The voice of the Mazda in American Le Mans
 Guy Cosmo of B-K Motorsports
By Kate Shaw
Photos © DeFord Photo and Guycosmo.com
BOWMANVILLE, Ontario (September 3, 2005) – When last I spoke with Guy Cosmo and Jamie Bach, co-drivers of the P2 No. 8 Sportsbook.com/B-K Motorsports Courage C65 Mazda, they were heading into their first race at Road Atlanta, filled with high hopes and excited about the chance to drive a unique entry into the P2 “baby prototype” class of the ALMS. Today Cosmo is even more enthusiastic, if that were possible, about the car and the progress they have made in developing their bright yellow firewagon.

“We have made huge gains with the car,” he said, “since Road Atlanta, and this weekend at Mosport the car came good right out of the box. We’ve been focusing on developing the Courage chassis, the team has developed continuity and the organization is top of the line! Jamie and I qualified 12th overall (4th in class) and are happy to be able to focus on getting the car set up for the race tomorrow.”

Because the deal was finalized in Sebring, after the first race of the ALMS season, there was no time for testing the car, and everything has been developed race by race in full view of the racing public. “The car has had a few issues,” Cosmo admitted, “but we’ve been working hard on them and the car is coming along very well. One issue we’re happy we didn’t have was tires; we have been very happy with our Goodyears. The tire wear has been a plus for the team this season. The biggest problems have been that the Courage chassis was not designed for a rotary engine, so we’ve had to deal with ‘hot spots’ due to the way the engine fits in the chassis; in addition we’ve had a few problems with water and oil temperature, but we’re well on the way to solving those too.”

Although the distinctive note of the rotary engine has added to the lively symphony of the ALMS track, Cosmo disclosed that it is a bit of a problem for the drivers. “The exhaust vents out the right side of the car,” he said, “and especially in a track like Mosport, the sound bounces off the walls and noise in the cockpit is deafening. It does cover up other important sounds that a driver needs to track – tire sounds, for example, or chassis issues that may be developing with the car. But we are learning to deal with that as we go along.”

Cosmo confirmed that the team spirits are high as they concentrate on car development and team-building; a naturally cheerful extrovert himself, he finds the atmosphere very agreeable. “We have a common goal,” he said, “and we’re here to learn; we know we’re going to have issues and may make mistakes out in public, but we’re happy to be out there running the car. It’s a different approach from the one the Penske Porsche team are taking; they prefer to do their testing in private and bring the car out when the major problems are resolved. We prefer to use the race weekends as our test bed and learn our car in company with the other competitors. We know that we’re not racing this year, although we have had some good opportunities and actually won at Mid-Ohio; we try to be courteous to the guys who are fighting for the championship and hope that they will be courteous to us as well.”

The driving team of Cosmo and Bach is developing well too, although the teammates are acquainted from the days they competed against one another in Star Mazda. “Although I was engaged to coach Jamie (who is six years younger) in Star Mazda, his driving style and mine are somewhat different. Jamie is more of an introvert than I am; he would rather leave the press to me for now, but he has a lot to say and he’s not afraid to say it when it needs to be said, so I’m sure the world will be hearing from him, too, soon!” Cosmo also drives in another series, during the weekends not required by his ALMS duties, and by an odd coincidence his co-driver in that series was born on the same day as teammate Jamie Bach. The team has not made firm plans for 2006, but there’s every expectation that a team that works this well together will stay together.

The No. 8 Sportsbook.com B-K Motorsports Mazda is clearly in capable hands, and with nearly a year of racing development behind them, all indications are that they will be a major contender in 2006. Look for Guy Cosmo and Jamie Bach coming soon to an ALMS podium near you.