BYP Honda Civic: Officially announces Sponsorship

**Benson** · 13-07-2009 09:01 AM

Special Projects Motor Sports USA is pleased to announce that it will be a major sponsor
and supporter of Jimmy and Benny Tran’s B20 Powered Civic which will be competing in the Australian
Honda Challenge
The Tran Brothers Team will receive product support, and the full backing and expertise our race shop
facilities for the 2009/10 season.
The GEAR-X Precision Driveline Components logo will be predominant on the car as Special Projects is
the world wide distributor of the new and very popular line of Honda Final Drives and Custom Gear sets.
As the sales of the new GEAR-X products have been so encouraging in the USA since 2000 we want to
introduce these great products to the Australian Road Race Market.

HARDRACE is another of our imported brands that Special Projects promote and distribute with great
success in the USA. These well known performance products will also be part of the Sponsorship package.
With the recent introduction of our range of P1 Spec Aero and suspension parts and as the demand for
Special Projects expertise and Race proven parts has been increasing every month from successful racing
teams in the UK and Europe, we are carrying on our tradition of putting something back into the sport by
assisting new young drivers.

For 2009 we have chosen to give our backing to these enthusiastic brothers based on their very professional
approach to their racing career; Their car has been constructed with very careful attention to detail, and their
approach to our company and others with regard to obtaining sponsorship has been of the highest level. The
brother’s proposal to our company quickly demonstrated that they were not just another race team looking
for free stuff!

This team is already proving itself with subsequent Class wins and high placings over much more experienced teams.
“After studying Benson the Driver’s on the track, and in car video’s, I have no doubt that with some competitive
seat time behind him Benson will be a driving force to be reckoned with.”
“I believe I am a good judge of talent evidenced by some of the drivers our company has assisted in the past”.
Said Jeff (Kiwi) Owen -Gear-X Director, expatriate Kiwi and well known US Honda Touring Car Driver.
“Every year I keep an eye on who’s who, and which drivers are worthy of whatever assistance we can offer based
on their driving ability and more importantly their personality, how they conduct themselves on and off the track,
and of course how well they promote their existing sponsors.”

GEAR-X is quickly becoming “the Name” in performance transmission components in Honda Touring Car Racing
in almost every outstanding Honda in the United States Honda Challenge, to the Irish Tarmac Rally scene, to
the short sprint circuits of Guatemala in Central America. And now we are pleased to be entering the Australian
Honda performance arena.
GEAR-X is also a major sponsor of Al Stewart (Big Al) who is competing very successfully in the New Zealand
version of Honda Challenge (SS2000).

On behalf of Special Projects Motor Sports/GEAR-X and all the other sponsors on these projects We would like
to wish all of our sponsored teams, and all the competitors Good Luck, and have a great 2009 racing season.

Sincerely,
Janie G. Henke

MERIDIAN HOLDINGS/GEAR-X
Export Sales & Marketing

**DvS-** · 13-07-2009 09:55 AM

well done guys. well earnt. hope to see more record smashing laps in the 09/10 season. keep up the great work.

**cymax** · 13-07-2009 10:11 AM

Well done! You guys deserves it!

**pchio** · 13-07-2009 10:19 AM

Woot!
Good work lads

**Slaz** · 13-07-2009 10:40 AM

Delt with Jeff a few times in the past and is a great bloke, its good to see him getting back on his feet again as i know 1st hand what its like the have the carpet pulled from you all of a sudden.

Sure his racing experience will be much appreciated by you guys, next year will be a really good year of racing, supersprints was always going to bring this to oz, but it was always going to take time, you boys and Leonard have set the example for the class, its a shame Leonard hasnt had his share of luck this season though, well done.

I will ask though, what is the Australian Honda Challenge, is this a new class being formed or just them being mistaken or comparing supersprints to their class? ) also who are the more experinced race teams you are competing against to, all the 5 or so honda's out there are relatively new comers to the sport , really, you boys have spent the most money and time this year in your class, and it shows, but the car is far from back yard anymore isnt it, you've really stepped up this year and the times are on the board.

**string** · 13-07-2009 10:44 AM

I tried to get some parts from Jeff which he didn't have in stock. After weeks of telling me they're on the next shipment he simply stopped replying. Strange business model...

**Slaz** · 13-07-2009 10:46 AM

How long ago was that Mark, like i mentioned, he was in the wars for a while there.

**string** · 13-07-2009 10:48 AM

April this year. He did mention that he was very busy so I don't hold it against him.

**kriZy** · 13-07-2009 10:54 AM

Congratulations boys. Good luck racing!

**DR HONDA** · 13-07-2009 11:17 AM

Well done. Sponsorship is so hard to get

**EG5** · 13-07-2009 01:39 PM

Congrats with the sponsorship

**Benson** · 13-07-2009 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by Slaz

I will ask though, what is the Australian Honda Challenge, is this a new class being formed or just them being mistaken or comparing supersprints to their class? ) also who are the more experinced race teams you are competing against to, all the 5 or so honda's out there are relatively new comers to the sport , really, you boys have spent the most money and time this year in your class, and it shows, but the car is far from back yard anymore isnt it, you've really stepped up this year and the times are on the board.

I think Jeff meant Honda Challenge is the supersprint series.

Jeff has been real nice and supportive of what we are doing here in Australia. He has taken this opportunity to further help the team as well as promote the new GEAR-X product line to the Australian market. His epxertise in racing will expand our knowledge on car set-up. Its evident that the Honda Motorsport market is slowly growing and its a great opportunity to have another reputable brand and porduct line in the market

The car is still very backyard, our times has been achieved with the same old set-up with a few tweaks here and there. New products are being recieved from Jeff @ Special Project in the next couple of months to further developed the car. Feedback is given by both parties on which ratios and gearing is ideal to suit the Australian track. Its not simply getting all these product and using them with less effect. I do believe our car has a cheaper build list compared to our competitors. Dollar money is not what we compare, its the lap times that counts. Cost in regards to our civic, has been efficient and effective with every change has seen the car gone quicker and quicker. We have already proved the limits of all parts on the car

The new products from our sponsors with a plan of a bigger motor set-up towards the end of the year from our good mate Dave Flood will be a step forward to compete in the 2010 Supersprint Series for OUTRIGHT points in the Championship