CTSCC - APR pulls amazing 1-2 finish at Watkins Glen

Against all odds APR Motorsport pulled out a fantastic 1-2 finish at Watkins Glen this past weekend. Considering how things were at the start, this seems almost impossible to believe. APR has always seemed to do well at Watkins, with their first Continental Tire victory coming at the track in 2009. All three APR VW GTIs started from the back of the pack. The #171 championship car of Ian Baas and Ryan Ellis had an engine let go in qualifying which meant they started at the back of the pack.



The 181 and new 161 Mk5 GTI (replacing the now-retired / written-off GS class S4) were moved to the back of the pack for a technical infraction of some sort, which was doubly disappointing as the Gleason brothers in the 181 and Nate Norenberg in the 161 (along with Josh Hurley) were set to start 3rd in ST.

Despite all that, the team regrouped and passed the entire ST field and ended up at the front of the pack. That's 55 cars! The equivalent of starting from the back and passing the entire field for victory at Le Mans from a number of cars passed standpoint.



The final finish was the 181 in first, 161 in second, and 171 in 31st. Ian lost the driver's championship points lead after suspension problems set them back in the field.



Although it's unfortunate for Ian to get bumped from the lead of the driver's championship, APR and VW remain in very strong positions, with VW retaining the manufacturer lead by one point over Mazda, and APR sitting fourth in team points. Ryan Ellis remains in the top five in the driver's championship.

With four events remaining it's crucial for APR to keep it together and finish strong in every event.

For more: www.grand-am.com / www.aprmotorsport.com

_WRS

Before the storm

Some of us (Josh) fared a little better with the snow and didn't lose any body parts, or get stuck. But then I wasn't about to leave at 8am Sunday morning to beat the storm like he did, at least not on 3.5 hours of sleep, so I suppose I shouldn't complain. Others had more gumption, not to mention more dependents (Cats tend not to do well without food and water), so getting locked out of NYC by 20"+ of snow wasn't much of an option for him and Yuko.

On a side note, I think I just realized I prefer Mk5s to Mk6s? Not sure, but it certainly looks more purposeful. Maybe it's just the fact it's a Golf rather than a GTI...

Pic: Yuko

_WRS

Home for the Holidays

Being back in freezing Baltimore for Christmas meant the obligatory visit to The Wiz car wash to rinse off the Winter grime. Here's to hoping you and yours have a safe and happy holiday season.

_WRS

Results: CTSCC EMCO Gears Classic at Mid Ohio

APR Motorsport has continued their upward trajectory with a 2nd place finish in class at this weekend's EMCO Gears Classic at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course. The number 171 Mk5 GTI 2.0t, piloted by Josh Hurley / Kevin Stadtlander were on the podium for the second time in as many races, only just being nudged out by the Bimmerworld 328i who managed to take the ST class win. The #181 had a fair showing, now with a revised driver line-up featuring Ian Baas and Mike Halpin, ending up in 14th position in class.

The #01 S4 and #91 Mk6 GTI were both MIA this past weekend for reasons left unknown, but it seems the reduced strain on the team has perhaps allowed them to focus on the already sorted (and successful) Mk5 GTIs that carried over from the past year. It will be interesting to see what APR decides to do for the rest of the year, whether they decide to remain strictly in ST for the rest of the year, or branch back out into a four car effort.

_WRS

Sources: APR Motorsport / Grand Am

Video Post: In-car from Watkins Glen with Josh Hurley (APR)

I'd like to apologize for my super slacking of updates about the APR gang and their efforts in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. It's not for lack of caring, mainly just lack of time. (and let's face it, the Le Mans 24 is going to take pretty much any and all focus that I can muster from initial testing and practice, until that checker flag drops on Sunday afternoon.)

APR has not had the break-out year they were likely hoping to have, or continue, after numurous successes last year. Like so many other series, it would seem that legislation which puts turbo motors at a disadvantage has continued to keep the GTIs down on power in ST, and combined with bad luck it's been enough to keep them out of the winner's circle. There have finally been some podium appearances however, so it's not all for naught.

Lime Rock Park saw the 181 car combo of Hurley / Stadtlander just get nudged out of a podium spot, with a 4th place result, but the following weekend at Watkins Glen they managed 3rd in class after having lead for a good portion of time.


This weekend the CTSCC teams are at Mid-Ohio Sports Car course, and it's not looking good so far. Of all four APR cars, only two show up on the qualifying sheets, and only one of those is actually locked into a position, with the #171 Mk5 GTI (now piloted by Baas / Halpin) coming into 24th position and the 181 as not having a qualifying time. It would appear that the #01 S4 (and #91 Mk6) has been put on the shelf for the time being. I'll try and find out a little bit about that, but I suppose the effort of fielding a full 4 cars, in two classes has proven to be more than the APR team can muster, at least for now.

The race is scheduled for 1:15pm start tomorrow, EST.

_WRS

Video Post: In-car from Homestead with Josh Hurley

Since we recently sampled a video of the crankandpiston.com Mk5 GTI, I figured it'd be nice to take a peek at one from this past weekend's Homestead 200 here in the states. This lap is on board the CTSCC ST Class APR GTI Mk5 (bit of a mouthful eh?), with Josh Hurley behind the wheel.



For those that don't recall, a communication problem meant that the #181 had to start from pit lane, but Josh and co-driver Kevin Stadtlander made their way up to a solid 5th place finish by the end of the event. As they say, consistency wins championships, and it sure would be nice to see it brought home to VW in 2010.

Catch the race on SpeedTV today at 1:00 pm!

_WRS

Crank and Piston Mk5 GTI - updated!

Crank and Piston did a little post on their facebook page the other day asking what their readers would like to see more of. I wasn't so sure about everyone else, but I knew what I wanted to get the current status on and I said so...and low and behold, we now have more info on their Mk5 GTI touring car just the next day! As you'll recall, I ran a little post on that a while back. I'll withhold all the details, you have to go over to their site for that, but take a peek at this in-car video for how it does on track. It's an impressive beast, and the on-track action in the UAE Touring Car Championship looks intense to say the least.

CrankandPiston Racing // Rd5 // UAE Touring Cars from crankandpiston on Vimeo.

Check out more at Crankandpiston.com.

_WRS

Results: Homestead 200 CTSCC

Today saw a fair performance from APR in today's Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Homestead 200. After putting the supercharged direct-injected S4 into the third spot, a ride height infraction saw the car moved to the back of the pack and it did not start when the green flag dropped at 1pm. Whether or not APR chose not to start in protest, had problems, or were completely disqualified remains to be seen. The pole-winning #20 Roush Performance Ford Mustang GT was also penalized for an illegal part, but ended up going on to win today's event.

In ST the two APR Mk5 GTIs started towards the back of the field, and slowly but surely moved up. The#181 Stadtlander/ Hurley car managed a solid 5th place as the checkered flag waved, with the #171 in 18th position.

I'll try and find out more info this week, but so far 2010 continues to be a tough year for APR's efforts in Grand Am.

_WRS

CrankandPiston.com Mk5 GTI

When I was poking around for information to keep up on the Dubai 24 hour a few weeks back I happened upon Crank and Piston, an all-things-automotive site based in Dubai, with connections to the UK and Australia. They have a lot of nice, high quality original content, so I recommend checking them out on general principle, but my personal favorite item on display over there is the C+P Mk5 GTI touring car.



Although I don't have specs on the series in which the car runs, the UAE Touring Car Championship, there is clearly a very wide range of machinery...Porsches, VWs, Seats, and even a few old EG Honda Civics. Certainly enough to keep things interesting, and very similar to the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge but with perhaps a more loose set of rules on which to base your modifications.



Indeed, it almost seems that anything goes with regards to what you can and can't add or remove. Dashboards, whatever, toss it out!



Things which are banned from the CTSCC, such non-OEM calipers, are allowed here. Power wise, higher boost levels, larger turbos, and aftermarket intake systems are all fair game. (APR's Mk5 GTIs for example, run the stock air boxes believe it or not.)



The C+P car doesn't run a larger blower, just ECU tweaks and some other modest items for more consistent, reliable power, relying on superior handling to get the job done, and as they say "annoy the guys out there spending big money on their cars."



Not that small money appears to have been spent on their GTI, but it's also not been done with unlimted funds either. I will say that it adheres to my number one rule of race cars, which is to look good while you're on the track. I'd like to think if I had the funds to do this sort of build mine would have a similar theme. Car owner Phil McGovern states he is life long VW and Porsche fan, much like the crew here at Der Wolfsburg Rennsport.



What's the line from Saturday Night Live? It's better to look good than to feel good? Well I say it's better to podium with style than to win without it. I know a lot of people would argue with me on that one, but anything worth doing is worth doing with style... The Team Dynamics wheels, chassis set up with AST suspension, and the gleaming white paint are really quite appealing.



If you're looking for some great photography and a snap-shot of car culture in the UAE and beyond, Crank and Piston is well worth a visit. Their Mk5 is currently undergoing a wide fender conversion, complete with a huge front splitter and revised aero package (flat underfloor and more) so perhaps they've got more under the hood as well, but so far details have not been revealed.



For more information on the car, including sponsors, builder, etc:

CrankandPiston.com

_WRS

Tagging along

I was put on 'assistant' duty for a Photoshoot that Josh had to do yesterday, and while I was standing around during all the static shots, I took the opportunity to take some pics of his Mk5. Winter can be a real pain the ass to deal with from time to time...brutally cold, hard on cars and equipment (not to mention people) and short days followed by long cold nights. It's enough to drive anyone to the brink, but it does have one thing: Good light.



Now, I'm far from a professional here, but I have picked up a few things in all my years of being drafted into the helper position for Josh's photoshoots, and I know good light when I see it. Capturing it is another thing altogether, but hey, I'm learning. (and yes I know these were all shot in the shadows..I was trying to get the 'setting sun vibe')



The main duty of the helper position usually involves a bit more hustle than yesterday's shoot, but that's often because there are cars about to run someone over, or bags to move, whatever. This was a pretty low-key process, so my main duty was navigator during the moving shots.



I've gotten pretty good, and can get close enough for the wide-angle shots to would make the Blue Angels proud.



Josh's shoot will appear in a future issue of Total 911. (it's a Porsche mag from the UK)





Despite the wind, which was cutting through us like an axe through butter, it was a good day, and nice to be able to get off from work early to enjoy the time outside.

_WRS

Is winter over yet?

Because it's depressing to open up the garage to this...

Winter battle mode: Part 2

So it's been snowing a lot here in the north east the past few weeks. It was pretty intense. This is not the sort of scene you want to wake up to when you have 6 hours to drive and you're on summer performance tires.



Luckily Project Mk5 made it home safe and sound from the icy great white north, despite the poor tire choice, and Josh managed to capture some great artistic shots along the way. Such as:

treading lightly (thank god for Anti-lock and traction control)

spin art salt dirt rims

and

froze up icy 19s

I've been trying to forget how cold it is outside by remembering the good times this past summer. And nothing says summer like a red-hot BBQ with some delicious meats and some Tiki drinks to keep you cool...



I feel warmer already.

_WRS

FULL SIZE over at the Flickr pages

Battling the weather

There's something I've always liked about a car which has spent time battling the elements to reach a destination. Covered in snow, dirt, ice, salt, slammed to the ground and on summer tires, but making it there in one piece. I've learned my lesson a long time ago about summer tires in winter weather (which is why my Falken 615's aren't on the car right now), but Josh still pushes that limit. Perhaps not the smartest thing to do, but the car looks good on the Lambo reps in the snow.

_WRS

Weekend in Upstate NY: Mk5 Gti vs RS4

Half of the WRS team went upstate over Labor Day weekend for some much needed RnR. We were able to stay with a friend who has an amazing house in a remote area, it's quite scenic and there are plenty of back roads for some spirited driving. Yuko and Tony went along, and with all of our gear it was a good test for my slightly adjusted suspension setup. Its taken a while, and a bunch of small changes to get to the current state of tune, and now I'm pretty happy with the setup. In addition to the house, our friend drives an Audi RS4... a beast of a car, and a true wolf in (mostly) sheeps clothing. I think the pair looks pretty good together in the rugged outdoors! I'll get to the RS4 later, first a bit about my ongoing project 2006 Gti.

Serious dust!

It seems somewhat unbelievable to me, but I've managed to have 3 sets of tires on these wheels [Hartmann G5 Gallardo replica] in 2 years. I started with Nitto 235/35/19 and it was obvious fairly quickly that they were TOO BIG for the ET 42 of these early production models. The front fenders were rolled, and some minor trimming was done in the rear so that I could make Waterfest 2007. After the show, I made another trip south to Lufteknic before H20 to mount a set of Dunlop 215/35/19's that did not rub AT ALL. I dropped the front of the car a bit, and in hindsight could have/should have gone much lower. (Nate and Robert talked me out of it, they are more sensible I suppose?). With 215's you could probably go down a lot with the 19 x 8 ET 42 wheels and still keep the car drivable... the 'slammed Mk2' in me wants to try that for the fourth set of tires. I seriously had 5 people deep in there and it was rub free. The tiny 215's did however fall victim to the Cross Bronx Expressway, and I bubbled one of the front tires pretty badly. It took me a while to figure this out (I thought the rim was bent, there was a lot of vibration), and because the damage was on the inside I drove for a few months like this. I'm extremely glad the tire never blew out!

For 2009 I painted the wheels gloss black, and mounted Dunlop 225/35/19's. I spun down the coils a little more before the drive upstate (1/8" in front, 3/8" in the rear), and the car finally has a somewhat proper stance that might not be "Vortex approved", but it looks good, and still has it's handling/city capabilities pretty much intact. These 225's ride noticeably better than the 215's did, but they do rub a bit on the bigger highway dips in both the front and back. Honestly, it handles the Manhattan/Queens city driving admirably, and rides better than one would expect. I've had Vogtland coilovers since the car was practically new, and they have handled 40k miles with no problems. As it sits, there are less than an inch of threads left to go down...but I don't need to go any lower and sacrifice utility.

The RS4

This RS4 lives a busy and somewhat hard life. Unlike many examples of this fairly rare car (2500 imported to the US) which are likely pampered, this particular RS4 is daily driven in Manhattan (!) and is treated basically like any other car. It's not exactly abused, but the owner has a certain detachment from the fact that this car is pretty special. I like the fact that it is treated in such a utilitarian way, but it could be washed once in a while, to be honest. A Weimaraner is usually riding shotgun, or sitting in the dog blanket covered rear seats (the claw marks on the seats are a bit distressing). It makes the 3.5 hour trip upstate several times a month... in all conditions. Snow tires are fitted in the winter on the factory wheels to deal with the feet of snow this area gets.

One bonus that comes from this "it's just a car" way of thinking, is that I usually get to take the car on extended drives to pick up whatever is needed at the house. Because everything is so far away, this means 40 mile round trips on some great mountain back roads, and it is a treat to be able to drive an RS4 somewhere it can really shine. I don't push anywhere near the limit on the curves, the cars capabilities are WAY beyond what I need to be doing in someone else's ride, but I have run through the gears well up into 5th on the straighter sections. The sound of that V8 is amazing and the car is pretty damn fast... not the fastest (if I'm going to be jaded the similarly powered 996 GT3 seemed like it was quicker) but the whole package is pretty intoxicating. Compared to my Mk5 everything about the car seems more solid and capable: shifting, brakes, motor, the Quattro (as you would expect) and Yuko is much more tolerant of high speeds and cornering in this car than in the Gti.

Honestly though after driving both back to back on the same roads, you can really see the things the cars have in common. My Gti's interior quality/design and capabilities hold up surprisingly well overall, and the fact that I can hop in my car after driving such a beast and not be totally depressed is kind of amazing. It might seem crazy but I don't know if I would rather have the RS4 over my car... The gas mileage is terrible and I prefer the looks of a hatchback over a sedan, if it were an Avant there would be no contest.

_JB

The road that leads to the house could be a gravel rally stage.

The final round from Watkins Glen: Best of the rest

We're finally in the home stretch of coverage from our one-day blitz to Watkins Glen, and it strikes me that I took pretty much no pictures of VWs. Mainly because there were none on the track, and that's where my main focus was. Josh did take some, so maybe he can log in and share, because there were more mint condition Scirocco 1s than I have ever seen, anywhere. All driven by guys who were probably original owners to boot. So Josh, any pics to share?

One of the main reasons we drove over 10 hours in one day was to go cheer on a friend of ours who was racing that weekend. Alan campaigns an MGB and does quite a bit of racing on the vintage circuit. I don't know the exact specs on the car, but I can tell you it's about a 1.6, makes good power and really sounds great running around the circuit.

Better still it looks great. After all let's face it, a race car should be fast, but it should also look great doing that. And lest you think vintage means slow or not exciting, you're 100% mistaken, for many competitors really let it all hang out from start to finish, which makes for a very exciting, and enjoyable day.

Although the races are short, vintage events are really worth checking out. Not only do you get to see an incredible array of rare street vehicles parked in and around the paddock, you get to see the whole of motorsport before it became as sterile as it sometimes seems today.

Big, loud and insanely fast American V8s thundering around in lightweight Lola chassis. Trans Am Mustangs, Camaros and Corvettes, Porsches of all shapes and sizes, and pretty much anything else you can think of. From championship winning 914-6 Porsches to ex-NASCAR tube frame monsters.


The WRS MK5 project did quite well on the drive up and back, providing smooth transport to weary travelers, and it got a bit of attention in the pits as well.

Anyways, back to our regularly scheduled programming soon....H2O International is just over week away! Needless to say there are a TON of additional pics, in much larger sizes, over on the Wolfsburg Rennsport Flickr page.

_WRS