If you didn’t get a chance to be at the Long Beach Formula Drift event this past weekend, then wow you missed a great start to the season.
As most of you know, we will try to make an appearance to all the local events. This was the first one of the season, and let’s say it was a good turn out and a good start as shown in the pictures below.
Although it was a drifting event, I like the fact that they have a Car Show for the slammed vehicles.
For those who attended our booth and purchased some of our discounted item, such as shirts, key chains, and other goods, thank you for all your support!
Majority of the Vehicles on display were the New BRZ and FR-S models, but they all have there unique styles.
Check out this awesome 240Sx showing off their TEIN Flex!
Congratulations to Andrew Comrie-Picard /Jeremy Wimpey and the Rally xD team for their win in the Two-Wheel Drive National Class in their Scion Racing Rally xD!
First Day Result: Andrew Comrie-Picard and Jeremy Wimpey leads the 2WD Class in their Scion xD at the end of the first day 1:18.1
Second Day Result: Andrew Comrie-Picard still leads in the 2WD Class after stage 17 by +3:13.8
Check the Road Coarse conditions video to get a better understanding of how the track and snow conditions that they had to face this past weekend were.
This past weekend, Stohl Racing, a TEIN-sponsored team, took a great podium finish in the first race of the WRC2 Production Car Cup, taking home a 2nd place win!
Racing conditions during the event changed drastically, with mixtures of snow, rain, mud, and in some cases, black ice was a major concern for all drivers. It was, without doubt, a very difficult event.
We’re glad to report that our Group N. dampers held up fine to the ever-changing conditions. A well-prepped rally car and the expertise of driver Armin Kremer and co-driver Klaus Wicha made for an exciting finish to an already difficult race!
The last two stages of the event were canceled. Therefore the final positions and times after SS16 were declared as final.
Congrats to Stohl Racing for a great finish for the first race of the season. Up next is Rally Sweden taking place February 7-10th.
More information on this event, as well as some great photos, can be found on our Facebook page!
We have started this 2013 year strong with our newly released Street Flex and EDFC ACTIVE.
Unfortunately TEIN USA was not able to attend the 2013 Tokyo Auto Salon show in Japan (physically), but we still attended the show in the form of our parent company, TEIN Japan, and our photo taken earlier this month. Thank God for the web and media as that would be our only source for consumers to check out those neck breaking cars.
Anywho, we had our new products on display, along with our knowledgeable Japanese staff to answer any questions that enthusiast had.
They must have been swamped with questions with regards to our newly released product line. Shoot, here in the US our phones don’t stop ringing, and our inbox is full of inquiries. I’m sure that the next event we attend in the US will have lines longer than Best Buy’s on Black Friday.
Can anyone direct me to the TEIN booth??…lol
Overall it was a great show. The consumers’ feedback was as we anticipated. Our new product line is being received with open arms and we couldn’t ask for more (well… except for more orders, of course!!! LOL). Please visit the link provided below as it will direct you to our Face Book page. You can check out other photos taken at the show. Feel free to give us a call or drop a message if you have any questions!
I had a chance to attend this years SEMA Show in Las Vegas at the Convention Center. The last time I had attend SEMA was in 2008. This year’s booth wasn’t as big as the booth from 2008, but worked out well for Paul and I since we were the only two manning the booth. Overall the booth traffic was pretty good, but not as busy as expected. The smaller crowds may have also been due to Hurricane Sandy affecting most of the eastern seaboard cancelling many flights out and wreaking havoc. Our hearts go out to all those effected by the disaster.
This year’s must-have import display car was none other than the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ. Not saying that the car isn’t sweet looking, just too many at the show- over 70 examples from my understanding. I didn’t really get a chance to walk through the show and check out more of the displays since there were only two of us at the booth, which made it rather difficult for either of us to really walk around. We were able to get few quick snap shots of our hall at break time. Even with the breaks, it still wouldn’t be enough time for us really go through the hall since it’s so massive, and this is only considering the hall we were in and not the others, as well as those on display outside.
Below are some of the pictures we were able to take, but for more of those photos check out our Facebook page’s Photo Album named “The 2012 SEMA Show” https://www.facebook.com/teinusa
Many thanks to all those who stopped by our booth this year. Your interest and support in TEIN is greatly appreciated!
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!
The last event for Formula Drift 2012 was this past Saturday, October 13th. Luckily I attended the event not only as a spectator but also an employee of TEIN, as we had our own booth. Unfortunately I only got glimpses of the actual drift event as most of my time was spent behind the counter. It was a very busy, busy, busy event I must say. However I did get a chance to walk around and take a look at all the hard working models (wink wink) and attending show cars.
Customers came in by our booth throughout the day. It was nice to meet and speak with many of our customers.
It seems as though everywhere I looked there was a lowered FRS/BRZ plastered with sponsor stickers, body kit, and/or graphic designs. Of course there were other vehicles like Fords, Honda’s, Mitsubishi Evo’s , Mazda’s, Toyota’s, etc., you name it. One car that stood out to me the most was our very own United States Air force project car. This Dodge Challenger was more beefed up than a plate of sloppy joes, with a double cheeseburger, and a side of carne asada. Ill spare detailing the modification as I’m sure most of you can look that up.
United States Air Force built this Challenger. Looked and sounded mean.
In a nut shell the event was great. Daigo Saito and his Lexus SC430 were crowned the winner of this season. Unfortunately Vaughn Gittin Jr. and his Mustang (rocking our coilover’s) came in second. Still, a great season for Vaughn.
One mean looking ride- Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s Monster Mustang.
Justin”JTP” Pawlak also had a good race this past weekend, taking second place for the closing race of the season.
Justin Pawlak in the Falken Mustang. This guy, as well as all the Falken backed drivers, are crazy talented in what they do!
Nevertheless the turn out was exactly as we anticipated (sold out). It was a great day for us and we look forward to attending next year’s season.
Just a small view of the sold out event. The grandstands were literally packed with fans. Pretty crazy to experience that!
HRE Wheels had a nice display, showing an old school Toyota 86 next to the new school 86 (Scion FR-S).
Brian from Mackin Industries (Distributor of Volk Racing and Advan Wheels) Scion FR-S. He uses TEIN Flex dampers on this setup.
To all the fans, drivers, teams, and organizers for Formula Drift, thank you for another great season! See you all next year.
As most of you know there was a Japanese Classic Car Show in Long Beach, CA. There were lots of different types of cars, but of course most all of them still being Japanese makes. Most of the cars were classics, with the exception of the cars we took, which were the 2013 Subaru BRZ from Crawford Performance (currently being turbocharged, btw) and a 2006 Evo 9 from Kontrabrands’ Philip Chase. Even though the car show was close to the beach it was still a very hot day. The staff that attended the show had to wake up extra early to set up the booth and to beat the heat. We took lots of Tein goods and a couple of dampers at special price just for the event, as well.
Being that it was super hot, the first item that sold out were our Fold-up Umbrellas and our Tein Parasols. Here are some pictures of the cars as well as the staff that attended the car show hope you enjoy the pictures.
Here are both the BRZ and the Evo 9!
Our booth!
Our Supervisor (Gonzo) ready to sell some goods!
Not a classic but a very nice CRX!
A very nice custom interior
Omar from the Operations department giving a thumps up.
Even though Andres (our other operations staff ) unfortunately didn’t go his older brother showed up to the car show..
To all of our valued customers, thank you for your support! In an effort to show our appreciation to our customers, we would like to offer the following:
For your purchase of TEIN Street Basis or Street Advance dampers in the month of September (9/1/12-9/30/12), we will be giving away a free TEIN T-shirt to the first 50 customers to apply!
Choose from any of our following T-Shirt designs:
Circle Gray
Circle White
Dampachi
Gradation
Gray
Silhouette
Black
Green
Nitouryu
All that’s needed from you is to fill out our Free T-shirt Promotion form, include a copy of your invoice (must reflect purchase date between September 1-30, 2012) from an Authorized TEIN Dealer, and a proof of purchase (bar scan label from packaging), and mailing all three to us to get your free T-shirt.
If you’ve been following the Sparco Rally xD team as much as we have, then you know that they have consistently placed podium finishes. As of the Oregon Trail Rally (May 4-6), they temporarily held 1st in championship points under the 2wd class. Good stuff! That’s not an easy task, mind you!
Consistency is key. If you follow these dudes on Facebook and/or Twitter, you’ll see that they completely rework the car after every event, going down their laundry list of items to check, making sure that all components are good to go or replaced if needed well before the next race. I must add that they run a very tight ship- only a handful of guys working on this car. They not only serve as pit crew and transportation, but I’m guessing also as entertainment for their driver and co-driver Andrew Comrie-Picard and Andrew Wimpey. Geez. That’s a lot of work!
After every three or four events, they normally send their custom HG dampers to us for inspection. In some cases, they go longer without inspection, especially when they quickly have to prep for the next event. As with anything rally, these parts take a beating! In our case, it’s normally exterior coatings that get blasted off by dirt and gravel. Minor concern, i suppose.
Before the Oregon Trail Rally on May 4th-6th, Crew Chief Philip Chase brought in the dampers for a quick check. Surprisingly, nothing to really change on the front dampers.
Jon a.k.a. Sir Smiles-A-Lot Inspects The Front Dampers.
But for the rear, he requested remote reservoir mounting (tank detached from damper body), rather than the external mounting (tank attached to damper body) to give them freedom to reposition the external tank and add some needed clearance in the wheel well. Since that kind of work requires complete damper tear down, we overhauled the rear dampers for them. Now they have the reservoir attached by way of a braided steel hose, allowing them to reconfigure reservoir arrangement (they still keep the reservoir close to the damper body, just upside down and a few degrees in towards the chassis).
Still, even with all this preparation and constant rebuilding, something is bound to go wrong in the world of rally. Case in point- the Susquehannock Trail Rally (June 1-3) proved to be the breaking point for the Rally xD. This time, a fatigued rear twist beam axle gave way, pulling apart the axle and the damper assemblies. Ouch! Seven consecutive events can easily do this to a car and its parts. But seven events is also a long time of service! Seems the xD ain’t no cheapo box, afterall!
Susquehannock is no joke. check out this video showing the driving conditions they face
Fortunately, the break was at the beam. So it looks like they’ll be able to repair the car in time for the next event. Also, it seems that our customized HG rear dampers may be able to be repaired, too! That’s testament to the strong twin tube structure of the dampers that can take a good amount of punishment!
Next up is preparation for Pikes Peak, then off to New England Forest Rally (NEFR). They’ve got some time to knock out repairs.
I wish them the best this season, as these hard-working guys continue to do a great job time and again. On our end, we’ll continue to do the best we can to make sure their TEIN HG dampers are in top working order!
Keep it up, guys!
For an econobox, this Rally xD is one tough shoe!.
There’s some good recap of the events at Rally America’s website
www.rally-america.com
And of course, the dudes at Sparco Rally xD keep their blog up-to-date!
www.rallyxd.com
You can also follow them on Facebook (Rally xD) and Twitter (@RallyxD)! Oh, and you can follow us on Facebook, too (TEIN USA, Inc.)!
P.S.- if you were to look up the Finnish term “Sisu”, I’m almost positive that you’d find a picture of the Rally xD team. Look it up!
