Bobby’s BMW E36 M3 With Apex Arc-8 Wheels

APEX: Tell us about yourself & your car. Bobby Kirk: My name is Bobby Kirk from Union City, California. I am 27 years old and a chef in San Francisco. My hobbies include motorcycles, tattoos, music, cooking, and of course cars/trackdays/working on cars. I have owned my BMW E36 since 2009 and was my first car that I purchased out of highschool. I started converting the car to a dedicated track car about 5 years ago and only now is it starting to actually come together.

Featured Car Details:

– 1997 BMW M3, White – Stage 3 S52 (M50 Manifold, Schrick Camshafts, 24# Injectors, Porsche HFM, AFE CAI) – Custom 3.91 LSD – TC Kline DA Coilovers – Race Car #36 or #336

APEX: What is your track day wheel setup? Bobby Kirk: – APEX ARC-8 17×9.5” ET35 – 10mm Spacers in Front – Toyo Proxes R888 275/40/17 – Hard Motorsport V2 Fender Flares

APEX: Why did you choose APEX Wheels over the rest? Bobby Kirk: I’ve known about APEX wheels since I have owned BMW’s and once I started building the race car I knew I was going to choose ARC-8’s. Being a customer at Edge Motorworks in Dublin, California it was a no-brainer when talking about which wheels to purchase.

APEX: How did you get into track racing & for how long? Bobby Kirk: Cars have always been a big part of my life. My grandmother, was a mechanic at sears in the 1960’s and I grew up going to the drag strip with my dad while he participated with his 1969 Mustang. My dad started participating in HPDE track events when I was in high school and as soon as I attended my first event when I was 23 I was hooked. I grew up playing tons of sports so competing in time trials helps feed my competitive nature.

APEX: What is your favorite memory or entertaining story from the track? Bobby Kirk: My favorite memory so far since starting to attend track events has got to be competing in and placing 2nd in a time trial event at Sonoma Raceway. It was my first time at Sonoma and was able to push the car to it’s limits. Every session, every lap is such a great learning experience.

How many events do you participate in each year, care to share any track results? Bobby Kirk: I attend 6-10 events a year and here are some personal best lap times at each track:

– Sonoma Raceway 1:56.02 (2nd Place, Speed SF Challenge) – Thunder Hill East 2:06.5 – Thunder Hill West 1:28.3 – Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca 1:49.9 – Buttonwillow Raceway 2:03.8 (7th Place, Bimmer Challenge)

APEX: If you could give one tip to a new racer, what would your tip be? Bobby Kirk: To me the most important tip is, don’t worry about horsepower or modifying your car too much. Sorry, it’s all about seat time! It’s amazing how much you can improve from day to day, session to session, or even lap to lap.

APEX: Can we follow you on Social Media? Bobby Kirk: You can follow me on my Instagram Page @Bobbyk1019

APEX: Do you have any clubs, shops or racing buddies you want to give a shout out to? Bobby Kirk: I’d like to give a shout out to the shops that help me with my car:

Edge Motorworks in Dublin instagram: @edgemotorworksdublin TrackSpec Autosports in Fremont: @trackspecautosports

Are you interested to get featured in our Customer Showcase? Please reach out to us at marketing@apexraceparts.com for more details or follow us on Instagram (@apexraceparts) and tag your photos #apexwheels #apexraceparts and we’ll find you!

Tom M.

Tom is a BMW Fitment Expert at APEX Wheels. Prior to joining the company in 2019, he worked for BMW of North America as Fleet Manager: Portland (OR) for the ReachNow car-sharing program, and as Warranty Administrator/Loaner Fleet Manager at BMW Portland. In addition, Tom has extensive training in BMW TSBs (Technical Service Bulletins) as well as in-depth knowledge of all BMW chassis and their wheel fitment options, with and without aftermarket brake and suspension upgrades. His high-performance driving experience includes autocross events in southern Oregon and track days at PIR in his 2004 E46 330i with 17x9 ET42 APEX ARC-8 wheels. Vehicles he owned prior to indulging his passion for BMWs include a 1989 Jaguar XJ6 and a 2006 S197 Ford Mustang. Fun Fact: Tom is a huge Formula 1 fan. Have questions about wheels for your BMW? Use our contact form and ask for Tom.