Manthey Racing immediately comes to mind when you hear the name.
That’s hardly surprising as this year Manthey is already celebrating victory at the Bathurst 12 Hour and will compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s LMGT3 class, while also defending its DTM title won last year with driver Thomas Preining.
The company, along with its racing ventures has also developed and introduced behind-the-scenes a variety of products that it uses on race circuits in order to gain a competitive edge.
The items have been designed and thought out to the highest specifications, which makes them a great proposition for teams competing in GTs and prototypes as well as those who use road cars.
Manthey Racing is a team founded by Olaf Manthey in 1996. It has consistently competed at high levels since then. The team, now managed by Martin and Nicolas Raeder and their brothers, is well-established in German and International motorsport.
Manthey has provided engineering support to various customer outfits and Porsche Motorsport for 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2013.
These performance-balanced GT class’ success is built on a foundation of fast, efficient teamwork. Teams must therefore consider other aspects of performance that are not governed strictly by the rules.
Manthey soon established that couldn’t find anything suitable to match its specifications, so it decided to make its own equipment, and it was quickly noticed by other teams who came on board as customers.
Manthey, realizing that there was a demand for their engineering expertise, continued to manufacture equipment for all racing team, and also expanded into automotive applications.
This versatile equipment can be used for single-seater racing as well as prototype competition in LMP2, LMP3 and other categories.
The wheel measuring system is the most important development. It allows for high precision when setting up the vehicle in the garage before any session. The package, which is small, contains everything that a race engineer would need to prepare a car. This includes a camber gauge as well as a universal steering wheel gauge.
All of this is packaged in a robust flight case, which allows safe transportation around the world.
Fast and accurate measurements of the car are critical for a series like the DTM. Due to the compact format of two-day races, there is only a limited amount time between each session.
The wheel measurement system is also accompanied by a tyre heater that comes with a flight case. The system’s basic version can prepare three sets of tires with different heating programmes at once. If required, the system can be expanded to include an additional chamber.
The touchscreen unit, central heating duct and thermo-shielded fabric are all included. It can be assembled with no tools.
One of the necessary pieces of equipment used in today’s pit is the television screen, and Manthey Racing has developed a television case that is equipped with four 16in and two 32in screens. Two tool trolleys are included in the package, along with a large compartment for storage, as well six 230V outlets and two large storage areas that can be locked on the illuminated workspace.
The TVs and track television can be connected using a 10m retractable cable.
The WLAN can be switched on with a SIM card and has a 2TB server that is mirror for data backup. The integrated switch allows up to three devices to be connected. Other networks can also be accessed using VPN.
Manthey also has a portable, handy coolant service unit which can be used on both race and street cars. It is designed to allow vacuum bleeding and coolant filling according to the manufacturer’s specifications. Also, it allows flushing and emptying. For various Porsche models there are already suitable connection kits available, and more will follow.
The system features a large 32-litre filling and draining tank and an integrated separator for purging. The system has dry-break couplings on the hoses, and a 230V power source via a retractable, five-metre cable.
The maximum pumping capacity is 3.5 bar, which pumps 12 litres of fluid per minute.
Manthey produces a skate which fits around the lifting device of a vehicle and allows it to be easily rotated. When fitted, the space-saving car skates provide a safe and secure way to shunt vehicles with air jacking systems. They also increase workplace safety. Load capacity is 840kg per skate.
It is vital to keep the driver hydrated in hot weather conditions. Manthey has created a lightweight system to help with this. It includes a safety locking mechanism, bottle, mounting, electrical connections and hose and pump connectors.
Plug and play packages include a steering wheel push button to activate the pump. The pump mounts on the rollcage in a holder. It has a quick change system.
The system weighs 856g empty and contains 1 litre of fluid. The system is protected by a cleaning kit that prevents it from becoming clogged.
All these parts are available to buy from Manthey direct at [email protected] or by ’phone. Additional products and custom solutions can be provided upon request.
Having achieved success on track as a racing outfit, now other teams can benefit from Manthey’s many years of experience.
The post More than a Race Team: The Other Side of Manthey’s Business appeared first on Racecar Engineering.
