Welcome to the WORKS Winter Newsletter for 2006 / 2007. As always, many things happen in the Automotive Market in the fall, such as SEMA and the conclusion of the racing season.

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Finally, after months of waiting the new Cosworth EVO IX cams are available for installation. As many of you know, the wait has been somewhat agonizing since a few tuners showed a sample set at SEMA last year!!! At least it is good to see that vendors are testing the cams properly and waiting until everything is ready for maintenance free performance. WORKS has finished testing and mapping the Cosworth cams for our "TR-340" performance package.  We have started customer installations and everyone is impressed with the performance and drivability of these Cosworth Camshafts for the Evolution IX.

There is a slight price change between the EVO VIII and EVO IX cams due to the increased production work due to the oil passages on the EVO IX cams. This also creates a slightly longer installation time.  WORKS is very pleased that Cosworth has made pricing competitive with other camshaft offerings.

Results from TR-340 before and after HP and Torque variance graph

The last two Time Attacks for the 2006 season are showing that the competition hasn’t rested much since the California Speedway Time Attack in the spring. WORKS has decided to upgrade our EVO as well, with the addition of the new, soon to be released, WORKS Turbo Kit utilizing a custom IHI RX-6 Turbo built to WORKS specifications. Having installed and tested the turbo at the Time Attack Qualifier at Infineon Raceway (Oct. 7^th and 8^th), Dave Brown (WORKS Time Attack driver) was very impressed. "Quicker spool characteristics and better top-end power" than the old Garrett GT turbo, have provided Mr. Brown with a more predictable and faster EVO.  Check back in the next Newsletter for complete information from our last event, the Super Street Time Attack at Buttonwillow.

After the MOD (Mitsubishi Owners Day) our very own Kirk Harper was able to secure the Mitsubishi Evolution 6.5 "Makinen Edition" from racing legend Boris Said. Having put twice the original miles on it since the day of purchase, Kirk is having a great time with this very rare EVO in the US.

Many have asked how does the Tommi Makinen Edition compare to the Evo VIII?

"Compared to the Evo VIII & IX’s, the Tommi Makinen Edition is best described as less refined and more raw. Sharing power numbers (276hp) and similar drive train w/ the US Evo VIII’s, the 6.5 comes standard with Active Yaw Control and the TME Turbo. With a significantly shorter wheelbase, close to 180lbs. in weight reduction, &  TME Turbo: The Evo 6.5 feels quicker and lighter on it’s feet. In a slalom test, the 6.5 would seem to hold an advantage and if this were a motorcycle, the TME would be in a word - “flickable”.

As for overall feel and build quality - what the TME lacks in refinement it makes up for in character and special features. The exterior includes: the TME single NACA duct intake, TME front  bumper and 4-way adjustable rear wing with ‘TOMMI’ graphics. The interior features include: Ralliart Red (JDM narrow width) seats embroidered with “TOMMI MAKINEN- logo”, TME Momo Steering Wheel, TME Shifter and first ever Ralliart Red gauge pack. The plastic and trim materials could be improved and do not have the upgraded quality of later Evolutions; however, the overall impression is constant - the TME is a special breed and a true homologation model."

Enjoy some pictures of this new addition to the WORKS family:

We think the secret is out. We are planning a move of WORKS operations to Infineon Raceway by early next year. Now every major change has its pros and cons, but we hope that the positives will outweigh the negatives, such as the longer drive to see us for some of you. We are planning some other major changes as well; so stay tuned for more news concerning the move. There will be some sort of activity to go along with every major racing event at Infineon, including IRL, ALMS, NASCAR, Historics along with weekly Wednesday night Drag BBQ’s and Open House. WORKS will be located on Arnold Drive at the top of the hill next to the awesome go-kart track.

USTCC Information and Season wrap-up - Congratulations on Winning the Championship!

It's been an exciting season for the EVO in NASA's US Touring Car series. Having clinched the championship with successive podium finishes and victories.  Throughout the season, Dale Sievwright (BMW), Tyler McQuarrie (Acura), and Toby Grahovec (BMW) have stood in Dave Brown's way, providing constant competition. Back in June, Tyler's nimble RSX at Portland took the podium and in September, Toby's awesome pit stop (refueling) at Sears Point yanked the podium out from under us. Meanwhile Dale has been driving well all season and consistency is king in a championship season.  The most recent race at Sears proved Dave victorious with Toby and Dale right behind him.  Please check our website or the USTCC website for the latest news concerning the conclusion of the season.
 

Team Go-Green and WORKS at the SCCA Run-offs in Kansas

2006 SCCA “runoffs” T2 Experience - By Michael Santos

We took our race prepped 2005 EVO MR to the SCCA T2 National Championship race not knowing what to expect.

The SCCA National Championships, “the runoffs” were being held at a new track this year called Heartland Park in Topeka, Kansas. This is a great facility that did what was needed to accommodate a huge race week, including hundreds of competitors and thousands of spectators. There were a total of 25 classes with over 700 entrants.

We had never been on this track, and didn’t even get to see a video of a lap, which ultimately made the first parts of this event an anxiety filled exercise.  Then we were told that Heartland Park was a flat track and that 4-wheel drive race cars don’t do that well, which didn’t help the anxiety much.

After taking our concerns to the gang at WORKS and Brandon Kraus at Roger Kraus Racing we began setting the car up for the runoffs. Included in this setup were several on-track tunes provided by Pete from WORKS.  We then chased Kirk (also from WORKS) around Thunder Hill with his EVO during a NASA Track Day to further dial in the custom shocks made by WORKS.  We then sent the car to Brandon Kraus for one last suspension check. Then it was time to load the #16 Team Go Green, WORKS, Hankook EVO in the trailer and prepared for the long trip to Topeka.

Once we got to the track, unloaded everything and had our first practice using our new Hankook tires, we knew we were going to have a good week.  The anxiety shifted from nervousness to excitement as the car showed great potential.  The car was running and handling very well and not eating up tires like it had in the past before we started using Hankook Tires.  We were even able to run their soft compound tires and ultimately, we did not ruin one tire all week, something that can’t be said of past experiences.

We didn’t go with the EVO IX motor like the other EVO competitors were running but with the WORKS setup it didn’t make much of a difference, we could run with everything there from corner to corner. The WORKS EVO was so dialed in all we did all week was change tires, bleed the brakes once, and added fuel.

We qualified 15^th and finished 9^th in the race, with a total of 26 starters. We were only 1.766 seconds off the fastest T2 car in the country, and only .631 seconds off the EVO that the magazine said was Mitsubishi’s only chance. Long story short we were very happy with our results.

We are already sitting down with WORKS to get the car ready for the 2007 season, now that we know what it will take to get the Team Go Green, WORKS EVO on the podium.

THANKS AGAIN TO THE WHOLE GANG AT WORKS

Visit Team Go Green on the web

One of the benefits and drawbacks of racing is that there is always next year. WORKS has started development of several projects that will take our Time Attack winning EVO through the 2007 season. Several other venues are planned, and as always, budget will play a huge factor of what we can and cannot do. Being at Infineon and having much better access to the Race Track will undoubtedly play huge dividends in developing our Race Car and our customer cars, in terms of Engine and Suspension Tuning. There are at least 5 to 10 track days a month at the track, either as Test and Tune days or NASA and SCCA events. Another major reason we are so excited to be moving to the World famous Infineon Raceway.

WORKS has been busy setting up Authorized WORKS Dealers around the country. We currently have 15 dealers setup, however some are resellers and don’t provide service. Please contact us if you have any questions concerning any of these dealers.

Also, WORKS is determined to add more dealers around the country. We have several more in process and as always, will be providing a "finders fee" for additional dealers that are setup. So, if you have a dealer or shop that you are very happy with, ask them if they carry WORKS products. Then give us a call and we will take care of the rest.

There is always a list of projects that are in progress every quarter. Typically, two or three of them are so preliminary that we can’t discuss them, even though the entire team is "extremely" excited about them. The following is a list of projects that are currently in process or are nearing completion. This list is in no particular order.

In my last installment, I provided some insight concerning my motor issues. I am happy to report that the last build of my 2.3-liter was perfect. A great deal more power, smoothness and mileage!!! This brings to light the importance of having the job done correctly the first time, and as one could say, I had learned my lesson.

However, about 6 weeks ago, while commuting to work, I was involved in an accident. Without going into any details, I hit a car at about 60 mph, and I’m here to tell you that the EVO is one safe car. Not a scratch, although the seatbelt did some bruising across my chest. Nothing a few days couldn’t fix. The airbag did not hurt initially either, but it did leave me with a headache for about two days.

Here are some interesting facts about hitting something very hard. Don’t leave items in your passenger seat. I had a closed can of NOS (the orange energy drink) and it hit the dash so hard that it compressed and sprayed its entire contents through the interior. My CarPC never skipped a beat, and my music was playing when I got myself out of the airbag! So, the moral of the story is this; be careful out there, since bad things can happen within a split second.

Cheers,
Oliver Simons

Sequential Shifter

Innovation at its finest, the Seqshift sequential shifter works with the stock gearbox. WORKS developed this recent project for a customer who is a die-hard rally fan and wanted to incorporate this technology into his daily driven EVO.  We look forward to supplying more sequential shifters for EVO's in the future to our diehard customers.

Ohlins, Ohlins, Ohlins!

In the fall of this year, the DFV series coilovers replaced the PCV series as their new mid-level suspension system.  DFV (Dual Flow Valve) provides a greater degree of adjustability and performance to any road or track vehicle.  They also feature an aluminum body and ride height adjustability independent of spring preload.  Featuring 20 steps of adjustment in damping, these coilovers will provide the adjustability to provide a great ride on the street, and with some minor adjustment, provides the performance on the track that we have come to expect from Ohlins.  Call us for availability and pricing for selected models, including Mitsubishi, Nissan, Honda, Subaru and Mazda.

WORKS Specials:

The WORKS Front & Rear Strut Braces are on special through the end of November.
Mention this Newsletter and get your discount.

Front Strut Brace - $259.00
Rear Strut Brace - $199.00
Rear Strut Brace plus Drop Bars - $299.00
 

This is the same system used on the WORKS Time Attack Evo.

For more info check out these links:
http://www.worksevo.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=26&products_id=266
http://www.worksevo.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=26&products_id=309 

Discounts:

Are you a member of SCCA, NASA, SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers), NorCalEvo, SoCalEvo, Arizona Lancer Club, Northwest Evolutions or North Texas Evolution Club?  If so, mention this with your next order and receive 5% off parts** and labor just for your involvement with any of these organizations.  If your organization is not listed and would like this benefit, contact WORKS for details.

**Excludes already discounted items, coilovers, wheels, tires, used, and special order items.

WORKS Calendar:

Schedule of Select Events:

Select Track Days Upcoming 4th Quarter: