T&M Racing’s First Endurance Race with their E36 M3
To count down the start of the 2023 Lucky Dog Racing Racing League season in the Pacific Northwest, we want to spotlight some of the teams that utilized Cobalt Racing Brakes at last year's "Howl-O-Ween" endurance race in Portland. We enjoyed rooting on several teams that weekend, including a newer team to Lucky Dog competition T&M Racing and their E36 M3.
Team co-owner Grant Gilmore isn't a stranger to racing, as he's been involved with SOVREN as a competitive vintage racer for many years. With Lucky Dog's growth in the area, he wanted to form a team. He and his good friend Chris Woods got together and decided they wanted to try their hand at endurance racing. They picked up an E36 M3, and the journey began. Cobalt Racing Brakes' media coordinator, Austin Bradshaw, joined the pairing. The fourth member was Ken Morgan, who had never driven a race car or been in a wheel-to-wheel race before the weekend, which is the beauty of Lucky Dog as it gives people a relatively easy path to get on track.
Grant likes the structure that Lucky Dog offers. "I enjoy team sports and racing; Lucky Dog provided both. The idea of hard racing for 8-hour stints combined with strategy and mechanical luck really provides an engaging racing experience. Lucky Dog does a great job of providing a series where you can make it as competitive as you want it to be."
Their goal for the weekend was to finish and gain valuable experience. Saturday started well until a slight spin in the rain resulted in a bump with the tire wall, which required a 10-minute pit stop for repair, setting them back laps down to the leaders. However, they finished the rest of the race without incident. Sunday started great as well, but just 12 minutes in, while running 4th overall, the wires on the fuel pump decided to come loose, and the car died on track. After the tow-in, diagnosis, and wire wiggling, the car fired back up and returned to the track about eight laps down. They climbed from 40th place up to 10th overall.
"After 15 hours of racing, we learned a lot," says Grant. "Overall, I really enjoyed seeing the event unfold; it had its ups and downs. It really puts into perspective how much work it will take to run a clean hard race. Everything has to go right; your driver line up, your car, your strategy, so many variables lead to a successful race".
The car had good speed, running the fifth fastest time on Sunday. The M3 has a fairly stock and tired M50 motor, Motion Control Suspension dampers, and an AP by Essex Big Brake kit utilizing Cobalt Racing Brake pads which Grant has quickly come to like. "The brake pads were amazing, zero fade. We put over 20 hours on the braking system in three days and never came up short. I think one of the safest things you can do is provide a reliable braking system and pad for your drivers. I'm very confident when running these pads."
The team has made some upgrades over the off-season. The car now has a fresh S50 motor built/installed, and the team has plans to run most of the PNW Endurance Cup. "I love how Lucky Dog has allowed me to see the other side of racing. It's not just a sprint race; it's an entire day of overcoming obstacles, making friends, and trying to bring the car home in one piece".
The team won't make the Ridge opener but look for them on the grid at Round 2 in early June at Pacific Raceways.