|
Greetings Saturn Enthusiasts!
Please enjoy the latest September SPS Updates…
SPS Warehouse at New Location
As of Tuesday, September 4, 2001, our warehouse and offices have moved to a new location. Please note that our current shipping address is 4212 East River Rd., Dayton, OH 45439. Inbound shipments, core returns, warranty returns, product returns, and order prepayments should be sent to this new address effective immediately. (Postal mail may also be sent to PO Box 751102, Dayton, OH 45475-1102.)
The move to the new facility required a long and difficult weekend of work from our entire staff. However, though we are still ironing-out a few bugs, it is already evident that the new facility will make internal operations function much more smoothly. We extend our thanks for your patience during our brief shut down and as we have worked through the kinks.
Product News
Most Saturn performance enthusiasts are well aware of the curse of an open front wheel drive differential – which allows power and torque to be transferred into the wheel with the least traction, often resulting in horrendous wheel spin during hard acceleration. You may have considered welding the differential, but turning corners is a bit tough when the outside wheel is unable to spin faster than the inside wheel.
The only true solution is a Quaife torque-biasing differential – which, through a miracle of modern engineering, literally biases power and torque to the wheel with the most traction, allowing almost unbelievable acceleration out of turns on the road course or off the line at the drag strip.
In April, we placed a special order of Quaife differentials for all Saturn ‘S’ cars and expect delivery in October of 2001 – just a few weeks away! These units will be delivered to us without the factory ring gear or bearings. However, we plan to install new factory ring gear and/or bearings upon request and strongly suggest that these units be purchased with ring gear attached.
Pricing for the bare differential is $995.00 per unit. With ring gear attached, they are expected to sell for approximately $1634.00 per unit. (Final pricing with ring gear is subject to change.) Supplies will be extremely limited, so serious buyers are encouraged to place orders soon.
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!
September Specials
GTS Pro-Beam headlamp covers offer style and protection to the headlamps of the 2nd generation Saturn coupes. GTS covers are custom-designed for an easy "no-holes-to drill" installation and are covered by a limited lifetime warranty. And the Pro-Beam covers offer a very popular combination of great looks while also maintaining safe lighting output. Fits all 97-00 SC1 and SC2 coupes. GTS Pro-Beam Headlamp Covers, part no. GTS288PB, are normally $64.95 but are on sale now for only $54.95 per set!
We have several several sets of discontinued Carbotech rear brake pads that are brand new and have never been opened! These sets are on sale on closeout for only 50% of their original value! (Offer valid only while supplies last.) Choose from:
Kelate metallic rear, part # BRAKE007R, orig $99.00, now only $49.50/set!
F compound rear, part # BRAKE010R, orig $99.00, now only $49.50/set!
HPS compound rear, part #BRAKE011R, orig $99.00, now only $49.50/set!
Panther compound rear, part # CT508P, orig $109.00, now only $54.50/set!
Please visit the SPS web site (http://www.spswebpage.com) for more details!
SPS Racing
Saturn racecar driver Mike Kramer guided his Texaco Havoline and SPS sponsored Saturn racecar to the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Southeast Division Championship at Virginia International Raceway on August 11-12. Kramer finished fourth in Sunday’s Oak Tree National, clinching the division title by three points.
Kramer, a three-time SCCA Champion, raced to 5 victories and 11 top-four finishes during the 2001-racing season. Kramer’s racecar, a white 1997 SC2, is the winningest Saturn in SCCA history with 21 career victories. It currently holds track records at Daytona International Speedway, Carolina Motorsports Park, Moroso Motorsports Park, Gateway International Raceway, and Roebling Road Raceway.
SCCA’s Showroom Stock C Class is the racing battleground for some of America’s most popular small cars. In addition to the Saturn, the class includes the Honda Civic SI, Mazda Protégé, Dodge Neon ACR, Nissan 200 SER, Hyundai Tiburon, and the Ford Escort ZX-2.
Saturn Field Service Engineer Tom Brandlehner prepares the racecar. Kramer’s family along with John Brandlehner, John Turney, Todd Sanders, members of Saturn’s Service Engineering and Technical Training Team, Delta College and SPS volunteers provide additional paddock and preparation support.
With the division crown, Kramer and his team are assured an invitation to the SCCA’s National Championship event - called The Runoffs - in September. Here, the fastest amateur road racers in the United States will gather at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course to compete for one of the most celebrated achievements in American road racing – an SCCA National Championship.
The #19 Texaco Havoline Saturn is almost identical to production vehicles delivered from Saturn Retailers every day. The SCCA requires a racing seat, safety harness, roll-cage, and fire extinguisher. The car is shod with Kumho V700 racing radials mounted to stock Saturn wheels. Dayton, Ohio-based SPS, the leader in the Saturn performance aftermarket, provides tuned suspension components that showcase the Saturn’s superb handling characteristics while SPS Magnum brake pads provide the stopping power. The Saturn DOHC engine, transmission, and radiator are filled exclusively with Texaco Havoline fluids and lubricants including Havoline Formula 3 synthetic motor oil, Havoline Automatic Transmission Fluid, and Havoline Extended Life Anti-Freeze – the only anti-freeze recommended by General Motors for all of its vehicles.
Best of luck to Mike and his team at The Runoffs!
Meanwhile, July 28th and 29th found James Walker and the scR team once again back at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio with the bright red #34 ITA Saturn SC2. We love this track as it always treats us well - and this weekend was no exception.
For qualifying on Saturday morning, James elected to run his new whiz-bang front air dam and experimented with new shock settings. As it would turn out, we went way too far and created a monster of sorts. (The car, not James.) While the car felt great in the slower corners, it was twitchy and light in all the wrong places. An off-course excursion at the end of the back straight put a damper on our session early on, but qualifying 6th in a field of 35 cars (all in class) was not the end of the world.
As it turns out, it was fortunate we had not qualified any farther back. At the drop of the green flag that afternoon, carnage erupted only two rows back from our 3rd row starting position. With cars spinning across the track and into the retaining walls, the double yellows quickly came out and forced the pack back into single file for the restart three laps later. While no drivers were hurt (beyond the pain felt in their wallets,) a few cars went home in boxes.
The subsequent restart and race proved to be uneventful as James continued to battle a loose-handling SC2. He managed to keep it straight and consistent, netting a 5th place finishing position, but we all knew there was so much more in store.
Sunday, as usual, the rain clouds moved in and doused the track. However, we had our Hoosier Dirt Stocker rain tires in hand and were ready for whatever Mother Nature threw at us. After all, the rain is supposed to be the great equalizer, right?
Sure enough, the #34 SC2 jumped at the opportunity and began to tear up the track. Lap after lap, James picked his way through the field, throwing water rearward and having fun. By the end of the session we were hot, wet, and second on the grid for that afternoon's race - a nice improvement over Saturday's performance.
By the time the race started that afternoon, the rain clouds had packed up and left town, leaving nothing but sun and clear skies behind. After an awesome start, James managed to lead the entire field (1st in class, 1st overall) for the first few turns. Our time in front was short lived, however, as the faster Hondas crept up and quickly raced us for position.
Like Saturday, carnage on the track added a variable beyond our control (‘is that someone’s bumper on the track?’) and shortened the race to only 8 laps. Through it all, we came home 3rd in class and 3rd overall - another podium finish for team scR! Perhaps most importantly, we were one of the only cars that weekend to go home without a single scratch or ding. Happy car = happy crew = happy driver. James and the scR team are scheduled to race again this weekend at Watkins Glen.
SPS 2001 Event Schedule (tentative)
Sept 21: Valvoline Runoffs/SCCA National Championship Races at Mid-Ohio
(Thundersport Racing competes in the SSC race at 3:20 pm)
Oct 6-7: scR at Mid-Ohio
Nov 9-11: scR at the ARRC
Nov 22: SPS closed for Thanksgiving holiday
Nov 29: SPS to attend PRI (Performance and Racing Industry Trade Show) in Indianapolis
If you have any questions about anything in this newsletter, please Contact Us.
To view previous editions of the newsletter, please visit the Newsletter Archive.
If you wish to add an email address to the list, please do so at http://spswebpage.com/email/addemail.html. If you need to remove an address from the list, please do so at http://spswebpage.com/email/del.html. Please do NOT notify us directly with your removal or addition requests!
Until next month, HAVE A GREAT FALL! |
