BTM Motorwerks Perseveres at the USTCC Season Opener at Buttonwillow
BTM Motorwerks Owner/Operator and racer Brad McClure drove his Porsche 996 to a 4th place finish Saturday evening narrowly missing a podium finish in the opening race of the 2014 United States Touring Car Championship. The 2-Hour Twilight enduro held on the 2.75 mile Classic Course at Buttonwillow Raceway Park started in the daylight at 6:20 p.m. and ended two hours later in the pitch-dark.
As reigning 2013 USTCC Champion in the TC class, Brad is going after the GT Class Championship in 2014 but this first race in his new Porsche had its challenges. After qualifying first in the field of 26 entrants with a Best Lap of 1:55.70 Brad settled into second place in the early going keeping the leader in sight and, holding to the pre-race plan, turned laps consistently on average under the 2:00 minutes/circuit mark.
Then after 55 minutes a call came in from Brad on the radio that the Porsche had stopped and appeared to be out of gas. After recycling the system Brad got the Porsche going again and came in for an earlier than expected pit stop.
In the rush to get back in the game we had a small gas spill during the pit stop and then the marshalls dinged Brad for excessive speed in the pit lane. The result - a six minute extra “stop & hold” penalty in the pits for both infractions which put us out of any chance for the win.
Brad soldiered on running consistent fast laps and made up some time on the leaders but was only able to get back up to 4th at the finish.
Brad’s teammate Mike Sekhon began his 2014 campaign by qualifying 2nd in the TC class with his BTM Motorwerks built and prepared BMW M3.
Mike’s pre race optimism for a top finish faded early in the race when the control tower announced to the team that Mike’s transponder (brand new) was malfunctioning and that they were not able to record times for every one of Mike’s laps. The crew called Mike in and reset the transponder but the situation still persisted. This led to a finish well down in the charts because although Mike ran the entire distance and got some good seat time his his newly built M3 race car, the official results had him only doing about ⅓ of the laps he actually ran. This was extremely disappointing for the very competitive Mike and BTM Motorwerks crew, both of whom came to Buttonwillow to win.
Brad and Mike are now looking forward to the next USTCC stop on the calendar at Spring Mt. Raceway in Pahrump, NV, May 3rd & 4th, and both hope to score class wins in their respective GT and TC category’s.
About BTM Motorwerks
BTM Motorwerks is a Diamond Certified Specialized Service Center for Porsche, BMW, Mini, Cooper, Audi, Volkswagen and Mercedes with 6 Bays and plenty of parking, conveniently located at 1661 S. Bascom Avenue, Campbell, CA.
At BTM Motorwerks, Porsche, BMW, Mini Cooper, Audi and VW are our specialty so we understand & know these cars exceptionally well. We have extensive experience in System Diagnostics, Engine Management, Antilock Brakes, Dynamic Stability and Climate Control Systems. We can rebuild your engine or handle regular factory scheduled maintenance and everything in between. Relax and let BTM Motorwerks be your Car Doctor.
“We’re known for our straightforwardness, honesty and integrity. Our training, certifications and advanced tooling are all geared toward German cars, so customers can feel comfortable knowing they’re getting specialized, expert service. We take a team approach to getting work done, and our ultimate goal is to provide high-quality work at a fair price. “Brad McClure, Owner/Operator.
