Santa Ana, CA, June 1, 2011:  The 2011 MotoIQ Pacific Tuner Car Championships (MPTCC) is a nine event series that pits the fastest tuner cars in America against each other for 30 minute, no holds barred, wheel to wheel races.  Hosted by Redline Track Events, the MPTCC series stopped off at Auto Club Speedway for the third round of competition.  In the first two rounds, the Berk Technology BMW 135i and driver Mike Bonanni qualified on the pole and led every lap of both races in the “Tuner Over” class which feature the fastest and highest horsepower cars in the series.

After some cooling issues during Saturday’s practice the Berk Technology crew took the car back to their headquarters in Santa Ana and stayed awake all night re-configuring the car’s oil cooling system.  The team and car showed up Sunday morning with less than an hour to spare before qualifying and armed with a fresh set of Hankook Ventus Z214 tires Mike Bonanni went out and laid down a blazing 1:45.837 lap earning the team’s third pole position in a row!  Second place qualifier Carl Rydquist in the City Tire/Hankook 350Z was also looking very quick and with extensive professional racing experience, the team at Berk Technology knew he would be a major contender for the race.

When the green flag dropped, both Bonanni and Rydquist flew down the straight into turn one and proceeded to battle hard for the early lead.  After changing position with Rydquist four times in the first five laps Bonanni decided to settle in behind Rydquist to keep oil temperatures in check as well as conserve fuel and learn his opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.  A mid-race caution flag bunched the entire field back up for a single file restart allowing for Bonanni to cool down the car enough to make a hard charge to the finish.  Bonanni got a good jump on Rydquist at the start pulling up alongside him through turns one and two but Rydquist had the inside line maintaining the lead.  With three laps to go Bonanni made his move using his Performance Friction brakes to dive to the inside under braking into turn 11, taking the lead from Rydquist for what would be the last time as a few laps later the checkered flag waved for Bonanni and the Berk Technology 135i crossing the line for their third straight victory in the series!

“I have to dedicate this win to the awesome crew at Berk Technology who worked so hard to make sure the car would be competitive for the full 30 minutes.  The race was intense and a ton of fun.  After doing time attack for so long it is nice to get into wheel to wheel racing that involves strategy as well as speed.  The Berk Technology 135i is such a well rounded car, and I can’t wait to continue moving forward with it both in the MPTCC and time attack.” – Mike Bonanni, Driver

This victory leaves Berk Technology in a commanding 42 point lead in the championship points standings with six races to go.

Link Love:
www.MotoIQPTCC.com
www.RedlineTrackEvents.com
www.MotoIQ.com
www.BonanniMotorsports.com

Berk Technology BMW 135i Sponsors:
Hankook Tires
Performance Friction Brakes
VMR Wheels
European Auto Source
KW Suspension
APR Performance
SEIBON Carbon
AEM Electronics
OS Giken
GIAC
VFiber
Macht Schnell

—Berk Technology

Since time attack was introduced to North America the import car scene has been growing more and more fond of the “race the clock” form of motorsport.  Maybe its the insane cars or the colorful drivers, maybe it’s the accessibility to those cars and drivers at the events, or maybe it’s because many of the cars are built using the same parts that are available to the public.  Whatever the case may be, Berk Technology is in love with Time Attack and we’ve been actively competing in the sport since 2006.  Now there are over six sanctioning bodies in the North American Time Attack scene, the newest of which is Global Time Attack, the brainchild of John Naderi, the man who is credited for bringing this form of motorsports to US soil.  Global Time Attack hosted its first event recently at Willow Springs Raceway and Berk Technology was one of the lucky teams who were extended the invitation to come and compete.

The Berk Technology BMW 135i fell nicely into the Global Time Attack Street GT class which is largely the same as the Redline Time Attack Street Tire class, of which Berk Technology took home the 2010 championship in.  Having strayed from time attack to compete in the MotoIQ Pacific Tuner Car Championship sprint race series this year, Berk Technology was excited and eager to get back to doing what they do best, racing the clock.  As always, Berk Technology progresses toward perfection with the Street GT RWD class BMW 135i and since our last time we competed in a Street Class time attack setting at Willow Springs back in July of 2010, some notable changes had been made to the car.  A new aerodynamic package with the help of Andrew Brilliant and APR Performance were added along with our Performance Friction Z-Rated brake kit to help maintain cornering speed and slow down effectively on the high-speed Willow Springs Circuit.  VMR Wheels were also added, wrapped in the same Hankook Ventus RS-3 street tires that helped us win the 2010 Redline Time Attack Street Tire RWD Championship.  With the minor, but effective improvements to the car, the team had high hopes of gunning for the street tire RWD record.

The event spanned the course of two days and any lap time run during the entire event counted toward the competition.  The Berk Technology crew chased the perfect setup all Saturday to provide driver Mike Bonanni with the best weapon possible for the job.  The Street GT RWD class saw stiff competition in the form of another well-known BMW 135i from Evolution Racewerks.  Those that have followed Berk Technology or Evolution Racewerks in the past three years know that the two teams are constantly battling each other for 135i supremacy, usually finishing 1-2 at every event.  The two teams were yet again within a second of each other on Saturday and Global Time Attack decided to fuel the fire by awarding a $200 cash prize to the winner of the battle between Evolution Racewerks and Berk Technology.

Coming into Sunday morning, the Berk Technology crew was trailing Evolution Racewerks by a small margin so the team made a few last-minute tweaks on the car and sent a focused and determined Mike Bonanni out on track to put together the magic lap.  Bonanni was able to orbit Willow Springs in 1:29.041 which put Berk Technology ahead of Evolution Racewerks and into the lead in the overall Street GT class hunt as well as the Street GT RWD class.  The time would stand as none of the teams were able to better their times in the late afternoon and Berk Technology was awarded several achievements:

1st Place – Overall Street GT Class
1st Place – Street GT RWD Class
New Street Tire RWD Track Record
Fastest RWD Car
Wild Card Winner – Berk Technology vs. Evolution Racewerks

The event was a huge success and the Berk Technology crew could not be happier with the results.  You can check out the Berk Technology BMW 135i next at Round 3 of the 2011 MotoIQ Pacific Tuner Car Championships at Auto Club Speedway May 28th and 29th.

You can read more about the Inaugural Global Time Attack even at MotoIQ.com:
MotoIQ.com – Inaugural Global Time Attack Breaks Off Records at WSIR

Link Love:
www.GlobalTimeAttack.com
www.BerkTechnology.com
www.BonanniMotorsports.com
www.MotoIQPTCC.com

Berk Technology BMW 135i Sponsors:
Performance Friction Brakes
KW Suspension
Hankook Tire
VMR Wheels
European Auto Source
APR Performance
SEIBON Carbon
AEM Electronics
OS Giken
GIAC
VFiber
Macht Schnell

—Berk Technology

Check out the latest issue of Performance Auto & Sound magazine on a news stand or bookstore near you!  In it you will find coverage of the opening round of the Redline Track Events 2011 season featuring the MotoIQ Pacific Tuner Car Championships (MPTCC).  The event was held at Willow Springs Raceway and Berk Technology was fortunate enough to take home the win in the series.  Performance Auto & Sound Magazine recognized our win in their coverage so be sure to pick up a copy of the magazine to read the whole thing!

“Moving from Time Attack to the MPTCC was Mike Bonanni in the Berk Technology BMW 135i.  Although there was some stiff competition there, Bonanni was the number one qualifier and, as expected, the pole-sitter did not look back the entire race before grabbing the checkered flag in the feisty twin-turbo six.” – Performance Auto & Sound Magazine (words by Dave Pankew)

Link Love:
www.PASMAG.com
www.BonanniMotorsports.com
www.MotoIQPTCC.com
www.RedlineTrackEvents.com

—Berk Technology

This past weekend, the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles played host to America’s biggest annual BMW gathering….Bimmerfest!  Bimmerfest is a BMW enthusiast mecca with hundreds of cars showing up from all over the continent to show off their BMWs.  Of course this meant that Berk Technology had to bring out our BMW 135i race car.  Not only did we bring the car to the show, but our sponsor VMR Wheels had us park in their booth!  The car got plenty attention as usual as it showed off its goods.  It’s important to us not only to have a great performance record at the race track, but also to have a car that’s pretty to look at!

A huge thank you to VMR Wheels, European Auto Source, Hankook Tire, Performance Friction Brakes, KW Suspension, AEM Electronics, APR Performance, GIAC, OS Giken, VFiber, Macht Schnell, and MotoIQ for their support!

Catch the Berk Technology BMW 135i in action this weekend (May 21-22) at Willow Springs Raceway for the inaugural Global Time Attack event!

For more photos, visit European Auto Source’s huge gallery at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/europeanautosource/sets/72157626618233465/

Link Love:
BerkTechnology.com
VMRWheels.com
EuropeanAutoSource.com
HankookTireUSA.com
PerformanceFriction.com
KW-Suspension.com
AEMelectronics.com
APRperformance.com
GIACUSA.com
OSgiken.net
VFiber.com
MachtSchnell.com
MotoIQ.com
Bimmerfest.com
GlobalTimeAttack.com

—Berk Technology

—Berk Technology

Berk Technology is proud to announce another new product to the line-up, the Berk Technology Honda Civic Si (FG2/FA5) High Flow Catalytic Converter!  The Honda Civic has long been a staple platform in the import tuning community and with Berk Technology’s stellar reputation within the Honda S2000 community it was only natural that they branched off into the Civic market.  Berk Technology’s world renowned high flow catalytic converter designs have rocketed to the top of every market they enter and this new offering for the 8^th generation Honda Civic Si will surely be no different.

The Berk Technology Honda Civic HFC is a direct bolt-on replacement to the factory catalytic converter and features 100% made in the USA stainless steel construction.  The new HFC features a 3” tubing and a very smooth transition down to 70mm at the catback flange for compatibility with stock and aftermarket exhaust systems.  This new high flow cat also features a j-bend extended o2 sensor bung to help eliminate the dreaded check engine light and very high quality US made metallic catalytic converter element for superb heat resistance and performance.  This new high flow catalytic converter is already seeing horsepower gains in the Honda Civic Si community throughout the entire power band with peak gains of around 7 rear wheel horsepower and 18 ft-lb of torque!

Berk Technology track tests and dyno proves their products to ensure the highest quality and effectiveness.  Their BMW 135i race car has seen tremendous success and extreme conditions using Berk Technology high flow catalytic converters in the Redline Time Attack series, Global Time Attack Series, and MotoIQ Pacific Tuner Car Championships sprint race series.  Many top race teams and industry track day goers also choose Berk Technology including Fortune Auto and DSport Magazine!

The new Berk Technology Honda Civic Si (FG2/FA5) High Flow Catalytic Converter is available now with an MSRP of $299.99 and can be purchased through any Berk Technology authorized dealer.

Fans were given the choice between four incredible cars to take their lap in; Berk Technology brought out their 2010 Redline Time Attack Championship winning BMW 135i which features a full roll cage, race seats, Berk Technology exhaust system, GIAC tune, full race suspension from KW, and Hankook slicks for the fan who wanted the full race car experience.  European Auto Source brought out their shop project which is an E92 M3 equipped with a VF Engineering Stage 2 supercharger kit and other go fast bits from Macht Schnell and Challenge.  VF Engineering brought two of their flagship platforms, both of which were equipped with a VF Engineering Stage 2 supercharger kit.  One was a mildly built E46 M3 and the other was a wildly modified E92 M3 which featured a Vorsteiner widebody kit and 620 horsepower!

“The ride-a-long portion of the event was a huge hit and our only regret is that we simply didn’t have enough time to accommodate everyone that wanted rides.  There’s no better way to showcase your products than to strap someone into your car and show them first hand. We had customers and fans who came out to MFest just for the chance to ride in our car and that was a great feeling. We are definitely looking forward to MFest VI in 2012!” – Laura Heng, Berk Technology

To learn more about the cars and drivers that participated in this event, please visit the following websites:

www.EuropeanAutoSource.com
www.BerkTechnology.com
www.VF-Engineering.com
www.MFest.com
www.BonanniMotorsports.com
www.Twitter.com/JordanYostRacin

—Berk Technology

The new MotoIQ Pacific Tuner Car Championships race series pits cars together based on power to weight ratio.  There are two classes, Tuner Over which boasts an 8:1 power to weight ratio and Tuner Under which boasts a 12:1 power to weight ratio.  The Berk Technology competes in the Tuner Over class putting out 410 horsepower thanks to Berk Technology exhaust parts, GIAC tuning software, and AEM Electronics methanol injection.  The car weighs in at 3,300 lbs. with driver with the help of carbon fiber body panels from SEIBON Carbon.  The aerodynamics rules in the series allow more freedom than most sanctioning bodies making for some very cool and very fast cars.  The Berk Technology 135i runs a combination of APR Performance and VFiber products along with custom pieces designed by Andrew Brilliant and fabricated by Berk Technology.

Day one of the two-day event is slated for practice where the Berk Technology team usually dials in the car for Sunday’s race.  At this race however Mother Nature decided to intervene and rain fell all day long which made the concrete surface of the drag strip front straight dangerously slippery.  Since the Berk Technology 135i remained un-changed since the last event and Sunday called for sunny skies and no chance of rain the Berk Technology crew decided to park the car for the day as to not risk damaging the car.

Fortunately the weather man was right and Sunday was sunny, warm, and most importantly dry.  Because of Saturday’s weather driver Mike Bonanni had only one session in the morning to both practice and qualify the car for the race.  Bonanni turned seven laps in the Berk Technology 135i and qualified the car on the pole position for the second race in a row.  Next to him on the outside of the front row was Robert Ramirez in the Road Race Engineering Mitsubishi Talon.  Row two consisted of Deiter Heinz-Kijora in the Evolution Racewerks BMW 135i and Clint Boisdeau in the Apollo Performance Ford Focus.  As the green flag dropped Bonanni lead the pack into turn one with the rest close in tow.  The Hankook Ventus Z214 DOT racing slicks and KW Suspension allowed Bonanni to hold off the pack and stretch out a small lead through the first few corners.  The lead grew bigger as the other cars battled for position allowing Bonanni to run clean and consistent laps.  When the checkered flag flew Bonanni and the Berk Technology 135i crossed the line first with an eight second lead over 2^nd place finisher Deiter Heinz-Kijora in the Evolution Racewerks BMW 135i.  The victory extends Berk Technology’s points lead heading into round 3 which will be held at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA on May 28^th and 29^th.

Berk Technology would like to thank the following sponsors:
- Hankook Tire
- Performance Friction Brakes
- VMR Wheels
- KW Suspension
- GIAC
- APR Performance
- VFiber
- Seibon Carbon
- OS Giken
- AEM Electronics
- European Auto Source
- Macht Schnell

—Berk Technology

This event will be one day only, April 23rd 2011 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the fifth annual MFest track event.  People can sign up to take a ride in one of four heavily modified BMWs at the event in the European Auto Source / Yokohama Tire booth.   Those brave enough will be strapped into the passenger seat next to one of our two professional drivers, Berk Technology’s own Mike Bonanni and VF Engineering’s Jordan Yost who will do their best to make you scream for your mommies as they give you the ride of your life!

Here are the cars that we will be using for the Ride-A-Long experience:

Berk Technology BMW 135i Race Car
2010 Redline Time Attack Street Tire RWD Champion
Reigning Un-Defeted MotoIQ Pacific Tuner Car Challenge Winners
Street Tire RWD Record Holder at Buttonwillow and Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch

VF Engineering VF620 E92 M3
620 Horsepower VF Engineering Supercharged V8
Carbon Fiber Vorsteiner Widebody Kit

European Auto Source E92 M3
VF Engineering Supercharged V8

VF Engineering E46 M3
570 Horsepower VF Engineering Supercharged Inline 6cyl

For more information on these cars and the MFest event please visit:

EuropeanAutoSource.com
VFEngineering.com
MFest.com

—Berk Technology

Berk Technology will be racing this weekend!  We will be heading out to Firebird Raceway in Phoenix to compete in Round #2 of the MotoIQ.com Pacific Tuner Car Championships!  We are entering the Tuner Over class again to defend our win from Round #1 with the Berk Technology BMW 135i.  Driver Mike Bonanni will continue his duty behind the wheel so if you’re in the Phoenix area and want to watch some good racing, swing on by!  Print the image below for free Sunday admission!

See you out there!

—Berk Technology