did have a headache for about eight months after but sure is better than the alternative. MWM – So what is next for Ken Wilden? KW – I have been approached by Paul Gentilozzi to test one of his Jaguar’s. I guess beating up on him in Trans Am made and impression! MWM – On a personal front? KW – My wife and I have gotten involved with a new company called FROGBOXTM and we have the Greater Toronto Area franchise. It is a convenient, affordable and eco-friendly alternative to cardboard moving boxes. The customer orders the boxes, we deliver, they pack and move and we pick them up after the move is done. We have had great press in the Toronto area and the founder of the company did a pitch on CBC Television’s ‘Dragon’s Den’ show. It was pretty cool; it gave us lots of exposure, especially when three of the Dragons wanted in! MWM – And, what else? KW – Well, after years of sitting behind a steering wheel you have convinced me to get behind a pen and write for MotorWerks Magazine. MWM – We were glad you accepted, your Track Notes column will give our readers an insight into the glamorous life of a racecar driver. KW – I don’t know if it is all that glamorous, there are some high points to it for sure. You have to be fit to race at this level and staying fit only gets harder as you get older. Then there are all the flights and associated delays. We give up a lot to do this; Track Notes will give some insight into what we go through on a race weekend. Of course I won’t be giving away any secrets, James would kill me if I did that but there will be some interesting aspects of racing revealed that only insiders generally know about! MWM – Well thanks for sitting down with us, we are extremely happy to have you on board. We look forward to the rest of the season. Good luck and be safe!
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Ron Foss’ passion for a 2002
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Words and Photos by Ron Foss and Ian Rae
VINTAGE LOVE AFFAIR
As a young boy Ron Foss had a love for cars both old and new. He had a whole collection of toy cars and would spend hours playing, sorting and modifying them all the time wondering what he himself might drive someday. For this youngster, while growing up in the small town of Chambly just south of Montreal, his passion for cars was in his genes and as it turns out, for one particular make and model. Ron fell in love with the BMW marque when the 2002tii model was introduced. The engineering, performance and handling were in his mind well beyond what other manufacturers were selling back then. Foss explained, “During my teen years I lived beside a home with three older boys all of whom had various British spots cars, as did many of their friends.” He claims there were MGBs, Triumphs, Sunbeams, Austin Healeys and one BMW 2002 tii. “I used to get rides with these guys, help them clean and tinker with them. I loved cars in general but took a real liking to sports cars and have owned a few myself since. But the Bimmer always stood out as being different.” He fondly remembers being taken for rides feeling the horsepower response but more memorable was the fact that the car seemed to hug the road effortlessly. He went on, “I promised myself back then that someday I would own one of these fabulous vehicles and I never lost the interest in one day owning a 2002 tii. Foss’ next interaction with a 2002tii was as a nineteen-year-old student at the University of New Brunswick where one of his professors had a BMW 2002 tii. Both were from Montreal and Foss was lucky enough to receive the offer of a free trip home on many weekends. “It was during these trips that I got behind the wheel of a tii for the first time, it felt so completely different from anything else that I had ever driven before. Tight, responsive and true to BMWs brand then and now. I wanted one and even offered to buy his but it was out of reach for many reasons. Mostly, I did have that kind of money. They were about $3,500 brand new back in 1972/73, I can’t even remember what I offered him, but the love of the 2002 was still there, at some point in my life I was going to own one.” When Ron stumbled onto one out in Calgary and discovered it was still alloriginal with no previous modifications or attempted restorations, he scooped
it up based only on pictures and his confidence in the person selling it. Ron suggests that this fellow in Calgary was the second owner and had planned on restoring it but never got around to it. It had only 45,000 original miles so he organized a vintage vehicle carrier to pick it up and transported to Burlington, Ontario where Ron now resides. The vehicle originated from the USA and the original owner was from Colorado. According to Ron this person had painted the vehicle once but had done a terrible job and there was evidence of excess body filer, cracking paint and some visible minor rust. When the car arrived from Calgary it was delivered to the local dealer Budds’ BMW in Oakville and Foss went over it with the help of the Budds’ mechanics, particularly shop foreman Brent Krajnak. Ron jokingly says, “I am not sure who was more excited about the vehicle arriving as Brent had started his career working on the tii. We both just wanted to see it run.” They discovered that it required very little to meet safety and certification requirements. The engine compression was almost factory and very even. The fuel tank was cleaned out; all the fluids flushed, changed the oil, oil filter and spark plugs and completed an intense brake inspection. Everything looked good and Foss hit the road and drove the car for a few weeks, learning as much as he could about it. For the most part it ran just fine but was just very tired and required parts updating that were most affected by age, body work and repainting etc. It was sluggish, had certain vibrations and didn’t handle the bumps all too well. Foss started his restoration with all things mechanical; the entire fuel delivery system needed cleaning, the three fuel filters were replaced. (Fuel pump, fuel injection and in-line filter) The water pump was partially seized so that was next. Rubber items were next for inspection/replacement; all seals, belts, engine mounts and frame bushings got a going over. The rubber Rotoflex guibo bushing/bearing between the transmission and front of the drive shaft was worse for wear and as it was taken apart it completely crumbled in their hands. The rear universal joint was also seized in one direction, which meant replacing the entire drive shaft as it comes as a complete sealed unit. The clutch slave cylinder was leaking so that too headed for the garbage bin. Smaller items like brake cylinders, engine gaskets and hoses were all replaced, some
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because they absolutely needed it and some as a good measure and to bring the car to a higher original standard. Later all four shocks, the rear muffler, tail pipe and entire clutch assembly were replaced. In all cases original OEM parts were used with the exception of the drive-shaft, as we wanted one with grease nipples, as we knew that vehicle would continue to have low mileage. Another thing to receive attention was the gearshift, when the car arrived one of the first things noticed was that the shifter was very loose and wobbled in every gear. The shift throw on the 2002 is fairly long anyway but this one made constant gear-changing an unpleasant chore. It was discovered that all of the bushings, sleeves and the O-ring were pretty much worn or gone completely. Once replaced it shifted smoothly through all four gears and as tightly as the rest of the vehicle performed. “Now the car drove as I remembered it back in the 70’s!” All that was left was attending to cosmetic looks. There were the obvious rust areas that Foss had seen in the original photographs when checking the car out. The outer rocker panels and inner panels looked suspicious along with the two rear fenders and the right front fender. The fellow in Calgary had bought two new front fenders and they had come as part of the deal. Foss completely stripped the vehicle of all things chrome, lights, grills, bumpers etc. As the front fenders were removed, reality set in a Foss discovered what everyone attempting a project like this fears; that being more rust than anticipated. The entire right pillar between fender and door hinge was pretty much nothing but rust, it had to be completely rebuilt. Luckily it was the only real surprise as the inner rocker sills were fine as were the rear shock towers, which is generally a weak spot on these vehicles. The wheel wells and all flooring were impeccable. The vehicle was complete stripped of old paint, rear outer fenders were tin filled and the new front fenders installed. Some very minor bodywork to rectify a dent or two and it was ready for skim coat, sanding, then into the paint booth for six coats of original paint, three coats of clear coat and the vehicle looked like it belonged back in the show room. Once painted the vehicle was fully rust proofed using two methods. In all inner areas, rocker panels, doors etc, received a lighter type material that would have crept into every nook and cranny while for the wheel wells, shock towers and undercarriage, places that could be attacked by stone chips received a thicker undercoat. All things chrome, lights, grills, bumpers were re-attached and Foss was ready to show his baby off. Although his labor of love had taken a toll, both in money and time Foss was happy with the result. “The car is everything I dreamed it would be, I have to admit it sort of got out of hand cost wise but the result is well worth it. There was one thing I did not stay true to original and that was the radio. The original Becker was not in the car and the replacement played through indoor home speakers located under the front seats.” Original rebuilt Becker radios were found but Foss decided to compromise and put in an acceptable Alpine option. He did however only install rear speakers in the pre cut body areas below the rear window. This would have been typical for 1972 vehicles. Although
The dreaded rot - this was the worst that Ron had to deal with.
A basic but functional interior.
the auto radio store wanted to sell him a six-speaker system he stayed true to the vintage look with the modern performance. One area not attended to during the restoration was the entire fuel injection system. Foss explained, “It is a Kugelfischer mechanical pump that is generally pretty reliable but it has intake and output valves that may have had resin build-up on them and/or the O-rings that they sit in would have been dried out and perhaps altering vacuum settings. The same holds true for the injectors themselves and although I pushed fuel injector cleaner through them more than once and there were performance
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The badge says it all!
improvements, they too sit with rubber O-rings. Had I kept the vehicle it would have been the next project but to be honest the cost was creeping up beyond what I thought might be the value and this would have been an expensive step.” So now Foss’ passion had been satisfied, he had the vintage love affair of his life, what could he do now? Considering the 2002 was the BMW model that established the brand in North America and Budds’ BMW is one of the largest BMW dealerships in Canada. Foss thought his 2002 might be something that had more right to be in Budds’ showroom as a legacy to the brand, rather than have sporadic outings as and when his busy schedule allowed. Foss explained, “I wanted the car to be appreciated more than I or a few friends could do on our own, people walking into the showroom can get a sense of history. BMW has a proud history and the 2002 is just a small but very important part of that history. I am proud to see it sitting back in a show room where it would have been 38 plus years ago.” During the writing of this article Ron Foss provided me with great input and feedback. As an aside he made a comment about his grandfather, which made so much sense when you look at the lengths he went to in restoring his 2002 tii. Foss’ grandfather, George Foote Foss built the first gasoline car in Canada, the Fossmobile back in 1898. He turned down Henry Ford as an investor in a new automobile company Ford was starting up. So maybe that is why automobiles are in Ron Foss’ genes; you can see how a teenage Foss could fall in love with a car, especially one like the 2002 tii.
The Kugelfischer fuel injection was the only item not refurbished.
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K C A R T E H T O T T I TAKE ROSS! AUTOC
Words and Photos by Ian Rae When it comes time to take it to the track you have many options. Autocross, Solo or Autoslalom is a grass roots motorsports where the beginner can compete without spending too much money or taking to many risks. It is the perfect introduction to motorsport. It has long been regarded as the first stepping-stone on the motorsport ladder. Many famed road racers started their careers in the family sedan at an autocross, who knows you may be next! As a sidebar to this article on Autocross, John Venditti, the Competition Director and Autocross Organizer of the BMW Clubs Canada, Trillium Chapter wrote up a ‘Year in Review’ article covering the 2010 season. The Trillium Chapter is typical of the clubs running Autocross events. They are associated with the Canadian Automobile Sport Clubs Ontario Region who are Ontario’s governing body of automobile sport. CASC-OR sanction their own Mobil 1 Autoslalom Championship but allow clubs like the BMW Club to run events for their members in their own neck of the woods. Even though the trillium events are run by the BMW Club they do not mandate BMW only vehicles. You typically find clubs do open up their list to any vehicle. Even go-karts find a place to race in Autocross as you can see by the photo of Hardeep Sidhu’s 740 iL in the Trillium Chapter Year in Review, even land yachts are welcome! Typically autocross events are held on large paved areas like parking lots or airfields. Courses are laid out using traffic cones and they normally differ from event to event.
The competition involves one car on the course at a time, with the emphasis on car handling and driver skill rather than on outright power. The day starts with ‘signing on’ where all drivers AND passenger sign the required waiver form. Yes, you read that right, passengers! You can carry passengers with you during your runs. Most beginner drivers should make sure the passenger is one of the local ‘hot shoes’ who can point them in the right direction as well as provide a few tips. Next up is a ‘track walk’ where all drivers wander through the course set by the organizer. If you want to be successful in this sport, pay attention at this point. Look for markers that will make it easier to follow the course, imagine it just as the downhill skiers do, before their runs. A good understanding of the course layout will ensure minimal runs are thrown away because of penalties. Once the track walk is completed, it is into the cars for the first run, which is normally a practice run to allow the drivers to become familiar with the course from within their vehicle. Each run is timed and the best of competition runs counts as the drivers ‘Best Time of the Day’ Competitor runs are not only affected by the speed they complete the course in. If a marker cone is moved away from it center point there is a time penalty added. Hitting the ‘End Pylon’ means a DNF (Did not finish); which means you just threw away the run. Missing a gate or taking it in the wrong order also is a DNF. However if you notice the missed gate or pylon and have not yet driven through the next gate, you can turn around and go through the missed gate before continuing your run. Of course this will
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add time to the run, normally making it uncompetitive. Reversing at any point in the run gets that dreaded DNF and resultant loss of the run. So how does a lowly 316i compete with the likes of a powerful M3? Each runs in its own class but when it comes to placing competitors for the day, the SCCA PAX/RTP (Racers Theoretical Performance) factor is brought into use. The PAX factor is designed to equalize the field by assigning a time penalty for each run based on the car’s potential performance. Developed by Rick Ruth, the PAX factor system is widely used across North America by the many sanctioning bodies that run autocross events. Ruth factored in results from over 200 nationwide Solo II events to generate the PAX factors which change every year if required. To calculate the event winner all drivers’ times are taken and multiplied by the PAX factor for their vehicle. That gives an index time. The lowest index time is the overall winner and receives 100 points for the perfect score. So you like the idea of pylon twirling as it is sometimes called. It is lots of fun and the camaraderie is great, seasoned drivers tend to have no problems helping out the rookies. Check out the Internet to find clubs running Autocross events. Several one make clubs run their own series or check out sanctioning bodies like CASC, SCCA and NASA.
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RUDY GLARNER 2010 Trillium Chapter Autocross Champion 30  - MotorWerks Magazine - Online at www.motorwerksmag.com
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R E T P A H C M U I L L I TR year in review A
Words by John Venditti, Photos by Ian Rae What a fantastic year of change for the Trillium Autocross season. We’ve seen the event grow not only in attendance but in size of venue as well, but we’ll get to that in a moment! Our season started off at MDS Sciex, our loyal hosts for years. We started off a little later this year to accommodate this writers’ thirst for more sleep on a Sunday morning and that was met with universal praise. A ten am start time rather than the traditional nine am definitely had a positive impact on those attending. We opened the season with a very large group for a cool April morning. All were super enthusiastic to be back at the wheel in a competitive environment after being dormant through the winter months. We saw a very competitive field right from the first event; I knew this year was going to be a tight race to the finish. As is usual, we run eight events but only count the best six. This allows for those who may not be able to attend all of the events, or simply have an off day every now and again. As the season went on it became clear that a pair of MINIs would remain at the front of the pack and the battle for third became more fierce given that there were six different participants in everything from E30’s, E36’s, and E46’s that could grab 3rd place. We averaged twenty-three participants per event, but what seemed strange to me was by noon, we would have a parking lot full of cars. I would look around to find literally dozens and dozens of spectators. At any given event, we would have somewhere in the vicinity of twenty plus spectators hanging around, going for rides, taking
photos, or just taking in the competition. As it turns out, autocrossing is really making a comeback and more and more people are interested in finding out what this is all about. In September we teamed up with Bimmercruise run by Randy Sparre at the Powerade Centre in Brampton. Randy used half of the lot for the renowned car show and let us use the other half to run our autocross. This was a huge success as it attracted a whole slew of other competitors and onlookers who have never seen an autocross in person. Let’s just say we brought some new participants in that day! We were so impressed with the venue that we booked it for our November finale and ran our double header there ending the season with a bang! Having washroom facilities alone was a huge benefit, but they also have concession stands open all day long for those who may get the mid afternoon munchies, as this year we BBQ’d lunch and provided cold refreshments for all of the participants. The season progressed, and due to a scheduling conflict the two MINIs’ of Daniel Bertoja (last years’ champion) and Ken Algor, could not make the season finale’s double header leaving them with only 5 events of the 8 completed, the championship order got turned on its head. All of a sudden I was getting calls and e-mails with questions of where are the other competitors sitting in relation to them and so on. I kept quiet and waited to see how the double header would pan out. This was the closest finish I could think of not only within the Trillium Autocross history but
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autocrossing in general! Only .213 points separated first and second after the best of eight events and less than eight points split the top three. Keeping in mind out of 600 possible points, 1st finished with 577.838, 2nd with 577.625 and 3rd with 570.314. A big congratulations goes out to Rudy Glarner for first, Scott Paterson for second and Jon Abela for third. Also, the top six were covered by only thirteen points, that’s how close it was. An honorable mention goes out to Daniel Bertoja, who although was only able to attend five of the eight events, never lost an event. But, in order to win, you need to attend and that’s how the season went. I’m sure Dan will be back next year with a vengeance! Looking ahead to next year’s season, we will be running all of our events at the Powerade Centre in Brampton. This also means a much larger lot, smoother, faster course layouts and a whole lot more fun. Other changes being implemented are the mandatory use of helmets for all drivers and passengers. All helmets will have to be Snell 2000 (or newer) approval rating. We will still be starting at 10am and registration will be at 9:30. I’m looking forward to another great season at a this premier venue! The BMW Clubs Canada, Trillium Chapter exists to actively promote the varied interests of BMW owners and enthusiasts from across southern Ontario in the spirit of fun, friendship and safety. We bring together people from all walks of life who care about and appreciate fine BMW cars, motorcycles, their heritage, and style.
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s ' o i r a t n O Man to Beat!
Hamilton, Ontario’s Daniel Bertoja is hugely talented behind the wheel of a car. Running a MINI Cooper S in the Trillium Chapter Autocross series, Bertoja is a multi-time series Champion and recently found the time to sit down with MWM and discuss Autocross. MWM - Why a MINI? DB - Silly thing was I went with my sister to check out a car she was thinking of buying and we took the MINI for a ride and I fell in love with it and ended up buying one of my own a few months later. MWM - Was the plan always to Autocross the car? DB - No, I did not go out looking for an Autocross car but the more I drove it, the more I got to thinking it would be perfect. I had been away from the AutoX scene for four years or so and the MINI was the inspiration to come back. MWM - I know you track your car, is autocrossing a good grounding for someone who eventually wants to hit the track. DB - For sure, it helps you get the feel of the car, get used to what it does when it slides and so on. The lower speeds makes it a lot safer for the beginner. MWM - What advice would you give a novice coming into the sport? DB - Do what I did! The first year I did as many events as I could, nothing beats seat time. It is also a smart move not to modify the car in the first year, concentrate on developing your driving. Get some instruction from the quick guys that run in the series. Autocross is the most
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friendly motorsport out there. They are willing to help. MWM - At what point should someone change to slicks? DB - Not before a full year of intense competition. slicks can hide a bunch of things, learn to drive before making the switch. It is worth remembering there are costs incurred when you go to slicks. First of all there is another set of wheels and you have to be able to get them to the event, so hopefully your trunk is big enough. The other cost could be suspension, most often changes need to be made due to the extra grip generated by the slicks. It is not a straightforward change, it has to be thought out thoroughly before being made. MWM - I showed a friend a photo of the MINI in the wet with the rear inside wheel well up in the air and he was hugely impressed with the amount of grip the MINI generated in the wet. DB - Well, It may look good but that is something I am working on reducing, I want the wheel to stay in contact with the ground or at least not be so high off the ground. But the amazing thing is slick grip like you would not believe in the wet, as long as you are not running through puddles the race compound will produce amazing amounts of grip. MWM - How about modifying brakes, any benefit? DB - Up here with the short courses we have I would say change the pads out but forget a big brake kit, they just weigh too much and will adversely affect acceleration. MWM - You sit low in the car, how does that affect your vision and ability to see the pylons? DB - I think it makes me look up more! You need to be driving a few gates ahead of where you actually are. If not and you are focusing on the gates immediately in front of you there is only one possible result, hitting pylons and
time penalties. There you have it, a few nuggets of wisdom from an expert in the field. Thanks Daniel, good luck in 2011.
Even the Maestro hits a pylon every now and again!
Slicks last quite a while but these are shot!
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Supply and Demand The truth about high tech vehicles and batteries By Ian Rae, technical assistance by Brent Krajnak
The modern car has travelled a long way from its origins; the KISS principle is no longer applied. We are now faced with all sorts of ‘smarts’ included as standard, heck, there are even some cars that will parallel park for you. The idea for this article came over lunch one day with Patrick Fletch and Brent Krajnak of Budds’ BMW when we were discussing my 335i. I told them I had seen much chatter on the Internet regarding failed batteries within the warranty period and people getting bent out of shape when their dealership told them, “Yes, it is within the warranty period but no, it is not covered.” That is not something someone who has just bought a $50,000 plus vehicle wants to hear, so the idea to get to the bottom of the failing battery story was hatched. Let me state one important fact right now! The title of this article may be Supply and Demand but that has nothing to do with taking the customer for as much as they can, just because they bought a BMW. What we are talking about is that new cars have many power users or ‘Consumers’ in BMW parlance. They are the Demand; the battery is the Supply. So lets start with the basics. Depending on model, BMWs can come with a Lead Acid battery or an AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) battery. Traditionally these batteries are mounted in the truck to help maintain the 50/50 weight distribution BMW is famous for. In new cars there is an Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS) attached to the ground lead of the battery. The IBS measures battery current,
The IBS is the black unit on the negative battery connector.
voltage and temperature under all conditions. The collected data is then sent to the vehicles DME or DDE management system where it is stored and may be downloaded by a technician at a later date if need be. The same data is used if the vehicle has a battery issue and needs to shed some of its ‘Consumer’ loads. This shedding of loads is a good indication something in not right with the vehicles electrical system, another being the cutting in and out of the Bluetooth connection. BMW wants the vehicle to be able to start and not strand their client so the DME will shut down consumers in an order to reduce the electrical load. First of all, the rear window defroster will clock, that is turn off and on. Next the seat heating will reduce to Level 2, before reducing to 50%. Then the heater blower reduces output to 75% and then 50%. Mirror heating will then become inoperative. The rear window then shuts down followed by the seat heating. Finally the heater blower reduces to 25%. As you can see the vehicle goes through multiple steps before shutting these systems down, but during that process it has indicated there are electrical issues on the dash, therefore giving the driver time to have the problem attended to. So, remember this, if your electrical system starts behaving funny, it could just be as simple as a low battery voltage. The low voltage could also be caused by loads not shutting down when they are supposed to. The modern car goes to sleep when parked and the electrical load should be small enough as to not cause any problems. However as we all know with computers, sometimes they have a mind of their own and if a Consumer is not shut down it will continue to draw current and will eventually flatten the battery. BMW dealerships have all the test equipment to find out what there that current draw is coming from. So what causes this battery problem? One of the big problems nowadays is our driving habits. If the car is not driven for any distance and shutdown repeatedly, the battery condition will eventually decline. Before I hear all the shouts about charging systems being up to the task, think of this. I jump into my 335i, drive out of the garage, turn on the seat and steering wheel heater and drive seven kilometers to work. In the middle of winter the return journey is the same with the addition of the rear window defroster. Now I have on three big power users and had two high amperage starts, if I did not drive the car on longer runs that schedule would eventually deplete the battery. If you reduce the daily runs to twice a week the problem just gets worse. How do I stop this from happening? If the vehicle is used once a week it is a good idea to put a trickle
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charger/battery tender on the battery to keep it fully charged. Connect the charger at the front of the vehicle away from the IBS at the rear. BMW has chargers designed for the job as has companies such as CTEK and Deltran. So the worse has happened and a new battery is required, it is imperative your BMW’s system is reset to accept the new battery. If not the charging system will only provide the amount of charge that was required by the old battery and may cause the new battery to fail prematurely. Additionally, any warning codes that were generated by the previous battery will continue to be logged and will appear on the dash. There was much grumbling on the Internet about the cost of battery replacement at a dealership. This can be attributed to the many tasks required when a new battery is installed. If the battery is not fully charged before leaving the shop you could possibly only have 80% charge in the new battery. To ensure minimal problem with the new battery it has to be 100% and the IBS has to relay that to the DME. The car gets hooked up to a diagnostic tester that then reads the data and the technician can really see what the car sees as far as battery voltage. High tech cars require high tech technicians; make sure you choose wisely and get the job done right.
Connect your charger to these points under the hood.
A hi-tech Ammeter monitors the current draw on the 328iX.
You can see from this screen shot the battery in this 328iX is currently only at 46.8%. Not too healthy!
This screen shot shows the ‘Consumers’ on this car in highlighted green, the faded ones, show a fully loaded version.
Here we can see this 328iX has 15 runs under 5 kms and 10 between 5-20 kms. Shorts runs don’t help!
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Leaf Racewear’s sumblimated shirts A BMW on the CASC booth The DefNder G70 is available from TrackMart
Often called the frozen North, Canada does indeed have a fair share of cold weather during the winter months. That may stop the Canadian racers from racing but their passion does not subside during those cold dark off months. The Canadian Motorsports Expo is the first event on the road to climbing out of the winter blues and a chance for racers to get together, bench race, see what new products are out there and meet some of the Superstars of the sport. Held over the weekend of January 21-23 at the International Centre in suburban Toronto, the 5th edition of the CME would feature famous names like Dario Franchitti, Brad Keselowski and Max Papis. Local racers were not left out in the cold as fans had the opportunity to join a host of Ontario stock car veterans, including legendary Hall of Famer Junior Hanley, crew-members Bob Sumak, Ross May and Peter Andaloro for a ‘Bench Racing’ discussion recalling the exploits, adventures and achievements of the legendary Canadian racer Don Biederman. During previous shows, there was one branch of motorsport that was under represented, the drag racing community. That was rectified for the 5th Annual CME, thanks to Bruce Biegler of DragRaceCanada and some high-powered friends. CME featured several drag cars. Biegler, who is also the Drag Racing Editor for Inside Track Motorsport News persuaded the Roth family to bring out their ’41 Willys Replica PMRA Pro Modified, Gus Mantas brought his stunning blue ’68 Barracuda NHRA Super Stock (SS/AH) and Spiro Kontos’ Kon Rodz Impala Alcohol Funny Car along with driver Cassie Simonton rounded out the drag racing ensemble. Another huge part of the CME is sanctioning bodies using it for their award ceremonies. Honoring the champions and stars of the previous season is a time-honored, off-season tradition. The CME does its part on this front by providing a venue where racers can be truly honored in front of their peers. The racing supply industry was well represented by the likes of TrackMart, Leaf Racewear, Johnston Research and Performance and many others. Jay Cordiero of TrackMart was particularly upbeat with the response to his G70 DefNder head and neck restraint. “I had to run home on Saturday night and pick up more devices, it was amazing how many racers did not know there is a good affordable option to the HANS device out there. It was good to be able to educate them and get a few of them into the DefNder.” Leaf’s Colin Grandy was especially happy with Sunday’s response to their new Elite line of racesuits as well as the continued interest in sublimated team shirts. He told us, “Most of our new suits are the Elite style now, they are lighter and look better with new fabrics available to us now, it was nice to see the interest. Of course our sublimated shirts continue to go over well. We are able to be so much more creative with these shirts than the embroidered ones; there is really no limit to what graphics we can create for the customer we are only limited only by your imagination. The shirts are constructed using cool, wicking polyester fabrics. They are available in either traditional poplin twill or comfortable air mesh polyester, the shirts are extremely durable, lightweight, and they won’t peel, crack or fade. Just perfect for going racing in the summer.” Carson Rasmussen of JRP was on hand with a huge selection of components that would suit racers in all forms of motorsport. Of particular interest to BMW and MINI owners was the Sprint Booster Power Converter, of which JRP are the North American importer. The device is designed to eliminate the throttle delay on drive-bywire cars by continuously measuring and converting the digital signal and providing the ECM (Electronic Control Module) with a new and altered signal for much quicker response. It is supposed to improve response, increases pedal input sensitivity and deliver more impressive off the line performance that can actually be felt by the driver. I have talked to Tim Anderson of Racepak who
had previously quantified the claims by datalogging and we hope to do a feature on the Sprint Booster in a future issue. Founded by Glenn Butt five years ago the show is now a partnership between Glenn Butt Promotions and Inside Track Communications. Butt had this to say at the conclusion of the event, “This year’s Canadian Motorsports Expo was fantastic! Great content, new exhibitors and it continues to grow stronger ever year. I am extremely happy.” ITC’s Greg MacPherson, totally agreed, “We really enjoyed the show and from the feedback so did all the attendees. When we went through the attendee survey’s after the show we could see there was a good mix of racers and industry, fans and enthusiasts from all branches of Canadian motorsport. We are already in the planning stages for next year.” Personally I have to say I was impressed with the show, it has grown leaps and bounds since I went to the first one. It still needs some more support from all manner of racers and sanctioning bodies. Canada has a very healthy motorsports community; the CME should be THE place to be seen. There is no reason this event can’t turn into a Canadian Performance Industry Show (PRI), just that it is open to the public unlike the American version.
Would like to congratulate
Michel Sallenbach
on his CCTCC runner-up finish
Team Octane/Equipe Octane is proud to be associated with the following companies, GE Nighthawk, MINI Original Parts, Castrol, Simone Performance Imports, Birchmount Collision, Trimo, Fix Auto, Cruisecanada.com and BULLY clutches. Michel Sallenbach is sponsored by Carrefour Icra, Carrosserie Touchette, La Clinique du Pneu, Lettrage Raoul et ASG.
A Leaf Racewear Elite suit complete with new logo. MotorWerks Magazine - Online at www.motorwerksmag.com - 39
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CTCC Kicks into high gear! It was a new look for the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship when John Bondar unveiled the new branding for Canada’s premier touring car series at the CME. Along with a new logo and website, Bondar was pleased to announce that Castrol was returning again as the Series Sponsor and Continental Tire was coming on board as Presenting Sponsor as well as providing the new spec tire for the series. Both Castrol and Continental Tire had representatives on hand for the unveiling. Terry Smouter, of Continental was especially upbeat, “We looked at the series and saw a great opportunity to get brand awareness of our tires out there and we have never done anything like this in Canada before. What John has done with the series is amazing, it is totally professional and the perfect vehicle for us to use as a marketing tool. When you add in the fact that our tires will be on every car, that just is a huge plus for us. I look forward to working with John and his talented crew as well as getting to know the racers. 2011 is going to be an exciting year for us.” Bondar agreed, “It was a fantastic show for us. Our two key partners were very happy. The excitement shown by current and future competitors shows were are going in the right direction. There was lots of interest from the karting fraternity and I believe there are at least two of them working hard on putting together programs right now. It was great to see Nick Wittmer take home the Inside Track Road Racer of the Year award. That shows people are taking notice of the series. I have great hopes for 2011, it should be quite a season.” Representing Castrol was Wakefield Canada’s Marketing Communications Manager, Marsha McLaughlin, who said
“From our founding commitment to the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Series five years ago, it was clear that the series grabbed the attention of Canada’s motorsports community. Highly involved drivers support huge fields;
true driving fans appreciate the remarkable level of driving skill and team enthusiasm; casual fans love the outstanding track action and relate to real vehicles that reflect their own sophisticated tastes. Everyone wins – it’s a perfect place for Castrol to support motorsports and to showcase our products, particularly our advanced synthetic lubricants.” Next on the agenda for the series are the two drivers meetings which will then be followed by the start of the on track action with two test days whose dates will be announced shortly. More information on the series can be found on the Internet on the new Compass360 designed website at www.touringcar.ca.
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Standing Up For Your Rights! That title may sound a revolutionary but if you don’t stand up for your rights, nobody else will! Not so, you are wrong, there is someone who stands up for the rights of the automobile user. They are called the SEMA Action Network (SAN) and while I thought of them as a body that just represented hot rodders, they are more than that, much more! Spawned from the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association, the SAN is a nationwide partnership of car clubs, and individual enthusiasts who work together to impact legislation that affects car and truck hobbyists of all kinds and that includes you and me. Listed below are a few of the things that the SAN is currently working on, things that in most cases relate to the every day motorist, not only the hot rodder or hobbyist. How many times have you heard of people being pulled over for window tint violations? From my experience it seems that the amount of tint in question is subjective, how dark is too much, is totally at the discretion of the officer making the charge. The crazy thing is that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through a reduction in motor vehicle cabin temperature. It has been proven the cabin temperature of a vehicle can be lowered through the use of window tinting materials. Such a directive by CARB would signal that tinting should be considered as a solution to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions created when drivers must idle their cars while waiting for them to cool. Despite the positive actions of legislators recognizing the benefits of window tinting, severe limits on window light transmission and reflectance percentages continue to surface in a number of states and drivers continue to receive citations. The SAN intends to continue to work with the International Window Film Association to broker solutions to restrictive tinting requirements and advance the industry standard of not less than 35% light transmittance on all windows other than the windshield. If keeping the interior of a car cool is important in reducing emissions then both Canadian and U.S. governments should do the sensible thing and come up with common laws for everybody with window tints, let’s stop wasting money on senseless court dates and help the environment.
Another subject the SAN has been very vocal about was the fitting of vehicles with nitrous oxide for off road use. This is not something that applies to everyone but when a person is responsible enough to go to the track to get their fun, they should not be penalized for doing the right thing. While many States and Provinces made it illegal for nitrous systems to even be installed in cars the SAN has been successful in making common sense prevail. They worked with legislators to mitigate legislation that would ban the installation of power booster systems, including nitrous oxide systems intended for off-road use. The SEMA model bill aims to do just that with language that provides for the operation of a vehicle equipped for nitrous oxide, so long as the nitrous oxide is disconnected from the engine when the vehicle is operated on public roadways. Provisions in an acceptable bill may also stipulate that nitrous oxide canisters must be removed while the vehicle is being operated on the road. The SAN has been successful in getting the model bill, or a comparable variation, enacted in Arkansas, Maine, Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Nebraska and the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. The model bill is shown below and as you can see from the wording it makes perfect sense. SEMA Nitrous Oxide Model Bill “A person shall not on a public road drive a motor vehicle which is equipped to supply the motor vehicle’s combustion engine with nitrous oxide unless the system supplying nitrous oxide is made inoperative by disconnecting the line feeding nitrous oxide to the engine or; removing the container or containers of nitrous oxide.” Even vehicle lighting cannot escape petty bureaucracy. As we all know lighting has come a long way since the old sealed-beam days. Even halogen lights, such a hightech concept not all that long ago, look dim compared to the bright and sharply defined beams coming from xenon bulbs, high-intensity discharge (HID) systems and other modern lighting components. It used to be that you’d risk overdriving your headlights going as little as 35 mph. Not anymore. Unfortunately, the government is scrutinizing these systems pretty closely to make sure they comply with the appropriate regulations. Required lighting equipment has to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) to be legal for the street. Optional lighting equipment is regulated by the states. However, some states, including Iowa in 2007, have even considered an outright ban of legal HID systems, a ban that would even include HIDs installed on new cars at a dealership. How about that for stupidity? Of course, SAN helped defeat that proposal. For you and me! Everyone with a road car will benefit from this action. House Approves SAN Supported Measure to Suspend EPA E15 Program; Senate Action Next!
Tinting can help the environment!
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a provision to prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from using agency funds to permit an increase in the amount of ethanol content in gasoline to
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15% (E15). The provision is part of a larger bill to fund the federal government during fiscal year 2011 which must also be approved by the U.S. Senate. The SEMA Action Network (SAN) requested this action and worked hard to secure the vote. When signed into law by President Obama, this timely legislation will protect automotive enthusiasts and consumers from misfueling and other unnecessary harm. On behalf of millions of auto enthusiasts across the country, SAN applauds the House of Representatives for acknowledging the need for more unbiased and independent testing on the impact of E15 on vehicles and engines. The provision suspends EPA’s premature efforts to permit E15 in the marketplace in fiscal year 2011. The SAN is now working to help pass a newly introduced bill (HR 748) to repeal the EPA E15 program altogether. The SAN will continue to take proactive steps in Washington, D.C. to oppose E15 until there are conclusive scientific findings that demonstrate that it will not harm automobiles of any age as a result of corrosion or other chemical incompatibilities. Up here in Canada, the SAN was a prime mover in stopping the Federal government from implementing legislation that would prohibit the sale and importing of leaded race fuel in Canada. Again the legislation was flawed and only looked at stopping less than 2% of leaded fuel in Canada, the other 98% of users, private airplanes were going to be allowed to continue using the fuel. Now with intervention, common sense prevailed and the racers that still require leaded gas have an indefinite exemption. Environment Canada issued a SAN-supported final rule to indefinitely
extend an exemption allowing the use of leaded gasoline in competition motor vehicles. The new rule recognizes the relationship between the Canadian and U.S. racing industries and adopts a consistent environmental approach to leaded fuel use. At the request of the SAN, a Nova Scotia regulation that would have required retailers and installers to provide proof that all suspension lift products had been approved by a certified engineer has been put on hold to allow regulatory agencies to conduct an impact study. Currently, the province has only one certified engineer available to conduct these inspections. For the time being and absent an obvious structural deficiency in the suspension equipment, inspectors will be instructed to not pass or fail a vehicle based on the fact that it has an altered ride height. The SAN also defeated legislation in Ontario that would have banned certain parts, substances, and equipment that the Ministry of Transportation claimed are used in street racing. The bill was directed at equipment that boosts engine performance. So there you have it, the SAN is standing up for your rights, they have proven in the past they are there for ALL motorists, not just hobbyists and hot rodders. Support SAN by going to their website, joining SAN is free and no hassle. The website has listing of current legislation regarding all sorts of motoring topics, check your State or Province to see what is going on. More info can be found at www. semasan.com
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e n a t c High O
e p ui
Eq
Ian Rae y b s o t o h dP Words an
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hit the tracks with for a few years. I also got my first kick at the can of being involved with a manufacturer; Jeff Lorriman was involved in the Hyundai works Touring Class effort in the ASN Canada Enduroseries and he had some connections. He and Didier Schraenen were driving the Hyundai Canada / Tiburons and there was an Elantra just sitting idle in the corner of the shop. I was put in the Elantra, had some good outings and even managed to grab a class win at Shannonville.” Lauzière then went to work for BMW and that involved a move to Vancouver; so all racing was put on hold. On his return to the East he realized the time away had not diminished his love of racing and it was time to hit the track again. Working for BMW it only made sense that the new MINI should become his new weapon of choice. All his experience in racing had been with front drive vehicles and the MINI looked as if it had a pretty good platform to start with. “We knew there were not that many MINIs running but sometimes that is what is required to win in a touring car series. Picking a car that fits the rules and one that nobody else has, sometimes pays
“If we can’t have fun,
we don’t want to do it.”
Lauzière, hard at work, even at the track!
For those of you who are not conversant with French the title of this article may be a little confusing. High Octane Équipe is a mix of English and French. All racers know what high octane is and many have seen Équipe used to in the title of race teams all over the world. In this case Équipe more than describes the subjects of this article. Équipe translates into Team and that is exactly what Alain Lauzière created when he founded Team Octane, a team, and a really good one at that. When it comes to motorsport, Lauzière is a relative newcomer; he has no karting pedigree like many racers, just natural talent. Alain was introduced to the sport by his friend Jeff Lorriman, who at the time was working with none other than noted Toronto Star motoring scribe Jim Kenzie. Lauzière explained, “I believe it was somewhere around 1993, I worked with Jeff and Jim all year in the Firestone Firehawk Showroom Stock racing series and as a reward for all my hard work I was put in Kenzie’s BMW 318i at a regional race. As with many people, I got the bug and we set too looking for something we could build into a racecar. Along with Wayne Hosaki we found a ‘93 Honda Prelude that we
dividends. At the time Touring Car Quebec was not accepting any forcefed vehicles but that did not deter us. John Bondar was putting on the Ontario GT Championship and there was a place for us to race there, we carried on building the car hoping TCQ would eventually change the rules and give us the green light. I had acquired a severely worse for wear Mini Cooper S with the John Cooper Works package on. We knew Vic Simone from the Hyundai days and it made sense to involve Vic with the project. Lorriman pitched in along with Kevin Abe and a few others and we took all the good bits and built them into a new shell. The build was completed part way through the
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season so we headed to Mosport for the 2005 Labour Day Grand Prix of Mosport and shocked ourselves when we finished fourth.” 2006 saw Alain run a full season and once again all hard work paid off and the team was rewarded with the Ontario GT Championship Touring Car title. John Bondar would then make a change to his championship program that would take racing for Lauzière to a whole new level. He founded the Canadian Touring Car Championship. Now Canada had a true tin top series just like the ones in the U.K., Germany and many countries around the world. The new series excited Lauzière, “It was just what we needed, and the credibility a professional Canadian Touring Car series gave to the racers was huge. It allowed us all to go after bigger sponsors and become more professional.” That is where the first thoughts of Team Octane came from. Maybe it was time to go to a two-car team? It would take a few years before a two-car team would come to fruition and those thoughts had put aside as the new season dawned. Buoyed by the success in the Ontario GT Championship Alain had another banner year in the newly formed Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship and finished the year as the inaugural Champion in the Touring class. He would go on to repeat that feat two years later in 2009 and as much as success can enlarge one’s ego Lauzière has his feet firmly planted on the ground
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because of one word! That word is TEAM! ÉQUIPE as they say in French, Alain knows he could not achieved all he has without his team! That team consists of many parts, the guys who work on the cars, the great marketing partners and even the friends who call or text just to see how the race weekend went! Lauzière explained, “Racing is such a close knit community, everyone tends to know one another and help out when required. We have been lucky enough to have four main guys that crew for us. Michel Sallenbach, our 2009 rookie driver did an amazing job behind the wheel to finish second in touring in his first year is retired now and he spends so much time working on the cars. Everyone just pitches in and does whatever is required; we have no prima donnas here. Marc-André Beaubien and Jonathan Proulx are the car-chiefs on the cars and take care of maintenance and car preparation on their respective racecar. Louis-Philippe Allard is senior crew and is responsible for car build, fabrication and maintenance, Kevin Abe is a fabricator and our electronics specialist as well as carrying out general maintenance.
With the new branding of the Canadian Touring Car Championship Lauzière is upbeat about the upcoming season. He said, “2011 is going to be an eventful year for us, there is so much going on. One of our own sponsors, Castrol Wakefield has again signed up as sponsor of the series and Continental Tire has come on board as presenting sponsor. That is huge for our series! For a company
like Continental to get involved shows they have recognized the series for what it is, one of the best Touring Car series around. Mind you, we are going to have to be at our best right from the get go, the new spec tire from Continental is so different from what we ran last year that we need to be out testing as soon as the weather allows. That being said, I believe once we sort out the suspension to
Below - A sad sight after a lap one collision. Above - the team were ready for race two. In fact the MINI was repaired before race one ended!
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work with the tire we will have one that is going to provide us with consistent performance all race long. Last year we finished second with Michel; that means there is only one place for us to go now, first. It was impressive how he handled his rookie year, now with a year’s experience of the tracks I am confident he will be challenging for wins throughout the year. We are in negotiations for the second seat now, there is a lot of interest and when we have the new car ready I am sure you will see three cars out at some point. The new car is the latest generation and comes with a turbo, not a supercharger, it only makes sense for us to upgrade to the latest car and take advantage of the chassis improvements MINI built into the new car.” Lauzière was at pains to tell us that the team could not do what they do without the help of their marketing partners. Castrol is a prime example, Team Octane religiously uses BMW Motorsport oil from Castrol and the results are very impressive. “We ran Castrol in the first car from day one, it has gone four years of hard racing without a single rebuild, impressive indeed especially when you find out the bottom end had 30,000 street miles on it before we started racing it. Local Quebec manufacturer Bully Clutches build an amazing clutch, they have never let us down. GE Nighthawk, MINI Original Parts, Simone Performance Imports, Birchmount Collision, Trimo, Fix Auto, Cruisecanada.com, Cruise America.com have all played their part in our success. Michel is sponsored by Carrefour Icra, Carrosserie Touchette, La Clinique du Pneu, Lettrage Raoul et ASG and thanks them for their support.” Team Octane is blessed to have some pretty good friends racing MINIs that they share data with. The RSR team out of the USA is another to have made the choice to run the MINI brand in a professional touring car series. Randy Smalley and Lauzière compare notes regularly and share any data found to give the cars a performance improvement. Smalley related the tale of how the two hooked up and became collaborators, “Alain and I met back in 2006 when he and I co-drove my GRAND-AM Mini at Mosport that year. The Minis were not competitive back in those early days and so began the multi-year quest to get them up to speed. The big break through came in mid 2010 when GA gave us approval to run the Bosch racing engine management system. The cars were always quick but the stock ECU would always ‘give it up’ at around the twohour mark. There were many DNF’s due to factors outside our control. It was very frustrating. Our #198 Mini with the Bosch, debuted late last season and won it’s 1st two outings at NJ and at Trois-Rivieres and then capped the season with a second at Miller in Utah. These wins were the first for the NEW Mini in the USA in major professional racing and served notice to the fans and other teams. Now both Alain and I had done well and had results, we have swapped technical data since day one, brakes, ABS, setup etc. At the Canadian races we have shared crew, parts, etc. Alain is a good and valuable friend!” In addition to running their own MINI campaign in the CTCC, Octane was commissioned to prepare and manage MINI Canada’s foray to the Targa Newfoundland in 2010. If you read On The Grid in the last issue you will see it was
Marc-André changes out wheels studs
It’s all hi-tech here at Team Octane!
Powered by a standard JCW motor!
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a successful trip. The changes made to the suspension on the John Cooper Works Cooper S made the world of difference. Gone was the race based suspension from the year before, replaced by a rally spec shock and spring package from Drummond Motor Sport of Wodonga, Victoria in Australia that was more compliant and would handle the wild Newfoundland terrain with ease, one that would allow Kenzie to drive the car to its full potential. The changes obviously worked as the BMW Canada supported MINI took the win in the Open division.”My good friend Jacques Fournier helped us set-up the suspension and was on-hand throughout the event to ensure the car was always up to the task in Newfoundland. He was a pivotal force behind this success” expressed Lauzière. As for 2011, “There are negotiations going on as to what is happening this year. Team Octane is not a job for me, it is a passion; I may work for MINI Canada but the racing and preparing MINIs is just a sideline, a hobby. It is something I enjoy doing with my friends, if there is something going on at work around the time of Targa; that has to take precedence.
Time will tell, I’d love to go back with Jim and Brian, it was quite an experience!” Alain explained. So what of the future? Lauzière is happy with the way the CTCC is going and sees this year as a break out year for the series’ recognition. He would dearly love to try something like the a foray to some SCCA World Challenge events but had this to say, “As much as I would like to try the World Challenge I know we may never do it. It is so expensive to run we would have to have a very good program in place to allow us to do it. Funding is important in this game and as much as the CTCC is great the WC involves taking it to a new level, that costs money and it is not something I want to do without being able to be competitive. That being said the new car is being built to both sets of rules so you never know what will happen. Our focus this year is reclaiming the Touring class title we have held twice before and more importantly have fun. This team races for fun and if we can’t have fun, we don’t want to do it.”
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There you have it folks, teamwork at its best! Watch for Team Octane to return to the top and have fun while they are doing it!
Fast Facts Chassis Generation: R53 Built by: Team Octane (in-house) Mild Steel Custom race cage to GRAND-AM spec. Engine: MINI 1.6 litre cast iron block, aluminum head, 2 intake and 2 exhaust valves by Tritec Supercharger: Eaton (M45) to MINI Specs Intercooler: Air – top-mounted John Cooper Works unit ECU: Stock Horsepower: approx 210 HP Transmission: 6 speed by Getrag with Limited-slip differential Clutch: Custom by Bully Clutches Flywheel: Fidanza aluminum to OE dimensions Suspension: KW 2-way adjustable shocks with proprietary spring rates and MINI Challenge camber plates Rear Sway bar: Infinitely adjustable lightweight splined bar (Nascar-style) 4130 chrome moly By Tarett Front sway-bar: H-Sport (Hotchkis) Brakes: Stock R53 Cooper S Calipers and rotors front and rear, Hawk racing pads with steel-braided lines with factory functional ABS Engine Oil: BMW Motorsport (Castrol TWS 10w60) Brake Fluid: Castrol SRF Strut-tower bar: John Cooper Works Wheels: 15 x 8 lightweight alloy wheels by 949racing.com Tires: Continental Extreme Contact DS 225/45/15 Instrumentation/Data Acquisition: Aim MXL Pista Steering wheel: Momo Safety Equip: Schroth Enduro 6 point belts Seats: Momo / Racetech Weight: 2,375 lbs with driver Exhaust: Custom fabricated straight-through with Vibrant muffler Header: custom-unit by Revolution Motors Works Electrically-Heated front windshield
I got involved with Team Octane when we tested at the Fall Classic in 2009 in Mont Tremblant, both my mechanic MarcAndré and myself immediately felt comfortable with Alain Lauzière , it was like we knew each other forever. The car was similar to my previous Michel hard at work! Toyota, a small front No Prima Donna’s here! wheel car, so there were no learning the car issues. During the winter 2009-2010, we rebuilt the MINI at my home, along with the guys from Octane. It was a perfect fit, the team gelled, worked well with each other and enjoyed each others company. Throughout 2010 we all pitched in and it made the race season a fairly easy one. My car was always on the edge, Marc-André and I were coached by the Octane team members and we learned to work with it, to improve it. We built a strong team spirit together and that will continue in 2011. My first goal was a top five in the 2010 championship, with hopefully a podium. We had to learn three of the four tracks used in the series, Mosport, Toronto and Trois-Rivières. The car was reliable all year long with only a wheel issue in Toronto, and a crash in Mosport spoiling things. That consistency was key to doing well in the championship, it was rewarding us to reach the top three in the championship and by season’s end that turned into a second place. It was an interesting learning curve, with a few difficult race starts rewarded by a win and the best lap at the last race. Of course the good result in 2010 should make us a Championship contender. It will be hard, having new competitors, others will improve their car, and we are no longer a rookie, so nobody will give us a chance. Right now, we are refreshing the cars, to keep them reliable. Again, Team Octane is doing a very nice job, always keeping it simple and affordable, starting with a strong vehicle, the MINI. Everything is together for another wonderful and competitive season We will also run with Continental tires, so we have to work on new set up, like everybody. How will we manage it? How will I, as a driver, manage the pressure I will put on my own shoulders? For me every race week end is just a lot of fun, working hard to be able to live that passion and it’s the reason why I’m always smiling at the track. I’m just living my dream!
The start of the turbo MINI racecar build. MotorWerks Magazine - Online at www.motorwerksmag.com - 53
Editors Note! This sidebar is somewhat special for me. I noted in the main article that noted motoring journalist Jim Kenzie was one of the guys responsible for getting Alain Lauzière behind the wheel of a racecar. Kenzie is someone I respect very much, very factual, to the point with his writing and with a bit of fun thrown in as an aside. Jim feels so strongly about his relationship with Alain, he took the time to put together this little piece that gives us great insight to the person that is Alain Lauzière and the heart of Team Octane! For that Jim, thank you. You honor our little magazine, with this and in the words of Wayne and Garth, “We’re not worthy!”
Over in Kenzie’s Corner! As I recall, Alain was friends with Jeff Lorriman, who I first met when he was a young car-crazy kid and who eventually would became the top driver for our unofficial little racing team. We were running a BMW 318is in the Firehawk showroom stock series, with David White under the “R.A.I.D.” label - Racers Against Impaired Driving. We even had a promo video with Much Music’s Erica Ehm and everything! I believe Alain was already working for BMW (Jeff used to shoot product photography for BMW) and I think that’s where he and Alain first met. Alain was helping us on the crew, and while the details are fuzzy I guess Jeff suggested that to thank him for his work we give him a shot
He said, “I think the right lower control arm bushing might be going - I’ll replace it.” And in what couldn’t have been much more than ten minutes, the team had done so. The car DID feel better. This attention to detail really gives a driver confidence, especially when it’s a car you have never driven before. When we were looking for a new way to keep the Targa MINI project going, someone - maybe Alain; maybe BMW, I’m not sure - suggested we do it under the auspices of Team Octane. Alain recruited a long-time friend and MINI expert wrench Jacques Fournier, and they were simply the best crew ever. The two guys made themselves look like about six. My favorite individual moment came on the last day, after SO much travel and SO much hard work, when most cars and most crews looked bedraggled, the car HAD BEEN WAXED! It looked spectacular all week. They also ran around helping out several other teams during the event. When we had that mechanical issue in the second-last stage, and we thought our Open Division win had been thrown away, Alain again kept his calm, and working with my navigator Brian Bourbonniere (I was a wreck...) figured out how to fix that. Did he tell you the story about the windshield from the Targa MINI I wrecked in 2008? After a Double-End-O into the woods at 160 km/h which totally flattened the back half of the car, the windshield was unbroken! Amazing! So he took it out as a spare for his racecar. One day he decided it should go ‘over there’ in his basement instead of staying ‘over here’. He picked it up to move it - and it broke! Even the best have their ‘issues’... Throughout that Targa, Alain earned from me my highest accolade as a Team Manager, one we invented for the guy who ran our Hyundai team: “Shit Absorber”. Bourbonniere and I always had NOTHING to worry about - the car, the rules, the scrutineers, the organizers, the schedule, getting fed - nothing. He just handled it, so we could get on with our tasks.
at driving the car. (Frankly, if asked to remember it on my own, I would have thought that happened a few years later in the Hyundai Tiburon, but I’m old...). In any case, Alain was really quick, and it reinforced in my mind the belief that all skinny French-Canadian kids have the Villeneuve gene... And of course Alain has gone on to a pretty good racing career on his own!
And while I know he’s an intense guy underneath there somewhere, it never EVER showed to us. He was always calm, never rattled, always got it done. He is an amazing guy, great driver, great crew chief and a great friend!
Alain repaid the favor by letting me race his MINI in one round of the Touring Car series a couple of years back. It was then that I saw how well-organized and careful he is in prepping a car. And in developing it - I’m nowhere near as quick a driver as he is, but the car was so easy to drive that I ended up not THAT far off his best lap time! After my practice, he asked if I felt anything odd in the steering. I said - well, it feels pretty good, maybe a slight vagueness in certain corners. 54 - MotorWerks Magazine - Online at www.motorwerksmag.com
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CELEBRATE EVERYTHING MINI AT MINI MEET NORTH 2011 Vintage Auto Racing, Road Rally, Parade lapping of race track with Panorama Photo, Show N’ Shine, Dyno Testing, Swap N’ Shop / Vendor Area, Door prizes, Open Lapping, Lots of Prizes and much, much more!!!
JUNE 17 -19 2011 - MOSPORT RACEWAY WWW.MINIMEETNORTH.COM
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Words courstesy RSR Motorsports
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Photos by RSR Motorsports / Wes Duenkel Motorsport Photography
NEW YEAR! NEW LOOK!
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After putting two of their MINI Cooper S cars in the top ten at Daytona, RSR Motorsports is confident about the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The team claimed sixth and seventh in the ST class during the season opener at Daytona, a track that is traditionally tough for the MINIs, which carry sponsorship from Cruise America, Thor Motor Coach, and US LED. Now, heading to the second speedway track in a row, RSR Motorsports’ drivers are feeling optimistic, but know that Homestead will present its own challenges. “Last year I got an incredible tow during qualifying,” says Sarah Cattaneo. The Global Jet-sponsored driver earned her first series pole at Homestead in 2010. “Homestead is a track where we need perfect execution. We have to be quick through traffic, qualify well, and get those tows on the banking whenever we can.” Cattaneo’s teammate in the No. 198 RSR Motorsports MINI Cooper S is Owen Trinkler, and he agrees that success at Homestead takes skill in the infield. “We don’t have as much horsepower as some competitors, so Homestead will be tough. Our strengths will 60 - MotorWerks Magazine - Online at www.motorwerksmag.com
show in the infield section of the track. We’re optimistic, though, and hoping to get good points,” says Trinkler. Ron Farmer and Jason Hart finished seventh at Daytona in their first race under the RSR Motorsports Banner. They hope to get another good result at Homestead behind the wheel of the No. 196 RSR Motorsports US LED MINI Cooper S. “Daytona gave me a lot more confidence in our capability,” says Farmer. “The competition level in this class is enormous, but we got rid of all those first-time jitters at Daytona and sorted some things out with the car, so we’re ready for Homestead.” Hart adds, “To crack into the top ten at Homestead would be amazing. We still have a lot to learn, but Daytona raised our expectations.” A mechanical issue in the No. 195 RSR Motorsports MINI Cooper S kept VJ Mirzayan and Chris Sarian out of the mix at Daytona, and they are both looking forward to redemption at Homestead. “This season seems extremely competitive,” says Sarian, who is sponsored by Peak Eurosport. “You have to be at your best and be aggressive at every track to come away with a top finish. Every race will be a battle, and I think the tighter infield at Homestead will play
to the MINI’s capabilities.” For Mirzayan, having the right co-driver is an important element for success. “I really enjoy having Chris as a co-driver,” he says. “He’s very focused and methodical. We work very well together as a team. It’s nice when you have that synergy with your teammates.”
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Track Notes with Ken Wilden It’s a new season and Bob and I are making big changes. Slightly dissapointed with how our season went last year so we went looking for a new team in 2011.
New season, new team and new car! Hooked up with
the guys at BimmerWorld for their new V8 M3 program.
Going to be fun! Pre season testing went well for a new car and new program!
Heading to Daytona for first race with the new BimmerWorld M3. Flew out of
YYZ on Air Canada, Internet on the plane, got to catch up on some paperwork, yahoo!
Bob qualified ninth! Good for a first outing but we have plans to make changes for the a.m practice! Got to get the power down better! Bob takes first stint! The
#50
Mustang spins him and we are back in
29th! Bummer! Great drive from Bob, gets the car up to 12th before handing it over to me. Had a bunch of fun out there, I managed to climb back to sixth! I love this BimmerWorld team! The first thing thing team owner James Clay
says to me is is “I’m not satisfied with the setup on the car, we will make
it better” That’s exactly what a racer wants to hear from the guy in charge. Lots of owners would say “great finish guys, sixth in our first race”, and
then go and park the car until the next race. Not James Clay! This team is passionate about their racing and they are all business!
Looking forward to Homestead, good to go racing again and the Florida weather is a huge bonus after the winter we have had!
Now if I can only hit my all connections home to Toronto, I’ll get to the hockey rink in time for my kids games.
That’s it for now! C ya in May.
..
. y n n e K
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Photos courtesy BimmerWorld & Wes Duenkel Motorsport Photography
Great to be racing!!
Testing went well!
James Clay, Owner! Great Team MotorWerks Magazine - Online at www.motorwerksmag.com -  65
JOY IS
A BMW and MINI
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S MOSPORT
I Photo Pictorial from the
2010 Mobil 1 GP of Mospo
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rt
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HARD AT WORK
Team YTR were busy preparing cars for Greg Pootmans, David Bedsadoun and Paul Dalla Lana.
STILL IN THE HUNT
The RLR BMW M3s left Mosport just one point in arrears for the ALMS GT Manufacturers Championship.
TOUGH OUTING FOR DELLE DONNE
Mike Delle Donne did not get many miles under his belt at Mosport. Mechanical issues prevented him starting the second race.
GETTING A LEG UP ON TH
E OPPOSITION Eric Hochgeschurz wa s trying hard with the 8 Legs Racing BMW 328i go ing into Moss corner in the Castrol Canadian Touri ng Championship.
MORE THAN YOU EXPE CT
ED The sign behind the RLR M3 says it all. Mo sport provides action in all classes and BMW’s ha ve long been part of Mosport’s history. Unfotunately a third was the best BMW could muster on this occasio n.
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BIT OF R&R
President n may be Vice ou ad ds Be d vi Da wear chain own ALDO foot of the world kn s he relaxes k but at weekend through the wee CCTCC. by racing in the
TO THE DTM
for BMWs to form the basis The M3 is going ok much lo M. It should not entry into the DT is. different from th
MARCIELLO LIFT S
A WHEEL Rocco Marciello in his self built E90 325i runs ou the RMP Compe t of tizione stable. M ar ciello was anothe provide wheel lif r to ting excitement at Moss Corner. OCTANE MOTOR SP O RT S Former Champion Alain Lauzieré no t only runs the te he gets behind th am e wheel when ne eded.
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Photography at Mosport I’ve now shot Mosport from both sides of the fence and while it is easier to get good spots not having to worry about catch fencing there are still spots to shoot from the spectator areas. Corner three is good, as is the middle to exit of Moss Corner. Get right into the pits and you have a myriad of opportunities to get photos of the teams preparing the cars and it is so easy to get photo ops with the drivers. Mosport is a very friendly place when it comes to that sort of thing. This was my first track side visit at a full blown race event and I have to say thank-you to John Bondar of the CTCC for organizing it for me. The main reason for me being there was to cover the MINIs and BMWs running with the CTCC but having the opportunity to shoot the ALMS series was not one to be missed. The access was amazing, the track is one that demands attention from the drivers but that provides the photographer with so many opportunities for all sorts of different shots. My fellow photographers were very helpful, pointing me in the right direction as far as where to shoot and at what time of the day. Thanks guys! For working media, Moss Corner offers so much. It really is two corners in one, approached by way of a steep uphill straight. The exit drops down but not quite as steeply. Kerbing allows cars to launch into the middle of the corner so there are many opportunities for wheels in the air shots. By positioning yourself at various points around the perimiter of the track you could be shooting at a different corner evert time as the background is so varied. The outside of Corner 1 allows a good shot of the cars coming over the crest with the starters stand in the background but also allows you to shoot the end and exit of pit lane. In all, it was a great time! I will be back in 2011. MotorWerks Magazine - Online at www.motorwerksmag.com -  71
CING RAHAL- LETTERMAN RAjust before rk wo at R crew hard
The RL r/Auberlen car qualifying. The Milne nd/Müller back qualified third with Ha in seventh.
BACK SALLENBACH COMES d from the rte sta llenbach
Michel Sa CC race after a rear of the second CT the first. He recrash took him out of cond and keep se covered well to finish ing second in ish fin alive his chances of nship. pio am the Touring class ch
BUSY AT THE HAIRPINffic makes it
tra Two classes and lots of Corner. Here ss Mo of it ex tough at the lows the Patron the RLR BMW M3 fol LMP car chases Ferrari F430 while a them both down.
F JUST BEFORE THE OF r RLR M3 lle Mü e Joey Hand/Dirk
Th fore Müller got was running well be Ford GT-R on together with the Doran the race. o lap 48, just one hour int
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Above - The signage on the RLR M3 says it all, JOY is being at Mosport! Below - Greg Pootmans used every inch of the Mosport track in an effort to get by the Subaru.
Performance Directory Complete brake systems/component upgrades
805-987-STOP(7867) www.thebrakeman.com
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Featured Photographer Hi, I’m John Zhang, a photographer from Los Angeles, California. I run all my photographic ventures under the alias “1013MM”. I’ve been into photography for around six years now. I never leave home without a camera, whether it is my Nikon D700 or my iPhone, I always have something that can take photos just in case a good moment comes up. Although born and raised in California, I spent almost a year traveling in Asia while I was headquartered in Hong Kong. It was during that time that my photographic exploits started to develop into a fulltime hobby. Landscapes were my subjects of choice and when I returned back to the states I began to shoot cars because I am very passionate about cars. I used to draw cars and when I was younger was heavily influenced by the JDM import scene. Funny thing is I ended up driving a European car. I was in the market for a used 2005 Lexus IS300 or Nissan 370Zmaybe a Mitsibishi Evo X but ended up with a 2009 BMW 135i that turned out to be everything I wanted it to be! Philosophy Whether it be shooting or editing, I only have one philosophy that I follow: the final photo has to be posterworthy not only to the viewer but more importantly to myself. I have very high standards and am extremely critical of my work, that way I know the client is getting the best product I can provide! What the heck is “1013MM”? A lot of people have asked me to explain why I branded myself as 1013MM well to be honest, when I was trying to come up with a domain name I did not want something typical like “John Zhang Photography” or “Photography By John Zhang”. The fact that there are probably several billion people named John in this world didn’t really help so I chose something unique and a name that should be easier to remember. I also wanted an URL that was short to type. So anyway the “1013″ is my birthday month and day while the “MM” stands for the focal length measurement of camera lenses in photography terms. And there you have it, something simple, yet unique. 1013MM. Break into photography My first big break into photography was when a very wellknown after market wheel manufacturer, VMR Wheels, got in touch with me to shoot their wheels and cars, which I still do today. And soon after that more of my work was exposed and everything just exploded from there. Half a year later my work started to show up in magazines and even BMW themselves featured my shots. My most recent work was featured by Falken Tires. As of now, I shoot exclusively for a few online blogs and magazines. But I never forget my grassroots, I still shoot for fun and plan to host my own workshops in 2011. 76 - MotorWerks Magazine - Online at www.motorwerksmag.com
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Left - When the owners first approached me to shoot their cars, I was taken back a little since the F10 5-Ser are still new and I didn’t even know that aftermarket parts were even available for the cars already. After all the BMW performance division still didn’t even have OE performance parts out for these cars yet. They look go don’t they!
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ries
l, EM ood
Some of my photos might look or seem familiar since they are cross-posted across many different sites or publications. Here are just some of the clients/companies/ sites I have worked with or have featured my work in the past in no particular order: Nike, BMW, Falken Tires, Eurotuner Magazine, Performance BMW Magazine UK, Bimmer Magazine, VMR Wheels, DPE Wheels, Iforged Wheels, HRE Wheels, AutoTecknic, BimmerPost, Canibeat, Hellaflush, MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crews, Power 106FM’s DJ E-Man, Far East Movement.
Gear List:
Nikon D700, Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, Nikon 50mm f/1.4D AF-D, Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D AF ED, Nikon Speedlight SB-800, Nikon Speedlight SB-600, AlienBee CyberSyncs.
Feature Shot:
A few months back the people at Autotecknic got in touch with me to shoot their company BMW M5 and M3 together for some promotional work that would eventually get printed. We were on a time limit and the lighting wasn’t great, but I think I was able to pull it off given the restrictions. Check out the original at the lower right. Good Photoshop work can sometimes rescue a badly lit shot.
Exif:
Autotecknic M5 and M3 Rooftop Camera Nikon D700 Exposure 10 secs Aperture f/8.0 Focal Length 28 mm ISO Speed 200 Widebody 335i Sedan and Coupe Streetscape Camera Nikon D700 Exposure 0.001 sec (1/1000) Aperture f/6.3 Focal Length 62 mm ISO Speed 200
Lower Gallery previous page:
Left - Here’s something a little different from the cars I usually shoot. I shot this for my friend Long who runs a BMW shop. He does great work and anyone with a BMW in Southern California should check out his place. The weather was being a little schizophrenic being that it was winter and not gloomy like it usually is. So the shooting conditions were not perfect with the sun out in full blast at 9am in the morning. Actually, it was a pretty bad shooting time. I should have scheduled the shoot to be at 7am at least. I blame daylight savings. Middle - The funny thing about this shoot was that the owner of this car has the same exact first and last name as me and to make it even more crazy is that we live down the street from one another. We had no clue each other existed until he contacted me just to tell me we had the same names. MotorWerks Magazine - Online at www.motorwerksmag.com - 79
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Have you got what it takes? How often does the offer of your dream job come along? Most people will say never in a lifetime, some will say they found it, but it was not on offer, thay had to go find it! Recently the Internet has been ablaze with chatter about a ‘Dream Job’ on offer from Endras BMW located in the Toronto suburb of Ajax. Up for grabs is a position as the companies official Blogger. According to the Endras website the best candidate for the position of Ultimate Blogger will be the most passionate, most persuasive, most social media savvy blogger out there. The winner will then write and research all content for the Endras BMW blog. The compensation package is generous, with a salary of $65,000 Canadian dollars and a new BMW performance vehicle every six months. Just to sweeten the pot, the winner will be given a place to live in downtown Toronto. Free accommodations for an entire year, that’s pretty cool! And just when you thought it could not get any better, you find out there is plenty of travel involved,travelling worldwide to all sort of interesting places to research content for the blog. So what do you have to do to get that dream job? The competition is in three parts. First is setting up a two hundred word blog to sell yourself and your capabilities. Come April 1, part one of the competition comes to a close and the top twenty bloggers move forward to the next stage. They will be given forty eight hours to create a video that proves their obsession with performance which will again be voted on by the many followers of the competition on the Internet. The top ten finishers then go forward to the interview process at Endras BMW and then the Ultimate Blogger will be crowned. We posed a few question to Mark Endras the General Manager of Endras BMW. MWM - There has been a lot of chatter on the Internet about the competition, are you happy with the response? ME - The response has been overwhelming. We are very happy so far and can’t wait to see how it all plays out.
MWM - The compensation package for the prize is very generous, do you feel you will get enough new business through the Blogger once chosen or was the bigger plan just to promote the Endras name through the exposure you are gaining now as well as later. ME - The contest was created with a very long-term plan in mind. Social media is very important to our overall marketing plan and we are going to expect a lot from our Ultimate Blogger, therefore we felt proper compensation was important. We are looking for someone who is very skilled and has their own following. Ultimately, that will put us at an advantage over other dealerships. MWM - Can you chart the hits you get on your main site that comes from the Blogger competition site and if so how many are going to it and looking at BMWs which has to be the ultimate goal of this competition. ME - The goal of Ultimate Blogger is not to sell cars. The goal is to raise awareness for our brand, which we are doing. Of course, in the process we are also looking for a great addition to the Endras team. MWM - As we live in a virtual world is it necessary for the winner to reside in Ontario? ME - Yes, it is necessary for them to live in Ontario because we want them to be a complete part of the Endras team. A big part of that is being here in person to experience everything this dealership and employees have to offer whether it be at events we host here at the dealership, experiencing and observing the customer experience, attending local events sponsored by Endras, etc., it is imperative that this person resides here so we can be in constant contact with him/her. MWM - Some of the competitors have been soliciting votes on forums and one or two are showing traits that are normally seen on shows like Survivor and The Apprentice, Is this hard as nails, ‘I am absolutely the best’ the type of person you are looking for this position or will that be weeded out in the interview process? ME - The BMW community is very tight-knit and we are definitely looking for a person who is involved and interested in all aspects of the brand, including the forums. Having a good relationship within the forums, as well as
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other bloggers, and a vast social network are all traits we are looking for in our Ultimate Blogger. Endras BMW is obsessed with performance and the Ultimate Blogger should be equally obsessed. MWM - Taking the Internet to the absolute, do you see virtual BMW stores down the road where the client does not even see their car until they pick it up? ME - No, we don’t see that happening any time soon. A large part of the BMW experience is about the drive and how the driver feels once he/she gets behind the wheel of a BMW. Most people would not buy a house without visiting it first and it’s the same with BMWs. You should drive the vehicle before you purchase it. Also, the personal relationship a customer has with his/her salesperson is very integral as it is an important step in the purchasing process. Many of our customers are very loyal to us and our sales staff and much of that loyalty comes from how they are treated from the minute they enter the doors at Endras BMW to the minute they drive off.
John Venditti - DBLETROUBLE
Thanks Mark, we appreciate the comments and I have to congratulate Endras BMW on coming up with such an innovative competition. As Mark Endras says, the Ultimate Blogger is all about raising the awareness of the brand and they have achieved that! That brings me to my pitch for Ultimate Blogger! MWM endorses both John Venditti and Randy Sparre for the job. Both have done much for the BMW community north of the border and would do an amazing job as the Ultimate Blogger! Cast your vote daily!
Randy Sparre - EMPOWERED
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Face to Face Who? - Shasta Minis Club Where? - Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA What? - MINI Thunder II The racing heritage of the Mini brand goes all the way back to the day John Cooper, owner of the Cooper Car Company and designer and builder of Formula One and rally cars saw the potential of the box on wheels. His friend Sir Alex Issigonis the designer of the Mini was against the idea of turning the car into a competition vehicle but Cooper appealed to the British Motor Club management and the two friends would go on to create the icon that would be the Mini Cooper, a car that would dominate world motorsport for many years to come. Norm Nelson is the driving force behind the MINI Thunder celebration of the Mini Cooper. Nelson works tirelessly putting on this event with the help of good friends and asks for nothing in return other than watching the smiling faces as the participants leave the property. MotorWerks Magazine salutes you Norm! Great job, well done!
Words by Norman Nelson, Shasta MINIs Photos by George Marsh and Dito Milan of GotBlueMilk.com Motorsports Photography
MINI Thunder II is an annual gathering of Mini Coopers, including both the classic Minis (1959-2000) and the new BMW MINIs (2002-2011). Organized by Norm Nelson and his friends over at the Shastas MINIs Club of Northern California, the event is a High Performance Driving Event (HPDE) where instructors and coaches teach drivers new skills and techniques. Held at the SCCA’s Thunderhill Raceway Park, situated around one hundred and fifty miles north of San Francisco. The groups are split up into Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Race Prepared cars. Instructors teach attendees the classroom portions of the school, while the coaches ride along with students and teach them first hand. Sessions are twenty minutes in length of track time, followed by twenty-minute classroom session. We normally get in five, twenty-minute track sessions in per day. During the event we encourage the students to take the opportunity to ride along with coaches and advanced drivers to learn the ‘lines, breaking points, shifting points, etc.’ This year’s event started with a social evening, dinner, and casino night on Saturday where participants could mingle with coaches and other drivers in a casual environment. One hundred and seven people showed up for the evening, which concluded at 9:30PM, so everyone, could get some rest before the early start required on Sunday morning. With frost covering everything including windshields, Minis began to arrive at Thunderhill’s front gate at 6:15AM. With sparkling clear blue skies, flush green hillsides, and snow capped mountain peaks, the drive out from the hotels in Willows, just 7 miles away, was filled with spectacular views. Hot coffee was a welcome sight for many as they entered the clubhouse and went through the registration process. Jesse Nelson, Linda Wilson, Stacey Lowery, Bob Wilson, Steve Lowery as well as myself performed that feat. Breakfast was supplied with coffee, orange juice, muffins; cinnamon rolls, and waffles, everything needed to set you up for an exciting day at one of the most challenging tracks in the country. With a short line at registration, everyone got their goodie bags, wrist bands, car group stickers, and car numbers. For those that needed rental helmets, we have a table full of sizes and an assistant to help. Then it was all hands to the mandatory driver meeting and from there off to the track. The weather was great, clear, blue skies, sunny and mild, with temperatures rising to 58F in the afternoon. Everyone enjoyed lots of track time with only a few off course excursions requiring waived black flags. Nobody got hurt and all cars were undamaged and able to make their respective
drives home. With over one hundred entries, thirty coaches, loads of Mini spectators the event was a resounding success. It was not possible without some great vendor support, Valley Motor Werks (Rancho Cordova CA), O2 Motorsports of Redding CA, Niello MINI (MINI Dealer) Sacramento, CA, Mini Mania, Seven Enterprises, Group4Auto, Revolution Mini Works, MCE Racing Dyno Service, MC2 Magazine, Miniology.com, Bavarian AutoSport, Defenders of Speed and Vinyl Styles, Entries came from as far afield as Spokane Washington, Seattle Washington, Portland OR, San Diego CA and all points in between. We have already been questioned about next year’s event! Well, yes it is a go; we had talked about tweaking the date a little but in an effort to make sure we are on Thunderhill’s calendar the date has now been set for 2012. There was no doubt everyone had fun at this year’s event and that is what MINI Thunder is all about, Mini Cooper enthusiasts getting together with a common bond. So mark MINI Thunder III down on your calendar and we will see ya next year on February 19th. Mini Thunder information can be found on the Internet at www.minithunderhill.com Shasta Minis can also be found on Facebook.
Thunderhill Information
Thunderhill Raceway Park is a road-racing course located 7 miles (11 km) West of Willows, California on Hwy 162. The course is a fast series of twists and turns with minor elevation changes. Thunderhill is owned and operated by the San Francisco Region of the SCCA. It is host to many motorsports events for cars and motorcycles. The SCCA uses Thunderhill for its automotive race competitions. The Northern California Chapter of the AFM runs several motorcycle races there every year. The standard road course at Thunderhill Park is a 3.0-mile (4.83-km), 15-turn course, however the track is multi-layout and event organizers can configure the course as they see fit to suit the event being run. Thunderhill is the site of the longest automobile race in the United States, the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. The race is held annually during the first weekend in December and is sanctioned by NASA (National Auto Sport Association). The Thunderhill website is available at www.thunderhill.com
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So. Cal Mini Maniacs stop on the trip North
Jan Brueggman’s 400 HP Mini getting race prepped!
Don Racine of Mini Mania and his Classic Mini!
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Yeah Baby!
Peace Brother!
For Hire?
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Denise Mueller (aka the Red Devil)
Grrrrrr!
Hans Dinse of Niello MINI
Downhill int o Turn
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Readers’ Rides
Tamer Metwalli - Hamilton, ON
John Zhang - Los Angeles, CA
2009 BMW 135i. You saw John Zhang’s great photography earlier in this issue in the Featured Photographer section. Here we showcase his other passion, his 2009 BMW 135i. John’s pocket rocket now rolls on CCW LM20 fully polished rims since he upgraded from the VMR 701s seen in the photos. Being a fan of Falken rubber, John picked FK-452 tires to complement his new rims. Rotiform studs with Project Kics Neochro lugs keep the wheels attached and RS Technik 5mm spacers have been fitted to front to fill out the arches. All of the fenders have been rolled and pulled. Suspension is taken care of by ST Coilovers on the lowest setting. Everything was then set up to provide natural camber all around. A BMW Performance brake kit and front and rear rotors provides the stopping power. Custom painted RPI Air Scoops get more air into the N54 motor. The exterior on John’s 135i is subtle from a distance but once you look closer you see the iCarbon carbon fiber rear diffuser, AutoTechnik custom painted carbon fiber performance replica spoiler, 3d Design front lip topped off with BMW Performance side skirts. The interior features sports seats and a custom M3 steering wheel. Is John done with his modifications? I doubt it but then again we will the first to know!
1976 Austin Mini Cooper S. Tamer flies the flag for the original Mini, his Cooper S comes complete with a full ZeeMax body kit and 13x7 replica Minilite wheels by Ultralight. Power comes from a full race spec 1310cc A-Series unit that has been balanced and blueprinted, a Stage 3 race head and 276 Kent Cam. Ignition comes via a distributor from 123 Ignition mated to a MSD 6T control box and coil. Resplendant in JoltFreak Green and tire tracks graphics we found out both are actually a wrap! When he is not working on the Cooper, Tamer organizes the Mini North Meet that is run in conjunction with the Vintage Automovile Racing Association of Canada (VARAC) event at Mosport International Raceway. This Cooper is so cool we are going to feature it later in the year! Watch for it!
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Erland Drengstig, Karmøy, Norway
2007 BMW 320d Erland is the first European to have his car in the Readers’ Rides section. He is a huge BMW enthusiast, but it’s only his second BMW, the previous being a 1999 320d E46. His Le Mans blue E90 320d came with a M-Sport package and has an alcantara interior that’s not available as an option in North America. The personal touch has been added with carbon fiber splitters, rear spoiler and rear diffuser. Black kidney grills complement the carbon additions. The exhaust has been replaced by one from Hartge and I’ve also put on the OEM black grill. Lighting has been updated by changing the tail lights to Blacklines and fitting LED bulbs in the Angel Eyes and Mtec 4350K bulbs in the fogs. Stance has been taken care of by KW V2 coilovers for that slammed effect with Enkreuz H8R wheels in 20x8.5 and 20x10 fitted with 235/30/20 and 285/25/20 Falken FK425 tires filling out the wheel wells.
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Rod Hoddinott, Toronto, ON
1988 E30 325i Rod’s convertible has quite a history to it. Now fitted with a fully rebuilt M30B35 with stock internals it features a home grown Turbo installation built around TCD components. A TCD stage 3 turbo is mounted on a TCD ceramic coated exhaust manifold feeding into a custom ported intake manifold. Making sure the intake charge is as cool as possible a TCD water to air intercooler is plumbed into the system. Boost control is via a Tial 38mm wastegate combined with a Tial 50mm blow off valve. Engine Management is taken care of by a Megasquirt II extra 303u standalone system featuring an AEM wideband O2 sensor. Rod had a 3” custom mandrel bent
exhaust built front to rear. It features a Vibrant high flow resonator and high flow muffler. The suspension and steering were not left off Rod’s modification list. E30 M3 front struts and rear A arms/hubs were installed complete with a five bolt wheel conversion and Dinan camber plates. An E36 M coupe rack provides quick ratio steering. H&R Sport springs along with Bilstein sport shocks keep the car off the ground. 17” x 8” wheels fitted with 215/40/17 Michelin Pilot Sports. To stiffen the chassis a BMP strut bar has been added along with an E30 325ix sway bar to the rear. Braking is taken care of by E30 M3 calipers and rotors with an E32 750i 25mm master cylinder Metalmaster pads have proven to last and perform. Getting the power to the back wheels is via an E34 535i 5 speed transmission (getrag 260/6) with a modified E34 M5 pressure plate, Kevlar disc clutch. Gear changing is made easier with a Z3 short shifter. A custom drive shaft attaches to an E28 535i 3.25 limited slip differential for an pretty bulletproof driveline. Body updates include a plastic bumper conversion, euro moldings, smoked signals, shadowline kidneys, MtechII replica skirts and replica rear valence, Reiger infinity replica front lip and authentic splitter and E39 style rear lip Nice ride Rod, congrats on having the first Budds’ BMW Ultimate Ride, your BMW Car Care Kit is on its way!
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COMING NEXT MONTH Sarah Cattaneo - From horses to horsepower! SSSSSShhh! - It’s a secret! Watch our Facebook page for details! Canadian Tin-Tops - The CCTCC is ready to excite the fans north of the border. Florida Fun - A photo pictorial from GRAND-AM at Homestead. Take It To The Track - Track days and HPDE And Much, Much, More!
Autocross is grassroots motorsport using your own car in a controlled environment. The emphasis is on car handling and the driver’s skill. Come along and check out the BMW Clubs Canada Trillium Chapter series run in and around Toronto. Enjoy the casual atmosphere with great people.
Joy is Trillium BMW AutoX
www.trillium-bmwclub.ca
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