“Coming off of another strong showing at Gridlife Atlanta with a double podium in Streetmod for ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ, I was feeling all the momentum and all the confidence heading into my 10th Gridlife Midwest, the event that started it all for me! The energy at Gridlife Midwest is just unmatched in every way, from the massive crowds to the festival vibes throughout the weekend, it’s always been my favourite event making a podium here just that much more meaningful. This is Gridlife’s Indy 500.”

“This weekend proved to me more of a challenge that I could have ever expected though. Right at the first corner of the very first session, my ABS failed, making each braking zone incredibly challenging. While racing a car designed without ABS is relatively straightforward, racing one without it that’s designed to have it is nothing short of dangerous.”

“Because of this, I was far off of the pace I needed to be fighting at the front, and potentially too far off to even put it in the top-5 for the podium sprint. I knew that if I wanted a podium, I needed to give it my absolute everything to at the very least make it into the sprint in order to give us the chance to fix our ABS issues, and I was able to do just that! Modulating my SR-21 pads and focusing on perfecting each and every braking zone, I got us into the sprint by just over a second! This gave us a full day to chase whatever electrical issue was causing our problems. Thankfully, Gridlife is a paddock full of the most helpful people, and after getting help from a couple mechanics on a Rush SR team, we found the blown fuse, and the ABS was back to working as it should! 

“Come Sunday, I knew what I had to do, and now that I could actually lean into the full potential of my ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ brakes, I knew I could give it my everything to go for my third podium in a row for the season! Although I missed out on second place due to fuel cuts from the car getting little too hot waiting in the pits from an incident on track, I was able to secure third, and with Eric Dewitt in first, this was yet another double podium for ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ! After such a challenging event, to be able to come home with a podium is something I’ll forever be grateful for. Next up we’ve got Watkins Glen, one of my favourite tracks and a place that the Mercedes really shines at! The last time we were there, not only did I set the Streetmod record, I was also able to get the overall record! I’m so hyped to see what we can do this time!â€�

“Autoworks Motorsport closes the first round of the Iberian Supercars at the Algarve International Circuit with a bittersweet taste. The weekend demonstrated the excellent technical level of the Madrid structure and the incredibly fast race pace of its driver duo, but the final results were overshadowed by the harshness on track.

“The weekend began with very positive feelings in the qualifying sessions, where the tremendous equality and great form of the drivers from the Madrid structure were evident.”

“Héctor Hernández and Borja Hormigos drove to the limit, stopping the clock with a minimal difference of just one tenth of a second in favour of Héctor. This consistency in times demonstrated the rapid adaptation of both to the latest evolution of the BMW M4 GT4 (G82) and gave the team excellent starting positions for the official races. In the first race of the weekend, the team started from fourth position in the GT4 Bronze category, while in the second race they managed to secure a stellar second position.

“However, luck did not accompany them in both races when they were running in podium positions. In the first race, a heavy hit delivered by the same rival relegated the team to fifth final position, a result that did not do justice to the real pace on track. The story repeated itself almost identically in the second leg. A new impact by the same opponent left the vehicle severely damaged, forcing a retirement and depriving the car of crossing the finish line.”

“Despite the double material blow, the balance of the structure is positive professionally. The pure performance of the car, the race pace, and the flawless work of the young technical specialists and technological partners (ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ racing and ELF Lubricants) proved that the project has plenty of speed to fight for the GT4 Bronze championship.”

“Qualifying showed that Borja and I are running the same times and that the car is fast,” says Héctor Hernández. “The race pace was spectacular and that is the positive takeaway. We know we have the speed and that the team worked at two hundred percent, but it is a shame that external factors leave us without the points we deserved.”

“It makes us very angry to finish like this because starting second in race two, the podium was within our reach,” declares Borja Hormigos. “In the second leg, the hit forced us to retire. Now it is time to change the mindset immediately; we had to experience the bitter side of racing and now we have to pull together to leave the car perfect.”

“The logistics team is already on its way back to the Autoworks Motorsport facilities. The technical staff will focus all their efforts starting today on evaluating the structural damage and proceeding with the urgent repair of the BMW M4 GT4, with the aim of arriving in full condition for the most important event of the year in front of their fans.

“The second round of the Supercars Endurance season will be held at the Circuito de Madrid Jarama-RACE. The event will score points solely for the Spanish Supercars Championship and promises to bring together a high-level grid once again on a circuit with a unique history in Iberian motorsport.”

“Going into this weekend, fresh off of a strong result at Gridlife Carolina coming in P2, I had so much confidence to give it my everything one of my all-time favourite tracks: Road Atlanta. To start out the weekend, I was met with some traffic during my flyers, so initially I wasn’t able to show what the true pace was. With this being a two-day, traditional time attack weekend with a limited schedule, the pressure was on to put together a perfect lap. On top of that, we had rain in the forecast for Sunday, potentially limiting us to only 3 dry sessions.”

“Road Atlanta is a very high-speed track, with the car hitting speeds of over 165 mph, putting the braking performance on centre stage. My SR-21s performed at their best, giving me the confidence to carry as much speed as possible into even the heaviest of braking zones, without a single ounce of hesitation, just full confidence. Ending the day on Saturday, I still never got a truly clean lap catching traffic on a track that is incredibly difficult to pass at, but even with this, I was able to put us into P3 going into Sunday.”

“Come Sunday morning, to my surprise, we had no rain! I knew exactly where I needed to find the time, and I did just that. Battling back and forth up until the last session, I ended the weekend in P2, with Eric Dewitt in P1, also on ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵs! Just like Carolina, this was an ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Streetmod 1-2, and on top of that, in ClubTR, the entire podium was swept by ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ equipped cars! I couldn’t be prouder to show represent ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ in such a strong showing against such a strong field at one of the most difficult tracks in the world.â€�

“We ended up scoring P2 at Gridlife Carolina, and Dewey got P1 so we’re looking at an ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ front-row lockout!

“The first day, we battled the heat since temps were in the 90s, but on Sunday after putting in some sticker tires I was able to go 5 tenths faster than my previous personal best!”

“The SR-21s felt incredible all weekend and I really had the confidence to push into the braking zones and trust the ABS when needed.

“Next up is Atlanta and I really think we’ve got a good shot at getting P1 there, it’s a track that really suits the Mercedes and personally a track that I’m very comfortable at.�

“Our car is a 1991 Chevrolet Corvette, running under the team name ‘Eddie Vetter’. This car is the successor to our previous car, ‘Freddie Mercury’; a 1986 Mercury Capri. This car is raced by myself, Dan Tiley, and teammate David Pesce. David and I are both race car vehicle dynamics simulation engineers, primarily supporting our NASCAR efforts. David works for GM in their racing division, and, ironically, I work for Ford Racing.”

“Eddie Vetter is big, heavy and bleeds American muscle, so it needs all the help it can get in the braking department. We’ve a rival brake pad for years but can no longer get them. After watching Roy Dietsch’s videos highlighting SR-21 and SR-11s, we revamped our system solely for the purpose of using those pads. We had to change our calipers in order to accommodate them. The end result was a huge gain for us! We now get excellent modulation (better than the previous pads we used), the pads are easy on the rotors and we had very little pad wear after 12 hours of racing! We are not a professional racing team with a full pit crew, and simply aren’t able to change brake pads mid-race without losing significant time on track.”

“The first seven years of my career with Ford I was a Vehicle Dynamics Engineer working on future products like the Mustang and Lincoln LS. Brake development and brake feel ‘DNA’ was a key part of my job as part of that group, so I like to think that I have some reasonable background in the area of automotive brake feel and performance.

“Our first race with ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ pads was the Championship race recently. We knew it was a risk going to the Nationals with an untested brake system, AND test day was cancelled due to weather, but it paid off in spades! We won the overall race, and ultimately the 2025 National Championship on ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ brake pads!”

“The previous pad manufacturer has left a huge hole in the endurance racing market with the lack of their components, which were unanimously accepted as the gold standard for performance and wear. ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ has set a new bar with their SR series of brake pads! 

“Thanks again for producing a great product that we’ve so dearly needed!â€�

“We managed to get the Civic back together after the crash and made the last two races of the year! 

“After a mid-season crash at a wet Donington Park, the Semprini Racing Civic underwent an unscheduled rebuild! 

“Joining up with the Club Racing UK team for the famous Birkett Relay, the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ SR-11/Bluestuff-equipped Civic made its return to action on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. 

“Pressed into action for two stints rather than the planned one due to an issue with another car in the team, Jeremy quickly got himself and the car back up to speed and posted a best lap time two seconds quicker than when they had raced at the circuit earlier in the season.”

“The final race of the season was in the Trackday Trophy at Brands Hatch and was a unique experience as qualifying had to take place behind the safety car because of fog. This meant grid positions were drawn out of a cup with Jeremy drawing P30 out of the 34 cars! 

“Come race time and the fog had lifted but the rain had started. A very busy start at the Brands Hatch Indy circuit from P30 saw Jeremy stay out of trouble and then set about some overtaking… and some more overtaking!

“In tricky wet conditions, Jeremy relied on the excellent feel from the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ setup and made up an incredible 25 places to finish 5th overall and 4th in class at the flag. In fact, Jeremy made up more places than any other driver!

“On to 2026 now and plans are already taking shape for another season with the Civic.”

“The 2025 season has been a memorable one for Nicole Drought and the Motion Motorsport ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Racing Honda Civic Type R, with a campaign full of highs, challenges, and some unforgettable performances that perfectly showcased the strength of both driver and team – and the reliability and performance of ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Racing products under extreme competition.

“From the opening round at Snetterton, Nicole made her intentions clear. A commanding performance saw her take pole position, fastest lap, and race victory, securing maximum points and placing the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Racing Civic firmly at the top of the championship standings. It was the perfect start to the year and a powerful demonstration of the performance advantage offered by ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Racing components, trusted by Motion Motorsport across every race weekend.

“Round Two at Silverstone continued that momentum. Nicole once again took pole position before engaging in a thrilling battle with Matt Swaffer’s BMW. Showing both speed and composure, she came out on top to claim her second win of the season, again setting fastest lap in the process. It was another textbook display of precision driving and confidence in her ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Racing-equipped Civic, further extending her championship lead heading into the summer break.”

“As the season unfolded, Nicole continued to impress. At Donington Park, she once again showed her pace by leading much of qualifying and mastering some of the worst weather conditions seen all year. Despite an unfortunate off caused by standing water, her earlier speed underlined both her talent and the car’s potential.

“Oulton Park brought more drama and determination. After early brake issues in qualifying, the team fitted New ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ SR-11 sintered pads, transforming the car’s balance and performance. Nicole immediately fought her way up the field, showcasing both her racecraft and the consistency of ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ under pressure. Coming home first on the road, taking the checker flag, Although a pitstop timing issue dropped her down the order post-race, the pace was undeniable — and a reminder of just how competitive the Civic package had become.”

“At Cadwell Park, Nicole once again delivered, securing another podium finish after a thrilling drive through the field. Despite battling dehydration and challenging conditions, she pushed hard to close a six-second deficit, taking valuable points and keeping her championship hopes alive.

“Croft Circuit brought further frustration with a mechanical issue ending a dominant run, but not before Nicole had once again claimed pole position, fastest lap, and led convincingly before her retirement. It was another weekend that proved the combination of ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Racing technology and Motion Motorsport engineering could go wheel-to-wheel with the very best.

“Although Nicole will be unable to contest the Brands Hatch finale, her seat will be filled by last season’s teammate, Justin Roberts, who will return to the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Racing Civic for the final round. The team and partners are proud of what Nicole has achieved throughout 2025 – her commitment, pace, and professionalism have been first class, and she’s represented ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Racing and all her personal sponsors with passion and determination at every event.â€�

“I have been searching for a solution to the brakes on my 2019 Golf R since I first tracked the car. The braking system, while good on the street, is not track worthy. Add a Stage 2 tune, suspension upgrades and DOT R sticky tires, and you make the problem worse. 

“Through the years of ownership, I have tried different pad, rotor and racing brake fluid combinations with no success. The brakes are good for about three laps, then fade/warp unless I brake very early and light into the heavy brake zones. If I pushed hard for the weekend, I would get one weekend out of the brake pads and rotors. Frequent caliper rebuilds were required as the seals would be damaged due to the excess heat.”

“A couple years ago, I tried ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ’s RP-X pads. They were the first pads that lasted the entire weekend posting fast lap times and had plenty of pad left. Unfortunately, the brakes ran hot and chewed up a set of another manufacturers’ rotors. I reached out to ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ in 2023 as I had finally found a set of pads that worked great and would last more than a weekend of fast laps.

“Through ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ, I learned that heat was the biggest enemy. They showed me how to achieve an ‘intermediate’ solution to the brakes without going to a BBK. Rotor temperatures would exceed 1,500°F/800°C when I used brake temperature paint.

“Using ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ’s new sintered race pads, the SR-1s and their new two-piece floating rotors, I was able to have a great brake system that lasted multiple events over two years. The final key was using brake ducts to direct the air into the center of the floating rotors to maximize brake cooling. This got the brake temperatures down to the 1,100°F/593°C range. Brake cooling ducts are mandatory on this platform!”

“I was very interested in ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ’s 6 piston Apollo BBK. However, the temperatures I achieved out on the track could pose a problem with any painted caliper. I learned of ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ’s racing caliper which has specific features designed to handle the stress at the race track. From the hard anodized finish, the high temperature seals and steel castellated pistons, it seemed like the perfect final solution for the Golf R’s brakes.

“I installed ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ’s 6 piston racing calipers BBK on my 2019 Golf R in late September 2025 for my next track event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The difference was night and day. I had read that ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ’s Balanced Big Brake Kit focuses on the entire brake system. I can share from my experience this is not marketing hype. The brakes felt much firmer and the car did not pitch to the front under initial braking as quickly. The car had more of a squat under braking. This kept the car much more stable under heavy braking. The brakes were much more linear which inspired confidence. The 6R calipers require more pedal effort, making it much easier to modulate the pedal as you approach threshold braking. I used the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ 307+ racing brake fluid supplied in the kit. I was very impressed by how solid the pedal felt under all conditions. Absolutely no issues with the brake fluid all weekend of fast laps.”

“Simply put, the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ 6 piston racing caliper BBK setup was awesome. I tried both RP-X and SR-11 pads front and rear and both were exceptional. My braking distances down the back straight at Mid-Ohio went from the 500 marker to approaching the 400 marker with more confidence than the best setup with the stock calipers. Going forward, the SR-11 pad will be my pad of choice for three-day track events. The RP-X is an excellent choice for Time Attacks and autocross.â€�

“A mixed first half of the season!

“Semprini Racing’s ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ-equipped Honda Civic has had a busy and mixed start to the season. Electrical gremlins in pre-season testing meant the first round of the BRSCC Supersport Endurance Cup was missed, with the season starting instead with the MSV Trackday Trophy at Silverstone.

“This season, the Civic is once again with the tried-and-tested combination of ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ SR-11 front pads and Bluestuff rear, giving that great combination of stopping power and pedal feel.

“Solid mid-class pace at Silverstone, but importantly, reliability from the first race with a new engine wiring loom gave the team a huge relief.

“Next up was the delayed return to the Supersport grid at Oulton Park, a great track and firm favourite of both Jeremy and Phil. Tricky, changeable wet/dry conditions saw the pair again solidly mid-class without taking undue risks. The feel from the SR-11/Bluestuff combo meant braking in the changeable conditions was predictable and the drivers could concentrate on finding grip on the damp track. Despite a last lap clutch failure, the Civic was classified as a finisher and we breathed a sigh of relief, only to have the recovery truck pull the front of the car off and damage the oil cooler, meaning a bigger repair job than hoped for!

“With clutch and oil cooler replaced and the car put back together, it was off to Snetterton – a circuit the Civic has performed well at historically. Qualifying was tricky with both drivers unhappy with the feel from the car and unable to match times from previous visits. We started the race a bit further back than hoped for and after 20 minutes alternator failure ended our race early. We subsequently found a leaky shock absorber to explain the poor handling. Surely our luck had to change soon!

“Onwards to Brands Hatch and back to the Trackday Trophy on the iconic Grand Prix circuit. Jeremy is driving these races solo this year as Phil shares another Civic with his sons in this series. Putting in competitive lap times in an extremely close top Class B, Jeremy improved on his previous visits to the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit and was comfortable in the car, now complete with new shock absorber and alternator plus some other setup changes. A fresh set of each of the SR-11 and Bluestuff pads completed the car prep.

“A poor start by Jeremy saw him drop a couple of places and settle in to a battle in the middle of the class B pack. A safety car just as the pit window opened where Jeremy decided to stay out and gain a lap over those ahead who pitted backfired when the Safety Car picked up Jeremy as the leader and slowed him right down. Pitting next time around, the circuit went green as the Civic was stationary, compounding the loss in time!

“Now in 18^th, Jeremy set about overtaking anything in his path, leaning on the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ brakes as never before to overtake a total of 10 cars – including three in once corner – and finish in 8th overall, 7th in class, with a new personal best lap time. The car felt great and performed well – the driver could do better!â€�

“Back to the BRSCC and Donington Park, where Phil re-joined Jeremy for a double-header Clubsport 45-minute race we used as a test for the main event, the 2-hour SuperSport race on Sunday.

“Another solid mid-class outing in wet conditions on Saturday set us up well for Sunday… or so we thought! Going out first in qualifying on Sunday, Jeremy set out for an early push lap while the track was quiet, unaware a helpful Mini had dropped coolant at the top of the circuit at the fast right hander at Coppice. Full of confidence, Jeremy turned into the corner fully committed to have the car go straight on and into the gravel trap, beached! The lovely marshalls hooked us up to a telehandler and dragged the Civic out so Jeremy could put in another lap to get the requisite three before handing over to Phil. As we’d received ‘mechanical assistance’ to get out of the gravel trap, none of our subsequent lap times counted, so we were plum last on the grid!

“Not to be deterred, Phil took the start and had overtaken five cars before the first corner as he set off to make up places. During his hour-long stint, Phill got us up to an incredible 2nd in class by the time of the change-over. Keeping it consistent and battling fading tyres and diminishing fuel, Jeremy had a good battle for position with the fast Mazda MX-5 in our class and brought the Civic home in 2nd for our first podium and trophy of the season! Finally a good result where car and drivers had combined well,

“Our travels took us to Croft circuit next – the first time Jeremy had been to the new layout, having last raced there on the rallycross circuit over 20 years ago! A fresh pair of SR-11 front pads and it was into a free practice session to iron out any issues and do a bit of set up work followed by a good qualifying in P2 in class behind the all-conquering Audi TT that is dominating this class, but in front of the MX-5 we are battling with.

“Jeremy took the start and actually overtook the Audi into turn 1, but was soon back down to 2nd as the rocket ship Audi took off and joined the battle with the cars in the classes above. Keeping an eye on the Mazda’s pit board, Jeremy could see the gap increasing as he pulled away and settled into a nice rhythm. The Civic then threw its latest curveball by losing 3rd gear as Jeremy came out of the complex towards the final hairpin after 20 minutes. Despite this – and a couple of excursions – he managed to maintain 2nd in class and hand over to Phil with a very useful buffer. Phil duly maintained and then extended the gap before a late safety car which – this time – played into our hands and increased the gap to the Mazda. We crossed the line for another P2 and another trophy, plus a front left tyre down to the cords!”

“Back to Donington and back with MSV for the double header weekend of Trackday Trophy and Trackday Championship. For the first time this season, Jeremy was entered in the TDC and duly strapped on a set of the control Toyo R888R tyres for the wet/very wet qualifying session. Driving on these tyres in the wet for the first time, the Civic Jeremy kept his head and didn’t push things too hard, to come in mid-grid. 

“The race started even wetter and after a reasonable start, Jeremy was battling in a group of cars when one – another MX-5 – spun in front and into the path of an evasive-action taking Jeremy who had nowhere to go, slamming into the spinning Mazda and sustaining considerable damage to the front left of the car. 

“It’ll take some time to repair the Civic, but the aim is to be back out this season, at the very least for the season-ending Birkett Relay, but hopefully for a couple more events before that.

“Big thanks to ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ for the support again this season – we may not get through as many sets of pads as we’d have liked to due to our enforced absence for a while, but the SR-11//Bluestuff combo has been one thing we haven’t had to worry about in this challenging season!â€�

“After starting the season in the GTC category, Héctor Hernández and Borja Hormigos are switching to the BMW M4 GT4 (G82), returning to the GT4 Bronze category with the support of the Autoworks Motorsport team and sponsorship from ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Spain. 

“After finishing last season, team’s goal was to change car so that they could continue competing in GT4 Bronze, the category in which they achieved third place in the three championships that make up the Iberian Supercars Endurance. Initially, this was not possible, and the team participated in the first two rounds of the championship in the GTC category, but after the Jarama race, an unexpected change of direction allowed them to switch to a more modern and advanced vehicle, which also allowed them to return to the GT4 Bronze category.”

“The BMW M4 GT4 (G82) is the latest version of the competition model from BMW Motorsport and, compared to its predecessor, with which Hernández-Hormigos have competed for the last two seasons, incorporates major advances in electronics, traction control management, and ABS.�

“Taking this step has been a huge effort for the team, but we are very excited about the new car. With the livery, we wanted to pay tribute to our F82, the results of 2024, and our first year in GT4 Bronze. We now have a lot of work to do on the track and in the pits, but we will take advantage of the remaining races this season to prepare for 2026, where we hope to fight for the category,” commented Héctor and Borja.

“Ahead of the first race in Valencia this weekend, the action on the track will begin with free practice sessions scheduled for Saturday starting at 9:00 a.m. In the afternoon, the two qualifying sessions that will determine the starting grid are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. (Q1) and 3:50 p.m. (Q2). Finally, the main event will take place on Sunday with two races. The first will start at 11:05 a.m., while the second will start at 4:05 p.m. All the action of the Iberian Supercars can be followed live on DAZN Spain and via streaming on the Supercars Endurance YouTube channel.�