Ryan Tuerck and Gardella Racing take 2nd place at Throwdown in Monroe, Washington.
Formula D Throwdown in Monroe, Washington, was a weekend full of intense racing, surprising crashes, and many "one more times." AEM sponsored Gardella Racing took an outstanding 2nd place finish, narrowly missing the top podium spot to the AEM sponsored Rockstar Scion team.
Ryan Tuerck leading Tanner Foust in the final round of Throwdown.
AEM Induction Systems recently had the opportunity to ask driver Ryan Tuerck about the weekend of racing-car setup, how he felt about the rounds, and any changes they might make looking toward Las Vegas.
How did the rounds go for you over the weekend at Throwdown? Can you describe your races?
The rounds at FD Throwdown went really well; many of the top competitive cars had mechanical issues or early crashes and were unable to advance, which helped us get through a few rounds more easily. However, we weren't banking on rookie Charles Ng; he really impressed us with his driving and took us to a "one more time" round. Gardella Racing's spotter, Steve Angerman, was giving me very good feedback after each round. He explained to me exactly what I needed to do to advance to the next round; it worked perfectly.
with a 2nd place finish behind him, Ryan Tuerck is looking forward to After Dark.
How did the final round go?
The final round had its ups and downs, haha. Tanner is a very tough opponent on the track. I had a good strategy for my lead lap that I was saving specifically for the final round; it worked well, I ended up throwing down the most solid line I had all weekend. On the follow lap, my crew was telling me I need to stay as close as possible on the bank and I would get the win. So I did what I had to do and was following super close on the bank, but I was too close nearing the end and Tanner had pitched his car into full angle, slowing down way too quickly for me to adjust in time.
Ryan Tuerck shows the fans he's okay after hitting the wall.
I stabbed the brakes hard and the back of the car grabbed the wall and pulled the front into it as well. It was a pretty hard hit. I was going for broke and this time, we broke.
Were you having any challenges with car setup? What contributed to your consistency? Shorter wheelbase?
The Mobil 1 Pontiac Solstice is setup very well. The Gardella Racing team always has the car very close to where it needs to be. It usually only takes us one practice session to have the car setup correctly and for me to be comfortable. My consistency is contributed to having a great team behind me who works hard round after round with the desire to win. The short wheelbase of the Solstice helps with maneuverability on the track, especially during tandem rounds.
Ryan Tuerck leading Joon Maeng in the second round of Tandem racing.
How did the hot weather affect your driving this weekend? How were the track conditions?
I had just come from a very, very, HOT east coast heat wave so the heat in Seattle didn't affect me at all. I'm a pretty healthy and fit guy so I can stand most conditions. The track conditions were good this year. The layout was basically the same as previous years so we had a really good baseline to go off of.
How do you feel about your team's performance this weekend?
I am very happy with the performance of the Gardella Racing team this weekend. We didn't have it easy by any means. With the Solstice being caught up in a wreck in Thursday's practice, the whole team really had their work cut out. It all paid off when we were sitting on that podium spot.
How do you feel about the other teams' performances this weekend?
The other teams were all working hard. I heard of a lot of breakdowns this weekend, so everybody was working hard trying to get their cars back together in time for the tandem rounds.
What changes (if any) are you looking to make for After Dark in Vegas?
We won't be making too many changes to the car before Vegas; basically just the routine maintenance such as changing the Mobil 1 oil and AEM intake, as well as maybe freshening up the Quaife transmission. Other than that the Gardella Racing crew will just go through the entire car to make sure that everything is tight and nothing else needs to be replaced.
Having just passed the halfway mark of the season, stakes are high as Formula D slides into Las Vegas for some After Dark drifting August 20th and 21st. With just 31 points separating 1st place and 3rd in the race for the championship, and just 7 points separating 1st and 3rd in the Tires.com Triple Crown, Lady Luck doesn't have much room to lend a helping hand. It's going to come down to the drivers and their teams going all-in every race, and Gardella Racing isn't going to be bluffed out of this round.
To find all AEM products for your vehicle, use the AEM application search function and the Where to Buy function on AEMIntakes.com to find an AEM dealer near you.
TW Competition 2003 Infiniti G35. Photo by Marcus Cooke.
Long Beach, California is the place to be July 18th for the fourth annual SpoCom sport compact super show! Since its inception in 2006, SpoCom has been a huge event for the tuner market, boasting stylish paint schemes, clean engine bays, flashy rims, sparkling exhaust systems, and of course, the models. SpoCom is more than just another car show- it's a cornerstone of the sport compact culture.
2003 Infiniti G35 will be at the AEM booth. Photo by Marcus Cooke.
This year promises to bring exciting new cars flaunting the newest and most elaborate, technical, and high performance upgrades on the market, beautifully accented with booming sound systems and intricate paint schemes. If San Mateo is any indication of what Long Beach is going to be, you don't want to miss this show!
AEM Induction Systems will be there in full force, ready to answer your questions, help you trick out your ride, or just hang out and talk. We will also have our new 2010 catalog detailing all our new product offerings to give your ride the best performance possible. Also, you won't want to miss the TW Competition 2003 Infiniti G35 at the AEM booth! This car is tricked out from bumper to bumper, top to bottom - an absolutely gorgeous orange and chrome beauty. Stop by the AEM booth at SpoCom Long Beach this Sunday!
TW Competition Infiniti G35 has many performance modifications. Photo by Marcus Cooke.
TW Competition 2003 Infiniti G35 Exterior Modifications:
Authentic 4pc Kenstyle body kit
Custom 1 of a kind wide body w/ custom 1 of a kind metal fenders with vent
Custom 1 of a kind molded in rear spoiler & rear bumper
Authentic Top Secret hood
Top Secret hood dampers
Shaved door handles
Shaved front side marker lights
Custom gas door
Molded in carbon fiber mirror covers
06 JDM tail lights painted body color
06 customized head lights w/ angel eyes
HID upgrade for head light and bumper fog lights
UTR roof spoiler
Completely debadged
Custom paint and color using Lamborghini color codes
Engine:
Fully polished Vortec supercharger w/ custom cold air intake w/ AEM dry flow filter
APS tallboy plenum - ceramic coated
Ported & polished upper & lower intake manifold
Custom intake pipe
DC Sports headers
Greddy EVOII exhaust with HKS titanium tips
KOYO 32mm radiator
GTM motorsports cooling fans & aluminum shroud
Walbro 255lph in tank fuel pump
Weapon R overflow tank
NRG power steering tank
Circuit Sports oil catch can
NRG battery voltage stabilizer
Optima yellow top bettery
Fluidamper crank pulley
UR accessory pulley
Stillen oil pan spacer
Stillen engine damper
Stillen master cylinder brace (modified)
Flex-a-lite power steering & transmission coolers
HKS DLSII twin fire ignition
Earl's steel braided hoses and clamps
Hose Techniques couplers and clamps
Nismo oil cap, Cusco radiator cap
Custom grounding kit
Custom full wire tuck
JDM driver's side battery cover (modified)
Various parts fully polished
Replaced over 100 bolts w/ polished stainless allen bolts
Suspension:
Wilwood BBK 6p 14" front - 4p 13" rear (custom powder coated and nickel finish)
Tein type flex coilovers (powder coated and polished)
Cusco sway bars and a-arms (custom powder coated)
SPC toe bolts and SPL chrome camber arms
GT Spec upper & lower rear tie bars (polished)
NRG upper front strut bar
SPL sway bar end links front and rear
Fully polished rear sub frame and front components
Various nuts and bolts chrome plated
Noltec bushings
Wheels & Tires:
21 x 9-1/2 - 255 x 30 x 21 : front
21 x 11 - 295 x 25 x 21 : rear
Modsport S1 3 piece forged wheels
Falken FK452 tires
Project kics R40 lug nuts
Smartire tire pressure monitoring system
Interior:
RECARO sport topline seats, custom leather and suede
Powder coated seat brackets w/ chrome bolts
Rear seats suede inserts
Fully wrapped dash, door panels, rear panels, head liner, A-B-C panels in suede
Upgraded carpet
NRG 4 point harness with custom harness pads
Custom molded in boost, oil, voltage, temp. gauges
All interior plastic pieces painted custom color
Razo Competition Sport Pedals
06 G35 sport model steering wheel, 06 M45 shift knob
06 FX35 shift boot
I.C.E.:
Eclipse AVN 6610
Audio Control DQXS digital eq/x-over
Audison LRx 1.1k mono amplifier
Audison LRx 6.9 6 channel amplifier
MB Quart 3 way separates custom mounted in doors
Hertz ES 250 10" woofers
Hertz ESK 130 5-1/4" 2 way separates custom mounted on inside trunk lid
Custom fiberglass sub enclosure
2 Alpine 7" monitors custom mounted on inside trunk lid
Digital 7" picture frame
Sony Playstation2 with wireless controllers
Audison power cables and battery terminals
Streewires 1fd capacitor
Dynamat, Neon Lights, and LEDs
To find all AEM products for your vehicle, use the AEM application search function and the Where to Buy function on AEMIntakes.com to find an AEM dealer near you.
This season has been a good start for the Rockstar Energy Scion Racing team in Formula D. After three rounds, Tanner Foust is sitting in third place with a weekend of intense racing looming on the horizon in round four in Monroe, WA. Tanner has been performing very well, but it takes more than a good driver for a team to win a championship.
Rockstar Energy Scion Racing Team
When asked about what challenges the Rockstar Energy Scion Racing Team have faced this season, team owner Stephan Papadakis commented, "We thought last year was very competitive, but this year is even harder. There are 10+ teams/drivers that could win each weekend. It makes for a really exciting event. We love the challenge! Also, we are always working on getting more steering angle. Most factory cars have 35 degrees of steering. We are close to 50 now, but it is hard to control the wheel at that angle." Patience is a virtue that the Rockstar team is embracing, realizing that championships cannot be won in one event.
Rockstar Energy Scion at Formula DRIFT
They're taking this season one event at a time, focusing on the task at hand, and working together to win a third Formula DRIFT championship for the Rockstar Energy Scion Racing Team.
The competition and air are only getting tenser as the Formula DRIFT championships in Irwindale, CA are quickly approaching. Each weekend will be full of intense, tire spinning, smoky and sideways action. Tanner Foust and the Rockstar Energy Scion team are looking to be strong competitors for the championship, but as Stephan Papadakis said, nothing is set in stone. It's anyone's race.
To find all AEM products for your vehicle, use the AEM application search function and the Where to Buy function on AEMIntakes.com to find an AEM dealer near you.
AEM's Dryflow™ Brute Force line of universal cone shaped
air filters is highly durable, reusable and easy to clean.
AEM Dryflow Brute Force universal clamp-on air filters are designed with the most demanding conditions in mind and are appropriate for both the average driver and experienced off road racer. These filters are made from an oil-free non-woven synthetic media that provides
outstanding filtration, capacity and efficiency.
AEM Dryflow™ Brute Force Air Filter 21-202BF
These three new Dryflow Brute Force Air filters come in a charcoal color
and have a stylish AEM logo molded onto the top of the filter. The dark charcoal color will aid in maintaining the high quality look of the filter design while providing top notch air filtration. The AEM logo molded on the top gives you the assurance and protection you require from an industry leader.
These new filters all have a base diameter of 6" and a top diameter of 5.125". The major differences are on the inside diameters (ID) of the flanges and on the heights of these filters. The 21-201BF has a flange ID of 2.5" with a filter height of 5.125", the 21-202BF has a flange ID 2.75" with a filter height of 5.25" and the 21-203BF has a flange ID of 3.00" with a filter height of 5.125". The range of flange ID's and compact size of these filters allow for use on a variety of applications.
To find AEM products for your vehicle, use the AEM application search function
then use the Where to Buy function on AEMIntakes.com to find an AEM dealer near you.
Rounds five and six of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series, held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, offered up a mixed bag of thrilling victory and agonizing defeats for Team Renezeder.
It was Mark Twain that said writing is ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration; he may as well have been referring to motorsport racing. Tireless hours spent in the shop are the only surefire path towards flashes of success on the track. Yet, unlike a script - racing is unpredictable - a hero or a villain on a quirk, and sometimes in the same weekend.
Carl Renezeder added win number 89 to his record book, getting it done in the debut race of the team's brand new Pro-4 truck.
And so it was for Carl Renezeder at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for rounds five and six of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series. From the weather, to the work, to the results, nothing was predictable or simple. Fortunately for Renezeder, and his crew, there were great results to balance out the not-so-great moments of the weekend. Ultimately though, Renezeder was able to add win number 89 to his record book, doing so in the debut race of the team's brand new Pro-4 truck.
The first win on Saturday had its dramatic moments - most of which occurred off the track. Renezeder literally drove straight from the pit and onto the track for the pace laps. Then, on the final pace lap, the water temp was already too high, forcing Renezeder to dive into hot pit to make sure nothing obvious was wrong. After getting the go-ahead from his crew, he tagged the back of the field as the green flag flew. In true superhero fashion, Renezeder steadily worked his way through the field, got a few lucky breaks, and when the checkers flew, he was the winner.
And, for all the positive things that happened in the Pro-4 race, there seemed to be an equal and opposite bad thing that happened in the Pro-2 race only moments later. The only positive moment of the race for the team was that it eventually ended.
Sunday's Pro-4 race looked like it might be a repeat win for Renezeder, until with only three laps to go, the carburetor acted up. On the final lap the truck gave up the ghost in turn three and Renezeder got t-boned. He was able to get the truck to re-fire quickly and actually finished second.
Sunday's Pro-2 race started bad and ended worse. The truck had the same fuel problem as the Pro-4, but it started on the first lap and never let up. Renezeder didn't so much race to a seventh place finish - he simply ended up there.
"On Sunday night, there was a sense of relief to have the entire weekend behind us, but there was no denying how much fun I had driving that new truck," commented Renezeder. "With so many struggles throughout the weekend, it made those great moments even better. The guys have worked so hard on this new truck, and I was so proud to get to race it to its first win in its first race. This is the best truck I've ever driven, and I'm already looking forward to the race in Utah in a few weeks."
"We're ninety-nine-percent sure we know what caused the overheating issues. However, we won't take anything for granted. We'll go through the issue from every angle and make sure we didn't miss anything and that it doesn't happen again."
The one certainty for the Renezeder crew is their AEM air filter. "We'd never change something that works so great," said Renezeder. "We're also working with AEM Electronics and have put the gauges and a data acquisition package on this truck."
"With all the hours the team has put in the last few months, everyone is looking forward to a four-day holiday weekend to recharge our batteries. Our next focus will be preparing for the race at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah in a few weeks. We really need to get the Pro-2 back on the podium, and we'll keep fine-tuning on the new truck. The to-do list continues to grow."
To find all AEM products for your vehicle, use the AEM application search function and the Where to Buy function on AEMIntakes.com to find an AEM dealer near you.
