driver`s seat - ATS

MARCH 2015
30 Schoongezicht Rd, Bergbron, Johannesburg • Tel: 011 670 8400 • e-mail: [email protected] • www.ats-motorsport.co.za
DRIVER’S SEAT
THE END of 2014 and the beginning
of 2015 has been a sad time for our
media friends, and has seen the
passing of three prominent journalists,
all of whom had left a mark on local
motorsport.
Both Ben van Rensburg and Roger
Swan passed away in December, the
former a passionate Afrikaans
motoring journalist and newspaper
man, who loved rallying and red wine
in equal measure. Roger, father of rally
co-driver Carolyn, made a huge impression in motorsport photography over
the decades and was the benchmark
for an entire generation of ‘snappers’.
Most recently, Peter Burroughes
passed away after a long battle with
cancer, and leaves a big hole when it
comes to motorsport journalism:
whatever the discipline, Peter was
interested in it and sought to promote
its participants with dedication and
thoroughness. Few people wore a
bowtie with more aplomb.
The common thread was that they
were all passionate about the sport,
whether it be the people, the cars, or
the actual competition. They seem to
be the last of a generation, and it is
sad to see how empty press rooms are
at events, and how generally conspicuous by their absence journalists are
nowadays.
On a brighter note, the first race of
the 2015 Engen VW Cup, and their first
on Dunlops, got off to a good start at
Zwartkops on February 21. We’ve had
excellent feedback from competitors
and look forward to adding value to
the championship in the course of the
year!
Robin Houghton
www.ats-motorsport.co.za
WIN, BUT IF
YOU DON’T WIN,
GET HOME SAFE…
RACETECH PRIDES ITSELF on making
lightweight racing seats that set standards
– especially safety standards. Many people
remember the fiery V8 Supercars startline
crash in Perth, Australia some years back:
http://au.fastanddangerous.blogs.topgear.com/
2011/05/01/incredible-v8-crash-in-wa/, and experts
reckon the strength of the seat (which barely moved
despite the 37G impact) was a significant
factor in the survival of driver Karl Reindler.
Local racers who use Racetech include Anthony
Taylor in his Cross Country series SP truck, and Audi
pilot Gennaro Bonafede, whose slender 6’ 5” frame traditionally
made finding the right seat a problem. Racetech’s 119 and 129 backmounted seats are the flagship models and both come in a variety of height and width
sizes, the latter complying with the exceptionally tough FIA 8862-2009 standard.
This premium-quality New Zealand brand has been at the forefront of seat design
since 1992 and made their first FIA-homologated seat in 1996.
Ergonomics and overall driver comfort are areas on which Racetech has focussed
since day one, with the back-mount design of the high-end models allowing the seat to
be attached to the rollcage at shoulder level, for improved safety in sideways and
oblique impacts, and also enhanced driver feel of the car (thanks to the exceptionally
rigid mounting).
Racetech have recently revamped their website, http://racetechseats.com/ which is
now more user-friendly. Also, check out this short video, which very succinctly sums up
the company’s philosophy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtG3Z4pVOKY and
shows you what happens to you and your seat when your vehicle stops suddenly…
YOUR NAME IN LIGHTS…
CIBIE’S LED SPOTLIGHTS are finally in stock at ATS, and they have certainly been worth
waiting for! We kick off our Cibié LED offering with three auxiliary high beam driving
lights: the Oscar 180mm (7-inch) and two versions of the 230mm (9-inch) Super Oscar.
The smaller diameter unit is rated at 700 Lumen, and the Super Oscar at a class-leading
1 200 Lumen. The top-spec Super Oscar incorporates a daytime running light as a
zhorizontal bar through the centre of the light. All feature a satin black aluminium body,
and a striking chrome bezel.
Cibié’s new LED lights are designed and manufactured to operate
reliably in the toughest environmental conditions, so they’re
exceptionally rugged. For example, the standard
corrosion-resistance test they undergo requires exposure to 400 hours of salt spray, and the
water-resistance test includes being swamped
in 30 centimetres of water for a total of one
hour, made up of four 15 minute sequences. With years of hard work in mind,
the mounting hardware is designed
around a 3 mm thick steel bracket.
Pricing for the Oscar starts at a recommended retail price of R3 570.18 each,
with the Super Oscar starting at R4 640.35.
The flagship Super Oscar with daytime running strip is R4 995.61. All prices exclude VAT.
Take a look at the Cibie video on YouTube to
learn more about this exciting range of spotlights
http://youtu.be/LT73AiBRI0w
NEWS
Ford’s Mustang is coming our way,
and it’s bound to have plenty of
power. And if it needs more stopping power we can help: as the
South African agent for Brembo,
we can offer the GT-R upgrade,
which consists of callipers, discs,
brake lines, calliper mounting
brackets, and brake pads. Yours
for R135 000.
The GT-R kit is in fact available
for a number of performance cars
and all that changes in most cases
is the calliper mounting bracket
with everything else pretty much
a direct replacement requiring
minimal technical ability.
American Racer remains one of the
leaders when it comes to slick tyres
aimed at the budget buyer, and
the new SC2100 construction
which arrived in January has been
well-received by those who used it
at Zwartkops’ annual classic-fest.
It’s available in 20x7x13, 20x8x13,
21x10x13 sizes and also in 15-inch
diameter measuring 23.5x10-15.
The medium/soft compound is
unchanged from previous models,
but with the upgraded construction there’s now stability (for
heavier cars) as well as grip.
With pricing starting from
R1 500 excluding VAT it represents
a very cost-effective solution.
www.ats-motorsport.co.za
Q&A WITH IAIN PEPPER
MY FATHER WAS INVOLVED in motorsport in the UK and my grandfather before him so
when my dad came to South Africa it was only natural that we should remain involved with my kids now racing, we have had four generations of Peppers in the sport! In 1965
my father and a few mates built the first-ever grass track at Brickor – I still have his original licence and a picture of the start of the first race.
My first taste of ‘racing’ was on a bicycle at Hector
Norris Park, which my mom put an end to after a big
crash in which I cracked my skull. I got into motorcross in the late 1980s but moved to Formula Vee
after breaking my back. I progressed to Formula GTi
and was on the grid for the first ever Polo Cup race.
From there it was on to Production Cars, where I won
my first ever national championship.
I gave up racing about four years ago to concentrate on Tasmin and Jordan and the other drivers in
Pepper Racing, which also means I have more time for
golf, mountain-biking and flying large-scale aerobatic
aeroplanes. Our success in racing wouldn’t have been
possible without the support of my wife, Cheryl, my
dad and second daughter, Morgan.
QUESTIONS
Star sign: Aries
Marital status/partner’s name: Married to Cheryl for 25 years
Date of birth: 16/04/1963
Strengths as a competitor: Never give up until it’s over
Weaknesses as a competitor: A bit of a hot-head (okay, not a bit – very hot-headed!)
Claim to fame: I don’t really have one, but I have had great joy helping youngsters go
forward in their motorsport careers
Favourite food: Steak, chips and salad
Favourite drink: Old Brown Sherry, Klipdrift and Coke
Favourite music: James Blunt
Favourite motorsport event and why: The British Grand Prix – such an awesome
event and everyone speaks English! I have been fortunate enough to go to nine of them
Favourite competition machine and why: In 1995 I raced a Reynard F3000, in which
I set my fastest ever lap of Kyalami: 1min28.8 seconds
Motorsport role models: My father Dave Pepper, Neville Riddell, and John Love.
Not Graeme Nathan
Motorsport stars of the future: My son - Jordan, Kelvin and Sheldon van der Linde,
Brad Binder. All of them are 100 percent dedicated and have made real sacrifices to
focus on becoming professionals in their chosen categories
Goals for 2015: To see one of my drivers win the Engen VW Cup and for Jordan to win
the ADAC GT Masters with C Abt Racing and Audi
Day Job: Owner of Pepson Plastics
and Pepper Racing
NEWS
We’re proud to announce that the
four Ferodo/Champion-sponsored
drivers in the Engen VW Cup are
all wearing the new Sparco RS5
double-layer suit, as well as Sparco
boots, gloves and fireproof undies.
It certainly seemed to work for
Sheldon van der Linde, who got
his title defence off to good start
with a brace of wins at Zwartkops
on February 21.
MARCH SPECIAL
So what you actually want is a
new helmet. Maybe you need
one… in fact, your faithful lid may
have expired and might cause you
to fail scrutineering at your next
track appearance. If that’s the
case, then best you buy a new one
now – they have a ‘best before’
date for a reason!
But new or old, helmet care
includes keeping it clean and
we’re selling
Liqui Moly’s
Interior Helmet
Cleaner for a
mere R75.00
including VAT.
It’s a spray
foam, and will
remove sweat
stains, grime
and grease,
and also kill
the bacteria
that makes
your helmet
smell baaaad!
And it won’t
affect paint,
metal or plastic
in the process.