Super Lap Battle by Global Time Attack Results

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Paul P.

We’re glad to see some of our friends back at it at this past Friday’s Super Lap Battle by Global Time Attack, which took place at Buttonwillow Raceway Park!

As far as TEIN-equipped cars go, we had Sportcar Motion’s Acura Integra Type R on Super Racing dampers, which ran a 1:52.886 just last year. We also had Pradana “Ping” Wilianto’s Acura CSX on our Mono Flex dampers, who had ran a 2:01.314 last year, and Bobby Lane Racing’s Honda Accord on Mono Flex dampers (1:59.158 last year).

During the off-season, if there even is one, we hadn’t received any special requests from these guys. Normally, we’ll at least get a damper refresh/rebuild request. Instead, they all focused on a few other modifications to get their car ready for this year’s event. With the exception of Sportcar Motion, who hadn’t really touched their Type R since last year except to rebuild their transmission and try a different rear diffuser. They are using a different tire for this year, however.

Anyway, it was still an event for us to attend with our in-house engineer, in hopes that we could provide some trackside support to these guys and any other teams/drivers using TEIN dampers.

Just like previous years, we ended up just looking like the Maytag repair man with nothing to do except take notes on each vehicles suspension setup.

We were absolutely impressed with each teams performance. Their results are as follows:

Sportcar Motion’s Integra Type R (Limited FF class)- 1:51.916

2nd Place Finish!

Pradana “Ping” Wilianto’s Acura CSX (Street FF class)- 1:59.639

2nd Place Finish!

Bobby Lane Racing’s Honda Accord Limited FF class)- 1:55.241

3rd Place Finish (behind Sportcar Motion’s Integra)!

Each achieved personal best times, which was great news! As you can expect from their placement in their respective class, competition was stiff. In Limited FF, Point Zero Autosound and Performance trucked their Acura RSX all the way from Ontario Canada for this event! They finished in 1st place with a 1:51.789! Just a narrow margin between first and second place!

*We must note that the Sportcar Motion looked to be on pace for an even better time. But, on the last stint out on track, a brake failure caused the Integra to spin. Fortunately, driver Tim Kuo was able to recover from the spin without any further damage to the car. However, the damage to the brakes was all that was needed to prevent another fast lap.

Pradana “Ping” Wilianto had one goal in mind- a sub 2 minute lap. Why? He’s one of the few Street FF cars that is a legitimate street car. He retains full interior and air conditioning (you gotta maintain some amenities on the track!). Last year, he was under Enthusiast FF with a 2:01. Now under the Street FF class, he clocks in a 1:59, and not much else has changed to his CSX’s setup!

Bobby Lane Racing also kept their car relatively the same. Last year, we revalved for much stiffer springs to compliment their new aero package. A 1:59 was a very respectable time last year. This year’s 1:55 is even more impressive!

Overall, we’re very happy for these guys. Of course, we’re impressed with the out-of-the-box performance our Super Racing set for Sportcar Motion’s Integra and Mono Flex set for Ping’s CSX did. But, it always comes down to overall vehicle preparation, which each of these guys did a stellar job at! We won’t be satisfied until they stand atop the highest podium. So you can bet we’ll do what we can to get them there next year!

It was also great to see some of our other friends, such as Evasive Motorsports Scion FR-S and Will Wattanawongkiri and his S13 at the event. Unfortunately for Will, mechanical issues plagued him from staying in competition.

We also fancied the Spoon Sports Civic Type R being piloted by Dai Yoshihara! Ran a super quick 1:48 in Unlimited FF!!!

And this year’s overall winner- GST Motorsports’ GC8 piloted by Jeff Westphal! 1:38!!!!! Whoa

GTA Super Lap Battle

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Paul P.

Following SEMA this year is the much anticipated Super Lap Battle by the Global Time Attack series which takes place at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, CA!

We’re pretty excited about it. We always attend when we have some sponsored teams to support trackside. Fortunately, we typically don’t have to do much since the teams and their associated cars are very well prepared. Don’t tell our boss, though. He might make up some job for us to do while we’re at the track.

Anyway, we expect to see the usual suspects at the track- Sportcar Motion, Bobby Lane Racing, and Evasive Motorsports. Hopefully we’ll see quite a few more TEIN equipped vehicles we can assist while we’re there.

Pradana “Ping” Wilianto’s Acura CSX on Mono Flex coilovers:

Bobby Lane Racing’s Honda Accord on Mono Flex:

Sportcar Motion’s Acura Integra Type R on Super Racing:

And the much anticipated Evasive Motorsports Nissan GT-R on Super Racing coilovers:

Above all, we expect to see some new track records for each respective class!

GTA Super Lap Battle takes place November 14, 2014.

We hope to see you there!

Super Lap Battle/Global Time Attack 2013

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Paul P.

Another year has passed, and we were waiting in anticipation to see what every competitor for this year’s Super Lap Battle at Buttonwillow Raceway Park will bring.

Just like last year, TEIN staff attended to be able to assist any of the teams and drivers on TEIN suspension in any way possible. For us, it is great to get their feedback on our suspension and how it is performing for them. It also gives us plenty of insight on what vehicle modifications are being made and how we can help adapt their suspensions to their specific setups.

In total, there were seven vehicles using TEIN suspension. In no specific order,

Limited AWD Class- Evasive Motorsports’ Mitsubishi Evo VIII (Super Racing coilovers)

Limited FWD Class- Sportcar Motion’s Acura Integra Type R (Super Racing coilovers)

Limited FWD Class- Bobby Lane Racing’s Honda Accord (CL7 Mono Flex coilovers)

Street RWD Class- Will Wattanawongkiri’s Nissan 240SX (Flex coilovers)

Enthusiast FWD Class- Pradana Wilianto’s Acura CSX (FA5 Mono Flex coilovers)

Street FWD Class- Ken Suen’s FB6 Honda Civic Si (Mono Flex coilovers)

Street RWD Class- Ryan Houck’s Honda S2000 (Super Racing coilovers)

Fortunately, once again, each team and driver had their cars setup very well, with only little input from us. A majority of time was spent with Evasive on their Evo to see if we can get the most out of a minimally tested new setup they’re running (upgrades to power; different tire). So, there was a bit of a learning curve with this car.

The best part of the event was that many of these guys logged their fastest times in early sessions.

Sportcar Motion’s Integra, with driver Tim Kuo returning again for this event, was able to shatter their old record of 1:54.xx with a 1:52.886, and that time held throughout the day giving them the win in the respective class! Mechanical issues prevented any further sessions for them, but the damage was already done. A new benchmark for Limited FWD has been set!

Evasive’s Evo, plagued with some turbocharger issues (failure) and transmission problems, still locked in a respectable 1:49.102, taking the Limited AWD class win and getting very close to taking the overall win. Hopefully, with more testing and developing in 2014, this car will take top honors. It must be noted that this car skipped over a full year of development, as they focused on their Scion FR-S and Honda S2000 for last year’s event. So, with that said, this year’s finish is an impressive result. We were glad to speak with driver, and Evasive Motorsports co-owner, Mike Chang, to get his feedback. We’ll be working with them more on this car, as well as a few other project cars in their stable, for 2014!

Will Wattanawongkiri’s S13 240SX was able to clinch top time in the Street RWD class with a 1:54.969. He’s been able to dial in his out-of-the-box Flex coilovers to work well with his vehicle, enough so that he could take the championships in various other Time Attack series’ this year.

Bobby Lane Racing’s Honda Accord sported updated aero (larger front splitter and wide fender to fit wider tires; side skirts; rear diffuser). They also had revalved their CL7 Mono Flex dampers for much stiffer springs. Prior to this event, then were hoping to get some testing done with this new setup, but a catastrophic wheel failure prevented them from making final adjustments leading to Super Lap Battle. Didn’t seem to matter as they logged a 1:59.158 time, approximately 3 seconds better than 2012. Although unusual to see an Accord at a Time Attack event, Bobby Lane Racing showed that it can still be plenty fast for track duties.

Pradana “Ping” Wilianto’s Acura CSX dipped into a 2:01.314 ET. That’s about two seconds faster than his time last year. He also got the win in his class!

Ken Suen brought out his new FB6 Honda Civic Si. Still a street car with full interior, modifications were minimal. In fact, he used the Mono Flex from his infamous “Big Red” FA5 Civic Si on this new car (had some modifications done to make it work. Other than that, front aero, larger wheel and tires, and brake upgrades were all that this car had. Not looking to break a new record, he still recorded a 2:06.271 lap time!

Ryan Houck’s S2000, which was backed by our friends at Counterspace Garage, sported custom valved Super Racing dampers, along with some simple aero upgrades. His times during the first few sessions were looking very favorable for the Street RWD class. However, a major driver’s side front brake rotor failure prevented any further outings. Quite unfortunate. Without a doubt, he’s on pace to reset the current record. We’ll see him next year!

So, that makes it 4 class wins on TEIN (Limited AWD, Limited FWD, Street RWD, and Enthusiast FWD)!

That’s really good news for us. Once again, we went back to the office happy with the results for these drivers and teams. A huge congratulations to each and every one of these people, especially for their continued support for TEIN! In turn, we will be there to assist them as best we can, in the same way we strive to assist all of our customers, including YOU!

Until next year!

Oh, and apologies to our engineer, Shuichiro…

As you can see, we prevented him from watching any racing. Instead, we put him to work! SOWWY!!!

SEMA 2013 in Review

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Paul P.

To those that have attended SEMA for several years now, it may not seem new and exciting each time you’re there. In fact, there are many new things happening. A lot of great, innovative designs and products being made or to look forward to for the new year.

It still holds true, though- sometimes it doesn’t feel so new and exciting. I’ve been to SEMA for 8 years consecutively ever since I started working here- 5 years as an exhibitor, 3 as a visitor. Each time, it just feels like there are only running changes within the industry.

However, being able to work with a manufacturer like TEIN, you get an inside view of how the industry is evolving. Some of these new and exciting things I’m looking for are hidden within the details of the product. That’s what’s great about SEMA, because you’re able to speak directly with representatives of each manufacturer and get some insight into their latest developments and offerings.

Unfortunately, we didn’t exhibit this year. But you can be sure to see us there in 2014, as we have some new products to show and explain to our customers!

As I had mentioned, we didn’t exhibit, but I was still a visitor. I was able to walk all the halls and lots to check out many of the vehicles being displayed. I also met with many of TEIN’s authorized dealers and distributors, as well as many of the media personnel who work hard to keep the performance parts industry in the minds of consumers like you! It was great to be able to do all of that during a relatively short week. As always, I was on the lookout for TEIN related vehicles.

Here are a few new vehicles we helped out with, some of which we previously mentioned on our blog or on our Facebook page

First up was the 2014 Acura RLX we recently did testing on. This one is on a prototype set of Street Flex coilovers

Acura also brought out last year’s ILX, which we provided TEIN Super Street coilovers for. This year, it had a different paint scheme, as well as a few other cosmetic updates.

The Toyota booth also had a few project vehicles we assisted with.

The new 2014 Corolla. This one is on a set of Gravel dampers built through our Specialized Damper Program.

It also had some unique railing on the front and rear bumpers. That way, the Corolla doesn’t only serve as a rally car, you can do some bike tricks off of the bumper. Hahahaha!

Their 2014 RAV4 was also a unique display vehicle. The concept was a recreational vehicle with some very off-the-wall amenities fit for a triathelete! It had a mini fridge, blender, and sink in the back seat area. In the trunk was a mini shower. And yes, these items were all functional! We had to create a suspension kit that would take the weight of the shower equipment, plus water storage. Quite a unique opportunity for us to build something special!

At the Toyo Tire booth was a Lexus IS AWD that the Rally xD team built. As you would guess, these guys have a relationship with Scion, which in turn has ties to Toyota and Lexus. It was definitely a far cry from their usual rally purposed builds. But, damn, it was great looking car. This one is also on a prototype Street Flex coilover set. Oh, and that bike up top was actually made by Lexus!!! Full carbon frame and fork!

Some other notable vehicles that returned from last year were Crawford Performance’s Subaru BRZ at the Enkei booth. He’s still on our Mono Flex coilovers, which he uses for track days. Those wheels look great! Soon to be released, btw!

Our friend Robert from Magnaflow drove his 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe to display. Unfortunately he had to work the show, so we weren’t able to speak with him much. His car looked great, though! Love the stance he was able to get with our Street Basis coilovers!

Also, Ken Suen, driver of the red FA5 Civic Si sponsored by Sportcar Motion brought his new 2014 Civic Si, which was at the TSW booth. He apparently modified his set of Mono Flex coilovers to fit this car. We, on the other hand, are making a Mono Flex kit specifically for this platform (we already have Street Basis, Street Advance, and Street Flex available).

A non-TEIN related display I really liked was Falken Tires’ ALMS Porsche. Battle scars and all on display.

Also, Dai Yoshihara’s Rocket Bunny V2 kitted BRZ

I know I’m missing a bunch of photos you all wanted to see, like the Liberty Walk stuff. But, that’s not really what I’m into. Don’t get me wrong, the F430 looked great! I just really like the sport compacts out on the market a bit more.

Oh, and the last, but definitely the first thing I saw at SEMA was Morgan Jade Bui of Sportcar Motions’ EH Civic drag car! about 1,100 hp to the front wheels! Can you handle that much power?

Yeah, I still love import drag racing. Don’t judge me.

Congrats to Ken Suen of Sportcar Motion!

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Paul P.

Redline Time Attack had their season opener this past weekend (February 16th & 17th). As always, teams that compete in other Time Attack series such as Global Time Attack and Super Lap Battle, find their way into this series to best their times.

Sportcar Motion’s Ken Suen, owner and driver of the FA5 Civic Si lovingly referred to as “Big Red” was out for blood. Last time we covered this car during last November’s Super Lap Battle season finale, mechanical issues prevented him from doing any better that 2 minutes around Buttonwillow’s 13CW road course.

With some new front aero work, as well as a new powerplant, Ken was sure to make this event count. And that he did!

Under the Street FF class, Ken was able to stop the timer at an amazing 1:58.921! Yes, Street Class, Front-wheel drive! Super fast, and most importantly, the new record to beat!

We’re glad to report that Ken continues to use an out-of-the-box Mono Flex setup for his car. We’ll see if any changes need to be made as he continues to cut his lap times down.

Once again, congratulations to Ken Suen and the team at Sportcar Motion for yet another memorable run for victory!

Super Lap Battle 2012 at Buttonwillow Raceway

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Paul P.

Yesterday was the final Super Lap Battle (in conjunction with Global Time Attack) for the year. Taking place at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in Buttonwillow, CA., it has proven to become one of the most anticipated events on this side of the U.S.A.

We were in attendance assisting any of the driver’s on TEIN suspension. For us, it was a narrow group- Evasive Motorsports with their S2000 (using our Super Racing dampers), Sportcar Motion with their Integra Type R (also on Super Racing dampers) as well as an FA5 Civic and Canadian Acura CSX both using our Mono Flex dampers. Another entry we came across was Bobby Lane Racing in their Accord (their Mono Flex damper setup is from a CL7 Honda Accord Euro R).

We arrived really early (7:30a) to meet with the teams and see if they needed any assistance from us. As experienced as these teams are in setting up their cars, there was very little for us to do except take some setting measurements and click settings the teams are using for reference.

TEIN Engineer, Shuichiro, getting data from the Sportcar Motion team.

Working with the Evasive crew and their driver, Robert Walker, to get their car dialed in.

We stumbled upon the Bobby Lane Racing team and their Accord using our Mono Flex dampers.

With each practice session having at least one TEIN-equipped car, we kept close to the hot pits. Our engineer, Shuichiro made sure to get as much feedback from the driver to see if any adjustments needed to be made. Again, maybe only a few click setting changes were done to the suspension, while some of the teams adjusted tire pressures. Lucky for us, Evasive Motorsports uses EDFC for their S2000’s Super Racing dampers. I’m sure our engineer appreciated that! Rather than having to lie down on the ground or get under the hood or rear trunk to make any damping click setting changes manually, the driver can make real-time adjustments to the dampers and stay out on the track.

Robert Walker pulling into the hot pits with the Evasive team standing by.

The morning sessions gave some of the best lap times. In Sportcar Motion’s case, their Integra Type R laid down a 1:54.2 lap time on the #13 track configuration that has become the standard for this event. That was a really good pace, and it looked like the car could even do better than that. Driver, Dr. Tim Kuo, was in pursuit mode the whole time, having very little issue with the Limited FWD class car. A broken 4th gear prevented any chance of getting in a faster time, but their time held as fastest of the day in their class.

Sportcar Motion’s red FA5 Civic Si piloted by Ken Suen was also on pace to beat their personal best. Mechanical issues brought the car in and prevented any futher timed sessions out on the track. Final time was 2:04.3 which netted a second place finish in Street FWD.

The Acura CSX also under Sport Car Motion’s stable clocked in a 2:03.

The Sportcar Motion trio all on TEIN dampers.

As for Bobby Lane Racing, they were hoping to best their 2:05, and in the end a 2:02.2 for the Limited FWD class. It was a great event for this small team!

That’s a familiar face! Dampachi along for the ride with Bobby Lane Racing.

Evasive Motorsports’ revamped Honda S2000 (newly boosted with the HKS GTSupercharger) went all out. New record for the Street RWD class now sits at 1:53.9 thanks to the newfound power. This car has 7 years of development into it, which has paid big dividends for all that hardwork. We’ll be working with them closely to help and develop the car for even faster times. Until then, a 1:53 lap will be the new mark for teams to achieve.

Evasive’s S2000 into the hot pits for some driver feedback.

Bobby Lane Racing Accord into the hot pits to discuss any changes in handling.

: The Integra Type R from SportcarMotion was relatively trouble-free, making our engineer’s job a bit easier!

All in all, it was a good event with very little in the way of mishaps on the track. As the day temperatures got higher and as more cars went out for timed sessions, it proved to be harder for the teams to try and get faster times. It was great to see many of the teams socializing amongst themselves. I found it hard to differentiate whether these people were competitors or best of friends. We were thankful for the hospitality of each team. Bobby Lane Racing was nice enough to provide the TEIN staff with lunch- they came with their own grill to make burgers and hot dogs! Thanks, guys!

We look forward to next year. If the saying “Records are made to be broken” holds true, we may very well be seeing these guys best their current times.

Bobby Lane Racing’s owner and driver with TEIN Staff.

Evasive Motorsports crew with both of their race cars.

Congratulations to each of these teams for all their hard work and efforts. We’re glad we can be a part of it!

Super Lap Battle Video w/ Janelle Ha

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Philip C.

Mr. Super Lap Battle just sent me this video from SLB – Las Vegas. This was an exhibition type event which was invitation only. The event featured a few of the top contenders in various classes plus new comer Zenkai Motorsports. TEIN was well represented as Crawford, Evasive, SportCar Motion and Zenkai are all using TEIN coilovers.

Check out the video which features Janelle Ha.

Class Wins at Redline Time Attack w/ video

Posted on July 7, 2010 by Philip C.

Congratulations to SportCar Motion and Evasive Motorsports for their class wins at Redline Time Attack Rd. 6 at Willow Springs Raceway in California.

Modified-FF
SportCar Motion’s EG Civic took home first place in the Modified-FF class with a time of 1:32.884. This high speed course suited the big power and aero package SportCar Motion prepared for this course. Driver Renzo Marsano beat the second place finisher by over 3 seconds. See the video below for one of Renzo’s laps.

Enthusiast-FF
Mike C. of Evasive Motorsports took home the class win in Enthusiast-FF class with a time of 1:38.941. Mike sits atop the overall points and is the strong favorite for the National Championship. Mike has driven the 2008 Civic Si Sedan to 4 class wins in 4 events. What makes that record even more amazing is that it is done with only a few key modifications. Mike’s Civic is using a revalved set of Mono FLEX dampers which we have been working with him on over the season.

Visit the Octane Report for full event coverage.

Photos courtesy of Duane Uyeda and Arthur Guo of the Octane Report and Loi Song of SportCar Motion.

Redline Time Attack Season Opener

Posted on April 2, 2010 by Philip C.

We want to congratulate Evasive Motorsports and SportCar Motion for their class wins in this past weekends Redline Time Attack held at ButtonWillow Raceway.

Evasive Motorsports campaigned two vehicles. Their well known EVO 9 in the Super Modified Class and a Civic Si in the Enthusiast FF class.

Driver Tim Kuo piloted the EVO 9 to second place finish with a time of 1:47.987 on Yokohama slicks. There is still lots of time left in the car and we will be working with Evasive to dial in the Super Racing coilovers.

Driver and vehicle owner Mike Chang pushed the Civic Si Sedan to a 2:04.085 for the class win in Enthusiast FF. Expect this car to get faster as we will be making changes to the rear Mono FLEX suspension (soon to be using parts from a TEIN N1 racing kit).

SportCar Motion debuted their Integra Type-R in the Modified FF class and driver Renzo Marsano not only took the class win with a 2.00.055 but beat the next top finisher by 4 seconds. The crew at SportCar Motion will soon be testing out new spring rates and new valving to make the ITR even quicker.

Driver Renzo Marsano of SportCar Motion accepting his trophy for the Modified FF Class win.

On track photos by Duane Uyeda – The Octane Report. You can checkout more pics from the event at OctaneReport.com

SportCar Motion ITR

Posted on March 15, 2010 by Philip C.

TEIN Authorized dealer Sportcar Motion was just out testing their newest Time Attack machine, a US Integra Type R. Loi, Renzo, and the guys at SportCar Motion have been posting up pics of the build and TEIN is proud to be a vehicle sponsor. It has been modified to compete in the Redline Time Attack and Super Lap Battle series. SportCar Motion went with the TEIN SRC dampers which have worked well for them in the past. They are the same model used on the competition EG6 which still holds the lap record in SLB Limited FF class competition.

Power comes from a built K24/K20 NA motor and puts out ~300WHP.

Large canards, front splitter and Voltex wing keep the car planted.

Like any good competition team the SportCar Motion crew have been putting in many hours of testing time to dial in the car. We are looking forward to the coming season as we hope to help setup the suspension so drivers Tim Kuo and Renzo Marsano can break records.

Both SportCar Motion FF cars use Super Racing Coilovers straight out of the box. As the vehicle evolves we can change internal components to alter any area of the damping force curve to improve the suspension’s performance. This is a service we offer to all our sponsored teams and anyone using TEIN coilovers but only the sponsored teams get to try our new “secret” parts. 😉

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