News
Brian Lock Sets Llihrednuht TTU Track Record Driving the Tapped Racing Mazda RX-7
10/03/2009
 |
Road race cars are not supposed to fly through the air but Brian Lock driving the Tapped Racing Mazda RX-7 soared past the previous track record at Thunderhill Raceway this past weekend. Nicknamed "Llihrednuht", NASA ran Thunderhill raceway backwards this weekend. Famous for its jump in turn 5, running Thunderhill backwards made for a great photo opportunity as the Mazda RX-7 had some great hang time over the hill. The previous record stood at a 1:52.7, Brian Lock beat that record by a full second setting the new record at 1:51.7.
|
The weekend started out with some minor handling issues that were keeping the Tapped Racing machine at about the 1 minute 54 second mark. Front wheel lockup was plaguing the car and it looked to keep the car from taking the record. A brake bias adjustment and a rear wing adjustment made the car come alive and the record time popped up on the MoTec, a completely unsuspected record was taken. Brian would like to thank Tapped Racing for the opportunity to drive their RX-7's. Here is to more track records!
Tapped Racing breaks TTS Track Record at Thunderhill Raceway
Brian Lock, Tapped Racing’s lead driver, broke the Thunderhill TTS lap record on his first hot lap of the day, April 25, 2009, driving one of Tapped Racing’s ultra-fast Mazda RX-7’s. A lap of 1:54.9 beat the previous record by almost two seconds, demonstrating the speed of the GT:R Fabrication prepared machine. When asked to comment on the lap, Brian stated, |
Click on image to enlarge
|
“This car has even more in it. It just handles amazing. We posted this lap running only about 260 horsepower. We have room to make more power and still stay in TTS and plan to set a record that will be untouchable.” Owner, Aly Bruner AKA “The Grey Ghost” exclaimed, “Signing Brian Lock was huge!”
The 1993 Mazda RX-7 is still running stock turbos, but has been lightened and sports a full carbon replacement wide body kit from JKL Race Engineering and big sticker Hoosier |
tires. JKL’s front bumper replacement creates incredible down force. It has been working so well for Tapped Racing that one is being fitted for its TTU class RX-7.
Tapped Racing plans on setting many more NASA TT track records this summer and will not rest until all Norcal tracks have Tapped Racing listed in every TTU and TTS class. These achievements would not be possible without the amazing support of our sponsors:
Sheedy Crane
Hoosier Tire West
JKL Racing Engineering
Pettit Racing
GT:R Fabrication
JRC Shocks
GOTO : Racing track-side services
www.tappedracing.com
|
The New GTR-35
Brian Lock and Team
New Team Owner signing contract, Live on NBC Television!
Tapped/GOTO:Racing make last minute bid for Redline Season Opener
Scotts Valley CA, 3/24/2009
GOTO:Racing, in partnership with Tapped Racing, today entered two RX7 Time Attack cars into the 2009 Season Opener of the Redline Time Attack Series at Buttonwillow Raceway. Brian Lock, a successful veteran of Time Attack, will drive the number 88 in the Unlimited Rear Wheel Drive category, while his brother and past Grand-Am co-driver Chris Lock will contest Modified with the number 66 sister car.
Both vehicles, while new to the Redline series, are not new to Time Trial competition. Aly Bruner, former SuperKart Series Champion and car owner, brought the cars to NASA Time Trials in mid-2008 after developing a fondness for the RX7's handling, great looks, and outright speed. With Sheedy Crane continuing as the primary sponsor, the Redline event will serve as a litmus test for the cars and their competitiveness against the best of the time attack world.
"Coming to Redline was a bit of a last minute decision," explains Brian Lock, driver and co-owner of GOTO:Racing, "We have always wanted to bring the cars here, but we have been deep into redevelopment. I finally decided it was time to see where we stood against the rest of the competition. After this weekend, we should have a clear roadmap for what we need to do to get the cars up to par, and bring one or both back for full time Redline competition."
GOTO:Racing and GT:R Fabrication, based in Scotts Valley CA, offer a full set of race car preparation services for the ametuer and pro racer. While also having been involved in prepping and racing Time Attack vehicles, they have successfully campaigned cars in Grand-Am Koni Challenge, USTCC, Honda Challege, and the NASA WERC series.
Brian Lock Tests Grand-Am GT3 Cup Car for TRG
Scotts Valley CA, 6/30/2008
Grand-Am Koni Challenge Racer, Brian Lock, participated in an all day test at the Rolex Series special test day at Mid-Ohio June 23. Lock, a promising talent from Scotts Valley CA, has been turning heads in Koni competition since 2006. Even on an extremely limited schedule, Brian makes his presence felt in the ST class, with remarkable drives, fast laps, and even a lap record at Miller Motorsports Park in 2007. Although pleased with his success in touring cars, it was time to take the next step and accept an invitation to test a Rolex GT car.
Brian spent the day with TRG drivers, Spencer Pumpelly and Andy Lally, who extended his stay in Ohio to help coach Brian's first laps in a Porsche. "He was able to jump into a car that was nothing like any other that he had driven before and showed both maturity and speed right off the bat", Lally said. Spencer, who was Brian's co-driver for the day, was complimentary as well. "I was instantly impressed by Brian's driving. He took the right approach bringing the car up to speed in a short few laps but was well within his comfort level. Before long he was turning times that would have been competitive in last weekend's race."
Brian was naturally thrilled with the opportunity to test with such a prestigious team. "The day that I have dreamt about for 5 years, driving for a Grand-Am Rolex team, was about to happen. Most of the nerves that I had were from my realization that the next few dozen laps I turned this day would determine if I had been wasting the last 5 years of my life. What a relief to know that I haven't been."
Lock is hopeful to join the team for the Sunchaser 1000K at Miller Motorsports Park, the venue of his first Koni Podium finish.
TRG was founded in 1993 and has been competing at the top level of sports car racing ever since. The team has the most wins of any team in the Grand-Am Rolex Series with 23, including the 2005 and 2006 Rolex Series GT championship trophy to go along with wins at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 24 Hours or Le Mans.
TRG is a manufacturer and distributor of high-performance racing parts. The group specializes in engine and chassis building as well as full service professional race car preparation. The company also provides electrical and mechanical engineering services, driver development and arrive-and-drive opportunities. TRG is based in Petaluma, Calif., near its home track of Infineon Raceway in Sonoma as well as its new facility in Charlotte.
More information and a complete press kit can be found at www.theracersgroup.com. Please contact press@theracersgroup.com or 707-935-3999 for additional information.
Brian Lock Smashes Through Infineon Track Record
2/10/2008 Sonoma, CA
A new NASA TTU track record was set on Saturday by Brian Lock during the first round of the NASA Time Trial Series held at Infineon Raceway. The time of 1:41.401 would shatter the existing record held by the Caterham Super 7 by an unprecedented margin of over 6 seconds. This is the first of what Lock and the team at GST/GOTO hope to be many track records and Time Attack victories in the 2008 season.
“Mike [Warfield] and myself had a little wager on whether or not I could go sub 1:40. That was our real target,” said Lock after the event. While the team was making record breaking runs in every session, work feverishly continued all day to try to squeeze every last tenth out of the car. Dense traffic and minor technical glitches kept them from getting into the 1:30 range. “I have no doubt we can do it,” said Lock, “we plan on running the full NASA series, so we will have more chances.”
GST/GOTO plan to campaign the L Time Attack car in many other series in 2008, defending titles they hold from Redline and Super Street competitions from 2007. But far from being content with their current performance, the team plans to step up their game in 2008. “The L project is actually our test bed, a prototype for the next car, which we have been working on for many months now,” said Brian, “The new car is going to be much faster, and will be a true representation of the commitment we have to Time Attack this year.”
While no official date has been set for the debut, GST owner Mike Warfield has tentatively heralded the news car’s arrival to be late April, in time for plenty of racing in 2008.
|
