Dirito Brothers' Dealerships Step up to Support Nissan 350Z T2 Race Program

If you’ve been following this column, you’ll remember a very flattering article last month about the Mitsubishi EVO VIII MR, with an evaluation of its potential for racing action with the SCCA. Well, we’ve taken a step further into this racing discussion, and – this time – we got hooked. Last February, we began a discussion with Don Dirito of Dirito Brothers Nissan, VW, and Saab in Walnut Creek and Concord about the possibility of racing a Track model 350Z with support from their dealership. While we have a very high degree of respect for the EVO, when it comes to racing, there is just something about a traditional, normally aspirated, rear wheel drive two-seater sports car. And this appeal grew as we did more homework and discovered that the 350Z had shown well in the SCCA national racing program. Don Dirito was not familiar with SCCA racing.
While no one in the dealership was shocked that the 350Z was “race-able,” no staff member really knew how and where to race the car. But in doing my homework for our discussions, I centered on the Touring 2 class of the SCCA amateur road racing series and was pleasantly surprised by a budget that, if shared, could be palatable and considered a reasonable investment in dealership promotion – especially considering the cost of metropolitan market advertising. An additional attraction to this partnership was the fact that the 350Z race car would serve double duty – racing in the San Francisco Region, and serving as the pace car and lead and follow instructional car for Hooked On Driving Track driving programs. This sponsorship took several months to bring to fruition. Several factors were to be reviewed: First, what was the budget for SCCA safety requirements such as roll bar, driver’s seat and steering wheel, window net, fire system, transponder, tow hooks? This all adds up if one really does an honest total. Then a full review of the T2 spec book revealed the allowed mechanical modifications.
What was the budget, not only for the parts, but the labor to install all these toys? A huge key to the program clicking was Aaron Larkin, the service advisor at Dirito Nissan Walnut Creek, with race team management experience, plus four experienced technicians all volunteering to pitch in with their time and expertise after hours to install the go-fast goodies and help maintain the car. This was a win/win, as the dealership team became, and remains today very motivated and proud of the car, and willing to work late to help out. With the cost factor of a dealer buying parts at wholesale, the Dirito Brothers Collision Center available for emergencies, and an investment by myself as well, we finalized a sharing of expenses going forward and committed to building and campaigning the car. Today, the car is sitting on the showroom floor in the Walnut Creek dealership, generating excitement for the sales force, pride on the part of the shop, sales of high performance parts by the parts department, and good will to the enthusiast community – netting sales down the line. As a good partner gesture, I decided it was time to trade our overworked Yukon for a Titan 4 door pickup as the tow vehicle. The Titan is simply awesome and, paired with the Z on an open trailer, makes quite a Nissan statement heading down the road.

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