We got an early heads up on the down-low from a writer over at Modified Magazine that StopTech has a big announcement coming up. Apparently the publication got an accidental early peek at something new from the high-performance brake manufacturer.
Rather than try to cover it up, the word is StopTech copped to the timing snafu and is instead supporting an exclusive first look in Modified Magazine. We also spoke with an editor over at the magazine who was willing to confirm this story. We know they were just closing the issue with an August cover date, which hits newsstands in July. So that's the most likely time we'll find out what's up.
A good guess would be that it has something to do with StopTech’s Trophy Brake Systems (press release / video). Those track-only BBKs premiered with a top qualifying time earlier this year at the first SCCA SPEED World Challenge stop at Sebring.
There has been murmur about a sister program to Trophy but we know that a recent strategy meeting about November’s SEMA show did not include a discussion of Trophy or a sister program. That could mean nothing, or be taken as an indication that it would have already been announced by then. So a mid-summer announcement would make sense, especially with the race season in, um, full gear.
Best bet is to just pick up the magazine. It’s a good rag worth reading if you’re into cars that are cooler after they leave the showroom, which you must be if you are reading this blog.
May 28, 2009
May 15, 2009
One Lap of America 2009 - A Closer Look
posted by The Brake Room staff
If you have been over to the Centric Parts site you might have noticed a recent press release heralding the achievements of two StopTech equipped cars in this year’s One Lap of America. For those not familiar with it, OLA was started by in the 1970s by Brock Yates, senior editor of Car and Driver Magazine, as a cross country road rally. He went on to write the script for Cannonball Run based on his experiences, and the race continues every year, though its format has changed over the years. Now OLA consists of covering 5,000 miles in 8 days with stops at well known racetracks along the way for performance events such as time trials, races, and skid pads, where drivers earn points.
It’s hard enough on the drivers and vehicles covering the distance between the stops, but the
need to perform strong at each one is of paramount performance in order to finish amongst the top teams. This year Active Autowerke claimed third place overall and first place with a BMW E46 M3 on StopTech brakes while Team Iron Butt placed 8th overall on StopTech brakes with an Audi S4. Both teams pointed to the brakes as a factor in their success.
“Active Autowerke just started working with StopTech after being in a long relationship with another company for many years. Active was a bit concerned about the brakes when entering the One Lap of America Race, but felt Active made a good decision,” admitted Mike Hugh, president of Active Autowerke. “Active’s intention or goal was not on placing well but on winning or a high podium placement. We were going into this venue to make a statement that the Active Autowerke system is proven, reliable and the only true choice for BMW M3 performance enthusiasts.”
When asked about how the brakes performed, Hugh beamed “The driver, Catesby Jones, said that the StopTech brakes worked really well enabling him to dive deep into the corners before applying the brakes. This enabled the Active BMW to make up time and help gain valuable points. Catesby said the brakes were not a concern and performed flawlessly.”
This was the first year that Team Iron Butt, which placed 8th overall out of over 60 teams, rolled with StopTech. “The brakes worked beautifully… especially at Daytona and Sebring, where the needle on the speedometer tends to drift into a range that’s seldom seen,” was the final feedback from team driver Michael Babcock.
Babcock knew his team had a new edge going into the event after some pre-race testing of the new StopTech brakes. “We spent the day at High Plains Raceway shaking down the car… today I’ll be having my eyeballs reinstalled back into my skull. Over the years, I’ve been conditioned to drop anchor at the 5 marker, and hope for the best. Now I’m into the 2’s… simply amazing!”
Babcock comments speak to what this blog and most drivers have been extolling for years. Being able to brake late in turns shaves valuable seconds in a race or time trial situation. For a tip on how to work that more to your advantage, take a look at this post from race car driver and StopTech CEO, Crescentini.
Congratulations to all the teams who embarked and completed the stellar challenge that was the 2009 One Lap of America. You can learn more about the race at http://www.onelapofamerica.com/.
It’s hard enough on the drivers and vehicles covering the distance between the stops, but the
need to perform strong at each one is of paramount performance in order to finish amongst the top teams. This year Active Autowerke claimed third place overall and first place with a BMW E46 M3 on StopTech brakes while Team Iron Butt placed 8th overall on StopTech brakes with an Audi S4. Both teams pointed to the brakes as a factor in their success.“Active Autowerke just started working with StopTech after being in a long relationship with another company for many years. Active was a bit concerned about the brakes when entering the One Lap of America Race, but felt Active made a good decision,” admitted Mike Hugh, president of Active Autowerke. “Active’s intention or goal was not on placing well but on winning or a high podium placement. We were going into this venue to make a statement that the Active Autowerke system is proven, reliable and the only true choice for BMW M3 performance enthusiasts.”
When asked about how the brakes performed, Hugh beamed “The driver, Catesby Jones, said that the StopTech brakes worked really well enabling him to dive deep into the corners before applying the brakes. This enabled the Active BMW to make up time and help gain valuable points. Catesby said the brakes were not a concern and performed flawlessly.”
This was the first year that Team Iron Butt, which placed 8th overall out of over 60 teams, rolled with StopTech. “The brakes worked beautifully… especially at Daytona and Sebring, where the needle on the speedometer tends to drift into a range that’s seldom seen,” was the final feedback from team driver Michael Babcock.Babcock knew his team had a new edge going into the event after some pre-race testing of the new StopTech brakes. “We spent the day at High Plains Raceway shaking down the car… today I’ll be having my eyeballs reinstalled back into my skull. Over the years, I’ve been conditioned to drop anchor at the 5 marker, and hope for the best. Now I’m into the 2’s… simply amazing!”
Babcock comments speak to what this blog and most drivers have been extolling for years. Being able to brake late in turns shaves valuable seconds in a race or time trial situation. For a tip on how to work that more to your advantage, take a look at this post from race car driver and StopTech CEO, Crescentini.
Congratulations to all the teams who embarked and completed the stellar challenge that was the 2009 One Lap of America. You can learn more about the race at http://www.onelapofamerica.com/.
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