Latest News -

June 17th 2009 Entry Confirmed for the Silverstone Classic An entry has now been submitted for the David Leslie Memorial race at the annual Silverstone Classic event. The race brings British Touring Car championship cars from the 70's through to 2000 together in two 20 minute races. This is one of the largest motoring events on the British Motorsport calendar and one not to be missed. With circa 60,000 visitors expected and with LIVE TV coverage of all races, this is a great opportunity to give sponsors the very best coverage! Hopefully for all the right reasons! View the official promo video
June 17th 2009 New Sponsor
We're pleased to announce the UK's leading online retailer of Car Accessories, Pickup Accessories, Van Accessories and 4x4 accessories Proppa.com has now joined the other sponsors of Zone Motorsport supporting us for the rest of this season. Proppa.com supplies a huge range of products such as van seat covers, van roof racks and van window grilles, pickup accessories like pickup hard tops, pickup roll bars and pickup load liners, vehicle fix items, motor bike covers, breathable car covers, caravan covers.& 4x4 covers. Stocking and supplying Pick-up truck brand names such as Carryboy, Mountain Top, Alpha, Truckman, Hella. Proppa.com also have sole distribution rights on EGR tonneau cover products aswell as Proppa own brand products such as their own Pickup 'Trucktops' which have been produced in Hereford since 1980 and our P1 Hardtops. Needless to say, this addition to the growing number of sponsors is a great boost to the team and allows us to concentrate further on improving performance and bringing home some even better results in the remainder of the season. Welcome and thanks!!
May 17th 2009 No Surprises at Snetterton
With no post Silverstone testing completed before qualifying at Snetterton, it was no surprise to be somewhat further down the grid than I would have liked for round 4 of teh championship at the Norfolk circuit. After completing only 5 laps of qualifying it was clear that there was no more to give from the car still running on the Silverstone settings. With another very strong grid of 32 cars, a grid position of 23rd was as good as it got. With some changes made to setup. race one was more like it though moving through the field after a great start to 17th after the first lap. The majority of the race was then a combination of falling back to 19th after a mistake at coram followed by regaining the places plus one more to finish in 16th overall. The finish would determine my starting position for race two later the same day. Race two reauired two re-starts following first lap incidents. Both re-starts were unwelcome following a great start capitalising on the errors of others but thankfully when the race continued on the third attempt it was with me in a strong 9th position following a 16th position on the grid start. Unfortunately the position was short lived as the leaders all weekend regained their positions at the front of the field, but the race finished with me in 12th overall. Photo: Derek Binstead - www.bindelpics.co.uk Photo: Derek Binstead - www.bindelpics.co.uk In summary, as the title suggests, no surprises as this is a circuit which favours the straight line speed of the more powerful cars (of which car 29 is amongst the most powerful!) and as such, the fastest straight in british motorsport allowed a top speed of circa 135mph. The next race however, takes us to Pembrey in South Wales where the smaller circuit favours the nimble E30 models. Some pre-race testing is on the cards for this one I think! Thanks as always go to all my sponsors... hope to see you all at a race soon! Photo: Ron at MyMotiv.com- www.mymotiv.com
April 28th 2009 New Sponsor - Beemer Redeemer
I'm very pleased to confirm that the team at Beemer Redeemer have now joined as an official sponsor, supporting the car with replacement parts as required (hopefully I won't need too many though!!) Beemer Redeemer are an independent BMW Specialist based in Keynsham near Bristol offering used parts, servicing and repair facilities with the odd motorsports project thrown in for good measure. www.beemer-redeemer.com Telephone / fax 01179 860 635 Beemer Redeemer Unit 9, Broadmead Lane Industrial Estate Broadmead Lane Keynsham Bristol BS31 1ST
April 6th 2009 Exciting start to the 2009 season
The 2009 season got off to a thrilling start on Saturday 4th April with the 46 car of Cath Evans being written off following a tag from a passing car. Thankfully Cath needed only minor hospital treatment and was back at the circuit late Saturday evening after being checked out at the local hospital. The first four cars were subsequently disqualified from the entire event following a Clerk of the Course decision that they had failed to slow sufficiently to avoid the accident after the red lights were shown. A subsequent appeal by all four drivers failed to overturn the decision and they were forced to sit out the remaining race. The Zone Motorsport car performed well all weekend finishing 8th in race one after the disqualifications and 12th the in race 2 from 34 starters. Times were consistently improving across the weekend leaving the number 29 car just 0.5 seconds from a top 10 fastest lap time. Full results can be seen here
December 18th 2008 Sponsors confirmed for 2009 The 2009 season is already looking in great shape after existing 2008 sponsors, Assimil8 Ltd and 4D Ltd have confirmed their continued support. Existing sponsors will also be joined by BSP Software. This is a great way to plan for the coming season which is already shaping up to be one of the most competitive to-date. September 28th 2008 Final rounds at Oulton Park end the season on a high! - entry sponsored by 4D Ltd Local business 4D Ltd made the short trip to Oulton Park on Saturday to see the final rounds of the Kumho BMW Championship and were rewarded with yet another thrilling day of racing and saw us finish 3rd in race one anding the season on a high with a win in race 2!   Official Results Here ...all locked up into turn 1 with the pack chasing!!! Watch the race start here!
September 1st 2008 Rounds 13 & 14 - Class win on first visit to Croft - entry sponsored by Assimil8 Ltd
After receiving the Driver of the Day award on your first visit to a circuit, what next? ..... a win on your first visit to a circuit of course!! Read more... Official Results Here

August 28th 2008 Car goes on display at Oulton Fete

Earlier in the year, I was asked if I would place the car on display at a local village fete just outside Stone, Staffordshire. Ever keen to support events like these and show off the car to potential sponsors, I happily obliged! It's not every day you see a race car in the grounds of a care home and abbey, so it attracted quite a bit of attention from residents and visitors alike! Read the article here

August 11th 2008 Rounds 11 & 12 - Driver of the Day at a VERY wet Snetterton
In total contrast with the glorious weather at Donington last month, a VERY wet Snetterton made for some of the most difficult conditions yet, but is awarded with the title of Driver of the Day! Read more.... Official Results Here	Photo: Derek Binstead - www.bindelpics.co.uk

June 10 th 2008 Rounds 7 & 8 - Brands Hatch results showing promise
Rounds 7 and 8 of the championship visited Brands Hatch at the weekend and saw me return to the championship after being forced to miss out on both Rockingham and Pembrey due to other commitments. The weekend saw mixed results with the damp weather over night causing the car to lose a cylinder during qualifying.	Photo: Derek Binstead - www.bindelpics.co.uk

A best time of 57.9 seconds and 7th in class out of 9 wasn't a good start, but some investigative work in the pits before race 1 seemed to indicate a faulty earth on one of the cylinders as being the cause of the misfire. Although the car ran on the full six all the way to the grid, during the warm up lap the problem re-occured.

A frustrating race one was run on five cylinders for the full duration limiting the car's power and although the best lap recorded was an improved 57.3, some contact in the first corner between father and son Roger and James Card resulted in me moving up the field following them having to pit and repair the damage. As race one results determined the grid for race 2, the good fortune saw me in 4th position for the Sunday race.

Race 2 was run in bright sunshine and thankfully with a full six cylinders firing again. Off the line, a great start meant that the 6 series of Mark McLennan and the M3 of Cath Evans were passed before Paddock Hill bend leaving the invitation class E30 M3 of Nigel French in front with the other class B contenders Evelyne Buanic and Carl Catliff to catch. A couple of laps of formation flying followed eventually allowing a manouvre on French along Clark Curve entering the start-finish straight and allowing me to catch up with Buanic. The next visit to McLaren behind Buanic enabled me to pull alongside as she ran wide and we entered Clark Curve side by side. Again, the manouvre stuck and another place was gained. Shortly after however, the race was red flagged due to 2nd and 3rd place drivers Muns and Ritter tangled on Paddock Hill bend coming to rest just off the circuit in the gravel but in a dangerous place. All in all, a relatively good weekend considering it was only the second time the new car has raced. Donington Park on July 26th and 27th is the next event! Official results are HERE

Watch the Race 2 video!

April 18th 2008

Assimil8 Sponsors 2 Race Weekends
The weekend of 26th & 27th July is set to be one of the highlights of the calendar this year with truck racing and kart racing joining the bill for the two day event along with rounds 9 & 10 of the Kumho BMW Championship.

Assimil8 have signed up to sponsor two weekends on the remainder of the calendar, inviting their employees along to enjoy a great day's racing! The Assimil8 logo will be carried on both sides of the car for both events plus a smaller format logo for the entire season. Thankyou to both Kevin and Karl at Assimil8 for your support!

About Assimil8
www.assimil8.com
Movex BPW and Cognos consultants with 23 years of joint experience are best placed to offer services, products and consultancy in Business Intelligence.

Assimil8 offer a host of BI solutions and supporting services including uniquely Integrated EP& BI services and experience. We offer experienced, professional and practical advice focusing on adding value to any activities undertaken.

Clear principles and ethical consultancy are the drivers for our business consultancy model we have strived to achieve and now maintain.

April 6th 2008
Rounds 1 & 2 - Silverstone Review
This weekend proved to be more challenging than I'd hoped for with a combination of typical UK weather mixed in with a 31 car grid and the first time I'd driven the car on circuit! Having said that, qualifying was dry and on a fresh set of tyres, it only took a couple of clear laps towards the end of the session to enter a fastest lap of 107.909, only 2 tenths of a second from taking class B pole. This was more than re-assuring considering that the car had developed an oil leak preventing me from entering Copse or Luffield with any pace due to lack of grip!

Race one saw the rain arrive, and a wet and very slippery Silverstone took it's toll when I spun on the entrance to Luffield dropping 5 places. After re-joining , the yelow flags were out due to a car entering the gravel and this was shortly followed by red flags as they couldn't retrieve the car. Race one ended in 7th position from 10 starters in the class.

Photo: Derek Binstead - www.bindelpics.co.uk

Race two was equally as eventful. The wet track remained extremely slippery leaving one car facing the wrong way at the first corner hoping the rest of the field would navigate around him! (see the video here), and another spinning off onto the grass on the inside of the circuit. Avoiding that spin meant I dropped back, again leaving a lot of work to do. A long battle with the 325 of Adam Brindle ended when the brakes locked up entering Luffield (yet again!), and sending the car into a spin and backwards into the gravel. Unfortunately, this meant the end of the race.

Even with the race results not reflecting the performance in qualifying, it's clear that the car has a lot to give, so after a short break due to other commitments, we will be returning to an optimistic Brands Hatch on 7th & 8th June.

Check out the multimedia page for some in-car footage from the race!

Photo: Derek Binstead - www.bindelpics.co.uk

March 31st 2008

4D Joins as Race Day Sponsor for Oulton Park
Business Intelligence consultancy 4D have confirmed they will be sponsoring the season finale at Oulton Park on 27th September. 4D are the first to confirm race day sponsorship where a lare format logo will be carried on the car and the entry will be made in the name of 4D Limited.

About 4D
www.4dlimited.co.uk
The business world is ever changing and companies are being forced to compete, improve performance and improve results year on year.
4D help companies to do this by providing them with access to their data and presenting it back to them in a meaningful manner which allows them to make business decisions more quickly and accurately than ever before. Our BI solutions then continue to monitor and measure the company’s performance against the Key Performance Indicators.

With an Implementation Methodology designed to deliver a real Return on Investment, on budget and on time, 4D are perfectly placed to assist companies in harnessing the latest technologies in OLAP, ETL and Data Warehousing enabling them to derive an immediate benefit to the business.

Located in Congleton, South Cheshire, 4D have continued its early success by developing a reputation for building and implementing meaningful and relevant BI applications that can improve business efficiency, increase profitability and reduce costs.

Why not sponsor a race weekend in 2008 for just £380 receiving all the benefits of a major sponsor for the race weekend! - Race entry under your company name - Large sponsor graphics on the car - Tickets for you and your guests - Access to the paddock and pitlane Sponsoring the car this year doesn't need to be in the form of a cheque though!!. Previous sponsors have donated goods, provided items on loan and often provided relevant services as sponsorhip. Items have even been purchased through their business on behalf of the team. There's lots of ways to support the car whilst gaining all the benefits of being a sponsor. Here's a few examples of the costs throughout the season...could you provide any of the below?

January 25th 2008
SiliconHoses.com joins as a sponsor!
Silicon hoses from SiliconHoses.com are now available for sale via Zone Motorsport as they join the 2008 sponsor list. A huge range of universal hoses, hose joiners, clamps and ducting is available and despatched direct from the manufacturer to you. SiliconHoses.com may be a new name in silicon hoses, but they have a 30 year history in the development of engineered components and performance engine applications and aim to provide the largest and most comprehensive stocks of silicon universal hoses in the world.

November 21st 2007
New car for 2008 ready for testing!
The new car for 2008, a BMW E36 M3 which will join the Kumho series in 2008 is now ready for testing prior to the start of the season. There's high hopes for this car in 2008 and if you would be interested in supporting us, please take a look at the Sponsorship Pages or feel free to Contact Us. Sponsorship is welcomed in the form of material, service or financial support....it all helps! In 2007, Sugar Cane Studio received prime space on the bonnet of the cars through the supply of graphics design services to help build the sponsorship brochure and Zone Motorsport logo.

Do you have a product or service which we could use and promote for you?

February 22nd 2007 - FOR SALE!!! (NOW SOLD)
It's time to move onto a new project ready for 2007 testing and a 2008 challenge on the championship, so BOTH cars are up for grabs!! To download spec sheets in MS Word format, please follow the links below:

Click HERE for car 42 - The most powerful 325 on the Kumho BMW Championship grid!
Click HERE for car 33 - Kumho BMW Class D winner in 2005

September 6th - Would you like to join us in 2008?
As ever, we're hard at work developing relationships with existing and potential sponsors. If you'd like more information about sponsoring the team, we have an information CD and a downloadable pdf brochure full of useful information and ideas on how to gain the most from your investment. Contact us for your copy.

Here's what Craig Birch, New Business Director at Sugar Cane Studio has to say...

July 9th - Zone Motorsport Article in Lightload Lifestyle Magazine
The first of a regular slot in the new Lightload Lifestyle magazine can now be viewed here

July 1st- Pole Position & Race Win for Brian in France!
Competing in the pre-93 series of the Classic Touring Car Racing Club (CTCRC), Brian Jordan took pole position in race one at the Croix en Tournois circuit in France, completing the race in a very respectable eighth spot following a spin on the penultimate lap. A new set of tires were fitted and Brian brought home the first outright race win for car 33 in race two. Congratulations Brian!!

Brian leads the pack into turn one
(picture courtesy www.track-side.com)

June 25th - Snetterton
Both Zone Motorsport cars were seen for the first time on track together this weekend and they performed admirably! Two races and qualifying were completed without fault giving both Ian & Brian more championship points whilst both of their normal cars were out of action! We're told that Brian will continue to use the car he has now been driving for most of the season for the forseable future!

June 21st - Snetterton will see BOTH cars on track!
Sunday June 25th will see both Zone Motorsport cars racing at Snetterton for the first time. Brian Jordan will once again be hiring the fuel injected 325 and will be joined for the double header meeting by another Kumho racer, Ian Crisp. Ian suffered a bad crash in testing at Brands earlier in the season and has been unable to repair the car in time for the race. Even though the diff on our car is currently damaged, Ian is using the one from his car to allow us to provide him with a car for the event. Fingers crossed the cars (and drivers) will put on a good show, so good luck guys.....and please don't bend them!!

May 27th & 28th - Brands Hatch, Round 4 - One car out another car in!

After round three was omitted from the calendar due to prior commitments, round 4 at Brands Hatch was intended to be the first outing for the main car following the crash at Silverstone earlier this year. However, far more damage had been done to the car than previously thought. During the crash at Silverstone, the car had also taken a hit on the rear left wheel transferring the force through the driveshaft and into the diff. As the car was tested prior to the meeting, it's first real drive showed the extent of the damage. Two teeth in the differential had cracked during the crash only to give way the day before the race during testing. With no replacement readily available for the modified unit, there was no option but to forfeit the race. All was not lost for the weekend however, as Brian Jordan, a fellow Kumho BMW driver was unable to race in his usual M6 and so opted to hire our 2005 class winning 325 for the weekend.

A total of 6 outings were made from three qualifying and three race sessions resulting in some 80 or so laps with only fuel and a new set of tyres required! Whilst performance of the 325 isn't exactly comparable to that of Brian's normal drive, suffice to say he was happy enough with the drive to hire again for the Snetterton round on 25th June!

New Sponsor - Sugar Cane Studio We are very pleased to announce the partnership of Zone Motorsport with Sugar Cane Studio for the 2006/7 seasons. The Sheffield based graphic design and consultancy business has produced not only a new image for us, but a promotional brochure aswell. A recent photo shoot with Paul Moloney and one of the cars is used on their website www.sugarcanestudio.co.uk whilst the sponsors themselves, will be attending most race events, Craig & Martin can quite literally be seen on the cars themselves with their eye catching logo adorning the bonnet of both cars. Thanks go to them for their continued support. To download a copy of the brochure, click here

April 24th - Silverstone Rounds 1 & 2 - Highs and lows leave work to be done back at base!
An eventful double header weekend of the two opening rounds of the championship resulted in both highs and lows for the new Zone Motorsport car driven by Paul Moloney. Qualifying in 7th overall on the grid with no less than 7 M3 BMWs behind our 325 was a superb achievement with a time of 1:08.082. However, the competition was VERY close with less than 9 tenths of a second seperating 7th place from the 11th place class B M3 of Evelyne Buanic.

Race one saw one of the closest battles of all classes with James Perrott, a class C car swapping places with our class B car as Evelyne extending her lead following a close battle in the early stages of the race to take 7th. Finishing 3rd in class, this was a strong start to the season from the new car.

Race two was a different story however, as grid positions were determined by race one results. A poor start left us dropping back 4 positions off the line and with a lot of work to do. Four laps into the race as Moloney chased down the class C cars of Laws and Perrott, a manouver further up the field left Buanic sliding sideways on the track with the following cars taking evasive action. As Paul took to the grass to avoid a collision, the M3 of James Cook was already attempting to rejoin the track from the left resulting in a collision which signalled the likelihood of a retirement from the race. After rejoining the track and recovering two lost places, it was clear the car had suffered damage that would signal the end of the race. Strong vibrations indicated possible wheel damage and the engine was sounding particularly rough. Preservation of the engine at such an early stage in the championship is paramount and a decision to retire from the race was taken.

With round 3 at Donington now out of the picture, preperations are underway for round 4 at Brands Hatch on 27th & 28th May

March 30th - 2006 Car tested at Silverstone
Thursday 30th March saw the new car take to the track for the first time in preparation for a Class C entry in the 2006 Kumho BMW Championship. Holding back until the skies cleared and final checks were completed on the car, Paul Moloney joined the track prior to the lunch break. "The car is a proven race winner in the Kumho BMW Championship and with only minor additional modifications carried out, I am more than happy with the way it is performing already". With the first shake down in the bag, the car is now going through the transformation in livery to the 2006 colour scheme alongside last year's car which will continue to be available for race and track day hire throughout the year.

..

February 1st - Hire the 2005 class winning Zone Motorsport car!
Following the success of the 2005 season, a second car has been added to the fleet. The addition now enables us to make the 2005 car available for race hire. Fully supported race and track day packages are available. If you would like to discuss the possibility of race hire from a single race to a full season, please email us. Details of the new car will follow.

October 30th - First 2006 Sponsor Confirmed
The first of our 2006 sponsors has already been confirmed as BM Autosport of Eastbourne. With over 40 sets of secondhand alloys in stock ready to go straight onto you car, 15" to 20", many genuine BMW Alloys as well as 30 different styles of New Replica and Aftermarket Alloys always in stock including a new range of plated chrome Alloys. Also on offer is a wide range of other BMW accessories including exterior body styling (Exhausts, lighing kits, wing mirrors etc), interior styling (Trims, steering wheels etc) and In Car Entertainment.

Zone Motorsport are pleased to be joined by BM Autosport for the first time during 2006. The car will of course display their company logo within a new livery for 2006...watch this space!!

Don't forget to mention where you heard about BM Auto Sport!!

September 29th - Oulton Park win ends the season on a high
The finale of the 2005 season saw the championship go to the Cheshire based Oulton Park circuit. With the class D title already comfortably in the bag, a class win was not necessary, but that just wouldn't have been sporting! The Team Knightsbrooke entered car was there for the win and nothing less!

Joining the circuit for qualifying in a packed 28 car entry list meant for limited clear track time and a need to record a good time as soon as the opportunity was there. However, after only a few laps, the session was red flagged due to a car spinning into the gravel just off the outside of the circuit. Re-joining after a short delay, time was limited and with only 7 laps completed before the session was ended, a respectabale but by no means quick time placed car 46 only .5 seconds ahead of class rival Sandy at the front of class D.

The weather improved considerably for the race with the sun shining and track temperature increasing quickly. Taking to the grid, it was clear that with 11 cars behind, and the faster class A, B & C cars ahead, it would be an eventful first corner! Possibly the worst launch off the line this season dropped the car 2 places at turn 1 with Sandy making a great move ahead. Moloney was on the inside though and able to take a fast inside line running to the outside on the exit and gaining back two positions and the class lead through cascades. With Sandy on the tail of the Zone Motorsport car, Moloney had to defend the line on every corner with Sandy creeping up on at least two occaisions.

Two laps in, and trouble started to strike car 46 when the clutch all but totally disapeared leaving Moloney to complete the entire race with clutchless gear changes! The battle became closer at this point but Moloney held the lead to take the class win ending the season on a high.

September 17th - Zone Motorsport car on show at the Milltek Tuner GP
The BMW Racing Drivers Club attended the first of the annual Milltek sponsored Tuner Grand Prix at Donington circuit today. Taking pride of place on the BMWRDC stand, the car attracted more than a little attention for our sponsors! :-) Life is hard in motorsport sometimes!

August 15th - Ups & Downs at Pembrey for rounds 8 & 9
The Welsh double header weekend saw the team make the trip to the Pembrey circuit for rounds eight and nine. With a qualifying and race session on both days and the weather set for heavy rain, this was sure to be a test of both car and driver.

Qualifying in the wet!

Saturday's qualifying was conducted in what can only be described as terrential rain. Standing water and minimal grip lead to many cars putting in very slow qualifying times upwards of 12 seconds slower than a dry pace. The zone motorsport car was placed will down the grid although leading the class ahead of Leah Sandy. The race late in the day saw finer weather and a drying track. Once again, a great start saw the three cars ahead in the rear view mirror by the first corner and class B car Jordan in the M635 gaining rapidly from a start at the back of the grid. Buanic in the class C M3 was also behind and looming until the superior power just as at Thruxton allowed both cars to pass on the back straight. Sandy, trailing in the class D 325 retired with no gears leaving the Zone Motorsport car to another comfortable class win.

Sunday and round nine saw mixed fortunes after a successful day previously. Four laps into a dry and sunny qualifying session, a coolant pipe burst emptying the coolant from the engine in seconds and forcing a hasty retirement. The retired Lea Sandy from the previous day donated a replacement pipe from his car (the only spare we didn't have!) and the race was still on. Joining the grid for the penultimate race of the weekend, the car felt good following the high temperatures of the qualifying failure. A good start followed Jordan and Buanic locked up into the first corner with the invited class driver of Liam Crilly large in the rear view mirror. A missed gear coming out of turn three almost cost a place but the power of the 325 against the superbly driven 318 of Crilly saved the day. The success was short lived however, when smoke began to pour from the rear of the car. Oil vapour began to cover the rear tyres leading to some wayward moments and a forced retirement. At the time of writing, it is unsure what the problem is!

So, ups and downs it surely was, however, the class win for round eight secures Zone Motorsport and driver Paul Moloney as Class D champions for 2005. We'll be taking time out from rounds ten and eleven at the Snetterton circuit returning with for Oulton Park on September 24th sponsored by www.knightsbrooke.co.uk

August 3rd - Zone Motorsport announces Knightsbrooke as Oulton Park Sponsor
Zone Motorsport is pleased to announce introduction of Knightsbrooke as major sponsor for the final round of the Kumho BMW Championship at Oulton Park on September 24th. Knightsbrooke LTD are a young and dynamic UK company based in the south of England distributing quality after market parts for the automotive and motorsport industry. Knightsbrooke customers are offered a range of car styling and performance products supplied by the top manufacturers and innovators in the industry; a select portfolio of products that are deemed the very best from around the world. For more information visit www.knightsbrooke.co.uk

July 31st - Round 7- Donington Park - Class win seperates 6th Place in the Championship
Re-visiting the Donington circuit after an engine blow last season was always going to be a grudge match. Sure enough, qualifying on a dry track saw the car with very unsettled handling and significant understeer into the craner curves and again into coppice. Three visits to the gravel trap meant a disheartening qualifying session and much work required on the car setup before the race.

Sitting on the grid, the familiar sight of class C cars Perrott and Crisp were in front and alongside respectively. As the red lights disappeared a superb start placed Perrott on the outside and Crisp on the inside of a VERY tight first corner. Door handle to door handle, the Zone Motorsport car pushed through to take Perrott on the entry to Craner. It was clear from the start that the handling of the car was considerably better giving the driver much better confidence to commit the car on every corner.

As was the case at Thruxton, the main straight loomed and Perrott grew larger in the rear view mirror taking the place back before Goddards and onto the straight to begin a superb battle with the class B car of Brian Jordan. A relatively simple race for the Zone Motorsport car followed turing in consistent lap times two seconds faster than qualifying and coming home with another class D win and 9 points.

The double header weekend at the Welsh Pembrey circuit on 13th & 14th August will host rounds eight and nine where we intend to secure the overall class D title and regain some lost positions in the overall championship standings.

July 24th - Round 6 - Thruxton - Wet Wet Wet!!
Round 6 of the Kumho BMW championship saw some of the worst weather yet this season. Heavy rain in the qualifying session took its toll on the Zone Mototrsport car with a spin resulting in damage to the front bumper from the exceedingly high Thruxton kerbs. After a quick recovery however, qualifying was completed with a very respectable 8th place on the grid for the afternoon race.

The weather settled significantly for the race and the track began to dry in patches. A fantastic start saw the car in 6th position into the first corner and the battle for position commense. Class D rival Terry Trust was in the rear view mirror but behind Perrott and Buanic in the E30 M3. Four laps of close fighting followed with the lesser power of the Zone Motorsport 325 finally showing when Buanic powered past followed by Perrott after exiting the complex onto the start finish superbly and powering past. Still leading the class however, the 325 had already set a fastest lap 3 seconds faster than Trust in the number 69 car.

As in qualifying, the high kerbs at Thruxton eventually took their toll when one too many trips across the kerb resulted in the fuel relay lifting from its socket and cutting the fuel to the engine on the final lap almost half a lap ahead of Trust having to concede the win and coast off circuit.

An incredibly frustrating failure meant no points being scored for this round dropping the Zone Motorsport car to a tied 6th place in the championship, but retain a comfortable class leading position, but a simple zip tie solution is now in place and we are looking forward to Donington on July 31st.

June 19th - Round 5 - Mallory Park - 2nd Place & 8 Points
The scorching heat of the British summer made for a test of both driver and car at Mallory Park. Cars, tyres and of course drivers were suffering from such high temperatures, but still provided superb racing for the viewing crowds.

A poor qualifying qualifying session placed the Zone Motorsport car third in class on the grid even though handling of the car had been much improved. The heat appeared to be taking power from the engine running at excessive temperatures for the whole session. The addition of some more cold air ducting to the radiator was made in the lead up to the race and tyre pressures reduced due to the overheating that was being encountered.

In the race, a superb launch off the line saw the car take 3 positions before being passed by the straight line power of Lea Sandy's car number 50. Whilst able to stick with the second place car for much of the race, as temperatures continued to rise, straight line speed dwindled until on the penultimate lap, Car 41 Stuart Laws left the track in spectacular style exiting the high speed Gerrards corner. Hitting the tyre wall at approximately 90mph, Stuart took a heavy impact. Thankfully Stuart made a full recovery but his car is a write off. The quality of preperation of the car was commended by the marshalls and played a significant part in ensuring only minimal injuries were sustained. Two yellow flag laps followed as rescue crews went to the scene. However, as the ambulance joined the circuit, confusion between Sandy and a new driver as they approached the slow moving Ambulance leading to contact and the new driver spinning off the circuit. Sandy was disqualified giving the Zone Motorsport car a second place finish and 8 points, maintaining the championship 3rd place 5 points clear of M3 driver Evelyne Buanic.

Click here for Current Championship Positions

June 4th - Rounds 3&4 - Silverstone - Zone Motorsport takes to the podium again!
The second and third rounds of the championship at Silverstone have again seen Zone Motorsport take to the podium with a second place in round three followed by the third win of the season so far in round four. The car is performing well, with some additional modifications planned for the next outing at Mallory Park on June 19th to ensure that the well established class leading position is maintained. With three class wins and a second place in the bag, we are now running in joint third position in the championship due to the points scoring system.

May 22nd/23rd - Rounds 1&2 - Rockingham - Double Header VICTORY!!
Zone Motorsport is pleased to announce a successful start to the 2005 season with class wins in both of the first two races of the season at the BMW Power Festival Rockingham. After a difficult qualifying in heavy rain, qualifying produced a mid pack position on the grid ahead of some far more powerful machinery for the first race. After a close battle with Lea Sandy in another 325i, driver Paul Moloney secured victory after Lea was forced to retire due to an engine problem.
Race two saw a slightly further back position on the grid, but with the car performing superbly, this was to be a matter of maintaining position and coming home for victory number two. A truly successful first outing for the car in 2005 and one the team hopes to repeat at Silverstone for rounds 3 & 4 on June 4th.
The double victory places Zone Motorsport in third position in the championship with 18 points. A full breakdown of lap times & grid positions can be found here

	A young fan takes over for race 2!!	Car 46 exits the pit garage to take its place on the grid.