Press Releases and News

The Reunion Tour Continues…

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Rockton, Illinois-May 14, 2012

The “Reunion Tour” for Steve Jenkins in SCCA Safe Racer National Touring 2 competition continued this weekend at Blackhawk Farms Raceway in Rockton, IL. This was the first of the division races for Jenkins as he has previously done a double national out of division in Virginia in April. This weekends race had Jenkins competing in his Team Trim-Tex, BRM Watches, HRE Wheels, Fall-Line Porsche 996 against a tough field of 10 T2 cars, including both new and old BMW M3’s, another Porsche 996, and Mustangs. Continuing where he left off in April at VIR, Jenkins grabbed the pole position, and started the race from the front row with the fastest time for the group.
“Blackhawk is a funny little track, its actually the first place I ever drove a car on a race track at all…It was my 1987 Honda CRX Si, in a drivers school. The track configuration has changed a little, but not much else has changed. It seems really rinky-dink at first, but is actually very technical, and a lot of fun!”
The race went just as Jenkins had hoped it would with him leading the M3’s into turn one, and keeping them behind him for the duration of the race.
“My start and plan for turn one was perfect, and I led the 2 M3s into turn one, from there it was a race of management. Blackhawk is really tough on Brakes, and Tires, I knew this and went hard for the first 6 laps or so to get a comfortable lead. From there it was about managing the brakes and tires, and keeping the gap big enough to deal with traffic, and not get in a position where I had to really lean on either the brakes or tires late in the race. Those Cobalt Brakes, and Hoosier tires were awesome in some tough conditions… my hats off to those guys for developing better stuff every year!!”
The race ended with Jenkins taking the win by 4 seconds, setting the fast lap, and a new track record for the T2 class at 1:16.802. he was followed by the E46 M3 of Jeff Parnell, and the E92 M3 of Kris Von Sydow.
“What a blast!!!” said Jenkins “Racing with all of these guys is great, they are all friends of mine, and its been a long time since I’ve raced with them. Its just so much fun to be here and hang out with all of my racing buddies. I have to thank all of my partners in this, but today, I have to thank my wife Laurie. Without her, I’d never have had the chance to do what I have done in racing, and I would never be standing here with a victory. This is what makes me the happiest, and it’s all because of her. Happy Mothers Day Laurie, this ones for you!!”
Steve’s next Race is a double National weekend scheduled for Mid-Ohio June 1st through 3rd.

Steve Jenkins Makes Triumphant Return to His Racing Roots

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:27:56 -0500

Alton, VA:
After 5 years of racing in other classes and other series, as well as some time not racing at all, this weekend saw Steve Jenkins return to where it all started: The Safe Racer SCCA National Club Racing’s Touring 2 competition at Virgina International Raceway’s Oak Tree Double National.
The weekend consisted of 2 qualifying sessions and 2 races, on on Saturday, and one on Sunday. The Team Trim-Tex / BRM Manufacture / HRE Wheels / Fall-Line Porsche 996 of Jenkins captured the Pole in each of the 2 Qualifying sessions, followed closely by Fall-Line Teammate Jack Kachadurian in his BMW M3.
“The car was awesome right out of the truck” said Jenkins “I had turned a few laps in the car a week prior at Autobahn CC back home, and gave the team @ Fall-Line some feedback. They made all the right changes, and it was fast right off the bat!! I got a HUGE tow down the long back straight by an STO Cadillac on one lap, and it was awesome!!”
Race One saw both Kachadurian and Jenkins get passed on the start by the Nissan Z, but a few laps in they both caught the Z, and after swapping positions twice, Jenkins made the pass that stuck, and kept the lead through the end of the 14 lap affair. Kachadurian passed the Z one lap later and finished in 2nd place.
Race Two was a completely different affair with a down pour of rain starting overnight and continuing through the morning warm up and the race.
“Doing the morning warm up in the rain was a big help. Seeing where the puddles and steams form, and getting an idea of where there was any grip made the first few laps easier…certainly not easy, but easier”
The start of Race two was similar as the Z laid back, and drove around the outside of a good portion of the field on the start.
“Im not sure if he jumped the start” said Jenkins “ but he came by like freight train, and got in front of Jack and I, but also in front of all the High Horsepower cars in the other classes that were REALLY Struggling in the wet conditions”
The Z put a 20 second gap on Jenkins and Kachadurian, who had also gotten past Jenkins going into turn one. But once the 2 Fall-Line teammates had cleared the traffic they went to work, helping each other to gain time on the Z. The race culminated with a last lap pass on the back straight putting Jenkins in the lead when they took the checker.
Kachadurinan lamented, “One more lap and I’d have gotten him too” as Jack was right there the whole race.
“This was a team win” said Jenkins “Jack and I worked together, and we caught him and beat him…while I’d have loved for Jack to get past him too, I cant say I wasn’t happy to see that checker. Racing in these conditions is extremely fatiguing mentally, for a good portion of the lap, you cant see anything in front of you, AT ALL, really, it’s a trip!”
This was the first of 7 Races the Team Trim-Tex / BRM Manufacture / HRE Wheels / Fall-Line Porsche 996 has scheduled before the National Championship Run-offs happen in September, and a great start for the effort!!
Jenkins concluded “What a great weekend. I have to thank all of my Partners that have allowed me to do this again, Joe Koenig from Trim-Tex drywall Products, B.R.M Manufacture who make these awesome motorsports inspired watches that I get to wear, HRE performance wheels; these guys really make the cats meow in wheels, and Mark and all of the guys at Fall-line. Being back with Fall-line is kind of emotional for me…for a long time everything I knew about racing was from being in their shop, I left, and I’ve raced other places…its kind of like a homecoming”
The next race is Blackhawk raceway in Rockton, IL the weekend of May 11-13.
Stay tuned for more updates!

...Back where we started...

Mon, 9 Apr 2012 17:39:05 -0500

Im very happy to officially announce my return to competitive racing on a full time basis. Its been too long, and while I did race 3 times in 2011, and won all 3 races, it wasnt a full time deal, and it was in 3 different cars, for 3 different people.

In 2012, I will be campaigning a 2004 Porsche 996 C2 coupe in the SCCA National T2 class. I will be doing 7 races, as well as the National Championship Runoffs. I will be running this car with my great friends, Fall-Line Motorsports. Those who have known me since I started racing will know that Fall-Line is where it all started for me. I bought my first race car from Mark Boden (owner and team principle of Fall-Line), and then he lent me his car for my first regional SCCA races, as well as my first National SCCA races, all in this T2 class. I later had my own T2 car, and Mark and I ran nose to tail for an entire season of races as we both honed our skills for the jump up to Grand-AM. Mark and I eventually became partners in the Professional Race team division of Fall-Line, and ran several seasons as co-drivers in the GS class. Im really looking forward to going back to my roots so to speak, and running in T2 again. My good friend Jon-Paul Novelli ran the car for me back then, and he and I were talking about how much fun we had back then, before it got so serious. Im looking forward to having a lot of fun with this, and while i certainly take the racing seriously, I have the attitude that its all for fun in the end!!!

I have to thank the partners of 4 Feathers Racing for me being able to do this. I had to basically quit racing full time, and start working in the racing industry doing driver schools, coaching, and even running another team for a short spell in order to make this happen. I couldnt be doing this with out the help of Fall-Line Motorsports, Bernard Richards Manufacture (makers of the coolest, hand machined, motorsports inspired, fine time pieces), HRE Performance Wheels, Trim-Tex Drywall Products, NOS energy drink, and of course, my wife and kids who are so supportive of this crazy sport, that makes me tick!!

I will be doing my best to keep the site updated and fresh in the coming months!! Please keep coming back!!

Thanks

Steve!!!

ANOTHER TOP-10 FINISH AT WATKINS GLEN FOR THE PORSCHE CAYMAN AND BGB MOTORSPORTS

Wed, 9 Jun 2010 09:45:54 -0500

(Ormond Beach, FL, USA – June 9, 2010) BGB Motorsports teammates Keith
Carroll and Duncan Ende recorded their first top-10 finish of 2010 in the
#23 Racer’s Roast Porsche Cayman following Saturday’s 70-car Grand-Am
Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series race from Watkins Glen
International Raceway in Watkins Glen, New York. Ende’s drive to 6th place
would have recorded the best finish to date for the Porsche Cayman but the
Los Angeles, CA based driver had to contend with the strong V8 power that
dominated most of the event, and settle for 10th place honors. The team’s
2nd Cayman entry featured Steve Jenkins of Glenview, IL, and Jean Francois
Dumoulin of Trois Rivières, Quebec, Canada, driving the #38 BRM
Watches/Laps.com Cayman; the two finished in 12th place driving together for
their 2nd time in as many races, narrowly missing another consecutive top-10
finish. The 3rd and final BGB Motorsports entry of Stewart Tetreault of
West Hartford, CT, and Guy Cosmo of West Palm Beach, FL finished in 18th in
their Porsche 911; that finishing position, however, was not indicative of
the car’s performance during the race, as the two fell down the order
following Cosmo’s great drive to 5th place. A late-race stop to pit road to
repair a wheel damaged by contact with another competitor, removed all
possibility of finishing up the order. As the race wound down, for the 2nd
event in a row, BGB Motorsports was poised to have 3 entries finish in the
top-10; Cosmo sat in 5th place, Ende in 6th and teammate Dumoulin back in
12th but it just wasn’t their day, as the tight racing and door banging of
the series influenced the end result for 2 of the 3 cars.

With less than a week between the Lime Rock Park and Watkins Glen rounds,
Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series teams did not have much
turnaround time to prepare for the 6th race of the 2010 season. On track
activity for the BGB Motorsports team went smoothly during Thursday’s
pre-event promoter test and during official Grand-Am practice on Friday.
Friday evening’s qualifying yielded season-best qualifying performances for
all BGB pilots as Steve Jenkins led qualifying for the Porsches, qualifying
7th. Teammate Keith Carroll of Stuart, Florida qualified a few spots back
in 14th while Tetreault completed BGB qualifying in 20th.

When the green flag fell for Saturday morning’s race, all three BGB Porsche
pilots put their heads down and continued improving on any performances thus
far in the season. Jenkins found that his competitors don’t make it very
easy to get by them, and the #38 Cayman had to come to pit road to repair a
cut tire. At the same time, Keith Carroll and Stewart Tetreault began
moving up through the field. During the race’s first full course caution on
lap 22, Carroll and his #23 Cayman enjoyed a clean stint, passing
competitors to deliver the car to his codriver Duncan Ende in 5th place.
Tetreault followed suit handing off his car to codriver Guy Cosmo in 12th
place. In an orderly fashion, the BGB Motorsports pit crew executed 3
simultaneous pit stops for the 1st of two times during the event, as Jean
Francois Dumoulin took over the controls of the #38 Cayman from the 13th
spot.

Shortly thereafter another full course caution flag came out and the BGB
crew went to work again, fueling all 3 cars at once to keep all three
entries in contention for a strong team finish, as Cosmo and Ende beat
several cars out of the pits to restart 6th and 9th respectively. When the
racing resumed for the 2nd time at the race’s half way point, all required
pit stops were completed and it was in the hands of the drivers. Strong
stints by all 3 closing drivers had things looking pretty good but late in
the race, things didn’t go according to plan. The team will once again look
to put this event behind them, as they head to Mid Ohio Sports Car Course in
Mansfield, Ohio on June 17th for the 7th round of the season.

Following the Watkins Glen round, the #83 BGB 911 falls back one spot to
occupy 7th in the Team Championship, while the #23 Cayman moves back into
the top-10 to occupy the 9th spot. With some mixed results during the
beginning of the season, the #38 Cayman entry gains traction, and moves
further up the order to 15th. While the team continues to try and finish 3
race entries in the top-10 each time, they’ll look to realize that goal by
hopefully finishing 3 cars in top-10 in points in the Team Championship over
the next 4 races.

BGB PORSCHES FINISH IN THE TOP TEN DURING MEMORIAL DAY EVENT AT LIME ROCK PARK

Sun, 30 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

(Ormond Beach, FL, USA - May 30, 2010) BGB Motorsports teammates Stewart
Tetreault and Guy Cosmo finished 6th, as the highest placing Porsche during
Saturday's 220 mile Lime Rock Park Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge
Series race with teammates Steve Jenkins and Jean-Francois Dumoulin
finishing in 9th. The potential for three Porsches in the top-10 was there,
but those hopes were dashed for teammates Keith Carroll and Duncan Ende when
their run was derailed by an impatient competitor during the first hour of
the race. The #23 Cayman S was sent behind the wall for repairs and came
out shortly thereafter. Following the first round of pit stops for all
three cars, the trio of BGB Porsches ran nose to tail for the remainder of
the race as Cosmo, Dumoulin and Ende all put together strong runs to lock up
a solid finish for all three cars. While #23 and #38 Porsche Caymans have
had their ups and downs in the 2010 Team Championship points standings, the
#83 PerformanceDrink.com Porsche 997 moves up two more spots to occupy the
6th place in the Championship, as teams put the first half of the 2010
season behind them and move forward for the final 5 races of the year. Team
Manager John Tecce had more to add:

"We were all looking forward to this event as it's close to home for some of
us. We had this race won in 2008 but an issue with the timing and scoring
system robbed us of it and we felt we had unfinished business here. We're
really proud of all of our drivers; it's unfortunate that the #23 was taken
out because we had the potential to put 3 cars in the top 10 for this event.
We'll move on and look to redeem ourselves at Watkins Glen. While we did
not attend the 2009 event at the Glen last year, we did win it in 2008 and
we're going to look to repeat that feat if at all possible."

Saturday's race was underway just after 3:00pm. The threat of rain loomed
over the picturesque 1.5 mile Lime Rock Park facility, as the hill above
turn 3 was packed with spectators about to get their money's worth. Steve
Jenkins, driver of the #38 BRM Watches/Laps.com Cayman qualified 13th, with
teammate Keith Carroll in the #23 Racer's Roast Cayman behind him in 17th.
Both BGB teammates Keith Carroll and Stewart Tetreault improved their
season- best qualifying positions; Tetreault started his Porsche 997 in 26th
place. While Tetreault got tangled up in some door banging early on before
settling into a groove, BGB Cayman teammates Jenkins and Carroll paired up
and ran some of the fastest laps of the race during the first 20 minutes of
competition. Keeping clean and moving up through the field, both drivers
experienced their best stints of the year thus far.

Around the one hour mark the skies began to open up and rain began to fall,
but never enough to bring teams in for rain tires. Pit stops and driver
changes were executed first for Guy Cosmo and his Porsche 997, as the Long
Island native resumed racing, following the race's first of only two caution
periods. At the 1 hour mark another full course caution came out
immediately after the contact with the #23 of Keith Carroll and another BMW
competitor, and while that car went behind the wall, the BGB crew revised
operations on the fly and serviced the two remaining Porsches. Standing in
for Craig Stanton, Jean Francois Dumoulin resumed the race in the #38
Porsche Cayman. Despite not having much time in the car prior to the race,
the veteran Porsche pilot got acclimated quickly and was on pace shortly
thereafter. Teammate Duncan Ende returned to competition after repairs were
made to the #23, and all 3 teammates drove the BGB Porsche train, moving up
one spot at a time. With one remaining fuel stop required for all
competitors, final stops were made with 30 minutes to go in the 2.5 hour
race. Without a final caution period to bunch things up, all 3 BGB cars had
to settle with what they had accomplished.

With the level of competition this year, BGB's performance at Lime Rock has
the team feeling positive as they head to Watkins Glen International Raceway
today. Saturday's race at the famed 3.5 mile circuit will begin at 10:15am
on Saturday morning. Qualifying is on Friday evening at 5:10pm. The race
will be broadcast on SpeedTV the following Sunday on June 13th at 1:00PM,
EST, while live timing and scoring for Saturday's race can be found at
http://www.grand-am.com.