Led by racing driver Matīs Mežaks, Latvian Television’s “Sporta studija” made sure that there is not much space for the pilot in the motor vehicle of the highway and it is difficult to even breathe.
“The car is fast enough, 218 horsepower. They all have exactly the same brake discs, the same brake linings, the same shock absorbers. So it’s exactly the same for all cars,” Mežak explained.
Andris Auziņš: Are the shock absorbers standard?
Matís Mežaks: I wouldn’t say they are sports, they are street tuning more. These cost around a thousand [eiro], but such decent sports shock absorbers cost around five thousand. Well, it’s a huge cost right off the bat, but if it’s exactly the same for everyone, then fight with what you’ve got.
For such racing machines, one of the main things is weight, – the lighter the better. Many take out tape recorders, air conditioners, panels, but I see that you have almost everything, well, there is no radio…
According to the rules, we have to have the panel as intended in the original. Navigations can be taken outside, but the weight is that the minimum weight is 1400 kg together with the driver. For example, I have to put a 10 kg plate inside [mašīnā], to match. Or you have to play with the fuel level in the lighthouse.
Motorsport is an expensive sport, even in this budget class one-time investments should be considered. A car that complies with the rules costs from 13 thousand euros – it’s true, you can drive it without engine repairs for at least three seasons in a row.
“Theoretically, if the entire engine is working and there are no signs of any defects, then you should not touch the engine. You should let the machinery work,” explained auto mechanic Ingus Dimdiņš. “I don’t know if it is necessary to spend several thousand there, if there really might not be any benefit.”
These BMW six cylinder engines had cooling problems because the engine is very long. Are you improving cooling?
Matís Mežaks: No, you can put an oil radiator, but my car doesn’t have one, I don’t think it’s necessary. Looking at the oil temps, everything is spot on. After all, these are cars made for German autobahns, where they can go 250 or 240 kilometers per hour.
The catalyst is left?
No, we can drive here without a catalyst, but I think that will also change, because green thinking prevails everywhere and we will have to… At the moment, it would not be said that we think a lot about green thinking – on the scale of Latvia and the Baltics. It should also be understood that such hybrid systems and electric cars are exorbitantly expensive and without substantial sponsors it is hardly possible to raise them. Therefore, it will be interesting to see which way motorsport will go in general.
Impromptu and simple solutions are also useful in preparing the machine.
“For a moment, we couldn’t understand why the left wheel was locking more. It turns out that oil is slowly dripping from the power steering plug through the upper end of the shock absorber onto the tire. Then we have protected it with a sponge now,” explained Mežaks.
Cost, cost and cost again – this is the key word, why more than 60 cars participate in such a class, which still have to compete in qualifying to get to the main competition. The less funds it will require, the more petrolhead on the tracks.
Take off the handbrake, now start-engine?
Matís Mežaks: Push the key in. This, yes! Now squeeze the clutch.
And I’m a racer now?
Not quite yet…
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