SCCA National Runoffs: AWE Tuning #CommuteMonday S4 takes podium in T3, 2014 SCCA National Championship Runoffs

AWE Tuning Press Release

The AWE Tuning/German Performance Service #CommuteMonday Audi B8.5 S4 piloted by Marc Feinstein grabbed a podium finish at the SCCA Runoffs after starting the race in 6th place in the Touring 3 class.

The concept of #CommuteMonday is to take ‘off-the-shelf’ street performance products, put them on a street car, and put it in “uncomfortable situations” with the goal of demonstrating the quality and performance of these street products.

“Having taken 2nd in class in the 2014 Climb to the Clouds, 3rd in the SCCA Majors Tour Eastern Conference, and now 3rd in the 2014 SCCA Runoffs, is a testament to the engineering of the products and the cars’ capabilities.” Said AWE Tuning VP of Marketing, Jesse Kramer.

After three days of qualifying, #CommuteMonday was slotted in 6th place, with less than a second difference in lap time separating the #93 Audi S4 from the pole sitter.

“To take a car like #CommuteMonday to the runoffs is a bold undertaking. The level of competition here is staggering, and aggressive. To be a player here is an accomplishment.” Said AWE Tuning Performance Specialist, Andrew Ball.

#CommuteMonday’s race almost ended as soon as it started – the car came out of an opening lap incident with damage to the front left.

“I had a conservative start and everything was good going through Turn Two. Going through Three, everything was flying everywhere and I didn’t have anyplace to go, so I ended up catching the back of Kevin Boehm’s Honda S2000. Luckily it wasn’t too much damage, but I wasn’t really sure because I didn’t have radio communication with my crew… so I was guessing.” said Marc Feinstein, commenting on the events of the first lap.

After the first lap incident Marc Feinstein states he had one goal: “I wanted to get #CommuteMonday to the checkered flag.” Feinstein sat in 2nd at the restart, and was able to fight off all but Tom Wickersham in his Ford Mustang, who went on to claim 2nd place, putting #CommuteMonday in 3rd. 

#CommuteMonday Build List
The #CommuteMonday car build is as follows:

• AWE Tuning Track Edition Exhaust
• AWE Tuning Non-Resonated Downpipe
• AWE Tuning ColdFront Auxiliary Radiator
• AWE Tuning 3.0T S-FLO Intake 
• GIAC Stage 1 Performance Software
• GIAC DSG DL501 S-Tronic Performance Transmission Software
• SPC Control Arms
• Ohlins Dampers
• H&R 60mm race springs
• H&R sway bars
• Pagid RS19 racing brake pads
• Pagid RBF Brake Fluid

More Information
Campaign images and videos can be found on the AWE Tuning website in the #CommuteMonday section.

About German Performance Service
German Performance Service was founded in 2006 by Marc Feinstein, known in part for his tenure as Crew Chief and Race Engineer for Turner Motorsport, where he led the team to multiple championships, including becoming America’s leading BMW race team, winning championships in 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2007. Today, German Performance Service is a one-stop-shop for all things European performance, from standardized services to custom performance modifications.

About AWE Tuning
AWE Tuning is the authority in performance engineering for German automobiles. From award winning hand-crafted performance exhausts to track tested big turbo kits to vetted Performance products including G.I.A.C., Bilstein, H&R, Brembo and more, AWE Tuning innovates, designs, retails and distributes choice performance products globally through its preferred network of dealers, online and from its headquarters outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since 1991, AWE Tuning's elite team of researchers, engineers, innovators and drivers have track-tested and introduced premium performance upgrades for some of the finest automobiles in the world.

Photo credit: AWE Tuning

SCCA National Runoffs: Stunning podium for AWE Tuning Audi S4 of Marc Feinstein

By Johan Laubscher

The exciting “Race Sunday, Commute Monday” project (#CommuteMonday) headed to the SCCA National Championship Runoffs held at Laguna Seca this past weekend. The stunning red and black #93 Audi S4 of Marc Feinstein was entered in the T3 class.

This Audi S4 is a collaboration project between AWE Tuning and German Performance Service, aiming to demonstrate a road car with off-the-shelf performance upgrades on track in competition. The near-stock Audi S4 has shown great pace all year.

The car has been seen at the Mount Washington Hillclimb (pictured above) and selected events in the SCCA U.S. Majors Tour Eastern Conference. Ramana Lagemann piloted the car to fourth place overall at the Hillclimb and Marc Feinstein performed well in the U.S. Majors and secured an invitation to the Runoffs.

The Runoffs is a very special invitational SCCA event which ends off the season each year. It is a week-long event for each of the various SCCA categories. The event was held at Laguna Seca this year, following a number of years at Road America.

Audi teams have performed well at the Runoffs in recent seasons. Joel Weinberger and his Continental Racing Audi A4 (ex-Stasis SCCA World Challenge touring car) claimed the first and so far only Runoffs class victory for an Audi race car when he won the STU class in 2011, backed up with runner-up finishes in 2010, 2012 and 2013. Limitless Racing and Dr. Jason Lee also performed well during the 2013 event, where they finished twelfth within the GT2 class with their Audi R8 GRAND-AM.

For 2014 there was only one Audi on the Runoffs entry list, the #93 AWE Tuning Audi S4 of Marc Feinstein.

As was the case during 2014, the Audi S4 showed great pace in the hands of Feinstein and performed well during the weekend.

He qualified sixth on the T3 class grid and progressed well during the race. He moved up to second position following a first lap crash involving the competitors in front of him. The Audi S4 sustained minor detail damage on the front left in avoidance during the incident which brought out a full course yellow.

Following the restart Feinstein was able to defend second position and defended well up until the cork screw, when he was passed by Tom Wickersham’s Mustang. He was able to maintain third position until Wickersham, who had taken the T3 class lead, suffered a problem and dropped back to third position, behind Feinstein in the Audi S4.

Wickersham gradually closed in on Feinstein and repeated his pass from earlier in the race, making the pass going into the cork screw once again, relegating the Audi S4 to third position on the penultimate lap.

Marc Feinstein maintained his third position to the finish, crossing the line less than eight seconds behind the race winner. The Mustang and Audi S4 pairing finished behind the race winning Nissan 370Z of David Daughtery. It was a well-deserved podium result for the “Race Sunday, Commute Monday” Audi S4 project.

The T3 class Runoffs race can be watched HERE. (Starting at 3:11:00) 

The weekend’s Runoff results can be seen HERE.

For more information please visit the Facebook pages of:

AWE Tuning
German Performance Service 

Photo credit: AWE Tuning

BPCC: Killarney sets the scene for final round of the series

Audi South Africa Press Release

The last Killarney round of the Super Series on Saturday set the scene for a serious battle for the championship at Zwartkops in November. The defending champion, Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme), put his Audi S4 quattro at the top of the overall results – by finishing both races on the podium.

In race one, Stephen claimed second place and in the feature race took the chequered flag for a valuable collection of points that keeps the championship fight alive right up to the last event.

“Johan Fourie still got a few points on me today,” says Stephen. “Beating him in race two keeps the championship fight going and anything can happen even at this point in the season.”

Gennaro Bonafede (A32 – Audi Sasolracing) finished fourth overall for the day, finishing a fairly consistent day of results with only the fifth place finish in race two – where he battled with pace – spoiling his show of consistency.

“I battled to find gears during practise and the team changed the clutch today,” says Bonafede. “The slower gear changes have cost us a lot of time and I just don't know what our pace problem was in race two.”

For Bonafede's teammate, Hennie Groenewald (A8 – Audi Sasolracing) both the qualifying session and race one went well, with Groenewald second for both. In race two Groenewald battled with pace which left him running at the back of the order and pushing his overall finishing position down to fifth place for the day.

At the bottom of the overall log was Simon Moss (A38 – Engen Xtreme). Despite this result, Moss had one of the best racing weekends in the series.

“In race two I started pole and was doing well until Michael caught me,” says Moss. That left me with two BMW's to defend against to try and hold my position. I finished fourth but I'm happy with that, it was a good race and also a good result for the team.”

The Audi S4 quattro racers head to the final round of the season at Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday, 1 November, where all eyes will be on the title fight to see who claims the 2014 crown.

Photo credit: MotorPress.co.za
 

BPCC: Hennie Groenewald takes podium for Audi Sasolracing at Killarney

Audi Sasolracing Press Release

The penultimate round of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship promised much for the Audi Sasolracing team after qualifying saw the white, yellow and blue racers the fastest of the Audis on circuit.  Hennie Groenewald claimed a strong second place finish in race one but mechanical problems blighted the team’s weekend, leaving Gennaro Bonafede 4th overall and Hennie in 5th.

Practice and Qualifying:

The team spent Friday’s free practice sessions optimizing the cars’ set-up for the blustery conditions.  At the end of the day, both Gennaro and Hennie were happy with their race car’s handling.

Saturday’s overcast and windy conditions saw Hennie set the second fastest time with Gennaro slotting into 4th place.  Gennaro suffered a faulty clutch which made gear-shifting tricky and cost him a couple of tenths of a second.

The reverse championship starting order for race two gave Hennie a 2nd place and Gennaro another 4th grid slot.

Race 1:

In the drag off the line into turn one, Hennie clashed with Michael Stephen while defending his line but already his gearbox became scratchy shifting between 3rd and 4th gears. 

The incident with Hennie and Michael allowed Gennaro to take the outside line but as Hennie recovered, he inadvertently squeezed Gennaro onto the grass, dropping him back to 4th place.  With the machinery in class A so evenly matched, Hennie reeled off the laps to take 2nd place with Gennaro in 4th spot.

A post-race review of the incident between Hennie and Stephen, saw officials reverse their finishing order, leaving Hennie on the bottom step of the podium.

Race 2:

The Audi Sasolracing team changed Hennie’s gearbox between races and he lined up with an unknown quantity in his right hand.

Immediately, the gearbox in the #8 Audi was reluctant to change smoothly from 3rd to 4th and with five such changes per lap, Hennie dropped 0.5 seconds on each gearshift, dropping rapidly down the order.

Gennaro made a decent start but found a lack of pace to compete.  With Hennie missing gears, Gennaro was caught out as he swooped up to his team-mate and the two Sasol cars touched momentarily on the straight.

Gennaro and Hennie ended 5th and 6th respectively and were classified 4th and 5th respectively after a race day that promised so much.

From the pit wall:

Vic Maharaj, Team Manager: “It is a disappointing end to the weekend.  Both cars were quick and we were the fastest Audis out there.  The gearbox and clutch issues need to be dealt with.  A day like this motivates the team and makes us more determined to turn things around for Zwartkops”.

Gennaro Bonafede #32: “I made a decent start and was up into 2nd place after Hennie and Michael Stephen indulged in some argy-bargy.  Hennie squeezed me on the exit of turn 1 and I dropped back to 4th in an otherwise straightforward race.

In race two, I had no pace in the car and dropped to the back.  With Hennie missing gears, I quickly caught him but his sudden lack of drive caught me out and we tangled as I tried to pass him.  It was a disappointing weekend that promised to deliver so much”.

Hennie Groenewald #8: “The car felt good after practice and I felt I had a chance to fight for a win.  I had an altercation with Michael in the run to turn 1 but held my second place.  I was able to catch Johan (Fourie) around 0.1 second per lap but ran out of laps.

In race two with the new gearbox, I knew I was in trouble immediately.  I was losing half a second per gearshift and I was swamped by the field.  I had a race winning car today and it’s disappointing not to be able to capitalize on it”.

The final round of the championship sees the Audi Sasolracing team return to their most successful track, Zwartkops in Pretoria, on 1st November.

Photo credit: David Ledbitter

BPCC: Engen Xtreme racers off to do battle in the Cape

Engen Motorsport Press Release

Killarney calls the Engen Xtreme Team to Cape Town for the penultimate round of the 2014 Bridgestone Production Car Championship. This is the second time that the Super Series will appear in the Western Cape, but this event is sure to be a nail-biting affair.

The gap between the top two in Class A of this series is just nine points – and Engen Xtreme's Michael Stephen (A1) is confident on his chances at this event. Stephen currently holds second place but is pushing hard to reclaim his position at the top of the standings.

“Killarney is a circuit where both the Engen Xtreme Audi S4 quattros and our opposition in the BMW camp have advantages and disadvantages in equal measure,” says multiple champion, Stephen. “This is going to be a challenging race meeting, we are in good form and have prepared well but at this point in the season our opposition is showing good pace so it is still going to be tough.”

Stephen is determined to cut deep into Johan Fourie's lead at the Cape Town event, forcing a duel between the two at the finale, with the best racer on the day claiming the 2014 crown.

For Simon Moss (A38) the return to Killarney is another chance to show his pace in the Cape. Moss competed there during round two of the Super Series in March this year. It was his second outing in the Bridgestone Production Car Championship – and his second race meeting in the Audi S4 quattro.

Since that event he has grown both as a racer and in experience in this fast-paced series which should make his second appearance far more competitive.

“Going back to circuits that I've raced earlier this year is great,” says Moss. “Instead of learning the track and how the Engen Xtreme Audi S4 quattro handles at each of these circuits, I can concentrate on pace and competition. I'm looking forward to racing at Killarney again; I think it is going to be a very exciting round of the championship.”

With a first place finish overall at the Zwartkops round last month, Stephen is in a strong position for this penultimate event that will play an important role in deciding the championship title this season. For his teammate the Killarney event is going to be an opportunity to aim for a stronger finishing position than round two and to add to his skills as a Bridgestone Production Car Championship competitor.

Photo credit: MotorPress.co.za

BPCC: Audi Sasolracing looking for late-season wins at Killarney

Audi Sasolracing Press release

After claiming a superbly-timed victory at the Sasol Race Day at Zwartkops Raceway last month, the Audi Sasolracing team heads to Killarney for the penultimate round of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship with renewed confidence for a solid set of results, and a surprise victory could be on the cards.

A feature of the Sasol Race Day was the closest qualifying times yet seen in the modern incarnation of the series where the top five cars were covered by just 0.154 seconds, a sure-fire recipe for ultra close racing to thrill the enthusiastic Western Cape fans.

Gennaro Bonafede and Hennie Groenewald are hoping the team’s focus on suspension and braking development to maximize the quattro S4’s handling on the fast 3.3km Cape Town circuit will pay dividends on race day. 

If the racing is clean and incident free – a rarity in Production Car racing – the result will come down to who has done the best job of ensuring everything is millimeter perfect and which car and driver combination looks after its tyres the best.  Unless it rains…

Gennaro, currently third in the championship, has his eye on the runner-up spot while Hennie is hoping to make the top three by season’s end. With 70 points from the final two events looking for a home, both Sasolracing driver’s goals are well within reach.

From the pitwall:

Vic Maharaj, Team Manager: “We have fielded very good cars in the last two races so I am quietly confident of a good weekend.  I expect the grid will be very close again and that this time we are on the right side of the 10th of a second that kept us away from pole position last month.

A good qualifying position for the first race is very important and hopefully it will be a clean weekend, free of incidents and accidents”.

Gennaro Bonafede #32: “Killarney is a tough circuit to pass on even though there are plenty of opportunities.   I’ve had good race pace and been consistent; we’re getting closer and closer.  Now I need to win.  It will come.  I need a good qualifying position for the first race and will start the second race from 4th as a result of the championship-order grid reversal”.

Hennie Groenewald #8: “The racing is split by nothing. I have a car that can win races so there is no reason not to be confident.  I had a decent outing at Killarney in March and we’ve done substantial development since then.  Our competitor’s performance is unpredictable as we saw at Zwartkops so anything can happen, which makes the series so exciting for the drivers and fans alike”.

Race fans are invited to the Audi Sasolracing pits to view the race cars, meet the drivers and collect a souvenir poster.

Photo credit: David Ledbitter

BPCC: Podium results for Audi S4 quattros at Phakisa

Audi South Africa Press Release

The Audi S4 quattros appeared on the podium in the Free State in each of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship events – and on the overall podium at the end of the race day on Saturday. The Phakisa event, round five of the Super Series, posed a challenge for the competitors as they fought for track position.

“Qualifying in third was good,” says Gennaro Bonafede (A32 – Audi Sasolracing). “In race one I tried everything to get past Gavin Cronje (BMW), finishing in third place. In race two, Gavin got things rather sideways and I went on to his left – if you're on the outside in turn two here at Phakisa, you're hung out to dry for a long time before you can get back on to the racing line. I had to go left, but I knew at that point my race was over, I wasn't going to get past and had to settle for finishing fourth.”

The qualifying session saw the four Audi S4 quattro racers in consecutive order, taking up third to sixth fastest, with Bonafede the fastest of the four.

Bonafede carried that qualifying time over to the first race, with his third in qualifying translated into a third place finish in race one, ahead of his teammate Hennie Groenewald (A8 – Audi Sasolracing), defending champion Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme) and Simon Moss (A38 – Engen Xtreme) who claimed fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.

“Race two, finishing third here was pretty much the best we could aim for,” says Stephen. “With the pace our rivals are showing at the moment, we need to work on stopping them and we'll definitely fight right to the end of the championship – since I've started the feature race on the back row of the grid at just about every round this year, as the championship frontrunner, it is making things a bit tougher.”

In race two, with Stephen bringing his Audi S4 quattro home in third place, it was left to Bonafede to follow him home for fourth, ahead of Moss and Groenewald. For Stephen third place in the second race proved a valuable points haul as it was the feature race, with double-points on offer.

“Qualifying wasn't too bad,” says Moss. “Posting times close to Michael on my first time racing at Phakisa is pretty good. A decent finish in race one and two is a good result here, I'm happy with what I achieved racing the Audi S4 quattro at this circuit for the first time. From this point on, I've competed at all of the circuits so I'm confident for the rest of the season.”

Groenewald contested the Phakisa event in a new car after his East London mishap, having to use the event as an opportunity to get settled in the new car while in competition conditions.

“Sorting out the handling of the new car was important,” says Groenewald. “The balance of this new Audi S4 quattro is a bit different to the previous car and there hasn't been much time to get it all settled. There was a bit of an issue with handling in race two, but overall it was a good weekend with valuable work done on getting the car sorted. We'll bring the challenge in the next round.”

The Audi S4 quattro competitors will head to Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday, 30 August, for round six of the Super Series.

Photo credit: motorpress.co.za

BPCC: Audi Sasolracing bounces back at Phakisa‏

Audi Sasolracing Press Release

Audi Sasolracing’s Gennaro Bonafede and Hennie Groenewald bounced back into contention at the Free State’s Phakisa circuit, scene of round five of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship.

Gennaro cemented his third place in the title chase with another third place on the day, while Hennie had a fantastic feature race, his most competitive outing since the season opener at Zwartkops, until sidelined by new car gremlins.

The Sasolracing team achieved its objective of being the fastest Audi team in the series.

Practice and Qualifying:

Hennie had a brand new Audi S4 quattro for Phakisa following his East London accident last month and set about sorting the handling to his liking. Gennaro was happy with his car, setting the timesheets alight and ending the session as the fastest Audi driver on the grid.

Race 1:

The two Sasolracing Audis slotted into third and fourth, Gennaro giving his all to get past Gavin Cronje’s BMW on the tighter infield section of the track. Hennie ran his teammate close, having a look inside the #32 Audi on a few occasions. Ultimately, the pair finished 3rd and 4th after a typically fierce race.

Race 2:

Hennie started from pole position which is situated on the dirty side of the track at Phakisa. Armed with a brand new set of Bridgestone rubber, he was mindful of the need to keep Simon Moss (Audi) from having a run up the inside into the first corner.

In a perfectly timed movement, Hennie led the field into the first corner and steadily built up a 4.8 second lead by lap nine of the 12 lap race. Moss kept the BMWs behind him which helped Hennie in his quest. Just as Johan Fourie (BMW) got past Moss, who spun, Hennie started to suffer an intermittent fuel feed problem which allowed both Fourie and Cronje (BMW) as well as Michael Stephen (Audi) to sweep past.

Hennie circulated to the finish in 6th place, having earlier set the fastest lap which earns a bonus point.

Gennaro had an exciting race! A good start saw him launch an attack on Cronje (BMW) who got sideways on cold tyres into the first turn. Gennaro had to take avoiding action and found himself on the dusty outside line of the circuit. Trying to squeeze back into the pack, he ran three abreast in Turn 3 and was effectively pushed off the track. He caught Michael Stephen quite easily but couldn’t get past as the laps counted down, finishing an eventual 4th.

From the cockpit:

Vic Maharaj, Team Manager: “It’s clear to see that our pace is there. Our aim was to be the fastest Audi team and we achieved that. We didn’t have time to test beforehand so we came here blind. Our strategy was to give Hennie new tyres for the feature race so he could go out and do two or three qualifying laps and build a lead which worked well. The fuel feed problem can be caused by a number of issues which we will identify back at the workshop.

Gennaro drove well all weekend. We have a very good base to work from going into the Sasol Race Day at the end of the month”.

#32 Gennaro Bonafede: “My car has been fantastic all weekend. I pushed Gavin hard in race one but lacked the last tenth of a second to make a move stick. Race two was hairy running through turns two and three, three abreast. I was squeezed off the road and although I made my way back up the field, I couldn’t get past Michael”

#8 Hennie Groenewald: “I spent all the practice sessions sorting out my new car. In qualifying I still had a handling issue which carried through into the first race. We made a few changes for race two. My plan to keep Simon behind me worked well and I pulled out a good lead. On lap 9 I had an intermittent misfire which I thought was electrical. It was great to race at the front again”.


Team Principal Carel Pienaar: “There is one constant in life. Luck changes”.

The next outing for the Audi Sasolracing Team is the Sasol Raceday at Zwartkops raceway outside Pretoria on 30 August.

BPCC: Back to action for Audi S4 quattro competitors

Audi South Africa Press Release

Round five of the Super Series on Saturday, 2 August, sees the racers compete at a circuit that is a driver-favourite. Phakisa Freeway has a challenging layout that keeps drivers focused and demands a high level of dedication from the competitors.

There are few as dedicated as those who contest the Bridgestone Production Car Championship, with the Audi S4 quattro racers the leaders of the pack. The Phakisa event is expected to be exciting with the scene set for action at the East London event.

Hennie Groenewald (A8 – Audi Sasolracing) will be eager to get back on track and get to grips with his Audi S4 quattro after a short-lived outing at East London that saw him out of the race weekend in the first lap of race one.

For Groenewald the Phakisa outing will be a combination of getting settled in his new car and making up some lost ground in the championship.

Simon Moss (A38 – Engen Xtreme) will tackle the first inland Super Series event since round one aiming to on improve on his East London results – one of his best overall race weekends in the Bridgestone Production Car Championship since he started in the series this year.

Moss is just four points shy of fourth place in the championship at this point in the season, good results for the rest of the year can put him in a strong position for the final round.

Gennaro Bonafede (A32 – Audi Sasolracing) holds third, with a reasonably comfortable buffer separating him from the racers behind him. That gives him the opportunity to focus ahead and concentrate on the top two racers.

A strong run at Phakisa will allow Bonafede to narrow the gap to the top two in the championship, consolidating his third place in the process.

For Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme) the Phakisa event is all about staying close to the championship leader. Two points separate the leading pair and a tough battle is expected between them as they each attempt to dominate the remaining rounds.

With 30 points available on race day for winning both races, a two point gap is little more than a strategic difference between the current championship leader and the defending champion.

Photo credit: motorpress.co.za

BPCC: East London calls Audi S4 quattro racers to action

Audi South Africa Press Release

THE Audi S4 quattro racers return to national competition in East London on Saturday, 5 July. This is round four of the 2014 Bridgestone Production Car Championship and it holds the promise of being action-packed from start to finish.

With three rounds done for the season, the Audi S4 quattro racers have made their mark already and are in a dominant position in the championship. Leading the pack is the defending champion in the series, Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme).

Stephen's lead sees him with a 14 point advantage going into the East London round, working toward his fourth consecutive title in this series.

Gennaro Bonafede (32 – Audi Sasolracing) holds third place in the championship with the East London event potentially crucial to his championship ambitions this season. Bonafede is just five points shy of second place at this point and a good result at this round of the Super Series will put him in a strong position as the field moves into the second half of the season.

For Hennie Groenewald (A8 – Audi Sasolracing) and Simon Moss (A38 – Engen Xtreme) the fight on track is going to be for fourth place. Groenewald has the advantage here as he already is in fourth, but is separated from Moss by just five points.

Not scoring any points in the second race at Scribante in Port Elizabeth, round three of the Super Series, sees Groenewald having to race hard to catch up and make up the deficit. The high-speed East London circuit could be just the opportunity he needs to make that happen.

For Moss, his performance seems to be improving with every passing round – his first year in the championship. As Moss becomes better acquainted with the Audi S4 quattro, so his results improve too.

Four talented racers, each behind the wheel of an Audi S4 quattro sets the scene for an action-packed race day in the Bridgestone Production Car Championship at East London on Saturday, 5 July.

Photo credit: motorpress.co.za

BPCC: Audi S4 Quattro Racers Set the Pace at Scribante

Audi South Africa Press Release

THE Audi S4 quattro racers set the pace at Aldo Scribante Raceway in Port Elizabeth. The qualifying session for round three of their championship in the Super Series saw the top four positions all claimed by Audi S4 quattro drivers.

Right at the top of the qualifying results is championship leader Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme) who made good use of home-track advantage to qualify at the head of the field. Stephen then turned this front row start into a race victory – knowing he faced starting at the back of the grid for race two as the championship leader.

“The goal for the weekend was to qualify on pole,” says Stephen. “It doesn't make things easy, but it does help to boost your chances. In the second race Gennaro and I had a tussle once or twice, but I managed to get past – the same as with Gavin Cronje. He did hold me up a bit, but I managed to get past although it did mean I couldn't catch Johan Fourie.”

Stephen's last place start in the second race was transformed into a second place finish as he fought his way through the pack and claimed the overall race win for the day – extending his championship lead in the process.

Just behind Stephen on the qualifying sheets was Simon Moss (A38 – Engen Xtreme) who showed his pace in an extremely close qualifying session just 0.157 of a second slower than the champion.

“In the first race I tucked in behind Michael and tried to get away from the field,” says Moss who crossed the line for second place in that first event. “In race two things got very interesting. I started the race in pole position and tried some late-braking to prevent the BMWs from getting past me, but I got that wrong and went off.”

“I got back on track behind the field and managed to catch them again. I could have won, but that mistake cost me.”

Moss' fight from the back saw him overtake the entire Class T field and claw his way up to fourth place in Class A to finish the day in fourth place overall.

Audi's strength in qualifying continued with the Audi Sasolracing's Hennie Groenewald (A8) third quickest and just marginally behind Stephen and Moss.

“The track is far more abrasive here,” says Groenewald. “We had to make changes to ensure better use of the tyres and we found a setup that worked better – making a change for race day that brought better balance to the car.”

“Unable to get past Gavin Cronje in the first race allowed the leaders to get away. I finally managed it in the last corners of the first race but an issue with oil on Cronje's tyres saw him run off the track, taking me with him. In the second race, something went wrong with the engine – a highly unusual problem with the Audi S4 quattro – but it meant we only did a few laps of the long race and we weren't classified as a finisher.”

“We look to East London now as an opportunity to see a change in our fortunes, I just want to go and win some races – have some solid race days and get our championship back on track,” says Groenewald who finished sixth overall on the day.

For Gennaro Bonafede, the PE race day saw him produce a valuable and consistent performance. Bonafede qualified as the fourth fastest driver on the day, working his way into third place – and on to the podium for race one, repeating the performance in a hard-fought second race and finished in third overall for the day.

“Our pace was quite close in qualifying, but with Cronje ahead of us it really affected our race,” says Bonafede. “Just before the start of the second race we discovered a hole in the charge cooler so we had to try make some quick repairs. They didn't work too well and it drained in just a few laps so I had to manage it for the rest of the race.”

With no coolant, it affected engine temperatures and Bonafede had to drive defensively rather than challenge for position. Bonafede managed to effectively fend off the opposition and did not give up too much during the race to claim his second third place finish of the day.

The Audi S4 quattro racers now turn their attention to the East London Grand Prix Circuit which will hold the mid-season race for the 2014 season on Saturday, 5 July. Famed for its high speed layout, it is a driver favourite which demands dedication, preparation and total commitment from the racers.

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BPCC: Engen Xtreme racers ready for another top-class performance in PE

Engen Motorsport Press Release

Port Elizabeth’s Aldo Scribante Raceway hosts round three of the Super Series – it is also the home of the Engen Xtreme team's Michael Stephen (A1) and Simon Moss (A38) and will see the pair aim to put on a good show for their supporters. 

When it comes to race pace, Stephen and Moss are not concerned, confident that they can match the pace of their opposition, however, it will not be an easy race day for the pair in the Bridgestone Production Car Championship as championship rules could play a significant role on the day.

Stephen, the defending champion in this series, knows a good qualifying session could work to his favour in the first race – but will have to start from the back of the grid in race two as he is now the championship leader after the second round of the season.

This means that no matter how much pace he shows in qualifying, or how well he does in the first race, he is faced with starting from the back in the second race of the Class A grid in his Engen Xtreme Audi S4 Quattro.

As Scribante is both a short and narrow circuit – and considering the pace of the production car racers – it will be a tough task to make progress through the field. With three championships to his name, Stephen has the experience and knowledge to surprise, racing at his home circuit could simply work that little more to his favour.

For Moss, round three of the Super Series is his first chance to compete in front of his home crowd. This is his first season in the Bridgestone Production Car Championship and he has faced a steep learning curve every step of the way.

Scribante is, however, where he and Stephen have put in all the testing and training sessions and is also where he must rate his chances for a very strong performance. Where each new circuit brings new lessons, for the first time Moss is able to enter the event confident in his track knowledge and how his Engen Xtreme Audi S4 Quattro will perform on track. 

If Moss can capitalise on the knowledge he has of the PE circuit – it could see him produce a qualifying time fast enough to put him at the front of the grid, setting him up for a good haul of points on the day. Being able to produce this performance in front of his home crowd is simply going to be an added bonus for the young racer.

Two Engen Xtreme racers in their Audi S4 Quattro race cars, on their home track and in front of their motorsport-mad home crowd is a recipe for an action-packed race day and fans can look forward to their local boys flying the flag high on the 3rd of May at Aldo Scribante Raceway.

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BPCC: Engen Xtreme's Michael Stephen Takes the Lead

Engen Motorsport Press Release

Round two of the Super Series in Cape Town saw Michael Stephen (A1) claim the championship lead in the Class A of the Bridgestone Production Cars. Stephen has claimed the title on three separate occasions and a good performance at Killarney saw him move into first place. 

“I was fastest in qualifying, won the first race and finished in third place in the feature race,” says Stephen who also posted lap times within the top two racers during the practise sessions. “We'll be racing at our home circuit next, we know the track and setup so it should be a strong round.”

According to the championship rules, Stephen will have to start the feature race, which counts for double points, from the back of the grid as he is now the championship leader. This is going to make his qualifying and first race result in PE critical to his championship ambitions.

In the Cape, Stephen took his usual methodical approach to the racing, opting to capitalise on opportunities that presented themselves, instead of pushing hard and gambling on a successful result. The reward for his patience was another strong performance, finishing second overall for the day, and a valuable haul of points that has moved him to the top of the log.

For Stephen's teammate, Simon Moss (A38) the weekend was a decidedly tough one, but he is very happy with his race day.

“It has been a difficult weekend,” says Moss. “I can take a lot of good from this event though. I was a lot quicker than at Zwartkops. I touched Johan Fourie in that first race and it affected my wheel alignment. I scrubbed half the rubber off the tyre on the fender and in the second race my rear suspension broke – I think probably from an incident earlier in the race.”

Moss never expected an easy ride as he moved into the top class of competition in the Bridgestone Production Car Championship, and is philosophical about the trials and tribulations that accompany his new motorsport category.

He is, however, very optimistic about the coming event in Port Elizabeth. This is where he has done his testing in the run-up to the season, it is where he has spent the most time with multiple champion, Stephen, in preparation for the year ahead and he knows he has good pace at Aldo Scribante Raceway.

There is a good chance that he will produce one of his best performances, if not his best, of the 2014 season in front of his home crowd. A good result at home could see him prepared for an equally good performance at the East London round in July, the third of three consecutive coastal rounds for the Super Series competitors.

Look out for the Engen Xtreme team at Aldo Scribante Raceway on Saturday, 3 May, when they contest round three of the 2014 Bridgestone Production Car Championship in Port Elizabeth. The competition in this category gets more exciting with every passing event and a nail-biting performance is expected from these racers as they fight for points in the Friendly City.

Photo credit: MotorPress.co.za