3ZERO3 Motorsports Blog » Events

The 2nd Annual : Snowmass Automobili Exotica

Max — Fri, 13 May 2011 18:14:53 +0000

The second annual Snowmass Automobili Exotica is LIVE ! Its hard to accurately touch on all the highlights of this 3 day event without sounding like an advertisement for Disneyland. With a organized road rally down Highway 285 & over 12,000 ft Independence Pass. This truly is 3 days of immersion in the best that Colorado has to offer for the discerning automotive enthusiast. Including private track day, organized parties, dinners, and more. Hear it now, and believe it later this weekend is automotive fantasy come to life.

This years poster shot is courtesy of 3ZERO3’s own Joe Donkel. Who bagged this shot of Sonny’s Porsche 911 Turbo mid corner during last years track event

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QUESTION : WHO IS INVITED ?

ANSWER : EVERYBODY !

Just because your Lamborghini is in the shop or yet to clear customs doesn’t mean you aren’t welcome to participate in our event. Quite the opposite is true actually. We started this event to encourage all manner of automotive enthusiasts to join. Literally everyone is invited to come !!!

*NOTE if you own a Pontiac Aztek, you just can’t come. We’re sorry, but we have to draw the line somewhere.

If you could………. you would.

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THE ROAD RALLY !

3 Day Event Ticket price : $125.00 per vehicle, + $15/ea additional passenger.

Book yours today: Snowmasstix@3ZERO3Motorsports.com 303-456-8383

From Friday to Sunday, you will take part in a organized, photographed, and technically supported 3 day event.

Your event ticket includes :

Gift bags for you and all of your passengers. T shirt, wrist bands, event stickers, and a weekend survival kit for you and your passengers.
An organized, and staffed road rally from Denver to Snowmass and back. Technicians, tools and support will be there in case you have the need.
Photographers on hand to shoot you, and your car all weekend long.
Complimentary catered breakfast Friday morning. While you eat, we will be checking fluids, tire pressures and making sure your vehicle is ready for the road.
Access to the private lapping day at Aspen Motorsports Park Saturday.
In Snowmass : between FREE CHAMPAGNE Friday Night at the Artisan Restaurant, to discounted hotel rooms at the SilverTree Hotel, we work hard to make sure this exotic motorsports extravaganza carries a reasonable price tag!

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ACOMMODATIONS : SNOWMASS VILLAGE

Our friends at the Silvertree Hotel in Snowmass Village have agreed to again sign on as our official lodging partners. The Hotel is located on the Snowmass Mall, and provides both walking and Skittle Access to the Main Snowmass Village. ( Skittles = fun candy colored mini Gondolas)

The enthusiastic staff at the Hotel will greet us and help us proudly position our vehicles in front of their property. Cocktail hour and breakfasts will be held at Brothers Grille inside the Silvertree Hotel.

BOOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Once you purchase your tickets, we will provide you with booking instructions.

Link to the Hotel HERE

Rooms start at $139.00/night for double occupancy.

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TRACK TICKETS: ASPEN MOTORSPORTS PARK

SATURDAY JULY 30TH

$115.00 1/2 Day OR $165.00 Full Day

The entire track is ours for the day. Hot lap in what is unquestionably one of the most striking track locations in the country.

With private instruction and technical support standing by to keep you at ease. We know that our photographers will capture you and your car savoring every bit of this exclusive track experience. Questions about cost, or the requirements to run your car on the track : please call or email us. Track tickets are limited. Sold on a first come first serve basis, reserve yours today.

Email : SnowmassTix@3ZERO3Motorsports.com Phone : 303-456-8383

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CAR SHOW:

For those of you not interested in driving your car on the track, you will have the opportunity to put your car on display Saturday afternoon on the Snowmass Mall. Selected cars will remain in the Snowmass Village Saturday night during the Exotic Car Celebration at the Base Camp Bar & Grille.

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WEEKEND OUTLINE :

FRIDAY :

Meet at Club Auto exotic car museum for breakfast, introductions, and a light tech on your car. We will then depart, take 285 over Kenosha Pass and into Buena Vista for a scheduled lunch stop. After lunch continue to Independence Pass and then Snowmass Village. Happy Hour at Brothers Grille and dinner at the Artisan Restaurant.

SATURDAY :

Spend your Saturday watching or driving your car on the track. Or perhaps, get the car positioned on the Snowmas Mall for our car show. Or if you are so inclined, rent a bike, go for a hike, or sit at the pool ! Saturday evening we will again happy hour at Brothers Grille and then off to Venga Venga for a fun dinner, followed by a party at Basecamp !

SUNDAY :

Rise and pack at your own pace, breakfast at the hotel, and then back on the road. Most of us will return on 285 the same way we came. But if you need to get home faster, you can pick up I 70 outside of Leadville and cruise home that way.

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TICKET SALES

303-456-8383 // SnowmassTix@3ZERO3Motorsports.com

Tour Tickets : $125.00 + $15/Passenger

Silvertree Hotel : Rooms start at $139.00/night

Track : $115 for 1/2 day. $165.00 full day.

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LINKS TO COVERAGE OF LAST YEARS EVENT :

DAY ONE

DAY TWO

DAY THREE

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Summer Event Schedule 2011

Max — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:40:23 +0000

Are you busy? In this economy, you had better be unmistakably busy! And if you are reading our blog, you are certainly a successful, talented, great looking, individual of distinction who like us, plans their work, and their leisure with determined precision. Well, here it is the 2011 Event schedule, from TODAY until “I can’t believe summer is almost over”. So whether you are tracking your car, shining & showing your car, drinking a beer and talking to us about your car, watching us race our cars, OR just stalking us online (which we are totally cool with), here is your no excuses list of Colorado car FUN for anyone.

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR : At the bottom of this page there will be a secret section that we are calling the “2011 3ZERO3 Tactical Guide to Interpersonal Communications for the Successful Leisure Operations Planner“ Consider these strategic ground rules, and they will reward you in spades.

(Regular Blog Readers don’t worry! We promise that we are not giving away your secrets! We typed this portion of the blog in a special blog font that is invisible to anyone not subscribed to this blog. Impossible you say, just share this with a new reader and see !).

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Before we just dive right into the actual events & details, we will bother you with 2 questions first.

1) How do you organize your time?

Microsoft Outlook ?
Smart Phone ?
iPhone ?
Old School paper Calendar ?
Or are one of those cerebral types who keeps it all in their head ?

2) Follow up question; is that calendar in front of you right now ?

No, why not ?????

It’s ok don’t feel bad. We’ll wait while you do that……..

In the meantime watch this video shot from inside the 3ZERO3 Audi S4 from last summer while your calendar opens.

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SUMMER EVENT SCHEDULE PHILOSOPHY

Don’t talk about it. Be about it.

3ZERO3 Motorsports is more than just a shop. We want to be the reason you want to own a Audi, VW, or Porsche. In doing so it is important for us to not only support the local Audi, Volkswagen, and Porsche scene, but also CREATE the local scene.

By creating the type of events and opportunities that are worthy of your free time, we feel that we are supporting our customer and the local community. Where all manner of Audi, Porsche, and VW enthusiasts can do their thing. From the casual enthusiast, to a novice track day driver, to the hardcore motorsports practitioner there is something for everyone.

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SNOWMASS AUTOMOBILI EXOTICA 2011

THE SNOWMASS EVENT IS SCHEDULED FOR :

JULY 29,30,31.

A 3 day road rally built for fun cars. and people/families of all tastes & all budgets that includes traveling to the top of Independence Pass, a track day in Aspen, great food, great people, and great photography. This event is open to all of our VW, Audi, Porsche clients, but to anyone in any car ( exotics bear the namesake but aren’t required for entry).

Questions? Ticket sales ? Email us !

SnowmassTix@3ZERO3Motorsports.com

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TRACK DAYS @ HIGH PLAINS RACEWAY

If you don’t know. You need to find out. Hear it now and believe it later but Denver is home to a fantastic racetrack. One that needs to be used and supported, lest it goes away. We haven’t always had High Plains Raceway, but we do now. And we make a point to go, and bring you with us.

From April to September we participate in a scheduled open lapping day event at High Plains Raceway. This is an affordable, organized event that is open to the public. Which means that you will be grouped according to speed and talent and get to drive on the track.

These track events are in no way limited to Porsche’s, Audi’s or Volkswagens. Last year we ran with Dodge Viper, an Aston Martin, an Acura NSX, and a Chrylser 300C on 22″ chrome wheels. Everyone can participate !

This is a great and cost effective way to get the speed demon out of your system, improve your driving prowess, and see some really cool cars at the same time. But it’s on a Friday. So take the day off ASAP !

3ZERO3 LAPPING DAYS 2011

Friday April 22nd
Friday May 20th
Friday June 17th
Friday July 15th : 6 year anniversary celebration
Friday August 19th
Rain out days : Friday September 9th & Friday September 23rd

3ZERO3 Attends with cars, technicians, drivers, photographers, shade, and as much physical and emotional support to ensure that everyone is having a safe and memorable day.

LINK to High Plains Raceway website.

QUESTIONS ? Email : Max@3zero3motorsports.com

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CAR SHOWS

Our affection for Audis Porsches and VW’s isn’t just about motorsports. We dig mesh wheels, air suspension, custom trim work, Mk1’s, Mk2’s, and stuff that we didn’t know existed. And its out there, we’ve seen it and we’re going back for more in 2011.

Volkswagen on the Green Car Show, Sunday May 22nd. : Golden CO.

This particular car show has been around for 18 years, but we didn’t find until last year. And what we found was a well organized, proudly attended show in a great venue. We are looking forward to seeing how all our VW brethren will do this year with their stunning modifications and acquisitions in the off season. We are talking to you Willis Clark, Zeke Peterson, and Jason Morse!

VW’s On the Green 2010

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UCP Exotic Car Sports Car Show & Concours d’Elegance, Sunday June 12th : Littleton CO.

Words like concours, and exotics will always get us out of bed in the morning. With Matthew Collins RS4 Supercar gracing the pages of EuroTuner magazine this month, we are interested to see how the local judges scrutinize of the most visible & prominent cars in the Audi community.

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Dubs Along the Rockies, Sunday August 21: Colorado Springs CO.

Colorado Springs is located a little further away than what we would prefer. And the late August date means that the scorching pavement at PPIR will likely threaten to melt the rubber off your flip flops. BUT this year we are upping the fun factor.

Travel down to C.Springs with us the afternoon before the event, for a little ’staycation’ & night out with the 3ZERO3 crew. Then on Sunday join us, as we lounge pool side at the show. (Poolside ?)

DATR 2009

DATR 2010

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Ed Carroll West Fest 2011 Sunday August 28th. Ed Carroll Motor Company Ft. Collins

This will be a new addition for us this season. West Fest has been running for the last 25 years, in addition to the concours there will be a silent auction to benefit the local Meals on Wheels organization . Looking forward to seeing what this show is all about.

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TIRE KICKING EVENTS

Even if you can’t make a BIG weekend event, there are still casual and easy ways to come out and ‘kick the tires’. Once a month Michael Bergren organizes the most intriguing collection of exotic, amazing, and intriguing car gatherings at Club Auto. With Kurt Hansen on the mic, food vendors like Biker Jims Gourmet Dogs, a warm Colorado sunset and a beer in your hand on a Thursday after work, we promise you will love these casual and easy to attend get-togethers.

TIRE KICKING @ CLUB AUTO

Thursday April 14th
Thursday June 16th
Thursday July 14th
Thursday August 4th
Thursday August 14th
Thursday September 15h
Thursday October 20th

LINKS to last years Tire Kicking Events

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WORLD CHALLENGE RACE SCHEDULE 2011

Own the Work. Own the Wins.

Just like the the major manufacturers for whose brands we support ( That’s you Porsche, Volkswagen, and Audi), we believe that racing informs our concept of safety, reliability, and performance.

And while those are high minded values ideals, keep in mind that we grew up dreaming of racing cars, and this is us living out our automotive fantasies:)

Things have been coming together nicely this year for the team. We were even followed by the Universe’s biggest Auto Blog : check the article HERE.

Last year we finished 4th in the points race with our Volkswagen GTI. This year our team has expanded and we are running 2 Volvo C 30 in conjunction with the K Pax team, and again competing within the World Challenge Touring Car Class.

Racing is real, and we are really racing.

Support us, watch us, cheer us on as we compete in the 2011 Season.

Streets of St.Petersberg, FL : March 25-27th.
Streets of Long Beach, CA: April 15-17th.
Miller Motorsports Grand Prix, , UT: April 29-May 1
Mosport Grand Prix, Canada: May 20-22nd.
Mid Ohio Sports Car Course, OH : August 5-7th.
Infineon Grand Prix, CA: August 26-27th.
Laguna Seca Raceway, CA : September 16-18th.
Petit LeMans TBD : September 28th-October 1st.

WORLD CHALLENGE LINK

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SECRET BLOG SECTION :

Tactical Guide to Interpersonal Communications for the Successful Leisure Operations Planner.

Making sure that you get out and play without taking away from your personal relationship is never easy. But with these brilliant nuggets of thoughtful consideration you can thank the 3ZERO3 Motorsports Blog for taking you from the dog house to the penthouse.

General Strategy : planning and presents. I don’t know about you, but if I put it on the calendar 3 months in advance, I can make almost anything happen. Furthermore balancing self indulgent activities with some generous & adoring expressions for the ones closest to you, is just good living.

Track Days : these are gonna be tough. This will require a day off of work for most of you. Don’t ask for yet another day off. Perhaps suggest you take a courteous furlough day away from the office. Thus unburdening your employer from having to write you a check for that day

Tire Kicking Events : for those of you that the recession has left out in the cold. Remember that this isn’t screwing around with cars, this is ( ahem) networking with some elite Denver socialites.

Snowmass Automobili Exotica: on the surface, a 3 day car weekend to someone that sees your automotive obsession as a bad thing could be an uphill battle. But here’s a few bullets for you: This event is eminently affordable! Tell me you can spend 2 nights in Snowmass, have more fun, and spend less money ( thought so!). With amazing scenery, car shows, track time, fun people, great food and drinks, this is guaranteed to be a summer highlight. Just ask anyone who attended last year !

Car Shows: now most of the summers car shows will fall on a Sunday. This is the day where most of us need to be doing launry, grocery shopping and the like. How could we possibly take away from those precious weekly tasks ? Get em done early, or ( more realistically) hire a personal assistant // nanny // au pair to do your dirty work !

So there you have it. The hard sell on summer fun with all the details, brain washing, and pre-fabbed excuses to get you there and back safely. We blog because we care.

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PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS :

Many thanks to Adam Mattivi : WEBSITE and Joe Donkel for allowing us to use their images on this blog in addition to our own.

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SEO BLOG FODDER :

3zero3 Motorsports Denver Audi Repair 303 Motorsports Denver 3zero3 Motorsports Denver Porsche Repair. Audi Denver Mechanic VW Denver Mechanic Porsche Denver Mechanic. Audi Tuning Denver VW Tuning Denver Porsche Tuning Denver.

Snowmass Automobili Exotica : Day 3

Max — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 13:58:44 +0000

Its ok to feel depressed and sad sometimes, lord knows there are plenty of reasons. The Bronco’s stink, your home isn’t worth what it should be, and yesterday (December 21st) marked the shortest day of the year. But these things too shall pass. In the words of some obscure French poet that no one has ever heard of :

“Sadness flies away on the wings of time” -Jean de La Fontaine.

Well here’s to erasing the sadness, and restoring your holiday cheer, with our 3rd and final installment of coverage from Day 3 of the First Annual Snowmass Automobili Exotica.

Enjoy !

BACK TO REALITY

Bright eyed and bushy tailed would not be the way I would have described the Automobili Exotica crew when day broke on Sunday July 25th. Rich food, loud music, and impressive libations had taken their toll on the gang.

But outside the hotel room door, the maids were knocking, inside the room alarms was going off, and the sun was up….. time to go home boys & girls.

The days events from Friday and Saturday had left us all feeling euphoric. The High Country, Lamborghini’s, Porsches, Boosted Audi’s, track time, parties, where were we exactly :

Snowmass?

Had we died and gone to Automotive Heaven ?

Or were we dreaming ?

Regardless of wherever we thought we were, we knew our time had come. Time to go home, back to work, back to reality, back to driving on the I-25 corridor, not Independence Pass, back to being surrounded by Camry’s not Murcielago’s.

So we packed our bags. Wished the hotel staff adieu, loaded our bags, donned our shades, and headed out.

SNIPE : Simpson women checking out.

Think gas in Denver is expensive ?

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

As soon as we rounded the first corner onto Independence Pass, all loathing had subsided. The adventure was real again, and we had our work cut out for us.

We were road warriors once more.

Stacy Berger, we don’t know how you do it. Watching Aaron slide ( expertly we might add) his S4 around the unguarded hairpin turns of Independence Pass makes us terrified from a distance, let alone imagining what the in car experience must be like. You Stacy Berger, are a champion !

CAUTION : OBJECTS IN THE MIRROR ARE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THEY MAY APPEAR

The Italians, the RS4 and R8 crowd had made a very early departure on Sunday morning. Leaving a more compact, and brand unified run group back to Denver.

Charlie Collings always knows how to get in-front of the camera. And we love him for it.

Open roads and sunny skies, neither lasted for long.

Scotty taking a photo of the RV driver who may, or may not be asleep at the wheel.

LUNCH! The Eddyline Pub in Buena Vista was so good on the way up, we HAD to go back.

Hangin’ tough !

And then the weather came……

Making a feverish pit stop before Mother Nature unloaded on us !

RAINING BUCKETS!

The rain didn’t last too long, the sun returned, and we were back to happy.

Fish eye view.

Boys & toys.

Once Charlie slowed down, we were able to get some decent rolling shots.

Our cameras didn’t have the shutter speed to capture a 4,000LBS sedan traveling at 240MPH.

Aaron followed Charlie’s lead, and allowed for some great shots to be taken of his S4 as we rolled thru the Foothills.

Rollin’

Not sure what model Audi this is, or who was driving it.

But one thing is certain it was sloooooooow !

The last big turn home.

Home sweet home.

Nothing says welcome home like a GT3 Cup Car in need of a motor.

In case you missed the first annual Snowmass Automobili Exotica ? Fret not, planning for 2011 is underway !

Enjoy the holidays ! And congratulations for reaching the end of yet another amazing blog !

3ZERO3 Motorsports, who else would think to produce, execute and cover such an amazing event with such fantastic writing and photography ? We would !

3ZERO3 Motorsports, your home for the finest in factory style maintenance and repair for the Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche owner.

3ZERO3 Motorsports, the finest choice for high performance tuning, and track preperation for the Denver area Volkswagen, Porsche and Audi enthusiast.

HPR with the Euroberge crew.

Max — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 00:27:03 +0000

With these chilly 60F degree days and ( false ) promises of snowfall driving us to huddle indoors, and dream of warmer weather. Here’s something that will light your fire. Long overdue coverage of one of the hottest days from the 2010 Track season. September 17, the creative team from EuroBerge Magazine joined 3ZERO3 Motorsports for some very artistic coverage of a amazing day at High Plains Raceway, ENJOY !

Now usually when you are reading a High Plains Raceway Blog, you are hearing us constantly hammer you with reasons why you need to to join the 3ZERO3 Motorsports team for a day at the track. Reasons like :

You have the full support of the Factory Trained 3ZERO3 Technical team on hand, should your car need any attention.
You have access to professional driving instruction.
You will be lapping all day with people just like yourself ! Scared, overconfident, under-confident, and the like.
You will be able to get out and DRIVE your car the way the manufacturer, give in to the little devil on your shoulder encouraging to go fast, FAST, FAST !

But in this particular instance, we won’t be reminding you of any of those facts .

Instead, we are focused on displaying the art, and perspective of the EuroBege photographers.

Paul Quaisers gorgeous Imola S4 Avant.

Wheel pretty.

What is EuroBerge ?

EuroBerge Magazine was started in 2008 by Richard Melick and Micheal Selander with the idea of creating an online newsletter that would cover the mutliple car clubs in Colorado that gear towards European motoring. With the help of a great group of friends, Richard and Mike were able to take this idea and produce the very first issue of EuroBerge, a 10 page spread of photos and articles covering just a few little events. Since then, we as a group have pushed each other, be it in layout and design to article writing, to set a standard of over 60 pages of publication being produced every quarter.

The premise behind EuroBerge is that it be free to the enthusiasts no matter what, and to be free of any advertising, which we feel clutters up the pages and distracts from the content. With this idea in mind, they push each other to ensure the content we bring to you, the enthusiast, is of good value, and not something you could find in another magazine. Due to the local emphasis of the magazine, we’re able to deliver a publication that honestly reflects readers can relate to the Colorado enthusiast can relate to: European cars and Colorado.

The elusive 944 Turbo, looking great, before another boost leak developed.

These track tires have seen better days.

What car is THIS ?

Guess correctly and win a FREE car wash !

Geoff Thomas never has to worry about his wheels falling over.. They’re so wide they are practically square.

Hardcore racers.

This Pantera was loud, and amazing.

The Dodge Viper was not to be outdone by the old school Pantera.

New-school technology AND old school MBZ Gullwing style.

240MPH Speedo. So serious !

Its one thing to see an SLS at a car show, or showroom. Its quite another to see it lapping.

Porsche Porsche Porsche

PORSCHE PORSCHE PORSCHE

Porsche GT3 RS, Santa are you listening, we want one !

The 3ZERO3 S4 doing what it does best.

Too hot.

The track debut of Wood Jr Racing.

Race car technology.

9.17.2010 marked the historic debut of Wood JR Racing. Owned and driven by Willis Wood Jr, long time 3ZERO3 supporter and owner of Trade Show Emporium. Willis will be racing his Forumla Vee in the Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing series for the 2011 season. thus marking dreams coming true for young Willis. Kudos to a man making his dreams come to life, a feat rarely achieved in a depressed economy. Go get em Willis !

Eric Deherrera’s GT28RS powered Audi TT learns a lesson in hyper agressive throttle inputs mid-corner. When you are running 30PSI manifold pressure, best to just roll on the throttle when you are in the middle of a down hill kink. Well thankfully for Eric, the only painful part of this lesson was cleaning the 32LBS of dirt and debris from inside his otherwise immaculate interior.

3ZERO3 Motorsports proudly bringing you the best in track days, amazingly unique local magazine coverage, and everything Euro in the state of Colorado. 3ZERO3 Motorsports is your best, and only choice for maintenance, repair, and high performance tuning for your Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche.

If you have any questions regarding maintenance, repair, and high performance tuning for your Porsche, Audi, or VW, please do not hesitate to contact us day or night. We live to love these cars.

World Challenge 2010 : Season Wrap Up

Max — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:11:36 +0000

It seems like only yesterday we were staring at a bone-stock, certified pre-owned VW GTI on the Emich showroom floor. Staring at the car wondering, if we could do it. Our resources were finite, but our passion and enthusiasm for success knew no bounds. In the end we did it. We took a street car, and turned it into the fastest Touring Car to Lap at Mosport International Raceway this season, and we did it all in 27 days. We took a freshly assembled racing team, and proved to the rest of the world, (and perhaps to ourselves) that we weren’t just as good as we thought, we were in fact better. In our first season of competition in the World Challenge Touring Car class, we finished 4th in points, but to us it feels like we won it all.

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Transformed a stock GTI into a red blooded race car in 27 Days. ( Thats 648 hours!).
Finished 3rd Place @ Mosport International Raceway; Ontario Canada ( 1st race of the season).
Mosport International Raceway : Set track record for Fastest Lap in a World Challenge Touring car.
Finished 2nd Place @ Virginia International Raceway
Hard Charger Award @ Virginia International Raceway ( most cars passed in a single lap).
Qualified 2nd @ Mid Ohio Sports Car Course
Selected as the Front Wheel Drive test car for the Pirelli Tire Test @ High Plains Raceway
Finished 4th in points at the end of the season.

GIVING THANKS !

The way we see it, racing is a team sport. Sure there is only one driver, but the between set up, transportation, sponsors, testing and racing, the competitive world of motorsports is very much a team sport and there are many people who gave up sleep, food, leisure, and sanity to help support the #22 car this season.

Fred Emich & Emich Volkswagen : This was a certified pre-owned car just 27 days before the 1st race ! Your support of t
Keith Andrews : from giving up your Saturday nights at Slew 23, to installing transmissions in gravel parking lots, you bled for this team. Thanks Kiwi !
Alex Nelson : we are appreciative of your long nights hauling the race car to Canada, Utah, Ohio, and Virginia ( to name a few ). Thanks for always being their Alex.
Mike Hornbeck & Soapoint Graphics: Mike and his crew worked thru the night to get the first wrap done. And have been great at working with our impossible deadlines ever since.
Steve Eiche : where would we be in the world of convoluted technology without your help Steve ? Your electrical work on the harness was invaluable ! Thank you !
Irish Mike’s Racing : it was great getting to know you guys on the track this year ! Without your friendship and help trackside, our season would have looked much much different! See you out there in 2011!

Kiwi looks cool, while Scotty uses his tool.

SPONSORS-SPONSORS-SPONSORS-SPONSORS-SPONSORS-SPONSORS-SPONSORS

We were very thankful to have the support of many generous companies and individuals. For without their contributions, the race season simply would not have been possible.

BSH Speed Shop : High quality American made custom performance parts. BSHSPEEDSHOP.COM
Rocky Mountain Corvette : bringing the world the best in tuning for the ultimate Corvette experience. RMCORVETTE.COM
Auto Tech Sport Tuning : Intelligent answers to sport tuning questions. AUTOTECH.COM
BBS Wheels : Inspired by perfection, and defining Euro performance since Day 1. BBS.COM
Stop Tech Brakes : The world leader in high performance brake components and systems STOPTECH.COM
Prospeed RS683 Brake Fluid : Simply put, the worlds finest brake fluid. RS683.COM
Cobalt Friction : Specializing in cutting edge brake pad technology and manufacturing COBALTFRICTION.COM
South Bend Clutch : The finest clutch and flywheel solutions for street, strip, track and farm! SOUTHBENDCLUTCH.COM
APR Motorsports : Integrity, excellence and innovation for the late model Porsche, VW, and Audi racers. GOAPR.COM
JRZ Suspension & Engineering : If you think you know how to drive, and haven’t heard of JRZ, think again! JRZUSA.NET
Irish Mikes Racing : Not only a full service collision and repair center, but also supporting successful racers of all varieties. The world needs more Irish Mikes ! IRISHMIKES.COM

Is Rob Holland a big deal ?

Well, when was the last time YOU signed an autograph ?

Aligning the car, the old school way.

3 men in motion. Scott, Keith and Joe all doing what needs to be done track side.

Alex observing the epic straight-away @ Miller.

Scott chatting up Mike Pettiford, the spirit of friendly competition defines our days on track.

Kiwi on the go ! Action-Kiwi !

And whats hiding behind ‘door’ number 2 ??

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TIRE TESTING AT HIGH PLAINS RACEWAY

We were thrilled when Pirelli invited us to represent the front wheel drive test vehicle at High Plains Raceway ( our home track!). I mean who wouldn’t love to do this ? A cold, crisp fall day, wide open race track, Italian Tire Engineers and the opportunity to destroy free tires ! Opps did we say ‘destroy’, we meant engage in at the limit tire testing on a wide open race track.

Checking the suspension. Always, always, always checking the suspension.

We shaved 5 seconds off our lap times with the improved traction of the Pirelli Tires. Pretty amazing.

The Acura TSX team showing off its super cool air-jacks.

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EMICH TECH SESSION

At the end of the season, we were lucky enough to be the guests of Fred Emich, and his team at Emich Volkswagen for a Tech Session with the GTI. However, the tech session was more than merely geeking out about cool VW racecar technology, it was a great evening of celebration.

Besides uncovering some of the fantastic race inspired technology inherent in this particular Volkswagen product, the relationship between Emich VW ( a dealer ) and 3ZERO3 Motorsports ( an independent ) highlights the fact that these two businesses can have a symbiotic relationship. Its great to see that the leadership at Emich is so supportive of the VW performance brand values. It highlights why their progressive business model is so successful, because they support the brand values closest to the enthusiasts hearts & minds.

I don’t care what he says. Robb looks best in Nomex.

Many thanks to Dario who put on a fantastic event.

What is this, a handsome contest ?!?!

Even the venerable Kurt Hansen of Race Central was on hand for the celebration.

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WHATS IN STORE FOR 2011 ?

We got some tricks up our sleeve. Boy howdy !

Make sure you stay tuned to the blog, Facebook and Twitter to see what we roll out for the 2011 season!

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3ZERO3 Motorsports continues to be the premier shop for Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche, for not only Denver Colorado but the Rocky Mountain Region. Where else on the planet will you find an indpendent shop employing 7 factory trained and certified technicians ? With not only the passion and enthusiasm for the Audi, Porsche, and VW brands, but also the specialty tools, diagnostic equipment, and training there is no one better equipped or motivated than the team at 3ZERO3 Motorsports.

Does your local shop support factory trained technicians ? Does your local dealer support a Volkswagen, Audi or Porsche racecar ? Does your local mechanic care passionately about your vehicle the way they do their own ? Give 3ZERO3 Motorsports a try, we promise you will have an experience unlike any other repair facility on this planet. Located conveniently in Wheatridge Colorado, we look forward to the opportunity to earn your business.

Since 2005 3ZERO3 Motorsports has been supporting the local Porsche, Audi, and Volkswagen community.

3ZERO3 Motorsports: Factory Trained, Independently Motivated.

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The 3ZERO3 Online Store is now live ! Shop online in your underwear ! Look for our ads in Euro Tuner Magazine !

3ZERO3 Motorsports Online Store : Grand Opening !!!!!

Max — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 23:02:30 +0000

3ZERO3 Motorsports proudly announces the grand opening of our online store ! We have extended our principled approach to high performance tuning to your online shopping experience. Using the same reputable brands and hardware that have supported everything from street driven customer rides to full-on 3ZERO3 race cars, we continue to amass the best equipment available for the Audi, Porsche, and Volkswagen brands.

For insight on the creation and philosophy behind our online store AND to see our 1st Eurotuner magazine ad before it hits news stands read on ! Or if your credit card has reached normal operating temperature, and you are ready to buy, skip all the blogging and bring it in for the real thing : SHOP NOW

Our 1st Eurotuner Magazine Ad! Look for it in the , January, February issues and beyond !

We understand that there are many options for you to purchase parts for your Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche online. So why choose the 3ZERO3 online store ?

The gorgeous Audi Page.

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A STRONG BASELINE FOR COMPETITIVE E COMERCE

www.3ZERO3Motorsports.com/store

To even consider ourselves competitive in the online performance parts market we knew that we had to offer at bare minimum the following :

We have over 1,800 products in the store as of our launch date. That is triple what most online vendors have as a starting point !
Same day shipping is available on almost every in stock product.
A product line up that includes high quality brands such as Evolution Imports. ATP Turbo, ECS Tuning, Prospeed, HID Xenon, Autosoeed, REVO Technik, BBS Wheels, BSH Speedshop, HPA Motorsports, PES Tuning, 42 Draft Designs, Arnott Suspension, Stratmosphere, Milltek, SPEC Clutch, Southbend Clutch, Forge, Stasis Engineering, JHM, AWE Tuning, Billy Boat Exhaust, Stoptech Brakes, Apikol, and more !
Our own extensive line of 3ZERO3 merchandise and apparel.

The alluring Porsche page.

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AESTHETICS

www.3ZERO3Motorsports.com/store

Despite the standard offerings of our online store we have taken great care to come up with an attractive approach to your online shopping experience. Inside our shop facility you will often hear the phrase “Tastefully Modified” used frequently. We wanted the same consistency to vehicle modification to be extended to our online store. Finding great colorful photos for vehicle, products and background images was a top priority.

To be honest, if you take a look around at ‘the competition’, I think you will be hard pressed to find an online parts store that looks as good as ours. Right ?

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FUNCTIONALITY

www.3ZERO3Motorsports.com/store

We would have loved to reinvent the wheel ( so to speak ) and put the E Commerce market on its ear. As we have found out doing that, is VERY expensive. Instead we wanted to create a online shopping experience that works intuitively, and quickly. Based on years of shopping the competition, we have learned alot about what works, what doesn’t what we like, and what is just awful. So our goal here was to create something that worked well, but not reinvent the wheel. Take a look at the competition, and then tell us we aren’t every bit as good, right ?

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TRUST FACTOR:

www.3ZERO3Motorsports.com/store

We are not interested in merely ’slinging parts’. We are here to support the enthusiast community. If we don’t have faith in what we are selling, or if this isn’t a product we would put on our own Audi, Porsche or Vee Dub, we won’t sell it to you ! We could have filled our online store with endless pages of parts for you to choose from, but that was not our goal.

The same reasons that you trust in our experience, training and philosophy when it comes to maintaining, repairing, and modifying your car in our shop, are the the same reason that you will appreciate shopping online with us.

If you had made it this far into the blog, I trust that you can appreciate the time, effort and thought that went into the creation of our store. But you have read enough, start shopping already : www.3ZERO3Motorsports.com/store.

Online Store : Soft Opening

Max — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:58:58 +0000

Don’t say we didn’t tell you so. The 3ZERO3 Motorsports Online Store is finally here. We’re all dressed, shoes shined and ready for the big dance…..well almost. We need your help! We cordially invite you, our closest friends to the soft opening of the 3ZERO3 Motorsports Online Store. The lights are turned on and we are live, however we are still looking for more critical feedback on content, design, and functionality before the official Grand Opening. So please shop ’til you drop, and don’t hesitate to tell us what you think !

PASSION, EXPERTISE, AND QUALITY.

We have extended our principled approach to high performance tuning to your online shopping experience. Using the same reputable brands and hardware that have supported everything from street driven customer rides to full-on 3ZERO3 race cars, we continue to amass the best equipment available for the Audi, Porsche, and Volkswagen brands.

DESIGN AND FUNCTIONALITY

Starting from a blank slate, we created a online store which meets our exacting standards for design aesthetics, and functionality.

QUALITY CONTROL :

Ever get a call from us asking to keep your vehicle for just…… one………..more…………………day? We take alot of pride in the products and services we provide at the shop. We are equally as passionate about the online store. So please take a look around, and let us know what you like, what you don’t and anything in between.

Email, phone, blog, Facebook, or Twitter, we’re all ears.

VARIETY :

While we don’t yet have big box store variety, we are adding product consistently. If you have suggestions for products or suppliers that you think we should offer, let us know !

Enough reading !

Check it out already!

3ZERO3 Motorsports continues to expand our online resources. Providing the best, in parts, information and entertainment for all of our beloved customers. If you have any questions about maintaining, repairing, or modifying your Volkswagen, Audi, or Porsche, please contact us day or night. We thrive on feedback, its what we need to continue to be Denver and Colorado’s best resource for Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen owners.

Racer Interview : Mark Smith

Max — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 23:19:43 +0000

In full competition mode, the presence of Mark Smith’s autocross prepared 2003 Volkswagen R32 visually promises to do many things. With fenders that look like they were modified by Dr Jekyll, and the widest tires ( 285mm!) you will ever see on the Mk4 chassis, the car is built to compete, and compete mercilessly. One fine saturday I spent the day shadowing Mark as he competed in a local event. Take a moment to crawl inside the meticulously maniacal mind of Mark Smith and see what motivates his passion for racing.

SEVEN QUESTIONS:

QUESTION 1 : WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THE AUTOCROSS SCENE ?

ANSWER : ” ( I got into racing ) Accidentally, definitely not intentionally. Autocross racers drive at or above 10/10ths, I like that. Road racers rarely drive at the limit the way we do. If they did they would be in wrecks, ditches, or walls all day long. Autocross drivers are driving at 10.5 or 11/10ths all day long, the chance of losing control and spinning is always there. Finding the razors edge, and exposing it excites me. I also really appreciate the community aspect of the racing scene, its just alot of fun,”.

QUESTION 2: WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS & FAILURES AS A DRIVER ?

ANSWER : “I have enjoyed success as a competitive driver from day one. Within the first season I was kicked out of the novice group ( for good behavior, not bad ). I was awarded the Novice of the Year Award in my rookie season, and won the national championship in my second season. I guess my biggest success has been turning driving like a ( cough …. cough) jerk, into winning races. My biggest failures…? Probably continuing to make novice mistakes, driving too fast in the slow sections and vice versa,”.

QUESTION 3: WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE VOLKSWAGEN R32 AS A PLATFORM ? WHAT ADVANTAGE DOES THAT AFFORD YOU ?

ANSWER : ” The R32 (as a race vehicle )was not intentional. I saw the R32 before they were even for sale, went to dealer and ordered mine. I didn’t know I was going to race the car, but things have worked out very well. I am a very aggressive driver, I think that really benefits me in the autocross arena. Most people aren’t aggressive enough. Like I tell my Mom when we are competing, its not enough to simply accelerate full throttle : you have to MASH the pedal. By my second season I was teaching other people how to drive like I do, aggressively. One of the biggest advantages of the R32 is the all wheel drivetrain. In SCCA Pro SOLO we have a drag launch, and 100ft of straight-line acceleration from the start. This usually affords me a 60ft advantage over my competition. Biggest disadvantage ? The car is heavy ! After the launch, I can get some good speed going, but all the weight makes it hard to maintain that speed. I am by far, the heaviest car in my class.

QUESTION 4: WHAT CLASS DO YOU COMPETE IN ?

ANSWER : ” ( I compete in the ) X Class. We have the best drivers in the country. I am constantly competing against a number of drivers who all have multiple championships. Everyone competing in Colorado is VERY fast.

QUESTION 5 : DESCRIBE YOUR AUTOMOTIVE FANTASY.

ANSWER : ” I’d love to have a huge garage. 12 cars at least. But more than just owning the cars, I want the time to work on them. I want a mechanical engineering degree and a commercial drivers license. I want to build, design, repair, and transport cars that I build and design, and compete nationwide.

QUESTION 6 : HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND WORKING ON THE CAR ?

ANSWER : ” I used to spend every waking minute working on the car, and thinking about the car. Now that I have 3ZERO3 Motorsports as my sponsor, I don’t have to bust my knuckles as much. I usually spend 1-2 nights a week working on the car myself during the season. Usually before a race I will spend a few nights in the garage prepping, and finalizing my set up. But even when I am not near the car, I am always thinking about it, “.

QUESTION 7: DESCRIBE YOUR SETUP.

ANSWER: ” In a word, twitchy. This is what autocross is all about, getting the car to rotate. I have prepped the chassis to the limit of what is allowed there. Now I am continuing to look for ways to shave ounces of weight off the car. After we tackle that we will be looking to continue to develop the engine and rear differential. I have been considering completely redesigning the intake system for engine, but we’ll see, “.

With constant wheel/tire changes. The toque wrench is always nearby.

Checking, adjusting, rechecking, readjusting.

VIEW FROM THE PASSENGER SEAT

As I strapped into the fixed back passenger race seat in Marks car. I was not sure what to expect. I’ve been both driver and passenger in cars with more than twice the power of this R32, and after having studied the course for the better part of the morning, I was sure the experience would be fun, but perhaps not unlike past motorsports experiences. It took all of 2 turns before I learned just how wrong I was.

Thinking about the R32 in terms of horsepower was simply asking the wrong question. From the first turn, it was clear, I was strapped in to a crazy-ridiculous-out-of-control roller coaster. Again, I had been studying the road course set up for hours, I had even walked the course earlier that morning with Mark to really get a feel for the rhythm of the track, to no avail. As the car ripped, whipped and danced its way through the cones, I had no idea where I was. Every turn surprised me both in its immediacy, and its direction. I was bracing for a right hand turn, while the car was turning left. Mark describes his chassis set up as twitchy, I would like to add that concept; and describe it as violently twitchy.

Within two minutes of clock time or three hours of T.P.T. ( aka Terrified Passenger Time) we were crossing the finish line, I couldn’t have been any more surprised and relieved. In driving school we are taught to look ahead, not into just this exit but the next turn. This technique could not have been anymore optimistic. Instead of keeping my head up, watching the cones for turn in, and exits, I was doing full strength leg presses against the floor boards. Trying to keep my body from flopping around like a fish out of water, and keeping my helmet from smacking the side of the B Pillar between corners.

I now know what 11/10ths feels like. Its ridiculous. Thanks Mark !

Suspension dialed in to the max.

Evolution Motorsports cold air intake helps the narrow angle 6 cylinder remain full of breath.

Grid assignments.

Mark chatting up the “competition”.

Event officials doing what they do best, point at all the cones that need to be reset.

Ready for launch.

Turning in……

Look closely, the cones indicate the inside of each corner. While riding in Marks car, my brain was unable to keep up.

Nearing the finish line, throttle mashed.

Sticky rubber.

If these ( helmet ) walls could talk.

SEASON UPDATE :

In a last minute maneuver, Mark and his mother Connie (who also competes in autocross events), picked up a 2008 Audi TT 3.2, just 10 days before the SCCA Solo National Championship. Mark piloted the new silver coupe into a D Stock Pro 2nd place finish for the National Championship ( a title earned based on the season points totals ). While many others would be thrilled at the success of a second place finish on the season, Mark is not content, nor will he be until the championship title is his yet again.

Connie ( Marks mother ) drove the wheels off of Marks R32. Connie is now the DSP Ladies Street Modified National Champion ! When I was interviewing Mark, he could not have been anymore proud or excited about his Mothers, talent, progress, and enthusiasm for the sport. We here are 3ZERO3 are equally impressed. Congrats Connie !!!

3ZERO3 Motorsports is proud to support and sponsor the efforts of Mark Smith and his mother Connie. Their steadfast dedication and talent, has earned them great success, and we are proud to be part of that effort.

While 3ZERO3 Motorsports is also a maintenance and repair facility (not just high performance tuning and motorsports applications ) it is the continued dedication to these types of projects that help us to continually inform our concepts of speed, safety, and performance, which trickle down into everything that we do everyday.

If you have questions about how you can wring the most performance out of your Porsche, Audi or Volkswagen on the street or the racetrack, please do not hesitate to contact us. Whether your passion is racing thru traffic on the I-25 corridor, or blowing the doors off of 6 figure exotic cars, we have the answers, the support, and the enthusiasm to exceed your need.