April 18, 2007 - HOMESTEAD, FL - Bill Fenton and Bob Beede made it through Sunday’s wild KONI Challege Street Tuner race at Homestead-Miami Speedway to finish third in the No. 29 Bill Fenton Motorsports Acura RSX-S.
Fenton started the 400km race and maintained a quick pace as he gained positions. He took advantage of an early caution period, pitting and handing the No. 29 Southern Auto Auction Acura over to Beede.
Just before the two-hour mark, and with half an hour left in the race, Beede took over second on a race restart. He and leader Travis Walker in the Kensai Racing Acura had a brief side-by-side battle until turn three, when Beede put his Acura into the race lead.
Beede then faced a battle with Trevor Hopwood in the Turner BMW and Shane Lewis in the HART Honda. Beede eventually finished third, marking the second podium finish for Bill Fenton Motorsports in only three visits to Homestead.
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Meanwhile, the No. 27 Bill Fenton Motorsports Acura RSX-S of Todd Lamb and Dave Thilenius had a strong start. A flat tire in qualifying resulted in a 13th-place starting position for Thilenius, but after an hour of hard racing he took the lead.
The top position was short-lived thanks to a broken throttle cable. The crew had to take the No. 27 Aprilia/2Wheel Tuner Acura to the garage for a new cable before Lamb could return to the track, six laps down. They eventually finished 23rd.“Had the 27 car not suffered a broken throttle cable I feel we would have had two cars on the podium,” commented Fenton. “Our success has always been based on a team effort. Steve Wheeler is a great crew chief, all of our crew members work hard, Bob Beede is a proven endurance driver and Acura is a proven endurance product.”
“I’ve got mixed emotions about this race,” said Thilenius. “We had a great showing at Daytona with fourth, and we proved that the Acura could be a front-runner at Homestead, too. Breaking a small part is a real disappointment. Maybe next time I should lay off the gas pedal a little!”
Bill Fenton Motorsports will return to KONI Challenge competition at Lime Rock Park the weekend of May 25-28.
Bill Fenton Motorsports is sponsored by Acura, Aprilia, Southern Auto Auction and 2Wheel Tuner.
Posted by Todd Lamb on 04/20 at 02:17 PM
Bill Fenton Motorsports Hopes to Revisit Homestead Success
April 12, 2007 - HOMESTEAD, FL - This weekend’s KONI Challenge event will mark the first time that Bill Fenton Motorsports’ Todd Lamb and Dave Thilenius have competed for the Sport Tuner class win at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but the veteran team has found that, often, the first time is the charm.
The 2003 season was the first time that Bill Fenton Motorsports raced at Homestead with KONI Challenge, and they earned the STII class win en route to taking the championship that year.
KONI Challenge returns to Homestead after a two-year hiatus, and Bill Fenton Motorsports has plenty of momentum after a solid start to the season. The opening round at Daytona International Raceway was the first time that co-drivers and fraternity brothers Lamb and Thilenius had driven Daytona’s high banks. They were one of the quickest ST teams on the track, though, and they finished fourth in the No. 27 Aprilia/2Wheel Tuner Acura RSX-S.
Now, as they head to Homestead for the first time, the team is hoping for further success right from the start. "We got a good finish at Daytona even though we hadn’t raced there before," says Lamb. "Hopefully we can do the same at Homestead, though we’d like to land on the podium this time along with our teammates. It’s been a long three month wait - the entire team has successfully gone through detox and is ready to get back to racing."
Bill Fenton will be back behind the wheel of the No. 29 Southern Auto Auction Acura RSX-S for the first time this season, along with Bob Beede. Daytona was a disappointment for the No. 29 car due to mechanical problems, but the team has flogged and beaten the offending parts and no such repeat issues are likely.
This weekend also marks the first time that MotoST has run in conjunction with KONI Challenge. The pairing of the two series blends Lamb’s sports car racing with his work as Business Manager for 2Wheel Tuner, a performance sportbike magazine. The cover of the upcoming June issue features a custom Kawasaki ZX-10 built by Roaring Toyz’ Bob Fisher, who is competing in the ST class of MotoST on Saturday.
The 400km Sport Touring race will get the green flag on Sunday, April 15th at 10:15 a.m. Bill Fenton Motorsports is sponsored by Acura, Aprilia, Southern Auto Auction and 2Wheel Tuner.
Posted by Todd Lamb on 04/12 at 02:16 PM
Lewis, Lamb & Bavaro – Mission Accomplished for Bodymotion at VIR
Atlanta, GA – Bodymotion Racing entered the 6-hour Grand Am Cup race at VIRginia International Raceway the weekend of Oct.
10/11/06 – Atlanta, GA – Bodymotion Racing entered the 6-hour Grand Am Cup race at VIRginia International Raceway the weekend of Oct. 7th with two goals: a top ten finish in the race and a top ten finish in team points for the season. After the rain-soaked checkered flag flew at 9pm, the team had accomplished both goals to wrap up their second year of GS competition in a Porsche 997.
Todd Lamb: “Six hours is a long time for things to go wrong. We knew before the race that a top ten was within our reach if we avoided contact and kept the car on the track. We had a great wet setup on the car, but even my patented rain dance didn’t work. I had a bit of a moment when the rain finally did come - I was just going for the brakes in turn one when I saw headlights disappear over the berm in front of me. I wasn’t sure what was happening until I was blinded by a wall of rain. Fortunately I made the corner with a good inch to spare! I have to thank Mike for the opportunity with his team, and the crew for their flawless stops.”
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Bodymotion Racing has certainly beaten the odds in its sophomore year. The team is not sponsored and is supported by a volunteer crew. Their Porsche 997 was purchased from a local dealership and driven on the street for several weeks, complete with factory warranty, before being built for Grand Am Cup competition. The engine hasn’t been apart in two years and 20 races of intense competition.
Mike Bavaro: “It’s a true credit to Porsche to have that combination of reliability and performance, but I have to give a lot of credit to the team for their hard work all season: crew chief Paul Schwarz, front tire changer Jesse Bavaro, rear tire changer Geoff Able, jackers Ace Bavaro, Ross DeVoe, and Steve Reya, fuel and fire men Marc DeVoe and Adam McInnis, and timing guru Emily Furnal. My wife Margaret did a wonderful job with travel arrangements, meals and hospitality all season long. In two years of Grand Am Cup competition, this dedicated group of people has never received a penalty or committed a single pit violation and they remain among the fastest, most accurate crews on pit road.”
Bodymotion Racing is making plans to compete in Grand Am Cup for 2007.
About: Mike Bavaro has been racing since 1980, participating in various series in SCCA, IMSA, HSR, and PCA competition. Bavaro won a regional Championship in 1984 and has won 45 PCA GT3 races. He and his wife Margaret own and operate Bodymotion Inc. in Ocean, N.J., which specializes in building and maintaining high performance cars, including installation of OE and aftermarket accessories. For more visit www.bodymotion.com.
Shane Lewis has been racing since 1989, and has driven in twenty-one 24-hour endurance races including three 24 Hours of Le Mans, eight 24 Hours of Daytona, and two 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Lewis has a long list of victories to his name in Grand Am, IMSA, and SCCA Pro. He offers private driving instruction and race coaching. For more visit www.shanelewis.com.
Todd Lamb has an engineering degree to compliment test drive experience as the former editor and publisher of a car magazine. Lamb is currently the publisher of 2Wheel Tuner magazine for custom sportbikes, a position which provides invaluable marketing and promotional experience. Lamb’s racing background includes Grand Am Cup, shifter kart, Speedvision Cup and Barber Dodge Pro Series competition. For more visit www.2wtmag.com
Posted by Todd Lamb on 04/12 at 01:49 PM
Bill Fenton Motorsports Announces KONI Challenge Lineup - Lamb and Thilenius Earn Fourth
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Todd Lamb and Dave Thilenius gave Fenton Motorsports a fourth place finish in the Street Tuner class during Friday’s Fresh from Florida 200, the opening round of the 2007 Grand-Am KONI Challenge season.
The race marked the first time that the drivers of the No. 27 Bill Fenton/Southern Auto Auction Acura RSX-S have competed at Daytona International Raceway, but they stayed near the top of the ST speed charts throughout the two-day event.
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Thilenius started the three-hour race from the outside pole position, and during his stint he battled with the top cars. “Starting in the front row was pretty cool. It was nice to have a clear track ahead of me. It’s a shame our other team car couldn’t start the race — we had been hoping to work together,” said Thilenius, referring to the No. 29 Bill Fenton Acura piloted by Mike Liebl and Bob Beede, which had unexpected mechanical problems after qualifying fifth.
A long caution period after an hour of racing gave Thilenius the opportunity to pit for a driver change. Thanks to Crew Chief Steve Wheeler’s pit strategy, Lamb returned to the track only ten spots down to teams that had yet to pit.
Lamb steadily worked his way back to the front during the remainder of the race, running as high as third at one point. On the final lap, Lamb was running fourth when another ST car passed him in the bus stop.“He made a last-ditch pass, and I let him go because I didn’t want to cause any carnage,” said Lamb. “Then I got a run on him out of the bus stop. I faked right then dove left underneath him, running down onto the apron to avoid contact. We went three wide at the finish line, and I had enough of a slingshot to regain fourth.
”The next KONI Challenge round for Fenton Motorsports will be at Homestead-Miami Speedway on April 15.Fenton Motorsports is sponsored by Aprilia, Southern Auto Auction and 2Wheel Tuner, a sportbike magazine. More information can be found online at www.ToddLamb.com.
Posted by Todd Lamb on 04/07 at 02:13 PM
Bill Fenton Motorsports Announces KONI Challenge Lineup
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—Bill Fenton Motorsports returns to the Street Tuner class of the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series during this weekend’s season opener at Daytona International Raceway. The team will be racing the No. 27 and 29 Southern Auto Auction Acura RSXs.
Todd Lamb and Dave Thilenius are teaming up once again to challenge the ST class, this time in the No. 27 Acura. The two drove together twice last year in ST competition, earning a best finish of sixth at Barber Motorsports Park. Long before they were co-drivers, Lamb and Thilenius were fraternity brothers in college. The Sigma Chi alumni have long since graduated, but some things never change. “We give each other crap all the time,” explains Lamb. “I think most co-drivers do that, but we’re especially good at it! We learned from some of the best in college.”
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Bill Fenton Motorsports will also be fielding the No. 29 Acura RSX with drivers Bob Beede and Mike Liebl. The ST class was one of the closest points battles in Grand-Am competition last season, and the championships came down to the six-hour season finale at VIRginia International Raceway in October. When the checkered flag flew for the last time in 2006, Bill Fenton Motorsports had earned the ST manufacturer championship for Acura and taken second in the championship.
“Fenton Motorsports has a great track record,” says Lamb, who is sponsored by Aprilia and 2Wheel Tuner, a sportbike magazine. “The team’s real strength is their experience. They have a lot of years and a lot of success. There will be some fast Acuras out there, but this team offers the right support to get a top finish.”The three-hour KONI Challenge race on Daytona’s 3.56-mile road course begins at 2:15pm on Friday, January 26.
Posted by Todd Lamb on 04/04 at 02:00 PM
