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Cars & Coffee - 10/22/11: Ferrari Day

This past weekend's Cars & Coffee event was a day devoted to Ferrari. Occasionally there will be a featured marque at this weekly gathering and this Saturday it was sportscars from Maranello. From new 458 Italias, 430s, 360s, 355s, Maranellos, Stradales, Scuderias and a new 599 SA, to classics like the 250 GT SWB, 250 GT Tour d' France, 500 Mondial and 340 Mexico, it was one of the best shows ever.

The gang from Tillack alone brought half a dozen of the coolest cars ever to show at C&C - one of Niki Lauda's F1 car, a Scuderia Ferrari Lancia D-50 made from spare parts, a 250 GT Speciale, gorgeous blue and white Vignale bodied 340 Mexico, Superfast and 500 Mondial/Testa Rossa.

Of course, there was also a line that included two 275 GTBs, an SWB, TdF, Lusso, 330 GTC Daytonas and a stunning 250 GT Pininfarina Europa Coupe. Other notable Ferraris in attendance were the 365 GTC/4, 365 GT 2+2, 512BBi Boxer, and a 575 Superamerica. Plus a rather nice looking Maranello with a StopTech Trophy BBK on it.

But there was plenty to see even if you weren't much of a Ferrari fan. There was a nice line of Porsches, a Lexus LFA, Fiat 600 Multipla, old school 1970 Subaru microvan with wheelie bars, shag carpet and a velour dash, a new Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 and two, yes two, McLaren MP4-12Cs. One in black and one in a ruby red that really showed off the car's shape well. It's amazing how compact and low in the chassis that V8 is!

StopTech-Sponsored Cayman Interseries at Rennsport Reunion IV

The StopTech-sponsored Cayman Interseries made its inaugural Rennsport Reunion appearance last weekend with its largest field ever and a full schedule of on-track action and off-track promotions at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Friday’s practice was dominated by championship-winning pro driver and Porsche stalwart David Donohue, driving the No. 6 Cayman S themed after the mighty Sunoco/Penske Porsche 917-30 driven by his father Mark Donohue. The day’s official fastest lap, however, went to Cayman Interseries regular Mark Sandridge. Driving his white and red-and-yellow striped No. 49 Cayman S, which is modeled after his 1994 IMSA Champion Team Salad Porsche 911 RSR. Sandridge clocked a 1:39.915 in the second and final session of the day Friday afternoon.

 “The field is very close, so if I happened to nick off a good lap it can’t be much quicker than one of the other guys, who are real close to me anyways,” Sandridge said. “It’s just fun being here, I am glad the car feels good, and we are getting a little better effort here than the last race in Atlanta. I got it dialed in, my teammate Joe Varde helped me get it dialed in, and it just feels good.”

Second quickest Friday was debuting driver Jack Kachadurian who was piloting a red and white No. 14 Cayman S that pays tribute to a Richard Lloyd Racing Canon Porsche 956.

“Rennsport Edition” Cayman S

The car that made the biggest impact during the weekend though, was a star even before it hit the track. At a VIP unveiling on Friday morning, series founders Porsche Napleton of Westmont debuted a special “Rennsport Edition” Cayman S that was built specifically to commemorate the event.

The car was formally unveiled in the Cayman Interseries paddock area by Detlev von Platen, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, Gill Campbell, CEO and General Manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Ed Napleton, President of the Napleton Auto Group, Ron Barnaba, Napleton Porsche of Westmont General Manager, Porsche racing legend Hurley Haywood and David Donohue, a Rolex 24 at Daytona winning Porsche driver.

The one-off “Rennsport Edition” design pays tribute to Porsche’s famous race cars and drivers and the equally iconic circuits on which they raced and won. The entire top of the Rennsport Edition Cayman S features “ghost” images of legendary race tracks from around the world, the stripe on the hood has a list of Porsche factory drivers and other notables from over the years while the roof stripe has a list of all of the factory race cars ever produced. The commemorative No. 4 Cayman was driven throughout Rennsport weekend by Jack Baldwin, the man who makes the cars in the series competitive.

Throughout the weekend, legendary Porsche drivers in attendance (like Hurley Haywood and Justin Bell at right) were autographing the “Rennsport Edition” Cayman S, adding even more history to the rolling showcase of Porsche’s competition legacy. The positive impact of the colorful car will be felt even after Rennsport Reunion IV ends as Napleton Porsche will sell the car to highest bidder in the coming weeks, with a significant portion of the proceeds being donated to the Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF).

The drivers were racing in support of the CTF during the weekend and even hosted several young neurofibromatosis (NF) patients and their families at the track on Saturday, in cooperation with Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Rennsport Reunion IV Concours

In other off-track happenings, the Cayman Interseries was also invited to compete as its own class in the Rennsport Reunion IV Concours competition.

A total of six Caymans were awarded medals of excellence, with the No. 4 “Rennsport Edition” Cayman S earning a perfect-score for class best-of-show honors. The winning Cayman features a commemorative livery designed and created by Dave Schnorr that pays tribute to Porsche’s great racing legacy.

Other competitors earning Cayman Interseries Concours medals were Wayne Nykyforchyn (No. 11 Marlboro/Joest Racing Porsche 956), Lori Cassling (No. 23 “Pink Pig” Porsche 917/20), John Martino (No. 7 Newman/Joest Racing Porsche 962), David Gronke (No. 8 Blaupunkt/Joest Racing Porsche 962) and Jack Kachadurian (No. 14 Canon/Richard Lloyd Racing Porsche 956).

The Concours was just another spectacular part of the Rennsport Reunion experience that left all in the Cayman Interseries paddock impressed.

“I really didn’t know what to expect because I had never been to a Rennsport before,” said reigning Cayman Interseries Champion Lee Davis. “Just looking at all of these amazing cars around here, I don’t know if there’s been a dollar figure put on the amount of great cars here, but it is great to see so many Caymans here. It’s fantastic, a lot of good cars and good drivers here.”

Cayman Interseries Sprint Race

In Sunday morning’s sprint race, Lee Davis drove straight from the pole to victory, but the flag-to-flag win was far from easy.

Davis led into Turn 1 at the race start in his black and red No. 33 Cayman S that carries the colors of the Advan Porsche 956s and 962s and Luna-C Clothing, but immediately felt what was going to be race-long pressure from debuting driver Jack Kachadurian. Driving a No. 14 Cayman S in the theme of a Richard Lloyd Racing Canon Porsche 956, Kachadurian jumped from third to second at the race start and kept the heat on Davis for the majority of the race.

“It feels awesome, it really does feel awesome,” Davis said. “It was one of the longest sprint races for a little bitty short race that I have ever been in.  Jack was right in my mirrors for most of the time, and he got into me a little bit going down into the Corkscrew, I just corrected and kept going, and fortunately it was a light hit. I gapped him a little bit but then the track was coated with oil later in the race.  I am glad everybody made it through that with no major damage.”

Davis crossed the finish line just ahead of Kachadurian while Mark Sandridge, driving his white and red-and-yellow striped No. 49 Cayman S that is modeled after his 1994 IMSA Champion Team Salad Porsche 911 RSR, prevailed in a great battle with Henry Davis to take the final podium spot.  No relation to Lee Davis, Henry Davis finished fourth in his No. 21 Cayman S that carries the memorable markings of the silver Martini Porsche 917s.  Bob Schneider completed the top five in his No. 40 Cayman S that pays tribute to the Martini “Baby” Porsche 935.

In Sportsman class action, Will Conniff led early on and again when it counted to score the victory in a yellow No. 55 Cayman S that is themed after a David Piper Racing/Sandeman Porsche 917K. Connif waged a great mid-race battle with Mike Cassling, who drives a blue and yellow Cayman S in the colors of a Hydro Aluminum/Brun Porsche 962, and scored the win when Cassling spun off course in the oil that coated the track in the final laps of the race.

“It’s great to be back, I miss it badly,” said Conniff, a series regular the past two seasons. “Personal reasons are why I am not out here more because I love the guys and I love the format.  Really, it’s just getting back in the car. When you are out of that car you just really lose a lot of your feel and momentum.  I felt good about coming back after being away for almost a year and it was a blast.”

Conniff didn’t even know he was passing for the victory when he saw Cassling’s stranded car off course in the downhill run out of the Corkscrew.

“I had no clue,” Conniff said. “I was just focused on what I needed to do, stay on the track and try not to do anything stupid.”

David Gronke finished second after a strong run in his white and blue No. 8 Blaupunkt/Joest Racing Porsche 962-themed Cayman S. Randy Cassling, at the wheel of his black, yellow and red No. 18 Cayman S that pays tribute to the Le Mans winning factory Shell/Dunlop Porsche 962, finished third to salvage a podium finish for the Cassling family after his brother spun out of the lead.

Cayman Interseries Enduro Race

In Sunday afternoon’s main event, Mark Sandridge took control when race leader Lee Davis fell victim to lapped traffic to score a strong victory in the final race of the doubleheader.

Sandridge was running second to Davis at the halfway point of the 45-minute race when opportunity knocked.

“It’s pretty rewarding,” Sandridge said. “Yesterday I was pretty down after qualifying when I ran fourth, so I went home, we studied the films, and I think we just worked as hard as anybody did, although you have to give Lee credit, he had the field covered.  He would have won the thing hands up, and I would have been happy with second quite frankly. You just had to be patient and that’s probably why I was a little slower, I was probably a little more patient than most people.”

Davis led from the drop of the green flag and was maintaining a comfortable lead over Sandridge when a lapped backmarker forced him off the track and into the wall.  Davis was uninjured but his No. 33 Cayman S suffered significant left-side damage.

“You never have it won until the checkered flag falls and you come across it first,” Davis said. “It’s really disappointing, and I just have to chalk it up to one of those racing things, I guess, and be proud of what I did up to that point. I had a pretty good lead up until then, won the sprint race this morning, and now I am looking forward to Daytona.”

Henry Davis – no relation to Lee Davis – finished second to cap a strong weekend in his CARS-prepared No. 21 Cayman S that wears the classic paint scheme of the silver Martini Porsche 917s.  Davis was delighted with both the podium finish and the Rennsport event itself.

“The guys at Napleton did a fabulous job,” Davis said. “What a great series they created, and I want to thank Ron Barnaba and everybody. Great event, great weather and a great track. The organization they have out here at Laguna Seca is fantastic.  Nobody else has it together like these guys do, everything just runs perfectly.”

Jim Bacus, making his first race start of the year in his purple and green Cayman S modeled after the famous Martini “Hippy” Porsche 917LH, drove a smart race to finish in third place.

In the Sportsman class, Will Conniff went two-for-two Sunday when he won the 45-minute finale after also taking the morning sprint in a yellow No. 55 Cayman S themed after a David Piper Racing/Sandeman Porsche 917K.

“Top weekend,” Conniff said. “I got in this for the social aspect, but racing with Napleton, I run with a great group of guys.  This was a rental this weekend but it was smoking, as good as it gets. I have to thank the crew, everyone here, and it was a perfect weekend for me.”

Conniff shared the afternoon podium with second-place finisher Tony Sitko, who drives his red No. 70 Cayman S that is a replica of the Le Mans class-winning Dick Barbour Racing Porsche 935.  Randy Cassling also doubled up on podium showings and finished third for the second time Sunday in his black, yellow and red No. 18 Cayman S that pays tribute to the Le Mans winning factory Shell/Dunlop Porsche 962.

Conniff, who improved his lap times by nearly 10 seconds from Friday practice, was awarded the JRZ Suspension Engineering “Fine Tuning Award” as the competitor showing the most progress by improving car setup, on-track performance and lap times.

Lee Davis was awarded the inaugural Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) “Porsche Spirit” award as the competitor that best exemplified, on and off the track, the outstanding attributes of Porsche competition excellence and sportsmanship throughout Rennsport Reunion weekend.

Among the record number of Cayman Interseries competitors racing at Rennsport Reunion this weekend was Ed Napleton, President of the Napleton Auto Group, the parent organization of Cayman Interseries organizers and owners Napleton Porsche of Westmont in Chicago. “I haven’t seen any of the other events, but all I can tell you is that I was very impressed with this,” Napleton said. “Everything here was outstanding.  I think all of the people are high caliber, a nice group and they kind of mesh well together. When you put an event on like this and have a high level of the participants enjoy themselves, it is a tribute to what Ron (Barnaba) and his staff have done to make it click. It is done with our approval as a company, but the actual events take so much work.  It’s Ron’s passion and I am glad to see that we were able to satisfy all of these people and make a really nice happening out here.  It is like Woodstock for adults.”

Next up for the Cayman Interseries is the season-ending Daytona Continental Historic Races at Daytona International Speedway, November 9 – 13.

About Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV: Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV is the world’s greatest gathering of Porsche race cars and the drivers that drove them to victory, held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca from October 14 to 16, 2011. Hosted by Porsche Cars North America, it will assemble the wide variety of Porsche’s most historic racing models from the nimble 550 Spyder of the mid-1950s through the mighty 917 and 956/962 of the 1970s and 1980s to the highly successful RS Spyder of the last decade.

About Porsche Cars North America: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, Ga. is the exclusive U.S. importer of Porsche sports cars, the Cayenne SUV and Panamera Gran Turismo. Established in 1984, it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Porsche AG, which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, and employs approximately 220 people who provide parts, service, marketing and training for 196 dealers. They, in turn, work to provide Porsche customers a best-in-class experience that is in keeping with the brand’s 63-year history and leadership in the advancement of vehicle performance, safety and efficiency. At the core of this success is Porsche’s proud racing heritage that boasts some 30,000 motorsport wins to date.

About The Cayman Interseries: Established in 2009 by Napleton Porsche of Westmont, Illinois, the Cayman Interseries is North America’s only auto racing championship featuring the exclusive use of the 320-horsepower Porsche Cayman S.  Sanctioned by Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR), the Cayman Interseries conducted its first official season in 2010 and crowned a pair of champion drivers in both the sprint and endurance racing formats. Races are run on legendary circuits such as Daytona, Sebring, Mid-Ohio, Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and other premier venues, primarily on HSR and SVRA event weekends. Every competing Porsche Cayman S is exclusively supplied and prepared by Napleton Porsche and each car competes with an assigned and specific heritage livery themed after a famous Porsche race car from the past.  Learn more about the Cayman Interseries at www.CaymanInterseries.org. Phone calls direct to Napleton Porsche may be made at (630) 725-0911 and email inquiries can be sent to racing@napletonmotorsports.com.

Team StopTech Races to Several Championships in 2011

Team StopTech Scores Several Podium Spots in World ChallengeLaguna Seca

Team StopTech extends well beyond the StopTech-liveried Porsche driven by our CEO. In fact, looking at the podium at Sunday's World Challenge race would have shown at least five other drivers who run Centric, Power Slot or StopTech equipment. Five spots on the podium? Well, there are three classes that run in the SCCA Pro Pirelli World Challenge Championship - GT, GTS and TC. Of the nine podium finishers, StopTech was involved with five of them.

World Challenge is one of the least expensive ways to go professional racing, with relatively unmodified sports and sporty cars that look pretty much like the ones you'll find at your local dealership. StopTech has always been right at home in this type of racing because this is where we cut our teeth. The brakes we have developed for this type of racing have been delivering added benefits to the brakes you can get for your street cars. Production based racing, whether at the professional or amateur level, gives us a rolling laboratory to continue our research and development. Born in the extremes of racing, StopTech and Power Slot brake systems are designed to deliver championship winning results even in your daily commute. World Challenge is a natural fit.

The lowest rung on the World Challenge ladder is Touring Car, or TC. Last but not least certainly applies here, with Hondas, Volkswagens, Mazdas, Volvos and the like ripping around Laguna Seca in about 1:40 flat. To put that in perspective, the Dodge Viper ACR holds the production car record at this track at 1:33. In Sunday's race, the top three finishers - Lawson Aschenbach, Tristan Herbert and Robb Holland - were all running Power Slots or StopTechs. Aschenbach actually had to start at the back of the field after missing Saturday's qualifying, but the Compass360 Civic was at the front when the checkers flew after an impressive charge through the field by Lawson. His great launch that brought him from ninth to fourth on the very first lap earned him the Optima Batteries Best Standing Start Award. The win also clinched the championship for this young driver.

The middle rung of the World Challenge ladder is GTS, or Grand Touring Sport. This class features Mustangs, Camaros and a pair of tweaked Acura TSX race cars. These cars run 1:36 laps around Mazda Raceway and are among the most evenly matched cars on the grid. Paul Brown’s GTS class flag-to-flag win in the No. 50 One Hour Heating and Air/Luminox/Kenny Brown Ford Mustang Boss 302S clinched his first career World Challenge title. Brown qualified his StopTech-equipped Boss 302S on the pole, pulled away at the start, and hustled to a 2.713-second margin of victory.

The top class in World Challenge is Grand Touring. This is where the Porsches, Corvettes, Volvos and Cadillacs come to play. The top cars can run a lap in under 1:28 here. While the GMG Porsche of James Sofronas was still in the hunt for the championship as late as the last lap, a collision with a slower car dropped him to tenth. The championship went instead to Patrick Long, who does double duty with the Flying Lizards in ALMS from time-to-time.

Still, Sofronas had much better luck than StopTech's Dino Crescentini. After qualifying 8th in class and a great start, Dino was taken out in a first lap incident that also claimed the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe of Andy Pilgrim. Mike Skeen took the win and Skeen’s teammate, Patrick Lindsey, was third in the No. 12 CRP Chevrolet Corvette. Lindsey had been battling with Sofronas, Johnny O’Connell’s Cadillac and the second-place Volvo S60R of Randy Pobst for a good portion of the race until Sofronas was knocked out and Patrick inherited third for good.

Turner Motorsport Wins 2011 Grand Sport Driver and TeamChampionships

StopTech customer, Turner Motorsport captured the 2011 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Grand Sports (GS) Driver and Team championships with a sixth place finish in Saturday's Grand-Am race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The title is the team's sixth professional championship and the result was instrumental in securing BMW a second consecutive GS Manufacturer crown.

Paul Dalla Lana and co-driver Boris Said needed only to finish 11th in the StopTech-equipped No. 96 M3 to win Dalla Lana his first professional racing championship and Turner Motorsport the Team title so the duo stayed with a conservatively aggressive plan throughout the two-and-one-half-hour race around the rolling 2.6-mile, 13-turn road course.

Dalla Lana started from the fifth position after his season's best qualifying effort. Pitting during the first of the race's seven caution periods Dalla Lana handed off to Said. Strategist Don Salama used the remaining yellows to the team's advantage, pitting Said at the right time to allow him to run as high as second and never less than 10th. A text book team effort, sixth place at the checkered flag was more than enough to secure the two championships. A significant contribution to Dalla Lana's championship was made by BMW ace Bill Auberlen who co-drove with Dalla Lana to five consecutive podiums, including a win at Homestead-Miami Speedway, to begin the season.

"This is a special year so we will make sure we celebrate Paul's championship with the same vigor with which we raced for it," said Will Turner. "On top of our team title, the entire Turner Motorsport team is pleased to have contributed so strongly to another Manufacturer's title for BMW. Our Continental program continues to go from strength to strength and our Rolex program has grown into quite a force this year. A large part of that is due to the hard work of our sponsor partners Cobalt, Continental Tires, Escort Radar, FORGELINE, H & R Springs and StopTech. It is hard to believe that testing for the 2012 season begins next month so we will soon be right back to work."

The 2012 Grand-Am season begins during the 50th annual Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 28 – 29.

Buttermore Captures Touring 1 SCCA National Championship atRoad America

Gumout pole winner John Buttermore, of Wixom, Mich., drove flag-to-flag to capture his first Touring 1 National Championship at the 48th SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road America. Tom Sloe, of Newbury, Ohio, and Mike McGinley, of Overland Park, Kan., finished second and third, respectively.

The T1 and STO classes ran a combined race. Buttermore got a great jump from the T1 pole in the No. 52 Hoosier/Carbotech/StopTech and led the first lap before the yellow came out on lap two after contact between two STO cars brought out the caution.

When the race went green six laps later, Buttermore put a sizeable gap between himself and Sloe. In fact, Buttermore was third overall between the two classes. He turned the Hawk Fast Lap of the race with of 2:33.069 (94.313 mph) en route to 8.931-second margin of victory over Sloe to win his first-career Runoffs National Championship.

“We’d prefer it [the race] had gone green the whole way,” Buttermore said. “We spent a lot of time up here working on making the car smooth and consistent. We, maybe, sacrificed a little bit of speed. It was set up to run 13 laps hard. We did our development with StopTech brakes and Carbotech. Two years ago, I was leading the first five laps of this event and the brakes were on the floor and gave it back. Today, is quite a redemption.

“We knew we were faster than the STO cars at that point, under acceleration especially. I dropped back a little bit [on the restart] to give them [STO driver] some room so that we could get our start at speed and get around them by Turn 1 and not have them affect our race. When I looked back in my mirror after going into Turn 3, I saw Tom had gotten around them too. It cleared us up.

“I am pretty excited. It’s a big effort. The last four years I’ve gotten four medals, all of the wrong color and with three different cars. It’s kind of been a hodge podge adventure to finally get this win with the Corvette, which is the best car on the street and on the track.”

Now in its 48th year, the SCCA National Championship Runoffs annually crowns Champions in the Sports Car Club of America’s Club Racing classes. The live broadcast of all 28 National Championship races will be available throughout the weekend at www.Speedcasttv.com/scca and later available On Demand from the same site.

Follow the action on Twitter @SCCAOfficial or the SCCA, Inc. Official Facebook page at facebook.com/sccaofficial. More information is available at www.scca.com.

Championship Winning Parts You Can Buy

If you’re wondering how you can get the same results, we offer a whole range of products to help you and your customers get into Victory Circle too.

In World Challenge, GT customers are running our TrophyBBKs, with 4- or 6-piston anodized calipers and oversized AeroRotors with anodized AeroHats.

GTS racers are winning with StopTech BBKs, using painted 4- and 6-piston calipers as well as optimized airflow AeroRotors/AeroHats.

The TC field is a virtual Centric Parts catalog in motion, with contestants running full StopTech BBKs, as well as Power Slot and CentricParts rotors.

North of the border, our Canadian customers in CTCC have also been running and winning with BBKs as well as Power Slot rotors.

Grand-Am ST cars like the championship-winning Turner Motorsports BMWs are using DRKs, with improved airflow 2-piece rotors.

As mentioned above, John Buttermore just clinched the SCCA T1 National Championship in his StopTech-equipped Corvette.

We’ve also been getting messages from other privateers in NASA and SCCA action, who are thanking us for helping them succeed using StopTech race brake systems.

Additionally, our circle track and off-road race programs are also progressing nicely.

In Lucas Off-Road Racing Series (LOORRS), the 4 Wheel Parts Pro2 Truck has seen some success with their Power Slot rotors. We are also working on improvements to STOR-60GT race calipers.

StopTech’s new pillar vane rotors, meanwhile, are also being tested in a number of different circle track series with a lot of good data being generated.

Congratulations to all of you! 2011 has been a great season so far but there are still championships to decide. Through StopTech’s direct involvement in World Challenge, working with our customers who campaign cars in Grand-Am, NASA, SCCA, circle track and off-road racing, as well as through our work with one-make series like the Napleton Cayman Interseries, StopTech is committed to developing brake systems that will help your car stop better - on the track or on the street.

“Brake late, finish first” is more than just a catchphrase – we see it at every race, how good brakes can make the difference between winning and losing. That’s why we’re committed to continuously researching and developing race and high performance brake systems that will help you win in whatever type of vehicle you drive. 2012 should be another great year for StopTech and our customers. Not only do we have data to help us improve our existing products, but we have several new products and innovations in the pipeline. More about that later, but for now…congratulations to all of you and thank you for your continued business.

Team StopTech Scores Several Podium Spots in World Challenge Laguna Seca

Team StopTech extends well beyond the StopTech-liveried Porsche driven by our CEO. In fact, looking at the podium after Sunday's World Challenge race would have shown at least five other drivers who run Centric, Power Slot or StopTech equipment. Five spots on the podium? Well, there are three classes that run in the SCCA Pro Pirelli World Challenge Championship - GT, GTS and TC. Of the nine podium finishers, StopTech was involved with five of them.

World Challenge is one of the least expensive ways to go professional racing, with relatively unmodified sports and sporty cars that look pretty much like the ones you'll find at your local dealership. StopTech has always been right at home in this type of racing because this is where we cut our teeth. The brakes we have developed for this type of racing have been delivering added benefits to the brakes you can get for your street cars. Production based racing, whether at the professional or amateur level, gives us a rolling laboratory to continue our research and development. Born in the extremes of racing, StopTech and Power Slot brake systems are designed to deliver championship winning results even in your daily commute. World Challenge is a natural fit.

The lowest rung on the World Challenge ladder is Touring Car, or TC. Last but not least certainly applies here, with Hondas, Volkswagens, Mazdas, Volvos and the like ripping around Laguna Seca in about 1:40 flat. To put that in perspective, the Dodge Viper ACR holds the production car record at this track at 1:33. In Sunday's race, the top three finishers - Lawson Aschenbach, Tristan Herbert and Robb Holland - were all running Power Slots or StopTechs. Aschenbach actually had to start at the back of the field after missing Saturday's qualifying, but the Compass360 Civic was at the front when the checkers flew after an impressive charge through the field by Lawson. His great launch that brought him from ninth to fourth on the very first lap earned him the Optima Batteries Best Standing Start Award. The win also clinched the championship for this young driver.

The middle rung of the World Challenge ladder is GTS, or Grand Touring Sport. This class features Mustangs, Camaros and a pair of tweaked Acura TSX race cars. These cars run 1:36 laps around Mazda Raceway and are among the most evenly matched cars on the grid. Paul Brown’s GTS class flag-to-flag win in the No. 50 One Hour Heating and Air/Luminox/Kenny Brown Ford Mustang Boss 302S clinched his first career World Challenge title. Brown qualified his StopTech-equipped Boss 302S on the pole, pulled away at the start, and hustled to a 2.713-second margin of victory.

The top class in World Challenge is Grand Touring. This is where the Porsches, Corvettes, Volvos and Cadillacs come to play. The top cars can run a lap in under 1:28 here. While the GMG Porsche of James Sofronas was still in the hunt for the championship as late as the last lap, a collision with a slower car dropped him to tenth. The championship went instead to Patrick Long, who does double duty with the Flying Lizards in ALMS from time-to-time.

Still, Sofronas had much better luck than StopTech's Dino Crescentini. After qualifying 8th in class and a great start, Dino was taken out in a first lap incident that also claimed the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe of Andy Pilgrim. Mike Skeen took the win and Skeen’s teammate, Patrick Lindsey, was third in the No. 12 CRP Chevrolet Corvette. Lindsey had been battling with Sofronas, Johnny O’Connell’s Cadillac and the second-place Volvo S60R of Randy Pobst for a good portion of the race until Sofronas was knocked out and Patrick inherited third for good.

One more race remains on the World Challenge schedule, and even though the three championships are already decided, the race at Road Atlanta should be just as exciting as Laguna Seca.