Live Sockets Battle Series Results

Just wanted to post up some images from the Live Sockets Battle Series this past weekend. Cobb Tuning Skyline GT-R35 edged out the Focus Auto Sales R34 when the R34 had braking issues and went off track coming off the bank into the infield on lap one. Even though Billy Johnson put in a faster lap time in the chase position, he could not make up the difference in the combined time.

We knew that the battle between the GST Motorsports and C-West/BC/Hankook was going to be epic when both drivers Gary Sheehan and Tyler McQuarrie decided to throw out the rulebook and run this battle with no gap from the start. It was an all out drag race at the line and the GST Impreza hp and grip advantage kept the team in front for the entire battle despite the efforts that Tyler put in. The C-West/BC/Hankook S2000 was super fast in the corners and got within a few feet of the GST Impreza but the long straights in the course was just too much of a disadvantage for the team.

Stay tuned for the full video feed of this one.

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The Toyota Prius Has A Dirty Little Secret.

Yes, you read the title right, the Toyota Prius, it's become a sort of green motoring icon these days, with every known celebrity that can spell hybrid having one, or three in some cases. But here's a bit of shock horror that I bet you didn't know, and Toyota probably doesn't want you to know either:  Acid rain created (strike one) from mining  nickel (strike two) for Prius batteries has destroyed the landscape (strike three) in Sudbury, Ontario to such an extent that NASA now uses the area to test drive it's latest lunar vehicles. Here's another thing that I've found from Prius owners who had to learn the hard way. Like all rechargeable batteries, the one in the Prius has a limited lifespan, after that it costs more than you'd care to know to replace, if you've ever tried to replace rechargable batteries you know they're not cheap, and neither is $2500 for a Prius battery. Take your time, read it over and revel at what you've just read, let it sink in, and if you own a Prius, take a good look at it on the driveway while it sits on its "eco-friendly" tires. And this is supposed to help the planet? Now I'm not out on a mission to bash hybrids or Toyota for that matter, as a matter of fact I love Toyota, but at the same time I'm not very optimistic about buying something that creates more pollution that you could ever justify by using a Prius in a lifetime.

HAVING SOME RAMEN BEFORE HEADING TO EUROPE...AGAIN

A good neighborhood ramen joint, Gomen, in Buena Park. Their Shoyu Tonkotsu ramen is excellent.

 When I've been in Europe for a period of time, one of the foods I crave when I return is ramen, a good bowl of ramen. There's a good joint near my house called Gomen. They serve an excellent Tonkotsu ramen. There are only a few places where I would pay to eat ramen in the L.A. area. One os Gomen, the others are Daikokuya in downtown and Costa Mesa and Koryu in Costa Mesa. Now I have to go home and pack to go to Dresden, Germany, for a test session at the Lausitzring. And then it's off to Valencia, Spain.

Inside the store is very Japanese./Here's a shot of the miso ramen. It's good, but their shoyu ramen is better.

Colorado Springs

I'm in Colorado Springs. Rhys and some RMR customers are going to do the Pikes Peak race. So all RMR crew drove to here straight from Vegas after Formula D. I just came here this morning just to see the race and have fun! 

This is my first time visiting here and nature of here is so nice.

Well, the race will be tomorrow so we went to moutain biking today! 

We went down from the mountaintop of Pikes Peak 14100Ft to the foot! It was a very steep course and breathing was hard because oxygen was thin at the beginning. I got sooo tired. 

However the mountain was really really beautiful That was definitely a great experience.

XBOX taste maker party

I and my room mate RJ were invited XBOX party for E3. 

I don't really know about the detail of this party. I just played some video games, did some interviews, and I got free drinks and free tacos! Good deal:)

Formula D round 4 in Las Vegas

Vegas, baby, Vegas!  

I was having a really hard time to figure out how to drive the track whole practice session since Friday and In the practice session before the qualifying round, the fuel system broke.WTF!!  So, my practice was over without having any solid run, not even one good run...

At that point, I became very anxious and paranoid. I didn't even know if they could fix my car and even if they could fix it, I had no idea how I would do and I wasn't sure of my driving yet.  But of course, my great mechanics fixed my car! Then, it was my turn to make it happen. I just needed to concentrate and try my best!

In the end, I qualified 7th! Yes I know that isn't great but considering how I felt before, it was a miracle. I was soooooo happy! Actually, I was more happier than I qualified 1st in New Jersey. I was proud of myself for delivering in desperate times! 

After the qualifying round, I regained confidence and I was very comfortable. Everyone made a mistake on their own which made me move on to the final. Maybe my confidence vibes reached them!  After the one more time match, I lost against Toshiki Yoshioka in the final round. Man he was so fast:(

 However, I finished 2nd place over all! Finally, I got a podium finish with the Bridgestone GTO! It was a really really tough round but I'm very very very happy that I was able to get the 2nd place in the end. I could not have done it without great mechanics who can deal well with last minute problems and a lot of fans who were cheering for me, Thank you all! 

BACK HOME IN L.A.

Coming back home meant checking out a Dodger game. I'm more of an Angel fan nowadays, but it's still nice to visit the old ballpark.

 After the long trip to Germany, it was nice to get back home. The first thing I did was go check out a Dodger game right before the all-star break. Incredible how these guys are still near the top of the division with such a lousy record. I also went by the local mall, Southe Coast Plaza. There I saw this crazy Leggo Batman. Must have taken months to make it. I have a yearning for ramen too, so I'll have to go by my neighborhood ramen joint, Gomen. When I checked into work, I found out I have to leave for Europe again an a few days. This time to Dresden, which is in the former East Germany, and then to Valencia, Spain. The traveling is killing me.

This life-size Batman made from Leggo was an eye-catcher. I mean, how many pieces were needed to make this thing. It was way cool, but someone had a little too much free time on their hands.

Live Sockets Battle Series Matchup Set!

Live Sockets Battle Matchups Announced

You asked for it and we're giving it to you. Here are the matchups for the Live Sockets Battle Series at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA this Sunday July 20th. See the Redline Time Attack website for event and discounted ticket information.

GT-R battle - Cobb Tuning vs. Focus Auto Sales

This is the battle that JDM fanatics will be talking about for years; GT-R vs GT-R! Can the older R34 hold its own against the brand new R35? The new Skyline GT-R35 has been the talk of the automotive industry after unofficial videos showed up on Youtube of the car killing it on the Nürburgring beating the more expensive Porsche 911 Turbo lap time by 2 seconds.

Cobb Tuning bought this RHD (right hand drive) GT-R straight from Japan and have been developing various parts for this car including their AccessPORT ECU tuning tool. The team has been shaking down the car at a number of track events and we are excited to finally see this car in competition. The Focus Auto Sales GT-R is well built and pushing 588whp. Is this horsepower advantage enough to counter the technology advancements found in the new generation of GT-R's?

Check out the full specs on these cars here: Cobb Tuning GT-R35, Focus Auto Sales GT-R34

We hit a little SNAFU in the planned VTEC battle when the Factor X team informed us that their car won't be ready for the Battle Series in Fontana this week. Luckily GST Motorsports was ready to accept the challenge and will take on the C-West/BC/Hankook S2000. At the last Redline Time Attack event at Miller Motorsports Park, the C-West/BC/Hankook S2000 ran away with the overall win while setting the course record of 1:35.307. The GST Impreza won the Unlimited AWD division with a lap time of 1:36.941.

This AWD vs RWD battle will come down to car setup. Which team will have the better setup to handle the high speed course at Fontana.

Check out the full specs on these cars here: C-West/BC/Hankook S2000, GST Motorsports Impreza L.

GERMANY'S MOST BEAUTIFUL & FAMOUS CASTLE

The majestic Neuschwanstein Castle. It's one of my favorite places to visit when I'm in southern Germany.

It was a long drive, but when you average around 120 mph, the distance goes by quickly. We arrived in Schwangau, which is south of Munich. This is home to the Neuschwanstein Castle (pronounced noy-shvan-sta-in). It means New Swan Building. The castle was made about a 150 years ago by King Ludwig II, who people considered a madman. He died mysteriously in a nearby lake. Some say suicide, some say he was murdered. In any case, he built this beautiful home on top of a hill overlooking the entire land. He only lived only a hundred and some off days in here. Walt Disney used this castle as the model for Cinderella's Castle at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. I have more photos of the castle and the view from the windows at Sam's Blog. This will conclude this long trip to France and Germany. Can't wait to get back.

Just across the way, walking distance, is Hohenschwangau Castle. It's not as popular or pretty as Neuschwanstein, but pretty impressive. You can actually see this castle from Neuschwanstein. Check out Sam's Blog for more.

Las Vegas

I'm in Vegas for Formula D round 4. Today was practice day and I wasn't doing very good:(

It's a new track and is a very challenging track. There are lot of concrete walls. WTF!

Oh well, I will drive harder tomorrow and see what happen. Drift or Die???