Tuner Motorsport Celebrates Fantastic 2010 Race Season on StopTech Brakes

As the 2010 racing season draws to a close, we find ourselves with a long line of StopTech-equipped race teams to congratulate. Earlier in the week we threw a shout out to Compass360 Racing but today we focus on Turner Motorsport.

Turner Motorsport has once again had a record-setting year. This month the team competed in the final race of 2010 at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. Turner Motorsport drivers Joey Hand and Michael Marsal drove the #97 Turner BMW M3 to yet another podium finish.

The new V8 powered Turner Motorsport M3 running on StopTech brakes has proven itself in Grand Am Racing with two First place wins, one Second place, and four Third place finishes, making for a stellar 2010 season. The team's 7 podium finishes, including a 5-race podium streak spanning Homestead to Watkins Glen, also handed BMW the 2010 manufacturers championship.

The impressive season results earned the TMS team in Second Place in Team championship out of over 30 teams and drivers Joey Hand and Michael Marsal finished Second in the GS Driver's Championship, piloting the #97 Turner BMW M3.

The 2011 Grand Am Racing season starts January 27-28, with the GRAND-AM 200 at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Compass360 Takes the Grand-Am Season Championships with Honda Civic Si on StopTech and Power Slot brakes

Congrats are in order once again for Compass360 Racing. After a great run all season long as part of Team StopTech, Compass360 Racing secured their second straight Grand-Am Championship in one of the most dramatic season finales in Grand-Am series' history.

Lawson Aschenbach and David Thilenius, co-drivers of the Compass360 Racing #74 Honda Civic Si, started the race at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah 19 points behind in the championship, but ended up standing atop the standings two-and-a-half hours later, capping off an exciting season of racing for Compass360. The Compass360 Racing competition Honda Civic Si racecars made a switch over to rear StopTech Street Performance Brake Pads at the top of this stellar season and also run on Power Slot Power Alloy brake rotors.

As the checkered flag flew, with #74 on the podium in third, the championship battle was a tie: two teams had 274 points. With two wins and two second-place finishes each, it came down to third-place finishes. That made the team's just completed third place finish the final boost to the top of the championship.

This is Compass360 Racing's second Driver and Team championship in a row. For the third time in the last four seasons, C360R delivered Honda (or Acura) the Manufacturer's Championship.

 

James Sofronas: One Driver, Two Weekends, Four Podiums

Congratulations are in order for James Sofronas for pulling out all the stops in Virginia last weekend as part of the 2010 SCCA World Challenge Series. For the second time this season, he landed dual podium visits in the same weekend on StopTech brakes for GMG Racing and Team StopTech.

His first two-fer was just last month at Mid-Ohio when he landed first and second during the two race weekend. This time he pulled in both second and third at the Virginia International Raceway in his No. 14 Global Motorsports Group Porsche 911 GT3 featuring StopTech Trophy brakes.

Sofronas battled hard for his second place finish on Saturday after pulling away with the starting pack. Andy Pilgrim gapped Sofronas early, but by lap 13 that gap began to shrink. By lap 17, the two were running nose-to-tail. A brake-fueled pass in Turn One assured him a second place finish with Pilgrim left behind and earned him the Clean Pass of the Race award.

Sunday's third place visit to the podium was well-earned. A rough start had him ninth place by the second lap. One notable move on his quest for the podium was his pass of  Jason Daskalos in the No. 5 Daskalos Developments Dodge Viper for fifth position in Turn Two on lap 12 which earned him the Move of the Race.

"I started picking off guys and then I’d make a mistake and fall back," admitted Sofronas. "I think I passed seven cars…twice. The car was more than capable but I was just not driving in my limits. I’m pretty lucky to finish third. It’s a testament to this GMG team and the Porsche.”

The last round of the 2010 season takes place on October 1-3 at the Utah Grand Prix.

StopTech's New Professional Off-Road Racing Brakes: A Legacy of Dirt

This week StopTech took the cover off of their latest braking endeavor:  off-road racing!  The official press release about the built-for-dirt kits based on StopTech Trophy technology mentions the victory in the desert for Centric Parts CEO Dino Crescentini at a prior Baja 1000.  It's worth noting that dirt runs in the veins of other members of the Centric Parts family too.

Hats off to Chris Kemp for his achievement in the desert. Kemp, a partner and founder of Centric Parts whose team oversees Southern California, finished first in Class 1500, second overall, at the 2010 "Best In The Desert" Vegas to Reno race.

His ride was a 1500 class car from Speed Technologies that ran a solid race from start to finish, which happens to be 500 miles away across brutal and unforgiving terrain. What you call a big pothole on your drive to work wouldn't even make Kemp's radar compared to the pounding craters that assault car and driver on these races.

It took him 9 hours and 20 minutes to claw his way through the desert from his 20th position start to his one-two finish. Here's an interview from the finish line...

Way to go Chris!


Photo Credit: Art Eugenio

RaceTech (Belguim) TimeAttack MItsubishi Evo is looking good

RaceTech in Belgium is putting together a Time Attack-worthy Mitsubishi EVO.  She's got StopTech Trophy brakes to give the stopping power needed to get the edge in the turns.

They took her out for the first test run and was outbraking everyone on the qualifying laps before some engine issues cut the day a little short.

RaceTech is taking the data and spending the colder months getting this monster ready to roar for the 2010 season.  We can't wait.

This car was also featured today as the "Identify This Car" subject over on www.facebook.com/stoptech where StopTech fans try and determine the make and model of a car from a close up shot.  If you have a nice ride with StopTech brakes send us some pics at IdentifyThis@stoptechblog.com and we might feature yours next.  Make sure to include a closeup of the wheel well showing the brakes.

Hot Vid: StopTech CEO overtaking Vette with Porsche on Tight Turn

Check out this clip of Centric Parts CEO Dino Crescentinti in the No. 4 GMG / Stoptech Porsche 911 GT3-Cup car, making a great start in the 2nd SCCA World Challenge race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Park in 2010.

He hauls the StopTech Porsche down from 156 MPH to 60 in turn 3 Mid Ohio motorsports park, Dino eats up the pavement and makes short work of passing the yellow Corvette driven by Skeen in just 4 seconds and pulling - 1.5G's on his Toyo 888 racing tires....Impressive