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Greetings Saturn Enthusiasts!
Please enjoy the latest August SPS Updates…
New SPS Website is Now Online
It has been several years in the making. But after much hard work and development, the team at SPS is very proud to announce our brand new website.
Our new site – located in the same old place, http://www.spswebpage.com - features a more modern and organized look. But more importantly, it is designed to improve the experiences of our customers, thanks to such features as the shopping cart, vehicle platform-specific online catalogs, and content controlled through a master database (to ensure timely and accurate updates.)
Beta testing of the new site has been extremely positive. So we are anxious for the opportunity to share it with you and the rest of the Saturn community. Please check it out and let us know what you think!
Product News
Our new clear corner lamps for the 97-00 coupes and 00-02 sedans and wagons feature the diamond-clear style lenses. The difference with the diamond clear is that the lens itself is not fluted. But the reflector inside is a multi-angled mirror. And the multiple reflector angles create an effect that, at a glance, looks like it is filled with diamonds. Or that’s the intent, at least. Either way it looks pretty cool. The diamond clear sets are part number AOCC0202DC for $49.00 per set.
Our three-dimensional red emblem sets provide a thick heavy-duty appearance. The red background is inset within the chrome trim. And the chrome trim pops out beyond the face of the red. Try these for a fresh, modern look on any 91-99 sedan or wagon and all 91-96 coupes. The part number is EMB001RE for $29.00 per set.
MSD's bolt-in direct-replacement Blaster coil is designed with improved materials and windings to produce a stronger spark. This improved spark helps burn the fuel mixture more efficiently, resulting in a smooth idle and improved mid range rpm power. And MSD coils feature a bright red external case. For all 91-95 S-series. Each vehicle requires two coil units. The part number is MSD8224 for $59.00 each.
Green performance air filters are similar to most other high performance air filters in the sense that they utilize high flow cotton filtration elements that are cleanable and reusable. But they have two notable differences: 1. They are green in color. 2. They use a four-step molding process to attach the filtration element to the rubber base. This is important because it is much more exact than the less costly pressure mold injection process used by everyone else. The difference is that the pressure mold injection process allows rubber to spill over onto the filtration element, reducing the usable surface of the filter by as much as 20% and thus restricting the flow capacity. Green’s four-step process eliminates most of the rubber overflow and maintains a greater filtration surface area for improved airflow potential. We now stock Green filters for the 91-02 DOHC and 95-02 SOHC S series vehicles. The part number is GRN2105 for $39.00 each.
Sprint lowering springs for the new Saturn ION are now in stock! Sprint Performance Suspension became a big name in lowering springs by offering exceptional value. Sprint’s ION springs are progressive rate lowering springs that combine excellent ride comfort and a 1.75-inch drop. These are the perfect springs for the enthusiast on a tight budget who is looking for the “right drop.” The part number for the ION set is SPR8525 for $189.00 per set.
The Ventvisor aerodynamic tinted plastic covers mount at the top of the window frames, allowing you to leave the window slightly open while still being protected from rain, wind gusts, and dirt. Set includes all four side windows: driver front, driver rear, passenger front, and passenger rear. Each cover is mounted with the integrated adhesive strip. Choose part number VEN4524 for the VUE and choose part number VEN4723 for the ION sedan. Both kits are $59.00 per set.
Lund smoked headlamp and taillight covers for the Saturn VUE are easy to install and look great! These are a great way to add some personalized style to your own VUE today! For the headlamps, choose the LUN6532 set. For the taillights, choose the LUN7440 for the slotted-style taillight cover set or choose the LUN7540 for the smoked taillight cover set. All kits are $59.00 per set.
Our non-functional hood scoop from Lund is made specifically for the Saturn VUE. Have it paint matched for your VUE prior to installation, then install it with the included adhesive strip kit. This is an easy installation that adds a tough and aggressive look! The part number is LUN0004 for $79.00 each.
Husky floor and cargo liners offer tough and durable protection for the carpeted areas of your VUE. Husky Liners are custom-molded for an exact fit and feature molded-in tread patterns to grip cargo and minimize load shift. They are made from a patented rubberized thermo-plastic material that is resistant to water, mud, snow, and most chemicals including gasoline, oil and battery acid. Each liner fits like a glove and cleans-up easily. All HUSKY LINER products are guaranteed not to crack or break. They are available in either grey or tan. See the VUE/Interior Styling section for more details.
Many more new products will be introduced very shortly. But although we are excited about the new items, we must use discretion about releasing new product information because sharing any information before solidifying all of the facts can inadvertently mislead customers, employees, and supporters. Please visit our web site often and watch for future updates. Many more exciting items are on the horizon!
August Specials
Momo shift knobs are known throughout the world as the premier universal shift knob. Momo knobs feature genuine materials like hand-sewn leather, real carbon fiber, and aluminum. And they feature easy installation: simply slide the knob over the shift rod, tighten 4 set-screws, and cover the screws with the ring cover. We made a special purchase of these select knobs and are passing our savings along to you! Momo King Aluminum (MOKINALU,) normally $76.29, now only $61.00! Momo Combat Carbon (MOCTCBN,) F16 Black (MOF16BK1,) and F16 Carbon (MOF16CBN,) normally $80.57 each, now only $65.00 each!
Our short-throw shift unit uses a raised pivot point and a shortened shifter stem to reduce the Saturn's throw distance by an amazing 45%! This shorter throw distance reduces shift time and gives the Saturn a much more aggressive character. These units are a direct bolt-in replacement for the factory shifter assemblies and are made from all new components (not questionable junkyard salvage!) Fits all 91-02 ‘S’ Series. The S Series Short Shifter (SHFT001) is normally $189.00 but is on sale now for only $159.00 each!
Please visit the SPS web site (http://www.spswebpage.com) for more details!
SPS Racing
Mark Rushbrook and John Comeskey of the scR motorsports crew raced at the BeaveRun Motorsports Complex during the August 2-3 weekend. BeaveRun, located just north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a relatively new facility that opened late in 2002.
When completed, BeaveRun will feature two separate road courses: a 1.6-mile north course and a 2.0-mile south course. These courses can eventually be combined to create one 3.6-mile course! For now, only the north course is completed. The facility also features a 0.8-mile state-of-the-art karting track and a 400ft diameter skidpad/paved area for autocross and car control events. You can learn more about BeaveRun online at http://www.beaverun.com.
In general, the BeaveRun facility is very adequate and the north course is a lot of fun. Turn seven is a right-hander that apexes just past the crest of a hill – so the turn-in is done blindly. There is also a noticeable amount of elevation change and lots of fast turns, so navigating the track is just plain fun. However, as much of the facility is still under construction, there is currently a severe lack of grass in the paddock area. And much of the paddock is just plain old dirt. So you can imagine what happens when it rains. More on this later…
Compared to the huge 55-car field at MidOhio in July, the field at BeaveRun was quite small: 18 cars overall and 7 in ITA. Thankfully, it stayed dry on Saturday. And not surprisingly, Mark Rushbrook dominated the small field in his 95 SC2. During the Saturday morning qualifying session, Mark earned the top starting position for ITA – and clinched 3rd overall (behind 2 SPU-class cars.) His qualifying time was fast enough to have been an ITA track record! Meanwhile, John was having fun terrorizing the slow cars in the field. John qualified 13th overall and 5th in ITA.
During the race on Saturday afternoon, Mark made dominating look easy. Just like in qualifying, he finished 3rd overall and 1st in ITA with a 2-second lead over the 2nd place ITA car. And like the qualifying session, he turned a fast lap of 1:08.733, setting a new ITA track record!
Meanwhile, John didn’t make his effort look quite as easy. In fact, he was waging a battle for position – if not survival. As usual, John’s poor qualifying effort provided lots of opportunity to pass slower traffic. And by the middle of the race, he had moved from 13th to 6th overall! But it was not without incident. In fact, one of the other ITA cars was a 3rd generation Honda Prelude that was turning nearly identical lap times with John’s SC2. So the battle that ensued was fierce. At one point, John exited turn 11 and started to pass an ITA Civic. For reasons yet unknown, the driver of the Prelude decided to attempt a pass on both John and the Civic at this same moment – making it a 3-wide battle as they approached turn 12. But the Prelude could not find the room (or the traction) to make his passing attempt stick. So he slid into John, who in turn slid into the Civic. Fortunately, cool heads prevented a major incident and John managed to escape with the lead by the end of the front straight – which put him in the 2nd spot for ITA.
However, 2 laps later, the Prelude attempted yet another crazy pass exiting turn 4 that he could not make stick and slid into John’s passenger side door, pushing John off course into the dirt. With the red mist building inside the cockpit, John managed to chase the Prelude back down and passed him again on the back straight to reclaim the 2nd position. John then led the Prelude for 3 more laps. But as they started the last lap, the Prelude attempted one last dive-bomb pass in turn one which could have resulted in a wreck to both cars. Wisely, John gave up the position and managed to finish the race in one piece. His final position was 7th overall and 3rd in ITA.
After the race, John quite clearly expressed to the Prelude driver his opinions regarding that driver’s techniques.
During the night, the rain started to fall. And it kept raining through the night and into the morning. By the time the teams arrived at the track on Sunday, much of the paddock area had tuned to mud, lots and lots of mud. And the track was wet, very, very wet.
So John and Mark both adjusted their rear anti-sway bar settings to full soft. And they adjusted tire pressures downward slightly. When it was time for the qualifying session to start, there was not enough water on the track surface to justify rain tires, but there was still a light drizzle falling from the sky. So both cars lined up with dry tires and the intent to take things very easy.
As usual, even in the rain, Mark made it look easy, lapping John less than 20 minutes into the session. But after about 10 minutes, the drizzle let up and the sun started to poke through the clouds – so some of the water burned off the racing surface. This allowed John and Mark to pick up the pace and have a little fun. When it was all said and done, they had qualified in about the same place as they had on Saturday: Mark claimed 2nd overall and 1st in ITA, John would start 13th overall and 4th in ITA.
And as soon as their qualifying session had ended, the rain began to fall yet again.
Because of the wet and muddy conditions, neither team felt like doing much of the maintenance that is normally a pre-race ritual. John changed front brake pads. Mark adjusted tire pressures. And that’s about it. So both drivers planned to take it pretty easy for the race.
Of course, ‘taking it easy’ for Mark still means driving pretty darn fast. So when the race started, Mark jumped into a huge early lead. After a few laps, he settled into a reduced pace and cruised along with a comfortable lead over the rest of the ITA field. With 3 laps to go, he awoke from his nap to find the Prelude approaching in his mirror. So just to be safe, he once again started using the big pedal on the right, left the Prelude in his dust, and finished the race 2nd overall with yet another win in ITA.
Meanwhile, at the wet start of the race, John had waved past the 2 cars that had started behind him and was content to lap around in last place – so as to make sure that the racecar could be brought home in one piece (for a change.) But after a few laps, the rain stopped falling, and once again, the sun came out to dry off the track. Soon thereafter, John literally started running over the slower cars in front of him and had virtually no choice but to pick up the pace and start moving through the field. When the checker came out, John had passed the 2 cars that he had waved past at the start plus 3 more. So he finished 10th overall and 4th in ITA.
The scR motorsports team races again at MidOhio during the October 4-5 weekend. As always, be sure to catch the latest news, schedule changes, race recaps, and photo and video galleries at the new scR website located at http://www.teamscr.com.
Mike Kramer and the Thundersport team will be competing at the 2003 Valvoline Runoffs to determine the 2003 SCCA national championship on Friday, September 19. If you can make it to MidOhio Sports Car Course to cheer him on, do it. (You can find details online at http://www.midohio.com.) Mike’s race will also be televised nationally on the Speed Channel. Once we know the airing dates and times, we will let you know in a future newsletter.
SPS and UPS Closed for Labor Day Holiday
Don’t forget that Monday September 1 is the national Labor Day holiday. In honor of the holiday, SPS will be closed all day Monday September 1 and reopen at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday September 2.
Please also remember that United Parcel Service (UPS) will be closed on Monday September 1. So there will be no pickup or delivery service on Monday. And packages that are in transit will stop on Monday and resume transit on Tuesday.
SPS 2003 Event Schedule (tentative)
Sept 1: SPS closed due to Labor Day holiday.
Sept 19: Thundersport Racing at SCCA Runoffs, MidOhio
Oct 4-5: SPS Racing at MidOhio
Dec 6: SPS to attend PRI tradeshow, Indianapolis
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Until next month, HAVE A GREAT SUMMER! |
