ININ THETHE FASTFAST LANELANE Cheyne Bromfield is an inspiration to auto technicians everywhere. He is young and passionate about motor sport, which has given him a dream career as a leading technician at race events across the world. But success didn't just walk in his door. He worked hard at it, and he lives by the mantra so often ignored by those in the motor trade, 'to stop learning is to go backwards'. Editor Ken Newton caught up with Cheyne before he leapt on a flight back to his UK base at the Team Australia A1 racing headquarters. some of the most significant powertrain The classroom (he only became a qualified developments, including the first digital mechanic when he moved to the UK) engine management system for Formula might have given him a piece of paper, but One. Cheyne largely trained himself. In this awesome world of advanced “I just don’t switch off. I spend as much technology, Cheyne is in his element, but time as I can with the older guys with the without his dedication it might have turned experience, and I listen and watch, and out differently. absorb their knowledge like a sponge.” own Bowral way, some of the locals will still remember the Like all confident young men, Cheyne It is an accepted fact that many of the mechanically-minded teenager readily admits there was a time soon after advances in modern street vehicles flow who fixed their motor mowers he left Australia at the age of 19 to offer from the racing car industry. Dand spent the rest of his time roaring himself to full time motor racing, that he around the paddocks on his motocross thought he knew it all. The technology is so advanced in the bike. Team Australia cars that they can’t even After all, he’d done his apprenticeship in be started unless the computer is plugged To talk to Cheyne Bromfield these days, BMW workshops, and had crewed on a in. The driver and crews then run through you’d have to track him down to wherever few Australian racing teams. computer screens of starting procedures the A1 Grand Prix cars are racing – could and system checking before being let be South Africa, Mexico or Europe. “Thinking I had all the skills that were loose on the race circuit. necessary to conquer the world was You’ll find Cheyne in the pits or at a almost my life’s huge mistake,” recalls “There are so many sensors on these workbench, proudly kitted out in Alan Cheyne. “It dawned on me pretty quickly cars, covering every component,” Cheyne Docking Motorsport gear, preparing the that my career wasn’t moving at the speed explains. “People spend five years at Team Australia race car for the next event I expected and I realised then that I didn’t university just to be able to program a car’s in the World Series. know it all, and would never know it all, damper system, so you can readily see and that learning in the automotive game why technicians in the field must be totally It’s a job all little boys dream about, being just doesn’t stop.” up to speed with how they work and how appointed as sub-assembly technician for they should be maintained.” Team Australia A1 Grand Prix. There is no closure in As a youngster, he showed an early Cheyne was accepted into the team late vehicle technology. aptitude for competitive racing. What in 2007, but came with already substantial started in his later teenage years as credentials as a racing car technician. In "As quickly as something new is developed roaring around the paddocks in a ute or 2005 he had helped prepare and maintain and put on the market, someone else will on his motocross bikes soon developed the legendary and gruelling Paris Dakar turn it around and do it better, make it into a disciplined racing career. He was Nissan Rally Raid Pick-up Trucks for multi lighter or make it cheaper," says Cheyne. world champions Ari Vatanen and Colin successful in his age group for both McCray while he was working with the “Today’s auto technicians must recognise motocross and go-kart racing. RJN Motorsport team. that they are in a technology fast lane in the motor industry, and if they stop learning But his true love was always cars, and Cheyne is well aware of his responsibility for one minute, they are going backwards." after his apprenticeship with specialist as the technician who builds and maintains BMW workshops, he decided almost the sub-assemblies of the Zytek-engined And he should know. Cheyne’s skills are immediately that race cars were the go. racing cars with Lola chassis, from the the result of listening and learning. brake discs to the wheel uprights. After he settled down with RJN Motorsports in the UK, he was virtually Lola Cars, established in 1958, is one thrown in at the deep end preparing of the most successful manufacturers of vehicles for the Paris Dakar rally (Cover racing cars in the world. Zytek Systems Pic). He regards these days as his was founded in 1982 to develop and hardest, but most rewarding and character manufacture innovative electronic building of his life. technologies for the exacting world of motor racing. Yes, he faced failures of physical components through desert racing fatigue, They have been responsible for many but the experience honed his skills as a race-winning innovations, starting with technician. The Automotive Technician 4 When asked if he regretted not being in The A1 Grand Prix is where all countries the racing helmet and behind the wheel, compete on a level playing field with he said, “To me now, it is more satisfying deliberately equalised technology. being involved in building the cars and British firms Lola International and Zytek sending them on their way, than actually Engineering were appointed to develop driving them. That’s my passion, and the chassis and engine respectively, based that’s what keeps me motivated.” on the initial drawings of Sheikh Maktoum himself while US company Cooper Tires was chosen as the official A1 GP tyre supplier. He regards A1 Grand Prix as a stepping stone to the ultimate career for a motor After an intense testing program, the final technician, Formula One. A1GP race car was built and August 2005 He had to be a problem solver, and soon saw the newly formed A1 Teams take to the track for the first time. learnt to fabricate and machine parts to “I have made my way into World Series keep the cars in the rally. racing through A1 Grand Prix, and I could Throughout five days of testing at both the not think of a better way to advance a Silverstone Circuit in the UK and Paul Ricard When RJN dropped the Nissan pick-ups, technical career than being involved and HTTT in the South of France, the cars proved they began extensive development of the learning with these great people.” fast and reliable and an exciting spectacle was assured as the time had come for the Nissan 350GT for Group N, or standard first racing season to begin. production vehicle racing, and Cheyne became head of the workshop, taking Wheelnote: Prizemoney is $1.3 million at each round, responsibility for complete construction with a bonus of another $1 million to the and maintenance of a number of cars. The A1 Grand Prix series, in which teams winning team at the end of the series. representing 25 countries compete in identical cars, began at the daunting Brands Expatriate Australian team owner Alan The 350s were raced in many countries Hatch circuit in Britain in 2005. Docking, who runs his own formula three and in long distance races throughout operation in Britain, is responsible for the Europe. It was promoted as the fastest single-seater engineering and European logistics of the race since the last Formula One Grand Prix Australian team. at the circuit in 1986. After a number of years at RJN Motorsport, The national teams have attracted a number the call of serious open wheeler race cars of renowned front men as “seat holders”. The championship - touted as the world cup was too strong, so Cheyne responded Australia’s is 1980 world F1 champion of motor sport - is the concept of 28-year- Alan Jones, while the British effort is being to an advertisement from Alan Docking old Sheik Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Motorsport and was immediately accepted. headed by former world motorcycle and Maktoum, a member of Dubai’s ruling family. Formula One champion John Surtees. Team Australia turned in its best A1 Grand Prix result of the season in torrential rain at Eastern Creek on 3 February this year. Twenty-three year old John Martin, who replaced Ian Dyk as Performance: Australia's lead driver in the New Zealand round in late 2007, Sprint starting in 9th, finishing 6th finished sixth in the day's earlier sprint race before turning it on in Feature starting in 15th, finishing 5th the Feature to climb from 14th to 5th, behind winner Adrian Zaugg of South Africa. Best in Sector Times: S1 6th, S2 8th, S3 3rd The highlight came on Lap 23 for the 2006 Australian Formula Ford champion when, with great courage, he passed another of Feature Race in the Wet the stars of the day, Canadian 18-year-old Robert Wickens, on Average 256.9 kilometres per hour and that's quick in the the inside to move into 6th.