Cars

After a successful season racing in 2005 and 2006 in a class C BMW 325i, I decided that I would like to start competing for overall race wins rather than class wins. The tool of choice for this in the Kumho BMW championship is the BMW M3 EVO (e36). After a long period of research and lots of soul searching regarding the financial commitment, I chanced upon a suitable car on RaceCarsDirect.com, providing me with a great base for developing a race winning car and being the right price to give me budget to do so.

I went to see the car in Hull with mechanic Kevin Jones on a hot day in May 2006. Immediately the quality of preparation was clear and the immaculate looking bodywork and interior left me with no doubt that this was the right car. We removed the seat and suspension (critical areas of the car to get right to be comfortable and competitive), agreed a price and with no seat, and suspension cobbled out of a couple of wood blocks for the rear and road standard 318i struts for the front, we loaded the car up and took it home.

BMW M3 EVO four door 1994

Prepared to Kumho BMW championship regulations

Engine: 3.2 Evo engine with Schrick Cams (284 inlet, 272 exhaust), Link engine management system, Supersprint stainless exhaust .

Suspension: Moton 3 way adjustable suspension with remote canisters, Eibach springs.

Brakes: Brembo 4 pot front calipers, standard M3 rear calipers, Padgid yellow race pads fitted all round., 7 position AP brake bias valve, Goodridge brake hose kit, racing brake fluid.

Transmission: Lightweight Tilton racing clutch and flywheel, quick shift gear lever, 3.91 ratio uprated limited slip differential.

Interior: Custom Cages roll cage, full interior respray, Corbeau Revenge race seat, Sabelt 6 point harness.

Body: Four door shell, metallic Avus Blue (originally a 3.0l M3), rear spoiler, lightweight bonnet and boot, lightened doors.

Wheels and tyres: 17"Compomotive MO (8Jx17), Kumho Ecsta V700 tyres (control race tyre)

The car in its element around Oulton Park in 2005

I picked the road legal, but far from road suitable, car up a week later from near Bath and drove back to Bristol as indiscreetly as one can in a Friday night rush hour in a screaming race car with a trigger clutch and sponsors decals. It was an embarrassing but exciting start to what has proved to be a long and successful relationship with this reliable, quirky and deceptively quick race car.

BMW 325i Sport e30 two door 1984

Prepared to Kumho BMW championship regulations

Engine: 170 bhp @ 6000 rpm at the rear wheels (probably over 200 bhp at the flywheel), 164 ft/lb torque @ 5300 rpm, originally race prepared by Anderson Race Engines. skimmed and ported head, lightweight flywheel with a competition paddle clutch , 325i Motronic ecu with Superchip DME (standard bore ) chip, Poly "V" belt pulleys for auxilarys, adjustable fuel pressure regulator, Standard exhaust and inlet manifolds and bespoke but basic race type exhaust system.

Suspension: Leda front struts with fixed standard spring mounts, side adjustable damping knobs, lowered competition springs fitted, rear coil-over shock absorbers with side adjustable damping. Nylon offset solid bushes on front wishbones, group A solid steering coupling, rear beam body mountings modified so no movement, strut brace fitted to engine bay.

Brakes: Fully ducted Wilwood 4 pot calipers and discs, standard rear brakes, Goodridge brake hose kit, adjustable brake bias valve in cockpit, racing brake fluid.

Transmission: 325i sport box with short shift, uprated limited slip differential rear differential (tightened by Russ Coburn) 3.91.

Interior: Six point roll cage with door bars and additional mounting points, fireproof bulkhead with boot mounted fuel tank and pump, cockpit mounted battery in acid proof case and cut out,  plumbed in fire extinguisher, M-Tech steering wheel, Corbeau race seat, 6 point harness.

Body: Lift off lightened steel bonnet and lift off steel boot lid, easy release front bumper/spoiler, tow eyes front and rear, single central wiper.

Wheels and tyres: 15" BBS wheels with Kumho Ecsta V700 tyres (control race tyre)

Used in the Kumho BMW championship on and off by different drivers since approx 1999.

Bodywork is in poor condition with most panels having seen damage over the last few years!