The COBB Tuning Motorsports Team finished out the 2010 Redline Time Attack season as champions! Brian Lock and the Nissan GT-R clinched the Modified AWD Class Championship and Cameron Benner in his 2006 Subaru STI captured the Street Tire AWD Class Championship. This marks a fantastic end to a first-year effort with COBB Tuning fielding a full-season two-car time attack team. The team pushed the envelope with these two AccessPORT powered cars and are very proud of the performance of the racecars as well as the performance of the team!

The Modified class championship came down to the final event with just 21 points separating the 1st place COBB Tuning team and the 2nd place Takata Time Attack/LIC Motosports STI. With 40 points up for grabs, a mechanical failure or driver error on this high speed track could mean disaster. Running a car as powerful and technically advanced as the GT-R, the specter of a mechanical DNF is never far from the team’s consciousness. Early weekend issues that were originally thought to be related to the very complex AWD system turned out to be related to a set of old tires, and once replaced, the car performed flawlessly from that point on and broke the Modified Class track record on the first lap of the Record Assault Sunday morning, securing first place. This would be the winning lap as neither 2nd place Mike Cronin Jr. in the Fontana Nissan GT-R or 3rd place James Elterman in the LIC STI could match that pace.

With the Modified Class win in the bag, the team jumped back into the pits for a quick tire change to Yokohama slicks in an effort to take the Super Modified class track record as well. Despite a blistering 1:37 lap time from the Nissan GT-R, it was not fast enough to defeat the Super Modified class champion GST Motorsports “L” Impreza, which set a new Super Modified track record with a 1:35.5 lap time. However, a second place podium in Super Modified AWD was certainly worth the team’s efforts.

Cameron Benner, who has finished on the podium at every single event this year came into this event with the Street Tire class championship already locked. Not content to rest on his laurels, Cameron was determined to take another class win as well as set a new class lap record. However, during Friday afternoon practice his engine overheated, spewing coolant onto the windshield during his third lap, a clear sign of a blown head gasket, which was confirmed in the paddock. But Time Attack is all about posting one fast lap and the team was determined to post it! They proceeded to pull the engine and do a track-side rebuild. Cameron also noted that his transmission was showing signs of serious problems as well, with a balky 4th gear engagement.

Undaunted, the team managed to have the engine pulled and completely apart on Friday evening and with new parts supplied by Subaru of Ontario Friday night, the team started the reassembly process Saturday morning and had the engine together and dropped in the car before lunch with Cameron heading back out on track Saturday afternoon. The tireless efforts of Danny Heng, Tim Bailey, Brandon Lumpkins and Eric Bizek saw the car back on track and showing good speed. With a freshly rebuilt engine, the STI was ready to take on Steve Ruiz in the StopTech EVO and COBB’s own Jon Drenas in yet another EVO, both of whom resurfaced for this final race and were both very fast earlier in the season.

Not wanting to push their luck on a failing transmission and a hastily refreshed engine, the team opted to sit out Sunday morning practice and go all out for the first timed sessions on Sunday afternoon. Sadly, the transmission would not hold out and 4th gear disappeared during Cameron’s out lap and he was forced to run without it. On a track like Auto Club with many fast straights, the loss of 4th gear proved to large a handicap and Cameron was only able to post a 1:50 lap time, putting him into 4th place. His only non-podium finish of the season, it was a bitter-sweet end to a championship winning season for the young driver.

The final act of the 2010 Redline Time Attack season had all the drama of the rest of the season with a close race to finish line and a champagne-soaked podium…

With only the wheel-to-wheel Super Session left in the weekend, the team decided to mount the Toyo RA-1 tires and run in the Modified Class in an effort to make the Modified Class victory complete. Brian and the GT-R were gridded next to the Super Modified 350Z of Mike Cronin Jr. running slicks and much less Lose Weight Exercise, compared to the very heavy GT-R on treaded R-compound tires. This would prove to be a fight of giant straight line horsepower versus high-grip in the tight infield bends of Auto Club Speedway.

As the green flag dropped on the field, Lock and Cronin Jr. rocketed away from the pack and would run the 5 laps almost nose to tail with the Fontana Nissan 350Z just inches off the COBB GT-R’s bumper, looking for the pass at every corner. However, the horsepower of the GT-R proved to be enough to hold the Z at bay for the overall Super Session win as well as collecting the final points needed to slam the lid closed on the Modified AWD Class.

As the sun set for the final time on the 2010 Redline Time Attack championship the team was able to smile with a sense of pride of accomplishing so much in such a short time with championship wins in both the Modified and Street Tire AWD classes.

Not only did the COBB Tuning drivers and racecars prove themselves on the track, the COBB Tuning crew distinguished themselves in the paddock. The COBB Tuning Motorsports team was presented with the final award of the season, the 2010 Redline Time Attack “Team of the Year” Award, for showing dedication to sportsmanship in the pits and towards their fellow teams and drivers.

COBB Tuning would like to thank the Redline Time Attack organization, our dedicated team of all-volunteer pit crew members, our sponsors, drivers, family members (both at the track and at home), our competitors for the friendly and fun paddock atmosphere and close competition and finally our customers and fans for your support during this 2010 season. Without all you, none of this would have been possible.

COBB Tuning – 2010 Redline Time Attack Modified Class and Street Tire AWD Class Champions!