THE BRAKE ROOM - Your Stop for Stopping

Power Slot's John Marshall in the spotlight

2012-02-13T14:03:00.000-08:00

SEMA YEN Member of the Month Spotlight

John Marshall, Power Slot

This month’s interview is with John Marshall, national sales manager for Power Slot, part of the performance division of Centric Parts.

Marshall is a graduate of Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, Illinois. He is a first-time father with a daughter born early last year. He has worked at several well-known manufacturers within the specialty-parts industry over a period of 17 years and has great insight into a subject that is critical for young automotive aftermarket executives—building industry contacts throughout various career transitions.

Tell us a little about yourself and what you do. How long have you worked in the industry and what other companies have you worked for? What positions have you held as you progressed to your current position?

I am the national sales manager for Power Slot. I started in the industry in 1995 with Auto Meter Products. In 2000, I accepted a position with K&N Engineering as the eastern regional sales manager. In 2007, I accepted the position of director of sales with Power Slot. That same year Centric Parts acquired Power Slot, and my title changed to national sales manager.

Undoubtedly, you’ve met a lot of people and made many contacts over the years. How important would you say that it’s been to maintain those connections as you changed positions/companies? Why?

Our industry is small. We see each other at various shows and events every year. Maintaining those relationships is probably one of the most important aspects of developing a successful career. I still have friends at each company that I have worked for.

What were some of the challenges you faced when it came to maintaining those contacts?

Time. We are all busy, so reaching out is sometimes a challenge.

Transitions from one job to the next within the same industry or even the same company can be difficult. Do you have any tips for young aspiring industry executives on how to handle these situations?

Whether you’re let go or decide to move on, always do so with dignity. Stay connected with past managers/bosses at shows, stop by and say hello. What’s new at the company? How have they been?

Today’s digital world provides a variety of tools to help us communicate and stay in touch. Do you use any social media or digital programs, such as MySEMA, Facebook and LinkedIn, or, do you have any devices that you couldn’t live without?

In person is always best, but again, that time factor comes into play. Social media is good and bad. Used correctly, it is a great tool to stay in touch. I am on Facebook, which I use more for friends and family. I do have some business contacts on there, whom I regard as friends. LinkedIn is more catered to your business contacts. I keep getting requests, but have not signed up yet. I guess I should at this point. As for devices, I can’t live without my Blackberry, though my wife threatens to divorce me if I keep responding to it at dinner.

It’s easier to maintain a relationship with people we see and work with everyday. What do you feel is the best way to keep in touch with old contacts that you don’t see or talk to as frequently?

I still like picking up the phone and calling. Shows and events are a great way to see them in person and reconnect. Bottom line, regardless of the channel you choose to communicate, you must make the effort and find the time to do so. You never know how those old contacts could factor into your future.

What benefit has your current company received from the network of contacts that you have created over the years?

Information—it is nice to be able to get a perspective from someone not within your own company. Industry contacts/friends can give you general information on what they see is happening in the aftermarket. What are the new trends and what are they doing to address them?

What advice would you offer to other YENsters looking to grow and maintain their contact network as they progress through the industry?

Getting involved with SEMA is a great way to meet new industry contacts. Get to know one of the SEMA Hall of Fame members and stay in touch with them. They have achieved a lifetime of industry know-how. More often than not they are willing to share their wisdom with you.

Are there any specific advantages that you feel the younger people in our industry may have when creating and maintaining contacts? Any disadvantages?

Younger people tend to be more on the cutting edge of technology. They use social media more and are open to new ideas. And for disadvantages, well, social media. Those who rely on it for communication may miss the opportunities for face-to-face conversations.

Learn more about how to boost your career through the YEN.

Source: SEMA eNews

Centric Again Leads the Pack with the Widest Range of Brake Component Coverage for 2012

2012-02-01T13:12:00.000-08:00

Centric Parts has always led the field in offering the widest range of brake products for the widest range of motor vehicle applications - and 2012 is no different. With the recent releases of the new 2012 Brake Systems Catalog and the Library Edition, Vol. 2, Centric has established the definitive listings of brake and clutch components, seals, wheel bearings and hubs. With more than 30,000 part numbers and thousands of vehicles covered between Centric's Power Slot, StopTech and Centric brands, it is extremely unlikely that Centric won't have the right part for your vehicle.

To ensure that this is always true, Centric is usually among the first to obtain OEM brake components for every new model released by the manufacturers - to carefully measure and document each and every change. That is why Centric has continually led the industry with more FMSI entries than any other company out there.

For 2012 we have added over 80 new vehicles to our catalog, and more than 4,800 part number listings overall. And when our catalogs hit the stands, you can rest assured that we have the parts in stock. Others claim availability practically as soon as they learn of a new vehicle being unveiled. Centric, on the other hand, only announces a new part when it is ready to go. That's our "Right Part, Right Place, Right Time, Right Price" philosophy in action. We were the first to market, for instance, with replacement parts for vehicles like the new Fiat 500, the new BMW F10 5 series, Nissan Leaf, Buick Verano, Chevy Sonic, 2012 Ford Focus, and many more.

Soon we will be adding several other new catalogs to complete the 2012 library of Centric Parts offerings. Watch for the new versions of our Medium Duty, Performance, Mexico and other catalogs in the coming months.

2011 SEMA Show Shines Spotlight on Centric

2011-11-10T13:42:00.001-08:00

Besides our Centric Parts President winning Person of theYear from the AIA, a number of vehicles wearing Centric, Power Slot andStopTech brake components took home honors at SEMA 2011, held in Las Vegas thefirst week of November. Although we are still a relatively young company, itwas interesting to note the number of high profile projects that featured our products.

Take the yellow and blue Turner Motorsport Grand-Am GSChampion BMW M3, for instance. It was the vehicle we chose to display in ourbooth as it really represents what StopTech is all about. Building brakesystems for high performance street use and production-based racingapplications is our forte. Whether it was a street-driven sportscar or one thatconsistently wins races, we were the top choice for many show cars thisyear.

Very high profile vehicles wearing our brakes included the1,004-hp Bisimoto Honda Civic Si that was best in class, the Mishimoto 370Zlive art car project that had tons of celebrities and regular folks alikecoloring on it with sharpies in one of the most visited interactive displays atthe show and Mark Stielow's "Red Devil" Optima Ultimate Street CarCamaro.

The major manufacturers at the show also spotlighted some ofour products. Mazda used our brakes on its 20th anniversary MX-5 Super20concept, the best-in-class Scion iQ was the one done by Jon Sibal and itprominently featured our BBK, Toyota is using our brakes on its Daytona 500Pace Car Camry, and Lexus showed off its new F-Sport GS, plus a Five Axisversion of that all-new GS as well as a slick CT200h Hybrid - all wearingbrakes done by StopTech.

Just up the steps from our own booth was the Ford display,which this year celebrated 100 years of Ford Racing. Amidst the legendary Fordpowered race cars on display was a large selection of Ford Focus tuner cars andconcepts. While every one of them had some great details, the two that gotsingled out by Ford in its design awards presentation were the two wearingStopTechs - the COBB Tuning race car and the Roush street car.

There was a huge selection of Mustangs at SEMA again thisyear, but a few that stood out were the new Petty Mustang, the designaward-winning CorteX '66 Mustang Optima Ultimate Street Car in the massiveSpectre booth, a Magnuson Supercharger Mustang, Paul Brown's World ChallengeGTS championship winning car and the Trufiber Shelby GT500 Mustang - allwearing StopTech components.

Besides the awesome Turner BMW in our booth, we also hadStopTech components on plenty of other notable show vehicles, including agrassroots NASA ST-2 E46 BMW M3 driven by Ron Ballard plus a FormulaDrift Nissan 350Z driven by up-and-comer Patrick Mordaunt, an old-schoolBisimoto Porsche 911 Turbo, Hasport Motorsports Eibach CR-Z, a wicked lookingAMS SR750 Porsche 997 Turbo, a slick Platte Forme E92 M3 street car, theold/new ICON Bronco and a Nissan Armada that drew eyes straight to its StopTechBBK due to its clean design and massive open wheels that spotlighted the brakesnicely.

2011 was another great year for StopTech, Power Slot and Centric Parts at SEMA.Besides all of the great show cars wearing our products, we also introduced ournew line of high performance and racing brake fluid, our all-new StopTechwebsite, Centric high carbon rotors, and announced that our patented AeroRotorsare now 100 percent Made in the USA. Thanks to all of you who stopped by to sayhello, and to all of you customers who made the choice to use Centric productson your street, track and show cars.

Centric Parts Contributes to Several Championships in 2011

2011-10-07T08:14:00.001-07:00

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 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. Toput that in perspective, the Dodge Viper ACR holds the production car record atthis track at 1:33. In Sunday's race, the top three finishers - LawsonAschenbach, Tristan Herbert and Robb Holland - were all running Power Slots orStopTechs. Aschenbach actually had to start at the back of the field aftermissing Saturday's qualifying, but the Compass360 Civic was at the front whenthe checkers flew after an impressive charge through the field by Lawson. Hisgreat launch that brought him from ninth to fourth on the very first lap earnedhim the Optima Batteries Best Standing Start Award. The win also clinched thechampionship for this young driver.

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.

Centric Continues to Lead the Market with 350 New Parts in July

2011-09-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

Centric Parts has built its reputation on having the right part in the right place at the right time for the right price. We're also known for being the first to market with replacement parts for new model year vehicles. That means that as soon as we can, we measure up new models and get our engineering team going on designing replacement brake parts that match or exceed the OEM parts in every way.

While many 2012 model year vehicles are just now hitting the market, Centric Parts already offers over 500 part numbers for 2012 models. In July alone we added more than 350 new parts to our centricparts.com online catalog. And unlike some other brake companies who announce the availability of parts well before they actually even build their first item, Centric's parts are on the shelf and ready to order as soon as we announce their availability. We understand the need to have parts on the shelf when people need them and that's why we've consistently had over a 95% fill rate.

Below is a list of new parts for 2012 models that we introduced in July. They include pads, shoes, calipers, discs, drums, hubs, bearings, hydraulics and hardware for dozens of new 2012 vehicles. Until our print and electronic catalogs are updated, you can find these parts in the online look-up guide at centricparts.com - always your most up-to-date reference tool for Centric Parts products.

Brake Pads/Shoes

2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet

Front104.13220

2012 BMW 128i

PB111.08280

2012 BMW 135i

Front104.13710

2011-2012 Buick Allure (Canada) 16”Wheels

Front105.11250

2007-2012 Buick Enclave

Front105.11691

Rear105.08830

2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse 16”Wheels

Front105.11250

2012 Cadillac SRX

Rear105.13370

2009-2012 Chevrolet Colorado

Front105.11690

Rear111.09590 295 x 45.5

2012 Chevrolet Impala ExceptPolice & Taxi

Front104.11590

Rear105.09990

2012 Chevrolet Impala Police& Taxi

Front106.11590

Rear106.09990

2012 Chevrolet Malibu

Front104.11600

Rear105.10330

2007-2012 Chevrolet Traverse

Front105.11691

Rear105.08830

2012 FordFocus - Except SVT

Front 105.10440

2012 FordFocus - Except SVT w/Rear Disc

Rear 105.10950

2007-2012 GMC Acadia

Front105.11691

Rear105.08830

2009-2012 GMC Canyon

Front105.11690

Rear111.09590 (295 x 45.5)

2011-2012 Lincoln MKS, MKT

Rear 106.13770

2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ

Front105.11640

Rear105.11610

2011-2012 Mitsubishi RVR (Canada)

Front105.08660

Rear105.08680

Sensor Wires

2012 BMW 128i

Front116.34066 (1)

Rear116.34071 (1)

2012 BMW 135i

Front116.34065 (1)

Rear116.34071 (1)

Hardware Kits
2009-2012 Acura TL

Front117.40037

Rear117.40046

PB118.40017

2012 BMW 128i

Front117.34031

Rear 117.34006

2012 BMW 135i

Front117.34033

Rear117.34032

2007-2012 Buick Enclave

Front117.66023

Rear117.66014

2009-2012 Chevrolet Colorado

Front117.66023

2012 Chevrolet Impala

Front117.62057

2012 Chevrolet Malibu

Front117.62053

Rear117.62054

2007-2012 Chevrolet Traverse

Front117.66023

Rear117.66014

2012 Dodge RAM 1500 Pickup

Front 117.67013

Rear 117.67006

PB 118.67001

2012 Dodge RAM3500 Pickup

Front 117.67017

Rear 117.67018

2012 Ford Mustang

Front117.46021

Rear117.61041

2007-2012 GMC Acadia

Front117.66023

Rear117.66014

2009-2012 GMC Canyon

Front117.66023

2012 Hyundai Genesis Sedan

PB 118.51016

2012 Infiniti M37, M56 Hybrid

Front117.42032

Rear117.42038

2011-2012 Lincoln MKS

Front117.65029

Rear117.67016

2011-2012 Lincoln MKT

Front117.65029

Rear117.67016

2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ

Front117.61043

Rear117.61044

2011-2012 Mitsubishi RVR (Canada)

Front117.46016

Rear117.46015

Discs/Drums

2012 BMW 128i

Front120.34077 (vented 22.4)

Rear120.34107 (vented 18.4)

2012 BMW 135i

Front120.34104 standard rotor (vented 24.4)

Rear120.34109 standard rotor (vented 20.4)

2011-2012 Buick Allure (Canada) 17”Wheels

Front120.62120 (vented 27.0)

Rear120.62127 (vented 21.5)

2007-2012 Buick Enclave

Front120.66069 (vented 27.5)

Rear120.66070 (vented 18.4)

2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse 16” Wheels

Rear120.62127 (vented 21.5)

2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse 17” Wheels

Front120.62120 (vented 27.0)

Rear120.62127 (vented 21.5)

2012 Cadillac SRX

Front120.62126 (vented 27.0)

Rear120.62123 (vented 21.5)

2009-2012 Chevrolet Colorado

Front120.66072 (vented 27.5)

Rear122.66043 (296.5)

2012 Chevrolet Cruze w/RearDisc

Rear120.62125 (solid 10.0)

2012 Chevrolet Impala Except Police& Taxi

Front120.62098 (vented 28.6)

Rear120.62129 (solid 12.5)

2012 Chevrolet Impala Police & Taxi

Front120.62099 (vented 28.6)

Rear120.62129 (solid 12.5)

2012 Chevrolet Malibu

Front120.62078 (vented 23.0)

Rear120.62079 (solid 12.0)

2007-2012 Chevrolet Traverse

Front120.66069 (vented 27.5)

Rear120.66070 (vented 18.4)

2012 Dodge RAM 1500 Pickup

Rear 120.67054 (vented20.4)

2012 FordMustang Base - 3.7L V6 Except Premium Brakes or Special Pkg

Front 120.61086 (vented28.4)

2007-2012 GMC Acadia

Front120.66069 (vented 27.5)

Rear120.66070 (vented 18.4)

2009-2012 GMC Canyon

Front120.66072 (vented 27.5)

Rear122.66043 (296.5)

2012 Hyundai Equus

Rear120.51041 (vented 18.24)

2011-2012 Lincoln MKS

Rear120.61081 (solid 10.0)

2011-2012 Lincoln MKT

Rear120.61081 (solid 10.0)

2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ

Front120.61088 (vented 23.0)

Rear120.61097 (solid 8.0) 12/09 - 2012

2011-2012 Mitsubishi RVR (Canada)

Front120.63067 (vented 28.4)

Master Cylinders

2009 – 2012 Acura TL

130.40074 7/8” bore

2012 Dodge RAM 1500 All

130.67043 1-1/4” bore

2012 Ford Mustang All

130.61142 1-1/16” bore

2012 Hyundai Equus All

130.51052 1” bore

2012 Hyundai Genesis Sedan All

130.51052 1” bore

2011-2012 Lincoln MKS

130.61140 1-1/16” bore

2011-2012 Lincoln MKT

130.61140 1-1/16” bore

2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ ExceptHybrid

130.61141 7/8” bore

Wheel Cylinders

2009-2012 ChevroletColorado fits all

Rear 134.6603015/16”

2009-2012 GMC Canyonfits all

Rear 134.6603015/16”

Calipers

2009 – 2012 Acura TL

Front 141.40102 (L) 45mm

Front 141.40101 (R) 45mm

Rear 141.40576 (L) 38mm

Rear 141.40575 (R) 38mm

2012 BMW 128i

Front 141.34102 (L) 54mm

Front 141.34101 (R) 54mm

Rear 141.34590(L) 40mm

Rear 141.34589(R) 40mm

2011-2012 Buick Allure (Canada) 17” Wheels

Front 141.62192 (L) 60mm

Front 141.62191 (R) 60mm

2007-2012 Buick Enclave

Front141.66048 (L) 48mm

Front141.66047 (R) 48mm

Rear 141.66532(L) 48mm

Rear 141.66531(R) 48mm

2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse 17” Wheels

Front141.62192 (L) 60mm

Front141.62191 (R) 60mm

2012 ChevroletImpala Except Police & Taxi

Front 141.62160 (L) 45mm

Front 141.62159 (R) 45mm

2012 Chevrolet ImpalaPolice & Taxi

Front 141.62162 (L) 45mm

Front 141.62161 (R) 45mm

2012 Chevrolet Malibu

Front 142.62142 (L) 60mm

Front 142.62141 (R) 60mm

Rear 142.62580 (L) 38mm

Rear 142.62579(R) 38mm

2007-2012 Chevrolet Traverse

Front 141.66048 (L) 48mm

Front 141.66047 (R) 48mm

Rear 141.66532 (L) 48mm

Rear 141.66531 (R) 48mm

2012 Dodge RAM 1500Pickup 2WD & 4WD

Front 142.67044 (L) 54mm

Front 142.67043 (R) 54mm

2012 Ford Mustang Base - 3.7L V6 Except Premium Brakes, Except Special Package

Front 142.61116 (L) 43mm

Front 142.61115 (R) 43mm

Rear 142.61554 (L) 43mm

Rear 142.61553 (R) 43mm

2012 Ford Mustang GT- 5.0L V8 Except Premium Brakes, Except SpecialPackage

Rear 142.61554 (L) 43mm

Rear 142.61553 (R) 43mm

2012 Ford Mustang Base,GT, Boss Package (Brembo)

Front 142.61120 (L) 40/44mm

Front142.61119 (R) 40/44mm

Rear 142.61554 (L) 43mm

Rear 142.61553 (R) 43mm

2012 Ford Mustang Base& GT - Perf Brake Pkg., Shelby CobraGT500

Front 142.61120(L) 40/44mm

Front142.61119 (R) 40/44mm

Rear 142.61554 (L) 43mm

Rear 142.61553 (R) 43mm

2007-2012 GMC Acadia

Front141.66048 (L) 48mm

Front141.66047 (R) 48mm

Rear141.66532 (L) 48mm

Rear141.66531 (R) 48mm

2012 Infiniti M37 Hybrid, M56 Hybrid

Front142.42144 (L) 45mm

Front142.42143 (R) 45mm

2011-2012 Lincoln MKS

Front141.65090 (L) 48mm

Front141.65089 (R) 48mm

2011-2012 Lincoln MKT

Front141.65090 (L) 48mm

Front141.65089 (R) 48mm

2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ

Front141.61118 (L) 57mm

Front 141.61117(R) 57mm

Rear 141.61556(L) 34mm

Rear 141.61555(R) 34mm

2011-2012 MitsubishiRVR (Canada)

Front 141.46094 (L) 57mm

Front 141.46093 (R) 57mm

Repair Kits

2009-2012 Acura TL

Front143.40025

Rear143.40012

2012 BMW 128i

Front143.33010

Rear143.34018

2012 BMW 135i

Front143.34031

Rear143.34030

2011-2012 Buick Allure (Canada)

Front143.44059

2007-2012 Buick Enclave

Front143.58005

Rear143.91015

2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse

Front143.44059

2009-2012 Chevrolet Colorado

Front143.58005

2012 Chevrolet Impala

Front143.62046

2012 Chevrolet Malibu

Front143.46013

Rear143.62043

2007-2012 Chevrolet Traverse

Front143.58005

Rear143.91015

2012 Dodge RAM 1500 Pickup

Front 143.67009

Rear 143.63006

2012 Dodge RAM3500 Pickup SRW

Front 143.65019

2012 Dodge RAM3500 Pickup DRW

Front 143.65019

Rear 143.67016

2012 Ford Mustang 3.7L V6, 5.0L V8 ExceptPremium Brakes, Except Special Package

Rear143.61026

2012 Ford Mustang Base, GT, Boss Package (Brembo) Except Premium Brakes

Front143.03005

Rear143.61026

2012 Ford Mustang Base & GT PerfPackage, Shelby Cobra GT500

Front143.03005

Rear143.61026

2007-2012 GMC Acadia

Front143.58005

Rear143.91015

2009-2012 GMC Canyon

Front143.58005

2012 Hyundai Equus

Rear 143.51019

2012 Infiniti M37, M56 Hybrid

Front143.61024

Rear143.42044

2011-2012 Lincoln MKS

Front143.65030

Rear143.67013

2011-2012 Lincoln MKT

Front143.65030

Rear143.61031

2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ

Front143.91013

Rear143.42014

2011-2012 Mitsubishi RVR (Canada)

Front143.63033

Rear143.91003

Brake Hoses

2012 BMW 128i

Front 150.34021

2012 BMW 135i

Front 150.34021

2009-2012 Chevrolet Colorado RWD Except V8 Z85

Front150.66120 (left)

Front150.66121 (right)

2009-2012 Chevrolet Colorado RWD V8 Z85, 4WD

Front150.66122 (left)

Front150.66123 (right)

2012 Chevrolet Impala

Front150.62138 (left)

Front150.62137 (right)

2012 Chevrolet Malibu

Front150.62120 (left)

Front150.62121 (right)

Rear150.62364

2012 Dodge RAM 1500 Pickup

Front 150.67124 (left)

Front 150.67125 (right)

2012 Dodge RAM 3500 Pickup

Front 150.67106 (left)

Front 150.67107 (right)

2012 Dodge RAM 3500 Cab & Chassis

Front 150.67118 (left)

Front 150.67109 (right)

2012 Ford Mustang

Rear 150.61422 (left)

Rear 150.61424 (right)

2009-2012 GMC Canyon 2WD ExceptV8, Except Off Road Pkg

Front150.66120 (left)

Front150.66121 (right)

2009-2012 GMC Canyon 2WD V8, Off Road Pkg

Front150.66122 (left)

Front150.66123 (right)

2009-2012 GMC Canyon 4WD

Front150.66122 (left)

Front150.66123 (right)

2011-2012 Lincoln MKS

Front150.61124 (left)

Front150.61125 (right)

2011-2012 Lincoln MKT

Front150.61124 (left)

Front150.61125 (right)

Hubs, Bearings and Seals

2009 – 2012 Acura TL

Front 412.40025

Rear400.40001 AWD

2012 BMW 128i

Front 405.34007

Rear 412.90000

2012 BMW 135i

Front 405.34007

2011 – 2012 Buick Allure (Canada)

Front 401.62001

Rear 401.62001

2007 – 2012 Buick Enclave

Front400.62012

Rear400.62012

2011 – 2012 Buick LaCrosse

Front 401.62001

Rear 401.62001

2009 – 2012 Chevrolet Colorado RWD

Front 406.66000

Rear413.62000

AxleRepair Brg

Rear 414.62000

Oil Seal

Rear 417.62001

2009 – 2012 ChevroletColorado 4WD

Front 401.66001

Rear413.62000

AxleRepair Brg

Rear 414.62000

Oil Seal

Rear 417.62001

2012 Chevrolet Impala

Front 402.62002

Rear 407.62014

2007-2012 Chevrolet Traverse

Front 400.62012

Rear 400.62012

2012 Dodge RAM 3500 2WD Pickup SRW

Rear416.68014 In

Rear416.67000 Ot

2012 Dodge RAM 3500 2WD Pickup, Cab & Chassis DRW

Rear416.67001 In

Rear 416.68014Ot

2012 Dodge RAM 3500 2WD Cab & Chassis SRW

Rear416.67001 In

Rear 416.67000Ot

2012 Dodge RAM 3500 4WD Pickup SRW

Rear416.68014 In

Rear416.67000 Ot

2012 Dodge RAM 3500 4WD Pickup, Cab & Chassis DRW

Rear416.67001 In

Rear 416.68014Ot

2012 Dodge RAM 3500 4WD Cab & Chassis SRW

Rear416.67001 In

Rear 416.67000Ot

2012 Ford Mustang - Base 3.7L V6,GT 5.0L V8, Shelby Cobra GT500

Front 406.61004

Rear 413.68000

AxleRepair Brg

Rear 414.68000

Oil Seal

Rear 417.68000

2007 – 2012 GMC Acadia

Front 400.62012

Rear 400.62012

2009 – 2012 GMC Canyon 2WD

Front 406.66000

Rear413.62000

AxleRepair Brg

Rear 414.62000

Oil Seal

Rear 417.62001

2009 – 2012 GMC Canyon All 4WD

Front 406.66001

Rear413.62000

AxleRepair Brg

Rear 414.62000

Oil Seal

Rear 417.62001

2012 Hyundai Equus 4.6L, 5.0L

Front 407.51003

Rear 400.51002

2012 Hyundai Genesis Sedan V6, 4.6L V8, R Spec 5.0L V8

Front407.51003

Rear 400.51002

2012 Infiniti M37 Hybrid, M56 Hybrid

Rear400.42006

2011-2012 Lincoln MKS

Front401.61000

Rear 401.61000

2011-2012 Lincoln MKT

Front401.61000

Rear401.61000

2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ

Front 412.45000

Rear 406.45004fwd

Rear 412.45000 awd

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

2011-08-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

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

Recently, football star Reggie Bush joined Centric Parts Technical Support Director, Pat McCleish, 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.”

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

Centric Parts Releases First Catalog Developed Exclusively For Mexico

2011-07-25T12:24:00.000-07:00

Centric Parts, a leading manufacturer and supplier of aftermarket brake components and systems for import and domestic cars as well as light and medium duty trucks, has just released its first catalog - Sistemas de Frenos Mexico (Brake Systems Mexico) - developed exclusively for Mexico, an increasingly important automotive market.

“As an industry leader in cataloging, Centric prides itself on having the most up-to-date information available for customers in any market,” explained Centric Parts President, Dan Lelchuk. “The 2011 Brake Systems Mexico catalog builds on that reputation, while recognizing the importance of continually incorporating growing automotive markets.”

The award-winning catalog department has worked with Mexican customers and manufacturers to develop a Spanish-language catalog that covers makes and models exclusive to the Mexican market. This catalog serves as a supplement to Centric’s existing 2011 parts catalog, adding additional “National Model” vehicles to the application range. Makes and models not currently sold in the United States are included in the catalog, which covers models from Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, FAW, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Isuzu, Land Rover, Mercedes Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, Pontiac, Renault, Rover, Seat, Smart, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.

Approximately 90 percent of the national models available in Mexico are covered in the 2011 Sistemas de Frenos Mexico catalog, with more being added as additional data becomes available. Gaining access to the national models can present unique challenges for Centric engineers who insist on meticulous measuring and analysis of every OEM part before a replacement can be developed. While many of the national models use existing part numbers from the immense Centric Parts catalog, nearly 100 new parts were added to the FMSI index as a result of this new project.

The market-leading 2011 Centric Parts Mexico catalog includes pads, shoes, discs, drums and hydraulic components for approximately 180 new applications. The catalog not only lists all part numbers, but also includes handy illustrations of nearly every part. Those familiar with the Centric Parts catalog will note that a “99” prefix identifies these new offerings in the catalog.

All of the parts offered in the 2011 Centric Parts Sistemas de Frenos Mexico catalog are available to order today.

For more information on the whole family of Centric Parts brake and clutch components, visit www.centricparts.com.

Centric Parts Announces New Products for 2012 Models

2011-07-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

Centric Parts (www.centricparts.com), which includes the StopTech (www.stoptech.com) and Power Slot (www.powerslot.com) brands, has announced the availability of new applications in its award-winning line of aftermarket brake components for most popular late model foreign and domestic vehicles. Centric is the industry leader in identifying and offering new applications year after year. Centric’s newest late model applications are available today and include:

Brake Pads/Shoes
2009-2012 Acura TL

Front 105.11020

Rear 105.11030

PB Shoe 111.08570

2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet

Front 116.33006 (TRW / Girling Brakes)

Rear 104.13860

2011 BMW X1 28i Gas

Front 104.09180

Rear 104.11700

2011 BMW X1 20d Diesel

Front 104.12600

Rear 104.12670

2012 Dodge RAM 1500 Pickup

Front 106.10840

Rear 106.08980

PB Shoe 111.09470

2012 Dodge RAM 3500 Pickup

Front 106.13990

Rear 106.14000

PB Shoe 111.08540

2012 Ford Mustang with Brembo Kit

Front 104.10010

2011 Hyundai Equus

Front 105.13960

Rear 105.12840

PB Shoe 111.09630

2012 Hyundai Genesis Sedan

Front 105.13960

PB Shoe 111.09630

2012 Infiniti M37, M56 Hybrid

Front 105.08880

Rear 105.09050

Discs/Drums

2009-2012 Acura TL

Front 120.40075

Rear 120.40074

2011 BMW X1 28i Gas

Front 120.34093

Rear 120.34080

2011 BMW X1 20d Diesel

Front 120.34108

Rear 120.34091

2012 Dodge RAM 1500 Pickup

Front 120.67053

2012 Dodge RAM 3500 Pickup

Front 120.67072

Rear 120.67073

2012 Fiat 500

Front 121.04002

Rear 121.04001

2012 Ford Mustang with Brembo Kit

Front 120.61089

Rear 120.61087

2011 Hyundai Equus

Front 120.51042

2012 Hyundai Genesis Sedan

Front 120.51042 (except V6)

Rear 120.51031

2012 Infiniti M37, M56 Hybrid

Front 120.42080

Rear 120.42078

U.S. Representative Grace Napolitano Visits Centric Parts

2011-06-24T08:27:00.000-07:00

U.S. Representative Grace Napolitano Discusses Issues Facing Centric Parts

On June 8, 2011, Centric Parts was honored to welcome Congresswoman Grace Napolitano and her staff to our City of Industry facility for a Congressional visit. Rep. Napolitano (D-CA) is serving her 7th term as the U.S. Representative for California’s 38th Congressional District, which includes City of Industry, Pomona, Norwalk and other parts of East Los Angeles County.

While visiting our offices the Congresswoman met with Centric Parts President, Dan Lelchuk, CFO Estelle Cohen and Director of Integrated Supply Chain Steve Hughes, who were grateful for the Representative’s time and insight.

The Centric Team with Rep. Napolitano

The Congresswoman met with our group to learn more about what Centric Parts does and to find out how she can better serve us as one of her larger constituents.

“What can I do for you? How can I better serve you and represent you in Congress,” the Representative asked. While jokingly declining an offer to make some parts deliveries to our customers, the Congresswoman was very helpful in several other ways. “I was with Ford Motor Company for 30 years in part inventory control, so I understand about the auto industry and the parts business.”

“We were able to talk to the Congresswoman about some of the legislation that is affecting the aftermarket. With her prior industry experience and long political career, she was extremely helpful in finding solutions,” said Estelle Cohen.

One of the bills discussed was CA SB750, which limits the ability of independent key providers to issue replacement keys for BMW vehicles. “The impact of Legislation like CA SB 750 will cost the aftermarket money and jobs,” explained Steve Hughes.

When Representative Napolitano asked for further evidence as to how this issue would impact consumers and small business owners, Hughes gave the following example, which seemed to resonate with the Congresswoman: “Imagine you are out in the middle of nowhere and you lose or damage your ignition key. If they don’t allow independent shops to cut those keys, you would be forced to go to the closest BMW dealer for a replacement. In some rural areas it is entirely possible that you wouldn’t be able to find a dealer nearby, so you’d likely be stuck waiting for a FedEx shipment the next couple of days.”

The group also discussed ongoing intellectual property (IP) issues - and patents in particular - that threaten our competitive advantage in overseas markets, a bearing Anti-Dumping Duty (ADD) that is unfairly being applied to a whole wheel hub assembly, and Right to Repair, which aims to protect consumers from a monopoly on car repairs while protecting the viability of independent repair shops.

“Right to Repair is the name given to legislation designed to allow small repair shops access to complex systems information from the original equipment manufacturers. With cars getting more complex every year, smaller repair shops increasingly lack the data and proprietary tools necessary to perform repairs themselves,” explained Steve Hughes. “The number of computers and computer controlled functions on new cars is staggering.”

“Right now, there is no legislation preventing original equipment manufacturers from limiting access to computer codes and other data that independent repair shops need in order to perform adequate repairs on vehicles,” explained Centric President Dan Lelchuk. “If they chose to do so, and they have on numerous occasions already, the OEMs could keep that information private, forcing consumers to have their repairs done at the dealership. Not only would consumers likely have to pay higher repair bills due to a lack of competition, but it could easily drive independent repair shops out of business altogether.”

Lelchuk continued, “We strongly believe that consumers should have the right to get their personal property serviced where they choose. That’s why the U.S. needs to pass a Right to Repair bill like House Bill HR1449, recently introduced by Congressman Edolphus Townes of New York. The Right to Repair Act has been around for a decade in one form or another, but we haven’t been able to get Congress to move on it. This is a critical issue for our industry that needs to be dealt with.”

While promising to further review these issues, the Congresswoman also recommended individuals in the private and public sector who may be of further assistance at the local, state and national levels. Rep. Napolitano supplied names and numbers and even a few on-the-spot connections with some of her many contacts.

It was a very productive meeting that resulted in several specific suggestions that will better help Centric meet its current and future goals. In fact, Hughes and Cohen have already been in contact with Napolitano’s Legislative Director in Washington, Joe Sheehy, regarding possible resolutions to some of these issues. Centric looks forward to working with the Representative and her staff even more in the future.

Pacific Jobbers Warehouse Celebrates 25th Anniversary in Style

2011-06-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

Centric Parts VP of Sales, Mike Musso, recently traveled to Hawaii to attend a 25th anniversary celebration honoring one of Centric Parts' distributors, Pacific Jobbers Warehouse. Mike wasn’t alone either, as more than 525 people showed up at the Honolulu Country Club to celebrate this special occasion.

Centric Parts booth display

During its 25 years in business Pacific Jobbers has continually grown and that trend continues even today. The company recently announced that it is planning on opening another location on the island of Maui in August.

Gary and Mike

Centric’s booth at the event was manned by our sales rep in Hawaii, Gary Kaneshiro, who said that everybody who came by had only positive things to say about Centric – and PosiQuiet pads in particular. Congratulations to Pacific Jobbers on reaching this milestone and here’s to another 25!

Gary with a customer

Kansas Career & Technology Center Training Next Generation of Technicians

2011-06-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

The Kansas Career & Technology Center (KCTC) in Memphis, Tennessee is a vocational training center within the Memphis City Schools system. They provide vocational training to nearly 300 students each year to prepare them for careers after school. “We prepare literate, responsible people for their roles of leadership in a technological society. We strive to teach our students that learning is a life-long commitment and that all citizens have the responsibility of improving themselves and their surroundings,” reads the school’s mission statement.

Instructor Brian Sneed teaches Automotive Technology at the KCTC, giving his students hands-on experience with Hummer H1 SUVs and military HMMWVs. The students learn about maintenance and repair work, including rebuilding front brake calipers and installing lines and rear parking brake calipers.

Brian recently wrote to Centric Parts to see if we could help him source some Hummer H1 brake components for his class. While none were immediately available, Centric President Dan Lelchuk suggested an alternative. Sneed had some cores that could possibly be rebuilt at Centric, so why not ship them out and let Centric ship back the rebuilt ones?

The calipers were rebuilt and shipped back along with a few banners and other items for the students. “We are happy to support the education of young people in our industry,” said Lelchuk. “As a company we are all about educating customers and end-users about brakes, so donating these rebuilds was an easy decision.”

Best of luck to all of the students. These types of programs are such a valuable asset to our educational system and Centric is proud to be helping in some small way.

Cal Poly Pomona Students Visit Centric Parts

2011-06-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

Franklin Lock of Centric Parts hosted a group of his Cal Poly Pomona classmates and professors on Friday, May 27 for a presentation and tour of our Industry facility. Mr. Lock hosted the group of 17 Logistics students as part of his senior project.

Franklin has been with Centric for almost 18 months and has overseen the implementation of a new ERP & WMS software system that will make our inventory management, bookkeeping, shipping and receiving even more efficient than they already are. He has also been instrumental in improving our safety procedures among other things.

Besides hearing about real world challenges to implementing classroom theory, workplace culture and safety from Franklin, the group also heard from President Dan Lelchuk and Operations/Traffic Manager Dean Wenzl who shared even more practical knowledge of real world situations with the students.

"Our goal today was to enlighten the students about things they may not have learned in the classroom," said Lelchuk. "There are many issues that students don’t typically learn about until they enter the workplace, so we tried to prepare them for those situations."

Most of the students seemed impressed with the size of the Industry facility and the consistently high fill rate we enjoy. They were overwhelmed when they found out we handle more than 50,000 part numbers and can still deliver on our Right Part, Right Place, Right Time, Right Price pledge. They were also very thankful for the time that Dan and Dean spent with the group.

"They hadn’t visited a workplace of our size yet where they had such direct access to top management," explained Lock. "Everybody had so many questions and it was great to get the answers straight from the top."

By hosting these types of groups, Centric hopes to better prepare students for life after graduation. Through tours, internships and our everyday business practices, Centric is as much about education as it is about automotive parts. We are proud of Franklin and his classmates and are honored to be a part of their education.

Lime Rock Park Yields Fifth Consecutive Podium to Turner Motorsport on StopTech Brakes

2011-05-31T11:49:00.001-07:00

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.

Crosland Wins as Sofronas Holds Series Lead

2011-05-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

18-year-old Ben Crosland earned his first Pirelli World Challenge win while James Sofronas literally ran out of gas while holding onto the series lead 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 ran out of fuel before the checkered flag on the final lap, and the slowed car crossed the finish line in seventh position. 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 Intros Chevy TrailBlazer SS Big Brake Kits (2007-2009)

2011-05-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

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.

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/.

PHOTOS: Indy Series Racing Rescue Vehicles

2011-05-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

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 StopTech brakes on that 350Z" in French

2011-05-19T13:10:00.000-07:00

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.

Ken Block slides into Cars & Coffee Irvine

2011-05-16T12:22:00.000-07:00

Cars & Coffee is a national and international phenomenon that has grown from a single informal gathering of car guys and gals to a huge franchise that seems to be popping up in just about every corner of the globe. These free weekly get-togethers are a great way for car people to meet and admire each other’s cars. As impressive as the list of cars at these shows is, the people behind them are frequently the bigger story. Sometimes, however, the car and the person seem to be so intertwined that seeing one without the other would seem very strange indeed.

Such was the case in Irvine this Saturday, when an oddly out of place bright green Euro Ford Focus RS was parked amidst a sea of other Focus models, many dressed in body kits that made them look like they were getting ready for the next X Games. How appropriate then that standing beside this lime green RS was none other than Monster World Rally driver, Ken Block. Anybody who considers themselves a car fan should know Block if they don’t already. Ken was a rally champion for Subaru for a number of years before making the jump to Monster last year.

In 2010, Monster ran a…wait for it…Ford Focus RS WRC, much like the one Ken brought out to Irvine. Even though the team has switched to the new Fiesta RS this season, Ken still uses this Focus RS as his daily driver. With Monster’s lime green and black colors, the hue of this RS was understandable, as were the green soled DC Shoes that Block was sporting.

Looking none the worse for wear following his horrific rally accident in March, Ken humored the throngs of fans by posing for pictures and signing just about anything thrust in front of him. He even signed a few cars. They were also handing out bumper stickers that read, “Hooning is not a crime!” We talked to Ken a bit and got the scoop on what he’s up to now.

Ken’s last race was his WRC event in Portugal where he rolled his car rather violently. Although his injuries were minor, Ken was happy to take a planned break to spend some time with his wife during the birth of their newborn baby. “The timing was actually perfect,” said Block. “I can rest and spend time with my new baby.”

Besides being the head of DC Shoes and a consultant on the rally gymkhana video game DiRT 3, Block keeps busy with not only WRC events, but also Gymkhana World Tour, Rally America and RallyCross events in addition to some hillclimbs and other special events. Throw a new baby into the mix and we’re guessing he’ll need to clone himself to keep up with those plans. He did say he is looking forward to being at the X Games RallyCross finale in Los Angeles at the end of July, and says his next WRC event won’t be until Germany in August, although he was heading down to South America soon for some WRC research.

When we asked him about his Focus RS, he said “It’s a great car. It’s my daily driver and I love it.” We also asked about Ford talking about dropping the RS model and sticking to an ST as its performance model in the future. “As far as I’m concerned, they need to keep the RS name. That RS stands for Rally Sport and that’s the whole point of this. The Focus is what I raced. Of course they’ve switched to the Fiesta this year, but hopefully they’ll keep an RS in there somewhere.”

Car Shows are in Bloom in SoCal

2011-05-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

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.

So Long SEMA Solstice!

2011-05-06T13:27:00.001-07:00

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

2011-05-04T07:34:00.000-07:00

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 last day of the 2011 Long Beach Grand Prix

2011-04-21T11:01:00.001-07:00

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

2011-04-20T15:19:00.000-07:00

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 Friday at the 2011 Long Beach Grand Prix

2011-04-18T22:02:00.001-07:00

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: Long Beach Grand Prix pre-party at Circle Porsche

2011-04-14T09:44:00.001-07:00

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

New StopTech Big Brake Kit for Volkswagen Golf R32

2011-04-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

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.

New Big Brake Kits for Pontiac GTO 2005-06

2011-03-25T10:14:00.001-07:00

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 is a Knockout

2011-03-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2011-03-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

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.

Centric Parts Shares Knowledge with Future Auto Techs

2011-02-16T14:08:00.000-08:00

Jim Grimes, Sales Representative of Centric Parts, dropped in on the Central County Occupational Center in San Jose earlier this month to run workshops for groups of budding automotive technicians.

CCOC is a career development and technical job training facility where students come to learn a career that leads them to college or directly into the job market. Centric Parts partnered up with Snap-On and Fast Undercar to hold three training sessions for 30 students each.

Although just getting started on their quests to become automotive technicians, the students were treated to an insider's look at Centric Parts' technical and marketplace philosophies as well as brake technology in general.

"Just as Centric Parts never rests on its laurels, I pressed the value of constant continuing education throughout their future careers as automotive technicians," noted Grimes, who was invited back to host future sessions

"As an extra bonus, the center also has a training course for chefs," he added. "They cooked a breakfast and lunch for everyone. That doesn't usually happen at school."

1969 VW Volkwagen Fastback coming together with Centric Parts

2011-02-10T11:26:00.000-08:00

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 GT Caliper: A Great Debut

2011-02-03T11:50:00.000-08:00

It was a great week for the StopTech GT Racing Caliper. The underground project that was tested at 25 Hours of Thunderhill and shown to a select few at PRI. The caliper is loaded with the company's racing innovations and optimized for endurance racing. 10 laps at Willow Springs per run is nice, but were talking 100 miles or more per race. Things get brutal at those sustained hhigh temperatures.

Well the GT Racing Caliper is underground no more. Centric Parts officially rolled out the product with an annoucement on their website. The StopTech STR-40GT is in some ways a wonderful hybrid between the original StopTech ST series calipers and the company's top-of-the-line Trophy STR racing calipers.

You get StopTech's patented bolt-in bridge technology that provides slots to enhance cooling airflow, virtually eliminates distortion and reinforces the caliper, yet allows changing brake pads without disturbing the caliper’s mounting. The finish is natural anodized to thwart any color change at the continuous high temperatures. Interestingly enough, this caliper is the only one in the StopTech lineup that is machined from billet, which is a timely process.

So they made their official racing debut this weekend out in Florida. Turner Motorsports equipped their BMW M3 with them for the Grand-Am 200, which was the season openner of the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series. Drivers Paul Dalla Lana, Joey Hand, and Bill Auberlen The team pulled 62 laps around the 3.56-mile, 12-turn course at a blistering 86.977 average miles per hour, which earned them a trip to the podium in third place.

Not a bad way to say hello.

Is the Nissan 350Z an Instant Classic?

2011-01-25T10:11:00.000-08:00

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 Videos

2011-01-18T10:37:00.001-08:00

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

2011-01-18T10:03:00.001-08:00

The last installment of the Brake Decisions video series has been completed and posted on the Centric Parts / StopTech YouTube channel. This one 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?

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

GoGoGear Gears up StopTech Hyundai Genesis for 2011

2011-01-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

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.

Moto4Toys Car Show pix, Part 2 - More Cool Cars

2010-12-14T23:01:00.000-08:00

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.

Moto4Toys Car Show pix, Part 1 - All StopTech

2010-12-09T14:39:00.001-08:00

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.

25 Hours of Thunderhill: StopTech Proving Ground

2010-12-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

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.

Porsche Club of America Reception Behind the Scenes

2010-11-22T17:19:00.000-08:00

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.

JC Meynet Champions and Sets Track Record in 2010

2010-11-17T13:29:00.000-08:00

It's been a helluva year for JC Meynet and AQ Motorsports in the 2010 Time Attack Series, especially at the SuperLap Battle at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. JC (real name Jean-Charles) races on StopTech brakes. Here is recap of the year from his newsletter...

* * *

In the world of car racing, F1 has Monte Carlo, Nascar has Daytona, Indycar has Indianapolis, and Time Attack has Superlap Battle at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. Every November for the past six years Buttonwillow has been the place to be in the world of Time Attack racing. Teams from all over the USA and even overseas are invited to come race this event in order to settle the age old debate of who has the fastest Time Attack car/team/driver in the world. The classes are broken down into Unlimited, Limited (Modified), and Street classes and then further broken down by driveline configuration (front, rear, or all-wheel-drive). The goal of Time Attack is to crank out the fastest lap on an open track without strategic considerations other than simply going as fast as possible over a single timed lap (much like F1 qualifying or Drag Racing with turns thrown in). Superlap Battle Time Attack cars are the fastest production based cars in the world and do so on street legal tires.

With many wins, track records, and several championships to our credit, JC Meynet and team fully recognize the need to be successful at Superlap Battle as a win here makes a huge statement and carries a lot of momentum into the off-season. Although we were undefeated in the Redline 2008 Street Class National Championship, we came up a little short that year at Superlap Battle with our only loss of the season (3rd place) even though we still lapped under the previous record. 2009 saw us in Limited (Modified) class and in spite of a very successful season and again lapping under the existing track record, we again only managed another 3rd place due to the heavy competition. On a side note, we did win last year's Limited RWD class in the AQ/Novak Honda S2000.

This year, we really had our game faces on while contending many hurdles and controversies. We are happy to come away with not only a class win but also a new all time track record for the Limited/Modified class, besting the old Superlap Battle record by about 1.5 seconds, a relative eternity in the world of road racing. Our race this year went off without many hitches thanks to the intensive preparation and hard work from our team and sponsors. We did our usual practice sessions and adjustments to get some recent changes working properly and then managed to nail our opening lap with a Championship/record winning 1:48.5 lap time around Buttonwillow's 2.5 mile track (the usual 13CW configuration). For reference, our lap time puts us in 4th overall for this event against all the Unlimited class cars (on slicks) and would have been 2nd overall behind the legendary HKS Cyber Evo car just two years ago. We would have been the flat out overall winners just 4 years ago (and this is with our car being completely Ltd/Mod class legal on full treaded tires, not slicks!). The art of Time Attack has really come a long way in recent years and we are proud to be one of the cutting edge teams. Our stiff competition this year included several high dollar teams, former Time Attack champions/record holders, Grand Am Champions/competitors, and some grassroots teams like ourselves who are doing a lot with very limited budgets. It's exciting to note that the Unlimited, Limited, and Street classes all had their records smashed this year as well as some of the subclasses. It's exciting to be part of this ambitious group of successful racers.

As a bonus to the Superlap Battle competition, JC was invited to drive EDO Performance's black 2010 Subaru STI in the Subaru v Mitsubishi Modified Magazine Shootout. Although the car was set up similar to an Enthisiast class car, JC was able to click off some decent lap times (2:02, good for 2nd place in class at the last Enthusiast class Time Attack race held at this track) that helped the Subarus collectively win the overall over the Mitsubishis. Always fun to do these special feature events. A special thanks to EDO/Tomioka Racing/M7Japan for covering our entry fee for Superlap Battle this year.

Our decisive and undisputed win and record at Superlap Battle this year represents more than just a single fast lap, that was the easy part. The hard parts this year had more to do with our own relentless pursuit to be faster yet more reliable while also contending with yet another new organization incorporating an ever changing and self serving agenda (what doesn't kill us just makes us stronger!). Fortunately, we still have many excellent places to compete in Time Attack competition such as Superlap Battle, Speedventures, UMS, GTA, GTGP, NASA, and others as well as some select magazine events.

We will definitely enjoy the fruits of our labor with this Superlap Battle win/record. However, the off season is only about 4 months long and next year will come faster than ever. Time Attack is about setting records and then working hard to beat them, even if it's our own record we are often targeting. At nearly 700whp (about 800HP at the engine) we are close to our horsepower target but at almost 3000lbs, we definitely need to lose some weight. Another important area that will be improved on is our already decent aerodynamics that can always be better. As one of the premier benchmark teams in Time Attack competition, we plan on continuing our winning ways, developing an even more competitive race program, and doing so while maintaining the highest levels of integrity in all areas.

2010 record: 2 Championships (Superlap Battle and SpeedVentures), 7 wins, 7 records, 1 DNF.

Career record since 2007: 37 class wins, 33 track records, 4 championships, over 90% win record for 4 years (best in TA), Fastest Subaru in 41 of 44 races (100% fastest in class), always raced legally....

New Video Reveals What Brakes Are Best for Trucks and SUVs

2010-11-16T12:50:00.001-08:00

The latest installment of StopTech's BRAKE DECISIONS series is out. This one minute video nugget of information discusses what type of brakes you need if you have a truck or SUV that perhaps does a little towing (if you are lucky enough to have a cool Snowmobile, Waverunner, etc) or some hauling.

The driving profile of your ride changes significantly when you drag something behind you so check it out...

You can catch the rest of the Brake Decisions series, including the answer to the burning question "should I get drilled or slotted rotors?" at www.YouTube.com/CentricParts along with other videos from the StopTech library.

Remember to Set Your Parking Brake or You Will End up like This Guy

2010-11-15T13:02:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder from Centric Parts and StopTech to always set your parking brake, or this could be you...

We wonder what he told his friends and family when he got home!

SEMA Day 3 Recap - Trophy Kits, Farewell to Booth Truck and more

2010-11-05T10:35:00.000-07:00

The news of the day 3 at SEMA was the announcement that StopTech Trophy Sport Big Brake Kits, which were rolled out at SEMA 2009 for a limited number for applications, are now available for the over 700 platforms that StopTech’s traditional BBKs are available for.

The Trophy Sport Big Brake Kit is a street-friendly version of the company’s race-winning, track-only Trophy Big Brake Kit. Only a few modifications separate the StopTech Trophy Sport Big Brake Kit from the Trophy Big Brake Kit, which premiered at the start of the 2009 race season and has since helped drivers capture checkered flags and set records on tracks across the country.

StopTech’s Trophy Sport Big Brake Kits can perform under heavy track day conditions, but can still be driven as daily transportation without the increased maintenance requirements associated with dedicated racing components.

At the end of day 3, the StopTech crew had to say good-bye to the Speed Technologies Unlimited 2 class off road racing vehicle on that had been a resident of the booth all week. This surprisingly wide vehicle is heading across town to be piloted by Jeff Ward in the next stop of the 2010 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series this weekend. The truck sports StopTech Off-Road Big Brake Kits based on the Trophy Big Brake Kit design with additional features added for off-road use to deliver stopping performance in harsh off road environments.

The Identify This Car SEMA Challenge continued over at www.Facebook.com/StopTech. Eliot E kept his firm grip on the lead while no clear candidate for runner up has emerged yet. Players will be tasked with identifying the make and model of cars parked on the SEMA exhibit from a single close up photo. Several rounds are planned for Day 4 so it might be a photo finish!

Day 2 at SEMA: Cool Brakes and Hot Cars plus Touring BBKs debut

2010-11-04T10:58:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of SEMA 2010 brought the big news about a whole new line of Big Brake Kits from StopTech. The company’s new Touring Big Brake Kits deliver StopTech performance and innovation at an entry level price. You can read the full press release on the Centric Parts site.

These kits combine StopTech’s legendary, patented, colored ST-40 four piston with a one piece performance rotor enhanced with Power Alloy for improved stopping power and superior resistance to cracking in performance driving situations. A set of StopTech street performance brake pads and other extras round out the package. These kits are a perfect upgrade on a budget.

The Identify This Car SEMA Challenge continues with StopTech’s Facebook fans racing to identify the make and model of varios cars from a close up photo of one vehicle detail. Eliot E bolted ahead of the pack during the day, so we have added a present that will go to the runner up. Jump in and have fun at www.facebook.com/stoptech.

Day 2 also saw many of the StopTech equipped vehicle on the exhibit floor grab some media attention.

The star of the show appears to be the new Honda CR-Z. Motor Trend, Inside Line, Auto Guide and more stopped by the Honda booth to profile the CR-Zs there. It so happens that StopTech’s Big Brake Kit for the CR-Z was just named Best Performance Product of 2010, so as expected a few cars at the Honda booth are sporting StopTech logos on the brakes. Other have Honda’s HPD brakes on them. We wonder who designed and engineered those? ;-)

Check out the links…

Auto Guide looks at CR-Z

Inside Line and the CR-Z

Three from Motor Trend... Post 1, Post 2, Post 3

Mazdaspeed used a slotted StopTech Stage 2 Kit with StopTech pads on its 16-in-wheel MX-5 and got the attention of Inside Line and Car and Driver.

This Mazda3 sedan from SEMA 2009 was shown again, as well as Tri-Point’s Redline Time Attack Mazda3, featuring StopTech brakes. Motor Trend was all over it with this post plus this post.

Auto Guide also took a look at this cool Lexus CT200h with StopTech brakes repainted as F-Sport by the builder.

Stay tuned for another update tomorrow, featuring the third and final announcement from Centric Parts and StopTech for SEMA 2010.

Big First Day of SEMA/AAPEX 2010 for Centric Parts and StopTech

2010-11-02T18:03:00.000-07:00

Day one of the 2010 SEMA / AAPEX exhibition and trade shows in Las Vegas has come to a close.

Three announcements were planned for Centric Parts and StopTech this week, and day one brought the big news that Centric Parts is rolling out a brake program for fleets. This sweeping move has put the company in a position to claim the title of the most comprehensive aftermarket company, now providing a wide range of brake solutions to an encompassing lineup of vehicles from daily drives to armored cars to production race cars.

StopTech had an award winning day. The StopTech big brake kit for the new Honda CR-Z was named the import product of year at AAPEX by the Auto International Association (AIA). The company was praised not only for the performance and quality of these Big Brake Kits, but also for StopTech’s ability to get aftermarket products for brand new production vehicles like the Honda CR-Z into the market so quickly and efficiently.

The StopTech Facebook page kicked off a fun SEMA-themed game for the week. Close up pictures of a single feature on cars exhibited on the SEMA floor were posted. A point is awarded to the first person to correctly provide the make and model of the car, like the Mini Cooper pictured here.

Eliot E emerged from the day with the lead, scoring on 4 of the 9 posted pictures. With many more planned for the rest of the week, there is plenty of opportunity to either catch up to him or just cop block him from running away with the whole thing. Hopping on StopTech’s Twitter page will give a few early heads up on the photos for the rest of the week.

The StopTech video production team will be up late putting together some videos from the show floor. Keep an eye out for those tonight or possibly tomorrow on the company YouTube channel.

Wednesday will bring a big announcement from StopTech – a whole new line of Big Brake Kits. Stay tuned for this and other goings-on from the automotive aftermarket industry’s big week in Las Vegas!

Getting packed for Vegas...

2010-10-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

Centric Parts is heading out to Las Vegas next week for Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week 2010. The company will be exhibiting Centric, StopTech and Power Slot innovations at both SEMA in the Las Vegas Convention Center (booth #22761) and AAPEX at the Sands Convention Center (booth #9220)

There will be three big announcements next week from Centric and its divisions - one a day starting Tuesday when the exhibit floors open.

For those who can't make it, there will be plenty of coverage, and some fun extras too, across all of the Centric Parts and StopTech social media channels including The StopTech Blog, The Brake Room, StopTech's Twitter and Facebook pages, plus the Centric Parts YouTube channel.

Facebook and Twitter in particular will play host to a special SEMA edition of Identify This Car. For those who have not been following along, players are tasked with being the first to name the make and model of a car based on an extreme close up picture of a single vehicle feature.

All week long the game will be played featuring cars from the trade show floor, and their will even be a special gift for the winner at the end. So hop on board now by "liking" or "following" StopTech.

For those who are feeling nostalgic for prior SEMA's, here are a StopTech's recap videos from the last two years. Last year featured StopTech's own Howard Hsia as a host, who has since moved his talents behind the camera as the producer of StopTech's popular Brake Decisions videos.