GEW’s sponsorship of the Komori Canada (Komcan) race team began in 2025. The team has gone from strength to strength, racing at meetings all across Canada. To add to this, Komcan now has a second team car taking part in a high profile European Series, racing at renowned tracks all around Europe. The European tour circuit includes the famous Brands Hatch, which is close to GEW’s UK headquarters.
Brad Ranson is VP, Sales and General Manager at Komcan… but in his free time, he is also driver for the team. He began developing the race car during the COVID pandemic, when his work situation was very limited. He now participates in the Super Production Challenge (SPC) Championship in the team’s 3.8 litre V6 car, which has a top speed of 220km/h. The rules dictate that the car must have a maximum of 300BHP and a power to weight ratio of 11 to 1, in lbs./HP. At over 3,100lbs., the car is precisely engineered to have the maximum possible power and torque, whilst staying within the strict limits. The car must also be based on a standard production model, with the factory engine and transmission, which in this case is a 2015 Hyundai Genesis.
The stringent rules don’t end there… each car is weighed and verified at the beginning of each race meeting, and horsepower is dynamometer tested each season. Additionally, the top three cars – plus one randomly chosen from the chasing pack – are tested and verified after every single race. Further, each driver has to hold a licence to race, and these can be endorsed with penalty points for bad behaviour in much the same way as a standard driving licence.
The NASCAR ethos is to equalise the capability and performance of the cars as much as possible, through regulation, to ensure that the race outcomes are more about the drivers than the vehicles they are in (although mechanical failures and collisions often play their part in determining the results). Every car on the Canadian circuit runs on the same, sponsored Nankang tyres, and teams can be compelled to add weight to their car if it is outperforming the rest of the field too significantly, which is referred to as a ‘balance of performance’.
The Canadian Series draws huge crowds, with the flagship Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières meeting in Quebec pulling in around 150,000 spectators over the course of the weekend. The sport is classified as semi-professional and whilst some are paid to drive, many are ardent amateurs like Brad, who drive for the love of it.
That said, it requires a significant time commitment, as Brad points out: “At each meeting we have practice on the Friday and qualifying on Saturday morning, followed by one race on Saturday afternoon and at least two races on the Sunday. It’s time-consuming for sure, but so fantastically entertaining for all concerned. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Keeping the cars ready to race and getting them to the circuits in good time for each meeting is also a major logistical exercise. Brad and his father Steve, who is President at Komcan Inc., have enlisted the help of a professional partner in this regard. Fawn Motorsports Group have a team of ten expert technicians, mechanics and drivers that are responsible for keeping the show on the road, so that Brad can focus purely on driving and getting results.
He has had several podium finishes, including at the Brands Hatch meeting in England. He has a simple and pragmatic approach for each and every race, saying: “It’s not about how fast you can go. It’s about how much you don’t slow down.”
Brad and the team are co-sponsored by GMH UV, who are GEW’s exclusive distributor for sheetfed business in North America. GMH UV work very closely with Komcan, and Komori as a whole, on regular retrofitted and factory-fitted installations to Komori presses all across the USA and Canada.
Gary Doman, GEW’s International Sales Manager for Sheetfed, comments on the sponsorship: “We are proud to co-sponsor the team and we wish them every success in the future. By applying the same dedication and endeavour to racing as they do to customer service and satisfaction, the Komcan team are certain to enjoy the success that they deserve.”
About Komcan
Komcan was founded in 2013 by the Ranson family, as the exclusive distributor for Komori Corporation for Ontario and Western Canada. Since then, it has expanded to include Quebec and Eastern Canada. Along with sales, Komcan has led the Canadian market with their renowned 24/7 service department and knowledgeable parts department. Using the Komori motto ‘Kando – Beyond Expectations’, Komcan meets and exceeds its customers’ expectations. For further information visit: https://www.komcan.com/
