Ten years may seem a long time to plan ahead, but the promise that a well-developed class like Spec3 holds can do some of the planning for you. Charles Ford enjoyed a couple of racing firsts about 10 years ago. He was the first in his family to buy a BMW, and his first track day in the E36 came shortly thereafter.
A year later, he’d passed competition school so he could make the leap into racing Spec3. There were plenty of reasons to try: namely the fact that the cars were cheap and plentiful if he needed to rebuild.
The fields were smaller then, and the media available to study was scant. “I had to look to other fast guys from different series like Robert Grace, Evan Levine, and DJ Fitzpatrick,” Ford recalled.
Those names and a builder’s guide were encouragement enough. Taylor Johnson’s well-written guide helped prospective drivers get a sense of how to do things legally, inexpensively, and safely. It left no avenue unexplored.
That certainty and the promise of reduced running costs also attracted a man from endurance racing. Ross Shull loved the inexpensive seat time he’d gotten in the series he’d cut his teeth in, but after 12 years of long nights spent mending his Honda Prelude – often from damage incurred by others on his team – he was looking for something new – and, preferably something easier on the pocketbook.
“I liked that nothing was custom, and the parts were pretty cheap for being quality,” Shull added. We aren’t constantly developing because there’s only so much you can do. You can’t spend your way to the front of the pack.”
Strict development limits spelled peace of mind for the prospective drivers. There are perks to having a lightweight, low-powered car, and the Spec3’s max allowed horsepower is 195. At a minimum weight of 2,825 pounds, the 325i is light enough to run safely with the OEM calipers improved by Hawk DTC-60 pads front and rear. Ford prefers EBC slotted rotors, but half the field use the OEM blanks. Either way, they are inexpensive.
“An off-the-shelf shock, spring, and swaybar package takes care of the suspension. Best of all, many of these parts and consumables carry a lifetime warranty when purchased from FCP Euro, a class sponsor,” Ford explained.
Ford took to racing like a duck to water. Only 10 races in, he found himself scrapping with the front runners when, suddenly, he no longer had a hare to chase. “I wasn’t used to leading,” he begins, “I had no idea what to do next. I was so nervous — almost like I didn’t deserve the place — and, if you’ll believe me, I was actually relieved when I was repassed.”
Ford had found the breeding ground for talent: close, full fields in cars that are as replaceable as they are raceable, and a supportive environment.
“Granted, I do not have a large selection size of experience to speak from outside of Spec3, but my belief is that spec classes will help you evolve fastest as a racer,” he added.
Yes, not all spec cars are the same. You still need a well-built and reliable car compared with open classes, but spec racing strips away a lot of what some people would rely on to explain their success or lack thereof. If you want to be faster, you better find someone who can help you hone your ability at the wheel and question your notions of what is possible.
“You can watch others going through the same corner faster than you and you think, ‘I can do that.’ I can’t imagine the guys in the open classes think that, but in the Spec series, you don’t have any car-related excuse,” he said.
“Even if they’re running HPDE with other Spec3s, they might not both be on the limit. Once they’re in a race setting and the competitive juices are flowing, they can pick up on so much stuff.”
“I’d consider Jon McAvoy my mentor,” Ford said. “He’s been at this a whole lot longer than I’ve been. With his experience, he showed me where I’d been pushing harder than I needed to. Being patient and calm behind the wheel forced me to fight some of my racer’s instincts, but cautiousness paid off. I became calmer. When I didn’t feel I needed to push so hard, I found the tiny bit of pace and the focus that helped me stay at the front of the pack.
“Once you’ve spent so many hours in a car, it becomes predictable, and muscle memory kicks in before you can even think,” he said. “Driving by rote is what frees up the mental bandwidth needed to focus on other things like offense, defense, or spotting the cameraman and giving him a wave.”
With the brain power and a spec class that encourages smart moves, he could start perfecting his racecraft.
In Spec3, measured aggression is the best way to approach lapped traffic. Meaning, if you are heading into a braking zone or corner with lapped traffic, you must first present yourself to the car in front. Look for signs that they see you — a different braking pattern, a later turn-in, or any general hesitation, for example — and then commit fully to the pass to avoid wasting time.
“In 2023, Jon and I were tied on points as we went into the last race of the season at VIR,” Ford said. “I had a bit of a pace advantage that race and led from the start, but we caught some late-race traffic which helped Jon close the gap.
“Following a poor exit onto the long back stretch, Jon had a run on me and I knew I had little to no options to defend from this move,” he added. “So, with the race win and season championship on the line, I tried something I’d never tried before. I eased off the gas for a little over a second, allowing Jon to jump ahead and become the lead car, thus taking on the task of punching a hole in the air for me instead of vice versa. We essentially swapped roles, and this gave me the opportunity to use the side draft and ultimately defend my lead position. I ended up winning the race and the season championship.”
Ford is considered one of the veterans in the class, and even received the accolade of 2025 Driver of the Year. Looking back over the last 13 years, he’s been able to take a sage stance on racing and the collaborative side of it all.
“I’ve learned that it’s more fun for everyone the more people there are at the pointy end of the field. I try to share data after events with Spec3 folks in hopes to get everyone on the pace,” he said. “There was virtually no footage available online when we started, and now there is probably more than 200 hours, from multiple drivers, of Spec3 race footage available. Going from nothing to that – that makes me really proud of us as a group.”
VIDEO
This close race between McAvoy and Ford was one of many over the last decade.
“Ford will always share his video with me, not that I’ll be able to catch him,” Shull said.
Now, Shull has moved to the front after a few years learning to sprint race — winning his first event at VIR in 2024 and being crowned that year’s Mid-Atlantic Rookie of the Year.
Now it looks as though Ford is passing the crown. After 13 years, several lap records, and a string of victories, he’s decided to try his hand at German Touring Series 3.
“I tried an E46 M3 Hyperfest GT lent to me by Eric Wong,” Ford said “It felt really familiar to the Spec3, but just turned up four clicks. The car — we had to run Toyos to fit into the class — so being our spec tire, I was comfortable from the get-go.
“That got me thinking I’m ready for an open class,” Ford added. “While I could try going faster in Spec E46, I wanted to learn more about learning how to set up an open class car – and having something that can run competitively in multiple classes.”
The No. 26 Spec3 was, and still is, such a carefully crafted track weapon, but for one specific rules set only. He took his old Spec3 car down to Daytona and ran ST5 for the 2021 championship, but it was woefully underprepared.
“I completed a purchase of a 2011 M3 from Tom Rogers,” Ford said.
“The car has pedigree as he piloted it to the 2024 NASA ST3 National Championship in Utah. This car will be able to run in multiple different classes. I do like having that flexibility.”
It’s a little intimidating going from a spec class with a lot of warrantied parts, but thankfully Ford has a shop that sponsors him, BMUU Auto in Colonial Heights, Virginia.
“I plan on taking my time with this one, putting a passenger seat with it and showing my friends and family around the track,” Ford said. “I want to have fun with this. I’m not worried about putting it on the podium from the start.
“I want to thank my Dad for all the help he has provided throughout the years,” Ford said. “He’s been there at the track with me most weekends and has been the best crew chief anyone could ask for. My wife Kelly, and my kids Ava and Ellie have also been nothing but supportive of this hobby of mine as well.”
Great guy. Anxious to see what he does in the new car.
A correction, Charles was in Spec3 well before me and helped me learn about the cars. Sean and I wrote the Spec3 constructor’s guide (90 pages containing everything you need to know to find a car, build it, get through HPDE, race, and then be successful!) well after Charles had gone racing and was winning races.
Good luck Charles! You’ll be back!