This weekend V2Lab hosted it’s second Mystery Meat in downtown Orlando. Last years impromptu event brought chaos to downtown, this year the event had the cities blessing and was much more organized as a result. This event isn’t a car show, but rather a gathering of like minded enthusiast to hang out, show off their cars and enjoy the great Florida weather. As a result the scope of vehicles in attendance varies from Donks, VW, Honda, Exotics, Ruckus, bikes, all with modification from mild to wild. It was a great event, a big thanks to Ravi and the V2Lab crew for putting it together, we are already looking forward to next years event.

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While half our crew was in Houston for the TX2K11 meet, I brought our Speed Yellow Porsche 996tt to the PCA Corral at the ALMS 12 Hours of Sebring race. This annual event marks the start of the American Le Mans and Intercontinental Le Mans series, with teams battling it out on the famed 3.7 Mile course in Sebring Florida. The race is a grueling 12 hours on Sebring’s rough surface, whose concrete foundation has remained primarily untouched since the 50s, making a true challenge for teams sorting out new cars and drivers.

The race had many surprises as teams battled the gremlins associated with new cars, new equipment, and new teams. At the end of the 12 hours after a great day of racing BMW took the top 2 spots in the GT class in their E92 M3’s, with the Corvette team rounding out the podium in third. Oreca Racing’s Peugeot took the top spot in LMP1, followed by Highcroft racing in second and the factory Peugeot effort a close third.

HRE recently introduced its 18″ Forged R40 Motorsport wheel to the public, and we wanted to make sure we were the first to get a set. HRE unleashes a direct descendant of the wheel that won the 2010 Grand-Am GS Championship, now lighter, stronger and better ever and ready for competition. What better car to show off this great new wheel than Nero’s personal E92 M3 street car, which sees the race track from time to time for Drivers Education events.

HRE Performance Wheels has unveiled a NEW forged one-piece motorsport wheel for 2011, the R40 Monoblok™ for dedicated track and the highest performance street cars. This mesh-style, 6061-T6 aerospace grade aluminum wheel is a direct descendant of the custom-built model used by Fall-Line Motorsports to WIN the 2010 Grand-Am GS Championship in BMW M3 race cars, but now it’s available in a brand new mesh style for a wide range of applications and lighter than ever (17.5 lbs and up).

HRE R40 wheels are precision engineered to stringent German TÜV specifications in HRE’s TÜV-approved manufacturing facility for ultra light weight, high strength and unsurpassed quality. Available finishes include Satin Black, Satin Silver, Brushed with Clearcoat and more. The R40 is available in 18” diameter and widths ranging from 8.5” – 12” in Multi-lug and Center Lock versions. HRE engineers know the race can be won in the pits, so be sure to note the rattle-gun friendly open dish shape for fast wheel changes!

All HRE wheels are engineered to minimize unsprung mass and rotational inertia for optimal acceleration, handling and braking performance. Each wheel is built-to-order at HRE’s 60,000 square foot manufacturing facility for the ultimate performance solution and custom-tailored wheel buying experience. We carry the entire line of HRE Performance wheels here at Titan Motorsports, both for street and track. Call us today for the best pricing and fitment options for your vehicle.

Earlier this week we made the trip out to the beautiful Ocala Gran Prix Race Way (OGP) to link up with Grassroots Magazine to do a little before and after testing of our E92 M3, now equipped with the Stoptech Trophy Sport big brake system.

The Bimmer wasn’t the only thing going around the track that afternoon however. GRM was set to do a new vs. old comparison, as they brought a brand new Honda CR-Z out to see how it would compare to Honda’s original sport compact, the CR-X.

A little cart action while we waited to get on the track…

The battle begins, as the M3 looks on with anticipation.

Here come the CR-Hondas out of the final turn and up the strait.

GRM photographer J.G. Pasterjak gets some up-close action of the dual.

Just about to roll out…

Here the M3 rounds the final corner, while the GRM staff try and push the Stoptech Trophy Sports to the limit.

This concluded our day of brake testing. Be on the lookout in upcoming issues of Grassroots Magazine for both the CR-V vs. CR-X test, as well as our Titan M3 Stoptech comparison.

Check out the newest big brake kit from StopTech. The kit features StopTech’s ST-60 calipers as well as 355x32mm rotors for the Front Kit and 345x28mm rotors for the Rear Kit.

Ready to take your BMW twin turbo to the next level? How does an additional 80hp and 80tq to the wheels on an otherwise stock car on pump gas sound? How about up to 180hp and 155tq to the wheels on a fully modified car on race gas? Then Burger Motorsports’ new Juice Box 3 is just the product you’ve been waiting for. Bettering upon previous models, Stage 3 improvements include crank position for full 4D engine mapping, air intake temperature for on the fly thermal loading adjustments, direct solenoid control for precise spike free boost control, throttle input for factory like drivability, and fuel pressure control for diagnostic invisibility. In addition, new internal safeguards such as over-boost protection, boost spike protection, and maximum allowable boost solenoid offsets have been incorporated making the JB3 one of the safest tunes available.

Burger has also made installation a snap! Because the JB3 was designed from the ground up specifically for the N54 platform, Burger was able to optimize the unit for reliability and ease of install. The JB3 does not require complicated external power or ground taps which can leave tell tale signs of modification or trigger detection codes, making it the only true plug and play N54 system available. The JB3 box and harness are designed to fit discretely in the ECU compartment with no visible signs of modification. JB3 is offered with two wiring harnesses. Plug and play (PnP), and professional (pin-out). The PNP includes color matched sub-connectors and does not require counting/extracting ECU pins. Installation takes only 15-20 minutes. The pin-out (suggested for more experienced enthusiasts) uses OEM BMW pins in similar manner to JB1 and JB2, and has an install time of 30-45 minutes. Neither version requires the solenoid bypass or any vacuum line changes making removal a snap!

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Install Video courtesy of Burger Motorsports

We have installed the Juice Box 3 on Bottle’s 335i, and he loves it. Installation was straight forward as indicated by Burger, and the performance was right on the money. Look for possible track footage  in future posts.

Turbonetics introduces compressor anti-surge and turbocharger protection for the BMW 335i coupe and sedan. Designed to minimize wear on the internal bearings of the turbochargers and provide increased throttle response, the 335i BOV kit combines increased durability and performance.

BMW owners have always understood the link between form and function. Just like the factories the vehicles come from aftermarket parts need to live up to design and performance. The Turbonetics 335i BOV kit surpasses both standards. As today’s cars become more and more finely tuned to wring every last bit of performance and fuel economy, certain parts are called on more than others. The forced induction system on the 335i’s N54 engine platform is pushed to greater limits with small twin turbochargers come from the factory running higher than average boost levels. With higher boost comes added stress on the turbochargers rotating components. A well designed and efficient blow-off valve kit helps to alleviate unnecessary wear and strain on the turbochargers internal thrust bearings, turbine wheel shaft, increase lifespan and improve performance.

Turbonetics BMW 335i BOV Kit
Part Number: 11403

Kit features:
• Twin Raptor Blow-Off Valves easily handling 600+HP for maximum flow and efficiency
• High flow BOV filters to prevent particulate entry and noise suppression
• Polished aluminum BOV’s for high strength & clean looks
• Filters are removable for increased sound appeal
• Polished aluminum horns available separately
• Precision machined adaptor flanges to mount to factory positions
• All hardware, and accessories necessary for installation

Why are blow-off valves important? The turbocharger is moving large amounts of air while under boost, and this pressure is being delivered to the engine while the throttle is depressed. As soon as the throttle is lifted the butterfly closes in the throttle body preventing the pressurized air from entering the intake manifold. Because the engine is still moving exhaust gases and the inertia of the turbocharger is turning the turbine and compressor wheels, the air literally stacks up against the throttle blades. Pressure builds up within the system’s piping extremely quickly and once it reaches the compressor wheel the air actually flows back out of the compressor inlet and limits the compressor from rotating. Because of the air reversing direction the pressure drops allowing the wheel to spin and once again raise the pressure. This process of up and down pressure and air reversal is surge and the result is the fluttering/barking sound that comes from the turbo. Surge is very detrimental to the turbocharger, resulting in various stresses being placed on the unit. The compressor wheel has high loads placed on it as it tries to move against this wall of air, and as high pressure air finds its way behind the compressor wheel. Compressor surge can result in the compressor wheel spinning on the shaft, shaft breakage, bearings to have unnecessary wear and potentially create contact between the wheels and housings.

The compressor blow-off valve is placed after the intercooler and before the throttle body to help eliminate the pressurized air. Vacuum controlled, the BOV receives a signal from inside the intake manifold or just after the throttle body, pulling up on a diaphragm, causing a valve to open inside the unit. The pressurized air that is discharged is then routed back to the inlet of the turbocharger or vented to atmosphere protecting the compressor from surge and assisting in maintaining the speed at which the turbochargers wheels are turning improving throttle response and drivability.

Another year, another Rolex24 at Daytona International Speedway! As Wes has already mentioned, the race this year was great. This year was the first time I have attended the race and not camped at the track. Some family members that couldn’t make it to the race had booked a hotel room, and I decided I would stay in the room myself. The hotel was less than a quarter-mile from the Turn 4 tunnel. It was a pretty good-setup, it was an extended stay hotel complete with a fridge, microwave and stove…the next best thing to camping at the track. I first arrived to the track on Friday. While my plan was to at the track for the start of the Koni race, I was running late and didn’t arrive until the last hour. It was still plenty of time to watch the battle for the win as well as see the drivers and teams in the garage doing their post race inspections and de-briefs. After the race I made my way to the camping area where I had stayed in previous years. I met up with some friends and chatted about the Koni race, as well as the upcoming GT and DP cars of the Rolex race while sitting around the fire enjoying some drink. It doesn’t get much better than that! As it got later the girlfriend and I left the track for dinner before heading back to the hotel.

Saturday morning after a great breakfast at Bob Evan’s we packed up the car to drive our cooler and snacks to the infield, when we got to the gate we found out that they were already at capacity and we would have to park elsewhere. I took the cooler and carried it in why my girlfriend parked the car back at the hotel and walked to the track with the rest of our stuff. We got everything inside the track just in time to hustle over to pit road and the start/finish line for the pre-race activities. Tradition is to sign your name on the start/finish line and as usually there were dozens of people doing so, as well as taking pictures. The banking on the front stretch is 18 degrees, while the 4 turns of the tri-oval are 31 degrees. It feels much steeper than that when you’re walking up it or standing on the track than it does watching it on TV. You also really get a good feel for just how big the infield area is when you see the grass that has the Daytona logo, as well as the race series logos.

We made our way back to the garage area for the start of the race. After the national anthem there was a jet flyby. I haven’t been able to figure out what kind of jets they were (drop me a line if you know), but one of them had the “Rising Sun” painted on the tail…pretty cool. The next 8 or so hours were spent making our way around the track. From the banked turns of the oval to the infield hair-pin. We attended both the chili cook-off and the wine and cheese party in the blue garage area. This year’s wine and cheese event also had a selection of beers to try and while it was pretty packed, the entry fee ($5) was well worth it and I tried almost all the wines as well as the beers and got my fair share of cheese. Some of the chili we tried was great, one that really stood out was from team “Louisiana Heat”. I am inspired to find out more information about entering the cook off and may try to enter next year.

Around 10pm a group of us made our way to Hooter across the street for some dinner. Unfortunately we missed the fireworks while we were eating but we did see them on the TV coverage of the race at the restaurant. The happens to be a small go-kart track behind the Hooters, while I had checked it out earlier in the day and decided to pass on it (they are just your regular run of the mill “karts”, nothing fancy) being there with a group of friends and under the influence of a day spend drinking in the sun, we headed over to get some tickets and stage our own race. We drove on both their “road-course” and their “sprint track” and it was a lot of fun. Some of us were more drunk than others and there was a few times I would come around a corner to find someone else spun around and now driving towards me! No one was injured and it was a good laugh…even for the people working at the track.

We made our way back to the track and I rode the large Ferris wheel at the track for the first time. You really get a great view of the whole venue from the top! I was surprised to find out that it’s the largest Ferris wheel on the east coast at 150 feet tall. After the carnival rides I made my way to a few turns of the track to watch the action and get some pictures before leaving the track around 3:00 am.

Sunday we started our day at the blue garage again, this time for the breakfast buffet offered by the track. We walked around the garages and saw some of the carnage as well as a few of the cars that had retired overnight. We left early to get back home and watched the incredible finish on TV before taking a much needed nap. It was a great weekend of racing and another great Rolex24. I’m not sure if I will do the hotel thing again, or go back to camping at the track. While it’s nice to have a room to go back to (especially for years when it rains) there is nothing quite like being there, camped at the infield. Something about getting so used to the sound of the cars that you fall asleep and wake up when they are NOT running, like during a caution and can only fall back asleep once racing resumes. There is also something nice about staying up past the 30 hour mark…that’s when things really start to get interesting.

-Geoff

Today our good friend Rob dropped his 08 M3 off to be lowered, the car arrived with the AutoArt wheel and tire packaged installed and we opted to install a set of H&R Sport Springs. This Alpine White beauty not only has the red interior option, but Rob was fortunate enough to be one of the first coupes in the states to have the M DCT transmision option. This option is a 7speed transmision with dual clutch control. Coming from a E46 SMG I can say that this tranny is lightyears ahead of BMWs previous effort. The springs make for a nice smooth ride, while giving it a sporty look and went on with ease.