Since I will get to cover ALMS this year on top of the usual Formula Drift, XDC, and Redline Time Attack, I stopped by GMG Racing in Santa Ana Thursday to chat and lurk around, checking out the how they are getting ready for the 2011 season and whatever other projects they have going on.
Panoramic shot of GMG's state-of-the-art 15,000 square feet shop. "The shop is a showroom", says Fabryce Kubyta, the shop's co-founder. Inside, you will find customer's street cars - Porsches, Audis, and Ferraris - getting worked on side by side with ALMS Cup Cars by the very same technicians. With the experience of building, tuning, and racing at the some of the highest levels of motorsports, the level of capability and knowledge here is probably unmatched almost anywhere. Also, interesting fact, Lexus corporate rented out the Mustang AWD 500SE Chassis Dynamometer with a sound proof environmental control test cell at GMG for the filming of the LF-A commercial!
Jame Sofrona's 997 GT3 Cup Car getting corner balanced. Here, suspension tuning is a complicated science and is all about function, not just dumping coilovers at the lowest setting and stiffening up the coilovers at the highest setting.
Older 996 GT3 Cup Cars stored away, probably relegated to club racing duties now.
Another 997 GT3 Cup undergoing a complete overhaul for the new race season with new motor, seats, and wiring
Fresh Seats going into the car
Highly efficient gold foil heat-reflector to provide insulation for the engine compartment
GT3 Cup Car engine sitting on a palette
First thing you notice after entering the shop lobby is a $500,000 997 GT3 RSR
Stop-Tech's 997 GT3 Cup Car waiting to be loaded into the trailer for a long journey to Florida