JPR AutoSports

After a shortened 2013 season we determined it was time to strengthen key components of the car, including the transmission, leveraging Shep Transmission and the motor. A complete rebuild was in order. At about 160 hours the Evo X engine has been running strong but instead of waiting for a thrown rod, this seemed a good time to upgrade those key elements. This will allow for significant tuning flexibility, allowing us to better set the car up against very stiff competition from the Corvette contingency. More to come!

Thanks for your continued support.

Goodyear Racing Tire Division will be supporting JPR AutoSports in 2012 with their fantastic Eagle RS racing tire! After an excellent 2011 season, including the regional championship, it only made sense to stick with what works best and so we are very excited to announce the continued sponsorship and support from Goodyear. The Eagle RS has proven itself a very worthy competitor to Hoosier, Hankook, and the others with great grip and excellent wear characteristics. In fact, we used less tires last year than forecast despite the hot days and fast tracks. Don’t take our word for it, you owe it to yourself to try a set of these tires. Access their website through our sponsorship page.

If I’ve come to know anything in this industry it is to never underestimate just how little you know about a subject. Braking technology, the metallurgical and physical impllications behind it, and the mechanical impact on the rest of the car is another area in which this truth has made itself abundantly clear. Martin, over at Girodisc (www.girodisc.com) certainly helped in this realization. He has a casual, easy way of explaining things that accomplishes two things immediately; one, he answers questions and provides quick and clear advice that you can apply immediately; two, in doing so you become aware of just how much information is available at his disposal, for which he is only leveraging what is necessary to solve your issue. It is VERY reassuring to have direct access to information that can make an immediate and real difference on the track. I suppose at some level it is a little disheartening to (for me anyway) to know, again, just how much I still have to learn.

I’ve had the opportunity to speak with Martin and his team a number of times this past season as we work to find the right brake pad combination for the Evo. At the track the stock Brembos are pretty strong, with nice sized pistons that can, with the right pad, stop the car quickly. The Evo is, however, heavy and so it is important to consider rotor and pad heat, wear and fade during a session. Separate from the pad and rotor decision, Martin recommneded steel braided brake lines and titanium shims as a complete solutionfor the stock caliper and rotor size. These two additional components are a must to provide a stronger pedal power and feel and reduce brake fade. The braided lines prevent expansion of the fluid when the pedal is depressed, while the titanium shims keep pad heat away from the caliper and other brake parts. (See my post on replacing the Brembos’ piston seals for more informaiton on seal and dust shield damage from heat.)

Girodisc offers a couple of rotor combinations, including their top of the line two piece floating setup which we use. These are beautifully made and well designed to separate the heat from the rotor from the rotor hat and Martin took some real time to walk us through the technology and design elements. This two piece solution reduces weight, fade and wear; critical elements for racing. Reducing the weight of the rotors reduces rotating mass and improves acceleration and responsiveness. Go to their website and learn more about their solutions. Certainly, there are other pad and rotor manufacturers out there but the combination of design and technology, build quality and access to information, the decision to work with Girodisc very, very simple. The braking performance of the Evo with the two piece rotors, shims, and brake lines, using Martin’s recommended Raybestos pads or the Hawk DTC70 is nothing short of spectacular. We’ll post some data on this analysis soon but know that the car stops gut wrenchingly hard.

We are very excited to be working with Martin and Girodisc and look forward to the improved stopping performance and lower lap times for the remainder of this season and into 2012.

The car is all but compete and Route 53 AutoBody has done a fantastic job making sure the car is in perfect shape. We are all very excited to get back to the track and are just waiting for some rims to mount up the spectacular Goodyear Eagle RS tires. A final check by EFI and we should be ready to race. Thanks for your patience… as you can imagine, it’s been a long month.

Danbury. Frank sure knows his stuff and has been great with advice as to how to get the car on the track quickly. The damage was pretty minor but we want to make it perfect and so are taking some time. Route 53 is the right shop for the job with an impressive repair and painting facility. Check it out.

More soon on some of our changes but APR Performance and Seibon, along with Route 53, have really come to our rescue with some exciting additions to the car. We are lightening the front end a bit which should help balance some. We’ll post up some pictures soon and are targeting either Lime Rock or Watkins Glen for our next event.

APR Performance, one of the leaders in aerodynamics solutions for race cars, is a new sponsor this season, providing some of there very best wings and products to the Evo X. Aerodynamics play a critical role in a race car’s performance and can make the difference between being competitive or not. APR Performance has done extensive testing that clearly demonstrates how their wings and splitter technology can help dial in a car’s handling and stability on the track. Check out www.aprperformance.com

EFI Logics’ Jack Laverty suggested an upgrade to the existing wing, simply on the basis that the technology and options for the Evo X had improved dramatically over the past two years. The advice was spot on and consistent with what other TT and Time Attack race cars were running. Some key discussions with APR Performance and the mutual benefit of a relationship was quickly recognized as the EFI Logics Evo X is a great platform for demonstrating the impact of better aerodynamics. We are looking very forward to working with such a well respected organization and will be posting up some details of the different product solutions soon. The first change will be to the venerable APR Performance GTC 300 Wing for the Evo X.

We’ll report back on the install and performance changes, and are working hard to get the wing set up for the Poconos. Needless to say, we are both excited and appreciative for the opportunity to work with APR Performance products and, again, thank EFI Logics for their help in ensuring the car stays at the cutting edge.

We had been using Hawk pads almost exclusively last season and found them consistent with excellent bite. The Evo X Brembo front caliper uses a two (per side) large pistons and, with the right pad generates some significant stopping power with the right pad. Hawk’s very aggressive DTC 70 race compound was working well and so we were somewhat reluctant to try any other compound. An opportunity to try the Raybestos race pad came up and so we mounted up a set of their front pads. Also a full race compound, these things (like the Hawks) are terrible until fully warmed up. This is not a a street pad and you can not put them on anything but a race track, promise us you wont, as you will roll right through that stop sign with no stopping power whatsoever. Once heated though, watch out, as racing pads will grab you hard, wrenching the car into the turn. The Raybestos has been a good pad and seem to wear well, even better I suspect, then the Hawk DTC 70. They do not, however, have the same bite and raw stopping torque as the Hawk DTC 70. Depending on the circumstances, that might not be a bad thing, as it is important to consider brake modulation, control, ABS impact, etc.

Nonetheless, this isn’t a full brake review so much as it as an acknowledgement to Hawk Performance. As EFI Logic’s master tech, Jack Laverty was preparing the car for Lime Rock he indicated new rear pads were needed. Your pads last 50,000 miles, these last 4-5 days. Typically we keep an extra set, just in case, and so it was somewhat of a surprise that they couldn’t be found – Another item I overlooked as we moved from last season to this one. Nonetheless, it seemed all was lost as new pads were required but without time to get a set ordered. Amazingly, a quick call to Hawk Performance headquarters saved the day. Describing our dire circumstances on the phone, Hawk understood completely, took us under their wing and agreed to ship a set of DTC 70 rear pads directly to the track so they would be ready for installation by 8:30 am. Unbelievable support, really.

Sure enough, UPS came through and the pads were track side and ready to go. Installation is easy, two pins, push in the pistons a bit (Jack showed me a new, brilliant trick for this) slip them in and you are done.

Now, it is impossible to say whether or not some other manufacturer would have offered the same level of support under the same circumstances. The racing community is, like none other I’ve ever known, filled with people working and willing to help each other out. Hawk’s willingness to rescue us was exceptional though, very much appreciated and made all the difference. Despite the exceptional performance of the DTC 70 Hawk pad, with all the different options available for brake pads, it’s this kind of attention and commitment that warrants loyalty. Enough said.