On Sunday, January 31st, Ed Bergenholtz and I accepted the challenge to participate in the K1 Speed GP race. All the racers were highly competitive but Ed looked consistent and made it look so easy throughout the first round, which he placed first and I placed ninth. I tried so hard to catch up but I still lagged behind everyone. It doesn’t feel good when the guy in front of you is creating a bigger gap and speeding away. It made me realize that I need much improvement; time to do my homework and practice more effectively!

Thank you K1 Speed and Bergenholtz Racing for allowing me to experience for the first time the K1 GP race. I’ll do better next time!

It’s crazy how efficiently and effectively Ron Bergenholtz works out of his 2-car-garage home. Just last week, the Nitto Mazda RX-8 was on its bare chassis that had been powder coated sterling silver. Ron tailored the Sparco racing seat, the steering wheel, the e-brake handle, and pedal assembly to my liking. Since they’re customfit to my proportions, I’ll be able to steer and drive faster! Yea~ I sat inside the car for awhile to adapt to it while thanking my lucky stars.

Here is Ron cleaning every wire, plug, bolt, etc.; everything on the Mazda RX-8 looks brand new. Every square inch of the vehicle is spotless. This is one of the many similarities we share and it’s evident that Bergenholtz Racing and I are going to be like peas in a pod.

Here is a sneak peak of the interior. After the dash and other components were installed in the car, I got a better perspective on how it feels from the driver’s seat. It’s very important to feel connected with the car. Hopefully, after a couple of practice sessions, the car and I will be in sync!

By the beginning of this week, it already looked like a car! In less than a week, the vehicle is nearly fully assembled with the new Mazda Trix 3 Rotary engine, Tial turbo, and the HKS Sequential 6 spd transmission. Now the vehicle is getting wrapped. Looking forward to driving the roaring RX-8!

Bergenholtz Racing Nitto Mazda RX-8 Specs.

Engine Mazda 3-rotor engineered and assembled by Kyle Mohan at Mazdatrix; Star Mazda three-stage dry sump setup with Peterson three-gallon sump tank and Baker Precision bearings; 600cc stage one/1,000 cc stage two injectors; custom Steen Chassis intake manifold with GM Z06 90mm throttle-body and Burns Stainless turbo manifold; NGK spark plugs and wires; TiAL GT40XSPL turbo (configured by Tod Kaneko), blow-off valve and 60mm wastegate; HKS intercooler; Mishimoto radiator and oil coolers; AEM air filter; Product Engineering fuel pump; Aeromotive fuel regulator; Stewart water pump and recovery tanks; Baker Precision Ultralite plumbing lines

Transmission HKS 6-speed sequential transmission; 1.5-way LSD; Driveshaft Shop driveshaft and 1,000hp custom axles with hubs

Engine Management MoTeC M800, dual CDI-8, Power Distribution Module (PDM) and full wiring; tuning by Eric Hsu at XS Engineering

Power 600 hp with 480 lb-ft at 14 lbs of boost

Suspension & Chassis Chassis work by Ron Bergenholtz and Steen Chassis; 3-way competition adjustable KW coilovers and rear sway bar; Speed Source front sway bar and custom adjustable rear arms; Steen Chassis rollcage, custom upper and lower arms

Wheels & Tires  ENKEI PF01   Nitto NT05  

Brakes Brembo Brakes

Exterior paint by Sam’s Auto Land, Gardena, CA; APR GTC-500 wing with Steen Chassis mounts; Seibon fiberglass doors and trunk lid; custom door sills and quarter panels by Troy Sumitomo at 5Axis; custom Steen Chassis hood

Interior Sparco seats, seatbelts and Champion steering wheel; McKenzie’s wink mirror; MoTeC ADL instrument cluster; ATI 10 gallon fuel cell