Blake's M4: Friendly Firepower

Lead photo credit: @danielbooty

He could look past one letting go, but when the second EJ motor blew, Blake Titus’ honeymoon phase with his WRX officially ended. Though there was an opportunity to rebuild for the third time, Blake sensed a better platform might help him make an easier transition from autocrossing into track days. He was half-right. 

The Subaru’s successor, an S52-swapped E30, held some promise, and for a while, it seemed like he’d found a way to get his jollies with half the headaches. That wasn’t to last.

As it turned out, the S52’s head had cracked somewhere on the way to his first track day at Thunderhill West. After pulling his oil pan’s plug, a milkshake poured out, and Blake considered throwing in his helmet. 

Thankfully, there was another car sitting in Blake’s garage. His F82 M4 was far from track-ready, and the predicted running costs made him wince, but it was operational and still covered under warranty.

His first outing at Laguna was successful; a 1:42.10 is an encouraging time for a heavyset grand tourer with more torque than traction. Sure, it floundered around on stock springs, but that time in an intermediate’s hands proved beyond a doubt that the F82 platform had potential. He knew it wouldn’t be easy on his wallet, but out-of-the-box performance like that can make people do silly things.

Curious where he could start tweaking the car to find some more cornering speed, he got underneath it and studied the intricately arranged layers of structural stiffeners meant to help the big BMW belie its weight.

“You just have to look around and marvel at how much structural bracing there is. After a while, you start to ask yourself, ‘How could I improve upon this?’”

Thankfully, not much is needed to get this car ready for the racetrack. The first round of basic bolt-ons consisted of a staggered set of Apex EC7s wrapped in Toyo R888Rs, GLoc R18 and R10 pads, Castrol SRF fluid, and a set of Girodisc two-pieces—the factory rotors would warp after a few track days.

That simple setup served him well for the first year of tracking the car, but after he’d gotten properly acquainted with the M4, he sensed the weight wasn’t being managed as well as it should be. 

To hasten weight transfer and provide a little more body control, Blake picked a set of Swift Spec R springs measuring 5K and 13K front and rear, respectively. These were a grand compromise; they were chosen so that he could retain some semblance of comfort on his drives to and from the track. Mainly, they allowed him to keep using the factory EDC dampers.

“I’ve kept it full weight for now. I thinks it’s pretty easy to turn a nice dual-duty car into an uncomfortable POS,” Blake admitted. 

The rubber began to feel like the limiting factor after some time, so Blake bought a new set of tires that promised more consistency. The Nankang AR-1s delivered in that respect, and they helped him chop two seconds off most of his best times. 

They would fade fast, though no faster than any other tire he’d tried. Its heft was undeniable and, unfortunately, virtually unmovable. Most of the strippable weight sits around the rear axle, which shouldn’t be removed. Even in stock trim, the M4 needs more weight over the driven wheels; it always struggles to administer the S55’s power without wheelspin. 

In the name of improving traction, he decided to try to force the rear into the pavement with Bimmerworld’s GTMore wing. It made a considerable difference—he chopped his time at Buttonwillow 13CW by four seconds the first time out. However, the front hadn’t been balanced aerodynamically and the resulting understeer made it even easier to fry the fronts. Bimmerworld’s rep recommended he try a track-oriented set of shocks, so Blake bought a set of MCS two-ways and turned a few knobs.

Few things have helped settle the rear like Bimmerworld’s dry carbon GTMore wing.

He might not’ve known precisely what he was doing, but he was relieved to see the rep had Blake’s best interests in mind. The resulting compliance made a world of difference—particularly at the bumpier tracks he frequented. At Buttonwillow 13CW, Blake could drop his best time by nearly three seconds—a 1:55.8. Quite an improvement from a set of shocks adjusted and an educated guess. 

Credit: CaliPhotography

He figured that then would be as good as any time to throw a front splitter into the mix, so he tried cutting his own Alumalite piece and bolting it to his front, but it folded at the end of Thunderhill’s front straight. The replacement, Turner Motorsports’ MC2P splitter proved more resilient and effective, though it still cannot match the downforce generated at the hinteraxel. To find an agreeable balance, Blake had to reduce the wing’s angle of attack.

By this stage, Blake was pushing the car hard enough to test the powertrain’s thermal resilience. After one frustrating leak from the charge air cooler, he replaced the factory item with one of CSF’s, and swapped the standard heat exchanger with a Koyo unit. Since then, it hasn’t been fazed by August heat.

A square set of Yokohama A055 slicks mounted on narrower APEX VS5-RS wheels gave him the grip and neutrality he’d been seeking for some time, and with the elements cooperating, Blake went back to Buttonwillow and logged a 1:54.3—his best yet.

Blake’s still searching for a 52, but he feels that the M4 needs to diet or get its footwork finely tuned by a master before that’s possible. As mentioned earlier, pulling weight isn’t his idea of a good time, so he’s decided instead to buy the every one of Turner’s adjustable suspension arms as well as their differential bushings for perfected body control. If all goes to plan, he won’t have as much difficulty putting down the power—which he’s recently increased with a Bootmode BM3 CS tune. As much.

While the F82 M4 doesn’t change direction like a true sports car can, it compensates with unbelievable power—enough to spin at seventy in a straight line. Where it’s at its best is in the longer, faster corners; the long wheelbase and accompanying stability make it easier to trust in these bends. At this point, it’ll just take a little bit of tweaking to make it a nimble thing in the sections where traction and rotation take precedence.

Credit: @ariesphoto7

If Blake’s experiences have taught him anything at this point, it’s that “the torque is always trying to kill you, so you have to be very quick with your hands and be confident in your skills; you have to drive with all the nannies off. MDM will kill your lap times and too many people rely on these systems. Then the first time they turn the traction control off they send the car to Copart.

The F82 is an amazing platform that still lacks in some of the aftermarket support that have made the E92, E46, and E36 such appealing track cars. Still, the potential is there to make the F82 a real contender once the rest of the world catch on. I can’t wait to see what other companies offer in the future to keep improving on the platform.” 

Justin's Moore's Mustang GT: Practicality Pays Dividends

In its earliest state, Justin had wrapped the Mustang in highlighter yellow.

Justin Moore figured this time around, he’d save himself a little misery. Exchange some sentimental attachment for peace of mind, keep your ass in the seat, and drive the wheels off it. What is it? “It’s a piece of expendable athletic equipment,” he declares. That’s the way he feels about his 2011 Mustang GT. Not quite the passion project his big STI was, this Ford has proven to him that there are other aims in motorsport outside of manifesting the vehicle he saw in his teenage dreams.

The Mustang wasn’t the first dependable track vehicle he bought. Prior to this, he’d been autocrossing a 987.1 Cayman S with a few minor tweaks. Though the two got along beautifully, the thought of an IMS failure or a big crash in the Porsche left him feeling a little tense. 

Rather than risk it, he sold the Porsche and consulted the knowledgeable Tony Rodriguez. “I wanted something that was fast, fairly cheap, fun, and fuss-free.” Basically, the costs had to be restricted to consumables for the platform to work. There were a few possibilities, but Tony and Justin agreed fairly quickly on the Mustang.

Most of the chassis modifications he’s chosen are second-hand, including the homemade splitter and the APR rear wing. 

Soon enough, there was a new car in his driveway. With Tony’s guidance, the put together a fairly lengthy list of modifications: big wheels and tires, a few aero pieces, and a set of pads. The S3 rules at the time limited the tire width, but he learned to drive around the resulting understeer and got on with getting regular seat time. 

Though the mechanical grip wasn’t really satisfactory, the combination of that and the aerodynamic download ended up ruining a motor. Oil starvation is never fun, but Justin didn’t sit with his head in his hands. Instead, he contacted Mark Luton and laid out a very basic plan for the replacement lump. 

For Phase 2, Justin shed the yellow wrap.

Justin calls it “Stock Engine-Plus,” but that doesn’t really paint much of a picture. MMR made sure that the motor could handle track abuse and lateral loading. Included in the parts list is an expanded oil pan, an Accusump, and all the ARP hardware to make the motor more resilient. Of course, a few bolt-on modifications and a tune by Ed Susman helped raise the power output to a respectable 480 horsepower at the rear wheels. It’s also held up to all the abuse Justin’s put it through in the past two years.

After the motor came back, the rules changed. Now the SpeedSF Challenge rules allowed wider tires and the option of slicks without a big points hit, so Justin moved on from his 285-width Nankang AR1s to a set of Hoosier A7s measuring 315, and the handling balance shifted dramatically. “I used to deal with the understeer, which made me angry. Now, it’s neutral, forgiving, and much faster. Wider tires were exactly what this car needed.”

Getting the handling balance right also required leaning the front tires in some—about 3.6 degrees of negative camber. There’s not much one can do to improve the solid rear axle in that respect, so he dropped the rear as much as he could without scraping. Along with a Watts Link and a soft enough setup has given him enough grip and predictability to get airborne and continue attacking.

This handling balance and reliability allowed Justin to grow along with the car. “It was never scary—and not just on the track. There wasn’t a need to ever worry about much, and so I could relax and focus on the driving side of things.”

That approach paid off. Currently, Justin’s leading the S3 Championship and hoping to secure the title. All he’s had to do is build a motor—not a meager expense, but still a simple fix. Well, there were the modifications he had to make to his air-oil separator, but that’d have to be classified as a minor annoyance rather than anything that could turn hair gray. The rest has been sweet and simple.

Times

• Thunderhill Cyclone: 1:57.465 (Speed SF record)

• Thunderhill Bypass: 1:56.494

• Thunderhill West: 1:20.610

• Buttonwillow 13CW: 1:54.516

• Laguna Seca: 1:36.938

Modifications

• ST Suspension coilovers

• Whiteline Watts link and front bar

• Forgestar wheels 18x12”

• Kooks long tube headers and x-pipe

• C and J intake

• custom air-oil separator

• custom hood vents

• Ford Performance crate motor with MMR-built bottom end.

• ARP hardware

• Ford Performance oil pump

• Accusump

• MMR baffled oil pan

• Ford Performance trans cooler

• 3.55 final drive and rear end fluid expansion reservoir

• lightweight radiator support subframe connector

• APR GTC300 rear wing

• Custom birch splitter

• Boss 302 lower front fascia for brake ducts

• Brembo Performance Package brakes

• DBA brake rotors

• Fidanza clutch assembly

• steel braided clutch lines

• Hawk DTC-60 brake pads

• Holley dual fuel pump upgrade

GARMIN Catalyst Driving Performance Optimizer - Full Review

Presented By: Speed SF x Wine Country Motorsports

Reviewed By: Joe McGuigan

So, you like tracking and want to go faster right? While seat time is always number one, the close second has always been proper instruction, but nowadays that may not be as easy as it used to be. Due to recent world events (Covid-19), maybe coaching opportunities don’t seem as tempting anymore to you due to risk/access.. Well, the team over at Garmin couldn’t have timed a new product release any better than this one.

Enter the Garmin Catalyst, a complete package for on-the-fly track improvement, data, and video review. While spending a day at one of our local favorite tracks, Sonoma Raceway, we were able to pay a visit to our great friends over at Wine Country Motorsports, who stock the Garmin Catalyst and gave us the opportunity to try one out.

Let’s take a closer look together!

WHAT YOU GET FOR $999.99

• Garmin Catalyst Unit (Full Color 7” Display)

• 32 GB micro SD card already preinstalled (Extra expansion easily accessible on the side)

• Remote Cam with polarized lens cover and double-sided sticky mounts

• Remote Cam cable which can be cleanly routed with the provided double-sided sticky wire guides

• Heavy-duty vehicle suction cup mount which combines with a powered magnetic mount, allowing easy install and removal of the screen

• Vehicle power cable

• Documentation

INITIAL HARDWARE SETUP

The initial setup is fairly straightforward as the Garmin Catalyst already comes preloaded with tons of well-known tracks. When we did our initial install at Sonoma Raceway, we had it on track and being used within a matter of minutes. You start by assembling the ram mount for the actual display and then routing the provided cigarette lighter cable to power the unit. Next is installing the tiny, but clear recording camera. The camera is suggested to be mounted right under your existing rearview mirror mount as it helps ensure it is centered well, but we will touch on that more shortly. From there, using the provided wire clips, you can route the camera wire down the A-pillar and back over to the main unit where it is required to be installed. This makes transferring the unit to another car a little cumbersome if you are the tidy type of person that doesn’t want wires just hanging. One thing we suggest opting for is a suction cup style mount for the camera if you plan on using this unit in multiple cars like we do. Once you have everything routed and powered, it's time to start its engine and yours!

SETTING OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME

Start your engine and watch the Catalyst come to life. You are presented with some initial setup items like picking your preferred language, entering a driver profile name, and car information. Next up is an agreement screen warning the usual stuff about track driving being dangerous, but after you accept that, you will be looking at the main screen.

The two main choices here are Drive or Review. Let’s dive into the Drive option which, once selected, will prompt you for your track selection. Once you have chosen your track, you may be given the option of configuration for tracks such as Thunderhill or Buttonwillow that have multiple layouts. Once your selection is made, you have access to the following:

You will have a few options you can perform before hitting that easy-to-read START button. You can change driver profile and/or car selection by tapping on the helmet or car icon (including adding a new one), check audio (input, volume, coaching prompts, and a test), change between wet or dry track, and last but important, the camera alignment check.

ON-TRACK EXPERIENCE

Once you head out to the track and cross the predetermined start/finish line, if you have your audio hooked up (and you should!) you will be greeted by a clear and easy to understand woman saying “Starting 1st lap”. For the first couple of laps when no prior data is present, you will get a statement of what lap time you did on that lap as you cross the line again and again. The real magic starts after you have a few laps in the database and all of sudden you will receive suggestions such as “Next right turn brake later” or “Next left turn apex later”, which if done right will prompt some words of praise like “Good job” or “Nice work”, but don’t worry if you don’t miss it, she won’t shame you too badly, but say “Try again next lap” or “keep pushing” if you have the higher level of coaching present.

As you progress in your day, it will focus more and more on fine-tuning the various sectors that have the most opportunities for you to improve. One thing to note though, this is no Magic 8 ball and is subject to your errors. What we mean by that, is that it's only as good as the lines you run. It is constantly overlaying your previous lines, speeds, braking, and then turning out suggestions based on our best of each sector. This can be a little tougher on a newbie that may have no experience at all, this is where a normal live coach triumphs compared to the technology in our opinion. Regardless of your experience though, you can be sure to gain some knowledge in the post-session review.

THE JUICY RESULTS

After cooling your car off and ensuring it's parked without the e-brake engaged, it’s time to review all that delicious data the Catalyst absorbed and sorted for you. You can review it on the mount or easily pull it off since it’s only held on by that magnetic base (though strongly). Now, remember that main menu from the beginning of this review? Click that “Review” button and you will get the ability to choose which session you want to analyze. Once you have chosen which session, you are presented with some quick and easy things to digest as seen here: 

The quickest and most efficient way to see where you can improve though is under the Opportunities section. The Catalyst will pick your three most opportunistic sectors to work on and show you how you did it and even show you the video of when you did that optimal sector! You can dive even further and look at the braking, line, and speed of approaches to give you even more insight as to why or how you did what you did. Check out an example here: 

OUR CONCLUSIONS

The unit is very powerful and beautiful, despite its size, a pleasure to use. The on-track feedback really helps keep you focused on the areas to improve in real time which can really drive home the areas to analyze even closer after a session ends. The benefit of having multiple driver profiles is ensuring you aren’t getting directions from someone of a higher or lower skill level that can throw you off your rhythm. We at Speed SF cannot thank our partners over at Wine Country Motorsports for the ability to experience and review this awesome track tool. Make sure to visit to order yours over at www.winecountrymotors.com or better yet, visit them in person and drool over all the amazing products offered to motorsports enthusiasts like we do.

PRO POINTS

• Large and clear color display with auto brightness adjustment capabilities

• Audio instructions provide clear, real-time feedback

• Lap-timer GPS is spot on with other comparable units and even transponders

• Camera quality pleasing for price point compared to other more expensive units

• Switching of driver or car profiles is simple

• Post session review convenient and immediately beneficial 

• Bluetooth capabilities allow it to connect to wireless earbuds of your choice or even a modern stereo unit

• Three different audio coach modes (Race Coach, Advanced Race Coach, Lap Times Only)

• Ability to pick sectors and laps with ease during video review (no fast forwarding required)

AREAS TO IMPROVE

• Transferability from one vehicle to another (just a camera suction mount will help immensely with this)

• Factory camera mount subject to movement in stiffer or rougher surface track

• No OBD2 data capabilities at the moment (We speculate something could be added down the road due to its Bluetooth capabilities)

• Data overlay on video recorded by unit

GARMIN Catalyst Driving Performance Optimizer - First Impressions

We picked up a Garmin Catalyst at Wine Country Motorsports recently and wanted to share our experience with it. At first glance, the Catalyst seems like it is a competitor to established data loggers like the AIM system, but that is not the focus. In fact, the focus of the Catalyst is to truly coach you on the fly. Here are some of our initial impressions:

What we like about the Garmin Catalyst:

• Laptimer accuracy is spot-on with competitors

• Audio instructions provide real-time feedback and guidance

• Bluetooth audio for use on in-car stereo or headphones

• Large, clear display with color indication for improvement or deterioration

• Excellent camera quality for its price point

Overall, initial impressions about the Catalyst are positive. The release of the system couldn’t have been better timed due to COVID-19 essentially eliminating ride-alongs at the track, causing drivers to miss out on opportunities for one-on-one coaching. However, while the system has some interesting and useful capabilities, it’s difficult to replace an experienced coach. We’ll be taking the Catalyst out and really getting in-depth with it, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Garmin Catalyst is available at Wine Country Motorsports if you’d like to give it a try for yourself!

-Joe McGuigan // Speed SF

SPEEDSF CHALLENGE - OCTOBER 3, 2020 - ROUND 8 @ THUNDERHILL WEST

INTRODUCTION

This past Saturday, SpeedSF welcomed 26 track warriors who decided to take part in the SpeedSF Challenge shenanigans at Thunderhill Raceway despite the inland California October heat and ashy air, and it was quite a shootout!

CLASS S1

Class S1 has either thinned the herd or everyone has decided to play in the lower classes for good! 2 entrants were featured for this class: 2nd place finisher Gordon Peng and his 2002 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and Gordon’s achilles heel, 1st place finisher Steve Melson behind the wheel of a 2014 Audi R8. Despite the power difference, however, Gordon did a great job squeezing every bit of power out of the Corvette 12 years the senior of Steve’s R8. While Gordon put down a 1:21.797 lap time, Steve threw in a 1:21.188 lap time. Not a bad time delta here!

CLASS S2

Joining the fray were 5 willing drivers ready to accept their fate in S2. The Dirty Mango S2000 once again took 1st place home with a quick 1:22.081 lap time while a NICEBMW Supra driven by Neal Wiebmer took home 2nd place thanks to a 1:22.972 lap time. In 3rd place was Steve Melson in his 1991 Nissan 300ZX. That car is truly “built different” as it put down a 1:24.231 lap time earlier in the day. Needless to say, Steve didn’t need to run the Challenge session as that lap time was simply good enough and the podium place was not threatened.

CLASS S3

Kevin “The King” Schweigert showed no mercy to the other 6 entrants in this class: a 1:20.113 sealed the deal for Kevin’s top podium step AND new class lap record, beating out Patrick Chio’s BMW M3 record in September 2019 of a 1:21.954 lap time. 2nd place driver Gary Wong did his utmost best to squeeze out a 1:21.756 lap time. This barely put him ahead of 3rd place David Fitz-Randolph’s NA Miata as he threw down a 1:21.957 lap time. A close battle here for 2nd and 3rd podium places and it could have gotten either way given the margin. Excellent driving by Gary for staying just ahead of David and a good job to everyone in this class.

CLASS S4

Track dad Matt Belter done did it again, getting on the top step of the podium with a 1:24.396 lap time while BARELY breaking Sohan Kota’s 1:24.538 lap time set in his S2000 back on October 7, 2018! Gabriel Rothman took 2nd place in his 2003 Honda S2000 thanks to a 1:25.302 lap time while 3rd place podium placer Terrence Taylor-Weber put down a 1:27.016 lap time in his 2013 Scion FR-S. Round of applause to Matt for seemingly getting faster every time he gets out on the track AND etching his name in the Challenge digital record books.

CLASS S5

Tony Rodriguez, in true 2020 dominating fashion, broke the class lap record for Thunderhill West by nearly a full 2 seconds! Nate Hackman’s lap time in February 2016 was a 1:27.116 lap time set in his BMW E30. Tony, for all his MBZ-powered efforts, put in a 1:25.228 fast lap time. Crazy good driving! Meanwhile, 2nd podium place finisher Zoe Downing’s 1:32.125 put she and the NA Miata firmly ahead of Mike Jensen’s NB Miata lap time of 1:33.927. Hats off to Tony’s amazing Challenge season thus far! *Waiting for the MR2s to take over S5*

CONCLUSION

Excellent work by our drivers who won their places and set new class lap records! THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the SpeedSF Challenge on a hot and ashy Saturday! For those who are still chasing podium finishes, more seat time, coaching, and watching videos of how to attack the track will certainly get you there!

Round 8 will be here soon! Our next SpeedSF Challenge will be hosted at Sonoma Raceway on November 8th, 2020. Hopefully the fires and smoke are gone by then. We truly appreciate our sponsors and participants as it would not be possible without them! 

Thank you to our sponsors Wine Country Motorsports, Titan7 Wheels, Necksgen, and Charles Schwab for their continued and valued support. Please visit their respective websites to show your support and let them know SpeedSF sent you!

SPEEDSF CHALLENGE - SEPTEMBER 6, 2020 - ROUND 7 @ THUNDERHILL RACEWAY EAST (BYPASS)

INTRODUCTION

Track junkies are truly a dedicated bunch! Despite the ongoing air quality situation and high air temperatures in this part of California, especially as we head closer toward the Oregon border, those who want to track will! Our track bois and track girls found a way to make it work. We are proud of them and we surely thank them!.

Round 7 at Thunderhill Raceway (Bypass Config) offered up 18 entrants for the SpeedSF Challenge. Some familiar drivers came with new cars to test their skill/class while others were new drivers looking to try their hand at the Challenge.

CLASS S1

2 drivers, 2 podium places! The gap between Steve Melson in his 2014 Audi R8 and Gordon Peng in his 2002 Chevrolet Corvette was to be expected, given the fact Gordon’s car is 12 years younger than Steve’s! Steve put down a blazing 1:54.480 lap time while, despite the age gap of the cars, Gordon put down a 1:57.850 lap time. Brave bois surviving the hot temperatures: we salute you!

CLASS S2

Two fast bois and a fast girl! What a way to shake up Class S2 for the first time. We welcome Melody Cannizzaro to the podium, who took 3rd place with a 2:06.079 lap time in an E46 M3! Not a bad lap time for a first-time podium placer here at Thunderhill East!

As expected, Gary Yeung in the Dirty Mango S2000 took home 1st with his 1:57.135 lap time while Robert Harper brought his not-a-Chevy to Thunderhill. In deciding to show off the raw power of the Ford Mustang Shelby GT350, he put down a 02:02.643 lap time to boot which was enough for a 2nd place podium place.

Excellent driving by everyone in this group!

CLASS S3

The all-white crew decided to turn up for this class, it seems. A white BRZ, two white M3s, and a white S2000. An attempt to show unity in this class? Perhaps! What did that mean for purple boi David Fitz-Randolph in his NA Miata?

Well, Kevin Schweigert took home 1st place with his 1:54.004 lap time while behind his way-too-fast 2015 Subaru BRZ, while the mad scientist David Fitz-Randolph took home 2nd place with a 1:57.931 lap time. Rounding out the podium was, of course, Gary Wong and his 2004 Honda S-Tay-Thousand; a valiant 1:58.164 for his efforts!

Great job by the drivers in this class as well. S3 just keeps getting more competitive!

CLASS S4

They say it is lonely at the top. Well, it seems like the dad jokes made everyone else stay home since Matt Belter was the only one competing in this class this round. Without any competition, he could have physically walked the entire course (not that it’s recommended) and still taken home 1st place! Instead, he was smart and took the fast way around the course: a 2:00.812 lap time in his 2017 Subaru BRZ.

It was fast enough to earn him the honors of breaking the SpeedSF class record for the Bypass configuration! The previous record was 2:01.094 (Scott Smith - Mazda Miata) 12/17/17, so definitely not a laughing matter! Helluva job, Matt!

CLASS S5

Scott Smith just can’t catch a break here, as another record of his (2:05:311 (Mazda Miata) 12/15/19) fell thanks to Tony Rodriguez’s 2:04.943 fast lap time. This earned Tony the honor of record holder and 1st place for the S5 podium. That MR2 is just on a different level!

The other MR2 playing in the group took home 2nd place and it was none other than Joe McGuigan. A great 2:09.100 lap time put him firmly ahead of Zoe Downing’s 3rd place lap time of 2:12.009 in her NA Miata. The S5 is officially being dominated by the MR2s and it is no longer the Miata club!

CLASS X

What a formidable machine! Justin Moore’s 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 was the fastest lap of the entire competition thanks to a 1:53.756 lap time. Fast and pretty on the track, he was in a class of his own (literally). Great driving!

CONCLUSION

Excellent work by our drivers who won their places and set new class lap records! THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the SpeedSF Challenge and the weekend event despite the air quality! For those who are still chasing podium finishes, more seat time, coaching, and watching videos of how to attack the track will certainly get you there!

Round 8 will be here soon! Our next SpeedSF Challenge will be hosted at Thunderhill Raceway (West) on October 3, 2020. Hopefully the fires and smoke are gone by then. We truly appreciate our sponsors and participants as it would not be possible without them! 

Thank you to our sponsors Wine Country Motorsports, Titan7 Wheels, Necksgen, and Charles Schwab for their continued and valued support. Please visit their respective websites to show your support and let them know SpeedSF sent you!

SPEEDSF CHALLENGE - JUNE 7, 2020 - ROUND 4 @ THUNDERHILL RACEWAY (5-MILE)

Introduction

Back again at Thunderhill for the 5-mile configuration! 23 drivers showed up for this fan-favorite track configuration in the land of Willows, CA. With a grid loaded with big-engine boys paired with pleasurable track conditions, it was sure to be an exciting result for all drivers involved. The result? 5 broken class lap records for Class X and Classes S2 through S5!

Class S1

Ah, the story of the German vs. the American, a tale as old as time. This time, however, brute American force won. Justin Moore, in a 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, took home 1st place with a speedy 03:02.547 lap time while Challenge veteran Jeff Han took 2nd place with his 03:09.349 lap time. Great driving from these fast drivers!

CLASS S2

3 drivers, 3 podium places! Math is fun!

Steve Chi dominated this class with his 2010 BMW M3! His 03:06.045 lap time not only put him in 1st place for this Challenge, but beat out the previous S2 lap record for this configuration by over 2 seconds! A record previously held by Gary Yeung in the Dirty Mango S2000, the 03:08.298 lap time set on May 31, 2019 fell and boy did it fall hard. Great job by Steve Chi here.

Joining Steve on the 2nd step of the podium was Thomas Huber who took his 2017 Porsche 911 through the land of Thunder and put down a 03:19.365 lap time for his effort, while racer boi Chris Lee took home 3rd place with his 03:24.749 lap time in his 2007 BMW Z4M race car

Class S3

8 drivers showed up for this packed class, but of course, only the 3 fastest drivers can take home the bragging rights.

Kevin Schweigert and his monstrous 2015 Subaru BRZ took 1st place on this day thanks to a blistering 03:03.169 lap time - absolutely CRUSHING Gary Wong’s previous fastest lap time of a 03:10.515 lap time set back on May 31, 2019, in his 2004 Honda S2000.

Gary Wong did manage, a year later, to take home 2nd place and also smash his old lap record, so not a bad outing as well. His 03:07.304 during this Challenge put him over 3 seconds faster than his previous best, which we always applaud, so good job here!

In 3rd place, we have Seigo Ma, the e-racing fast boi who threw down a 03:11.317 lap time in his mean green machine Honda S2000, placing him firmly 1 second ahead of Ken Yip who has graced the podium in the past. S3 is the class to watch!

Class S4

What a way to take it home! Sohan Kota became the new owner of the S4 class lap record for the Thunderhill 5-mile configuration thanks to excellent driving in his 2000 Honda S2000, putting in a 03:14.105 lap time, which actually topples Joe McGuigan’s previous 03:17.002 lap record set in a Scion FR-S back on August 30, 2019!

Matt “Track Dad” Belter took home 2nd place with excellent driving of his own. A 03:16.931 lap time in his 2017 Subaru BRZ helped secure his podium place, barely edging out Jason Parraga who put down a 03:17.137 lap time in his 2008 Honda S2000 CR to take home 3rd place!

Class S5

A sorta-crowded class for with 5 drivers, new kid on the block Tony Rodriguez immediately raised eyebrows and broke Miata owners’ hearts with his 03:17.948 lap time, thanks to excellent driving in his quick 2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder! His lap time obliterated King Tang’s previous lap record of a 03:22.884, set back on August 30, 2019, in his NA Mazda Miata.

2nd place driver Daniel Doerr pushed this 2015 Mazda Miata Club Edition over the line with a 03:28.108 lap time while 3rd place dad-to-be Joe McGuigan drove his Toyota MR-S to a fast lap of 03:30.000.

Are the MR2s/MRSs going to overtake the Miatas in this class?! We shall soon find out…

Class X

In a class of his own (literally), this Corvette C6 Z06 hauled ass. A 02:55.548 lap time was the result of some crafty driving by Rich Willhoff. When your engine sticks out of your hood, you’ve already let all the bois and girls know you’re not messing around!

CONCLUSION

Excellent work by our drivers who won their places and set new class lap records! THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the SpeedSF Challenge! For those who are still chasing podium finishes, more seat time, coaching, and watching videos of how to attack the track will certainly get you there!

Round 5 will be here soon! Our next SpeedSF Challenge will be hosted at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on July 5, 2020. We truly appreciate our sponsors and participants as it would not be possible without them! 

Thank you to our sponsors Wine Country Motorsports, Titan7 Wheels, Necksgen, and Charles Schwab for their continued and valued support. Please visit their respective websites to show your support and let them know SpeedSF sent you!

SpeedSF GT Tuner E-Racing Series Results: Round 3 @ Sonoma Raceway

Disco Ma led the way for the 3rd and final round of the GT Turner E-Racing Series hosted on EDGEtv, taking home another win, while Gary Wong took home 2nd for Team SpeedSF, narrowly edging out 3rd place Hernandez from Team DSSSC. New dad Joe McGuigan rallied hard in the 2nd race to secure 9th place this round.

If you’d like to see Round 3 at Sonoma Raceway, check out the recent broadcast from EDGEtv here:

We are definitely excited to see the final overall results of this 3-round racing series!

SPEEDSF CHALLENGE - JULY 5, 2020 - ROUND 5 @ WEATHERTECH RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA

INTRODUCTION

There were many smiling faces hidden behind the required masks, but there was no doubt everyone was happy to be back at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for our Sunday track event and the SpeedSF Challenge!

CLASS S1

Bunch of fast bois in this class with big wings and big power, no surprise here! This class featured 3 drivers with different choice of weaponry, beginning with Jeff Han who drove the wheels off his 2016 Porsche 911 GT3RS with a 1:36.565 lap time and took home 1st place, while Ravi Gattamaraju took home 2nd place with a 1:37.311 lap time in his 2013 Subaru BRZ. In 3rd place, we have Gorgeous Peng who drove his tried and true 2002 Corvette Z06 to a 1:38.778 lap time! Great driving!

CLASS S2

A rather great result from this class, featuring 4 drivers and a new class lap record! Fan-favorite Gary Yeung and the Dirty Mango S2000 last set a lap time of a 1:37.790 at Laguna Seca but it was broken by 1st place driver Chris Mayfield this time around who sported a 2011 BMW M3 and a new fancy lap time of 1:37.388! It’s always wonderful to see results like this. 2nd place driver Steve Chi enjoyed a 1:39.489 lap time while cruising around in his 2010 BMW M3 while 3rd place finisher Thomas Huber put down a 1:39.978 lap time in his 2017 Porsche 911. Congrats to Chris for holding the current S2 Laguna lap record!

CLASS S3

S3 drivers easily dipping into the 1:30s? Seems like we need new rules for next year. Crazy! Out of the 7 drivers in this class, Kevin Schweigert managed to throw in an astounding 1:36.092 lap time in his 2015 Subaru BRZ AND break the previous class lap time of 1:38.561 by Sean Yepez in his Lotus Exige. 2nd place driver and all-around good guy Gary Wong put down a 1:40.450 while 3rd place driver and almost-regular Jeff Tam put down a 1:41.769 lap time in his BMW E46 M3.

CLASS S4

6 drivers decided to take up the challenge for this class, and boy it was close in the top 3. While Matt “Track Dad” Belter took home 1st place with his 1:44.739 lap time while piloting a 2017 Subaru BRZ, 2nd place Sohan Kota, driving a 2000 Honda S2000 barely edged out 3rd place driver Jason Levine who was also driving a Honda S2000, albeit the model year being a year younger. With Kota’s 1:48.063 against Levine’s 1:48.142, .079 of a second made all of the difference!

CLASS S5

Class Miata at it again AND a broken class lap record set by a not-Miata! Fresh boi on the scene, Tony Rodriguez took that 2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder for a graceful 1:46.685 lap time straight into 1st place, while Joe Kou in his 1991 Mazda Miata took 2nd with his 1:48.737 lap time. 3rd place was cemented by Eduardo Li thanks to a 1:48.740 lap time in a 1991 Mazda Miata, .003 of a second away from 2nd! A gust of wind in the right direction could have definitely helped in this instance!

CONCLUSION

Excellent work by our drivers who won their places and set new class lap records! THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the SpeedSF Challenge! For those who are still chasing podium finishes, more seat time, coaching, and watching videos of how to attack the track will certainly get you there!

Round 6 will be here soon! Our next SpeedSF Challenge will be hosted at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on August 23rd, 2020. We truly appreciate our sponsors and participants as it would not be possible without them! 

Thank you to our sponsors Wine Country Motorsports, Titan7 Wheels, Necksgen, and Charles Schwab for their continued and valued support. Please visit their respective websites to show your support and let them know SpeedSF sent you!

SpeedSF Presents: The Heads Inside the Helmets - Featuring Pam Alarcon

MEET PAM ALARCON!

Name a great turbo sedan that’s great for flogging around the track. Go ahead. We’ll wait.

 You probably thought about something German. Typical.

 Now, imagine being in that fancy getting overseas sedan only to get passed by a stateside rocketship: a Cadillac ATS-V, driven by none other than Pam Alarcon!

She’s been a frequent guest of SpeedSF Track Events and one of the more visible female track drivers in recent memory, but maybe that’s because she’s been excited to track her ATS-V ever since she purchased it back in 2018.

I Haz Track Car

Pam always had an interest in tracking on road courses but never felt like she had a track-capable car before. Prior to her ATS-V, she had a modified MKIV 20th anniversary Volkswagen GTI that she never thought about tracking because “it was old, and it would probably fall apart on the track. It had way too many #VWproblems”.

Soon after the acquisition, the siren call of car modifications was answered by Pam, wallet be damned. Upgraded stabilizer bars and adjustable end links, G-loc brake pads, intake, downpipe, upgraded BOVs and nice tune rounded out the list, along with some exterior mods for  A E S T H E T I C S paired with 19-inch forged wheels to make sure the car looked even better especially in the summer. Stock wheels wrapped with RE-71Rs are the preferred track rubber.

Pam began her track day junkie life 2 years ago with her first SpeedSF event, but she credits Rona for interrupting her attendance streak. Attacking the track with a vengeance after everything improves seems to be her future, though!

As with many people, Sonoma Raceway is Pam’s favorite track, though seat time has been scarce there compared to Laguna where she managed to put down a personal best of a 1:43 lap time. She yearns for the opportunity to put down a proper personal best lap time at Sonoma once the calendar offers more chances for her.

The Thrill of the Drive

The enjoyment of driving and the love of the adrenaline rush experience are reasons why Pam enjoys going to the track.  A self-confessed introvert, she rather likes meeting new people and those she has been friends with along the way have been super cool. Pam surely makes us gush when she compliments us with “I like going to SpeedSF events because they seem to have the most track days out of every [track day] organization. They also always have good photographers ;)”

Pro tip from Pam: “If you are going to the track for the first time, please do your homework. Prep your car properly and drive the track with a coach or take classes for the first few outings. Before I ever started, I took some classes and although I already had an idea of what to expect, it still helped tremendously. It’s a learning experience every time a driver is out there, and I definitely still consider myself a noob.”

Pam currently has no plans for the ATS-V in the future until she can beat Randy Pobst’s PB at Laguna Seca (1:39.65 in an automatic, 1:40.18 in a manual) and until she gets better at driving Sonoma Raceway while putting down a satisfying PB in the process. While she does plan on getting a Viper ACR in the future, she “will be keeping the ATS-V til the wheels fall off”.

SpeedSF Presents: The Heads Inside the Helmets - Feat. Nash Ramar

MEET NASH RAMAR!

Nash began to plant tires on track asphalt back in July 2018 in a 2015 Chevrolet Camaro Z28. Somewhere along the line with the thought of being happier with a slower car that can be driven fast on the track, he obtained an ND Miata in November 2018 and never looked back.

Fun fact: Nash’s first time out on the track was at Sonoma Raceway and it’s become his favorite track, so much so that the #252 decal on the side of his cars represents the 2.52 miles of Sonoma!

MOD TIME

Armed with an MCS + Karcepts suspension package, 235/40/17 Toyo Proxes RRs for added grip, Kirkey seats to hold Nash in place, full Verus Engineering underbody panels and rear diffuser along with a wonderful stock motor, Nash was ready to take on the SpeedSF Challenge. He entered a couple of events in the S4 class throughout 2019 and managed to place 1st at one of our Laguna Seca events! Proud of you for that one, Nash!

With his best lap time at Laguna Seca being a 1:44.4, it’s exciting to see what Nash has in plan for he and his car going forward. He claims he’s already fully invested in parts as of January 2020 so maybe it’s all about enhancing the driver at this point! One day in the distant future, maybe this Miata will turn into one with a V8 grumble! ;D

TRACK LESSONS

Nash loves running with SpeedSF to enjoy great company and run with skilled drivers out on the track. For beginner drivers starting out their first track outing, Nash advises that it’s not about the horsepower of the car or achieving the lowest lap time the first time out, but rather, it’s about hitting each corner smoothly and learning to be a consistent driver!

SpeedSF Presents: The Heads Inside the Helmets - Featuring Ken Yip

MEET KEN YIP!

We have another Fast Boi, this time a Bimmer-driving, wholesome, hardworking tech kid by the name of Ken Yip. We caught up with Ken during an event at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in the middle of tightening his lug bolts and securing his car for his next session.

EAST COAST LEARNING

He began his track career in May 2008 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in his 2004 BMW 325Ci.

Later, he sought more and acquired a 2002 BMW M3. It had the glorious opportunity to visit a handful of tracks including Lime Rock Park and Pocono Raceway.

Ken came to the Bay Area 5 years after finishing college and began a career in the tech world (as many often do). Because he was so busy, he took a hiatus from the car life for a while he worked on his career.

A NEW CHAPTER

However, in March 2017, the car life came calling again. Ken acquired a 2011 BMW M3 on SHIFT.com (more tech!) and planned to just keep the car modifications light. It was back to the track and car life starting with a SpeedSF event at Thunderhill Raceway.

It did not take Ken long to get comfortable behind the wheel of his new-to-him M3 as he joined 7 events between April and December 2017 and 15 events throughout 2018. Talk about dedication!

2019 is when everything changed and Ken needed to up his track game. Little by little, both car and driver kept improving. So much for keeping modifications light! He decided to join the S3 class for the SpeedSF Challenge and was in the running for 2nd place overall in S3 until his engine met its maker and experienced a catastrophic failure. With Ken needing to bring the car to Performance Technic to undergo surgery and take in a new crate motor, Ken had to miss a few events in 2019 and thus ended up in 3rd place overall in S3 class.

2020 Season

With the start of the 2020 season, Ken is currently sitting in 2nd place, and has steadily been improving his lap times while adding bits of go-fast parts to his car.

With some cooling bits, Project Mu 999 brake pads, JRZ 1-way suspension, Apex 18x10.5 ARC-8R wheels wrapped with Nankang AR-1s along with tons of seat time and driver mods, it’s not hard to see why Ken’s doing well in S3 right now. His current lap times are 1:57.16 at Thunderhill East, 1:23.12 at Thunderhill West, and 1:51.59 at Sonoma Raceway. As of now, with a 1:42.09 lap time being his best lap time at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, he’s looking to get faster so he can maintain his 2nd place standing in S3. He expects the new Nankang AR-1 setup to be of great help at Laguna and Sonoma.

For now, Ken has been enjoying SpeedSF and the Challenge as it’s been a fun and supportive crowd for him to be around, especially since the time Patrick helped Ken out when Ken’s wheel bolts failed.

Final Words

Ken couldn’t wait to get back on track but before he left, he wanted to give a shout out for SpeedSF: “Join SpeedSF to be in good company whether you’re a novice or experienced driver!”

We certainly wish Ken the best as he continues to chase down faster lap times for SpeedSF Challenge glory. It’s always great to see people improving themselves while having fun with us!

SpeedSF Presents: The Heads Inside the Helmets - Feat. Seigo Ma

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Meet Seigo Ma!

SpeedSF Challenge regular and all-around fast boi Seigo Ma took a few minutes out of his day at our recent Thunderhill West event to talk about his time with SpeedSF and his fun runs in a quest to dominate the Challenge.

The Before Times

As a younger boi, Seigo started off go-karting in college at LeMans Karting in Fremont with a couple of buddies. Then in 2014, the track bug bit. With a white RSX at the ready, Seigo began attending track events with SpeedSF and never looked back. He spent his time learning how to drive at the limit and worked on proper lines while slowly building up the car with track-focused parts. Seigo always made sure to keep mental notes of his RSX lap times and to this day still remembers them: 1:48 at Laguna, 2:05 at Buttonwillow, and 2:09 Thunderhill (Bypass).

“We have to go faster!”

It was in 2017 that Seigo decided an upgrade was needed. More than car parts, but a move to an entirely different chassis. Enter his 2007 Honda S2000. As expected, his lap times dropped dramatically even at the bone stock level. The RSX has been relegated to daily driver status while the S2000 was built with a track-focused mindset over two years with its most recent additions being the green DYI wrap, JRZ RS Pro 3s and Yokohama ADVAN A052s. With 10 seconds being the difference between his RSX at its best and the S2000 as it sits right now, Seigo’s confidence has risen to new heights.

Fun times at Buttonwillow

Pictured on his shirt: A 911. Posing with: Not a 911

Seigo praises the S2000 as having been rewarding to drive and as it responds to steering and pedal inputs very well. Compared to the RSX, it’s been a big jump in terms of performance and handling. The car rotates at will with throttle and the driver does not have to do much to be fast. Back in late September 2019 during a Thunderhill West event, he ran HKS Hipermax IV SP coilovers with Nangkang AR-1s and his car was still silver! Seigo, ever remarkable with his lap time memory, stated he was noticeably faster on the Nangkang AR-1s with a 1:23.3 lap time that day compared to his previous lap time of 1:25.7 on Federal 595 RS-RR tires. His 1:23.3 lap time set him up for 2nd place in Class S3 for the SpeedSF Challenge - not bad!

2020 Goal: Fast Boi Club

His recent run at Thunderhill West (Reverse) this past March can be viewed below. A resounding 1:22.6 lap time for this GripS2K was obtained, mostly thanks to the VViViD+ Matte Metallic Green (Ghost) wrap! Green is obviously a faster color.

But in all seriousness, with an upgrade with the aforementioned JRZs and Yokohamas previously debuted at our January Laguna Seca event, these tools gave him the confidence to set a very fast lap time during his first time out running Thunderhill West backwards, enough for him to score 3rd place in Class S3 during the SpeedSF Challenge.

Smooth driving and a concentrated effort placed Seigo with a good crowd on the podium. Seigo’s lap time for this Challenge was 1 second off the rival Gary Wong’s S2000 time and 2 seconds off Kevin Schweigert’s BRZ time, which leaves a lot of room for improvement, a concept Seigo is not afraid to shy away from.

Seigo needed to head off to his next session but before putting his helmet back on, he presented us with kind words regarding his past 6 years with SpeedSF:

SpeedSF hosts some of the best drivers around. They are highly-skilled and courteous in point-bys while the staff are helpful and great to talk to. I’ve learned a lot from some of the fast drivers at the events as well so there’s a great community aspect. I really enjoy the respectful atmosphere of the group and rarely do I get stuck behind drivers as they are very aware on the track. We are all here to have fun!

SPEEDSF CHALLENGE - MARCH 15, 2020 - ROUND 2 @ THUNDERHILL WEST

West is Best! Our first time back at Thunderhill West for the first time since last season did not disappoint. This SpeedSF Challenge featured CCW levels of action and everyone enjoyed it! Some said it flowed better while others maintained the same lap time they’ve had going in the CW direction. 16 drivers were able to enjoy the refreshing change and they were rewarded for it!

CLASS S2

3 drivers, 3 podiums, with 2nd and 3rd place separated by .7 seconds! Steve Chi in his E92 BMW M3 took home 1st place with a lap time of 01:23.808 while Jimmy Mkude took home 2nd place thanks to a 01:24.153 lap time piloting his Ford Mustang Shelby GT350. Freshly out of retirement (again), Steven Chiu brought back 2004 BMW M3 and took home 3rd place. Will he stick around this season? Who knows.

Class S3

It’s so adorable when the S3 guys are faster than the S2 guys. Not by a little, but by a lot.

A magical 01:20.950 was laid down by 1st place driver Kevin Schweigert in his 2015 Subaru BRZ while 2nd place was taken home by Gary Wong in the TayTay 2004 Honda S2000 due to a quick 01:21.136 lap time. 3rd place, debuting the magical DIY green wrap on his 2007 Honda S2000, was Seigo Ma, who took 3rd place with his 01:22.695 lap time. Is green a fast color? Only he knows!

Class S4

Sohan! You’re back from retirement too! Awfully nice seeing you and your S2000 back on track. That 01:23.630 lap time was great enough to get you into 1st place and fending off 2nd place’s David Fitz-Randolph with his 01:24.450 Miata lap time! As for you Ga—Natasha Yeung, oh how the mighty have fallen. 3rd place and .2 seconds off of David’s pace? Not a shabby 01:24.680 but like, you know, you’re in an S2000!

CLASS S5

Not satisfied with his S4 run, Gary “Mia” Yeung went into S5 in a Miata (since he got beat by one) and regained dominance again. 1st place saw him with a 01:29.050 lap time while 2nd place Matthew Winstanley put down a 01:32.112 lap time, barely keeping ahead of 3rd place’s Peter Castaneda who drove a 2012 Mazda CX-5 in anger and managed to get a 01:32.224 lap time.

CONCLUSION

Excellent work by our drivers who won their places and THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the SpeedSF Challenge! For those who are still chasing podium finishes, more seat time, coaching, and watching videos of the track will certainly get you there!

Round 4 will be here soon! Our next SpeedSF Challenge will be hosted at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on April 19, 2020. We truly appreciate our sponsors and participants as it would not be possible without them! 

Thank you to our sponsors Wine Country Motorsports, G-Loc Brakes, Titan7 Wheels, Necksgen, and Charles Schwab for their continued and valued support. Please visit their respective websites to show your support and let them know SpeedSF sent you!

SPEEDSF CHALLENGE - FEBRUARY 23, 2020 - ROUND 1, PT. 2 @ THUNDERHILL RACEWAY

Introduction

Round 2, Day 2 of the Thunderhill East double-header. A rather cloudy day up until mid-afternoon, temps were kind to our drivers which allowed them to get the most out of their tires without overheating! 20 brave souls entered the fray for this Bypass configuration, which resulted in a 3-month old S3 lap record to be broken!

Class S1

Anthony came to play again in his E46 M3, and it showed. He beat out 2nd place Scott Smith’s Porsche 911 GT3 by nearly 2 seconds on his fast lap. Anthony’s lap time was a 01:53.354 while Scott put down a respectable 01:55.112 lap time. Respectable times, gentlemen!

Class S2

Looks like 1st place Steve Melson had some competition this time around! His 01:59.423 lap time in the 300ZX still fast enough to stave off 2nd place hotshot Svilen Kanev who brought out the colorful 2018 BMW M240i and put down a 02:04.788 lap time for his efforts. 3rd place wonder Shawn Thomas took home 3rd place thanks to a 02:07.682 lap time in his 370Z.

Class S3

Okay so get this: two supercharged FRS/BRZ bois and a BMW M3 play around in Class S3 right? All 3 of them got to podium since Gary Wong wasn’t around this time to punt them off the platform! *Wishes Gary shows up soon*

01:53.358 - the magic lap time that put Kevin Schweigert in 1st place, breaking his previous S3 lap record (1:56.902) on the Baypass configuration! Congrats!

2nd place went to a definitely slower 2011 BMW M3 belonging to Ken Yip, who looks faster than he is. A 01:57.162? Paltry.

In 3rd place, we have fast boi Neal Wiebmer who brought out his 2013 Scion FRS to get a 01:58.741 solidly beating out Joe McGuigan by nearly 3 seconds!

Class S4

TRACK DAD! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU! 1st place in your 2017 Subaru BRZ and a 02:01.714 lap time! You beat out Gary Yeung in his Sexy Natasha S200 by over a tenth of a second. What a glorious day :). Be proud of the 02:01.714 lap time!

Gary, while your 02:01.876 lap time may be fast, it certainly was not Track Dad fast. Perhaps next time yeah?

3rd place belongs to David Fitz-Randolph whose 02:04.680 lap time was enough to put him ahead of 4th place’s Jeremy Yeung who brought out a 2018 Subaru (probably an STI) to play with us!

Class S5

A Mia, a Muffy, and a non-existent Chris Lee were the talk of the town during this heated S5 battle! Miata bois are the best bois, and did they put on a show!

Mia Yeung, who piloted Florenza’s Miata again, took home 1st place with a blistering 02:07.031 lap time while Muffy, who fell down to 2nd by being JUST 0.039 seconds slower than Mia! That’s rough, Muffy Too Tuff!

Chris Lee, who absolutely refuses to show up for the S5 podium (probably learned that from King Tang) took home 3rd place with his 02:09.695 lap time!

Class X

Neck lookin’ kinda heavy there, Anthony! Congrats on the 01:51.727 lap time in your 2017 Shelby GT350! Now, if only 2nd place Lief Storer was able to join us for the ceremony to celebrate the 02:01.983. We shall meet again!

Conclusion

A perfectly good way to close out the Thunderhill double-header! Excellent work by our drivers who won their places and THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the SpeedSF Challenge! For those who are still chasing podium finishes, more seat time, coaching, and watching videos of the track will certainly get you there!

Round 3 will be here soon! Our next SpeedSF Challenge will be hosted at Thunderhill Raceway West on March 15, 2020. We truly appreciate our sponsors and participants as it would not be possible without them! 

Thank you to our sponsors Wine Country Motorsports, G-Loc brakes, Titan7 Wheels, Necksgen, and Charles Schwab for their continued and valued support. Please visit their respective websites to show your support and let them know SpeedSF sent you!

SPEEDSF CHALLENGE - FEBRUARY 22, 2020 - ROUND 1 @ THUNDERHILL RACEWAY

Introduction

Welcome to 2020 and the real start of the SpeedSF Challenge! 25 drivers came to play on this relatively cool day, all vying for the Fast Boi title at Thunderhill East’s Cyclone configuration! Round 1 featured 3 broken class records for this configuration. What can we say? Records were made to be broken!

Class S1

Seems like it’s easier to podium these days as long as Gordon stops showing up! Anthony Zwain took home first place in his E46 M3 thanks to his 01:56.432 lap time. Additionally, he beat Gordon Peng’s previous record of 01:58.053 which was set in Gordon’s Corvette C5 Z06! 2nd place Scott Smith set his best lap time of 01:59.175 in his Porsche 911 GT3 while “Bruce Lee” took home 3rd place with his 02:02.378 lap time in his 2018 Camaro ZL1 1LE!

Class S2

1 participant, 1 winner! Math is so fun. Steve Melson took his 1991 Nissan 300ZX out for a stroll here in Willows for a 2:00.033 lap time. The car is just as impressive as the drive, too! Without Gary Yeung tearing it up in S2, it seems like this class is up for grabs!

Class S3

The class with dem hot boiz. Kevin Schweigert piloted his 2015 Subaru BRZ to a 1st place win thanks to a 01:57.560 lap time, completely O B L I T E R A T I N G Joe McGuigan’s previous S3 Cyclone config lap record of 01:59.834. All those mods from McGuiGui and all Kevin had to do was cram in more air.

2nd place was taken home by Kenneth Yip in his 2011 BMW M3. A 02:01.739 lap time serves him right, coming in here slower than a Class S2 300ZX. STRIP THE INTERIOR ALREADY :D.

3rd place’s Neal Wiebmer proudly laid down a 02:02.734 lap time in his 2013 Scion FR-S. Needs MOAR air - time to turn it up!

Class S4

Here we go again. Not content with destroying S1, S2, and S3 class, it appears S4 is next on his list. While other champions go up in weight class, Gary Yeung just wants to make life harder for everyone else.

Introducing Dirty Natasha, she and Gary took home 1st place with a 02:03.947 lap time. Is this even legal?

Track Dad Matt Belter took home 2nd place in his 2017 Subaru BRZ thanks to an ever-improving 02:05.776 lap time. Joe McG’s coaching has really been helping it seems! Go Track Dad, go!

David Fitz-Randolph’s 3rd place finish is respectable with a 02:07.964 since it’s a 1995 Mazda Miata. Our sources say he is considering cramming more air into his engine too but only time will tell!

Class S5

Hm, looks like we have the makings of a familiar face making frequent appearances at our events this year! Before we get to that, can we just talk about how Mia Yeung looks just like Gary, except looking in a Miata? 1st place in looks and lap time, 02:11.666 was the fast lap for the group thanks to the true hero of the day: Florenza’s Miata!

2nd place, also in a Miata, was Chris Lee in his 1994 Spec Miata. Though not present for the event because he was “looking over data” during lunch, Chris’ dad Anthony took the 2nd place medal and photo in his stead. 02:13.907 was the fastest lap of the day for Chris; a well-earned one at that!

3rd place, the familiar face with charm and grace: Zeeshan Khan. Could have taken home 2nd place but was just a tad bit slower, though a 02:14.578 is nothing to scoff at with Zeeshan’s Miata. Just please keep coming to our events!

Class X

Two participants, two podium placers!

Mark Davidian took home 1st place and broke the Cyclone config Class X lap record thanks to the excellent piloting of his 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, placing a 01:52.454 lap time for his efforts, beating out the previous lap time of 01:55.036 set by Dominic in his Dodge Viper ACR.

2nd place was taken home by Anthony Zwain in his 2017 Shelby GT350. For his efforts, a 02:02.590 lap time was set! That GT350 is as loud as it is fast!

Conclusion

A great start to the Thunderhill double-header! Excellent work by our drivers who won their places and THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the SpeedSF Challenge! For those who are still chasing podium finishes, more seat time, coaching, and watching videos of the track will certainly get you there!

Round 2 will be posted shortly - the second day of the Thunderhill double-header of the SpeedSF Challenge at Thunderhill Raceway East on February 23, 2020, we want to say that we truly appreciate our sponsors and participants as it would not be possible without them! 

We thank our sponsors Wine Country Motorsports, G-Loc brakes, Titan7 Wheels, Necksgen, and Charles Schwab for their continued and valued support. Please visit their respective websites to show your support and let them know SpeedSF sent you!

2020 SpeedSF Challenge Banquet and Awards Ceremony

Being a part of the SpeedSF Challenge brings a great community of people who just want to go fast, have fun, and probably win something along the way. This past season featured absolute domination by a driver in each of the classes while also producing very close results between places during various rounds. 177 total drivers participated in the SpeedSF Challenge in 2019. We certainly look forward to seeing more drivers for this upcoming 2020 season, but for now, let’s talk about the fast bois of 2019!

CLASS S5

Always late to the party, smh King

Even with all the fast Miata kids flooding S5, it wasn’t a surprise to see who would podium every Challenge. Scott Smith started out the year strong and was consistent during his journey to top podium finish and earned himself a NecksGen head and neck restraint system while “Mia Miata” joined halfway through the season and finished strong, putting in a great end of year performance to overtake King for 2nd place! King Tang, who took 3rd place overall in the season and won himself a $500 gift certificate from Titan7 wheels! Great job to our S5 Miata bois!

CLASS S4

A class loaded with talent, S4 showed out hard this season with the top two drivers dueling it out for S4 supremacy! Joe McGuigan (no surprise) took home 1st place and a NecksGen head and neck restraint system, while 2nd place driver Sohan Kota, who could have beat Joe if he was there for the final three events of the season, took home a $500 Titan7 gift certificate thanks to a great season! David Fitz-Randolph, who barely squeezed by Matt “Track Dad” Belter, took 3rd place overall in our Challenge standings. That #homebuilt life really lent himself to a successful showing for the final four events of the year. Time to use that custom alignment gift certificate from SGK Performance to prepare you for a great start to the 2020 season!

Class S3

Gary Wong absolutely crushed the S3 class with his TayTay S2000. With consistent appearances and driving success, his 1st place was well-earned. Time to rock some new Titan7 wheels to celebrate! Jay Lapid, sporting a baller vintage Babe Blvd-clad racing fire suit, pushed that 350Z to the limit and stole his 2nd place success from Ken Yip, whose 3rd place performance in an M3 earned himself a fancy award from SGK Performance as well!

CLASS S2

Continuing the domination, Gary Yeung and his Dirty Mango S2000 took it to the house, finishing in 1st place and over 150 points clear of Steve Chi, who took home 2nd place in his M3. 3rd place Steve Melson (not pictured), who drove a Nissan 300ZX for the season, finished 6 points ahead of close challenger in 4th place George Kibilov! Can someone please step up and challenge Gary for 1st place? PLEASE? ANYONE?!

CLASS S1

Another class domination, this time with someone not named Gary! Gordon Peng took 1st overall, which earned him a NecksGen head and neck restraint for his efforts, while “Bruce Lee” took 2nd place overall despite not winning an event outright during the 2019 season. 3rd place Maksym Lytvyn (not pictured) took 3rd place overall during the 2019 season in his Porsche 911 GT3, having won three events outright in the 2019 season! Great driving by everyone in this group as there are definitely been close competition during various events.

Class X

The cars in this class are seriously fast, and the fastest of them all was David Colbert, who championed a Lola T540 SCCA Sports Racer for the 2019 season, propelling himself to a well-earned 1st place overall finish. Lief Storer (not pictured) took 2nd place overall for the season while 3rd place Joe Kou rounded out the podium. Looking forward to seeing how this class develops as people bring a variety of fantastic machines to our events!

CONCLUSION

Thank you to all 177 drivers who participated in our 2019 SpeedSF Challenge season and thank you to everyone who have supported and/or participated during our track events in 2019!

We would also like to thank our sponsors Titan7 Wheels, NecksGen, Wine Country Motorsports, and G-Loc Brakes for their continued support!

Last, but not least, thank you to George Kibilov and the team at SGK Performance at Sonoma Raceway for graciously hosting us for our ceremony! We also appreciate those who came to the ceremony to spend time with the SpeedSF family and friends.

Looking forward to a strong start to the 2020 SpeedSF Challenge season, starting with our first official Challenge at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday, February 16th!

EXHIBITION SPEEDSF CHALLENGE @ WEATHERTECH RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to 2020 ladies and gentlemen! Back at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to start off the SpeedSF Challenge season. Much like other sports, exhibition rounds are much needed to shake off the holiday downtown and cobwebs from inactivity. Not a bad way to start off the new year and new decade!

CLASS S5

Miata class back at it again, with the exception of Joe McGuigan driving the CR-Z to a 2:00.778 lap time. Our podium places included King Tang (no surprise) who took home 1st place with a 1:48.299, Scott Smith taking home 2nd place with a 1:48.819 (close, but no cigar), and Eric Talistu going home with a 3rd place medal thanks to a 1:50.469 lap time. Even though it’s just an exhibition and points will not be counted, it’s still a great showing!

CLASS S4

Two new faces in this class! Aside from resident S4 podium placer David Fitz-Randolph taking home 1st place with his 1:44:972 lap time in his home-built 1995 Mazda Miata, we have fresh-faced Jason Parraga taking home 2nd place due to a 1:46.536 lap time. Andrea Wang, a long-time driver during our SpeedSF events and recent entrant for the Challenge, finally placed! Her 1:47.457 lap time propelled her to a 3rd place finish and 2 seconds ahead of 4th place Wa Huong who put down a 1:49.156 lap time in some kind of Miata. Great job to everyone in S4!

CLASS S3

Another new face here - so let’s start with 3rd place Teddy Framhein who took his 2015 Porsche Cayman GTS around the track for a fast 1:41.187 lap time. 2nd place went to familiar face Gary Wong who once again put in the work and a 1:40.316 lap time in his 2004 Honda S2000. That double-wing setup is really paying dividends! Fellow S2000 driver and young boi Seigo Ma took home 1st place with his 1:40.076 lap time. Showing off that “Type R" personality, aren’t we? Additionally, BOTH Gary Wong and Seigo Ma broke Gary Wong’s previous S3 record at Laguna of a 1:40.430 in a Honda S2000. Great driving!

CLASS S2

2 drivers, 2 podium placers, though the doggo gets an obvious spotlight here. Thanks to the puppy power, Gary Yeung took 1st place on the podium with his 1:39.304 lap time in his Dirty Mango Honda S2000, while rising star Svilen Kanev took home 2nd place with his 1:44.646 lap time. It has to be that impressive livery on his 2018 BMW M240i that is helping propel him with fast lap times!

CLASS S1

Fast boi and single entrant Joe Kou took his 2019 Porsche 911 GT3RS to a 1st and only place win with his impressive 1:33.832 lap time, beating previous Class S1 Laguna record holder Andrie Hartanto who put in a 1:34.444 lap time in his Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06.

CONCLUSION

Seat time, seat time, seat time! Driver mod is the best mod, as the saying goes, so make sure if you want to end up on the podium, you’re putting in the seat time!

As we look forward to the official Round 1 of the 2020 SpeedSF Challenge at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday, February 16, we want to say that we truly appreciate our sponsors and participants as it would not be possible without them! 

We thank our sponsors Wine Country Motorsports, G-Loc brakes, Titan7 Wheels, NecksGen, and Charles Schwab for their continued and valued support. Please visit their respective websites to show your support and let them know SpeedSF sent you!

Again, our next SpeedSF Challenge will be held at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Again, please check out the event website by clicking here for more information!

SPEEDSF CHALLENGE - DECEMBER 15, 2019 - ROUND 15 @ THUNDERHILL RACEWAY

INTRODUCTION

Well, THIS was certainly an EVENTFUL SpeedSF Challenge - a truncated session, crazy field expeditions, and major talking points to close out 2019’s SpeedSF Challenge at Thunderhill on the Bypass configuration. If it wasn’t recorded on video, did it really happen? 27 fast, faster, and fastest bois participated as evidenced by broken lap records across 3 classes. If you were there, you knew what went down. It wouldn’t have been an end-of-year Challenge session without the craziness for sure.

Class S1

World War II up in this madness - a Brit, a German, and an American get onto the asphalt and close dogfights ensued! Jeff Smith took home 1st place in his McLaren 600LT with a crazy close 1:54.459 lap time while Tom Tang ended up in 2nd place with his 1:54.504 lap time (so close to 1st though) in his 2015 Porsche 911 GT3. Unsung hero Gordon Peng put down a 1:55.885 lap time in the 2002 Chevrolet Corvette per usual. You round out that podium proud, good sir!

Class S2

Breaking records again, aren’t we, Chris? Chris MAYFIELD, that is. Sorry Chris Lee, not today.

The aforementioned Mayfield took home 1st place and broke the Class S2 lap record in his 2011 BMW M3 with great driving and a 01:55.548 lap time. The previous record was a 1:56.696, so great job here Chris!

Lee technically did break the record as well but only managed to get 2nd place this time with his 1:56.158 lap time in the 2007 BMW Z4M.

Gary, Gary, Gary, what happened buddy? 3rd place with your 1:56.218? Time to put some NOS in your horse and buggy!

Class S3

Apparently the only way Gary Yeung can get 1st place nowadays is to stand in for the winner during the podium photo.

The real winner, 1st place Kevin Schweigert (obviously not pictured), took his BRZ for a 1:56.902 lap time. This absolutely shatters the previous lap record of 1:57.945 on the Bypass configuration. What an excellent job here!

Gary Wong likes to follow in the footsteps of Gary Yeung, first in name and in now in podium placement. 2nd place greeted Gary Wong and TayTay with open arms thanks to the 1:57.225 “fast” lap. Ok, yes, it also beat the previous lap record, but maybe press the gas pedal down a little bit further?

3rd place went to proud dad Patrick Chio in his BMW E46 M3. For his efforts, a 1:59.103 lap time was earned, though more is definitely expected out of that S54 powerplant!

Class S4

No broken lap times here but proud track dad Matt Belter was the highlight of this class! Bringing home a medal after driving like a madman on one’s home track is an achievement. 3rd place is better than no place, and Matt did the podium proudly. Great job on the 02:04.990 lap time!

2nd place was firmly settled thanks to David Fitz-Randolph’s lap time of 02:04.025 in his 1995 Mazda Miata featuring home-built aero and a broken throttle body!

1st place featured future-dad Joe McGuigan who slapped down the 02:01.482 lap time in the FRS with that BDE (Big Dad Energy). Just look at that smile. He knows…. he knows.

Class S5

Cool, Scott Smith broke the S5 record in his finally-consistently-running Miata with his 2:05.311 lap time, beating out the previous S5 lap record of 2:06.006! 1st place is the best place to be. 2nd place went to Wa Huong in his Spec Miata who put down a 2:07.346 lap time, narrowly beating out Mia Mango who put in a 02:07.707 lap time in a Miata too. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Conclusion

A bittersweet ending to the Thunderhill double-header, typical of any SpeedSF Challenge season. Super proud of all the drivers who won their places throughout 2019 and THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the SpeedSF Challenge this year as well! For those who are still chasing podium finishes, more seat time, coaching, and watching videos of the track will certainly get you there!

As we look forward to Round 1 of the 2020 SpeedSF Challenge at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday, January 19, we want to say that we truly appreciate our sponsors and participants as it would not be possible without them! 

We thank our sponsors Wine Country Motorsports, G-Loc brakes, Titan7 Wheels, Necksgen, and Charles Schwab for their continued and valued support. Please visit their respective websites to show your support and let them know SpeedSF sent you!

Again, our next SpeedSF Challenge will be held at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Again, please check out the event website by clicking here for more information!

SPEEDSF CHALLENGE - DECEMBER 14, 2019 - ROUND 14 @ THUNDERHILL RACEWAY

INTRODUCTION

We start off Day 1 of the Thunderhill SpeedSF Challenge doubleheader featuring the Cyclone configuration and broken Challenge lap records across four classes!  It’s been quite a while since we’ve run the Cyclone config, but it was a great way to start the weekend! With 19 drivers participating for the final Challenge weekend of the year, is there really a better sendoff?

Class X

Notable Class X driver Lief Storer took home 1st and only place with his 2009 Nissan GT-R. While a 2:02.314 lap time is fast, the fact that the GT-R driven by Lief is still being put through its paces 10 years later is either a testament to longevity or stubbornness. Either way, glad to see it around putting in the work!

Class S1

Fearless class leader Gordon Peng broke a record and subsequently some hearts after setting a very fast lap time of 01:58.053, beating the previous record of a 02:00.031 lap time proving that American power is still the way to go when German motoring is not around. Ravi G proudly took home 2nd place with his 02:04.327 lap time set in his Toyota GT86, rounding out the two-class participants for this Saturday Challenge event.  Good job to Gordon for being the champion of S1 thanks to the trusty steed!

Class S2

2 drivers, 2 podium placers: Chris Lee and Gary Yeung. Boy, were the results surprising! Chris Lee took home 1st place AND broke Gary’s old record of 2:00.293 by putting down a 01:59.548 lap time in his 2007 BMW Z4M. Yes, it’s basically a stripped-out race car BUT THAT’S NOT THE POINT. Chris’ driving has really improved throughout 2019 thanks to excellent coaching and training and today it showed.

Gary and the Dirty Mango S2000 did their best by putting down a 2:00.237 lap time (how consistent) for a 2nd place podium. That’s still pretty fast since it’s NOT a competition-ready race car. Gary destroyed this class anyways in points so 2nd place isn’t bad. Participation award goes to you, sir. Chris can go ahead and use that sweet detail spray on his shiny new 1st place medal!

Class S3

3 drivers, 3 podium placers. Wow, math! Our S3 results featured an S2000 losing 1st place to a GT86, and an M3 ending up in 3rd. So that’s what the “3” in M3 stands for!  

1st place was taken home by Kevin Schweigert in his Subaru BRZ thanks to a 01:59.834 which also obliterated the previous class lap record of 2:05.206 set by Scott Smith! How times have changed! Gary Wong and the TayTay 2004 Honda S2000 took home 2nd place though it appears Gary still took home the Class S3 overall win (a consolation prize). Ken Yip rounded out the podium in 3rd place in his 2011 BMW M3 - a 02:04.465 lap time for his efforts.

Class S4

Hey! Why is Gary in the picture?!

S4 featured 8 drivers for this event. Clearly they all wanted to try out the Cyclone config! Joe McGuigan took home 1st in the FRS thanks to a 02:04.054 lap time (typical) while 2nd place featured Joe Kou (Gary Yeung photo-subbed) who drove his 1999 Porsche Spec Boxster and put down a 02:06.199 lap time.

3rd place, however, featured drivers who all put in a 2:07 lap time but it was in the tenths where it really mattered. While Nick Cahill drove his Miata like a mad man and eventually came out ahead with his 2:07.121 lap time to steal 3rd place, the two almost-3rd-placers were Todd Winstanley in a 2008 Honda S2000 and a 2:07.191 lap time and David Fitz-Randolph in a 1995 Mazda Miata putting in a 2:07.568 lap time. What a drive from everyone!

Class S5

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Ferocious competitors by day, too-close buddies by night, Scott Smith and Gary Yeung/Mia Mango closed out Saturday with their little S5 competition and a broken record! Would you believe it, Gary must love the number 2 because he didn’t win here either! Scott took home 1st place in his Miata and broke the class record thanks in part to a 2:06.723 lap time, putting the new record leaps and bounds ahead of the previous lap record of 2:14.169. GarMia’s lap time on this day was a 2:11.649….good enough, it seems.

CONCLUSION

A great start to the Thunderhill double-header! Excellent work by our drivers who won their places and THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the SpeedSF Challenge! For those who are still chasing podium finishes, more seat time, coaching, and watching videos of the track will certainly get you there!

As we look forward to Round 15 - the second day of the Thunderhill double-header of the SpeedSF Challenge at Thunderhill Raceway East on December 15, we want to say that we truly appreciate our sponsors and participants as it would not be possible without them! 

We thank our sponsors Wine Country Motorsports, G-Loc brakes, Titan7 Wheels, Necksgen, and Charles Schwab for their continued and valued support. Please visit their respective websites to show your support and let them know SpeedSF sent you!

Again, our next SpeedSF Challenge will be held at Thunderhill Raceway East in Willows, CA. Again, please check out the event website by clicking here. Onto Day 2!