Photograph taken by Blackett Photography.

Company News

Index

ZEN go Green!

ZEN doubles the size of their premises to 6,000 sq ft

ZEN install Dastek 4wd Rolling Road Dynamometer

ZEN test new driver; GT ace Tom Ferrier

ZEN announced as Team Orange UK partner in 2008

ZEN smashes 60s barrier at Tsukuba

ZEN to contest 18th Annual RevSpeed Tsukuba Super Lap

ZEN Champions in Time Attack Pro Series!

ZEN Triumphs again

ZEN lead Time Attack series!

ZEN Victory in Round One!

ZEN Performance has gone green!

ZEN doubles the size of their premises to 6,000 sq ft

ZEN Performance are happy to announce that they now have twice as much space to work on your cars! ZEN have taken on the newly refurbished neighbouring unit at Baird Court.

In the coming weeks the extra unit will become the clean storage area for cars, parts store, will feature a new and improved engine build room and will offer a dramatic improvement in customer waiting facilities.

ZEN install Dastek 4wd Rolling Road Dynamometer

ZEN Performance have completed the first stage of installing a new Dastek 4wd Rolling Road Dynamometer. ZEN chose the Dastek equipment after extensive research and use of all leading dynamometers by Technical Director Paul Blamire. The dyno offers accuracy, ease of use, extremely efficient cooling and therefore safety.

In the coming weeks stage two of the installation will begin, enclosing the dyno in a state of the art cell.

ZEN test new driver; GT ace Tom Ferrier

On Friday 2^nd May 2008, ZEN Performance visited Silverstone circuit to test new driver Tom Ferrier and to develop recent modifications made to the ZEN Impreza. The test is part of a continuing schedule to maximise the performance of the whole team.

Tom Ferrier is an experienced international racing driver. He joins ZEN Performance for Rounds 2 & 3 of Time Attack, looking forward to Knockhill in particular where Tom recently piloted a Lamborghini Gallardo in British GT3 Championship. Tom is currently placed 11^th in this championship, with a race win in Round 2 at Oulton Park.

Tom’s recent career highlights include race wins and podium finishes in the 2006 British Touring Car Championship and British GT Championship and the 2007 British Touring Car Championship, British GT Championship and FIA GT Championship. Tom also works as an instructor at Thruxton and Brands Hatch race schools, as well as on an individual basis with competitors in various racing championships. Tom regularly represents some of the world’s foremost car manufacturers, such as Alfa Romeo, Mazda, Maserati and Lexus.

ZEN Performance would like to welcome Tom to the team, as well as new apprentice race mechanic Sam Eaton from Silverstone’s National College for Motorsport; the whole team are looking forward to working with both of them at Knockhill later this month.

ZEN announced as Team Orange UK partner in 2008

ZEN Performance, the 2007 Time Attack Champions and Subaru tuning specialists have been chosen as partners to Japanese Drift team, Team Orange as their UK technical partners for 2008.

Team Orange will be represented by drivers Kumakubo and Tanaka, both driving 430bhp RWD Subaru Impreza STI’s and both challenging for podiums within EDC this year.

Based in Northamptonshire, ZEN Performance was identified as the correct choice for local support in the UK for Team Orange having the necessary expertise and specialist knowledge to help with the on-going upkeep of the Team Orange cars pre and post event within EDC this year.

Paul Blamire, Technical Director of ZEN Performance commented:

'ZEN Performance is very proud to have been chosen as the home of Team Orange in the UK. It is both an honour to work with the worlds most experienced drift team and an honour to be recognised as one of the foremost Subaru specialists in Europe. All the staff at ZEN Performance are Subaru enthusiasts and are hugely excited at the prospect of getting up close and personal to the fantastically well engineered GDB STI’s that will be driven in this years EDC.

These cars are different, this team is different. Mention drifting and most people would not think Impreza or Evo. Team Orange thinks outside the box and likes to do things differently. I hope that is what ZEN is known for too.

ZEN Performance will be fully supporting Kamakubo and Tanaka and just like drift fans across Europe, we are waiting with anticipation to see the amazing skill of these two drivers in action. This is truly huge news for EDC, for ZEN Performance and for Subaru enthusiasts everywhere!’

ZEN smashes 60s barrier at Tsukuba

As winners of the UK Time Attack series, Team ZEN was one of 4 UK teams and 1 Australian team invited to contest the 18th Annual RevSpeed Tsukuba Super Battle in Japan in December 2007. It was an honour and privilege to be invited to the world’s original Time Attack event. The team’s principal aim for this event was to complete a lap in less than 1 minute – this was achieved with a fantastic 58.5s lap in the second session of the main event, also the fastest time of a non-Japanese team.

Unfortunately the Team ZEN car was beleaguered with problems from the start, necessitating extensive mechanical repairs. Fortunately, the team spirit and never-say-die attitude of ZEN which had kept the team going throughout 2007 came in to play once more which combined with help from the other UK teams and the ever helpful Japanese hosts and sponsors meant that the ZEN car was ready for the track on each of the 3 days at the circuit.

During the allocated 2 days of testing the team struggled with set-up on the unique combination of bends, hairpins and camber found at Tsukuba but managed to lap in 1 minute dead. Unfortunately the second day (Wednesday 6th) was cut short for ZEN by a terminal oil surge problem – data-logging was also playing up but we believe the Impreza was cornering in excess of 1.6G for sustained duration on the long radius right hander in to the short start/finish straight, which is immediately followed by a right hairpin. However, with thanks to Do-Luck, Power Enterprise, HKS & Lateral Performance, Paul (ZEN), John Felstead, Pat Herborn, David Wallis and Andy Upmalis rebuilt the short motor overnight.

On race day on the 7th, the ZEN car missed the first session (being still en-route to the circuit) and knowing the third session would largely be devoted to media demands, the team were left with session 2 to do what they had travelled 9500 miles for! Phil Glew took the car out with brand new rubber (courtesy of Toyo Japan) for 4 laps, almost immediately posting a 59s lap. The adrenaline was pumping throughout the UK/Aussie pits as he returned for a scheduled check-over and yet another set of new tyres. Out he went again and on his first full lap, posted a 58.5s lap to much excitement from the Japanese commentator, Japanese sponsors (and once the translations had taken place) the UK spectators!

Unfortunately on the third lap the Impreza, suffering yet again from oil surge, had to be towed back to the pits. Nonetheless, Phil Glew was met with cheers and hugs and a huge sense of pride and relief from the team. Once again, Team ZEN had proved they are a force to be reckoned with in Time Attack. The final results placed Team ZEN 11th of 64 cars with a 58.534s lap time, with the other Brits placed as follows:

RC Developments 15th with a 59.169s lap
Sumo Power 38th with 1.03.529m lap
Fensport 50th with 1.04.967m lap
And Aussies Hi-Octane Racing in 17th with a 59.623s lap

Team ZEN would like to express their gratitude to all of those that freely gave their time and energy to the team effort in Japan, including the lads from Fensport, RC Developments and Sumo Power. Thanks also to the Japanese sponsors, all of whom helped to make our trip as smooth running as possible, including fantastic transportation, trackside and workshop support.

Japanese sponsors:

Do-Luck Racing Service Japan; DAMD Inc Japan; Boom & Sumo Power UK and Japan; BLITZ Japan; Toyo Tires UK, Europe and Japan; Power Enterprise Japan; JapaneseUsedCars.com Japan; ARC International Japan; HKS Europe and Japan; KunnyZ; Sunoco Fuels Japan; News Publishing Japan; TM Works Japan; Kaneko San, Official Photographer Japan.

Thanks are also due to our long-term UK sponsors without whom there would not be a Team ZEN. In particular, our thanks go to AET Turbos Motorsport and Lateral Performance for their assistance with gifts for our Japanese hosts and also a huge thank you to the Subaru Impreza Driver’s Club (SIDC) who very graciously supplied honorary membership of the club for Mr Shigeru Ito, the President of Do Luck Racing Service Japan. We really could not thank Mr Ito enough for the huge amount of support he gave us in Japan and the gift from SIDC made our thank you a special one that he appreciated very much.

UK Sponsors (in alphabetical order):

AET Turbos Motorsport
Blackett Photography
Cosworth
EXE-TC Competition Suspension
Lateral Performance
Millers Oils
Motorsport Cameras
Pfitzner Performance Gearbox
Pro-Valeting
R J Morris Database Services
Supertech Performance
Toyo Tires
Whitfield Race Engines

ZEN to contest 18th Annual

RevSpeed Tsukuba Super Lap

Team ZEN will complete an amazing 2007 Time Attack season by competing in an annual event organised by the tuning magazine in Japan - the 18th Annual RevSpeed Tsukuba Super Lap. Phil Glew will drive the Impreza against a full-field of Japanese teams such as M-Speed, CyberEvo and Jun, alongside other UK tuner entrants Sumo Power, Fensport and RC Developments.

Tsukuba is the most-favoured Time Attack circuit in Japan - it is a circuit that all professional Japanese drivers have driven extensively and it is known globally, not least as it appears on games such as Forza Motorsport and Gran Tourismo 4. The circuit is just over 1.2 miles long and has a balance of both wide-sweeping bends as well as tight hairpins. For these reasons, RevSpeed have held Time Attack events here for 18 years! The Time Attack lap record is held by the HKS HyperMax Evo - a stunning 53.589s. This record is not without controversy, as the car has an entirely carbon fibre body, unlike any of it's competitors. At the 17th Annual event the win was taken by the M-Speed R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R with a 55.23s lap; second was the Cyber Evo Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution with a 55.864s lap; third the Pro-Staff R Magic Mazda RX-7 with a 55.947s lap.

Clearly the Japanese have quite a head start on Team ZEN but Paul hopes the car will be competitive and manage sub 1 minute laps.

' We hope to show the Japanese that our car and driver package is competitive. The ZEN Impreza will not win the event but we hope to manage a lap time in the region of 57 to 58 seconds, which in 2006 would have given us a top 10 finish. It goes without saying that at this event, it will definitely be the taking part that counts. We hope to learn a huge amount from our visit to the home of aftermarket tuning. With our 2008 car just beginning the preparation and development stage, this is an opportunity that we will maximise!' ~ Paul Blamire

Team ZEN would like to thank series sponsors Japaneseusedcars.com, Do Luck and Toyo Tyres who will be offering ther support locally in Japan. Team ZEN will publish a full report on the Japanese experience on returning to the UK in mid-December.

ZEN Champions in Time Attack Pro Series!

Having led the 2007 Time Attack series all year, ZEN Performance were crowned outright series winners at Brands Hatch on Sunday 2nd September 2007. ZEN won the finals with a 1.196s lead over second place, to tot up an eventual 40 points in the series, some 6 points ahead of main rivals Roger Clark Motorsport.

Team ZEN's prinicpal priorities going in to the finals were to ensure engine and transmission reliability and fine tune the chassis set-up. A full day of race testing at the circuit on the Friday had given Team ZEN a quiet confidence but the competition in the 2007 series was intense and not to be underestimated. The hard work paid off as the car's reliability was spot on all day and team and driver were able to concentrate on putting in times.

Phil Glew was on sparkling form setting the bar extremely high from the off with a 49.894s lap in the first fully timed practice. Car and driver continued to outperform the opposition in the qualifying session, posting a 50.596s lap to Guglielmi's 51.758s and Clark's 52.266s. The Super Battle session at the end of the day was fast-paced, with all the top teams making regular trips back in to the pits to iron out the tiny wrinkles. However it was almost over before it had started, with ZEN posting an unbeatable fastest time of the day on Phil's first lap: The 49.771s lap left everyone else trying to play catch-up. The final standings were as follows:

Phil Glew, ZEN Performance, 49.771s
Steve Guglielmi, Guglielmi Motorsport, 50.967s
Clive Seddon, RC Developments, 51.113s
Olly Clark, Roger Clark Motorsport, 51.791s

The win in the final gave a comprehensive series victory to Team ZEN, with the championships ending as follows:

Matt Allison / John Felstead / Phil Glew, Zen Performance, 40 points
Olly Clark, Roger Clark Motorsport, 34 points
Steve Guglielmi, Guglielmi Motorsport, 30 points
Clive Seddon, RC Developments, 25 points

Brands Hatch was a superb day of racing, with spirits in the pits (and the bar later on) as high as ever! The Time Attack Series has featured some of the most professionally tuned road cars in the UK and was fantastic to be a part of. Team ZEN are proud to be winners but also proud to take the series podium position alongside Olly Clark and Steve Guglielmi. Special mention must also go to Clive Seddon, who made an impressive repair on the day to finish 3rd in the finals and 4th in the series.

Team ZEN would like to express their gratitude to all of those that have freely given their time and energy to this project over the year, names are too numerous to mention - you know who you are. We would also like to thank the Time Attack Series organisers for bringing the Time Attack dream to the UK and for allowing us to showcase our talents - cheers guys! We must not forget fellow competitiors that have leant tools and consumables over the rounds, particularly Matt at Roger Clark. And finally, thanks are also due to our sponsors without whom there would not be a Team ZEN (in alphabetical order):

AET Turbos Motorsport
Blackett Photography
Cosworth
EXE-TC Competition Suspension
Lateral Performance
Millers Oils
Motorsport Cameras
Pfitzner Performance Gearbox
Pro-Valeting
R J Morris Databse Services
Supertech Performance
Toyo Tyres
Whitfield Race Engines

Team ZEN have lots of exciting plans for the winter and the forthcoming 2008 season - watch this space!

To discuss ways in which you can support Team ZEN in 2008, please do not hesitate to contact us. Please also pass on the enclosed information to anyone that may be interested.

ZEN Triumphs Again

Round 3 of Time Attack took place at Knockhill, Scotland on July 27th and was a weekend of hard work and great results from Team ZEN.

Despite a head gasket failure late on Friday and a repair in to the early hours of Saturday, and a transfer box transplant in the 90 minutes before qualifying late Saturday afternoon, the ZEN Impreza was on winning form. Driver Phil Glew was well ahead of the opposition with a fastest dry time of the day of 53.450s, to win the trophy for the fastest time of the day and shattering last year's lap record at Knockhill by 1.74s. Unfortunately the dry sessions were marred either by red flags or our own mechanical problems - Phil felt he could have got a 52 second lap out of the car.

In the wet Super Battle final Phil asked to go out on the dry tyres. We watched in amazement as his times plummeted with every lap:

Lap 1 = 1:05.251
Lap 2 = 59.571s
Lap 3 = 58.333s
Lap 4 = 57.827s
Lap 5 = 57.704s for the win, beating Olly Clarke to first spot by 1.063s. Unfortunately the RC EVO lost traction on the wet track and the resulting incident red flagged the session and the day was over. Phil was looking for a 56s lap when the session ended.

ZEN now leads the Time Attack Pro-Class points table with a total of 29 points to Roger Clark Motorsport’s 27 and Guglielmi Motorsport's 21.

As always our thanks to our sponsors and supporters, and in particular to Andy Forest for allowing us to use his Edinburgh workshop to repair the car on Friday night, Fred Walton for assisting with the engine out and back in again, John Felstead for allowing us to pull the transfer box from his road car, David Wallis for mechanical assistance and all other helpers and well-wishers.

Read the full Knockhill Report ...

The Time Attack final takes place at Brands Hatch on September 2nd.

Knockhill photographs courtesy of John Stewart

ZEN Lead Time Attack Series!

Despite the challenging set back of engine failure and associated fire at Castle Combe on May 19th, Team ZEN put in a strong performance at Silverstone for Round 2 of Time Attack on Sunday 3rd June. John Felstead, last minute stand-in driver, posted a time of 1.02.110 for 4th place.


ZEN now lead the points table, alongside Roger Clark Motorsport, with 18 points. 3rd spot is occupied by the Audi-powered Lotus Elise of Guglielmi Motorsport on 16 points. There is still everything to drive for and an exciting round at Knockhill next, one of the most challenging and technical circuits on the calendar.


As ever, Team ZEN thank all of their sponsors and suppliers for their continued support. However, the biggest debt of gratitude is owed to the following people that assisted Paul and Tim @ ZEN with a miraculous 12 day rebuild of engine and car:


Andy Tregarthen, Michael Latimer, Fred Walton, Sam Jones (TSL), Moray Mackenzie, Steven Darley, Pat Herborn, John Felstead, Roy Kunz and David Wallis.


For a driver's perspective on the racing at Silverstone, please read John Felstead's report .

ZEN Victory in Round One!

Team ZEN triumphed on Sunday 8th April 2007 at the opening round of Time Attack. Driven by BTCC driver Matt Allison the Impreza was an awesome sight, posting the fastest time of the day at 1.14.064

Technical Director Paul Blamire would like to thank the team of Matt Allison - driver, Phil Glew - co-driver, Tim Farmer - Senior Technician and Fred Walton - Motorsport Manager, as well as supporters John Felstead, Steven Darley and Pat Herborn.

Team ZEN would also like to thank the following sponsors: AET Turbos, Toyo Tyres, EXE-TC Competition Suspension, Supertech Performance, Pfitzner Performance Gearbox, Lateral Performance, Millers Oils, Motorsport Cameras, R J Morris Services, Blackett Photography, Pro-Valeting and SJS Design.

Read Fred's report on the weekend here. Click here for in-car video footage.