Some of the best proof of what our radios can do comes from the teams who run them. Long-time SRC customers Rob Henretta and Paul Quattrochi of HQ Autosport built a BMW 128i from the ground up for endurance racing, and it won E2 at the 2018 25 Hours of Thunderhill. The car ran an SRC Pro Digital 20-watt system.
The SRC digital radio sits in the dash where the factory stereo used to be. Photo: NASA Speed News.
Back in the game
Rob and Paul weren't new to endurance racing. Their previous car, an E1-class BMW E46, finished third at the 2014 25 Hours of Thunderhill before they sold it. In June 2017, while following a NASA WERC race at Buttonwillow, they decided to come back. A few weeks later, Rob flew to Phoenix and drove a used base-model 128i home to Orange County over the Fourth of July weekend.
The build
The 2008 128i kept its stock 3.0-liter inline six (210 hp) and six-speed manual, at 3,020 lbs with driver. The team built it in fall 2017 and developed it through the 2018 WERC season. Highlights:
- Welded-in strut tower and subframe bracing
- Roll cage by Blackbird Fabworx, with the air conditioning still working
- MCS dampers with Hyperco springs, Eibach sway bars and Vorshlag camber plates
- 1M factory big-brake package up front, on Performance Friction pads; one set lasted the full 25 hours
- A 20-gallon fuel cell in place of the stock 14-gallon tank
- LED lighting behind the stock headlamp lenses, plus apex lights on the bumper corners
Communications built for 25 hours
The car is set up for a long race. The SRC digital radio is mounted in the dash where the factory stereo used to be. A passenger-side screen shows driver messages sent from the pits. RaceCapture streams live telemetry, including oil pressure, fuel level and engine temperature, over a cellular connection. The three cameras on the cage run on a battery backup that lasts all 25 hours.
Over 25 hours, the radio has to work clearly from the first driver change to the last. Clear, reliable communication between driver and crew is part of how a team stays on strategy all race.
Running your own endurance program?
The SRC Pro Digital 20-watt system is the same setup HQ Autosport raced. Call the shop or stop by in Ventura at 1756 Eastman Ave, Ste #111, and we'll help you match radios, helmet wiring and crew headsets to your car and your team.
Build details are from Brett Becker's feature in NASA Speed News, "HQ Autosport Gets Back in the Game With a Purpose-Built E2 BMW 128i" (February 2019).