Professional Awesome!

Updates and VICTORY!

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 20:14:51 -0500

Some of the more attentive readers may have noticed a distinct lack of updates on the site... I would have to agree that there has been a lack of updates that you can all see, but worry not - there’s been plenty of work going on behind the scenes.

Very soon we will be rolling out an all-new website that will be better, faster, more aesthetically pleasing, and best of all, easier for us all to update and interact with you, out fans. So keep your eyes peeled on our Twitter and Facebook pages for the time being, as we can give you quick updates, such as our FIRST PLACE VICTORY AT AUTOBAHN COUNTRY CLUB THIS WEEKEND.

That’s right kids, PA! had its first taste of champagne as Dan stood proud in the winner’s circle this weekend, with his time of 1:34.727 putting him ahead of the rest of the Street Class, breaking the old track record in the process. One year ago, PA! was founded at Autobahn CC, so it’s only appropriate that we claim victory at our home track.

Did I mention that we took first place at Autobahn this weekend?

Take a look at Redline’s debrief of the weekend and check out our Facebook page - I’d love to give you a better rundown, but I have to get the new site up and running! Expect a very thorough and full-bodied race report to christen our new website. Until then, click through the links for more info!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Professional-Awesome/308953760692

http://redlinetimeattack.com/ti/rl/content/3fSrwjwk.html?id=uIXtWCBk

http://redlinetimeattack.com/ti/rl/content/blog.html

Also, did I mention that we’re in the running for an east coast championship?

A Trip to Komet Motorsports

Mon, 10 May 2010 13:48:41 -0500

Last week, the Professional Awesome! team decided it was time to find out exactly how powerful the Evolution really is. After hearing good things from fellow racers, the team loaded the Evolution onto the trailer and headed north to Komet Motorsports in St. Charles, IL.

While Komet specializes in the European brands such as Volkswagen, Porsche, and Mercedes, their expertise in tuning and service certainly still applies to cars with an American or Asian origin. Shortly after we rolled the Evolution off of our trailer, Kurt, of Komet, quickly had the dyno all set, with our car securely strapped to the rollers. When I say securely, I mean it - the Evolution wasn’t going anywhere.

Before the first runs, Grant changed out spark plugs for a colder set so that we could safely turn up the boost without damaging the engine. Then the fun began.

The first run was a bit of a surprise at 290 horsepower; lower than we expected, but that makes our performance at New Jersey (story on that is coming soon) all the more impressive. Then Andy Stevens, resident combustion cycle mad scientist, was let loose on the fueling and timing maps. After a few minutes with a laptop, Andy had given the Evolution a healthy bump in power to a more respectable 350hp. For a 3000lb car, 350 horsepower will certainly make quick work of long stretches of track, but we’re not complacent types here.

After more time adjusting timing, fuel delivery, swapping out bypass valves (BOVs to you auto forum-types out there) we landed at a number that we can be happy with: 400 horsepower and 398 ft-lb of torque. At the wheels, of course. As soon as we get a chance to scan in our printouts, you can all admire the power and torque curves with us, but for the time being, just imagine a nice broad torque curve and power curve that increases all the way up to redline.

Overall, the day was a success, with a new tune giving us a whole mess of reliable power and we can’t wait to go toe to toe with the rest of the Street AWD class at the Redline Autobahn CC Event this June! We also give Komet Motorsports our much-admired and desired seal of approval - if you are looking for someone to help you reach your insane power goals or if you just want some new parts installed, call them up and tell them we sent ya!

Komet Motorsports
630-584-5400
www.kometmotorsports.com

“Where Did You Get That Splitter?”

Wed, 7 Apr 2010 16:35:05 -0500

“From our garage.” we all replied.

Ever since our debut at Gingerman last weekend and after posting images of the track day, people have been asking all about our splitter. The splitter was designed and built by Grant and Mike in the PA! Garage using a combination of high quality materials, some engineering know-how, and desire to live up to the team name. Dan and I both can vouch for the splitter’s effectiveness, as we were able to conquer the higher speed sections of Gingerman with a level of stability that we had never experienced in the Evolution.

While I can’t comment entirely on the process and materials used (that’s proprietary stuff now!) Grant and Mike may chime in later when they feel that the aero package for the Evolution has been perfected. What I will say is this - the process is repeatable, the materials are high quality, and the splitter is definitely working. During testing, the splitter was developing enough downforce to where the turnbuckles would become loose after high speed testing. This, of course, has been remedied, but still serves as a good illustration of the level of force that the splitter is developing.

Currently, Grant and Mike are developing the PA! Rear Diffuser to work in combination with the front splitter. Progress is coming along very well and it looks like the PA! Evolution will be a very stable car this season. Be sure to come take a look at their handiwork at the New Jersey event, but as a teaser I’ve attached some progress photos for everyone in the Evolution Build Gallery.

Gingerman Testing : Success!

Mon, 5 Apr 2010 09:24:40 -0500

Looks like all of those sleepless nights paid off! For testing, we were running ~100 less horsepower than we were running last season so that we can safely break in the car. We were faster than we were last season.

How is this possible? Let’s take a look at how far we’ve come with the Evolution: last season, Dan was piloting what was a nearly stock Evolution VII with some minor suspension and power modifications. This year, we’ve added a world class suspension setup, thanks to KW; completely stiffened up the chassis with Cartel’s roll cage and seam welding; added our own Professional Awesome! front splitter; upgraded our brakes with Girodisc-recommended Raybestos pads; gutted the car as much as legally possible; reinforced the engine with a combination of help from Cosworth, JM Fabrications, Blox Racing, MA Performance, T1 Race Development, and Zeitronix as well as our Professional Awesome! mechanical know-how. Overall, the Evolution’s been through a lot these past months.

The first day at Gingerman found Dan facing a very wet track and cold ambient temperatures, much less than ideal for testing a race car. However, we dedicated the day to ensuring that all bolts were tight and everything worked as it should. The lower level of stress was also welcome for Grant and Mike who had been awake for at least 48 hours finishing the car. For the record, when Mike doesn’t have sleep, he randomly bursts into fits of hysterical laughing and psychobabble, which provided entertainment for everyone.

Sunday, the racing gods smiled upon Gingerman Raceway, giving Professional Awesome! perfect testing conditions. The track was dry, the sun shone, and temperatures were steady at 70º all day. Dan took the car out in the morning to really give the car a workout. Within a few laps, we were consistently seeing times that were significantly faster than last season’s. on new street tires. with less power. This speaks volumes of the car’s progress, the quality of the parts used, and the aptitude of our mechanics.

The Professional Awesome! front splitter also proved its worth, drawing admiration from both Dan and I, who love the fact that high speed kinks and turns do nothing to upset the car, and others in the paddock, who consistently drooled over the splitter and asked repeatedly “Where did you get that splitter?” Happily, and with a bit of a smirk, I would reply “Our garage.” Massive props to Grant, Mike, and Jordan for their work there!

After Dan’s morning session, I got behind the wheel after a year absence from tracking the Evolution. Never before have I felt a car with so much grip, I constantly found myself having to reprogram my brain to match the Evolution’s abilities. Where the past cars I’ve raced would require a very careful and comparatively cautious approach to driving, the Evolution demanded that you forget everything you thought you knew. Every lap, it would tell you to brake deeper, to carry more speed; it demanded that you turn off any notion of fear or hesitation, the car can and will perform like a true track star. After adjusting to the fact that this car will enter the corners at least 20 mph faster than any other car I’ve raced, I was able to see how much potential there is. Admittedly, I left some time out on the track, (chalk that up to my brain just not being able to comprehend what this car is capable of) but with some more seat time, the Professional Awesome! Evolution will be able to compete with the best this season.

Speaking of which, the official start to our season is this weekend at the New Jersey Motorsports Park! We are all excited to get back into competition mode and we expect great things. Keep an eye on the site for updates from the track!

Also, thanks to Anthony Mason Pitts for the ride and his help at the track! For more pictures, check out the Gingerman 04/2010 Gallery!

No Extra Bolts, No Loose Ends. Let’s See How She Runs!

Sat, 3 Apr 2010 01:59:08 -0500

2.59 AM, First Day of Testing, Leaving at 5 AM... I’d say that it’s going to be a long night, but we’re already well into the morning...

It’s a rarity in the grassroots motorsports world to have a car finished well ahead of its track debut. In fact, it almost seems like poor practice to have a car ready more than a day before its first outing. It wouldn’t be a proper race car if it wasn’t constantly being work on. This isn’t to say that the Evolution hasn’t been seeing a constant stream of activity for the past several months; just take a look at our build gallery to see how far the team has come!

The final touches are being finished on the Evolution, with the completion of our front splitter (‘effin baller status), seat brackets (stout and “Mike Perfect”), mounting of the tires on our freshly powdercoated wheels (“‘effin titty sprinkles”), final wiring, harness bar, and a whole list of things that escape my sleep-deprived mind. Speaking of powdercoated wheels, check them out, I mean seriously, just look at them. Twisted Bros. did an outstanding job on them and also put in some very late nights to have them ready for us. So check out their work and if you need anything powdercoated or if you want to get a hold of any number of awesome motorcycles, we give them our seal of approval!

All and all, tomorrow today should be a great day up at Gingerman Raceway and we’ll finally see how all of this hard work has paid off. Of course, we here at Professional Awesome! would also like to thank our sponsors for all of their effort and support, we certainly wouldn’t be as far along if it weren’t for them! So do the right thing, go to our Sponsors section, click on each each link, buy lots of stuff and tell them we sent you! As much as I’d like to say it’s nap time, I’m heading back to the garage now. Keep an eye on our Twitter tomorrow for updates as the day progresses!

Twisted Bros. Website

So Close...

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:13:36 -0500

Some of our loyal readers out there may have noticed the recent drought of Professional Awesome updates and may have wondered why there was the sudden drop off. We can explain, I swear.

As expected, building a race car demands a lot of time and because of this, we haven’t been spending any real amount of time on the computer. Since it’s my sworn duty as webmaster, I feel compelled to update you all on the status of the Evolution.

It’s on the ground after ~5 months of being propped up on jack stands, it has a choice green roll cage, Dan has a new Sparco Evo 2 Plus seat, the interior is all installed, the engine and transmission are ready for action, and we are on schedule for testing this weekend.

Today saw the last big purchases take place as we finally ordered tires (big thanks to Jim at Discount Tire - your shirt will be ready soon) and I finally stopped dragging my feet and ordered my racing gear from Sparco (awesome service there, and awesome products!) so we should be all set come Friday. Grant and Mike have been working at a frantic pace to get the Evolution all set for track duty and it looks that the long hours have paid off! It looks as though these guys know what they’re doing when they’re building a race car, which is nice.

All that’s left is to mount the tires, make a seat bracket for yours truly, make a front splitter, put on the doors, fenders, and hood, buy a van, buy a trailer, break in the engine and transmission, and mount our newly powdercoated wheels by Friday.

...Considering how much work we had ahead of us last week, I say we’re right on schedule.

Lots of Time and Effort Yields : A Racecar

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 10:00:31 -0500

It’s science, really.

If you put a group of gearheads in one garage with piles of car parts, ~20 cans of paint, more tools than your local Sears, and a bare chassis, it’s expected that a car will materialize. This week (affectionately dubbed “Hell Week”) found all members of Professional Awesome working at full capacity. The cage, interior and engine bay all received their final coats of paint, with the green cage surely being the focal point of the car for many race and showgoers, I mean come on, it’s GREEN (seriously, like GREEN, not just green or even Green, but GREEN). The interior received some pretty neat little updates in the form of relocated trunk/fuel door controls, a grip taped driver’s area, neatly organized and trimmed wiring, and some inventive driver’s seat rails, necessary to fit Dan’s stretched frame.

On the drivetrain side of things, Grant finished up the engine preparation yesterday after Dan’s Hail Mary drive up to Exedy headquarters in Michigan to find one of the last remaining rebuild kits available in stock. On that note, a special thanks to Paul Kapoor for putting Dan up for the night; without him, Dan would’ve had to sleep in the Insight outside of Exedy’s offices and that didn’t really seem like a favorable option.

With the clutch installed, the team then attached the transmission and transfercase (which were prepared by TRE, our favorite transmission shop/builder/font of transmission-related knowledge) and used some unorthodox thinking to install the package. In a feat of strength, Dan and Little Dan (our resident man-model) lifted the Evolution chassis above the engine and transmission to aid Grant and Mike’s install; I sadly missed this whole event due to work and therefore no pictures were taken, but if there’s enough demand, we can stage another chassis lift for our fans. With the Evolution located above the engine, the chassis was then unceremoniously dropped carefully lowered onto the subframe and engine cradle.

Some of you may be asking “Professional Awesome, what did you decide to do to remedy Mitsubishi’s super spongy engine mounts?” and we’re glad you asked! Thanks to our friends at BLOX Racing, we are the proud owners of a very handsome CNC machined engine mount, complete with high-durometer polyurethane bushing! Since only the front engine mount is currently available from BLOX, we had to make due with the tried and true “inject the factory mounts with as much seam sealer as possible” method to stiffen up the two main engine mounts. While comfort may be completely thrown out the window, our engine won’t be going anywhere, so we’ll be able to transfer all of the Evolution’s power to the ground, where it belongs.

While the Evolution still isn’t finished, it’s much, much closer to seeing track duty. All that remains is to get our Toyos mounted to our freshly powdercoated 5Zigen Proracer FN01R-C Hot Version (mouthful, that one) wheels, install our slick KW Competition suspension setup, and then put the Evo through its standard track-prep paces.

I just love it when a plan comes together.

Check the gallery for more pictures!

Roll Cage... It’s Green and Sweet.

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:23:10 -0600

Just a quick update for the evening, but I feel compelled to share with everyone the progress of our roll cage.

It’s green.

Not just any green, but a shade of green that is so damn awesome that you can’t help but feel a sense of awe when you look at it. Seriously, this green is just too good for words.

I’ve updated the gallery for you all to admire and I will keep posting updates as we continue along with the painting. In the meantime, why don’t you all post some comments up and let us know what you think of the look of the car? We’d love to hear what our adoring fans have to say!

Check out the gallery!

The FedEx and UPS Men Know us by Name.

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:44:08 -0600

Is it a bad thing when the UPS and FedEx delivery drivers know you by name? Well, this is the case now, as we’ve been seeing a very steady influx of performance parts at our base of operations. This month, KW Suspensions and 5Zigen made two large deliveries, our Raybestos
brake pads and Titanium backing plates arrived from GiroDisc, and we still have more parts inbound. Last month, JM Fabrications’ Lower Intercooler Pipe found its way to our doorstep accompanied by BLOX Racing’s Engine Mount and Chro-Moly Lugs along with Cosworth’s FSL Metal Headgasket.

Every day at Professional Awesome headquarters feels like Christmas, but the real present is going to be getting all of these shiny new parts covered in track grime... Check the gallery for more detailed pictures of all our goods!

Progress on the Evolution: Crunch Time!

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:10:15 -0600

This has been a big week for Professional Awesome so far, with the Evolution being fully stripped and getting a full interior and engine bay painting, wiring rework, and a refreshening of the engine.

The engine bay and interior are going to be painted a lovely shade of flat gray for a variety of reasons. While not the most eye-catching hue, Ford Gray does a good job of giving the bay and interior a clean and completed look. Aside from the professional appearance, the paint will also serve as a good indicator to whether or not the Evolution is leaking any fluids during the season, while the gray interior will give our drivers a non-reflective surface, so that all focus can be on track, rather than dodging glare.

While on the subject of a clean interior, any item that could be legally removed as per Redline Time Attack’s rules has found its way out of the car (and subsequently into the kitchen, living room, bedrooms, hallways, bathrooms...) With a much lighter and stiffer chassis, we expect the Evolution to be a completely different driving experience compared to its last season. Not to say that the car was a slouch last year, but we expect to remove many a second from our previous track records.

When is the first chance to see what the car is truly capable of? Two weeks. Looks like we have some work ahead of us!

Check out the build gallery to see an engine rebuilt by Grant and Mike, our fancy and impressive Cosworth FSL Metal Head Gasket and ARP Bolts, and last, but certainly not least, our new gray engine bay and interior!

Comments Now On Professional Awesome! Be Heard! Seriously, We Listen.

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 12:18:48 -0600

Today is a good day for the vocal fan of Professional Awesome, for now their voice will be heard. After hours of searching the interwebs, I can now say that we have a successful commenting system in place on the website, thanks to the nifty folks at Instacomment.

The more observant of you may have noticed the little widget at the bottom of your browser's window. Click it, register yourself in our comment system, and speak free! If you have something you've always wanted to say about our team, now you can; if you want to ask us a question about who we are or about our race car, you can do that too! If you want to ask us a question that will cause us to search the very depths of our souls, well... I suppose you can do that too. Don't expect a very deep answer though, we are shallow car guys after all.

So go crazy kids, tell us all about what you think of our little racing organization. We may even talk back, if you're lucky!

Keep Yourself Safe From Indecent Exposure With an Official PA! T-Shirt!

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 12:23:09 -0600

Do you find yourself constantly running out of sweet shirts to wear? Are you concerned that your current crop of clothing isn’t supporting your favorite race team? Now you can put those worries to rest once and for all with a brand-new, hand made (in our friend Craig’s basement), official Professional Awesome T-Shirt!

Revel in all of its awesome glory; become the envy of t-shirt lovers everywhere! Made with the finest screen printing techniques and inks over a durable and comfortable 100% cotton heavyweight T, the PA! T-Shirt lives up to the Professional Awesome name.

Ordering information will be up shortly, as well as final pricing. Meanwhile, you can wait anxiously and spread the word that your favorite racing team will soon be the provider of your favorite t-shirt!

JM Fabrications Sponsors Professional Awesome!

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 14:59:57 -0600

Progress continues on the Professional Awesome Evolution as we welcome JM Fabrications to our family of sponsors.

JM Fabrications is the brainchild of Jim McKeone Jr., a DSM (Diamond Star Motors - Mitsubishi Eclipses and their Chrysler cousins) enthusiast who began making parts for his own car as a hobby in 2004. Word of Jim’s handiwork quickly spread throughout the Mitsubishi community and by 2005, Jim was able to commit to motorsports fabrication as a full-time career.

JM Fabrications has experienced a rapid growth since its opening and is now known worldwide for their quality parts and services. To this day, Jim and his employees still stick their mission statement, “To provide the highest quality products possible through our skilled employees and state-of-the-art manufacturing process, simply put; Build it like it's going on your own car!”

For 2010, Professional Awesome will be using JM Fabrications’ high quality (surprisingly high, in fact) Lower Intercooler Pipe to replace the factory piece that met an untimely demise at last year’s event in Nashville. We may have to hold onto the factory intercooler piping for its inherent sentimental value however, as it once again proves that duct tape can fix anything. Thankfully this year, it looks like we won’t have to worry about our intercooler piping, as JM Fabrications has given us a very serious piece of kit!

http://www.jmfabrications.com

Professional Awesome Gets Caged!

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:38:11 -0600

Don’t worry, no one got thrown in jail or captured, but we did find a new use for 100 feet of steel tubing!

In creating a true race car, one key ingredient is the roll cage. In order to have a cage that lives up to the high standards set by Professional Awesome, we needed to find a fabricator that would be able to do more than bend pipe and tack it into the Evolution. Luckily for us, we found Joe Barcscz of Cartel. Joe has been in the business of making race cars safe since he was 18 years old.

His exceptional skills were noticed by John Force (yes, THAT John Force) and he was recruited as the team chassis builder. After years of travelling the country and building some of the fastest drag cars in the nation, Joe decided that he wanted to start his own business in Indianapolis. Professional Awesome were the first road race customers and certainly won’t be the last, as the quality of the cage and the quality of Joe’s service is second to none. Not to mention that he’s just a cool dude too. So go ahead, ogle our cage. Take it all in, and feel free to tell us how jealous you are.

Roll Cage Gallery

Cartel Contact Info:
Joe Barcscz
317-645-8786
jerzfabguy@yahoo.com

Photo courtesy of Elliott Sherwood, our resident camera man.

First Stop for the Professional Awesome Parts Train!

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:18:26 -0600

As Professional Awesome continues to gain sponsors, our goodie list just keeps growing and growing. Our first shipment of parts arrived earlier this week, so we decided to put our most photogenic member of the team (yours truly) in front of the camera to showcase our first batch of parts.

This week, we received BLOX Racing’s solid engine mount and a set of chro-moly lug nuts, along with Cosworth’s FSL Metal Head Gasket. All of the parts look great and we can’t wait to get them installed in the Evolution! Look for product reviews as we get a little further into the season and actually get a chance to drive the race car!

In other news, Joe Barszcz, our cage builder and fabricator extraordinaire, has started working on the Evolution’s cage and seam welding treatment. Judging from the work we’ve seen so far, we’re going to have an excellent car when Joe finishes up!

The Sponsors, They Love Us! So Should You.

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 09:59:14 -0600

Professional Awesome would like to welcome our five newest sponsors:

Cosworth
Cosworth leverages its successful motor sport pedigree, performance technology expertise and globally recognized brand to provide high quality engineered solutions for a growing customer base across diverse industries.

Over the years, Cosworth have developed in-depth knowledge of engines, engine components and engine management systems. This has been successfully used to supply engines to some of the most successful Formula One teams and vehicle manufacturers. Our unprecedented success in the performance market has fueled customer demand from diverse market sectors.

Professional Awesome will be using Cosworth’s FSL Metal Headgasket.

5 Zigen USA
5Zigen USA is the USA division of 5Zigen International Inc of Japan. The name "5Zigen" means "5 dimensions", transcending a profound insight and sets forth a precedent for the company - product developments beyond time and space. That's why 5Zigen has been diligently doing research and development since 1987; to offer end-users with high quality and stylish performance products.
5Zigen has been actively participating in many race events - Suzuka RS Race, F-3 Championship, N1 Endurance Race, F3000, Japan Touring Car Championship, Japan GT Championship - and has gained impressive achievements.
Professional Awesome will be using 5Zigen’s FN01R-C wheels for the 2010 season.

BLOX Racing
BLOX Racing is dedicated to the development of high quality performance products and accessories for today's import and sport compact enthusiast. Each product is designed and manufactured using the latest in cutting-edge technologies, processes and materials and then tested using rigorous standards. Each BLOX Racing product is designed to work with one another, giving enthusiasts the proper foundation and building blocks for developing the right performance combination.
Professional Awesome will be using BLOX Racing’s Engine Mount and Chro-Moly Wheel lug nuts.

Zeitronix
Zeitronix has been a part of the racing scene for many years, supporting race teams in US and around the world by offering high grade automotive electronics since 1998.  To assure the highest quality, Zeitronix’s products are designed using tough military standards and industrial derating guidelines, believing that consumer grade electronics have no place in a tough automotive environment. Zeitronix’s engineering group has years of experience designing military, medical, automotive and industrial electronics. All our products are designed, manufactured and fully tested in USA.
Professional Awesome will be using Zeitronix’s ZT-2 Wideband O2 sensor and datalogging package and 3.5 Bar MAP sensor.

Girodisc
Girodisc is guided under the direction of company Principal Martin Meade, who spent five years as an Engineer with Porsche Engineering Services, where he played a role in developing current Porsche technology. Martin began his engineering career working in Aerospace, developing tools and components for special projects. Martin has developed a critical eye and will not accept anything but the best quality. Girodisc designs and engineers the replacement discs after documenting and studying the OE brake system and specifically the disc design. After analyzing the data and determining how best to maximize the benefit of the new disc, the design process is carried out using 3D CAD-CAE (Computer aided drafting, Computer aided engineering).
Professional Awesome will be racing with a customized braking package from Girodisc.

So show your support for Professional Awesome and for our sponsors by clicking on the links below and buying lots of top-quality parts. Tell ‘em Al from Professional Awesome sent ya!

http://cosworth.com/
http://www.5zigenusa.com/
http://bloxracing.com/
http://www.zeitronix.com/
http://www.girodisc.com/

PA Welcomes Grant Davis, Master Mechanic

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 18:37:26 -0600

Professional Awesome is proud to announce the addition of our newest member, Grant Davis. Grant will be leaving the glitz and glamour of Iowa for the excitement and thrills of Indiana within a few short weeks. All sarcasm aside, Grant is a well-accomplished mechanic who shares the same love and obsession with auto racing and will be an excellent addition to the team.

Grant has been working in the Automotive Repair business for the past 7 years and has worked on a wide range of vehicles, from the mundane, vanilla flavored appliances of Toyota, to the exotic and revered supercars of Ferrari. In true car guy fashion, a bulk of Grant’s free time is dedicated to his own personal fleet of project cars, including (but not limited to) a third-generation Mazda RX-7, a frighteningly quick Audi A4, a Subaru Forester XT that will give an STi a run for its money, and a truly unexpected Rotary-Powered Mazda B2000 (1300?) pickup.

Grant prides himself on his vast set automotive talents and looks forward to the opportunity of working to make Professional Awesome a nationally-competitive race team. Additionally, Grant will be fulfilling a Research and Development role, by producing and analyzing a variety of new parts for the Evolution platform.

Welcome to the team, Grant!

Another Successful Trip to Kalamazoo

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 17:26:21 -0600

Of the many places in the world that you would expect to find world-class racecar engineers, Kalamazoo may not be at the top of your list. However, after this weekend, Professional Awesome thinks it should be.

We met up with TRE’s Jon Ripple, an all-around cool dude and gearbox genius to pick up our newly refreshed and upgraded transmission and transfer case. As was the case with our last trip, Jon welcomed us into his shop and treated us to an incredibly in-depth discussion on the finer points of transmission technology and gave us a full walkthrough of our newly upgraded transmission. Never before have I met someone who is able instill such faith in their customers, Jon truly is a master of his trade.

While at TRE, our transmission was treated to a full replacement of the synchronizers and bearings, upgrading of the shift forks, upgrading to an Evolution IX spec first gear set, full gearset and case strengthening, and a multitude of other services.

Without a doubt, we have a transmission that is more than capable of handling the stresses of a full race season and we can’t wait to take it to the track!

Speaking of which, April 3rd and 4th will be Professional Awesome’s first test and tune weekend. That gives us nine weeks to build a race car... Looks like we’ll be busy!

TRE
http://www.teamrip.com/

Professional Awesome: Now with 100% More KW!

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:49:33 -0600

As we mentioned in the last post, Professional Awesome had just landed a sponsorship with a top-tier suspension manufacturer. We are now proud (excessively proud) to announce that we will be working with KW Suspension for the 2010 race season.

KW is world-renowned for their suspension products and we here at Professional Awesome feel honored to be partnered with an industry leader. Bear in mind that our impressive results in 2009 were achieved with an old, worn-out, and broken suspension. For 2010, we have the best suspension available in our class. We expect great things.

KW Suspension was founded in 1995 and has expanded rapidly to become one of the finest suspension companies in the world. We now find ourselves in good company, as KW is the OEM provider for multiple Mercedes-AMG vehicles and Chrysler’s Viper SRT-10 ACR. Also, KW has a very strong presence in motorsports, with teams all over the world winning races using KW suspension.

For more information on KW Suspension, please visit their website at
http://www.kw-suspension.com/us

We can’t wait to see what 2010 brings for us - once again, we are all ecstatic to be partnered with one of the finest suspension companies in the world and guarantee great results in 2010!

A Professionally Awesome Weekend

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:10:20 -0600

These past three days were exactly what the Professional Awesome team needed. On Sunday, Dan and Alec made the trek to Kalamazoo, MI , home of Team RIP Engineering (TRE) to meet with Jon and discuss gearbox and differential options for 2010. We were amazed at just how much one man could know about transmissions, and still manage to be a nice guy. On a side note, he knows the difference between Austenite and Martensite. He’s a smart guy.

Monday, the entire Professional Awesome team met with Joe Barszcz, a renowned rollcage and chassis fabricator. We discussed life, past racing experiences, cement shoes (Joe is a New Jersey native, but is a nice guy as well) and all of the fine details involved with roll cage fabrication. After being wowed by Joe’s shop, we pored over the rules for Redline Time Attack and have started working out plans for a roll cage. Be prepared to see some of the finest fabrication work on the Evolution.

Today, we managed to land a top-tier suspension sponsor for 2010. Since we are still finalizing the details, we don’t want to let the secret out yet, so you will have to be patient before we make an official announcement. In any case, we’re ecstatic here and very much looking forward to working with (insert world-renowned suspension manufacturer name here) in 2010

Could this week get any better? We’ve got four days left, so we’re sure as hell going to try!

Redline Time Attack Rd. 1: New Jersey

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 09:12:22 -0600

The official start to the Eastern Division of the Redline Time Attack series takes place in New Jersey at the New Jersey Motorsports Park on April 10th. The event will be held on the track’s Lightning configuration, which only leads us to believe that this event will be fast.

Come out and show your support for Professional Awesome and watch Dan O’Donnell battle it out in Street Class and Alec Cervenka make his debut in Modified Class! This event will be a great start to what should be a historical year for Professional Awesome.

New Jersey Motorsports Park:
(http://www.njmotorsportspark.com/)
Redline Time Attack:
(http://www.redlinetimeattack.com/)
Professional Awesome’s Event Page:
(http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=275616211279&ref=mf)

State of the Professional Awesome

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 08:24:18 -0600

With the first Redline Time Attack event (very) rapidly approaching, I feel obligated to step back and take an objective look at what lies ahead for the team.
Currently, the Evolution is in pieces and spread out across the country, with its suspension just having finished a diagnostic session from JRZ Suspension, its transmission being delivered to TRE today, and new parts being gathered from all across the country. The engine is in process of receiving a full refresh, the aerodynamics package is being designed, chassis stiffening is being planned, potential sponsors are being contacted, research is being conducted, marketing and media material is being created.
If it seems like a daunting list, it’s only because it is. But how do I feel?

Confident.

Professional Awesome is, in its simplest and purest form, a collection of some of the most skilled and dedicated people I have ever had the joy of meeting. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be able to say that I have no doubt that we will be able to create a formidable race car before our first event on April 10th (less than three months away) and will stun the competition. I have no doubt that we will be able to put in the long nights and early mornings necessary to run a race team in addition to a 40 hour workweek. I also have no doubt that we will be a leader in the Redline Time Attack series because we are hell-bent on winning.

And win we will.

-Alec

JRZ Suspension Engineering
(http://www.jrzsuspension.com/)

TRE Transmission
(http://www.teamrip.com/index.html)

Evolution Updates

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:38:22 -0600

Now that winter is officially upon us, Professional Awesome has begun the long process of preparing the Evolution for the 2010 race season. What’s in store for your favorite race team you ask? The theme for 2010 can be summed up in one word: More.

More Power!
More Events!
More Brakes!
More Suspension!
More Aerodynamics!
More Body Graphics!
More Website Content!
More Possibly Incriminating Photos!
Most importantly, more AWESOME!!!

We’ve already decided to work on the more power and more suspension aspects of the Evolution build, which is why the car looks the way it does in the picture to the right. The suspension is currently with the experts at JRZ Suspension being dyno tested and given a thorough once-over. The engine is now out of the car, ready to get a refreshening and possible a build up for more power... Check back for updates!

Sponsorship

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:11:46 -0600

We here at Professional Awesome are known to be ambitious people. We all have dreams of making the fastest track cars and often find ourselves playing heated rounds of the “If money were no object” game in regards to the Evolution. However, money and support are very much in limited supply. Knowing this, we have created the Professional Awesome Sponsorship program.

Sponsorship will come in three different levels based on the level of money/time/effort donated and the benefits that will be given to our sponsors. Specific details for the individual sponsor levels are available within the official 2010 Sponsorship Packet.
 An Adobe PDF version of the packet is available here.

To request a hard-copy version of the packet, click here.

If your company is interested in joining a winning team in one of the fastest-growing series in motorsports, please contact Alec Cervenka and let Professional Awesome show you the benefits of sponsorship.
For a complete look at the livery, check out the full gallery here.

For more information on Forza and P&L Motorsports’ Forza-generated livery, click here.

Footage from Nashville

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:39:27 -0600

While looking through old media related to Professional Awesome, we uncovered these two videos that we thought we should share with all of our loyal fans.

The first video is an in-car view during the Redline Time Attack event at the Nashville Super Speedway. Full a full quality version, click here.

Second is a Streetfire original production documenting the same Redline Time Attack event in Nashville, where you can see Dan doing what he does best 32 seconds into the video and not best at 43 seconds in. The video covers a number of other racers and their machines, including Chris Rado (super cool dude extraordinaire) and the World Racing Scion TC, Mark Daddio and the AMS Evolution X, Johnathan Bomarito and the Sierra Sierra Evolution VIII, among others. For the full quality version, click here.

Planned Livery for 2010

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:49:10 -0600

Professional Awesome has decided that the simple monochrome appearance of the Evolution had to undergo a complete overhaul for the 2010 season. Taking a similar approach to that of Takata time attack Impreza, we decided to test the capabilities of Microsoft’s Forza Motorsport 3 vinyl editor to create 2010’s livery. The system proved easy to use and allowed us to visualize the Professional Awesome Evolution racing in some of the most famous race venues in the world. The original design was drawn the old-fashioned way, using pencil and paper, and later evolved into the full-color-bombastic-eye-popping-super-awesome work of automotive art you see before you. While a vinyl artist has not been decided for 2010, we will be looking to discuss possibilities with a number of companies to bring this video game creation into the real world.

For a complete look at the livery, check out the full gallery here.

For more information on Forza and Takata’s Forza-generated livery, click here.

Corvette Club Autocross

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:03:21 -0500

This weekend found Professional Awesome at their last event of the season, an autocross with the Indiana Region of the National Council of Corvette Clubs. The Professional Awesome Evolution definitely was an unordinary candidate for the American muscle-centric event, but after its first run, the PA Evolution garnered a number of new fans. The Professional Awesome team used the event as a final shakedown of the Evolution before the winter rebuilding takes place.

As expected, the Professional Awesome set some of the fastest times of the event, only narrowly missing first place. Dan was excited to see that many hours of work had resulted in an outstanding driving machine that could perform exceptionally well across a variety of events. However, Dan isn’t ready to rest on his laurels and is already formulating a plan for next season. While no specifics have been decided upon, the initial plan involves some very important guidelines: more power, more grip, more everything.

Priorities

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:26:30 -0500

Though this photo doesn’t showcase the Professional Awesome Evolution, it still speaks great deals about our team’s priorities. This image was taken today before Dan went to work on replacing an internal seal in the engine and performing an oil change. Please note that this was all performed in the kitchen.

Evolution Updates

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:18:19 -0500

After a season spent bracing himself in the factory seats, Dan has decided to upgrade his workplace. In lieu of the factory Recaros, Dan will be using a Sparco Rev fixed position seat with a Schroth 6-point harness, compliments of our friends at Meyer Motorsports. While seat rails and brackets are available for purchase, we’ve decided that the hundreds of dollars for simple steel could be better utilized elsewhere, therefore we’ve decided to fabricate our own brackets. Using mild steel, a simple mounting solution was devised to safely and securely install the Sparco in the Evolution.

Due to the side mount design of the seat, we were able to position the seat much lower in the cockpit, thereby decreasing the center of gravity of the Evolution and giving Dan a better driving position. Be sure to check the gallery for more photos of the install!

Weekend Debrief

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:48:24 -0500

As the seasons turn and another harsh Midwest winter readies itself for a four month assault of ice and snow, the Professional Awesome team made one last trip to Gingerman Raceway (link). The team attended a track day organized by Three Balls Racing (link) to give the PA Evolution VII one last shakedown before it hibernates for the winter.

Dan had changed out the rear springs for a pair of higher rate springs in an attempt to further sharpen the PA Evolution VII’s handling. Coupled with the use of Nitto’s NT01 tires, the suspension tweaks worked, with Dan setting the fastest time of the day, with an improvement of over 6 seconds from the last Gingerman outing earlier in the season.

It looks as though Professional Awesome will be ending the season on a high note and we are all looking forward to spending the winter months further developing the abilities of the PA Evolution VII. 2010 should prove to be a fantastic season for Professional Awesome and we already can’t wait until our next chance to get to the track!

Team Introduction

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:46:33 -0500

The Professional Awesome team is comprised of a small team of dedicated enthusiasts who have a shared passion for automotive performance. We come from different automotive backgrounds and allegiances, but we can all agree that above all, a car must be powerful, responsive, and have endless grip - or at the very least be earth-shakingly loud.

Each member brings their own views to the team and this blending of ideologies is what sets Professional Awesome apart from other teams. Where Mike may demand that the car ravage the track with sheer brute strength (or else he’ll do it himself), Alec may go for a Colin Chapman-esque approach, putting suspension tuning above all. Dan would be happy with either, so long as it puts him on the podium.

In 2009, Dan O’Donnell, Mike Lewin, and Alec Cervenka decided that they were going to take their grassroots racing efforts to a new level. The creation of Professional Awesome has brought the three together with a focus on winning a multitude of events, all the while working with a strict (and enthusiast-level (read:poor-man’s)) budget. The team hopes that they can set an example for others to follow and hope to bring more awareness to the many motorsports outlets available to enthusiasts.

Keep a look out as Professional Awesome plans to attend many events in 2010 and we’ll be happy to show you how a small group of people and a load of dedication can make a winning combination!

Welcome!

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:32:34 -0500

The Professional Awesome race team would like to extend a most gracious and sincerely heartfelt welcome to our website. That is, unless you’re some kind of jerk, then we want you to leave.

This wonderful website will serve as a means to keep everyone informed of the happenings of our small, yet awesomely fantabulous race team. Project updates, in depth discussion, event results, somewhat incriminating photos can all be expected to grace this webpage.

We all look forward to bringing you the most current and up-to-date information on Professional Awesome, straight from the source - us.

Feel free to browse the site as we work to update it with as much Professional Awesome content as possible!