Another Great Season for Rally xD!

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Paul P.

If you want to finish first, first you have to finish.

Although they fell short of the 2wd championship for Rally America, the crew at Rally xD went full force for the season, showing that hard work and determination really pays off. It was far from easy this season, having to face teams with some super competitive machines, improving their xD with a complete overhaul, and having to overcome the typical hurdles that rally racing has in store for them. That’s no short matter to these guys. They kept on truckin’, and that persistence pays big dividends towards the end result. They took the 2013 season in second place!

The preseason started with a fresh slate. The team put together all their ideas for building a new Scion xD and preparing it for the abuse they were now quite familiar with. In went a reconfigured seating arrangement for driver and co-driver, pushing them rearward just past the B-pillar and helping redistribute some of the weight from the stripped and caged chassis. Their proven power plant from a previous season went back in along with some upgrades to cooling in an effort to keep the boosted engine reliable under load. A redesigned rear suspension (a true coilover instead of the factory setup) allowed them to reinforce the twist beam where it was weakest, a problem they’ve faced once before. The new chassis was looking more like a formidable opponent to the factory-backed Ford Fiestas, which are much lighter than the xD.

However, nothing ever comes easy in this sport. There are too many unknowns, and sometimes you find that your best preparation was still not good enough. But, that didn’t deter this team from finishing the season strong. They visited the podium in every event, showing that they could still maintain good pace even with a few setbacks.

At any rate, I continue to maintain that this is one of the hardest working teams in the series. TEIN is proud to be their suspension partner for the past few seasons, and we’re glad to see this team grow into the true professionals that they are.

We wish them the best for next season, as we sure they are ahead of schedule in coming up with another competitive package!

Congratulations, you guys! We know next year will be just as exciting!

New England Forest Rally Report

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Paul P.

We’re glad to see the Rally xD team embarking on another race on much more familiar territory- gravel. Fresh from their run up the summit of Pikes Peak, the team reconfigured their rally chariot for long stroke suspension and wheels/tires much more suitable for the task at-hand. The NEFR race was not exactly an easy one.

The team had dealt with transmission problems- a failed 4th gear. At least the team put down a quick repair and got the car back out, suffering a minimal penalty since they were unable to complete the swap in the allotted service time.

Next set of problems were the front axles breaking at two different stages of the race. Fortunately, those were an easy enough swap during the service interval.

They did as much as they could to make up the loss in time, eventually finishing the event in 3rd place. Just enough to maintain their points lead in the championship.

Once again, another great performance from the hard working crew. We will certainly be rooting for them as this series gets close to the season end.

Congrats to the Rally xD Team for Reaching the Summit!!!

Posted on July 11, 2013 by Paul P.

In its second year contesting the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the Rally xD team successfully reached the top (a breathtaking 14,110 feet in elevation) for 2013! They placed a 12:39 ET, making them the fastest front-wheel drive vehicle for this event!

Crew Chief Philip Chase reported that conditions changed constantly, from snow, wind, hail, and whatever the gods of racing can throw at them. Traction would prove to be difficult, especially as the xD’s turbocharger started to build full-boost. Wheel slip was nearly unavoidable.

In a post I made last year, I mentioned a little on how hard that actually is for both man and machine. You not only have to battle uphill (or upmountain, if that makes more sense), but the higher up you go, the thinner the oxygen supply in the air is, making it difficult for the driver and car to breathe as if it were at sea level. At least the Rally xD relies on some turbocharged assistance to get the most oxygen into the engine. Can’t say the same for driver Andrew Comrie-Picard, unless he was hooked up to some oxygen tank. Even then, power output is cut drastically by the time they cross the 10,000 ft mark. Water and oil temperatures also suffer the higher up you travel, and if you’re hard on the brakes, the boiling temperature will also drop. So many things to factor in that can go wrong while driving.

Needless to say, the team didn’t have it easy. And this xD being their sole chariot for racing duties during the 2013 Rally America season, they’d have a lot to lose if this car found itself over the cliff. But, we’re talking about seasoned rally veterans. They know what they’re doing. Again, the xD saw the finish line under its own power. Some teams weren’t so lucky. The Love Fab NSX, for example, crashed during practice and went up in flames cutting their weekend short. Mechanical failures are to be expected to varying degrees. Drivers are pushed to their very limits. We’re just glad to see that nothing major went wrong for the xD crew.

It goes without saying that the highlight of the event was seeing Red Bull and their Peugeot 208 T16 with 875bhp and all-wheel drive, commandeered by WRC veteran Sebastien Loeb, break the record by a large margin. How about 8m:13.878sec to the top?! Last year’s record of 9:46 by Rhys Millen in his Hyundai Tiburon was still quite an achievement considering that was the first year of an all-paved course, and in rear-wheel drive only. To his acknowledgement, Rhys bested his own record with a 9:02.192 in his Hyundai PM580T.

Oh, and our good friends at Evasive Motorsports broke the 10 minute barrier (10:59) in their Time Attack Scion FR-S! Way to go, guys!

The 2013 event also saw a return of the Electric Car class. Say what you want about it, but a race car’s a race car no matter how it sounds. We should truly embrace this form of racing technology.

All in all, a great event. New records have been set, and we should all look forward to another record-smashing year in 2014!

TTT (TO THE TOP)!!!

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Paul P.

Quite the anticipated event that it is, this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb should be better than last years.

As we saw last year, the newly paved roadways not only added tremendous amounts of grip, it drastically cut transit time to the top of the summit.

The Sparco Rally xD team is under way in getting their rally car prepped for this event. Since this is essentially an all-tarmac event, their suspension needs change. No need for dampers with long stroke- in its place are a different set of TEIN Specialized Dampers with higher spring rates more appropriate for this event. Gone are the gravel tires, replaced with semi-slicks over 18″ wheels. It’s all about maximum grip on the asphalt surface. Other than that, the xD is left relatively the same as it is for rally events.

I’m definitely looking forward to what the new car can do this year. It’s been competitive throughout the year so far, even with the minor setbacks in the last two rally races. Let’s see if they can better their Pikes Peak performance for this year!

Pikes Peak International Hill Climb takes place on June 24th (tech inspections and practice days during the week), with race day on Sunday, June 30th.

For more information, please visit the following link- http://www.ppihc.com/

pics sourced from Scion Racing, Speedhunters, and Rally xd

Rally xD Takes 2nd Place at Susquehannock Trail Rally!

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Paul P.

In my last post, I made mention of the Rally xD taking a bit of a tumble during practice in preparation for this past weekend’s event at the Susquehannock Trail Rally.

A continued effort by the team, not only in rebuilding and repairing the car but also to see the event the whole way through, paid the largest of dividends as they brought home a 2nd place finish in their class. Considering the hardships they’ve dealt with these past two events, that is an incredible result! So far, it’s been a podium finish for all four events to-date!

The Team still holds first in the points standing for the 2wd class! Our most sincere congratulations to the team for getting the car right side up again and into battle mode!

A Hard Fight To The End

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Paul P.

Hats off to the Scion Racing Rally xD team once again. A great result for a less-than-perfect event.

For those that have not been following the Rally America series, the TEIN-sponsored Rally xD has been leading the 2wd pack, taking back-to-back wins in its last two outings.

This time, however, proved to be a true challenge for the crew. Mechanical woes hampered their performance for most of the event. As we understand, boost related problems were later resolved during the last day of the event. Through the final day of the event, a blown head gasket threatened to take the team out of the race entirely. Enough time for driver Andrew Comrie-Picard to make his push for yet another podium finish (3rd place). Well done, ACP.

As has been mentioned several times before, rally racing ain’t easy. Parts will break and driver and co-driver will be tested. But, persistence is key in getting everything in running order.

As the famous Rick Mears saying goes, “To finish first, you must first finish”.

Let’s look forward to their next event (Susquehannock Trail Rally starting May 31).

Until then, great job guys!

Pics sourced from scion.com and from Rally xD’s Facebook page.

Rally xD Makes an Appearance on Car and Driver!

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Paul P.

Yes, yes. Another post about one of the best built FWD race cars. NO, AGAIN, THAT IS NOT AN OXYMORON. FWD race cars can be pretty damn fast.

You gotta hand it to these guys- this year’s Rally America competition Scion xD is quite amazing. As I stated in my previous post, it may look very similar to the previous cars, aesthetically speaking. But, when you get to the finer details of this car, that is when MINDS GET BLOWN.

By the time you’ve read this, the Rally xD will have already completed its maiden voyage at Sno*Drift in Michigan and 100AW in Missouri. Results which you can find on

http://www.rally-america.com/

Again, aesthetically, it isn’t a far cry from how it’s looked in previous seasons. Love the new Baja Designs lights fitted into the bumper!

I’m not sure if Andrew Comrie-Picard’s legs got longer over the off-season, but that seat is pushed back pretty far… You can see where the B-Pillar is in reference to the seat, just at the bottom right of the pic.

Looks like driver and co-driver have extra security sitting right inside of the B-Pillar section. That, in conjunction with the fabricated safety cage makes for an extra safe section of the car to be seated in.

Catalytic converter mounted as far rearward as allowed.

How blinding?!

Check out Car and Driver’s article on the Rally xD online

http://blog.caranddriver.com/scion-shows-off-latest-xd-rally-car-for-rally-america/

For starters, they continue to use quality products from quality aftermarket manufacturers. We’re quite flattered to be considered one of those manufacturers!

Sponsors this year are (in no specific order)

Sparco

TEIN

RAYS Wheels

GReddy

Motul

Brembo

Baja Designs

TRD

Exedy

KAAZ

RÄZO

and of course Scion Racing!

I’m sure I missed a few key sponsors, unintentionally. Please forgive me. I’m just really glad that TEIN can be a part of a great team. We feel they’ve helped to represent us very well!

Anyway, keep track of these guys on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@RallyxD).

You can also track their progress during this year’s Rally America series at the following link

http://www.rally-america.com/

Another Win for the Rally xD Team!!!

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Sergio M.

Congratulations to the Rally xD Team for another win. Their victory in the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood makes it two in a row! They took first place in the 2wd class clocking an excellent lead over second place with a commanding 2 mins and 14 second gap. We tip our hats to you and keep up the great work, guys.

More information on this event can be found at Rally America

As well as on Rally xD’s Facebook page

TEIN Super Racing Review by CounterSpace Garage

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Paul P.

As exciting as the launch has been for the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ, we were all expecting the aftermarket to blow up with many great parts for these two cars (that share the same platform, in case you didn’t know!). And while that may hold true, what has also become apparent is the lack of information available to the public regarding these parts.

CounterSpace Garage has stepped into this vehicle segment to provide fans of the FR-S and BRZ the most up-to-date information, as well as unbiased product reviews as the parts become available.

CounterSpace Garage comprises of two guys, David Leung and Mike Kang. Both are avid track enthusiasts and operate their own shop catering to the Honda S2000 market, and of course the FR-S/BRZ market. Check out their site when you have a chance.

http://counterspacegarage.com/

They approached us last year regarding suspension for their Subaru BRZ. As it sits, it is a relatively stock vehicle. The only aftermarket parts they had on the car at the time were a Berk Technologies Axle-Back Exhaust and Enkei RPF1’s sized 17×8 +45 offset with Hankook Ventus RS3’s sized 224/45. They later added an AP Racing front Big Brake Kit. But that was it.
As luck would have it, we had just received some TEIN Super Racing dampers directly from TEIN Japan. It was a great opportunity to get feedback directly from the BRZ owners.

They had recently put up a post on ft86club.com on their review of our suspension.

(http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?p=651485)

We must say that we are quite impressed in how their review went, and we really appreciate their praise for our product! And, to be fair, they’re no slouches when it comes to track driving duties.

They weren’t able to complete all their testing, however. They still have a set of Maxxis Victra RC1’s on Wedsport TC105N’s sized 17×9 +35 to try out, as well as some optional spring rates for the Super Racing dampers. We definitely look forward to that review.

Below are some pictures taken from their ft86club.com post

Below is a video of their lap record for Streets of Willow

Here’s some information regarding our Super Racing dampers for the FR-S/BRZ

Super Racing Damper kit-

DSQ54-81LS1

msrp $3650

*Kit includes

-Four dampers (2 front strut, steel bodied; 2 rear shock absorbers, aluminum bodied)

-Pillowball Upper Mounts (2 front camber/caster adjustable; 2 rear offset)

-Camber adjustable front lower brackets

-Helper Springs for rear

These are 2-way adjustable dampers. Front struts are inverted with compression adjustment on top and rebound adjustment on the underside. Rears include external reservoir with adjustment knob for compression, while rebound is on the top of the piston shaft. 16×16 way damping resolution for compression and rebound. Compatible with our EDFC (and soon-to-be-released EDFC Active).

Springs are sold separately, giving the end-user the opportunity to tune the suspension to their preference. Recommended is our 10kg/mm front and 12kg/mm rear.

msrp for springs is $140/pair

Spring part numbers (recommended rates)-

RS100-F1140 (10kg ft springs)

RS120-E1150 (12kg rr springs)

Optional springs (special order from Japan)-

RS090-F1140 (9kg ft springs)

RS100-E1150 (10kg rr springs)

RS120-F1135 (12kg ft springs)

RS140-E1150 (14kg rr springs)

These Super Racing dampers are now available through any of our authorized TEIN dealers! In fact, I believe CounterSpace Garage has a special going on for these…..

2012 SEMA Show

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Sergio M.

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!

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