Oct. 23:

Street racers take crack at Laguna Seca

Track welcomes tour for the first Time

By Ryan Panlilio

Herald Staff Writer

Posted: 10/23/2010 01:30:27 AM PDT

Fans of the "Fast and Furious" movie franchise will have plenty of familiar cars to cheer for this weekend at Laguna Seca, but forget about seeing Vin Diesel.

That's because Global Tuner Grand Prix's Street and Tuner classes are geared toward weekend racers who don't have the unlimited budgets of factory-backed teams. The tour is a new addition to the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca schedule this year.

Cars in the two classes must have full interiors, be street legal and pass an emissions-type test. You sure don't find that on the NASCAR or F1 circuit.

Tuner cars may run stickier tires and have body kits. But cars must have a stock body. They can be modified with factory-made performance parts, said driver Costantino Bertuzzi. That puts a kibosh on specialized tinkering, the kind that can run up big bills.

Bertuzzi, normally behind the wheel of a Ferrari F430 GT as a professional race car driver, will be piloting the 2003 Universal City Nissan 350Z.

"Minor modifications can be made for safety," said Andrew Barkman, a team co-owner.

Their matte black 350Z has Nismo front and rear bumpers, a rear spoiler and big Brembo brakes, all factory-available upgrades. It also includes a rollbar — a safety feature and the only exception to the Street/Tuner rules.

One thing the car has that you don't see on most street machines is several on-board cameras so the team can review the action on the track. When you're driving the tricky 11-turn track at Laguna Seca, game films come in handy.

Like the vehicles many use to race through traffic on the way to work, the 350Z is set up so you can "put in gas and jump in," Bertuzzi said.

Bertuzzi seemed to be enjoying the track, letting the rear end slide out coming out of Turn 11. He set the fastest track time for a street car during the Friday afternoon practice session. Racing starts today and runs through Sunday.

Humberto "Curly" Ortiz, driving a black 2007 Griffin Motorwerke GTI, does not agree with the "Fast and Furious" comparison.

The movies are more of a "car show scene, with a different attitude," Ortiz said. Track drivers foster a more "camaraderie atmosphere."

Griffin Motorwerke's GTI "has upgrades you can live with everyday," he said.

Except for the sponsors' stickers, it looks mostly stock. A trained eye will notice the slightly bigger rear spoiler, Stoptech brakes and bigger wheels to fit the brakes.

Most of the modifications are under the hood, with intake, exhaust and chip tuning, Ortiz said. But he was most proud of the hidden methanol injection system that adds power and helps keep the motor cool. The car puts close to 280 horsepower at the wheels, he said.

The biggest challenge will be between those running street versus track tires, said Ortiz. Changing the type of tire is almost the same as changing the suspension set-up.

But "rain levels the playing field," he said, noting the forecast for this weekend.

Ryan Panlilio can be reached at 646-4487 or rpanlilio@montereyherald.com.