COBB Tuning Blog

COBB Tuning’s popular SF intake system is now available for the Nissan R35 GT-R. Constructed of polished 2.75-inch diameter aluminum tubing with K&N dry-fabric, cone filter elements and 3-ply silicone couplers; the SF Intake System is easy to install and requires no special tuning.

Increased Power

The COBB Tuning SF Intake removes a pre-turbo restriction in the stock intake system. Power gains become more pronounced at higher boost pressures. This dyno graph shows the power gain across the rev range at 17 psi simply by installing this intake.

Easy to Install

The COBB Tuning SF Intake was designed to be easy to install without having to modify your car or remove the bumper skin. Installation requires no cutting or trimming or removal of the bumper skin or bumper support and can be completed with simple hand tools. Simply remove the stock airbox and bolt the SF intake into place in just minutes!

No Calibration Needed

The SF Intake for the R35 GT-R has been painstakingly designed to eliminate the need for a specific intake calibration. This intake is 100% compatible with the stock calibration as well as all Off the Shelf AccessPORT maps.

Increased Induction Sound

Enjoy the increased snort and snarl from your GT-R with the addition of the COBB Tuning SF Intake system. Turbocharger induction noise and bypass valve venting sound is now louder thanks to the new this intake system! Don’t just look the part, sound like it too!

The COBB Tuning SF Intake system comes with everything you need to improve the performance potential of your R35 GT-R. Add the COBB Tuning Silicone Intercooler Hose Kit to complete your engine’s intake system to enhance your car’s under-hood appeal!

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COBB Tuning Surgeline customer Brian Gee and his 575whp GT-R made the pages of the September 2010 Issue of SuperStreet Magazine. Brian’s 2009 GT-R was built and tuned at COBB Tuning Surgeline in Portland, OR by GT-R maestro, Tim Bailey with a COBB Tuning AccessPORT. The car features a custom fuel system built by COBB Tuning Surgeline so that this Godzilla can run on E85! To read all about Brian’s killer ride!

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COBB Tuning Adjustable Rear Anti-swaybar Endlinks for the GT-R are threaded to easily remove all preload from the bar and provides consistent handling balance in right and left turns. The construction of these endlinks starts with carbon steel bearing rod ends utilizing a PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) self lubricating corrosion resistant coating. The CAD designed and CNC machined spindles are 6061-T6 aluminum and hard anodized for a long lasting finish. Our endlinks were designed and assembled in-house for optimal strength, performance and durability. Adjustment is as easy as loosening the jam nuts and turning the spindle to lengthen or shorten the endlink while installed on the car.

Direct bolt-in replacement for the factory links. To improve the feel of your stock or upgraded sway bar, spherical rod bearings are used at all connection points, which provide razor sharp response. Supplies are very limited and once sold out, they will not be restocked. Sold as a pair.

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Check out Drivingsports.com’s exposé on COBB Tuning’s top tuner, Tim Bailey, and his Nissan GT-R. Along with COBB Tuning ECU Wizards Joe Graham and John “Thistle” Banks, Tim is the man behind testing many of the performance upgrades available for the GT-R market, using his own car as the test mule for COBB’s Godzilla enhancements. Whenever Joe and John take apart a line of code that unlocks more features for your GT-R AccessPORT, Tim straps his car to the dyno for more testing and tuning.

The result is this E85-powered monster with just under 600whp on tap, almost 200hp more than stock! The secret is a custom fuel system that allows Tim to run the high-octane corn fuel. But what is all that power good for if you can’t have fun with it. To that end, Tim gave in to the archaic NHRA rules and bolted a custom cage into his supercar so he could post 10-second drag runs all day without fear of being snubbed by the tech inspectors.

See more of Tim’s beast at Drivingsports.com and also on www.Blip.tv!

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You always know the dedication it takes to run a motorsports program when the conditions are terrible and everyone is still working their tails off. This weekend at Willow Springs was pretty much as bad as it can get. At times the temperatures reached 108 degrees in the paddock. Over 50 gallons of fluids were consumed by the crew to try to stay hydrated and cool. Through all this though, I saw the same tireless dedication to their jobs as the crew has on any other weekend. We were a little worried about engine temps this weekend, but with a new carbon hood from AIT with louvers our crew was the ONLY thing that got overheated this weekend.

We had a lot of work to do this weekend on the GT-R. Every stock bushing in the suspension had been replaced with the ERP full spherical bearing kit. The difference this made was absolutely incredible. The GT-R became at least twice as easy to drive this weekend with the stability the ERP kit added. In previous events we had logged a huge amount of toe change under braking and on throttle. This made the car very hard to drive consistently, which in Time Attack is paramount only having 1 or 2 laps to post a your best lap of the weekend. You can even see the difference in my in-car video with how much calmer my inputs are on the wheel. Definitely one of the best upgrades we have made to the car all year!

Of course we would not even have a weekend without SSP. At the previous event, our AWD input shaft sheared in two, we had to find a solution to get the GT-R back on the track in a hurry! Kris rebuilt our damaged AWD clutch unit and sourced a new gear in only 2 days, got it over-nighted back to us, and saved our event. There was only one person I thought of calling when we knew our transmission was broken, and that was Kris at SSP. His experience with the dual clutch gearbox of the GT-R is unparalleled in the US, and he came through with flying colors.

Back to events of the weekend, we took another track record, and another overall AWD Modified Class victory. This wasn’t an easy victory, however, with 034 Motorsports, Ryan Gates, and LIC/Takata in attendance, along with the very fast GT-R of Fontana Nissan with Mike Cronin Jr. at the wheel. It was a good thing we broke the track record by the margin we did this weekend because 034 Motorsport also broke the previous track record and was not far off our pace. In the record assault session they were as close to us time-wise, as Ryan was out at Autobahn Country Club. We were not sure how fast Ryan Gates could run as he was playing games with his competitors all weekend by refusing to run full hot laps in practice, however, his challenge never materialized.

At the end of the day were able to hold down first place and extend our margin of victory in the second Time Attack session by putting on a new set of stickier tires and I was able to put down a blistering 1:23.4 lap time. This was pretty exciting considering we were on par with last year’s AWD Super Modified Class times. This car continues to amaze me with every event we go to.

Now it’s time to get ready for two rounds that I believe will prove to be much more technical and difficult win for us. Spring Mountain and especially Infineon Raceway will be very different from Willow Springs with tight turns and hard transitioning corners, something GT-R struggles with its weight. We have the best crew in the paddock though, and an AccessPORT powered GT-R engine, so I am confident we will do well!

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The COBB Tuning Motorsports Team once again proved the power of stock ECU tuning with the COBB Tuning AccessPORT by scoring two first place wins in class as well as an overall win in the Modified AWD class. Brian Lock rocketed the COBB Tuning Motorsports GT-R to a first place win in the Modified AWD Class during the Record Assault session putting the GT-R well ahead of his next nearest competitor by a full second with a 1:23.488 lap time, smashing through the Modified Class track record in the process.

Not to be outdone by his teammate, COBB Tuning Motorsports STI driver, Cameron Benner, quickly raced to the top of the standings during Saturday practice and held that position for the duration of the weekend. However, this was no run away victory as Steve Ruiz in the Stoptech EVOX nipped at his heals as the two fought for lead by tenths of a second. In the end, Cameron was able to grab the AWD Street Tire win with a 1:30.200 lap time.

Both cars were able to handily take their classes in the Super session as well, with Cameron besting several Modified class cars in the process. Brian Lock and the GT-R proved once again that the GT-R is a formidable opponent, especially in the hands of Lock who has spent the majority of his career banging doors in Grand Am Cup and USTCC touring car racing. Brian was able to jump into 2nd place behind the GST Motorsports Super Modified Impreza and hold his lead over 3rd place James Elterman in the Takata Time Attack/LIC Motorsports STI to the finish line.

For Cameron, the Super Session was incredibly exciting as he battled several Modified Class cars. Cameron was able to dispatch the Street Tire RWD 135 BMW of Mike Bonanni, who was suffering oiling issues, as well as the Modified Class 700hp front wheel drive class AFB Motoring Mini of Dez Ballard. Cameron and the mini drove an incredibly close race with the two swapping position several times. In the end, Cameron was able to pull the mini down the back straight on the penultimate lap and hold that lead to the checkered flag despite his 200whp disadvantage.

Despite some minor mechanical difficulties for the STI, ambient temperatures that reached over 105 degrees on race day and track temps that soared above 150 degrees, the cars performed flawlessly showing that solid preparation and a well-sorted car, as well as reliable horsepower thanks to the COBB Tuning AccessPORT, win races.

The team has a 2-month respite from Redline Time Attack and will use that time to repair, refit and do some testing. Look for the team to back on track in Sin City in September!

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COBB Tuning is proud to announce new updates to Nissan GT-R AccessPORT firmware and Off-the-Shelf (OTS) maps that allow gear and throttle position dependent boost control! This new “throttle and gear wastegate multiplier” effectively allows the user to limit boost onset for a given throttle position. These new features will help users prevent mid-corner snap oversteer from boost onset, even though the car is at part-throttle.

This throttle position-dependent traction control will allow drivers to apply power more smoothly, reducing sudden loss of traction due to rapid turbo spool for more effective throttle modulation. This is particularly effective for part-throttle modulation during cornering.

Both firmware and OTS calibrations have been updated to utilize this new feature. Users with older firmware and maps must update their AccessPORT and calibrations to install this new feature. Vehicles with Protuned maps must be updated by your tuner.

Gear and Throttle Wastegate Multiplier:

The gear and throttle wastegate multiplier is a gear and throttle position-dependent boost control strategy that behaves like traction control. However, instead of using the brakes and other conventional drivetrain-based methods to limit wheel spin, the ECU alters wastegate duty cycle to limit turbo spool. This in turn limits toque and power output effectively limiting low-end torque and wheel spin.

The COBB Tuning OTS maps are designed to limit full boost at part throttle for better power modulation at half throttle. However, these new tables allow for both gear AND throttle dependent boost control so that boost can be limited both by gear selection and throttle position to suit the user’s driving style.

FEATURES AND UPDATES

New Base Maps

Refined boost control based on gear and throttle position (control over tire traction in lower gears).

• Maps are available with this firmware update or can alternatively be downloaded from the GT-R AccessPORT Map Database.
• Version 2.01 map updates available for all Supported GT-Rs:
  • ADM 2009-10 GT-R
  • East Asia 2009-10 GT-R
  • EDM 2009-10 GT-R
  • Gulf Spec 2009 GT-R
  • JDM 2008-10 GT-R
  • South Africa 2009-10 GT-R
  • USDM 2009-11 GT-R

AccessTuner PRO

To obtain AccessTUNER PRO visit the GT-R AccessTUNER Pro Product Page

Version: 1.8.4.0-13522

New Features: Added Gear and TPS boost table multiplier.

• Gear And Throttle wastegate multiplier Boost Table)
• This new table allows tuners to run different boost pressures in different gears (control tire traction in lower gears).

New Tuning Guide

• v2.01
• Added documentation for “Gear and Throttle wastegate multiplier

New Vehicle Support:

• ADM 2010 GT-R
• East Asia 2010 GT-R
• EDM 2010 GT-R
• JDM 2010 GT-R
• South Africa 2010 GT-R
• USDM 2010 GT-R
• USDM 2011 GT-R

Pass-Through Tuning

Improved tuner workflow by by-passing the necessity to use AP Manager (Connect the AP to PC via usb cable and AP to car via OBD cable). Allow the AP to boot to main menu (AP must be in main menu in order for any pass-through tuning to work, AP will show a busy-screen when in Pass-Through Mode.

Flash Map

Pass-Through tuning removes the necessity of having to use AP Manager to transfer maps during tuning. This allows tuners to connect their AccessPORT to the PC and car simultaneously and allow for map flashing and map transfer without having to use additional tools outside of tuner.

Important Notes

Please make sure your AccessPORT is updated to version 1.6.1.0-13514 for compatibility with new OTS maps and new Pro Tuner software. Instructions for updating your firmware can be found on the Nissan GT-R AccessPORT Firmware Page.

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The COBB Tuning XLE BPV is a compact and lightweight by-pass valve is capable of holding very high boost pressure without leaking and its unique design allows extremely fast venting of boost when actuated. It is designed to operate in multiple venting modes and can be quickly reconfigured using simple hand tools. Innovative engineering and precision manufacturing result in a compact package able to fit in the confines of a tight engine bay.

The COBB Tuning XLE Bypass Valve is available for:

• 2006-2009 Mazdaspeed3
• 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6
• Nissan GT-R
• 2002-2007 WRXs
• 2008-2010 WRX
• 2004-2007 STI
• 2008-2010 STI
• 2005-2009 Legacy GT
• 2009 Impreza 2.5 GT
• 2006-2008 Forester XT

The COBB Tuning XLE BPV is available directly from COBBTuning.com or by calling 801-713-0035 with FREE GROUND SHIPPING!

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Big-power and high-speeds demand efficient and effective aerodynamics to keep the tires planted, especially when racing around the “roval” of Auto Club Speedway at 180mph! When the COBB Tuning Motorsports team decided to revise the aerodynamics package on their wide-body 800hp GT-R, they went right to experts at Aeromotions. Not only does the Aeromotions R2 Static Wing provide more downforce at much higher efficiency than other offerings on the market, it is designed to withstand the huge loads generated from the sustained ultra-high-speeds that are only seen on the country’s fastest race tracks.

“I am very impressed with our new Aeromotions wing,” said GT-R driver Brian Lock. “We were able to balance out our aero package with 3 degrees less angle than our previous wing. This tells us that the Aeromotions aerofoil is extremely efficient, creating the same downforce with less drag. This should definitely show on the time sheets at tracks like Auto Club Speedway where drag is a major problem. And considering the 180+mph speeds reached at that track, knowing that this wing is built to withstand the huge aero loading gives me the confidence to push that much harder.”

The Aeromotions wing element was born in a wind tunnel at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was continuously refined through computational fluid dynamic (CFD modeling) to bring it to its current high-downforce, low-drag, 200+mph configuration. However, the excellent wing element design is just the start of Aeromotions’ solution. The wing is upgradeable to an active element that can change its angle of attack via high-speed servos and sophisticated control software based on what the car is doing at any given time.

On straights the wing lays flat to reduce drag when downforce isn’t needed. In the braking zones it pops up to maximum angle of attack for improved stability and enhanced rear braking. In the corners it goes to the position that provides the best mid-corner balance as set by the driver. Aeromotions’ on-track testing with data-acquisition has shown that simply by switching the Aeromotions wing from static-mode to active-mode can drop lap times by up to 1.5 seconds.

Race car development is a continuous endeavor with smaller and smaller returns on additional investment. This upgrade path from a simple fixed wing element to full-on active wing control offers a perfect entry point for the racer on a budget to acquire a wing with wind tunnel designed aerodynamics and motorsports grade construction and mounting hardware for just $1,699, with the option of significant performance enhancements by upgrading to the full active wing as budget allows. The prospect of flipping a switch and dropping 1.5 seconds off the lap time of a fully sorted race car is a valuable option!

With the recent win at Round 5 of the Redline Time Attack at Autobahn Country Club, the COBB Tuning Motorsports Team learned firsthand just how responsive, efficient and effective wing the Aeromotions R2 Static wing is. With the next event at Button Willow and its fast sweeping turns, the team will continue to explore the limits of performance and balance with the help of Aeromotions.

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The COBB Tuning Motorsports team was back on track at Autobahn Country Club, in Joliet Illinois for round 5 of the Redline Time Attack this weekend, and it proved to be an exciting and death-defying event. The facility was top notch, the track was fast and technical and the fans were great. It was our closest and most exciting win to date, with two competitors closer to our lap times than anyone all season.

I knew the weekend was going to be a whirl wind. Two-day events are already pretty packed, but add to that the fact that no one had been to this track before, it made for a lot of work. Saturday the car did not roll out of the trailer fast at all, we were almost 3-seconds off our final pace. We had made a rear toe adjustment prior to this event that was not ideal for the track, and we had to re-balance our aero with the change to an Aeromotions wing. Both tasks are not especially hard by themselves, but doing this in only 3 dry sessions while trying to learn the track at the same time proved challenging. As expected, the COBB Motorsports crew performed flawlessly and we were able to make great improvements all day, and ended the day on top of the standings.

Sunday was very exciting. We were not sure how much more Ryan Gates had left in his EVO X, we were not sure of how many dry sessions we would get, and to make things a little more exciting I knocked the toe out pretty bad on my first lap in the first timed session. I knew the car had a low 1:27 in it if not a 1:26 with ideal conditions, but I had to settle for a 1:28.1 I was able to put down during the Record Assault session. It was still good enough to win, however, as Ryan Gates was only able to make a few hot laps and pulled off. We had another session left to run and we knew both our GT-R and Ryan’s EVO could go faster. With our toe fixed and me as calm and concentrated as I could be, I waited for the second and final timed session to start. Just as we rolled out of pre grid and into the hot pits the sky opened up. A wet track meant no one was going to go faster in this session. The rain did not let up for most of the afternoon and the organizers scrubbed the remaining timed sessions giving us the win.

The super session was, well… interesting. I am sure it was exciting for the fans the way NASCAR is with lots of carnage and piles of money down the drain. With Willow Springs just around the corner I did not have the luxury of punting my way to the win in the Super Session. I stayed out of the mayhem, and made sure COBB Motorsports still had a GT-R to bring to the next event. It looked like I was going to be able to pull down 2nd overall in the super session until the GT-R decided to through me another one of its trademarked “electronic curve balls” and shut off FWD in the wet. All the wheel spin had ticked off the ECU to the point that I thought something was wrong; however, the ECU had simply disabled the AWD system. This made life exciting and I had to let the Turn-in concepts STI past me.

I was a little disappointed at first with not winning the super session, and not taking the overall event win (we only missed beating all the Super MOD cars as well by .4 seconds), but then I smacked myself across the face when I thought about all the wrecked cars from the weekend. The EVO that almost planted itself in my rear bumper in the Super Session, the three cars that spun in oil and hit each other, the Mazda 5 that ended the weekend high-centered on Armco outside of turn-3. After considering all that, a track record, a win, and a car in one piece was good enough for me.

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The Fifth round of the Redline Time Attack at Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, Illinois was one for the books! This was the most costly race by far in terms of incidents and bent metal, as well as a small fire in the engine bay of the COBB Tuning Motorsports STI. Even with the carnage on the track, the COBB team recorded another win in the Modified AWD Class in the COBB Tuning Motorsports GT-R and a 2nd place in the AWD Street Class in the COBB Tuning Motorsports STI.

Chicago presented a unique challenge for competitors as twice-daily thunderstorms doused the track with hour-long deluges that kept the track slick and difficult to drive. This made finding the proper setup essential, as well as quickly learning the 2.1-mile track and taking advantage of the briefly dry racing surface critical.

After sweeping Round 4 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., the team was confident that a repeat of those successes was achievable. However, rival, Ryan Gates and his 700hp EVO X, has proven that when things go his way, he is able to rival the speed of the GT-R.

After the fast banking of Auto Club Speedway, the team quickly realized that a brand-new setup would be needed for Autobahn and alignment issues would harry the GT-R on this more technical track. With precious few sessions to dial in the suspension, the team had their work cut out as they labored to find the perfect settings.

Brian Lock, driver of the COBB Tuning Motorsports GT-R who won overall at Auto Club Speedway, noted that there were a few issues to deal with in practice. “I knew the weekend was going to be a whirl wind. 2-day events are already pretty packed, but add to that the fact that no one on our team had been to this track before made for a lot of work. Saturday the car did not roll out of the trailer fast at all; we were almost 3-seconds off our final pace. We had made a rear toe adjustment prior to this event that was not ideal for the track, and we had to re-balance our aero with the change to an all-new Aeromotions wing. Both tasks are not especially hard by themselves, but doing this in only three dry sessions while trying to learn the track at the same time proved otherwise. Like normal though, the COBB Tuning Motorsports crew performed flawlessly. We were able to make great improvements all day, and ended the day on top of the leader board.”

Cameron Benner’s STI continued to return strong results following his first win at Auto Club Speedway. Again, the team looked to a repeat performance as the STI, as well as the driver, show more speed at each event. However, despite careful preparation, a failed hose and a little bad luck would come into play.

“We made a few minimal bound and rebound settings to minimize oscillation, to keep the car settled mid-corner and at the exits and also to take advantage of the new OS Giken rear diff. The track is fun, it reminds me of Portland International Raceway, my ‘Alma Mater’. The track itself is rather slick as the track surface is very green, but once you get the hang of it, it’s really fun. It is deceivingly difficult to drive,” said Cameron.

Saturday practice gave the teams a little bit of a peek at what the Chicago area weather had in store for the Sunday race. Like clockwork, the skies would darken and bring brief, but heavy rains, high-winds and lightning, closing the track and also making the track surface slick. Normally, racetracks accumulate a certain layer of rubber which aids in mechanical grip. Because the Autobahn circuit’s surface gets a daily rinsing, this “grippiness” is washed away, leaving what racers refer to as a “green” track. Also, the humid air never lets the track dry fully, leaving a somewhat damp and very slick surface each afternoon. In order to be able to try for good times on a dry track, the team would need to try and get in lap times before the day’s afternoon rain could complicate conditions. With the team glued to the Doppler weather forecast on their laptops, they were able to predict with good accuracy, when the bad weather would arrive.

In order to get in clean laps early, the team decided to take advantage of a new Redline Time Attack feature — the Record Assault. Basically, this is a session where teams try to beat the standing lap record for their class. The catch is that these laps count for the overall weekend’s times, so you can win the event without going out for a normal timed “Time Attack” session. Knowing this and that a weather front was set to roll in that afternoon, Brian went out in the GT-R while the track was dry enough to put down quick laps and have a crack at besting the track record for a Modified Class car.

This proved rather fortuitous as the GT-R was able to post some “insurance” laps so should the rain and lightening close the track, the team would have posted times in the dry, giving them a little bit of an edge and some breathing room.

With the toe and wing issues sorted, the GT-R was able to post a 1:28.1 lap time, with Ryan Gates trailing a few tenths behind. Brian felt sure that the car was capable of a 1:27 or even a 1:26, but the less-than-ideal conditions prevented him from cutting more time.

For the GT-R, these would be the last posted runs of the weekend. Rain would wash out the Modified and Super Modified sessions leaving the Record Assault session laps as the final standing laps. This put Brian and the GT-R solidly in first place in front of Ryan Gates who once again was chasing mechanical troubles.

Cameron was able to squeeze out one last session before the rains came, however, his session would not be without some personal drama. In practice, Cameron was neck and neck with the “Professional Awesome” EVO VII of Dan O’Donnell posting a low 1:34 lap time and knocking on the door of a 1:33. However, Dan was also in the hunt and both drivers hovered around the 1:34 mark. With the rain looming in the distance, Cameron went out and posted at 1:35.093 to O’Donnell’s 1:34.727. With one lap to go, Cameron poured on the heat and was looking to post a 1:33 when disaster struck. On the back-side of the track, the oil-pressure warning light came on and smoke began to billow from behind the car. Cameron hit the emergency shut off and pulled the car off the track and it quickly became apparent that the STI was on fire. Cameron was able to get out of the car and extinguish the flames. The team later discovered that one of the lines feeding the oil cooler core had failed spraying oil over hot brakes and header, causing the small fire. Although the damage was light, it was enough to sideline the car for the weekend. However, rain prevented further attempts. Despite the flames, Cameron had secured 2nd place in the AWD Street Tire class.

As Brian and the GT-R rolled back out on track for the first official Modified Class session, the skies opened up and the organizers scrubbed the session. As the rain began to fall in sheets well into the afternoon, the organizers decided that the Modified and Super Modified Class standings would be decided by the earlier Record Assault times. By late afternoon, the sun came out and the teams prepared for the Super Session.

However, before the Super Session could begin, the track had dried enough to let the Street class back on track for one more timed session despite the fact that the track was not yet dry. To add insult to injury, Gregory Haye in the Challenge/Bridgestone Honda S2000 grendaded his engine in the last corner, sending oil all over the track. This car oiled it’s own tires and spun into the grassy over run. Before the condition of the track could be fully assessed, the Honda Civic of William Chan also spun off, narrowly missing Haye. However, seconds later, the EVO X of Justin Mathews also added himself to the turn 13 mayhem and in the process grazing Haye but severely colliding with Chan. All three drivers were unharmed, however, both the EVO and the Civic were badly damaged.

This was a precursor to the wild carnage that would mark one of the most costly, in terms of bent metal, Super Sessions in Redline history. With a track still slick from the rain and with standing water still on the front straight, the cars made their way to the pre-grid. In a precursor to the mayhem that would follow, one of the EVOs spun on the parade lap.

As the pack rounded the final corner and made their way down the front straight, the green flag dropped and things got ugly. Heeding the organizers directions to ease up and avoid contact at all costs, Brian yielded the line to an overzealous EVO driver who dive-bombed him by putting 4-wheels off (into muddy wet grass) came back on track and punted the Miata of Richard Fischer off track, who was able to gather it together and carry on.

The GT-R was more than a handful in the wet and to make matters worse,the AWD system rebelled in the incredibly slick conditions relegating the GT-R to RWD mode, with standing water still on the track. With his hands full of an ill-handling and bucking GT-R, Brian concentrated on bringing the GT-R home in once piece!

The mayhem started with the Mazdaspeed Miata Fischer losing control on the front straight, spinning and impacting the pit wall armco barrier, shattering his rear window and hitting the timing equipment sending a car battery and other debris all over the track. Fischer was able to continue on around the track despite heavy damage to his Miata. Several officials jumped out on the hot track to clear debris before other cars came onto the front straight.

However, the worst was yet to come. As the Mazdaspeed 5 of Jason Saini turned into turn 3, his car refused to turn and shot off the track head-on into the armco sending the car over the wall where it landed, high-sided on the turn 3 overrun barrier. With two heavy crashes, one car seriously wrecked, the organizers flew the black flag ending the session. Again, no drivers were hurt. At the end of the super session The EVOs held the top spots with the GT-R in third in the Modified Class.

While the weekend was in some ways one of the more challenging weekends in terms of strategy, timing and setup, the COBB Tuning Motorsports team once again stood on top of the podium in the AWD Modified Class. Despite his close brush with a career as a fire fighter, Cameron was once again on the podium with a 2nd in the Street AWD Class.

The team is already looking forward to Redline Time Attack Round 6 at Willow Springs in Rosamond, Calif. This will be a diametric shift in weather, from the humid and rainy streets of Autobahn, to 100+ degree temperatures of the California Desert at Big Willow.

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The COBB Tuning Motorsports Team is once again proving their “metal,” this time at Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, Illinois. The COBB Tuning Motorsports GT-R and STI driven by Brian Lock and Cameron Benner, respectively, are both leading the field at the end of testing on Saturday. The GT-R posted a 1:29 in the Modified AWD class and the STI is sitting in first in the AWD Street Tire class with a 1:37.

After his win at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Cameron is looking a repeat here at Autobahn. “The car feels great,” said Cameron Benner, driver of the COBB Tuning Motorsports STI. “We made a few minimal bound and rebound settings to minimize oscillation, to keep the car settled mid-corner and at the exits and also to take advantage of the new OS Giken rear diff. The track is fun, it reminds me of Portland International Raceway, my ‘Alma Mater’. The track itself is rather slick as the track surface is very green, but once you get the hang of it, it’s really fun. It is deceivingly difficult to drive.”

Brian Lock, driver of the COBB Tuning Motorsports GT-R, who won overall at Auto Club Speedway, noted that there were a few issues to deal with in practice. “The car came out of the trailer with some alignment issues and we had to sort out our new wing,” said Brian. “As the day went on, we got our alignment sorted and our downforce and aero balanced and we made steady improvements all day. The car is very fast and ready for competition.”

Weather will play a big role in the weekend as two out of three advanced sessions were black flagged due to sever rain and thunderstorms. Both cars are running flawlessly and continue to set the standard for race preparation. The COBB Tuning Motorsports Team is ready to take on the competition on Sunday!

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With the season off to a rocky start and the GT-R suffering engine trouble, I wasn’t sure what to expect at the Auto Club Speedway event. However, with a month of downtime spent rebuilding both the STI and the GT-R, we decided to go for broke and run the GT-R in both Modified and Super Modified with our new Yokohama A005 slicks.

However, we were taking on a big challenge running two classes, and on a motor that was not track tested, and with a front diff that was not track tested. The weekend before we had missed our test day due to some knock sensor issues with the new forged internals of our GT-R engine. With no test day under our belt, anything could have happened. And with our racing luck this year, I was sure that anything WOULD have happened to upset our weekend. To ward off any bad monkeys that might have been following me around on my back, I dyed my hair COBB blue for the weekend.

Perhaps it was the blue hair, or maybe it was all the hard work and preparation put in by the COBB Tuning Motorsports and Surgeline crews, but it worked! We had an extremely trouble free weekend and took home 4 top spots, in Modified, Super Modified, the Super Session and the overall event win! In addition our street class STI took home its first, 1st place win, so I think I may have to go blue for the rest of the season. After a long month of sleepless, work-filled nights, insanely long hours, lots of travel, and enough anxiety to cause physical ailment, this event really gave me and the team a shot in the arm. Yes, a lot of the big hitters were not there in Super Mod, but I believe our time was still competitive given the track conditions. It was also our narrowest margin of victory in the modified class with James Elterman in the COBB sponsored Takata Time Attack/LIC Motorsports STI getting faster every event.

The only problem from the weekend was a bizarre front diff issue. To be clear, it wasn’t a front diff issue at all. Our new OS Giken front LSD was functioning perfectly, it was the brain of the GT-R that was confused. Imagine that. For some reason the lack of differential front wheel spin was causing the ECU to not demand FWD from the center differential. The result was a kind of a RWD car for the weekend, although worse because the FWD would go on and off, creating an exciting ride behind the wheel with 700+ lb feet of torque, and a chassis not setup for RWD only. But with a lot of sideways driving and a set of corded RA-1’s later, we got the results we wanted which included the new track record for a Modified Class car.

Now it’s on to Chicago, and Autoban Country Club for Round 5, the second round of the East Coast championship. I really am looking forward to this event. I love learning new tracks, seeing new competitors, and I believe we are going to have our toughest event to date battling with Ryan Gates in his EVO X. That car has shown some incredible speed in practice at a couple of event, but mechanical faults have kept it out of any official times sessions.

See everyone in Chicago, with a fresh coat of COBB blue in my hair.

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The COBB Tuning Motorsports team dominated Round 4 of the Redline Time Attack series at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, taking 1st in Super Modified AWD, 1st in Modified AWD, 1st in Street Tire AWD and capturing the Overall Event Win. The Super Session wheel-to-wheel race was an exciting inter-class battle and saw the Nissan GT-R win overall in Modified trim and the STI take the Street Tire class win. In addition to bringing home maximum points, Brian Lock set a new track record for a Modified Class car at Auto Club Speedway in the GT-R with a lap time of 1:43.072.

In a bid to appease the “Racing Gods,” the team showed up sporting COBB-blue hair-dos, but the success of the weekend was a direct result of the long hours and tireless effort put in by the talented and dedicated guys that make up the COBB Tuning Motorsports crew. The team took advantage of the month-long break between events and made significant changes to all three race cars in an effort to maximize performance and reliability, ultimately setting the team up to race hard for the remainder of the season.

The Nissan GT-R was treated to a complete engine rebuild with upgraded rods and pistons to better cope with the nearly 1,000 crank HP being produced. The Subaru STI went under the knife having a new custom safety cage fabricated from scratch and the transmission rebuilt while the Cosworth engine was sent home for a refresh and new Cosworth intake manifold added. The Nissan 370Z received a new set of rear springs to reduce excessive corner-exit oversteer. Finally, all three cars had OS Giken limited-slip differentials installed (GT-R front, STI & 370Z rear) to better get the AccessPORT tuned power down on the track where it belongs.

The extensive hours of hard-work paid off in spades as the team racked up its most successful weekend to date in the Redline Time Attack. Brian Lock in the Nissan GT-R screamed past the competition to take the Modified Class win and set a new track record of 1:43.072 in the process. After setting the new record, the GT-R visited pit lane to receive a new set of Yokohama A005 racing slicks before heading right back out on track to battle it out in the Super Modified class. The added grip of the Yokohama slicks dropped the GT-R’s lap time to a 1:39.730, fast enough to take the win in the Super Modified class and clinch the team’s second Overall event win!

photo courtesy of rpmgear.com

In the Street Tire AWD Class, Cameron Benner was on a mission to grab the 1st place position that had so far eluded him. The revitalized Subaru STI proved to be the perfect tool for the job as Cameron charged ahead the rest of the Street Class field, taking a decisive first win with a 3-second lead over his closest competitor!

photo courtesy of rpmgear.com

Gary Sheehan subbed in for an ill-feeling Trey Cobb to take on the Nissan 370Z driving duties. Although Gary was ineligible to compete in the Enthusiast Class, the event presented an opportunity to see how the suspension and driveline changes affected the performance of the little Z, and they proved to be quite effective. The COBB 370Z turned a time just 0.5 seconds shy of the Enthusiast RWD class winning lap in the final Time Attack session, and also revealed a few simple areas of improvement that, once addressed, should make it a serious class contender.

photo courtesy of rpmgear.com

The wheel-to-wheel Super Session turned out to be an exciting inter-class battle that once again showed that solid preparation, nerves of steel and blue hair will take the day. Brian Lock ran the Nissan GT-R in Modified trim with R-compound tires and gapped the field to take the overall win and much-needed Modified class championship points. Cameron Benner had a great drive in his Street Tire Class STI, battling with Modified class cars on the way to his class win and 4th place overall, adding to his impressive championship lead.

The Takata Time Attack/LIC Motorsports STI, had a strong showing this weekend, taking 2nd place in the Modified AWD Class with a 01:45.923 lap time and 2nd place in class in the Super Session . This car runs a COBB AccessPORT and was tuned at COBB Tuning Surgeline in Portland, Oregon. The LIC Motorsports team continues to show what quality preparation and great tuning can do as they consistently field the fastest Modified Class Subaru in the series and currently lead the Modified Class championship.

Jon Drenas showed what a lightly modified Mitsubishi EVO X can do by finishing in 2nd place in the AWD Street Class. Jon arrived at the track late in the event and laid down a 1:52.702 lap with almost no practice time in his HB Speed-tuned AccessPORT EVO X. Jon and his EVO X is a force to be reckoned with on the West Coast and has proven that you can drive your race car to the track, race it all weekend, and drive back home with a trophy in the passenger seat.

Chris Billedo drove his AccessPORT equipped Honda Civic Si to the sharp end of the Enthusiast FWD class with a solid 2nd place finish, continuing his streak of podium finishes and setting himself up for an impressive Redline Time Attack championship result.

The COBB Tuning Motorsports Team next heads to Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, Illinois for Round 5 on June 12th where they look to extend their East Coast Championship leads in the Modified and Street Tire classes.

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Following the 3rd round of the Redline Time Attack series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the COBB Tuning Motorsports GT-R was trucked to the COBB Tuning Surgeline facility for a complete teardown and rebuild. The engine that was installed in the GT-R after the first-round Buttonwillow race, was from a wrecked street car and had quickly succumbed to the rigors of motorsports. The crew from COBB Tuning Motorsports and COBB Tuning Surgeline, worked quickly and tirelessly to tear down the injured car, remove the engine, and have it rebuilt and ready in time for the next race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. Parts were flown in from all over the country and proved to be difficult to source for Nissan’s supercar. But the team was able to get the engine back together and the car tuned, just in time for the 4th round event. Look for the car to dominate the track in California!

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Recently, the World Challenge Brass Monkey Racing GT-R’s got a little help in the power department thanks to AMS Performance and the COBB Tuning AccessPORT. The twin GT-R’s were tuned at AMS Performance’s tuning facility, both with the COBB Tuning AccessPORT, proving once again that the AccessPORT is motorsports grade! Follow the Brass Monkey Team this season by visiting their website.

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Whitney Edmister is a GT-R owner and racer. Not only does he drive this 2009 GT-R on the street, but he is racing it in the Redline Time Attack in the Modified Class. Whitney’s car is a great example of what the dedicated enthusiast can do with a well-prepared machine and a COBB Tuning AccessPORT!

When I started to upgrade my 2009 GTR for the track, I started out with the wheels, tires, and brakes. After just three track days on the stock tires, I had nearly worn them out. We wanted to have a second set of lighter wheels and tires for the track, and keep the stock tires on the stock rims for street use only. We upgraded the brakes with Carbotec pads, AP racing rotors, Stillen stainless brake lines, and Motul racing brake fluid. This completely eliminated brake fade and allowed crisp, hard braking, even toward the end of a 30-minute track session with rotors at 550F. All of our upgrades were installed by Palladin Advanced Automotive in Las Vegas.

The first suspension upgrade we did was to install the Cobb antisway bars. This allowed us to reduce the roll in the rear and eliminate the stock understeer. There’s nothing more frustrating than driving hard into a corner, braking hard, turning the wheel, and the car keeps going straight ahead, pushing wide through the corner! Now with slight oversteer, the front end carves right around, and the rear end follows. The reduced body roll and negative camber keeps the outside tires in contact with the pavement through the turn. Adding the JRZ RSpro suspension and lowering the car slightly gave us the stability and control we needed to drive the car to the limit.

We wanted to improve engine performance as well, but didn’t want to spend a lot of money upgrading the engine and tuning. First we freed up the exhaust with the HKS Legamax midpipe and catback exhaust. It’s a stainless system with titanium tips that is lightweight, high flow, and looks and sounds great. This took the exhaust from nearly silent to a beautiful, deep note. Next we installed the COBB Tuning AccessPORT and flashed ECU with the 91 octane, Stage 2 map. Immediately we noticed improved torque, acceleration, and boost, and a dramatic improvement in lap times. Next we upgraded to the 100 octane, Stage 2 map with 100 octane racing fuel. We were amazed that this second upgrade gave us another performance boost that felt just as significant as the first. Just installing the AccessPORT with or without a high-flow exhaust is the most cost-effective performance upgrade you can make to the GTR. According to COBB, we should be making 550hp with our configuration, but have not put the car on the dyno yet.

In Las Vegas, we ran the GT-R in the Modified class of the Redline Time Attack and was highly competitive despite just our few targeted upgrades. The car felt perfectly balanced with terrific acceleration and braking. When braking into the corner, the rear end felt light and the car turned in easily. The rear end came right around with slight oversteer. Once I was confident of hitting the apexes properly, I added a little throttle shifted weight to the rear, locking the car down, followed by hard acceleration through the apex into the next straight. At the end of the front and back straights, we were hitting speeds up to 135 mph. The track was highly techinical with hairpins, carousel turns, and even a chicane, but the GTR carved up the 2.4 mile road course. Our lap times continued to improve through the two days, with our best lap time of 1:50.0. It was a great weekend to race such a fast and capable car.

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…Push in clutch …Rotate heal over to blip gas pedal while keeping steady pressure on brakes …Select next desired gear …Let out clutch. Repeat.

It had been a while since I had driven anything but the GT-R on track so I had to repeat the above lines in my head while on track. Well, not really but I was a little rusty on the first couple of laps in our street class STI. Unfortunately our racing luck finally gave out this past weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The DNF that had been looming over the GT-R’s head and had been narrowly escaped in the first two events of the season finally happened. The first DNF the GT-R has ever had, and hopefully the last! The sick motor we put in the car after the failure at Buttonwillow could not quite last the two events we hoped it would and started spitting bearing debris into the engine oil. After posting a low 1:40 lap time in our first hot session in practice, a time that would have dominated the Modified AWD Class this weekend, all we could do was wonder what could have been as the GT-R sat silent the rest of the weekend.

My weekend was not over, however. Thanks to the generosity of our street class driver, Cameron Benner, I was offered his car to drive in the Modified AWD Class and try to collect as many points as possible. After only about 5 laps in the car, I was able to post a 1:47.6 to take home 6th and collect some valuable points. It felt just like home being back in a Subaru and I actually forgot how much fun it is to have to heal toe, and bang through the gears down the straight away. I have to say I was really happy with how the car was handling; great handling from the AST Suspension and great power from the COBB-Tuned Cosworth engine. A small aero tweak was all I suggested and the car was ready to go. It has been hard for me to assist Cameron throughout the year on setup with this car because I have never raced a Subaru on street tires. Now driving the car and having something to reference when speaking about setup we should be able to squeeze even more time out of our street class entry.

Now it is back to the grind as we begin the seemingly insurmountable task of completely rebuilding the COBB STI with a new cage, refreshed engine and a rebuilt transmission. We will also be pulling the engine out of the GT-R and building a new healthy unit as well. We must do all of this in time to test both cars the weekend before Redline Time Attack Round 4 at Auto Club Speedway on May 29th-30th. It will be lots of work but both cars will look to be on the top step of the podium in Fontana.

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Check out the latest video from Redline Time Attack and see exclusive interviews with COBB Tuning Motorsports drivers Brian Lock and Cameron Benner as well as new footage of the cars on track!

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Round 3 of the Redline Time Attack at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was an event full of victory and defeat. Emotions ran the gamut of highs and lows as the COBB Tuning Motorsports team continued to have issues with their R35 GT-R, while Cameron Benner and Trey Cobb in the COBB Tuning Motorsports STI and 370Z respectively, were able to grab podium finishes.

The weekend got off to a rough start when large chunks of bearing material were discovered in the oil of the COBB Tuning Motorsports GT-R following Friday morning practice. This engine had come from a badly wrecked GT-R and the team surmised that the bearings might have already been compromised prior to the New Jersey event. While the car was still running and showing good oil pressure, it was decided to park the GT-R instead of risking another catastrophic failure which could compromise not only safety for driver Brian Lock, but possibly the safety of the other competitors as well.

This put the spotlight squarely on Trey Cobb and his 370Z and Cameron Benner in his 2006 STI. Cameron has reached the podium in each race he has contested while Trey has slowly been climbing the ranks while he sorts not only his car, but learns and has become more competent and aggressive as a driver.

Cameron’s weekend started more or less uneventfully, with the car continuing to be the unbreakable war horse of the COBB Tuning Motorsports stable. Cameron continued to push as his competitors posted ever lower lap times. In the end, Steve Ruiz, in the Stoptech/AEM EVOX was able to edge Cameron out by just over half a second to take first with a 1:47.491 to Cameron’s 1:48.0.

In the Enthusiast RWD Class, Trey Cobb continued to show his mettle as he became more comfortable with his 370Z. With a few more refinements to his AST coilovers and a little more daring racing lines, Trey was able to snatch his first podium, a 3rd place in only his 3rd ever race! With the car very close to be optimized, the only adjustments are being made to the nut behind the wheel proving that despite not having huge amounts of horsepower, the 370Z is a capable car and is well suited to the enthusiast class.

Down but not out, Brian Lock ventured back out on track in the AWD Modified class, this time at the helm of Cameron Benner’s Street Tire class STI, in an effort to keep his championship hopes alive. While a DNF would have put Brian completely out of the points chase, he was able to capture 7th in a car that was not only down on power compared to his rivals, but running street tires while the rest of the field ran on R-compound rubber.

Despite the setbacks with the GT-R, the weekend was an overall success for the COBB Tuning Motorsports Team. With two podium finishes from Trey Cobb and Cameron Benner, the team has its sights on more victories in Fontana, CA at Auto Club Speedway, just 32 days away.

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