The StopTech Blog

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

2011-10-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

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

Friday’s practice wasdominated by championship-winning pro driver and Porsche stalwart DavidDonohue, driving the No. 6 Cayman S themed after the mighty Sunoco/PenskePorsche 917-30 driven by his father Mark Donohue. The day’s official fastestlap, however, went to Cayman Interseries regular Mark Sandridge. Driving hiswhite and red-and-yellow striped No. 49 Cayman S, which is modeled after his1994 IMSA Champion Team Salad Porsche 911 RSR. Sandridge clocked a 1:39.915 inthe second and final session of the day Friday afternoon.

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

Second quickest Friday was debuting driver Jack Kachadurianwho was piloting a red and white No. 14 Cayman S that pays tribute to a RichardLloyd 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, seriesfounders 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 Interseriespaddock area by Detlev von Platen, President and CEO of Porsche Cars NorthAmerica, Gill Campbell, CEO and General Manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca,Ed Napleton, President of the Napleton Auto Group, Ron Barnaba, NapletonPorsche of Westmont General Manager, Porsche racing legend Hurley Haywood and DavidDonohue, a Rolex 24 at Daytona winning Porsche driver.

The one-off “Rennsport Edition” design pays tribute toPorsche’s famous race cars and drivers and the equally iconic circuits on whichthey 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 onthe hood has a list of Porsche factory drivers and other notables from over theyears while the roof stripe has a list of all of the factory race cars everproduced. The commemorative No. 4 Cayman was driven throughout Rennsportweekend by Jack Baldwin, the man who makes the cars in the series competitive.

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

The drivers were racing in support of the CTF during theweekend and even hosted several young neurofibromatosis (NF) patients and theirfamilies 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 wasalso invited to compete as its own class in the Rennsport Reunion IV Concourscompetition.

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

Other competitors earning Cayman Interseries Concours medalswere Wayne Nykyforchyn (No. 11 Marlboro/Joest Racing Porsche 956), LoriCassling (No. 23 “Pink Pig” Porsche 917/20), John Martino (No. 7 Newman/JoestRacing 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 theRennsport Reunion experience that left all in the Cayman Interseries paddockimpressed.

“I really didn’t know what to expect because I had neverbeen to a Rennsport before,” said reigning Cayman Interseries Champion LeeDavis. “Just looking at all of these amazing cars around here, I don’t know ifthere’s been a dollar figure put on the amount of great cars here, but it isgreat to see so many Caymans here. It’s fantastic, a lot of good cars and gooddrivers here.”

Cayman InterseriesSprint Race

In Sunday morning’s sprint race, Lee Davis drove straightfrom 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 redNo. 33 Cayman S that carries the colors of the Advan Porsche 956s and 962s andLuna-C Clothing, but immediately felt what was going to be race-long pressurefrom debuting driver Jack Kachadurian. Driving a No. 14 Cayman S in the themeof a Richard Lloyd Racing Canon Porsche 956, Kachadurian jumped from third tosecond at the race start and kept the heat on Davis for the majority of therace.

“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 Ihave ever been in. Jack was right in mymirrors for most of the time, and he got into me a little bit going down intothe Corkscrew, I just corrected and kept going, and fortunately it was a lighthit. I gapped him a little bit but then the track was coated with oil later inthe race. I am glad everybody made itthrough that with no major damage.”

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

In Sportsman class action, Will Conniff led early on andagain when it counted to score the victory in a yellow No. 55 Cayman S that isthemed after a David Piper Racing/Sandeman Porsche 917K. Connif waged a great mid-racebattle with Mike Cassling, who drives a blue and yellow Cayman S in the colorsof a Hydro Aluminum/Brun Porsche 962, and scored the win when Cassling spun offcourse 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, aseries regular the past two seasons. “Personal reasons are why I am not outhere 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 andmomentum. I felt good about coming backafter being away for almost a year and it was a blast.”

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

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

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

Cayman InterseriesEnduro Race

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

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

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

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

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

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

“The guys at Napleton did a fabulous job,” Davis said. “Whata 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 outhere at Laguna Seca is fantastic. Nobodyelse has it together like these guys do, everything just runs perfectly.”

Jim Bacus, making his first race start of the year in hispurple 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 Sundaywhen he won the 45-minute finale after also taking the morning sprint in ayellow No. 55 Cayman S themed after a David Piper Racing/Sandeman Porsche 917K.

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

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

Conniff, who improved his lap times by nearly 10 secondsfrom Friday practice, was awarded the JRZ Suspension Engineering “Fine TuningAward” 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 NorthAmerica (PCNA) “Porsche Spirit” award as the competitor that best exemplified,on and off the track, the outstanding attributes of Porsche competitionexcellence and sportsmanship throughout Rennsport Reunion weekend.

Among the record number of Cayman Interseries competitorsracing at Rennsport Reunion this weekend was Ed Napleton, President of theNapleton Auto Group, the parent organization of Cayman Interseries organizersand owners Napleton Porsche of Westmont in Chicago. “I haven’t seen any of theother 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, anice group and they kind of mesh well together. When you put an event on likethis and have a high level of the participants enjoy themselves, it is atribute to what Ron (Barnaba) and his staff have done to make it click. It isdone with our approval as a company, but the actual events take so muchwork. It’s Ron’s passion and I am gladto see that we were able to satisfy all of these people and make a really nicehappening out here. It is like Woodstockfor adults.”

Next up for the Cayman Interseries is the season-endingDaytona Continental Historic Races at Daytona International Speedway, November9 – 13.

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

About Porsche CarsNorth America: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta,Ga. is the exclusive U.S. importer of Porsche sports cars, the Cayenne SUV andPanamera Gran Turismo. Established in 1984, it is a wholly-owned subsidiary ofPorsche AG, which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, and employsapproximately 220 people who provide parts, service, marketing and training for196 dealers. They, in turn, work to provide Porsche customers a best-in-classexperience that is in keeping with the brand’s 63-year history and leadershipin the advancement of vehicle performance, safety and efficiency. At the coreof this success is Porsche’s proud racing heritage that boasts some 30,000motorsport wins to date.

About The CaymanInterseries: Established in 2009 by Napleton Porsche of Westmont, Illinois,the Cayman Interseries is North America’s only auto racing championshipfeaturing 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 andcrowned a pair of champion drivers in both the sprint and endurance racingformats. Races are run on legendary circuits such as Daytona, Sebring,Mid-Ohio, Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and otherpremier venues, primarily on HSR and SVRA event weekends. Every competingPorsche Cayman S is exclusively supplied and prepared by Napleton Porsche andeach car competes with an assigned and specific heritage livery themed after afamous 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 emailinquiries can be sent to racing@napletonmotorsports.com.

Team StopTech Races to Several Championships in 2011

2011-10-07T08:10:00.000-07:00

Team StopTech Scores Several Podium Spots in World ChallengeLaguna Seca

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

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

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

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

Still, Sofronas had much better luck than StopTech's DinoCrescentini. After qualifying 8th in class and a great start, Dino was takenout 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 theNo. 12 CRP Chevrolet Corvette. Lindsey had been battling with Sofronas, JohnnyO’Connell’s Cadillac and the second-place Volvo S60R of Randy Pobst for a goodportion of the race until Sofronas was knocked out and Patrick inherited thirdfor good.

Turner Motorsport Wins 2011 Grand Sport Driver and TeamChampionships

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

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

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

"This is a special year so we will make sure wecelebrate Paul's championship with the same vigor with which we raced forit," said Will Turner. "On top of our team title, the entire TurnerMotorsport team is pleased to have contributed so strongly to anotherManufacturer's title for BMW. Our Continental program continues to go fromstrength to strength and our Rolex program has grown into quite a force thisyear. 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. Itis hard to believe that testing for the 2012 season begins next month so wewill soon be right back to work."

The 2012 Grand-Am season begins during the 50th annual Rolex24 at Daytona on January 28 – 29.

Buttermore Captures Touring 1 SCCA National Championship atRoad America

Gumout pole winner John Buttermore, of Wixom, Mich., droveflag-to-flag to capture his first Touring 1 National Championship at the 48thSCCA 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 agreat jump from the T1 pole in the No. 52 Hoosier/Carbotech/StopTech and ledthe first lap before the yellow came out on lap two after contact between twoSTO cars brought out the caution.

When the race went green six laps later, Buttermore put asizeable gap between himself and Sloe. In fact, Buttermore was third overallbetween the two classes. He turned the Hawk Fast Lap of the race with of2:33.069 (94.313 mph) en route to 8.931-second margin of victory over Sloe towin 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 carsmooth and consistent. We, maybe, sacrificed a little bit of speed. It was setup to run 13 laps hard. We did our development with StopTech brakes andCarbotech. Two years ago, I was leading the first five laps of this event andthe 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] togive them [STO driver] some room so that we could get our start at speed andget around them by Turn 1 and not have them affect our race. When I looked backin my mirror after going into Turn 3, I saw Tom had gotten around them too. Itcleared us up.

“I am pretty excited. It’s a big effort. The last four yearsI’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 theCorvette, which is the best car on the street and on the track.”

Now in its 48th year, the SCCA National Championship Runoffsannually crowns Champions in the Sports Car Club of America’s Club Racingclasses. The live broadcast of all 28 National Championship races will beavailable throughout the weekend at www.Speedcasttv.com/scca and lateravailable 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 isavailable 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 ofproducts 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 withanodized 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 havealso been running and winning with BBKs as well as Power Slot rotors.

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

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

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

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

In Lucas Off-Road Racing Series (LOORRS), the 4 Wheel Parts Pro2 Truck has seen some successwith their Power Slot rotors. We are also working on improvements to STOR-60GTrace 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 seasonso far but there are still championships to decide. Through StopTech’s directinvolvement in World Challenge, working with our customers who campaign cars inGrand-Am, NASA, SCCA, circle track and off-road racing, as well as through ourwork with one-make series like the Napleton Cayman Interseries, StopTech iscommitted to developing brake systems that will help your car stop better - onthe 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 betweenwinning and losing. That’s why we’re committed to continuously researching anddeveloping race and high performance brake systems that will help you win inwhatever type of vehicle you drive. 2012 should be another great year forStopTech and our customers. Not only do we have data to help us improve ourexisting products, but we have several new products and innovations in thepipeline. More about that later, but for now…congratulations to all of you andthank you for your continued business.

Team StopTech Scores Several Podium Spots in World Challenge Laguna Seca

2011-09-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

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.

7th Annual Japanese Classic Car Show

2011-09-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

Thispast Saturday, September 10, 2011, the 7^th Annual Japanese Classic Car Show was held atthe Queen Mary Harbor in Long Beach, California. Hundreds of beautifully restoredand well kept Japanese vehicles from the 1960s through the '80s were on display, amid dozens of sponsor and vendor tents.

Thiswas the first time that our friends from Bisimoto Engineering attended, and they sent us their account of things and a few photos to share with all of you.

There were hugedisplays by OE manufacturers like Toyota, Mazda and Nissan, as well as booths by American Honda, Norm Reeves Honda, AEM, Arias Pistons, Fastbrakes, and Hasport. One of the Los Angeles area's top Honda dealers, Norm Reeves Honda, featured one of the Bisimoto cars in its booth. It was a seemingly fairly stock mid-'80s Honda Civic Wagon. Other than a large front air dam and some white wheels, it looks like just about any Civic Wagon of the era.

As we have come to expect from Bisimoto, though, there is a lot more than meets the eye going on. This particular wagon has actually had more than a little bit of work done to it, with the result that it now puts down a whopping 724 horsepower to the wheels! Gulp. Needless to say, it was a hit at the show with its combination of old school looks, modern power,and miraculous reliability. People were in awe that such apowerful vehicle is street driven often…to and from events as well. Count us among those who are in awe of this super sleeper.

Sofronas Scores Podium at Infineon in StopTech Equipped GMG Porsche

2011-08-30T08:45:00.000-07:00

After a hard-fought sixth place finish in the first half of this weekend’s double-header, GMG’s James Sofronas scored a third place finish in Sunday’s Cadillac Grand Prix of Sonoma. The third place result keeps Sofronas within striking distance of points leader Patrick Long with two races left in the season.

Long won both halves of the double-header, but Sofronas made it interesting. He battled up from sixth on the grid to challenge Andy Pilgrim for second, but hit traffic at the wrong time and settled for third.

“I think I just let it slip away,” Sofronas said. “I was saving my tires at the end and I could see I was gaining on them. I had to work a little harder than I’d like, but every time I would catch them I didn’t get the traffic break. Usually it works that way, the first two get through and the third gets left out. Every time I had a legitimate shot at catching them, traffic held me up but that’s how it goes. Getting back on the podium was at least what we wanted to do, so I’m happy for the GMG guys for their stellar effort and looking forward to my favorite track, Laguna Seca.”

Meanwhile, StopTech’s own Dino Crescentini had a strong fifth place finish in Saturday’s opener and was running near the front of the pack on Sunday when clutch trouble put him out for the weekend. In Saturday’s action, Crescentini had started 10th and was charging hard at the conclusion of the race, but couldn’t get around Mike Skeen or Andy Pilgrim. The three finished nose-to-tail after 27 laps of racing.

Rookie Stephen Ruiz drove the No. 41 StopTech/GMG Porsche to 12^th and 14^th place in Race 1 and 2, respectively.

Peter Cunningham extended his career wins record in GTS, driving the No. 1 Acura/RealTime Racing Acura TSX to victory on Saturday, while rookie Ben Crosland took the top step of the podium on Sunday in the No. 25 RaceWithRP.com Ford Mustang FR500S, which uses a StopTech Trophy BBK.

And in TC, it was Lawson Aschenbach who led flag-to-flag on Saturday in the Power Slot-equipped No. 71 Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si to earn his fourth win of the season. Aaron Povoledo’s StopTech-equipped No. 88 K-Pax Racing Volvo C30 finished first in Sunday’s race, followed by Aschenbach and the No. 33 Germanautoparts.com/Techtonics VW GTI of Tristan Herbert, also wearing a StopTech BBK.

The Pirelli World Challenge Championship heads to Laguna Seca next for the penultimate race, before the season finale at Road Atlanta at the end of September.

You can see television coverage of Rounds Nine and Ten from Infineon Raceway on Versus at 5:30 p.m. EDT on September 18.

[Images © StopTech/Ryan Kim; SCCA Pro Racing, Inc./Mark Weber]

5th Annual Motion Auto Show and Expo in Long Beach

2011-08-22T11:26:00.000-07:00

The 5th Annual Motion Auto Show and Expo took place this past weekend at the Long Beach Convention Center...and StopTech was there, right in the middle of all of the action. The crowd was as insane as always and the vehicles more over-the-top than ever. There were Nissans, Hondas, Toyotas, VWs, Mitsubishis, Subarus, and a whole lot more, but the well deserved best in show trophy went to an incredible Mini.

Our team was really busy with people flocking to see our modified Nissan GT-R and our special Dakar Yellow E92 BMW M3. There was also a lot of interest in our BBKs and our new Sport Kits, which provide direct replacement high performance rotors, pads and stainless steel brake lines for a first level performance upgrade. Available for many late model vehicles, the Sport Kits are an affordable and easy way to get better braking performance from your car.

We didn't have a lot of time to get around the show ourselves, but we did spot quite a few vehicles rocking StopTechs. Of course there were the CRZs from Bisimoto and Eibach, but also a pretty slick Mazda Protege5 that really caught our eye. It was another great show and it was nice meeting all of you who stopped by. The next time you shop for brakes, make us your first stop. Whether it's through our Centric, PosiQuiet, Power Slot or StopTech brands, we have something for just about any braking need.

Sofronas Scores Podium to Stay in Championship Hunt Following World Challenge Action at Mid-Ohio

2011-08-08T14:45:00.000-07:00

Following an exciting double-header at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, GMG’s James Soforonas is just 44 points behind series championship leader Patrick Long in SCCA Pro Pirelli World Challenge Championship. In Saturday’s race, it was Alex Figge who scored his first World Challenge win, taking the GT Class and overall victory at the Pirelli World Challenge Grand Prix Presented by StopTech in his No. 9 K-Pax Racing Volvo S60 AWD. TruSpeed’s Patrick Long (No. 45) and GMG’s James Sofronas (No. 14) completed the top three in their Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars.

In GTS, point leader Paul Brown captured his third GTS win of the season in his No. 50 Lucas Oil/K&N Filters/Wellendorf Ford Mustang Boss 302S, followed by Eric Foss in the No. 73 Traxxas/St. Jude Hospital/SPX Ford Mustang FR500S and Jason von Kluge in the No. 19 JDK/Varsity Ford/Steeda Ford Mustang Boss 302S, who finished second and third respectively. Brown was able to extend his points lead to 72.

Meanwhile in TC, Robb Holland earned his first-career Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car win in his No. 66 K-PAX Racing Volvo C30 on Saturday. He was followed to the podium by Lawson Aschenbach (No. 71 Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si) and Brett Sandberg in the No. 70 Compass360 Honda Civic Si. Sandberg earned the Sunoco Hard Charger for advancing 12 positions in tying his career-best third-place finish.

On Sunday, Cadillac Racing’s Johnny O’Connell took advantage of a last-lap incident between the lead two cars to earn the manufacturer’s first Pirelli World Challenge win since 2007. Paul Brown and Aaron Povoledo earned the GTS and Touring Car class wins, respectively, at Sunday’s Pirelli World Challenge Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio presented by StopTech.

O’Connell started seventh in the No. 3 Cadillac Racing Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, but took advantage of last lap contact between polesitter Alex Figge and Mike Skeen to claim the win, followed by CRP Racing’s Patrick Lindsey ( No. 12 CRP/Hawk Chevrolet Corvette), and defending GT Champion Randy Pobst finished third in the No. 6 K-Pax Racing Volvo S60. With a fourth-place finish in the No. 45 Privacy Star/TruSpeed Porsche 911 GT3, Patrick Long extended his GT Championship lead to 44 points over James Sofronas, 840-796.

Saturday’s race winner, Paul Brown, had to survive a very physical battle to claim the GTS win on Sunday. His No. 50 Lucas Oil/K&N Filters/Wellendorf Ford Mustang Boss 302S battled side-by-side with Eric Foss before contact between the two let Ben Crosland whip around the outside of the pair and take the lead. That move earned Crosland the Cadillac CTS-V Move of the Race.

Brown recovered to chase down Crosland and take the lead, eventually taking the win over defending GTS Class champion and Mid-Ohio race winner Peter Cunningham who earned his best finish since Round Two at St. Petersburg in the No. 1 Acura/RealTime Racing Acura TSX. Crosland, after losing the lead, battled back to finish third in the No. 25 InterbankFX/RaceWithRP.com Ford Mustang FR500S. The finish was the fourth podium in five races for the 18-year-old driver.

Back in TC action, Povoledo’s Touring Car victory appeared easy. The polesitter led start to finish in the No. 88 K-Pax Racing Volvo C30 for his second win of the season, matching teammate Robb Holland’s victory from the opening race of the twin bill. Holland held off Touring Car Championship leader Lawson Aschenbach’s No. 71 Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si for second place on Sunday, with Aschenbach completing the podium.

Branden Peterson earned the Sunoco Hard Charger award in the No. 64 Branden Peterson Racing Honda Civic Si after moving up 11 positions during the race.

Aschenbach’s 1010 points this season give him a sizeable lead in the Touring Car Drivers’ Championship, over Povoledo (864), Holland (726), Ron Zitza (622) and Herbert (592).

Team StopTech’s Stephen Ruiz scored a ninth place finish in Saturday’s opener but a mechanical issue kept this rookie from an even more impressive finish on Sunday in the No. 41 StopTech/GMG Porsche.

Credit: World Challenge, Images: Mark Weber, Ryan Kim

Centric Parts Technical Support Director Helps Meals On Wheels Keep On Rolling

2011-08-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

Reggie Bush with members of the Prestone and St. Vincent’s teams

Recently, football star Reggie Bush joined Pat McCleish, the Technical Support Director of StopTech's parent company, Centric Parts, and dozens of other volunteers to help support a very worthy cause. The volunteers came together to lend their knowledge and skills to inspect vehicles used by the St. Vincent’s Meals on Wheels program. The organization provides meals to homebound elderly and otherwise less fortunate individuals around the Los Angeles area.

Sponsored by Prestone, the event focused on inspecting and servicing delivery vehicles used by the program as well as other vehicles belonging to the organization’s numerous volunteers. Experienced technicians like Pat spent the day performing basic vehicle inspections that included checking and topping off fluids, and checking belts and hoses, tire pressures, tread depth, lights and wipers, as well as giving the vehicles an otherwise quick glance over for other major concerns.

Fluid levels were adjusted and recommendations for further services were made where necessary. Over 50 cars and trucks were inspected and although several needed minor attention, it was discovered that a few actually had serious issues. In fact, they needed major repairs to make them safe enough to once again drive on public streets – some potentially serious accidents successfully averted!

“Vehicle maintenance is about more than making sure your vehicle will be reliable,” explained McCleish, “it’s about making sure your vehicle is not a hazard to those sharing the road with you. I was happy for the opportunity to help assure that the staff and volunteers of the St. Vincent’s Meals on Wheels had safe vehicles in which to make their deliveries.”

StopTech, and our parent company, Centric Parts, are proud of Pat and all of our other employees who volunteer their time and resources to help such worthy causes. Way to go, Pat!

Turner Retains Lead in Grand-Am With One Race To Go

2011-07-25T11:57:00.000-07:00

Grand-Am Continental Tire Challenge B+ Foundation Heroes 200 at New Jersey Motorsports Park

In the penultimate race of the season, Turner Motorsports continued their championship march as the team added new drivers to their roster of StopTech-equipped BMW M3s. The Turner Motorsport crew added driver Boris Said to the 96 car in New Jersey this weekend, helping series points leader Paul Dalla Lana to a sixth place finish. That was good enough to keep Dalla Lana 16 points ahead in the GS points standings (251-235) for the season. Going into the final race at Mid-Ohio, Dalla Lana just needs to finish eleventh or better to claim the crown.

Back in ST, Sarah Cattaneo became the first woman to win in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge in nearly eight years when she joined Owen Trinkler in the Street Tuner class-winning No. 198 Cruise America/4 Winds RV Mini Cooper S. She was the first woman to win in the series since Belinda Endress, who won in 2003 at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant in Quebec. Cattaneo also was the third woman to win, joining Endress and Caroline Wright, who won at Daytona International Speedway in 2003.

Also in ST, Compass360 Racing's No. 75 Honda Civic Si of Simon Pagenaud and Ryan Eversley won the $500 SunTrust Improve Your Position Award from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Accepting the award, team principal Karl Thomson immediately donated the prize to Al Carter and the B+ Foundation.

The only race remaining on the 2011 schedule is the EMCO Gears Classic at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Sept. 17. The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge has competed at Mid-Ohio since its inaugural 2001 season.

Race Recap: Continental Tire Sports Car Festival at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

2011-07-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

John Edwards takes the checkered flag for
his second consecutive Grand Sport victory.

Turner Motorsports Extends Points Lead, Welcomes New Driver

Saturday, July 9, 2011 - John Edwards and Matt Bell combined to lead 51 of Saturday's 79-lap Continental Tire Sports Car Festival Powered by Mazda at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, giving them their second consecutive victory in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Grand Sport class.

Edwards led the final 31 laps after passing Charles Espenlaub. Edwards' lead never grew to more than three seconds, and he stretched it to 2.711 seconds on the final lap in the No. 9 Stevenson Automotive Group Chevrolet Camaro.

With their victory, Edwards and Bell moved into a tie for third-place in the GS standings, with Matt Plumb. Edwards and Bell - who started from the pole position and set the race's fastest lap time - have finished in the top five in five of the last six races.

Espenlaub and Putman finished a season-best second in the No. 48 HRE Wheels/Fall-Line BMW M3, after Espenlaub led twice for 13 laps. Third went to Matt Plumb and Nick Longhi in the No. 13 RumBum.com BMW M3.

It was a rough day for the top three competitors in the standings. Championship leader Paul Dalla Lana made his first start without points co-leader Bill Auberlen, finishing 11th with new co-driver Raphael Matos. Dalla Lana also served a stop-and-go penalty after jumping an early restart. Despite registering the worst finish of the season, the team still managed to extend its points lead after its main rivals succeumbed to even more serious problems. IndyCar driver Rafael Matos, meanwhile, struggled a bit in his closed car debut, gradually building his confidence and speed over the course of the weekend. The team has high hopes for Matos in the future.

Second-place drivers Billy Johnson and Jack Roush Jr. finished 22nd - 15 laps down - after a flat tire forced a lengthy pit stop for the No. 61 Roush Performance Products Ford Mustang Boss 302R. Third-place drivers Scott Maxwell and Joe Foster ran in the top 10 throughout the day in the No. 15 Ford Racing/Multimatic Racing Ford Mustang Boss 302R, but Maxwell was involved in an accident also involving Mikel Miller late in the race and crashed into a tire barrier. Maxwell and Foster fell to fifth in the standings after finishing 24th.

In the Street Tuner class, Andrew Carbonell emerged from a late battle with Gregory Liefooghe to post his second career class victory and the first for co-driver Rhett O'Doski in the No. 26 Mazda/Semperfifund.org Mazda MX-5. Carbonell took the lead for the final time on Lap 66.

Teammate Tom Long finished second - also passing Liefooghe late - after co-driver Derek Whitis won the pole position for the No. 25 Mazda/Semperfifund.org Mazda MX-5. Liefooghe - a resident of San Francisco - and John Capestro-Dubets - of nearby Carmel Valley, Calif. - finished third in the No. 81 CRC Industries/Johnstone Supply BMW 328i.

The Surprises:
Ben Clucas and Jade Buford, who finished eighth in the No. 33 BMW M3 in the Grand Sport class. It marked only Clucas' second career race in the series. Billy Johnson and Jack Roush Jr., whose consecutive six-race podium streak was snapped after a flat tire forced them to pit. They finished 22nd, only the third race in the last 20 races the pair hadn't finished in the top five. Andrew Carbonell and Rhett O'Doski, who have only finished in the top 10 four times this season. The pair have finishes of 26th or worse in their three other races. Gregory Liefooghe and John Capestro-Dubets, who got their second Street Tuner podium finish of the season and first since the season opener at Daytona.

The Podium:

GS 1st: John Edwards and Matt Bell, No. 9 Stevenson Automotive Group Chevrolet Camaro

GS 2nd: Charles Espenlaub and Charlie Putman, No. 48 HRE Wheels/Fall-Line BMW M3

GS 3rd: Nick Longhi and Matt Plumb, No. 13 Rum Bum Racing BMW M3

ST 1st: Andrew Carbonell and Rhett O'Doski, No. 26 Mazda/Semperfifund.org Mazda MX-5

ST 2nd: Tom Long and Derek Whitis, No. 25 Mazda/Semperfifund.org Mazda MX-5

ST 3rd: Gregory Liefooghe and John Capestro-Dubets, No. 81 CRC Industries/Johnstone Supply BMW 328i

Margin of Victory: 2.711 seconds

Average Speed: 70.450 mph

Cautions: 6 for 17 laps

The Points:

GS: Paul Dalla Lana 226, Auberlen 206, M. Plumb; M. Bell/J. Edwards 201.

ST: Nic Jönsson 204, Ryan Eversley 186, Ian Baas/Ryan Ellis 184.

The Numbers:
17 - Number of positions Ashley McCalmont and Eric Curran improved from start (23rd) to finish (sixth) position.
25 - Grand Sport points lead for Paul Dalla Lana over Bill Auberlen.
22 - Cars that completed all 79 laps on the 2.238-mile circuit.
51 - Number of laps led by Grand Sport winners John Edwards (31) and Matt Bell (20).
83.928 mph - Fastest lap of the race, turned in by winning Stevenson Camaro.

The Quotes:
"We knew we could contend for the win, but we were really short on fuel, so those cautions helped us and I was doing a lot of fuel saving. I was saving a lot of fuel and then finally the cautions came out and we knew we were good to go. We got the result we needed as opposed to having to pit for a splash at the end. Two in a row, I can't say enough about the Stevenson team." - John Edwards, No. 9 Stevenson Automotive Group Chevrolet Camaro

"It was just a combination of a number of things. I've got a lot of time here. It's probably the only time, in a GRAND-AM season, where I have a track that I know this well, and I'm in a car that's perfectly balanced, so I'm hoping we've learned a lot from this. I know we've learned a lot from this. We're going to go to the next race and really do our best and follow that same setup." - Matt Bell, No. 9 Stevenson Automotive Group Chevrolet Camaro

"For the race itself, the Mazda MX-5 couldn't have been better. The car was just on point every single lap. I had no option but to win this race. I can't thank the team, Freedom Autosport enough. The reason why we do this is to serve the memories the people who have served our country for the past 200 years." - Andrew Carbonell, No. 26 Mazda/Semperfifund.org Mazda MX-5

"All I had to do was just give the car to Andrew and he does what he always does, which is race his butt off. He races a clean race and there's no place we'd rather double podium than here at Mazda Raceway with two Mazda MX-5s. They're incredible cars and that's what zoom-zoom is all about." - Rhett O'Doski, No. 26 Mazda/Semperfifund.org Mazda MX-5

"It's a very good thing for me to get this experience. Racing the Honda Civic was very different from what I'm used to racing. I'm not used to being in the back and racing in so much traffic. Today will be very useful for my future." - Simon Pagenaud, No. 75 Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si.

The Next Race:
The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge holds its ninth of 10 races at New Jersey Motorsports Park on Saturday, July 23, with the running of the B+ Foundation Heroes 200.

Jack Roush Jr. and Billy Johnson took overall and Grand Sport honors in the No. 61 Roush Performance Ford Mustang GT in last year's race on the 2.25-mile, 12-turn circuit, while Owen Trinkler and Randy Smalley led the Street Tuner class in the No. 198 RSM Motorsports Mini Cooper S.

Following the event, the only race remaining on the 2011 schedule is the EMCO Gears Classic at Mid-Ohio

Rhys Millen Discusses Pike's Peak

2011-07-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

We recently ran into ace driver and drifter Rhys Millen when he stopped by a local weekly car meet in Irvine, California. It wasn't the first time Rhys has attended the meet, but this was the first time he brought such a dirty car with him. The filthy Hyundai you see above looked out of place at this show, which usually attracts high end European exotics, show-quality hot rods, and classic cars that look like they just finished a 10-year restoration. The inch of dirt caked onto just about every visible surface almost covered up the Red Bull livery. Nobody seemed to mind the dirt, however, as it was evidence of where Rhys had taken the car the previous weekend - up Pike's Peak.

Racing in the top unlimited class at Pike's Peak, Rhys piloted this 800-hp, 1,900-lb PM580 prototype to a second place finish behind Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima in a 1,000-hp Suzuki SX4. While Monster was finally able to break the elusive ten-minute mark going up the 12.42 mile course, Rhys had some mechanical issues that prevented him from taking the win. We asked Rhys a few questions about his car, the race, and his "other" car - the Genesis Coupe he drives in his day job.

StopTech - Your car looks like a shrunken Le Mans Prototype - how does it stack up against those cars?

Rhys Millen - Well, it may look like a Le Mans racer, but this Hyundai is lighter, has more power and is all-wheel drive. It is built for acceleration more than top speed. During testing, we tried to see how it could accelerate from a rolling start. The car launched so hard and ran a 20-125 mph sprint in less than 6 seconds. During that run it registered 1.14 g's of acceleration.

ST - They are saying that because the course will be fully paved next year, people are considering running Formula 1 cars up the hill. Do you think that's the future of this hillclimb?

RM - As cool as that would be, I don't see it happening. Formula 1 cars don't like running in first gear and don't enjoy their aerodynamic benefits below 100 mph. There are 20-something first gear turns on this course and that would kill an F1 gearbox. The cars are also very low and need to be that low to maximize their aerodynamics. Raising them for even a paved course is essential so a lot of their aero advantage is taken away. Plus, we have our car geared to a top speed of just 125 mph, which is barely into the aero range of the F1 cars. No, I don't think it will happen. You need all-wheel drive, quick acceleration and better low-speed aerodynamics with extra ground clearance.

ST - As you're saying that, the Bugatti Veyron is coming to mind.

RM - Well, the Veyron has the power, the aero and the awd, but it has to push around an awful lot of weight. What does it weigh - 4,000 pounds? My Hyundai has nearly as much power and less than half the weight to haul. The Veyron might do well against my Genesis Coupe, but not against the unlimiteds.

ST - Speaking of your Genesis Coupe...your father drove it to a record-breaking win in the time attack class.

RM - Yeah, he ran a great race...and he returned it in one piece.

ST - The Genesis is your drift car. We were closely following it because you use our brakes on it.

RM - Yeah, the brakes are fantastic on that car. I love it. It did really well up the hill too.

ST - We noticed you aren't running our brakes on the PM580 though...

RM - It all came down to weight. You guys don't have a carbon ceramic available for that car and we wanted everything to be the lightest component available. We actually struggled quite a bit with the brakes we chose though. It's really scary going 120 mph and wondering if it's going to slow down for the next turn. I saw some scary offs and I'm glad it wasn't me. I'd love to run StopTechs if they become available.

ST - We'll see what we can do about that.

Cayman Interseries Racing Closes Out SVRA Vintage Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio

2011-06-28T14:44:00.000-07:00

A Sunday sweep of both races by Mark Sandridge – including a second-consecutive enduro race win with teammate Joe Varde – closed out the final day of Cayman Interseries action at this weekend’s SVRA Mid-Ohio Vintage Grand Prix.

In one of the closest enduro races in the history of the Cayman Intereseries. Sandridge pulled the feat in his StopTech-equipped No. 49 white and red-and-yellow striped No. 49 Cayman S, themed after his 1994 IMSA Champion Team Salad Porsche 911 RSR.

“At the start of the enduro it was pretty neat,” Sandridge said. “Lee Davis got ahead of me, I followed him for a lap or two, then we went up through the Keyhole Turn together and he got sideways just a little bit. So coming out of the Keyhole, we were toe-to-toe, tail-to-tail, and I just got him there on the straight. From there on I just put my nose down and boogied.”

After the handoff, his co-driver, Varde, led only the race’s final lap after being repeatedly held off by Ryan Eversley in the StopTech-equipped black and red No. 33 Cayman S, which pays tribute to the Advan Porsche 956s and 962s.

“Ryan got in some traffic from some of the fast cars that go down the straight pretty quick but then kind of brake check you in the brake zone,” Varde said. “I kind of took advantage of that and that’s how I go by him on the last lap at the end of the straightaway.”

Davis, the reigning Cayman Interseries Champion, finished second in both Sunday races but scored a victory of his own in Saturday’s opening sprint race of the weekend. That race also came down to a duel with Sandridge.

Another success story sprouted up when Racing newcomer Bob Schneider drove the first three races of his career at Mid-Ohio, including co-driving with Jack Baldwin in the enduro, and finished on the podium in all three races in the No. 26 Cayman S running on StopTech brakes and carrying the livery of the 1998 Le Mans-winning Porsche GT-1.

Round 6 of the 2011 Cayman Interseries racing takes place September 29-October 2 as part of The New Jersey Vintage/Historic Races at the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville.

Turner Holds Narrow Drivers Champiionship Lead as Grand-Am Heads to Laguna Seca

2011-06-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

It was an interesting race this weekend at the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge at Road America, part of the Grand-Am series. After wet practice and qualifying sessions, the race ended under caution when Nico Rondet crashed hard into a barrier that destroyed the pole-winning No. 18 Insight Racing BMW 328i with 24 minutes remaining and significantly damaged the wall.

The situation made it hard for most of the drivers to flex their skills, including the StopTech-equipped No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 driven by Paul Dalla Lana and Bill Auberlen, who have racked up five podium visits including a win so far this season.

"We went out to do a specific plan of tests, and did all we wanted to accomplish," Auberlen said after landing the fastest practice session time. "Now we're evaluating what we learned. I know we've got a good car. We tested here in wet conditions and that gave us a good foundation."

The truncated race left the team down in eighth place by the time the checkered flag waved. However this was enough to keep them the lead for the Driver's Championship, still holding a 15 point lead with 206 over Jack Roush/Billy Johnson with 191 points.

The narrowing gap should make an exciting home stretch for the season. The next race is less than two weeks away with the Grand Am series moving on to the Continental Tire Sports Car Festival Powered on July 8-9 at Laguna Seca in Salina, California.

This weekend's race at Road America will air on SPEED on July 3 at 1pm EST.

Rod Millen Sets Class Record in StopTech Equipped Genesis at Pikes Peak

2011-06-27T11:14:00.000-07:00

Rod Millen Sets Class Record in StopTech equipped Genesis at Pikes Peak

A big congratulations to Rod Millen, who set a new record as he took the Time Attack class win at the 2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on Sunday in his son’s StopTech equipped Hyundai Genesis Coupe. Rhys normally uses the Genesis to compete in Formula Drift but when he switched over to his unlimited class Red Bull racing machine to challenge the overall record at Pikes Peak, he tossed the keys to his father Rod.

The Red Bull Genesis is fitted with a StopTech Trophy kit and managed to outperform the second place Porsche 911 GT2 RS driven by Jeff Zwart, finishing six seconds ahead of the Porsche and 20 seconds ahead of the closest 2WD competitor. In the process Rod set a new world record for the two-wheel drive Time Attack class of 11:04.91.

Meanwhile, son Rhys couldn’t quite match the pace of overall record holder, Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima, who finally managed to break the elusive 10-minute mark up the 12.42-mile course, running a 9:51.278. Tajima’s Suzuki SX4 race car packs a twin-turbocharged 3.1-liter V-6 engine producing 910 hp. The all-wheel-drive racer makes extensive use of carbon fiber for its body panels, helping keep weight to just 2596 pounds.

Rhys, meanwhile was driving a Red Bull-sponsored Hyundai PM580 prototype producing 1,000-hp. His time lagged Tajima's by nearly 20 seconds, at 10:09.242. We will be working on a StopTech brake system for the unlimited class for next year’s race, when the times promise to drop significantly. The course is going to be paved completely for 2012, the last sections of dirt and gravel finally getting covered over.

More than 35,000 spectators visited Colorado Springs this year to see the best-of-the-best try to make their mark on the mountain. This year’s race featured 10 classes of motorcycles and quads and 16 car and truck divisions consisting of a broad array of vehicles. The race, which starts at 9,390 feet above sea level and finishes at the 14,110 foot summit of Pikes Peak is a true test of driver skill, vehicle design and tire engineering.

StopTech Racing Testimonial from John Buttermore

2011-06-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy Jeff Lowe - jlofoto.net

We love receiving mail from our customers and occasionally like to share them with you. We just got this note from John M. Buttermore of Nearbrook Motorsports. John is running a Corvette in SCCA T1, and taking home a lot of hardware. This update from John talks about his experience at Road America during the June Sprints. It's a great testimonial from a great competitor. Congratulations John and best of luck the rest of the season.

Hi guys,

Last weekend I went to Road America for the June Sprints. I ran on the same brakes (rotors and pads) that I ran on for a full race distance at Mid-Ohio (with 10 of the 19 laps under the track record no less!). Ran an 8 lap practice, and 2 qualifying sessions at Road America without needing an additional rotor change. 8 laps doesn't sound like a lot, but at Road America that is a ton of practice laps.

The car was fastest in all sessions and we won from the pole leading every lap, it was a very wet track so the brakes didn't really get worked as hard as they normally would. But there is not a more difficult test for brakes than Road America and for the first time I can go into every braking zone with confidence that I will be getting consistent stopping power. I couldn't be any more pleased with how these brakes have worked for me all year.

Results from the June Sprints:

http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=675581

we are group 6

More pictures from Mid-Ohio: (go under the gallery tab in the top left and navigate to the June 2011 races):

http://www.jlofoto.net/#/page/home/

Thanks,

John M Buttermore

Nearbrook Motorsports

Just Cool: Stewart and Hamilton to Swap Cars at Watkins Glen

2011-06-13T12:58:00.000-07:00

"Can I borrow your car?' If you are a parent or a great friend you probably have heard that once or twice in your life. Well that question gets taken to a whole new level tomorrow at Watkins Glen when 2008 Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton and two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart will swap their race cars. The two will make a four-lap run on the 3.4-mile track, first used for the U.S. Grand Prix in 1971

The event, called the Mobil 1 Car Swap at Watkins Glen International, is free to the public from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., where you can access the Turns 1 and 11 grandstands and the start/finish straight.

"It's going to be an absolute monstrous event for Watkins Glen International," said WGI president Michael Printup in an interview with Ron Levanduski, the Star-Gazette racing columnist. "To put two champion drivers and their cars on the Glen track like this is phenomenal. We have had a ton of response from the fans since we announced it... we'll have a pretty big crowd."

“I spend a lot of time in race cars, but this will be the first time I've been at the wheel of a NASCAR stock" said Hamilton.

Watkins Glen is celebrating its 50th anniversary of Formula One. The venue hosted the U.S. Grand Prix from 1961-1980 and currently holds an annual fall vintage racing event there to the delight of Formula One fans.

Coverage of the event will air on SPEED tomorrow at 8pm EST hosted by the network's Formula One commentator, Bob Varsha with additional from the SPEED team including pit coverage.

Stewart's No. 14 Chevrolet Impala and Hamilton's Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 will run the track but first step will be some practice laps in the WGI Chevy Tahoe. This will be a unique event for many reasons, not the least of which being that Hamilton has only ever competed once in the United States, winning the U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2007.

Both drivers will do some laps in their own race cars at 12:10 p.m. Hamilton is expected to get in some hot laps in his 2008 title-winning McLaren MP4-23. He should easily lap under the Ryan Briscoe's existing track record of 1 minute 28.597 seconds (136.935 mph) during qualifying for the IndyCar race there in 2009.

So tune in tomorrow or better yet come on by and enter through Gate 4 which opens at 9am.

Nearbrook Motorsports StopTech-equipped Vette

2011-06-08T00:23:00.000-07:00

We got a note from John Buttermore of Nearbrook Motorsports. He is running a T1 Corvette with StopTech Trophy brakes in the SCCA Nationals with 3 wins and one DNF, 4 races into the season.

"I have not yet needed to replace any of the StopTech components, only a set of front pads. My front caliper operating temperature is down 75 degrees from before and the pedal feel is consistent fro.m the start all the way through the finish of the race. In addition with my rebalanced piston sizes I have had ABS system failures unrelated to the hardware and when it does give out, the hydraulic balance is so good lap times are hardly affected at all."

Big Brake Kits feature ultra-lightweight racing calipers in four- or six-piston configurations providing a significant weight reduction without sacrificing stiffness or performance. Full floating versions of StopTech’s patented AeroRotor/AeroHat two-piece rotors eliminate pad knock-back and increase cooling airflow for consistent performance and pedal feedback under the unique combination of hard cornering and braking found on the track.

Turner Motorsport Holds Grand-Am Series Lead on StopTech Brakes

2011-06-06T15:38:00.000-07:00

The Continental Tire 150, the latest round of the Continental Tire Grand-Am Sports Car Challenge, went down this weekend at Watkins Glen. Team StopTech's Grand-Am hero, Turner Motorsport, finally had their five-for-five streak of podium visits come to an end. The No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 running on StopTech brakes still managed to hold the overall series lead.

The Grand Sport point leaders and Turner Mostorsport dynamic driving duo, Paul Dalla Lana and Bill Auberlen, finished ninth in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M3. They lead fourth-place finishers Joe Foster and Scott Maxwell - who finished fourth in the No. 15 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang Boss 302R - by 15 points (151-136. Roush and Johnson gained two positions in the standings and now trail the leaders by 22 points with 129.

They all get two weeks to prep for the next round. Dalla Lana and Auberlen will roll out to Wisconsin for the June 24 race with a strong lead. Behind them will be fierce competition and in front of them will be the very twisty, 4-mile Road America track.

As Auberlen said at the end of the last race, " "We're just looking for the long haul. It's all about the championship." Stay tuned to see how that plays out as the Grand-Am season churns into the summer months.

Team StopTech World Challenge Mid-Season Recap

2011-06-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe but the 2011 World Challenge racing season is already halfway through. StopTech's favorite race series has logged six of the twelve races planned for the year, so the World Challenge is taking a summer break until August.

James Sofronas has once again surfaced as the poster boy for StopTech in the No. 14 GMG Porsche, rolling into the summer months on top of the Drivers Championship standings. However, there have been many poignant successes for other drivers and teams along the way.

The season started with a bang when a trio of Porsches equipped with StopTech brakes landed 5 of the 6 GT Class podium spots over the two-race, season-opening weekend on the Streets of St. Petersburg. This included two first place finishes by Patrick Long in the No. 45 Privacy Star/Entrust Porsche 911 GT3, a second place finish by Centric Parts CEO Dino Crescentini in his No. 4 Centric Parts/StopTech/GMG Porsche 911 GT3 and two more podiums earned by James Sofronas in the No. 14 GMG Porsche 911 GT3.

The series moved right into StopTech's own backyard when the Grand Prix of Long Beach hit Southern California. Local favorite and winner of the event in 2009, Sofronas made it three podiums in a row with an inspired performance for a second place finish after a rough start. In the Touring Car class, Robb Holland from Gainesville, Georgia, finished third in the No. 66 K-Pax Racing Volvo C30 equipped with StopTech brakes.

The series moved on to the Utah Grand Prix, where Sofronas kept the pressure on for his fourth podium finish in a row. While Crescentini logged the fastest lap, Sofronas scored enough points to take the overall lead in the Drivers Championship, where he still sits today. Meanwhile StopTech-equipped cars took all three Touring Class podium spots with Aaron Povoledo capturing his first World Challenge TC win in the No. 88 K-Pax Racing Volvo C30 from a 5th place start.

The last race before the break brought a great story when 18-year-old Ben Crosland earned his first World Challenge win at the Pirelli Grand Prix of Mosport Victoria Day Speedfest. He put a punctuation mark on the victory by scoring another visit to the podium with a second place finish during the following day's race with the StopTech-equipped Ford Mustang. The weekend, and first half of the season, wrapped up with Sofronas still sitting on top.

The next race takes place in Mid-Ohio and is only 62 days and 17 hours away. We didn't do the math, but there is a countdown clock. You can find that at www.world-challenge.com, the official World Challenge site. Of course you can always check here for Team StopTech updates too.

StopTech Intros Big Brake Kits for 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe

2011-06-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

StopTech, the ultra-performance division of Centric Parts, has introduced a series of front and rear Big Brake Kits for the all new 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe in four- and six-piston configurations. StopTech Big Brake Kits provide shorter stopping distances, better brake modulation, firmer pedal feel and less brake fade resulting in stronger, more reliable performance on and off the track.

The four-piston front StopTech Big Brake Kits for the 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe include a pair of 355X35 slotted or drilled floating directional AeroRotors featuring billet aluminum mounting brackets with stainless steel studs, DOT-compliant stainless steel braided Teflon brake lines, StopTech's highly-praised high performance street pads plus the company's patented, forged, high performance, four-piston ST-40 calipers.

The six-piston StopTech BBKs for the 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe use larger 380X35 slotted or drilled floating directional AeroRotors and six-piston ST-60 calipers. The rest of the kit remains the same: billet aluminum mounting brackets with stainless steel studs, DOT-compliant stainless steel braided Teflon brake lines and StopTech's highly-praised high performance street pads.

The rear StopTech Big Brake Kits for the 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe include a pair of 355X32 slotted or drilled floating directional AeroRotors featuring billet aluminum mounting brackets with stainless steel studs, DOT-compliant stainless steel braided Teflon brake lines, StopTech's highly-praised high performance street pads plus the company's patented, forged, high performance, four-piston ST-40 calipers.

The BMW 1 M Coupe is the latest M-sport car from BMW. Based on the 1-series platform, the 1M receives significant updates to just about every component. The bodywork has been flared to cover much larger rubber all around, the engine has been upgraded to a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six that produces 335 horsepower and much of the suspension has been borrowed from the company’s larger E92 M3. Although this 1-series M Coupe is smaller and less powerful than the current M3, BMW says it is a true descendant of the original E30 M3.

StopTech, the ultra-performance division of Centric Parts, is a leading innovator of world-class brake components and brake systems for production-based racing cars and high performance vehicles on the street and track. StopTech was the first to offer Balanced Brake Upgrades® for production cars and remains the worldwide leader with more than 700 platform offerings to. StopTech braking systems and components are available through motorsports distributors and performance automotive aftermarket retailers. For more information on StopTech, visit http://www.stoptech.com/.

StopTech Releases Big Brake Kits for BMW X5 and X6 Models

2011-05-31T15:15:00.000-07:00

StopTech, the ultra-performance division of Centric Parts, has introduced front and rear Big Brake Kits for a range of BMW X5 and BMW X6 crossovers. StopTech Big Brake Kits provide shorter stopping distances, better brake modulation, firmer pedal feel and less brake fade resulting in stronger, more reliable performance on and off the track.

The StopTech Big Brake Kits are now available for a wide selection BMW X5 and BMW X6 vehicles from t2007-2011 model years including the 3.0si, xDrive30i, xDrive35d, X5 4.8i, xDrive48i, 3.5dX, 35iX iterations of the BMW X5 plus the 35iX and xDrive35i versions of the X6.

The Big Brake Kits for the BMW X5 or X6 comes with a pair of 380X32 slotted or drilled floating directional AeroRotors featuring billet aluminum mounting brackets with stainless steel studs, DOT-compliant stainless steel braided Teflon brake lines, StopTech's highly-praised high performance street pads plus the company's patented, forged, high performance, six-piston ST-60 calipers.

BMW refers to their X5 as a Sports Activity Vehicle and the X6 as a Sports Activity Coupe. The former was introduced in 1999 and developed when the company still owned Land Rover. The latter was released for sale in the second quarter of 2008 and is slightly longer and wider than its predecessor.

StopTech, the ultra-performance division of Centric Parts, is a leading innovator of world-class brake components and brake systems for production-based racing cars and high performance vehicles on the street and track. StopTech was the first to offer balanced brake upgrades for production cars and remains the worldwide leader with more than 700 platform offerings to dramatically improve overall braking performance.

StopTech ultra-performance braking systems and components are available through motorsports distributors and performance automotive aftermarket retailers. For more information on StopTech, visit http://www.stoptech.com/.

Turner Motorsport Goes Five-for-Five on StopTech GT Racing Calipers at Lime Rock

2011-05-31T11:53:00.001-07:00

Bill Auberlen and Paul Dalla Lana scored their fifth consecutive podium since switching to StopTech GT Racing calipers on the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 this weekend with a second place finish at Lime Rock Park. The five-for-five performance at Round 5 of the Continental Tire 2011 Grand-Am Sports Car Challenge season puts the driving duo at the top of the GS series with 161 points for a comfy 27 point lead overall.

The tough race included three cautions that ate up 11 laps plus, two late restarts, which left Turner Motorsport just 0.82 seconds short of repeating the first place finish they scored earlier in the season n Miami. However, the podium visit extended their overall lead in the series by another six points.

"It's not totally worth the risk I would have taken," said Auberlen of his opportunities to have charged for the lead during the fractured race. "We're just looking for the long haul. It's all about the championship right now."

Turner Motorsport adopted the new StopTech GT Racing caliper for the GS class at the top of the 2011 season. Loaded with engineering optimized for endurance racing it has proven itself in the tough environment of 200+ mile races, despite the rough braking demands. The race this weekend was held at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn with its tight 1.53-mile, seven-turn track that makes it half the size of the last round's stop at Virginia International Raceway. The next stop will be at Watkins Glen later this week from June 2-3.

The StopTech GT Racing caliper pulls features from both the original StopTech ST series calipers and the company's top-of-the-line Trophy STR racing calipers. It features StopTech's patented bolt-in bridge technology which reinforces the caliper, virtually eliminates distortion, provides slots to enhance cooling airflow, and allows changing brake pads without disturbing the caliper’s mounting. The calipers are machined from billet and sport a natural anodized finish that is impervious to color change at the continuous high temperatures experienced during race conditions.

StopTech, the ultra-performance division of Centric Parts, is a leading innovator of world-class brake components and systems for production-based racing cars and high performance vehicles on the street and track. StopTech was the first to offer balanced brake upgrades for production cars and remains the worldwide leader with more than 700 platform offerings to dramatically improve overall braking performance. StopTech GT series racing calipers are available now through motorsports distributors and performance automotive aftermarket retailers. Visit http://www.stoptech.com/ for more information.

Vote for Your Favorite StopTech Bimmerfest Car

2011-05-25T13:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, so we are still bathing in the afterglow of Bimmerfest 2011. It's such an iconic SoCal automotive event that is just sticks with you for weeks after.

We've decided to get it out of our system with a poll. Below is a rundown of our favorite StopTech-equipped rides from the event. Make note of your favorite and roll on over to our Facebook page to cast your vote. You can click here to go right to the poll.

RPi's Shiny Black E92 M3

Matte Black M5

BRracing's 135i

Matte Gray Monster with Green Accents

Gintani Black with Red Wheels

Gintani White Bimmer

Smart Wax car

StopTech's Racy Red M3

Earl Shepherd's Z4 M Coupe Art Car

StopTech's Yellow M3


Jeff Sykes' Crevier E46 NASA Club racer

See you on our Facebook page.

StopTech Facebook Review

2011-05-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, for those of you who do not follow us no Facebook, here is a little of what you missed...

This video we found on YouTube just looks sweet with the gold rotor.

We shared this story from Malyasia of a StopTech install on a BMW 3351.

We also took a closer look at this project WRX from Motovicity as it got its set of StopTech Brakes.

We asked you to donate to the Red Cross to help Tornado victims.

We also uploaded a slew of photos from Bimmerfest. Stay tuned for our favorite ten shots that you have not seen here yet.

We shared this post race interview with the drivers of Turner Motorsports after heir thier fourth consecutive Grand-Am podium finish on StopTech brakes.

We discovered the you can re-arrange the letters in Chevrolet TrailBlazer, our newest StopTech Big Brake Kit, to read Retractable Hell Vizor.

That's just in the last 7 days. So if you are one of the 600,000,000 on Facebook, come on over to www.facebook.com/stoptech and throw us a "like" or two.

Crosland Wins as Sofronas Holds Series Lead

2011-05-23T12:29:00.001-07:00

18-year-old Ben Crosland earned his first Pirelli World Challenge win while James Sofronas held onto the series lead despite electrical problems this weekend at the Pirelli Grand Prix of Mosport Victoria Day Speedfest.

Crosland scored his GTS class victory in StopTech-equipped No. 25 Ford Mustang FR500S during the first race of the two-race weekend on Saturday. It was his eighth career start after two previous podium finishes. He returned to the podium again on Sunday with a second place finish in that race.

On Saturday Crosland started second in the GTS class and fell to fourth early in the race behind Paul Brown, Eric Foss and Alec Udell. Crosland and Udell moved past Foss on lap five, which became a battle for the lead on lap six when Brown’s motor let go and forced him out of the lead. Crosland and the 15-year-old Udell ran nose-to-tail for a handful of laps until Crosland pressured into the lead and an eventual 0.873-second victory on the 10-turn, 2.459 mile course.

GT Championship leader Sofronas finished fourth on Saturday in the StopTech-equipped No. 14 GMG Porsche 911 GT3, improving from his sixth starting position. Sofronas earned the Optima Batteries Best Standing Start Award for his performance on the opening lap.

On Sunday, Sofronas found himself sitting in fourth when the circuit went to a full course caution. While circulating behind the pace car, the Porsche had electrical issues that dropped it back to seventh position at the checkers. It was enough to hold on the Drivers Championship lead, with Sofronas now leading by just eight points with 626.

Both rounds of this weekend's race will air on Versus on Saturday, June 18 at 3:00 p.m. EDT. The Pirelli World Challenge now enters a “summer break” and returns to action with a doubleheader at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, August 5-7.

StopTech Introduces Chevy TrailBlazer SS Big Brake Kits (2007-2009)

2011-05-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

StopTech, the ultra-performance division of Centric Parts, has introduced a front Big Brake Kit for the 2007-2009 Chevy TrailBlazer SS. StopTech Big Brake Kits provide shorter stopping distances, better brake modulation, firmer pedal feel and less brake fade resulting in stronger, more reliable performance on and off the track.

The front StopTech Big Brake Kits for the 2007-2009 Chevy Trailblazer SS comes with a pair of 380X32 slotted or drilled floating directional AeroRotors featuring billet aluminum mounting brackets with stainless steel studs, DOT-compliant stainless steel braided Teflon brake lines, StopTech's highly-praised high performance street pads plus the company's patented, forged, high performance, six-piston ST-60 calipers.

The TrailBlazer was Introduced in 1999 as an upscale iteration of the Blazer, and the two overlapped production until the Blazer's demise in 2005. The SS model, the first Chevy truck to get the Super Sport badge, hit the market for the 2006 model year and pushed out almost 400hp from the standard 6.0 litre L2 engine. A mid-sized truck with the heart of a Corvette hitting 60mph in 5.8 seconds usually calls for some serious braking power.

Chevy was selling a quarter-million TrailBlazers a year during the truck's prime. The entire line was wrapped up in 2009 but fans still stoke the fires of rumor that one day the TrailBlazer will rise again.

StopTech, the ultra-performance division of Centric Parts, is a leading innovator of world-class brake components and brake systems for production-based racing cars and high performance vehicles on the street and track. StopTech was the first to offer balanced brake upgrades for production cars and remains the worldwide leader with more than 700 platform offerings to dramatically improve overall braking performance.

PHOTOS: Indy Series Racing Rescue Vehicles

2011-05-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

A close up look at the StopTech-equipped trucks that come to the rescue at Indy Series races...

We caught up with the vehicle of the Holmatro Safety Team during the Indy Racing series stop at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. These trucks are first responders on the track to accidents at Indy racing events across the country.

The fleet of Honda Ridgelines fit the bill with their ability to carry heaps of rescue and safety equipment to anywhere on the track in short order.

If you are going to whipping around an Indy racetrack at high speeds in a big truck laden with equipment, you had better have some great brakes. They do - StopTech brakes from the ultra-performance division of Centric Parts.

Perhaps with the exception of the fire extinguisher tucked away next to the driver, the front interior of this Holmatro Safety Team vehicle looks like any other work-related pickup truck.

The Holmatro Safety Team vehicles have StopTech brakes on all the corners of the truck so they can handle all the corners of the windy Indy street tracks.

These Holmatro Safety Team vehicles roll in equipped for pretty much anything.

An on board water supply gives them the leg up on fire related emergencies if they beat the fire vehicles.

The interior of another Holmatro Safety Team vehicle. There are 4 in the fleet that travel with both the Indy Lights and IndyCar series.

The Holmatro Rescue Team consists of approximately 24 safety personnel with a minimum of 14 attending each event--two trauma physicians, three paramedics and nine firefighters/EMTs. Team personnel have an average of 20 years of experience in their respective areas.

During events the Holmatro Safety Team trucks remain parked just off track in strategic locations across the course, with an on board crew of 4 ready to roll at a moment's notice.

These trucks came into service in 2010 and have proven themselves useful over and over again. If you watch the TV coverage of these events, you'll spot them rolling into frame right before cutting to commercials after an accident on the track.

The Holmatro Safety Team works in conjunction with and coordinates the safety personnel staffing each venue, including firefighters, ambulance and tow-truck providers and track maintenance crews. An eight-hour instructional course is held at every new venue on the schedule and the team meets with tracks for update sessions before each event.

The best way to one of these StopTech equipped monsters is to come to any Indy Series event. They are often parked where the public can view them before and after the race.

How do you say "Nice Nissan 350Z with StopTech Brakes" in French?

2011-05-19T13:08:00.000-07:00

StopTech just received these two pics from Urban Racing, a StopTech distributor in France. Their project car has StopTech Trophy Big Brake Kits on them. Looking good...

You can check out their website at www.urban-racing.fr in France, but you better learn French first.

Bimmerfest 2011: The Racecars

2011-05-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

At Bimmerfest 2011 last weekend, we spotted a lot of StopTech equipped cars that caught our eye. We also saw a lot of classic BMWs that were just as eye-catching. From the ex-David Hobbs 1977 320 Turbo IMSA Camel GT winner, to the ProCar M1, to the E46 M3 ALMS GT2 car, there were also quite a few notable BMW racecars in Pasadena on Saturday.

We already mentioned the stunning Earl Shephed Art Car Z4 M (top), the former Crevier E46 NASA Club racer driven by Jeff Sykes, but there were plenty more. We’ve collected a few more here, and you'll probably notice that not all of them are wearing the BMW Roundel.

The David Hobbs car was a real throwback. That massive rear wing and front air dam practically doubled the length of the 320 it was based on. Powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter "M12" engine that produced 650 hp, this 1,936-lb car won several races over two seasons in the IMSA Camel GT series.

The BMW M1 was the first "M" car from BMW. To show off its high performance capabilities, BMW built 50 specially modified versions to run in Procar, an all-star racing series similar to IROC and ROC, which came much later. The Procar M1 used a 500 hp version of the 24-valve inline-6 "M88/1" engine with that gave them a top speed approaching 200 mph. In turbocharged form, that same engine could generate nearly 1000 hp.

Matt Rose's 1971 2002 ti was another gem at the Rose Bowl, done up in the famous blue and orange Gulf livery.

The ALMS GT2 E46 M3 that was near the Hobbs 320 looked like it had just come from Sebring 2007.

This Jagermeister Porsche 962 in the Pelican Parts booth certainly looked a bit out of place in this BMW-only playground, but nobody seemed to be complaining.

For more from Bimmerfest 2011, check out our previous post below and make sure you follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well.

StopTech at Bimmerfest 2011

2011-05-16T12:33:00.000-07:00

The StopTech team was out at the Rose Bowl over the weekend, participating in Bimmerfest 2011. Our booth was busy all day with people stopping by to ask questions and to relate their stories of using our products. It was great talking to all of you who stopped by. Judging from your experiences, it seems a lot of you know what we know about StopTech brakes – they really work. It didn’t surprise us that most of the late model BMW race cars were wearing StopTechs, but it was nice to see some of the most high profile show cars sporting Power Slot and StopTech hardware too.

NASA club racing rookie, Jeff Sykes, stopped by to tell us how he is setting track records all over the place, and he thanks his StopTechs for helping him get the upper hand. He’s really enthusiastic and seems like he has a great racing future ahead of him. Jeff’s E46 M3 was parked at the BMW Car Club of America booth, still sporting some battle scars from his last outing. We’re always happy to hear how people are winning with our brakes, and those stories are becoming more and more common.

Across the lawn from the Sykes racer was one of the most talked about show cars at the event – the matte grey E92 M3 of Martino Auto Concepts. While most people love the look and finish of our new Trophy Kit brakes, the guys at Martino decided they needed a bit more attention on this particular stunning but stealthy sports coupe. The calipers were painted a lime green that matched the vinyls and a few underhood pieces on this otherwise monotone Bimmer and could be seen from half a mile away. Now that’s an attention getter we can get behind.

Of course, our own booth featured a pair of E92 M3s that were pretty eye-catching themselves. The red one had an Active Autowerke supercharger that drew a lot of attention, and the other looked like it had just rolled off the Turner Motorsports trailer. Done up in the special order Dakar Yellow, with unpainted carbon fiber roof, mirrors, spoiler and splitter and black kidney grilles and wheels, it was probably the best looking stock BMW at the show.

We’ll have more highlights for you on Facebook (and here) over the next few days, including a great photo gallery. If you haven’t “Liked” us already, please do.

StopTech is hiring - Sales position open

2011-05-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

StopTech, the ultra performance division of Centric Parts, is a leading innovator of world class brake components and systems for production based racing cars and high performance vehicles on the street and track.

StopTech is looking to add to our sales and customer service team with a motivated individual who is interested in the performance automotive aftermarket. Primary functions will include answering technical related questions by phone and email, representing the company on various web forums and at car shows/events, entering orders and handling returns. Requirements for the position are as follows:

Job Qualities:
• Develop authentic customer relationships through clear and open communication
   o Generate new and repeat sales
   o Acquire knowledge of customers’ specific needs and expectations
   o Apply and recommend appropriate solutions to fulfill customers’ needs and requirements
   o Strengthen existing customer relationships
   o Communicating and setting proper expectations in relation to deliverables.
• Detail oriented to maintain accuracy, efficiency and precision in duties performed.
• Keen ability to understand and properly convey technical information to customers and peers
• Ability to handle adverse business environments from complaints to unpleasant customers.
• Ability to empathize with customer’s needs
• Remain current on consumer preferences and other trends relating to customers and market conditions.
• Ability to stay current, absorb, coordinate and process information within workplace environment.
• Follow company policies and procedures
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications:
• Professional Attitude and Presentation
• Comfortable and well versed using Word, Excel, and Outlook
• Knowledge of popular vehicle platforms and associated upgrades
• Excellent communication skills, written and spoken.
• Strong analytical skills to understand, and interpret information to assist improvements throughout the company.
• Ability to travel approximately 25%.

Benefits / compensation:
• Salary: DOE
• Health insurance
• Paid vacation
• Paid training
• Opportunity for advancement

StopTech/Centric is a drug-free company. Candidates are subject to a background and drug screening. Please submit resume and cover letter to resumes@stoptech.com with “StopTech Sales Position” in the subject line.

StopTech is looking for a Performance Product Coordinator

2011-05-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

StopTech, the ultra performance division of Centric Parts, is a leading innovator of world class brake components and systems for production based racing cars and high performance vehicles on the street and track. StopTech currently has a Performance Product Coordinator position open...

Position summary
• Under the direction of the StopTech Sales, this position is responsible for the maintenance and development process of new
products
• The development and maintenance of data related to cataloging, marketing, and sales of existing and new products
• The product coordinator is responsible for product offerings, placements, and presentation of all products within their
categories and making sure their efforts support the company’s overall strategy and goals
• Conducting market research and interpreting reports to identify new areas and products of opportunity as well as dead products to cut

Essential duties and responsibilities
• Manage and maintain product line offerings and product data within assigned product categories
• Complete the administrative lifecycle of new products, including determining initial order quantities, establishing retail pricing,
developing product content plans, packaging, and timeline/plan project management
• Develop data files to update e-catalog services and customers. (Example: Weights and dimensions, UPC codes, Part numbers, etc.)
• Work with marketing to plan product content for the web/sales, including photo, copy, and video.
• Coordinate with purchasing department to set up new vendors and communicate coming trends
• Provide regular reporting and analysis on assigned product categories
• Performing competitive price analyses and product comparisons
• Communicate pricing/product information to sales in a professional and timely manner
• Provide support in large-scale data/reporting projects
• Support all company policies and procedures

Specific job knowledge
• Working knowledge of various computer programs and software.
• High proficiency in Excel and related analytical skills
• Ability to write reports, and business correspondence
• Oral and written communication, interpersonal skills
• Organizational skills with specific attention to detail
• Ability to make decisions to achieve desired results within specified time frames
• Ability to effectively communicate technical information to non-technical audiences
• Team player, able to work well with variety of personalities, and in a fast paced sales environment

Qualifications:
• Education: Undergraduate degree in business or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience: At least 1 to 3 years quality experience in a related environment.
• Strong Analytical, time management, interpersonal and problem solving skills required.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Automotive aftermarket industry experience/product knowledge a must.

Benefits and compensation include:
• Salary: DOE
• Health insurance
• Paid vacation
• Paid training
• Opportunity for advancement

StopTech/Centric is a drug-free company. Candidates are subject to a background and drug screening. Please submit resume and cover letter to resumes@stoptech.com with “Performance Product Coordinator” in the subject line.

Turner Goes for 4-in-a-Row in Virginia

2011-05-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

Another race weekend is right around the corner. This time it is the next stop in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge as the Bosch Engineering 200, set to take place at Virginia International Raceway on May 14, 2011. Team StopTech will be represented in the GS class by Turner Motorsport.

Three rounds into the season, the #96 NorthWest/Turner Motorsport BMW M3 has been to the podium three times, including a Round 2 victory at the KIA 200 in Miami. These successes have been a source of pride for Centric Parts and ultra-performance division StopTech. This car is carrying the first of the new StopTech GT Racing Brake Calipers into competition, designed for endurance racing with the company's braking innovations.

To prepare for this weekend the team held a very productive test with the GS cars at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wis. The test was held in both wet and dry conditions giving the team very valuable set-up data that could be critical with the changeable spring weather conditions in Virginia.

Braking will be key on this 3.27 mile, 17-turn road course. The sizable main straightaway and other stretches mean cars with lesser horsepower will need to make up time in the braking zones.

If you can't make it down to the race this weekend you can catch it on SPEED on the following Sunday, May 22, at 1pm EST.

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car on the Dyno (Video)

2011-05-12T12:24:00.000-07:00

A new Car Scenes video has been posted on the Centric Parts YouTube page that has to be heard.

The StopTech World Challenge Porsche GT3Cup car stopped by GMG for some exhaust tweaks. This meant hopping onto the Global Motorsports Group dynomometer in Santa Ana, CA, to see how various changes impact performance.

Blah, blah, blah. The point is, they get to lean on the gas pedal and make that engine roar like an angry lion. Can you imagine doing 150 MPH while standing still?

Car Show season starts in SoCal

2011-05-10T10:31:00.001-07:00

It's a special season out here in Southern California. Smog season? No, the air has been quite clear lately actually. Bikini season? Not yet, but there have been a few nice days already.

It's that time of the year when car shows start to bloom all over the landscape. They come in wide range of sizes and varieties, but it's a great time for car enthusiasts.

We are not talking about formal, corporate car shows such as the Los Angeles Auto Show (which is actually in November) or even the car expos that accompany events like the recent Long Beach Grand Prix.

We are talking about the free ones that pop up in parking lots either on a weekly basis or just once a season. We are talking about the no charge events that local towns close their main street for. We are talking about shows populated with cars drawn from and driven by the local communities. Here is where the Southern California car culture meets.

There are of course the larger ones that you may have already heard of. A perfect example is Cars & Coffee () on Saturday mornings in an Irvine parking lot. This event has grown in popularity to the point where it attracts prototypes and other cars before they show up in more formal shows.

Beyond those are the dozens, if not hundreds of hyper local events that crop up every weekend. One we checked out this weekend was the "Cruise at the Beach" in Redondo Beach. It's a perfect example of SoCal car culture on the small scale. It's held in the parking lot of a Ruby's Diner on Friday nights from 4-8pm between April and October. Several dozen cars (sometimes more) attract hundreds of people each week right next to the harbor. The pics in this post are all from that event.

California does not have the corner on the local car show market. So next time you are driving around and see a bunch of cool cars parked with a forming crowd, think about pulling over and checking it out.

Last Day of SEMA Solstice

2011-05-06T13:24:00.000-07:00

So today marks the end of the SEMA Solstice. The 2010 SEMA show was winding down its last day exactly six months ago and the 2011 edition will be doing the same in exactly six months. For many exhibitors, it marks the time to start planning the next show.

It's worth noting that Centric Parts actually exhibits at two aftermarket trade shows in Las Vegas during that first week in November each year. While SEMA at the Las Vegas Convention Center gets top billing in the media, it is actually paired up with the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) at the Sands Convention Center across town to form Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW).

Centric Parts sets up its main booth over at AAPEX while StopTech and Power Slot, the company's ultra-performance and performance divisions, enjoy the limelight of the SEMA Show. In any case, you have to agree that SEMA Solstice sounds better than AAPEX Apogee.

The biggest annual gathering of the automotive aftermarket industry brings about lots of news. Some of the biggest announcements from StopTech and Power Slot in recent years were made at or around SEMA. These include Power Slot's award-winning Power Alloy rotors, StopTech's Trophy Sport and Touring Big Brake Kits, and a complete Centric Parts wheel bearing and seal program.

The SEMA show is the largest show to hit the Las Vegas convention center each year, despite not being open to the public. At this point most people try to claim that the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is bigger. Nope. The top floor of one of halls is the adult video convention during CES, whereas SEMA takes up every level of all three halls. It's pretty near impossible to see everything even though the show runs four days long.

So if you are in the industry, start booking rooms now to get the best deals. If you are exhibiting, now is definitely the time to start planning your show strategy. If you can't make it, you can always follow along on the Internet.

Happy SEMA Solstice!

Car Scenes - Cool Cars in Short Vids

2011-05-04T07:35:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, StopTech rolled out its first "Car Scene" video. Since then there have been several instalments to the series. Each one is a short video featuring a quick look either one or group of cool cars.

Several of these first ones were shot at the SEMA show. This is the biggest trade event for the automotive aftermarket, held every November in Las Vegas. Se we are celebrating the SEMA Solstice this week, which a term we quite frankly invented for the first week in May which represents the midpoint between the last and next SEMA show.

To mark the occassion we are embedding the entire Car Scenes video series so far into this post, starting first with the brand new installment featuring five more cars from SEMA, all wearing StopTech brakes. As a bonus we will wrap it up with a reposting of the "SEMA Scene" video which was essentuially the pilot for what became the "Car Scenes" series.

Photos from the final day of the 2011 Long Beach Grand Prix

2011-04-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

Some shots from the last day (Sunday) of the Grand Prix of Long Beach. Photos by Danger Dave...

The final day of the 2011 Grand Prix of Long Beach

brought crowds and clouds for a fun but chilly day of racing.

The crowds gather along the starting line grandstand.

The StopTech Porsche GT3 Cup car

gets a push across the expo floor from the

GMG garage to the World Challenge inspection station.

Checking to make sure the StopTech Porsche

meets the required specs of the World Challenge rules

...including ground clearance.

Meanwhile, the other (2008) StopTech Porsche

sits out the race on display in the Pirelli booth

This Vette is gonna need a little work

before it's track ready. Bet it's light though!

The thing about the Porsche is that working

on the rear engine is like packing your luggage

after you put it in the overhead bin.

Any Indy car gets towed through the crowds in the paddock zone.

We have video of these guys changing

those tires in the blink of an eye.

So much green.

Pit Row half an hour before the Indy race

That's a lot of pace cars.

Indy cars also make cool helmet racks.

The Indy cars roll onto the grid

for the start of... a media frenzy.

Everything is better with giant plumes of flame.

We hope these Air Force pilots buzzing

the start of the Indy race see that

giant palm tree in front of them.

going for a Sunday drive

One of many StopTech equipped cars in the

2011 World Challenge of Long Beach (presented by StopTech)

rolls out towards the track for the race.

Centric Parts / StopTech CEO gets comfy in the

StopTech Porsche just before rolling onto the track

The cars are lined up for the start of the

World Challenge of Long Beach presented by StopTech

James Sofronas of GMG Racing fell back after a 5th place

start bobble, then fought his way up to 2nd place

closing in on the lead when the final flag flew.

His inspired and award winning performance

was in a StopTech equipped Porsche.

James Sofronas of GMG Racing on the podium after a great race

Great driving with great brakes gets you media love.

Photos from Day 2 of the 2011 Long Beach Grand Prix

2011-04-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

Some more photos from day 2 of the 2011 Long Beach Grand Prix. Photos by Danger Dave.

Another crazy beautiful day in Long Beach for racing!

The day kicked off with practice sessions for the Indy drivers.

The big event of the day was the Pro / Celebrity race

Drivers and media pile onto the start grid
before the Pro / Celebrity race

Pole Sitter William Fichtner (Blackhawk Down, Entourage)
chats it up before the race

Every car in the Pro / Celebrity race was
a modified Scion tC with StopTech brakes.

Hey Sons of Anarchy fans!
Here is Kim Coats getting ready to race

Tito Ortiz is a big man for a small Scion.

A skydiver aims for the starting grid
just before the Pro / Celebrity race

Ready to roll!

William Fichtner wins the Pro / Celebrity race overall, even holding off Japanese drifter Ken Gushi who came in first for the pros.

Nice gas station in the middle of the paddocks

The Indy rescue vehicles had StopTech brakes and made for a postcard perfect picture in the staging area.

These guys have to whip around the Long Beach Grand Prix track
at speed with a heavy pickup truck in hazard situations.
Guess they need great brakes!

A two seater Indy car. Bet it makes one hell
of a taxi when you are late to the airport.
Just leave your luggage home.

The Long Beach Convention center was surrounded by the track
but had plenty of race related activities going on.

It was very crowded (with fun) in the expo at the Long Beach
convention center during the race weekend.

Centric Parts / StopTech CEO (and GMG Racing driver)
Dino Crescentini has a laugh during
the autograph sessions for the racers.

Younger racers had an option too...

There were Indy cars littering the staging areas all day.

Now that is a complex steering wheel.
Which one changes the radio station?

The American Le Mans series had a race as
part of the weekend. They bring the coolest cars!

The great thing about American Le Mans races
is you see cars like this share the field with
Indy racers, production BMWs, concept cars
- a real mashup of racing goodness.

Pit Row gets all types of cars during the American Le Mans races.

Meanwhile the StopTech techs

get the cars ready for the next day's big race .

Photos from Day 1 Grand Prix of Long Beach

2011-04-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

Our favorite photos from the first day of the Grand Prix of Long Beach. Photos by Danger Dave...

A beautiful day in Long Beach, California kicks off a great weekend of racing!

The street track encircles the Long Beach Convention Center, several hotels, bars, restaurants, and a man-made lake.

StopTech brakes are used on the pace cars.

Packed in like a sardine.


There was lots of Indy practice sessions on the first day.


Usually there might be some soda cans tossed on the street but this weekend is a different story.

How much do you think a tank of gas costs these guys?

Is that Danica?

Yes it is Danica.

A soap star and former race winner gets ready for some practice laps before Saturday's Pro/Celebrity race.

Every driver in the Pro/Celebrity race drives a Toyota Scion modified for racing with StopTech brakes.

Kevin Jonas was one of the rookie drivers this year

Tito Ortiz barely fits into his Scion for the Pro/Celebrity laps

There was plenty of food for the fans, ranging from moderately unhealthy to very unhealthy, but all very tasty. Live the dream!

The StopTech Porsche rests up for a practice round in the GMG garage inside the exhibit hall.

The Sofronas steed gets ready for practice

All Aboard!

Yes, that is Centric Parts big brain Steve Ruiz, head engineer for StopTech.

Taking practice laps...

It may look like Dino is parked, but trust us that he is whipping around that corner like all get out...

Looking good racing through the neighborhood at the Long Beach Grand Prix practice session

Photos: StopTech at Circle Porsche Long Beach Grand Prix Launch Party

2011-04-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

Circle Porsche of Long Beach threw a party in their dealership to celebrate the Long Beach Grand Prix 2011 coming to town this weekend. StopTech was there with one of the World Challenge Porsche racecars...

Though the event ran into the night, it all started with the sun up...

Lots of sweet cars parked out front

Very crowded inside the dealership

If your drink gets warm just hack a hunk of ice off of the frozen Porsche emblem

Like we said...very crowded

The 2008 StopTech World Challenge Porsche GT3 Cup Car made a nice centerpiece

Porsche America President, Jens Walther, stops by to say a few words

introducing some of the Porsche drivers for the Long Beach Grand Prix

All in all, a great evening to get ready for a full weekend of exciting racing action

Photos: Getting Ready at Willow Springs for Long Beach Grand Prix

2011-04-12T13:48:00.000-07:00

With the Grand Prix of Long Beach just a few days away, right in StopTech's backyard, a trio of teams showed up to the Streets of Willow Springs out in the desert for some track testing of StopTech equipped cars

Another beautiful day to drive very fast on a closed course

TruSpeed came by with a pair of racers

The GMG Racing team was also in the house

Of course StopTech was on hand with their Porsche

Multiple cars on the test track at once means paying attention

Rob Morgan's TruSpeed Porsche wears StopTech Trophy brakes

Getting ready to roll onto the track

A great course with lots of turns

heading into the straightaway


Make all the noise you want - nobody is around

Not just a Porsche day, GMG brought along the EVO X

Making a sharp turn at speed look easy

A little cat and mouse between Porsches

Looking back down the straightaway and pits

One for the road

As a bonus, Telsa was shooting a commercial for their 4 door on the next track

Introducing Big Brake Kits for Volkswagen Golf R32 2008-2009

2011-04-07T11:29:00.000-07:00

StopTech, the ultra-performance division of Centric Parts, has introduced front Big Brake Kits for the 2008 and 2009 Volkswagen Golf R32. StopTech Big Brake Kits provide shorter stopping distances, better brake modulation, firmer pedal feel and less brake fade resulting in stronger, more reliable performance on and off the track.

The front StopTech Big Brake Kits for the 2008 and 2009 Volkswagen Golf R32 comes with a pair of 355X32 slotted or drilled floating directional AeroRotors featuring billet aluminum mounting brackets with stainless steel hubs, DOT-compliant stainless steel braided Teflon brake lines, StopTech's highly-praised high performance street pads plus the company's patented, forged, high performance, four-piston ST-40 calipers.

The R32’s muscle is provided by its namesake, the 3.2 liter naturally aspirated narrow angle VR6 engine, which provides 250 horsepower and 236 ft. lbs. of torque. Combined with Volkswagen’s gripping 4Motion all-wheel-drive system and dual clutch DSG transmission, the R32 accelerated from 0-60 in approximately 6.4 seconds. So there may be some need for stopping power there, right? First introduced in the United States in 2002, the first edition Golf R32 quickly sold three times as many units as VW initially expected.

StopTech, the ultra-performance division of Centric Parts, is a leading innovator of world-class brake components and brake systems for production-based racing cars and high performance vehicles on the street and track. StopTech was the first to offer balanced brake upgrades for production cars and remains the worldwide leader with more than 700 platform offerings to dramatically improve overall braking performance.

Team StopTech has Early Momentum in 2011

2011-04-04T12:06:00.000-07:00

It's only very early spring but already Team StopTech can be proud of the way the 2011 race season is shaping up. There are two big races lined up for the next two weekends so we'll see if they can keep the momentum up.

Team StopTech, not an actual race team, consists of select drivers, cars and teams racing on StopTech equipment. Turner Motorsport got things off to a rolling start with the first two races of the Continental Tire GRAND-AM series. Sporting StopTech's new GT racing calipers (among other StopTech equipment), they landed a podium visit for the first race then hit the track a month later to take the checkered flag at the Kia 200 race.

Now the team is prepping for a return to racing in Alabama for the Barber 200 on April 9th at Barber Motorsports Park. The team will carry an extra challenge with them.

Sponsoring a race gets you promotional signage. Making great brakes gets you victories. On March 25 Grand-Am made a number of rules changes to competitors. Among them are limiting the Turner's BMW M3s to a maximum of 8250 rpm.

Will Turner, driver and team owner said "the recent rules changes were a shock to me. We didn't have the fastest car or the fastest race laps at Homestead. The Grand Am officials must have had a good reason to take the revs away from us. I don't think it will hurt us too much at Barber because of the short straights." That's the spirit!

Meanwhile, the 2011 World Challenge series is only two races deep but already has provided a list of superlatives for Team StopTech. Team StopTech won both GT races, nabbed 5 of 6 GT podium spots, won both TC class races, hold the top three spots in the Drivers Championship, and helped hand Porsche a firm grip on the Manufacturers Championship lead.

The usual Porsche poster boys, GMG Racing's James Sofronas and StopTech CEO Dino Crescentini, played their part with trips to the podium but it was Patrick Long in the No. 45 Privacy Star/Entrust Porsche 911 GT3 with StopTech brakes that was first to finish both races. This sets up quite a back story for when the SCCA rolls into Long Beach for the Grand Prix on April 17th. Long has the momentum to make it three in a row, but Crescentini turned in a stellar race performance at the event last year and Sofronas won the event outright the year before that.

StopTech will sponsor the race, and in fact are the official brakes of the 2011 World Challenge Series. That does not take away from the victories though, as one StopTech insider puts it "sponsorship gets you signage on the track but great brakes get you to the podium."

New Big Brake Kits Introduced for Pontiac GTO

2011-03-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

StopTech, the ultra-performance division of Centric Parts, has introduced a front Big Brake Kits for the 2005 and 2006 Pontiac GTO. StopTech Big Brake Kits provide shorter stopping distances, better brake modulation, firmer pedal feel and less brake fade resulting in stronger, more reliable performance on and off the track.

The StopTech Big Brake Kits for the 2005-06 Pontiac GTO comes with a pair of 355X32 slotted or drilled floating directional AeroRotors featuring billet aluminum mounting brackets with stainless steel hubs, DOT-compliant stainless steel braided Teflon brake lines, high performance street pads and forged, high performance, patented, four-piston front ST-40 calipers.

The original production run of the Pontiac GTO was built by Pontiac Division of General Motors in the United States from 1964 until the mid 70s. The Pontiac GTO was relaunched in the United States in 2004, based on the Holden Monaro's V platform. The revival was prompted by former GM chairman Bob Lutz, who drove a Holden Monaro while on a business trip in Australia. It was Pontiac's first American import since the 1993 Pontiac LeMans. The GTO was produced by GM's Holden subsidiary in the suburb of Elizabeth, South Australia.

Centric Parts Boxing Team a Knockout

2011-03-22T11:56:00.001-07:00

Most automotive companies sponsor race cars and race teams as a way to build brand image in the male dominated demographic. It also adds a note of toughness to be associated with a rough and rugged sport marked with control over power and speed while at constant risk.

Well Centric Parts has taken it to a new level. Meet Team Victory Muay Thai; literally the most kickass team to be sponsored by a brake company ever. The amateur kickboxing and Thai boxing and team proudly wears the company logos including StopTech and Power Slot.

The best part is that this is no empty ploy to pretend the company has a boxing heritage. The team's coach is actually Rod McKiver from the Centric Parts IT Department in Southern California. Plus this isn't the padded gloves and shiny uniform brand of boxing. Where talking about punching and kicking without even a shirt to protect you from the hail of abuse.

Team Victory Muay Thai debuted with their new sponsor last month at the Rising Star Muay Thai Kickboxing event in Las Vegas. They returned with a handful of medals and the respect of their opponents.

This month was their opportunity to prove that lightening can strike twice. They showed up at the California State Commission amateur fight to compete in three different classes. They won all of them. Respect earned.

As Coach, Rod McKiver from Centric Parts may have the most inspirational story of the whole team. Started boxing at 18, he went on to hold an amateur record of 35-6 before moving on to Thai boxing. He earned a professional Muay Thai record of 6-2 before a car accident nearly severed his arm and forced his retirement from the sport.

He began teaching Thai boxing and boxing at different boxing gyms and started a free Martial Art & Boxing outreach program in Inglewood for kids and adults from ages 5 and up. In 2007 he made the jump and opened the first Thai boxing school in Inglewood as a business, and has since trained legions of fighters including UFC fighter Reuben Duran.

So maybe think twice before talking back to the guy from the IT Department. You never know who his friends are.

StopTech Race Season Shifts into High Gear

2011-03-11T14:26:00.001-08:00

The race season continues to rev up for StopTech. First Turner Motorsports rocks out a stellar first two races in the Continental Tire GRAND-AM series on the new StopTech GT Racing Caliper. Now the Porsche Cayman Interseries fires up the first race of the season, featuring StopTech brakes on every car.

Picking up right where he left off after clinching last year’s Cayman Interseries Endurance Championship, Lee Davis dominated 2011’s season-opening event weekend at Sebring International Raceway, March 4 – 6, with a trio of flag-to-flag race victories from the pole in his No. 33 Cayman S that carries black and red colors.

After earning the pole in qualifying, Davis won both the Saturday and Sunday afternoon sprints and Sunday’s morning endurance race with coach and co-driver Ryan Eversley.

“I feel great,” said Davis. “The key to me is being consistent, going as fast as I can go, and just be consistent, especially in the endurance races which I love. With a spec series, the cars are so close, you can’t make a mistake, so that was the key, and I don’t think I put a wheel off all weekend.”

Another top performer from the weekend was Bill Riddell who was on the pace in his green-and-white-striped No. 80 Cayman S themed after a David Piper Racing Porsche 917K. Riddell was the only driver to join Davis in victory lane in each of the weekend’s three races, finishing second in Saturday’s sprint and taking third-place showings in the Sunday finale and the enduro with co-driver Joe Sullivan.

Next up for the Cayman Interseries is the 35th Annual Walter Mitty Race presented by Classic Motorsports Magazine and sponsored by Mazda, at Road Atlanta, April 28 – May 1. One of the most popular events on the schedule, the Mitty marks the only Georgia appearance for the Cayman Interseries this season after making four visits to the Peach State last year.

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. Every competing Porsche Cayman S competes with an a specific heritage livery themed after a famous Porsche race car from the past.

To keep up to date on the season, check in here or drop in the official race website.

200 Mile Race Successes End of Long Development Road for StopTech GT Racing Brake Caliper

2011-03-09T10:44:00.000-08:00

As Paul Dalla Lana, Joey Hand, and Bill Auberlen stepped up to the podium after the Continental Tire GRAND-AM 200 in Florida, over 500 employees of StopTech performance brakes and Centric Parts on the west coast also pumped their fists in their air in victory. The trio of drivers had piloted the #96 NorthWest/Turner Motorsport BMW M3 to an exciting third place GS class finish at the 200-miler, no small feat, armed with the performance brake company's first official set of StopTech GT racing calipers.

When Dalla Lana and Bill Auberlen won the Kia 200 in Miami a month later, it was an even sweeter day at Southern California facilities of StopTech and Centric Parts.

The STR-40GT racing calipers from StopTech, the ultra-performance division of Centric Parts, were installed not long before the first race and came loaded with the company's braking innovations and optimized for endurance racing. The successful first race represented the end of a long development road for a company that has been working hard to make a name for itself amongst drivers of production performance cars such as Porsche, BMW, Audi and Mercedes. The winning second race proved that lightning can strike twice if you put enough research, development, testing, and quality into the final product.

"Running a production based race car at the limit for over 100 consecutive laps or for 24 hours straight requires consistent, reliable stopping power from the first minute to the last," points out Dan Lelchuk, President of Centric Parts. "The StopTech engineering and design team has delivered a racing caliper for these extreme situations that also adheres to the vehicle modification rules set at these series and events."

The company treated the StopTech GT racing caliper as an underground project during the development phase. http://www.centricparts.com/ and http://www.stoptech.com/, the company websites, made no mention of them. There was only was only a passing reference on its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/stoptech) and on one of its blogs (http://www.stoptechblog.com/) late last year when the StopTech GT racing calipers made a test run at the world's longest closed course endurance race.

At that event, the 2010 25 Hours of Thunderhill, the pre-release set of calipers caught a ride on a Subaru GR STi from the aptly-named Marathon Motorsports. “They never went below perfect,” stated Roland Prisker, one of the vehicle's owners, summarizing the feedback from team's drivers after the event. They were all impressed with the brakes, reporting superb pedal feel and modulation, zero fade or knockback and minimal pad taper. The drivers also reported the majority of their passing took place in braking zones.

"Brake Late, Finish First" has been StopTech's tagline and in many ways the brand's philosophy going into the Continental Tire GRAND-AM 200. Keeping speed a little longer before braking for a turn can give a driver a split second advantage. Daytona International Speedway is a 3.56-mile, 12-turn course, which in a race like this holds nearly 750 turns. Any advantage in the corners magnifies out to a significant one overall in the quest for a podium finish. At the Kia 200 in Miami, there were around 950 turns, enough to give Turner the lead and the victory.

The two-piece, bolted four-piston StopTech STR-40GT racing caliper pulls features from both the original StopTech ST series calipers and the company's top-of-the-line Trophy STR racing calipers. It features StopTech's patented bolt-in bridge technology which reinforces the caliper, virtually eliminates distortion, provides slots to enhance cooling airflow, and allows changing brake pads without disturbing the caliper’s mounting. The calipers are machined from billet and sport a natural anodized finish that is impervious to color change at the continuous high temperatures experienced during race conditions.

The STR-40GT is available with pistons sized for the requirements of any production-based race car, including those with OE master cylinders, boosters and vehicle dynamics control systems. The correct pedal effort, travel and feel are maintained, as well as the distribution of brake torque between front and rear axles, yielding the maximum deceleration on the shortest notice.

Only three years ago, StopTech only offered one line of calipers. The now ten-year old company has since joined the Centric Parts family along with Power Slot, a well-known performance brake rotor company. "Testing, development, engineering - it has all come together in new ways and a well of innovation has sprung up from the synergy," adds Lelchuk. Centric Parts now holds five braking technology patents and StopTech has no less than four distinct lines of Big Brake Kits and more than 700 platform offerings for every flavor of performance driver.

StopTech GT series racing calipers are available now through motorsports distributors and performance automotive aftermarket retailers. Visit http://www.centricparts.com/ for more information.

New StopTech Big Brake Kits released for Volkswagen Mk6

2011-02-14T16:31:00.000-08:00

StopTech, the ultra-performance division of Centric Parts, has released a pair of front Big Brake Kits for the 2009 or later Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0T, which is the Mk6 edition of the popular vehicle.

StopTech Big Brake Kits provide shorter stopping distances, better brake modulation, firmer pedal feel and less brake fade resulting in stronger, more reliable performance on and off the track.

The front StopTech Big Brake Kits for the 2009 or later Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0T comes with a pair of slotted or drilled floating directional AeroRotors featuring billet aluminum mounting brackets with stainless steel hubs, DOT-compliant stainless steel braided Teflon brake lines, high performance street pads and forged, high performance, patented, four-piston front ST-40 calipers. The kits are available with 328x28 rotors (kit #83.893.4300.XX) or with larger 355x32 rotors (kit #83.893.4700.XX).

The Volkswagen Golf has been manufactured by Volkswagen since 1974 and marketed worldwide across six generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates. It has been also known as the Rabbit in the United States.

Here's a random Wikipedia-bred factoid: The Golf name is derived from the German word for Gulf Stream] — and the period in its history when VW named vehicles after prominent winds, including also the Passat (after the German word for Trade wind), Jetta (after the Jet stream), Bora (after Bora) and Scirocco (after Sirocco).

1969 VW Volkswagen Fastback Restoration Gets Boost from StopTech and Centric Parts

2011-02-10T11:31:00.000-08:00

Today we have guest-blogger Neil bringing us up to speed on a personal project. He's restoring a 69 Volkswagen Fastback. You can follow the project and even contribute your input at this link, but here is the story on how it all got started...

--------------

This life sure throws some fun things at you every now and then. I was 6 months into looking for a Norton, Ducatti or Guzzi restoration project and jaded from the lost auctions and things being just too damn expensive. My wife suddenly announced one night, "you know, you get all the fun stuff, I want to get an old beater Mercedes sometime, can we do that?"

Somehow I said "hell yeah, let’s do it, start searching." After checking 14 nasty Merc’s (seriously, who ever thought beige with brown interior was cool?) and a 300SL that she neglected to notice the 125k price tag on, she suddenly bounced over to me and showed me this car on Ebay ...

...NOT a Mercedes and I ADORED it. I also had NO idea what it was!!! We all have our knowledge bases and mine is pretty good with cars, but it does not extend to air-cooled VWs . Anyway, it was a good price, good description, killer feedback and reminded me of an old Aston. I was in love with it and after a small bidding war, it was all ours.

So, oh boy... better start learning. My normal style is fast – nothing is ever fast enough, stops quick enough or handles tight enough from the factory and I like to sink into the black hole of trying to fix that. However, this car is going to be a little different. As with any old car, it has been “creatively” worked on by the previous owner, but the key things are still there. It’s not had any weird Porsche or Type 1 axle conversions, still has a stock rebuilt motor and most importantly, retains the factory fuel injection. On these cars that is really cool as most owners get tired of working on it, can’t find parts, or want more power, so they move to carbs.

The front right caliper was as good as seized. A call to a good friend at StopTech was my savior here. Their parent company is Centric Parts and they have a disturbingly large back catalogue of OEM parts back to the beginning of time. A day later I had new front loaded calipers, discs and hoses and he's having the StopTech gang make some slotted discs for fun.

For me, this car is now going to be an exciting project of returning mostly to stock and staying true to the way the car was designed. I’m excited about the challenge and the Centric Parts brakes are a great first step. It now stops HARD and that’s a very reassuring thing in an old car!

Hit this link to see how it all shakes out!

StopTech Racing 2011 Kicks off with Turner Motorsport

2011-01-26T13:22:00.001-08:00

It's a little early for us to say the 2011 race season is in full swing. It's sunny here in Southern California but the northeast is bracing for another pile of snow.

However, there will be racing down in Florida this weekend. The first big event of 2011 for Team StopTech, not an actual race team, which consists of select production-based race cars and teams racing on StopTech brakes.

The Turner team will be entering two E92 M3 racecars in the GS class of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series race on Friday. Both will sport StopTech brakes, including StopTech's "underground" project - the GT caliper.

They have been hinted about on this blog, discussed in a whisper at PRI, and got a test run with great results at 25 Hours of Thunderhill. You'll be hearing more about those soon as official announcement is around the corner.

Last year, the #97 Turner Motorsport M3 with Michael Marsal and Joey Hand finished second overall in the Team Championship. Both drivers will return to the Continental Tires series with the same #97 Marsal-Alvarez/Turner Motorsport M3. Also returning to the GS class will be Rolex 24 teammates Paul Dalla Lana and Bill Auberlen. They will be behind the wheel of the #96 NorthWest/Turner Motorsport BMW M3.

The GS class race is slated for Friday afternoon at 1:30pm ET. It will be broadcast on the Speed Channel on February 5 at 3:00pm ET.

Good luck guys!

Is the Nissan 350Z an Instant Classic?

2011-01-25T10:09:00.000-08:00

We spotted this segment on YouTube featuring a 2003 350Z with StopTech brakes...

The host asks if the 350Z is an "instant classic" or not. It's a good question. The Z line from Nissan is the world's most popular sports car of all time.

That doesn't make it a classic. N*Sync was at the top of the charts once too, though we doubt they will ever qualify as a classic, let alone be considered an instant one. So what is it about the Nissan 350Z that has sparked the "instant classic" debate?

For one, the 350Z is groundbreaking on the performance-for-your-dollar front. Though the car came in several flavors (i.e. enthusiast, touring, track, roadster), all options each year has the same engine. Coming in on the bottom rung got you the same nail-biting cornering ability, zippy acceleration and commendable top speed. That bottom rung was under $30k.

Tuners instantly fell in love with it. For a fair price they got a blank canvas to work with under which beat the heart of a very track capable car. Drifters (as in drivers, not wandering homeless people) also adopted the Nissan 350Z as their car of choice.

Like, arguably, all prior iterations of the Nissan Z, the 350Z does have a look that seems likely to turn heads and inspire emotions beyond its years. Think about it. When a well maintained 300ZX drives by, it still fits into the modern aesthetic of performance sports cars, yet that car is pushing 20 years.

These points make a strong case for giving the Nissan 350Z instant classic status.

StopTech is particularly fond of the 350Z, even if only for business reasons. "We sold, and still do, a lot of brakes for the early Nissan 350Zs," notes Pat McCleish, Centric Parts primary mechanic. "People burned through those OE brakes pretty quickly and wanted more stopping power."

The company offers many options for the 350Z across its divisions. Centric Parts branded components make great OE replacements. Power Slot offers rotors that provide an immediate upgrade on a fair budget. StopTech also weighs in with a wide range of ultra-performance options including full-blown racing Big Brake Kits.

One of this blog's authors has a Z. It's a yellow 2005 Nissan 350Z Roadster with the Touring package. Amazingly, it only has 16k miles on it. However it already was up for new brakes. He kept the OE calipers for now but dropped in Power Slot Enhanced Brake Rotors with StopTech Street Performance brake pads and is reporting a huge improvement in stopping power.

Another friend of StopTech, Cheston, also tools around with a 350Z. StopTech featured the story of that Nissan in this installment of their Brake Decisions video series...

Funny Brake and Car Videos

2011-01-18T10:35:00.000-08:00

If you are not dialed into the StopTech Twitter or Facebook pages then you have not been catching the occasional funny car or brake related videos that have landed there. Don't sweat it. We got you covered with some of the latest...

"This wasn't a drive thru until you got here"

Summer is Grid Girl tipping season in Germany

"Honey, did you check the lugs after you changes the tire?"

This never happened before self-serivce gas stations were invented

Just because it's in the truck does not mean you shouldn't use a parking brake

Brake Decisions: The Complete Series

2011-01-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

The last installment of the Brake Decisions video series has been completed and posted on the Centric Parts / StopTech YouTube channel. This one takes explores what type of brakes that go best with daily drivers and luxury vehicles. Here is a look at all of the Brake Decisions videos starting with the most popular of the series, which explored the perennial question of drilled vs. slotted rotors...

Drilled or Slotted rotors? What's the real difference?

Best type of brakes for a luxury or daily drive passenger vehicle?

What type of brakes are good for a truck or any towing?

Should I break in my brakes when I get them?

Street performance vehicles perform best with what type of brakes?

What type of brakes will get the most out of a performance vehicle on the track?

StopTech is already planning out a new series of videos so stay tuned for more info!

GoGoGear Gears up for 2011 with StopTech Hyundai Genesis

2011-01-04T09:44:00.000-08:00

Did you happen to catch the GoGoGear Hyundai Genesis Coupe at SEMA 2010 featuring StopTech brakes? It was quite the head turner after its unveiling in the Genesis booth. Here is a very short video of the exterior and interior...

The car caught the attention of many magazines and websites such as Road and Track, Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Yahoo, and Forbes. This high performance racing competitor is powered by the standard 3.8 liter V6 engine that has been upgraded to output 330 hp and 280 lb. ft. of torque. to get the extra power.

So what's the plan for 2011? Ali Arsham, owner of GoGoGear racing has big plans. " Now that the SEMA show has ended, it does not mean that it is time to relax," he notes. The Gogogear Hyundai Genesis Coupe featuring StopTech brakes will next go to the San Jose International Auto Show on January 6-9, 2011. After that, the team will start to prepare for the season opener of the Nitto Tires United States Touring Car Championship.

You can bet we'll keep an eye on this car when the 2011 season starts.

PHOTOS pt 2: Motor4Toys event sponsored by StopTech and Centric Parts

2010-12-14T13:36:00.000-08:00

StopTech and Centric Parts helped present the 7th Annual Motor4Toys event (press release) in Woodland Hills, California. The public car show featured thousands of cars while gathering toys for the Toys for Tots program. The event was sponsored by Centric Parts and StopTech who showed up with 250 toys to add the pile.

You can catch a recap of the StopTech featured cars from the event by clicking here.

Here are some of our other favotires from the event:

Special thanks to Danger Dave for the pix (both for Part 1 & 2)

Yuo can catch the extended photo gallery from the event on the StopTech Facebook page.

PRI Recap: World Challenge + New Racing Caliper Preview

2010-12-13T17:04:00.000-08:00

The StopTech crew is back from Florida. Another Professional Racing Industry (PRI) trade show is in the books. The annual event is billed as the busiest professional race marketplace on Earth, and by all reports they are right.

StopTech set up shop at event once again, which should come as no surprise considering the company's unyielding dedication and success in the production-based racing vehicle circles.

This year StopTech rolled in with a big piece of news plus an early look at an underground project that is coming to fruition.

First up was the news that StopTech has been named the Official Brake System of the World Challenge Championships. The World Challenge races are not only fan favorites but are a true proving ground for production based racing cars. The StopTech World Challenge Porsche GT3 Cup Car has been a regular fixture on the series for several years, plus teams such as GMG Racing, find their way to the winner circle on StopTech brakes.

Visitors to StopTech's PRI booth got their first look at the StopTech GT Racing Caliper, which made an underground debut last week to rave reviews at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. An official announcement about this enduro-focused addition to the growing StopTech racing product line is expected early in the new year.

PHOTOS pt1: Motor4Toys Event sponsored by Centric Parts and StopTech

2010-12-09T14:34:00.000-08:00

StopTech and Centric Parts helped present the 7th Annual Motor4Toys event (press release) in Woodland Hills California. The public car show featured thousands of cars while gathering toys for the Toys for Tots program. The event was sponsored by Centric Parts and StopTech who showed up with 250 toys to add the pile.

Here is the first round of pictures from the event, focusing. You can view the whole album on the StopTech Facebook page as well.

Nice GT-R featuring a pretty snazzy color scheme on those StopTech Trophy brakes.

Centric Parts and StopTech did not show up empty handed to this awesome toy gathering event benefiting local kids through the Toys for Tots program

StopTech head of Engineering (center of above pic) and his car of choice -besides the EVO X, of course - the Vette.

Another StopTech Trophy big brake kit making a hot car run with cooler (and lighter) brakes

The StopTech booth with the StopTech World Challenge Porsche GT3 Cup car ready for a quick, very quick, trip to pick up doughnuts if needed.

StopTech Goes the Distance with 25 Hours of Thunderhill Triumphs

2010-12-09T12:56:00.000-08:00

25 Hours of Thunderhill, the world's longest race, took place this month in northern California. Under occasionally brutal and wet driving conditions, when the right brakes makes the difference, StopTech brakes were evident on many cars and helped fuel a fair share of victories and triumphs. In the highly competitive E0 class, 3 out of top 4 finishers were equipped with StopTech Brakes.

This includes E0 class winner Bullet Performance, which also finished 2nd overall with this BMW while covering 608 laps. Right behind overall and in the E0 class was Road Shagger Racing with 607 laps in their BMW M3. Pulling in 4th for the E0 class was Fantasy Junction riding their RSX on StopTech brakes.

StopTech's sister company, Power Slot, logged a top three finish as well thanks to a third place finish the E1 class.

Perhaps the biggest achievement for StopTech was a successful premiere for a project that has been kept under wraps until Thunderhill: The StopTech GT racing caliper. Marathon Motorsports rolled out their tough-as-nails Subaru GR STi sporting this new enduro-focused calipers for their first official track run.

The drivers literally had nothing bad to say about the brakes, instead reporting superb pedal feel and modulation, zero fade or knockback and minimal pad taper. The drivers also reported the majority of their passing took place in braking zones. The team knocked out 466 laps before having to deal with an unrelated loss of coolant, which was still enough to land 41st overall in a field of nearly 70.

That's a tough race.

Behind the Scenes at the Porsche Club of America Zone 8 Reception

2010-11-22T17:17:00.000-08:00

Today we have a guest blogger: Roy Lock of the PCA Zone 8 (Porsche Club of America)...

Celebrating 60 Years Of Porsche Passion In America; PCA Zone 8 Reception
One afternoon, Lennie Yee called with a simple request. I thought it would be easy to honor. However, the more I thought about it, the more I saw a larger scope of what needed to be done. The original request was to ask Dan Lelchuk (President of StopTech and Centric Parts) if he could bring Dino’s 2010 StopTech GT3 Cup Car (CEO of StopTech and Centric Parts) for a display. Previously, Michael Dolphin had asked Pacific Porsche to host a reception for PCA Executives who were in town for meetings. Additionally, they wanted meet Zone 8 members. Members from Porsche AG, also in town for the Los Angeles Auto Show were also going to be in attendance for the meetings.

In my crazed way of thinking, I cannot have just one car. Thus began

10 days of nonstop planning for a memorable display to support Lennie, Michael, and Zone 8. Prior to this, Lennie had told me that he was making it a theme reception; “Celebrating 60 Years of Passion in America.” My mad quest began to find examples of Porsche racing heritage that exemplified those 60 years of passion.

However, I had to put “My” maniacal twist to this display. I knew within the Grand Prix Region of PCA we had many very nice examples for the display. That was going to be the basis of my theme; Porsche race cars from Grand Prix Region members. Most importantly, I wanted no clone cars; they all had to be original examples. No small task.

I did a quick mental check of my Rolodex of friends and cars within the Grand Prix Region. I knew I could depend on friends to help. Wayne Dempsey of Pelican Parts came forward with his 962, Dan Lelchuk and Dino Crescentini with Dino’s 2010 StopTech GT3 Cup Car, Bruce Brown and Rob Curry with Rob’s 2009 and 2010 La Carrera Panamericana class winning ’62 Jiffy Lube 356 Rally Coupe, Rolly Resos with his 62 Carrera 2 Coupe, and Marc Bixen and Ernie Becker’s Redline Technik stunning historic ’73 Martini 2.8 RSR. Others had offered to help with display cars, but the rain had dampened those plans. All in all, it was a very nice line up of cars.

Lennie and Michael gave me free reign to gather the cars and setup the display. I had 10 days to pull this off. I believe we did not disappoint anyone. The event was extremely well attended with well over 200 guests coming out on a rainy SoCal night. Every guest went home happy as Pacific Porsche gave away themed gift bags to all who attended.

Here are some of my pictures of the cars.

Marc Bixen and Lennie Yee positioning the RSR. This car is very unique. It has an impressive race history. It is restored by the current owner to 2.8 RSR specs. The tub started its life as a 1973 2.8 RSR. It was converted into the 2.1 liter Turbo prototype, thus it is THE first Porsche turbo ever produced; racing or production. The current owner decided to restore it as a 2.8 RSR. I love that duck tail. The Martini colors are the original race colors.

Steve Ruiz (StopTech Director of Engineering) and son Andrew positioning Dino’s StopTech GT3 Cup Car.

Rolly’s very nice concours winning 1962 Carrera 2 Coupe in great company

Wayne’s 962 / Bruce and Rob’s Jiffy Lube Special ’62 356 Rally Coupe / Dan and Dino’s 2010 StopTech 911 GT3 Cup Car

The display was well presented. All the cars were arranged in a loose circle to allow guests to wander around the cars freely and take pictures as well as get a close up look. It was stunning. The guests were amazed when told all the display cars came from Grand Prix Region member’s collections.

Here are some pictures of the individual cars.

When it ended, Lennie, Michael and I collapsed from emotional as well as physical exhaustion. We pulled it off. Everyone was happy as we had worked as a team and pulled it off.

When the cars were being loaded into their trailers to be transported home, I saw the opportunity for this photograph. I could only wish in my dreams that this is my garage with my toys. Maybe Santa will be good to me this year.

Again thanks to all my friends who supported the event by supporting the display and all those who came out on a rainy night.