Federal Tires - A Review from SpeedSF Instructor and Racing Driver Michael Ostby
Federal Tires' performance are motorsports-proven, and so we asked our SpeedSF instructor, resident racecar driver, and an all-around good guy Michael Ostby, to give us his feedback/review of the Federal 595RS-RR.
Federal Tires and the SpeedSF Challenge
As you all know, Federal Tires have been a long-time title sponsor for the SpeedSF Challenge. Not only can SpeedSF participants purchase Federal 595 RS-RR tires at a discounted rate, fast SpeedSF drivers who end up on the podium after each event can earn free tires through the SpeedSF contingency program! As of April 2018, Federal Tires has earned their second Red Dot Award with their Xplora MTS tire. In 2017, Federal won their first Red Dot Award with their 595-RS-RR, a tire we have been proudly promoting during the past year.
Federal Tires' performance are motorsports-proven, and so we asked our SpeedSF instructor, resident racecar driver, and an all-around good guy Michael Ostby, to give us his feedback/review of the Federal 595RS-RR.
I have been a really big fan of the Federal 595RS-RR for over the past year or so. As someone who races regularly, getting solid seat time with race rubber can get pretty expensive! Fortunately, the Federal 595RS-RRs have phenomenal grip characteristics, that are close enough to R-comp tires that we don’t feel the need to spend precious track time burning up race rubber. We don’t even change any settings on the car’s suspension; simply swap, push hard, review data and repeat.
The grip is consistent and predictable. The longevity of the tires is amazing as well. The relative speed of the tires lasts until the very end, making these tires very useful. They make an excellent track day tire and we couldn’t be happier with the performance and overall remarkable value.
Please make sure to visit Federal Tires' 595 RS-RR product page for more information regarding specs and sizes. We thank Federal Tires for being an awesome company and partner to work with and we are proud of Federal Tires' achievements thus far. SpeedSF Track Events hopes they continue their run of success for years to come.
FEDERAL TIRES SPEEDSF CHALLENGE @ SONOMA RACEWAY - MAY 27, 2018 - ROUND 5
Back at it again here in Wine Country. The SpeedSF Challenge barrels into Sonoma Raceway with an epic 40+ cars on our lineup sheet. Today's event served as a healthy reminder for drivers to PLEASE SIGN UP PROPERLY so that you are entered into the event according to your proper class. We want you to be a part of the fun, so please fill out the paperwork accordingly.
Back at it again here in Wine Country. The SpeedSF Challenge barrels into Sonoma Raceway with an epic 40+ cars on our lineup sheet. Today's event served as a healthy reminder for drivers to PLEASE SIGN UP PROPERLY so that you are entered into the event according to your proper class. We want you to be a part of the fun, so please fill out the paperwork accordingly.
*Ahem* with that out of the way, let's get on to the actual Challenge results. One record fell this time, and it was none other than Gary Yeung in the Mango Honda S2000. Is this dude just getting faster and faster or what? Crazy! Fun fact: on August 21, 2017, he set the Group S2 record at Sonoma Raceway with a 1:48.603 lap time. However, during this round's outing, his Group S3 record at Sonoma Raceway was set with a 1:49.501 lap time. Hm... Gary... what's going on?
Group X
Starting with the crazy class, the lap times were spread among all participants, while the top 3 were 1 second apart from each other. Darius Khashabi placed 1st with a 1:43.113 in his Dodge Viper ACR. T Stig placed 2nd with his Corvette Z06 and put down a 1:44.473, while 3rd place finisher Peter Parker threw down a 1:45.645 in his own Dodge Viper. Great driving from everyone in this group!
Group S1
With 7 drivers entering this class, one would expect competition to be fierce. Between the top 3 drivers, the lap times were close--something one would expect with the number of fast cars in this group. 1st place finisher Josh Grobin took home a trophy with his 1:46.316 lap time. James Hunt piloted his Honda S2000 and garnered a 1:47.363. Jeff H was close to 2nd, but had to settle for 3rd with his GT3RS' 1:47.882 lap time.
Group S2
This was a hotly contested group featuring 10 drivers with varying cars. While Sean Yepez took home 1st place clear of any challengers by putting down a 1:49.449 lap time in his Lotus Exige S, Abraham Poon and Jason Fries were oh so close in lap times. Abraham put down a 1:50.737 lap time in his 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 to take home 2nd place while Jason Fries had a 1:50.894 lap time in Porsche Turbo S and wound up taking up 3rd.
Group S3
8 drivers participated in this class, and while there were some fast drivers, the top 3 really stood out. Gary Yeung and his Honda S2000 took home the 1st place trophy by putting down a 1:49.501 lap time, nearly a full second clear of the 2nd place finisher Martin Riente who piloted a Honda S2000 as well with a 1:50.468. 3rd place finisher in an apparently super capable Mazda Miata laid it all out on the track with a 1:51.395 lap time. Crazy lap times by the top 3 drivers in this group!
Group S4
While a smaller outing this time around, S4 still had 5 challengers ready to take on the track. 1st place finisher was Mikhail Butenko in a BMW 325is who put in a 1:56.458 lap time. 2nd place finisher was Joe Kou in a Mazda Miata who put in a 2:02.084 lap time. Last but not least was Kanishk Parashar who piloted his Chevrolet Corvette Z06 around Sonoma and ended up with his fastest lap time of 2:03.868.
Group S5
The three entrants in this group were also the three winners! Additionally, it was a battle of the best Miata. 1st place finisher Eric Fernandez had a 1:59.770, 2nd place finisher Corentin Derbois put down a 2:00.459 lap time, while 3rd place finisher Peter Cassini had a 2:01.919 lap time.
Conclusion
A great job to the drivers who won their places and THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the SpeedSF Challenge!
As we look forward to Round 6 of the SpeedSF Challenge at Sonoma Raceway, we want to say that we truly appreciate our sponsors and participants as it would not be possible without them!
We would like to thank our Challenge sponsor Federal Tires, as well as SpeedSF Track events sponsors Wine Country Motorsports, G-Loc brakes, DBA USA, Necksgen, and iLapTimer 2.
Our next SpeedSF Challenge will be held at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca on June 17, 2018. Again, please check out the event website by clicking here. We will see you at our next event!
FEDERAL TIRES SPEEDSF CHALLENGE @ WEATHERTECH RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA - JUNE 17, 2018 - ROUND 6
Welcome to Maz--- WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca! Our first SpeedSF Challenge held here since the official name change. We're still trying to rewire our brains saying the new name, right that right Joe McG?
Welcome to Maz--- WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca! Our first SpeedSF Challenge held here since the official name change. We're still trying to rewire our brains saying the new name, right Joe McG?
Anyhoo, this round's SpeedSF Challenge went smoothly and featured 30 drivers with a variety of cars (also, mostly Porsches). Even a Ferrari came out to play this time!
Records fell thanks to Andrie Hartanto (Group S1) and Gary Yeung (Group S3). Andrie's record with his Chevrolet C6 Corvette Z06 was a 1:34.444 (W O W) whereas Gary's record was a 1:40.618 in his Mango Honda S2000.
Starting with the Group X class, we had one entrant, and ergo, one winner: Kevin Woods with his 2016 Porsche GT3 RS, posting a 1:39.087.
In the Group S5 class, we had two entrants, with Karan Shertukue earning a 2nd place finish in his Miata (2:00.108) while George Kibilov took home 1st place in his Miata by putting down a 1:47.139 lap time.
In the Group S4 class, 4 entrants laid down their lap times. In 3rd place, Vasu Divi put a 1:57.643 on the track in his FR-S, while Justin Cruz had a 1:56.039 lap time in his 2017 Subaru BRZ, earning him a 2nd place finish. In 1st place, Mikhail Butenko put down a fast lap of 1:48.132 in his 1992 BMW 325is. Very nice!
The stacked Group S3 class featured 11 entrants, and boy, were the lap times close. 3rd place finisherMartin Riente laid down a 1:42.003 in his Honda S2000 while 2nd place finisher Thiago Aguiar posted a 1:40.709 in his 2007 BMW M3. Just barely squeaking into 1st place was the aforementioned Gary Yeung in his Honda S2000, laying it all on the line with a class record-breaking 1:40.618.
Group S2 featured 5 high flyers and some really fast cars. In 3rd place, we have Steven "how the heck did he pull that off" Chiu, putting a 1:42.460 in his 2004 BMW M3. 2nd place finisher who barely stayed ahead of Steven by two-tenths of a second was Hans Soho in his 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4. He earned his place with a 1:42.235 lap time. 1st place boy racer was none other than Sean Yepez in a 2007 Lotus Exige S who had a blistering 1:39.705 lap time!
Group S1 had 7 drivers with their own fast cars, but even the two Porsche 911 GT3s couldn't outgun the American power Andrie put on display this time around. Jeff H took home 3rd place in his GT3 by putting down a 1:39.356 lap time while 2nd place Chris Bales, who was very close to grabbing 1st, put down a 1:34.859 lap time, only four-tenths away from Andrie's 1st-place-winning 1:34.44 lap time in his C6 Z06 Corvette.
A great job to the drivers who won their places and THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the SpeedSF Challenge!
As we look forward to Round 7 of the SpeedSF Challenge at Sonoma Raceway, we want to say that we truly appreciate our sponsors and participants as it would not be possible without them!
We would like to thank our Challenge sponsor Federal Tires, as well as SpeedSF Track events sponsors Wine Country Motorsports, G-Loc brakes, DBA USA, Necksgen, and iLapTimer 2.
Our next SpeedSF Challenge will be held at Sonoma Raceway on July 7, 2018. Again, please check out the event website by clicking here. We will see you at our next event!
FEDERAL TIRES SPEEDSF CHALLENGE @ THUNDERHILL RACEWAY WEST - APRIL 29, 2018 - ROUND 4
The SpeedSF train rolled into Willows, CA once again for another two-day event weekend at Thunderhill Raceway. As cars flowed into the city and the symphony of exhaust notes filled the air, participants in the SpeedSF Challenge were anxiously looking forward to moving up the leaderboard and seeing what they could come away with this time.
The SpeedSF train rolled into Willows, CA once again for another two-day event weekend at Thunderhill Raceway. As cars flowed into the city and the symphony of exhaust notes filled the air, participants in the SpeedSF Challenge were anxiously looking forward to moving up the leaderboard and seeing what they could come away with this time.
Starting in the S2 class, it was another tight battle between the top two competitors and rivals, who are clearly looking for an edge during this competition. 1st place belonged to Steven Chiu in his 2004 BMW M3 this round with his fastest lap time of 1:22.468. Not far behind, as has been the case in the place-swapping battles this season, Gordon Peng earned 2nd place with a 1:22.811 in his 2002 Chevrolet C5 Z06. In 3rd place was Samson Kwong in his BMW E46 M3, running at 1:28.441 lap time to round out the class. This places Steven ahead of Gordon in this group, only edging out Gordon by 1 point! A great showing from all three drivers this round.
The S3 class’ top two drivers were also neck-and-neck, with Gary Yeung running a 1:22.395 lap time in his Honda S2000, while Scott Smith was very close with his Mazda Miata’s lap time of 1:22.948. In 3rd place was the other Gary, Gary Wong in his 2004 Honda S2000 and a lap time of 1:25.029. With these results, Gary Yeung extends his 2nd place holding in the competition while Scott is now in 3rd place with his showing.
In Group S4, class leader Sohan Kota took home 1st place again, as he ran a 1:27.079 in his 2000 Honda S2000. Closely behind was PC JC in his Honda S2000 and running a 1:27.483 lap time. So close, yet so far! 3rd place’s Joe McGuigan ran a great 1:28.490 in his Scion FR-S; very good time for this car in this class., moving himself up into 2nd place in the standings!
Group S5 featured a whole slew of Miatas, but there was one Miata to rule them all. Pablo Marx took home 1st place in his Miata by running a 1:29.327 on the day. Excellent run! 2nd place featured class leader Corentin Derbois who ran a 1:30.806 in his 1994 Mazda Miata, while Xavier Deguillard earned 3rd place in his 1995 Mazda Miata by running a 1:31.191 lap time.
Group X only had one driver, but boy was he fast. That shiny yellow object running around the track was Adam Auerbach in his 2016 TracKing TT01, who put down a blistering 1:19.494! He surely made excellent work out of Thunderhill West!
As we look forward to Round 5 of the SpeedSF Challenge at Sonoma Raceway, we want to say that we truly appreciate our sponsors and participants as it would not be possible without them!
We would like to thank our Challenge sponsor Federal Tires, as well as SpeedSF Track events sponsors Wine Country Motorsports, G-Loc brakes, DBA USA, Necksgen, and iLapTimer 2.
Our next SpeedSF Challenge will be held at Sonoma Raceway on May 26, 2018. Again, please check out the event website by clicking here. We will see you at our next event!
NorCal 86Drive Challenge w/SpeedSF @ Thunderhill Raceway - April 28, 2018
The NorCal 86Drive Challenge once again joined SpeedSF during the two-day event weekend at picturesque Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, CA. Round 3 came into town, and with it, 27 participants showing up in their FR-S/BR-Z/86 variants. There were newcomers in each of the groups, which is always appreciated!
The Stock class featured 6 drivers, 1 of whom was brand new to the challenge. Welcome, Haven Latimore! The top three finishers were the following: Eric Lin (10 pts.), Tor Anderson (7 pts.) and Brandon Simpson (5 pts.). The current standings feature Tor Anderson in 1st place with 24 points, Eric Lin in 2nd place with 20 points, and Joe Reifer in 3rd place with 9 points. Tor Anderson is still in the lead with 24 points while Eric Lin is in 2nd place with 20 points. Great job to everyone in the stock class!
Street class featured two new drivers this weekend: Joe McGuigan and Aaron Trout. Welcome! A total of 10 drivers participated this weekend, with an amazing result for one of the drivers when one looks at the driver’s previous round results. Max Paolozzi, who only scored 3 points in the first two sessions, scored 10 points this round by securing 1st place! Sean Chou, took home 2nd place and 7 points, while Neal Wiebmer scored 5 points by taking home 3rd place. Sean Chou is barely holding to 1st place with 21 points, as Neal Wiebmer is hot on his tail with 20 points. Some great driving in the street class!
The Touring class featured 1 new driver (Sean Estenson) and a total of 7 drivers participating in this round of the NorCal 86Drive Challenge. Jeff Nucum took 1st place and scored 10 points, while newcomer Sean Estenson took 2nd place and 7 points. Finally, Felipe Burga took home 3rd place and earned 4 points for the season. This should be an interesting season, seeing as the top 4 drivers are very close in points.
Last but not least, the Unlimited class featured some of the fastest cars in this challenge. Garland Wong scored his first 1st place win this season, taking home 10 points. Brandon Yun secured 2nd place and 7 points, while class-leader Kevin Schweigert took 3rd place and 5 points.
Another great round of driving by all of the participants from this weekend. Looking forward to the next event held at Sonoma Raceway on May 26!
G-Loc Brakes
Brothers Danny and Chris Puskar’s foray into the brake industry started in 2003 where they, along with their father, built a brake pad company. After 10+ years of building the business and gaining experience in the brake industry, they moved onto building G-Loc. Long story short, G-Loc Brakes became the new company that formed out of Danny and Chris’ combined experience in the brake industry, and with both brothers firmly at the helm, they are now able to spread their wings like never before.
G-Loc Brakes are created using “proprietary Carbon, Ceramic, Kevlar, and Metallic compound formulations”. G-Loc prides themselves in using brakes that are rotor-friendly along with providing great stopping power confident braking modulation and release characteristics. In addition to the 8 brake pad compounds currently available, G-Loc also has options to satisfy your custom needs.
Our SpeedSF racing drivers have had fantastic results with G-Loc brakes. Patrick Chio and his 350Z placed 2nd in his USTCC class while Andrie Hartanto and his Honda S2000 placed 1st in his class. Specifically, their use of the G-Loc R10 and G-Loc R12 braking compounds delivered fantastic results during their racing season and these are two compounds that will be looked at more in-depth.
Starting with the R10, its highlights include a very strong initial bite and high coefficient of friction. Along with the quality smooth release, modulation, and rotor-friendliness, it boasts a wide operating range, which begins at 118° F and its fade resistance is in excess of 1475° F.
The R12, which is levels above the R10, increases the excellent initial bite, along with a higher coefficient over the R10. While it is still rotor-friendly, it does have a bit more aggression over the R10. The operating range for this begins at 173° F and its fade resistance is in excess of 1860° F.
The main thing you will need to understand for your own needs are that figuring out what works best for your car and car's setup.
Driver Andrie Hartanto states, "G-Loc has been a long-time supporter of my racing effort. Together, we’ve won a few titles, recently, the 2017 USTCC title. Their brake pads are a major contributor to this affect. We would have not been able to do it without them. Their ease of modulation has allowed me to out-brake my competitors."
Our SpeedSF instructor, Scott Smith enjoys his G-loc brakes, saying, "I use G-LOC Brakes. Period. If G-LOC makes a pad for my car, that’s what I use. I had never used them on a Spec Miata before, but only because I never had a Spec Miata. My 1999 Miata track car uses the standard R10/R8 combo with great success. The Spec Miata is a little heavier and has less horsepower, but pedal feel and modulation were still exceptional, not a hint of pedal travel or fading, and the wear is great. This combination of pads is also perfect for the spec Toyo RR tire used by the class. The SCCA (and SpeedSF) contingencies are a nice bonus as well!
With G-Loc’s partnership, our SpeedSF drivers are able to focus their hard driving without worrying about brake fade, problems with braking modulation, and can consistently attack braking zones confidently.
A huge thank you to Danny and Chris Puskar for developing industry-leading brakes that benefits motorsport racers and enthusiasts alike. For more information on G-Loc brakes, please visit www.g-locbrakes.com.
NORCAL 86DRIVE CHALLENGE W/ SPEEDSF @ THUNDERHILL RACEWAY - MARCH 17, 2018
Everyone knows what happens on Sundays with SpeedSF (the SpeedSF Challenge), but did you know a group of like-minded individuals who pilot a BR-Z/FR-S/86 get together on Saturdays during a SpeedSF weekend and have their own challenge? Effectively known as the NorCal86 Cup, it once again appeared at Thunderhill Raceway for its 2nd round shenanigans.
BACK AT IT AGAIN: ROUND 2
Everyone knows what happens on Sundays with SpeedSF (the SpeedSF Challenge), but did you know a group of like-minded individuals who pilot a BR-Z/FR-S/86 get together on Saturdays during a SpeedSF weekend and have their own challenge? Effectively known as the NorCal86 Cup, it once again appeared at Thunderhill Raceway for its 2nd round shenanigans.
The rules are simple: drive one of the identical triplets, enter the challenge, get sorted according to class rules, and drive the hell out of the car! With that said, here are the results!
STOCK CLASS:
As the name implies, this class features mostly stock vehicles where the emphasis is placed on driver skill versus car modifications. However, there are some modifications allowed (check the rules). In any case, driver mod is the best mod, and the results reflect that! Eric Lin comfortably secured 1st place with a 1:30.39 lap time, which is very impressive for a stock-powered FR-S. Tor Anderson took home 2nd place position by laying down a 1:34.410 lap time. Last by not least, Joe Reifer took 3rd place with a lap time of 1:35.265.
STREET CLASS:
Street class, in comparison to Stock class, featured closer lap times, with 1st and 2nd place separated by just under .200 seconds! Jerry Kwan took home 1st place with a very fast 1:29.683 lap time, while Sean Chou had to settle for 2nd place with his 1:29.842 lap time. Neal Wiebmer was only a few tenths behind with his 1:30.216 lap time, which put him solidly in 3rd place.
TOURING:
While Jeff Nucum (FI) took 1st place with ease due to his 1:26.705 lap time, 2nd and 3rd place were all but settled with under .300 of a second separating these two. Ultimately, Tselmeg Enkhjargal won out 2nd place with a 1:32.063 lap time and Felipe Burga claimed 3rd place with his 1:32.325 lap time.
UNLIMITED:
Now, this class features the fastest of the fastest in this competition. Anything goes in this class and force-induction/engine swaps are heavily advised if you’re going to run with the big boys! Kevin Schweigert, whose car features FI, just barely snatched 1st place with a 1:25.466, .027 seconds away from Garland Wong’s V8-powered FR-S. He placed 2nd in this competition with a 1:25.493. Brandon Yun (FI) happily took 3rd place with a respectable 1:27.881.
It was a great day of driving from the NorCal 86Drive Challenge participants, who will once again battle it out at SpeedSF’s Thunderhill Raceway-West event on April 28. We shall see who will reign supreme on this track configuration once again. Perhaps the lap times will be even closer!
FEDERAL TIRES SPEEDSF CHALLENGE @ THUNDERHILL RACEWAY - MARCH 18, 2018 - ROUND 3
The SpeedSF circus arrived back in the town of Willows, CA with its barrage of exhaust notes echoing in the morning sky. As residents woke up to the mechanical roosters, modified vehicles filed into the renowned Northern California racetrack, their respective drivers eager to lay down their personal best lap times for the Federal Tires-sponsored SpeedSF Challenge.
We had Groups S2, S3, S4, and S5 represented, and the results were about what was expected, though S4 did bring a resounding class win to temporarily de-throne the class leader, at least for this round!
Group S2
Group S2’s showing featured the two class leaders and rivals from last season, Gordon Peng and Steven Chiu. On Saturday, Steven’s BMW told him “nope” during one of his sessions and therefore needed to take a quick trip to the auto parts store down the street. On Sunday, Steven came back with a vengeance and took 1st place in his M3 ahead of Gordon’s C5 Corvette. Gordon’s best lap time during the SpeedSF Challenge was a 1:23.105 while Steven’s was a 1:22.018. Steven and his trophy-winning wheel hub are sure going places this season, especially if he can continue breaking Andrie Hartanto’s M3 class lap record along the way just like he did at Thunderhill West!
The trophy-winning hub (you can't see it, but it's a new one, we promise)
New wing!
Hey, that's not Steven!
Group S3
The Dirty Mango did it again with Gary Yeung at the helm, pulling off a 1:22.150 during the SpeedSF Challenge session. While Gary took home 1st place, John Lawrence and his 2017 Camaro SS 1LE set a 1:23.661 and took home 2nd place, extending his S3 lead this season to 67 points. Gary, however, only has 25 points to his name thus far this season, which currently ties him for 3rd place.
Group S4
Sohan Kota was dethroned for the first time this season! He and his S2000 fell into 2nd place despite setting a fast 1:27.683 lap time. However, on this day, Gabriel Rothman was just a helluva lot faster this time around in his Ford Focus RS, setting a 1:26.857 lap time and clearing 1st place without doubt. Joe McGuigan, the fastest of the rest, secured 3rd place in his Scion FR-S and setting a 1:30.010 for his troubles. Will we see another blistering pace from Gabriel in his next SpeedSF Challenge showing?
Group S5
Ah S5, the Miata-dominated class… not that there is anything wrong with that! Eric Fernandez took home 1st place with his Mazda Miata, setting down a 1:28.677 lap time and earning him the title of the fastest Miata of the day. Scott Smith, however, was not far behind in his own NA Spec Miata! He took 2nd place with his 1:29.950 lap time showing. Imagine if he had his “YT Rice” Miata this round. Ryan Tan took home 3rd place in his own Miata after setting a 1:32.559 lap time, which is a good showing as well! Ryan must have set a faster lap earlier in the day because 4th place driver Ben Bunch set his fast lap time of 1:32.306 during the SpeedSF session. Either way, it looks like it’ll be close battle for 3rd place if Ryan Tan and Ben Bunch can continue dueling with close lap times like these!
All-in-all, another great showing for the SpeedSF Challenge participants. We appreciate fast lap times as always and of course enjoy seeing lap records fall. We’ll just have to wait and see who is willing to step up to the challenge (pardon the pun) as we progress through the season. With 12 more opportunities to go, the season is still up for grabs!
As we look forward to Round 4 of the SpeedSF Challenge at Thunderhill, we want to say that we truly appreciate our sponsors and participants as it would not be possible without them!
We would like to thank our Challenge sponsor Federal Tires, as well as SpeedSF Track events sponsors Wine Country Motorsports, G-Loc brakes, DBA USA, Necksgen, and iLapTimer 2.
Our next SpeedSF Challenge will be held at Thunderhill Raceway (West Loop) on April 29, 2018. Again, please check out the event website by clicking here. We will see you at our next event!
NorCal 86Drive Challenge w/ Speedsf @ Thunderhill raceway - February 24, 2018
A New Kind of Challenge
The NorCal 86Drive Challenge in conjunction with SpeedSF was held on February 24 at Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, CA. A combination of 12 Scion FR-Ss, Subaru BR-Zs and were present and competed across the Challenge’s 4 classes: Unlimited, Touring, Street, and Stock. The drivers and their respective cars laid down fresh rubber onto the track’s East-Bypass configuration.
In the Stock class, driver Tor Anderson, who is part of both the Championship Prize program and the Tire Contingency program took home 1st place and 10 points. His fastest lap time was a 2:17.96 on the GT Radial SX2.
In the Street class, the 2nd and 3rd place drivers were in close contention with one-another! Even better, they were both on the same SX2 tire! While Neal Wiebmer ran away with the fastest class time of 2:10.80 and 10 points with his SX2 tires, Sean Chou and Aseda Abaoyge’s lap times were close. Sean ran a 2:11.12 earning him 2nd place and 7 points, while Aseda, who was not far behind at all, laid down a 2:11.80 on his fastest run, which earned him 3rd place and 5 points in the championship. That is some fast driving on display! All three drivers are participating in the Championship Prize program and the Tire Contingency program.
In the Touring class, Trevor Parque took 1st place and 10 points home in addition to netting a 2:12.07 on his fastest lap time. P. Stitch took home 2nd place and 7 points for his efforts. His fastest lap time was a 2:21.89. Stitch is also a participant in the Tire Contingency program.
Last but not least, we have the Unlimited class. In it, Kevin Schweigert whose boosted chassis pushed him to a 1st place finish and a fast lap time of 1:59.22, taking home 10 points for the class win. Garland Wong’s V8-powered FR-S allowed him to get a lap time of 2:00.31 and 7 points as a result of his 2nd place finish.
It was a great day of driving from the NorCal 86Drive Challenge participants, who will once again battle it out at SpeedSF’s Thunderhill Raceway-West event on March 17. We shall see who will reign supreme on this track configuration!
Federal Tires SpeedSF Challenge @ Thunderhill Raceway - February 25, 2018 - Round 2
Round 2 of the SpeedSF Challenge was feaured at the world-class facility known as Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, CA.
Round 2 @ Thunderhill east
Round 2 of the Federal Tires SpeedSF Challenge was held at Thunderhill Raceway as part of an exciting two-day weekend. A huge entry list for this round netted some incredibly close points-grabbing, in addition to SEVERAL track records being broken, making it one of the more intense SpeedSF rounds of recent memory. Additionally, the Federal Tires contingency earned two drivers free tires!
Sohan Kota won two free tires for his Group S4 1st Place finish, while Eric Talistu won one free tire for his Group S5 3rd Place finish!
Federal 595-RSRR
BROKEN RECORDS at Thunderhill East:
Group X: 1:51.710 (Jeff Cook - 2002 Corvette Z06) 02/25/18
Group S1: 1:53.259 (Andrie Hartanto - Corvette C6 Z06) 02/25/18
Group S2: 1:56.925 (Patrick Chio - Nissan 350Z) 02/25/18
Group S3: 1:59.551 (Edwin Pham - Honda S2000) 02/25/18
Group X:
Group X featured two drivers: winner Jeff Cook in a Corvette C5 Z06 and Gary Yeung in his world-famous Honda S2000. With Shah Rukh Khan's absence for this round, this allowed Jeff to grab 25 points, tying the two gentlemen for 1st place. Pretty boy Gary secured 2nd place for this round.
Group S1 featured a repeat winner, Josh Grobin in a Porsche GT3, and two newer drivers, Philip Spencer in a Lotus Exige and Nikolas Beisert in a 2015 Ford Mustang GT. Philip scored 2nd place, while Nikolas scored 3rd place. Great driving by both of them! Andrie Hartanto accepted the award on Josh's behalf during this round, causing great laughter and confusion as to who the real Josh Grobin is!
Group s2
Group S2's winner was SpeedSF's very own Patrick Chio in his made-for-Thunderhill Nissan 350Z. Historically, his car has performed very well at Thunderhill East and this time it was no different. Group S2's runner-up was Gordon Peng in his Corvette C5 Z06, an amazing run featuring fresh tires, a determined set of eyes, and brass hardware whose gleam could be seen for miles. He snatched an easy 21 points, putting him squarely at the top of the S2 group as we head into Round 3. 3rd place winner was Jourdan Risoen in a 2011 Subaru WRX. It is still a young season, but if this round was any indication, the S2 points battle will be very close as each round progresses.
The shirt clearly explains why he was able to secure a podium finish!
Group S3
Group S3 is a loaded group of track stars. It features the usual track toys piloted by some of the finest drivers SpeedSF has to offer. Edwin Pham secured a 1st place finish in his Honda S2000, followed by John Lawrence's 2nd place finish in his big bad 2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE. Tim Crane took home 3rd place his own FWD beast, a Honda Civic EK hatch.
Group S4
Group S4, although a smaller group of drivers, already has a runaway winner heading into the Round 3 of the SpeedSF Challenge! Sohan Kota won 1st place again in his Honda S2000 (AP1), while Alex Lin took 2nd place with his own Honda S2000. With a name echoing famous racing liveries of yore, Gabriel Rothman took 3rd place in his Ford Focus RS.
Group S5
Finally, Group S5, a group featuring a really cool Ford Escort race car straight out of Georgia, and, of course, a sea of Miatas! Miata hero Corentin Derbois continued his reign this round with a 1st place finish in his Mazda Miata, with Ronald Nielsen in a Ford Escort ZX2 trailing not far behind in terms of points! His 2nd place finish at Thunderhill vaulted him to 2nd overall in S5, leapfrogging Iakona Simpliciano by 5 points. 3rd place finisher Eric Talistu rounds out Group S5, finishing off an exciting round 2 at Thunderhill.
As we look forward to Round 3 of the SpeedSF Challenge at Thunderhill, we want to say that we truly appreciate our sponsors and participants as it would not be possible without them!
We would like to thank our Challenge sponsor Federal Tires, as well as SpeedSF Track events sponsors Wine Country Motorsports, G-Loc brakes, DBA USA, Necksgen, and iLapTimer 2.
Our next SpeedSF Challenge will be held at Thunderhill Raceway on March 18, 2018. Again, please check out the event website by clicking here. We will see you at our next event!
SpeedSF Banquet @ The Garage in Burlingame - January 14, 2018
On January 14, 2018, nearly 100 people descended upon The Garage for SpeedSF’s Year-End Banquet to celebrate the 2017 season, eat great food, and win some really cool prizes provided by SpeedSF’s sponsors and affiliates. The SpeedSF winners were also announced and were given top-notch awards provided by sponsors Necks-Gen, DBA USA, Wine Country Motorsports, and Carzwerk. SpeedSF's very own Joe McGuigan rocked the mic as emcee and awards presenter during the event.
Starting with Group RWB, we have Dom Stone in a Dodge Viper edging out Lief Storer and his 2009 Nissan GT-R 100 to 92. Dom certainly earned his top spot after winning the four events he entered! Third place victor is none other than Darius Khaghbi in his Dodge Viper ACR-E. He was only 1 win away from tying Dom but we’ll just have to wait until this year to see who ends up where. A huge congratulations to all. Andre Hartanto was the stand-in for accepting the prizes since the three winners were unable to make it to the banquet.
In Group FOF, cover girl Gary Yeung in the Dirty Mango Honda S2000 once again claimed the top spot with 217 points and 4 event wins. Gordon Peng in a Corvette C5 Z06 secured 2nd place after earning a crucial 15 points during the MRLS event on 12/31. SpeedSF first-timer Steven Chiu in a BMW E46 M3 won a respectable 3rd place with a total of 132 points. We’re excited to see where he ends up in 2018, as this group is loaded with talent and fast cars! All three winners received awards from the sponsors; Gordon won a $100 award from DBA USA, Steven won an award from Wine Country Motorsports and Gary won a head-and-neck restraint from Necks-Gen.
Group PAF had an exciting end to the 2017 season, as there were numerous close battles happening throughout the year. Gary Wong held the top spot with 202 points in his Honda S2000 with 4 event wins, while Henry Iglesias started out the season strong with 3 event wins, finishing the season with 106 points. CG Bob Blackwood and his Lotus Elise were very close to claiming 2nd place, as he was only 1 point behind Iglesias. We’ll watch this space to see what happens this year. Unfortunately, neither of these drivers were able to make it to the banquet as well, but we wish them congratulations all the same!
Scott Smith who won 16 events and ended the season with 454 points obliterated Group PF, another class loaded with talent! Not bad for a Miata. Joe McGuigan had an impressive season as well, scoring 305 points and 3 event wins, firmly holding on to 2nd place with his great driving in a Lexus IS300. Danny Vanco leapfrogged Haoming Chang in the final event of the season at MRLS with 11 points to steal 3rd place in his Scion FR-S. Danny ends the season with 108 points and 1 event win to his name. Because of all their hard work this season, Danny won an award from Wine Country Motorsports, while Joe McGuigan won a certificate from DBA USA, and Scott won a Necks-Gen!
Finally, Group P, which featured another place swap at the end of the season. Dave Theodore ruled P class with 3 event wins and 174 points, while Corentin Derbois in a BMW E36 earned 2nd place with a strong finish to net 108 points to close out the season. Todd Winstanley, who came alive at the end of the season as well to barely surpass King Tang by 5 points in a Lexus IS300, snatched 3rd place and boy did he earn it! A huge applause for the tremendous effort displayed here. Dave Theodore won a very pretty Necks-Gen for his season efforts, while Corentin Derbois won a gift certificate from DBA USA. Tood Winstanley (Alejandro Rios being his representative for this award) won a gift certificate from Wine Country Motorsports. A huge round of applause for this incredibly stacked group!
During the event, we raffled off several prizes ranging from Tein Magnetic Car Mount Holders, to Sparco picnic hats, and various car tools for the everyday handyman.
Overall, it was a great year with many battles in their respective classes. Most importantly, we cannot stress enough that SpeedSF and the SpeedSF Challenge would not be here without all our drivers’ support and participation in our events. We really appreciate it!
Additionally, we would like to thank our official title sponsor Federal Tires. Be sure to check out the sponsorship deal from Federal Tires here.
We would also like to thank Necksgen, DBA USA, Wine Country Motorsports, G-Loc Brakes, and iLap Timer 2.
Be sure to visit www.SpeedSF.com for more information about 2018’s events and the SpeedSF Challenge. You too can earn one of our glorious awards, trophies, and notoriety!
ALL PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT ARE BELOW:
