Shhhh. The Brake Room has a Secret...

Back when 2008 was drawing to a close, StopTech, the ultra performance division of Centric Parts, had only one series of Big Brake Kits. The StopTech Big Brake Kit is a great example of car stopping engineering. Several patents come together to provide shorter stopping distances and more bite from the brake pedal either on the road or track.

Then SEMA 2008 rolled along and the company announced a second series of BBKs; The StopTech Trophy Big Brake Kit. These top-of-the-line offerings were designed to operate on the track only and featured ultra-lightweight calipers with an eye catching machined finish. They made their debut a few months later when StopTech CEO Dino Crescentini took them out for a qualifying run during the SCCA season opener at Sebring and landed a pole position start. What followed was a season full of victories and successes for the StopTech Trophy BBK.

When SEMA 2009 hit, the company announced a third series of BBKs. The StopTech Trophy Sport Big Brake Kits bridged the gap between the two other BBKs by bringing additions to the track-only kit such as silicone dust boots for the ultra-lightweight caliper and adjustments to the patented AeroRotors that provided a street-friendly ride for those who take their serious track vehicle on the road.

Well, as a reader of The Brake Room, you are now among the first to get a heads up that StopTech is about to do it again. The ultra-performance division of Centric Parts is about to announce its fourth series of Big Brake Kits. No need to wait until SEMA this year but you will have to hold on a little longer for the details, unless you can wrestle them out of your StopTech representative. Let's just say the new BBKs will bring StopTech performance, innovation and quality to larger number of drivers.

Check back here soon for the details!

Photo Essay: Dino's 2009 SCCA Car at SoCal event

The car the Dino Crescentini drove for GMG Racing to victory at Watkins Glen last year as part of Team StopTech made a head turning appearance at a weekly car enthusiast event in Southern California.

The event was Cars & Coffee, a weekly free gathering of car enthusiasts and the cars they love and drive in Irvine California.

This was the car that Dino, who is also the CEO of Centric Parts, drove for the second half of the 2009 season in the SCCA World Challenge season.

The car he drove the first half of the season was totalled in a warmup lap midseason. This car made its premiere at Watkins Glen and was driven by Dino right to the Winner's Circle with a first place finish.

He has a new car lined up for the upcoming 2010 season. This 2009 winner now serves as an ultimate track day two-seater with the occasional stop at events like these.

These pics come courtesy of Frank Filipponio who is our favorite writer over on Autoblog.

GMG Track Day Video features Team StopTech

The folks at RennTrack.com went down to the recent private track day held at Willow Springs by GMG. They toted their cameras along and put together a nice video recap. It includes some great footage of James Safronas with some Team StopTech cars, getting ready for the 2010 race season.




Watch it here or roll over to the Centric Parts YouTube channel and check it out along with other favorites and original videos from Centric Parts and StopTech.

Glossary: Conduction

You hear it all the time, but what does it mean?

CONDUCTION:
Conduction is the transfer of heat by physical contact. For example, some of the heat generated by the automobile braking system is transferred to the caliper pistons and thence to the brake fluid by conduction. Some of it is also transferred to the hub, upright (knuckle) bearings, and wheels in the same way.

Two-piece or floating discs reduce conduction to the hub, and other parts because of the intervening hat. Conduction is also the strategy used in all designs to move the heat from the disc pad interface to the vanes and in some designs to provide the initial heat sink for the energy generated at the start of a braking cycle.

Conduction is one of only three heat transfer mechanisms. Convection and radiation are the other two.