Eurotuningnews.com

Looking for an affordable, yet spirited, track day car that also gives you a reasonable amount of comfort on the road? How about an Audi from the late Eighties to early Nineties? An Audi 80 or 100 maybe?

To give it a bit more performance off the line and through the gears a lightweight Fidanza flywheel would be the way to go.

Fidanza flywheels are machined from the highest quality aluminium and manufactured to deliver optimum tensile strength, heat dissipation and weight reduction. Their lighter weight helps improve off-the-line launchs and power pickup after changing gear, but Fidanza is careful to avoid the flywheel becoming too light. Each Fidanza flywheel is the product of careful calculations and extensive testing to ensure the formula is precisely right for the individual application.

Benefits:
• High performance and lighter weight to free additional horsepower
• Military grade fasteners for reliability and strength
• Bolt-on replaceable friction plate – no need to replace the compete flywheel when the friction surface
eventually wears out
• Stepped dowels
• Billet aluminium body
• Replaceable hardened 1050 steel ring gear
• Faster throttle response
• 40-60 percent lighter than stock for quicker acceleration
• Heat treated friction plate for optimum grip and long life

Fidanza flywheels for the 1988-1992 Audi 80/100 can be ordered as part number 112151 directly from www.fidanza.com at $425.87 (plus shipping and import tax).

For further details contact sales@fidanza.com

With temperatures in the UK hitting new heights you really don’t need unwanted heat from your work or leisure equipment adding to the discomfort.

DEI offers heat control kits for most ATVs and is constantly adding to its list of applications.

The latest release from the company is a heat control kit for the for Arctic Cat Wildcat XX.

The kits will reduce the amount of heat that enters the cabin from around the lower steering column in these popular side-by-side models. The kits also block dirt and mud from getting into the driver’s area to increase riding comfort and make for a cleaner and drier working environment.
 
The kits fit the 2018-2020 Wildcat XX models and feature precision CNC-cut heavy-duty rubber shields which are extremely durable and easy to install without affecting the Arctic Cat’s tilt steering function. 

Order as part number 902405 at £37.14 plus import tax and delivery.

For more information about this and DEI’s complete line of performance heat and sound control products, visit www.DesignEngineering.com.

To keep up with the very latest DEI product introductions and company news connect with DEI on Facebook or Twitter or subscribe to DEI’s You Tube channel.

With the Escort Mk 1 becoming more and more desirable, enthusiasts are now also considering the less common four door versions as prices of two door models climb ever higher.

This begs the question “where do you find the replacement parts that were exclusive to the four door model?” The answer, of course, is where you find all things related to classic Fords… Burton Power.

Burton is now offering door rubbers for the fixed quarter light windows used on both the front and rear doors of the Escort Mk1.

The front door fixed quarter light seals can be ordered as part number RUBB143 at £90.00 per pair including VAT and rear door fixed quarter light seals can be ordered as part number RUBB144 also at £90.00 per pair including VAT.

for further details contact Burton Power on 0208 554 2281
www.burtonpower.com

The original factory plastic oil filler cap was never one of Ford’s finest achievements. It often leaked oil through the breather, and it frequently came apart whilst removing to top up the oil was difficult to reassemble due to the plastic becoming hard and inflexible.

Now, Burton has its own version of the engine oil cap which is made from polished alloy. It incorporates a filter mesh and is breathable, just like the OE cap, but without the leaks and tendency to fall apart. The Burton oil cap not only fulfills a function as it also adds a bright styling highlight to the engine bay.

Burton Oil Filler Caps are available with an additional breather take-off as part number FP647 at £46.50 inc. VAT, or without a take-off as part number FP646 at £36.95 inc. VAT.

Ford used the same style of oil filler on a great number of its engines so the Burton oil caps will fit: Ford SOHC Pinto, Ford Pre-Crossflow OHV Kent, Ford Crossflow OHV Kent, Ford Taunus/Cologne V6, Ford Essex V4 and Ford Essex V6.

The caps will also fit numerous other makes which used Ford engines including:
• Caterham 7
• Gilburn Genie 2.5/3.0 V6 1966-1969 • Gilburn Invader 3.0 V6 1969-1973
• Marcos 1500 GT • Marcos GT 3.0 V6
• Morgan 4/4 1600 1.6 1968- • Morgan 4/4 1.0/1.3/1.5 1960-1968
• Reliant Scimitar GTE/GTC 2.8 V6 1979-1986 • Reliant Scimitar GT 2.5/3.0 V6 1966-1970
• Reliant Scimitar GTE 3.0 V6 1968-1979
• TVR 1600M 1.6 1972-1977 • TVR Tamsin 200 2.0 • TVR 280i/Tasmin 2.8 V6 1980-1987
• TVR S1 2.8 V6 1986-1988 • TVR 3000M, 3000S & Taimar 3.0 V6 1972-1979 and TVR
• Tuscan 3.0 V6 1969-1971

for further details contact Burton Power on 0208 554 2281
www.burtonpower.com

Having a secure battery is an important safety matter and something which is checked during an MoT test. Now that testing is no longer mandatory for most classic Minis this safety requirement is something that could easily get overlooked.

Fortunately, Mini Spares can now offer a complete battery retaining set to fit pre 1990 Minis which had shorter battery bolts.

The kit can be order as HAM2457FK at £39.88 inc VAT.

Mini Spares can also supply the individual parts on their own as well as similar parts for later Minis.

For more details contact Mini Spares on
+44 1707 607700 or visit their website: www.minispares.com

Scorching heat, packed grandstands, plenty of action on the racetrack and double reason to celebrate for ABT Sportsline: René Rast was the only driver to achieve a podium result in both races at the DTM season highlight at the Norisring and thus made a big step forward in the standings. After the first half of the season, the three-time DTM champion is only ten points behind championship leader Mirko Bortolotti (Lamborghini) and one point behind Sheldon van der Linde (BMW) in third place in the standings.

Team ABT Sportsline put in a strong performance at their home DTM race right from the start. In qualifying on Saturday, Kelvin van der Linde’s fastest time ensured the third pole position in a row for an ABT Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II in the DTM.

However, in a chaotic Saturday race in which only eleven of the 27 drivers saw the chequered flag, van der Linde was attacked extremely hard and hit hard on the rear several times by competitors. In the process, his ABT Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II was so badly damaged that van der Linde had to retire from the race early.

René Rast secured third place after a tough duel with Porsche driver Dennis Olsen, although his left rear tyre continuously lost air after the pitstop and Rast feared the tyre could blow at any time.

Ricardo Feller also scored points on his Norisring debut on Saturday in eighth place despite 25 kilograms of extra weight. On Sunday, the Swiss experienced a similar early phase as Kelvin van der Linde on the previous day: after several hits at the rear, the Swiss had to retire.

Kelvin van der Linde did not see the chequered flag on Sunday either. The second gear of his car got stuck shortly before the end of the race.

René Rast, meanwhile, improved from sixth on the grid to third, making him the only driver to achieve a double podium at the Norisring weekend. His race engineer Felix Fechner then formed Rast’s starting number 33 from the two Norisring trophies in the pits.

ABT Sportsline’s tally at half-time: two wins (Rast and Feller), three pole positions, a total of five podiums and best chances in the title fight.

After a long summer break, the second half of the season begins on the last weekend in August at the Nürburgring. A total of eight more races are scheduled before the champion is crowned on 9 October at the Hockenheimring.

Extreme E returns – twice over: this week, the off-road racing series for purely-electric SUVs will be hosting two races in Sardinia (Italy): The third round of the season will be run on Wednesday and Thursday (July 6/7), followed by the fourth round on Saturday and Sunday (July 9/10). After a challenging start to the season, ABT CUPRA XE wants to use the double-header in Italy to bring home the first trophies of the year. Jutta Kleinschmidt and Nasser Al-Attiyah, who take turns in the cockpit of the CUPRA Tavascan XE, have prepared themselves during testing and are eager to attack.

The course is 6.019 kilometres long and is located on a military training area on the south coast of Sardinia. The venue also hosted an Extreme E race last year. Apart from a few sections, the course is identical to that of the previous year. Back then, with Mattias Ekström at Jutta Kleinschmidt’s side, ABT CUPRA XE scored its first trophy there in the series, which was only founded in 2021. This year, the races will be held in July instead of September: So the drivers can not only expect an extremely dry, hard and dusty surface, but also temperatures well beyond the 30-degree Celsius mark.

While the cars in Extreme E are technically identical, ABT CUPRA XE decided to go its own way when it comes to the look of the car: the CUPRA design department developed its own interpretation of the bodywork for the 540-hp rally car, which is called the CUPRA Tavascan XE and immediately caused a sensation. Before the appearance in Sardinia, the teams received an extensive technical update on the rear end of the car, which on the one hand is to increase the reliability of the car and on the other hand provides for more docile behaviour during the sometimes spectacular jumps. Jutta Kleinschmidt and Nasser Al-Attiyah tried out the modifications during three days of testing in Barcelona.

With its two races within a few days – a novelty in the still young Extreme E – the appearance in Sardinia is considered the highlight of the season. The interest from national and international media is great and numerous guests from the manufacturers and sponsors have also announced their attendance. ABT partner CUPRA alone has invited guests from five different markets. ABT CEO Thomas Biermaier will also be supporting the team on site, together with sports marketing boss Harry Unflath.

In Extreme E, ten teams – including those of former Formula 1 world champions Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg – are competing for the championship. One woman and one man each take turns at the wheel. After the season opener in Saudi Arabia in February and the two races in Sardinia, there are two more destinations on the calendar: Chile in September and the finale on the coast of Uruguay in November.

The Norisring race weekend is coming up this week (Saturday and Sunday, both live on ProSieben from 1 PM CEST). It is the highlight of the DTM season and the home race of ABT Sportsline. The Bavarian team has already celebrated highly emotional victories in the DTM on the short 2.3-kilometre street circuit at the Dutzendteich in Nuremberg, but has also shed a tear or two. Team Principal and CEO Thomas Biermaier looks back on the history.

What can the DTM fans look forward to at the Norisring weekend?
A pure motorsport festival. What the ITR has put together with all of the other series is worthy of all honour. According to the weather forecast, we’re in for a hot weekend. With all the concrete, the Norisring will be like an oven. There could also be thunder and lightning. We’ve experienced just about everything at the Norisring. I’m looking forward to great races, lots of excitement and hopefully a home victory for ABT Sportsline.

There will be split qualifying sessions with two groups for the first time – is this a good idea?
I think it makes perfect sense with so many cars on the short track. It’s fairer for everyone, otherwise we’d have a big problem with “blocking”.

The Norisring is a home race for ABT Sportsline and Audi. Is there also a home advantage?
Not really. There were many years when ABT and Audi didn’t win anything at the Norisring, even though we were almost always up front. But there are also many Norisring moments that we look back on with pleasure. When I think of our first victory in 2002 with Laurent Aiello, I still get goose bumps. After last year, we have something to make up for at the Norisring. We are looking forward to it.

A new book about the 22 years of ABT Sportsline in the DTM will be published at the Norisring and distributed to friends of the company and partners. Which Norisring stories do you remember most fondly, and which ones not so much?
The absolute highlight was the race in 2002, wherein we fought for 72 laps with Bernd Schneider, the most successful DTM driver of all time. Laurent Aiello overtook him in the last corner and clinched the victory. A particularly nice moment was also in 2013, when Mattias Ekström crossed the finish line as the Norisring winner. We celebrated that exuberantly in parc-fermé. A few hours later, it turned into the most bitter moment with the disqualification due to the water bottle affair.

Back to the current season: What is your overall impression of the DTM 2022 shortly before the end of the first half of the season?
Everything is very close together. You have to work on every little detail to be at the front. We have great drivers, good teams and many manufacturers. The races could be a bit more exciting now and then. But that’s a bit due to the fact that we have a relatively good Balance of Performance and many extremely good drivers. Overtaking is simply difficult, but I’m sure that we’ll see a lot of action and interesting races, not only at the Norisring.

What a weekend for ABT Sportsline in the DTM! At the Italian round of the popular racing series at the famous Imola circuit, the team from Kempten won both races from pole position – these were victories number 72 and 73 for Team ABT Sportsline in the DTM.

The first race on Saturday was won by René Rast. For the three-time DTM Champion, it was already victory number 25 in the DTM and yet a very special one: it was his first victory for ABT Sportsline and the first in the DTM with a GT3 car.

Rast laid the foundation for his first triumph with the ABT Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II with a perfect lap in qualifying. In the race, he successfully fended off an attack from Nico Müller in the first corner and was dispatched much quicker by his ABT crew during the pit stop. Rast was then able to control the pace at the front and bring the victory home in commanding fashion. As a result, the German, who lives in Austria, made a big leap forward in the overall DTM standings and is now definitely one of the title contenders.

On Sunday, the big Ricardo Feller show followed: The Swiss drove three thousandths of a second faster in qualifying than Rast the day before although all Audi R8 LMS cars had to add 25 kilograms overnight after an adjustment of the “Balance of Performance” (BoP). Feller had studied videos and data of his two teammates in the evening and found crucial tenths of a second.

From pole position, however, Feller had to fight hard for his first victory in the DTM – first against Felipe Fraga in the Ferrari, which was much faster on the straights, and then against his fellow Audi driver Dev Gore. The youngster from Team ABT Sportsline prevailed in both fights and then controlled the pace at the front in a similarly commanding manner as René Rast the day before.

On Sunday, Rast had to retire shortly after the start with a puncture on the right rear – a fate that had also befallen Ricardo Feller the day before. The Swiss therefore tried to conserve his tires as much as possible at the front of the field on Sunday. After crossing the finish line, the cool Swiss even made a deal with team boss Thomas Biermaier over the radio: Feller will finally get the long-awaited ABT power upgrade for his Audi RS 6.

With a fifth place on Saturday despite a loose rear wheel, Kelvin van der Linde also scored points at Imola. On Sunday, the South African had to settle for 13th place.

The DTM continues in just 14 days with ABT Sportsline’s home race at the Norisring in Nuremberg.

The DTM will be racing at Imola in Emilia-Romagna next weekend (Saturday and Sunday, both races from 1 PM CEST on ProSieben). Kelvin van der Linde will not be travelling by plane to “Bella Italia” this time. The South African, who lives near Kempten, has been provided with an ABT RS6-S by his team, in which he sets off from Kempten on his way to Imola. His brother Sheldon accompanies him on the road trip. The two have created quite a few headlines in recent weeks.

Congratulations on winning the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring. How important was this success after the difficult DTM weekend at the Lausitzring?
A victory in this race is always something very special. For me, it was the second victory at the Nürburgring after 2017. I know by now what great importance this race has in the German motorsport scene and how difficult it is to win the thing. After the low at the Lausitzring, the victory was of course perfect to get my confidence back and to know that I haven’t forgotten how to drive. Sometimes you need that kind of motivation in this rollercoaster ride through the motorsport world.

How many congratulations did you get?
I was really surprised. It’s crazy how much there is on social media these days, especially on Instagram. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to answer all of that in person. I can only say a big thank you to the fans.

Now it’s back to the DTM. Have you found out what happened at the Lausitzring in the meantime?
Yes – and first of all I have to thank the team. It showed once again how strong this team is. Nobody doubted me. We sat down together in the company first thing on Monday morning and discussed how to find out what the problem was. The first suggestion was that we go testing, which is extremely difficult at the moment because there are no tyres. But we did it anyway and went to Hockenheim with four mechanics. We did it super-small, but at the end of the day, good things came out of it. We found out that there was a knot in the Lausitzring set-up. We found that out first thing in the morning and I went into the pits with a grin on my face. From that moment on, I was sure that things would go forward again at Imola. We now know what things we have to pay attention to, especially with the new evo package and hope that something like what occurred at the Lausitzring won’t happen to us again.

You probably also realised at the Lausitzring that you can’t afford the slightest weakness in the 2022 DTM season.
Quite clearly. We’re talking about details that might bring three tenths of a second. But these three tenths of a second that I was missing compared to Ricardo (Feller) and René (Rast) make up ten, twelve places. Last year, you might still have been able to finish in the top ten or even in the top five. This year, everything really has to be perfect on both sides: the driver, as well as the car. But as I said, the Lausitzring has made us even stronger. As a team, we didn’t start doubting each other, but looked at the facts and tried to find a solution. That was strong and positive.