Teng users 1
Not without my tools Experienced mechanic John Cu
dmore recently joined “Petter Solberg Rallycross Team”. He describes rallycross as an intensive sport with enormous demands on the tools that repair the cars between the races. - The team need to rely on tools we can trust. Teng Tools fi t the job perfectly, John says. John, how did your interest in motorsports start? - I was about 13 years old when I started to read a motorsport magazine that covered all forms of motor racing, but I found rallying most appealing to me. So when did you start working as a mechanic? - I was 16, 28 years ago. How did you meet Petter Solberg? - I was contracted to his team to collect the body panels from Southern Ireland for the DS3 Rallycross car and deliver them to the workshop in Torsby in March this year. Whilst I was there, Petter asked me if I could stay on and work with the team full time. What is the biggest challenge working with the Citroën DS3 Supercar? - At fi rst, it was the very short timescale in which we had to build the car ready for the fi rst race. Secondly, understanding and dealing with the demands in which the car is put through during a race. The races are only 4 or 6 laps long, but the stresses on a car when the engine develops 600 Bhp are phenomenal. So what makes Citroën DS3 Supercar a winner? - It is the great effort from the engineering and car build team at “Petter Solberg Engineering” and our associated partners and sponsors that makes it a winner. We e managed to produce a well-balanced package of outright power, speed and traction that is required in Rallycross. have manag How did you feel when the engine roared into life for the fi rst time? - It was very exciting and relieving hearing the Citroen’s engine fi re up for the fi rst time, especially after all the hard work and many sleepless nights the team had getting the car ready in time fi r the fi rst race at Lydden Hill in the U.K. They say theres’ a lot of freedom in the rallycross regulations. And that this allows the engineers to have almost as much fun as the drivers… True? - Yes it is true, the engineers have fun coming up with new ideas and systems that they hope will keep the car one step in front of the competition. Why do the tools from Teng Tools suite you? - Firstly, it is the quality of the tools that Teng produce, and secondly the vast range of tools available to cover every situation. Each technician has their own very comprehensive Teng Tool Kits in the workshop, which are ideal when we strip and rebuild the car in between events. There are some unique demands of rallycross. Does Teng tools ”stand up” to them? - Rallycross is a very intensive sport with sometimes only a matter of minutes between races to get the car repaired. The team of technicians at “PS Engineering” need to rely on tools we can trust. Teng Tools fi t the job perfectly. Can you give me an example of a situation when you and your tools were critical for a successful race? - During the recent race in “Hell, Norway“ Petter sustained some heavy damage to the car’s front suspension. With only a very short time to ready the car, the team - using Teng Tools - managed to get the car back out for the next race just in time. Finally, will you win the European Rallycross Championship and X-Games in 2013? - I don’t think we will be able to win this year, due to a couple unfortunate non-fi nishes in the last two events. The engineering team is working very very hard on the car and the team will be even stronger in the remaining races this season, so we will have to wait and see how things unfold. Maybe, just maybe... 16