Performance Racing Industry 2014: Part 1

Penske was in the house, showcasing their race-developed coil-overs.

Now, if someone could tell me why an awesome, Turner Motorsport GT3 BMW Z4 was there flashing its H&R sponsorship in the Penske booth, I won’t still be puzzled.

Hardcore racers with some money will want to use a carbon fiber helmet from Simpson, especially those that want less weight on their heads so they don’t develop a neck like Sauber F1 driver, Esteban Gutierrez.  They start at around $800 and go up from there.

As mentioned earlier, one of the cool things about these shows is catching up with old acquaintances.  Here, Mike Kojima is hanging out with his friends at BorgWarner, which is a huge company started in 1928, with over 60 manufacturing facilities worldwide.  They manufacturer a lot of automotive parts, but are probably best known for their turbochargers.  Let’s check those out.

While being no stranger to the OE market, BorgWarner is also huge in the aftermarket, especially with their EFR (Engineered for Racing) turbos.  Here we see one of these turbos, featuring an aluminum center section and integrated wastegate.  That little black hose coming off of the compressor housing is for the boost control solenoid.  The angled boss right above it is for the optional speed sensor.  However, all of the compressor housings from BW come with the provision.  Also notice the “flexible” compressor outlet on the right, which is designed to be used with either a hose or V-band for easier installation.