The 'good old days' of racing are right now Oklahoma

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Forget videogames. Tough out a weekend without web surfing. If you love cars and motorsports, you owe it to yourself to take in an American Le Mans Series sports car race. It's a multi-sensory rush, a chance to rediscover old friends (or make new ones) and, along pit row, get an up-close and personal look at some high-tech machines and high-powered racing impresarios like Roger Penske.

And if you're new to the American Le Mans Series, know that you're not alone. 2007 was Acura's rookie year as a factory works campaign in this motorsports major league where the likes of Porsches, Audis, Ferraris, Aston Martin, Corvettes and others do battle.

This year, Andretti Green Racing, Lowe's Fernandez Racing and Highcroft Racing are back, battling in LMP2. (The chassis are Courage and Lola with extensive modifications by Acura.)

The now-seasoned Acura ALMS contingent got off to an excellent start, taking the first, second and fourth in its class at the ALMS series opener, the 12 Hours of Sebring, last month. The Acura LM 3.4-liter normally aspirated V8 is the creation of Honda Performance Development in Santa Clarita, Calif.

And at the second ALMS face-off, the Acura Sports Car Challenge, in St. Petersburg, Fla. last weekend, Acura's new driving duo, David Brabham and Scott Sharp, piloted the No. 9 Patrón Highcroft Acura ARX-01b to a second place in LMP2.

With its fourth at Sebring, the Patrón Highcroft Acura team is second in LMP2 point standings. The next race is April 19 at Long Beach. (ABC is televising the race the next day, Sunday, at 12:30 a.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT.)

In talking with Adrian Fernandez and some of the Honda racing crew last season, it was obvious the team is fueled by passion and dedication. Honda's luxury division taking on the juggernaut of Penske Porsches or the awesome Audi R10 turbodiesels may smack of David vs. Goliath, but that just adds to the fun and suspense. (And let's not forget that 25 years ago, ‘little' Honda was the first Asian auto company to build an assembly plant in the U.S. It hasn't exactly been a flop for Honda -- or the Marysville, Ohio area.)

Can Am, Trans Am, Riverside International Raceway, Porsche 917s, factory duels between Z/28s and Boss 302s are the stuff of legend, but thanks to ALMS' exciting, diversified action, we can all go and make new memories.


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Sävy Strategic Creative

The Finest in European Automotive in Bend.

1.541.359.3068
Service Rd
Bend, OK
http://www.getsavy.com/

The Finest in European Automotive in Bend.
The moment one walks through the doors at German Master Tech in Bend, Oregon, its meticulously kept, white floored shop currently home to an impressive lineup of detail and restoration in progress: the bright silver Porsche spec racer being built in the center of the room, the Porsche 911 S undergoing a full restoration and the variant of others, from BMWs to Ferraris, it is quickly understood why German Master Tech, with some of the finest European auto technicians and restoration specialists in the country, supports some of the finest European cars on the West Coast. This German-apprenticed, master-trained company, that refers to its work as “a craft”, is known to many by the unmatched service and support they provide their racing and restoration clients across the country, to others by the niche expedition preparation service they provide all-terrain vehicles, and still to their most dedicated customer, the fine European car enthusiast, German Master Tech is truly the one to many in this town.
German Master Tech’s President, a BMW Master Technician, Tim Morris, brings with him over 25 years experience in the industry and has been awarded several achievement and master technician status awards though BMW specialized factory schools. Tim has also achieved BMW’s Center of Excellence Award twice and is a seven-time BMW President’s Club Technician. German Master Tech’s co-founder and past partner, Jay Audia, won the 07 SCCA Regional Championships for GT2 in his German Master Tech-prepared Panoz. The company’s third founder is one of Bend’s most passionate Porsche enthusiasts, John Audette.

“Restorations have been a large part of our focus,” said Morris, describing some of his company’s award winning roots. “From our very first restoration, a 58’ BMW Isetta 300, which we took to the Forest Grove Concours d’ Elegance in 05 and won our class, in addition to taking home the President’s Award, which was judged by Pacific College’s President as “the car the college student would most want to drive,” said Morris. “I drew on my past car show and restoration experience to pull off a surprise win. It was a good deal of timing and the right car, with the right colors. We stole the show with a micro car, it was great!” Morris said standing next to his red Porsche hot rod parked inside his shop. “Car shows and racing are my passions,” he said with a smile.
“Our tuning business is the best around,” continued Morris of the company’s capabilities. “The application of our developed performance packages to already great cars really creates a ‘wow’.” German Master Tech provides full warranty BMW performance upgrades as a Dinan-authorized dealer, and Porsche performance programs that take the 911 to the next level. “Our tuning business has led us to organized racing, which has been a life-long dream of mine.” Included in German Master Tech’s list of champion racing cars are a 64’ BMW 1800 TISA owned by Steve Walker of Salem. The 1800 TISA is BMW’s first post-war racer based on a production car in regional vintage racing. A 911 Porsche racer owned by Bend’s Mark Powell will be racing in one of the West Coast’s fastest growing amateur racing classes, Spec 911. “Mark’s car is special as it ties together the whole business: a restoration with an extreme tuning package.”

“German Master Tech has worked on all my cars, including a Range Rover, BMW, three Ferraris and a Porsche,” said Ervin Richards, a long-time German Master Tech customer. “I bring my cars here because they consistently do it better and because they’ve always gone way beyond the call of duty in their service and support of my vehicles.” “If I can bring it to German Master Tech,” said Richards, “I will.”
To learn more about German Master Tech, contact them directly at 541.322.9647.