2016 Driver Previews | Marten Bonner
In 2015 Marten Bonner drove his Fiat 500 Abarth to and from SLS events, giving his Class E competitors a run for their money in his Daily Driver. He also took the overall Team Championship Title with his Monster Unit/Automek squad. First and foremost Marten goes out there to enjoy himself, but his competitive side is shining through as he lets us in on his 2016 plans!
Here’s what Marten had to say about SLS and how 2016 is shaping up for him:
“SLS has been a great series that has allowed me to go that one step further than Trackdays and into a competitive environment. It was good to be able to compete against others to ultimately see how fast my car and I was!
My high point of 2015 is a weird one, but it came during round 3 and 4. I blew up the turbo on the Saturday, so I had to rush down to Milton Keynes to pick up a new one. I stayed up until 5am to get it changed while setting up the car, all of this effort so I could make the next round the following day! I was awarded the Spirit of the Meeting trophy which felt amazing!
In 2016 I’m coming back bigger and better. I’ll be moving up a class into D with a new turbo set up, limited slip diff and a 6 speed box. I liked last season so much I’ve decided to make the car a full on Trackcar, moving up from the Road Car category. I’m adding plastic windows, kill switches and a fire extinguisher system to get it as light as possible so I compete with the Seats and M3s (hopefully I’ll give them a good run).
Ultimately I don’t really care where I place in the series it’s more about the fun for me. Saying that it would be nice to do well but I’m not a racing driver and I have a lot to improve on – I’ll get there! My goal last year was to run a 61 second lap and I did it! This year my goal is to improve on that and break into the 58 second bracket. If I do that I’ll be a happy man! I’m also going to try and take part in some Time Attack to get the feel for circuits down south.
Finally my sponsor Abarth Racing UK are building a Monster 500 for the Silverstone 24 Hour and they want me to be a part of it. I would love to take on that challenge if I can get the right licence and experience under my belt!”
Name: Marten Bonner
Age: 25
Car: Fiat 500 Abarth
Class: D
Power: 210 WHP – TBC
Weight: 1080 kg – TBC
Spec: Avo coilovers, OZ Super Turismo wheels, Tarox 6 pots, rear cage, Assetto Corse engine with custom turbo, Assetto Corse splitter, Assetto Corse wing – 194 bhp per tonne – TBC
History: Various Trackdays. SLS in 2015.
Sponsors: Automek, Dawson auto developments, Turbo Technics, AVO
2016 SLS SPONSORS
2016 SLS Power Testing Centre
Join us in 2016!! For additional information, please call Rory Butcher on 01383 723 337 or email: rory@superlapscotland.co.uk Or visit:www.superlapscotland.co.uk