News

Scion & Dezod make history (6/24/08)

Jackson-Dawson and Scion Achieve the Unthinkable by Shortly Leading the Race in

Pro Debut at Mid-Ohio

Equally Impressive is a Near Top 10 Finish, as Team grabs 14th Out of Field of Almost 50

TORRANCE, Calif. — Dan Gardner and the Jackson-Dawson team yesterday made history for Scion in the ranks of professional road racing.  The tC sports coupe ran in the top ten for much of the race at Mid-Ohio in Grand-Am’s highly-competitive KONI Challenge Street Tuner class.  This is a class where the top 20 cars are often less than a second apart for lap times.  In the end, the team would finish an impressive 14th out of almost 50.

The team briefly put the Scion at the head of the pack, as many of the leaders came in for a pit stop.  What wasn’t so brief, however, was the fact that the car ran in the top 10 for much of the race, battling with season points leaders Eric Curran and Jamie Holtom in the Georgian Bay Cobalt SS. 

"What can you say?  Being the first at anything in racing is special," said driver and team manager, Gardner.  "But being the first to actually achieve so much the first time out is beyond the ability of words to describe.  Our Scion was rock solid reliable.  It takes more than that to be successful at this high of a level, so that’s just the start.  But then to prove to the world that Scion is ready, that Scion is here, that Scion is now…well that’s a feeling none of us will ever forget.”

A recent decision to put veteran pro driver Craig Stanton in the car with Gardner made all the difference in the world, as Stanton drove strong, and proved to be a force with which to be reckoned.  And at Mid-Ohio, rain, more specifically thunderstorms, would prove to be a force to be reckoned with as well….

When the clouds moved in, and the sky saturated with an eerie gray-black, the team got their rain tires ready, but they knew they couldn’t do a tire swap until the track got sufficiently wet.  It wasn’t long before thunder was booming and lighting was illuminating the sky like old flash bulbs.  Then the rain poured down, and the team finally had to bring the car in, lest they be helpless to fight against cars that had already done the tire change.

When Stanton and the Scion got back on track, it wouldn’t be long before they found themselves battling it out amongst the top 10 at the front of the pack…this, after starting from 20th position when the green flag dropped.  The team knew they would still have to do a driver change, which would be costly since the other teams had already completed theirs.

The strategy was to try to pit under yellow to give the team a fighting chance at not losing any positions.  The yellow wouldn’t come though, and Stanton came in to hand the reigns over to Gardner.  The driver change went off without a hitch, and Gardner zoomed out onto track.  The team would manage to hold onto 14th as Gardner crossed the finish line, taking Scion into the pages of history.

“To achieve this much at this level excites all of us here at Scion,” said Steve Hatanaka, Scion auto shows and special events manager.  “The rest of the world can’t help but take notice of what we already know…that Scion is a performance force that has to be taken seriously.”

Over the last six months, Chuck Wade and Marty Schwerter at Toyota Motorsports have been hard at work preparing the car along with Gardner.  Central to the prep work and development has been Schwerter, who is no stranger to preparing the tC for road racing.  Schwerter is the man responsible for putting together the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Pro Celebrity cars.  The work and experience clearly paid off for the team, as they suffered not one hiccup during the entire race weekend.

"I had a chance to visit Toyota Motorsports recently," said BGB team manager, John Tecce.  "Marty, Chuck and the gang do fantastic work.  It’s exactly the kind of thing you need to field a successful entry in pro racing."

Toyota Racing Development (TRD) made great contributions to the team as well with the support of the supercharger system along with a few other bits and pieces.  The blower is what allows the tC to produce the power to be competitive at this level.

“When we designed the supercharger, we knew it would give the tC a big shot in the arm powerwise, but we also needed it to be fantastically reliable,” said Gary Boler, TRD business operations manager.  “Proving our parts performance and durability in Grand-Am with the JD team is just further testament to the quality that goes into every part and accessory that leaves our door.”

Drivers Gardner and Stanton, along with the entire team, put together a string of milestones for Scion which won’t soon be forgotten.  They include:

•           First Scion to compete in professional road racing

•           First Scion to finish a pro race

•           First Scion to climb into  the top 10 during a pro race

•           First Scion to lead a pro race

•           First Scion to finish a pro race in top third of the field

The tC also managed to turn lap times during the middle of the race in the rain that were on par with the race-winning Subaru…all while have two less drive wheels to provide traction.

“It’s a great car and a great program,” said Stanton.  “I’m happy I had the opportunity to drive for the team.  Scion makes some great products, and the tC really is impressive.  Any car that can be setup to compete at this level says great things about its general underpinnings.”

The race will be broadcast on SPEED in less than a week this coming Saturday, June 28 at 2 p.m. ET.  For local listings please see www.speedtv.com.  A photo and brief pre-race write up can be viewed at http://www.grand-am.com/koni/news/index.cfm?cid=17542. The team now heads to Watkins Glen for another Grand-Am KONI Challenge race on July 5.  Information on Grand-Am and the series can be found at www.grand-am.com or www.konichallenge.com.

The JD Scion tC team uses

•           Scion-supplied OE parts

•           TRD-supplied supercharger and intercooler, front big brake kit, and limited-slip diff.

•           Nitto 235/40R17 NT-01 tires

•           Enkei RPF1 17x8 wheels

•           Dezod-supplied AEM standalone engine management, plug and play harness, injectors, end links, and stainless clutch line

•           Church Automotive Testing dyno tuning

•           Moton Suspension coilover shocks

•           Vogtland springs

•           Progress Technology rear swaybar

•           Motul brake fluid, engine oil, transmission fluid, and super coolant

•           Racepak IQ3 logger dash

•           AEM sensors

•           Kaminari carbon fiber roof and composite headlights

•           Royalty Auto Body body work

•           America’s Tire Co. tire mounting and balancing

•           Racetech Viper head-restraint race seat and 6-point harnesses

•           Centerforce clutch and low inertia steel flywheel

•           AIT carbon fiber hood

•           Wild Pony Motorsports-supplied camber/caster plates

•           Goodridge stainless brake lines and oil cooler and fuel system fittings and lines

•           Carbotech XP10 and XP8 brake pads

•           G-Force 5-point harnesses, racing suit, gloves, and helmet

•           DC Sports Header

•           Energy Suspension bushings and motor mounts

•           HoseTechniques silicone hoses

•           M-Workz alignment and corner balancing

•           turn3 clothing

•           NST shifter bushings and pulley

Jackson-Dawson Communications (JD) is a 27-year-old privately held company that provides creative and strategic services to a range of national clients. Core competencies include retail training, event marketing, marketing services, business theater, video and media production services, meeting planning, print graphic and design services, staging service and vehicle management.

With corporate offices in Detroit, MI, Jackson-Dawson also maintains offices in Torrance and Irvine, CA, Manhattan, NY, and Spring Hill, TN. Jackson-Dawson owns and operates several divisions: Peloton Creative Group, BenMar Communications, Drivers Talk Radio and Drivers Talk Testing.

Scion, Dan & Dezod go for a first (6/18/08)

Jackson-Dawson tC to Become Worlds First Scion to Compete in Professional Road Racing

Dan Gardner and the JD Scion Team Prepare to Plunge into Grand-Ams KONI Challenge Series this Weekend at Mid-Ohio

TORRANCE, Calif.  The tC sports coupe and team that started as the worlds first Scion to take a national podium in road racing, now prepare to take a huge step forward.  Dan Gardner and the Jackson-Dawson Scion team have their sights set on fierce competition, as they become the first-ever Scion team to compete in a professional road race series.  The Scion tC and the team will make their debut in the highly-competitive Grand-Am KONI Challenge series this weekend at Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course in Lexington, Ohio. 

"Its really an amazing but crazy feeling," said driver and team manager, Gardner.  "Every person thats touched this program, thats helped make it what it is today, deserves heaps of praise.  Weve always believed the tC to be a fantastic platform, but lets face it, no one really knew what it would take to make it ready for the big time.  On Sunday when we take the starting grid, on perhaps the biggest production road racing stage in North America, well remember why we all worked so hard."

The pro racing effort will be fielded by the immensely talented and successful BGB Motorsports team, one of the most respected teams in all of KONI Challenge.  BGB was chosen for their track record, but also for their meticulous attention to detail and their reputation for superb race strategy.

"Were excited to be a part of this factory-backed effort," said BGB team manager, John Tecce.  "Its not every day you get to field a car thats making history by being the first of its kind.  Scion and TRD have shown great commitment to this program, and were just happy to be a part of it."

Toyotas own in-house performance division, Toyota Racing Development (TRD), has been a great help to the team this season.  TRD has long been associated with both professional and grassroots racing.  Several TRD parts on the JD racecar are available to all Scion owners through Scion dealerships.

Our brand of performance parts and accessories really are meant to perform at the highest level, said Gary Boler, TRD business operations manager.  It doesnt get much higher than this in terms of production-based road racing.  The tC is a great car, but it can always be made better with a few TRD components.  The supercharger kit on the JD car is one great example of that.

The Scion tC will be taking on a humongous field of over 50 entries in the exciting Street Tuner (ST) Class.  Cars range from Mazda RX8s, to BMW 330s&Chevrolet Cobalts to Acura TSXs.  All in all, over 10 manufacturers will be vying for points.

It will be with great pride that we see our Scion tC mixing it up at the pinnacle of road racing competition, said Steve Hatanaka, Scion auto shows and special events manager.  The KONI Challenge battles are fierce; its going to be exciting!

The race takes place on Sunday, June 22 at 12:45 PM Eastern time and will be nationally broadcast on SPEED the following week.  The team will practice on Thursday and Friday, and will Qualify on Saturday, June 21 at 2:15 PM.  Results can be viewed at either www.grand-am.com or www.konichallenge.com.   

The JD Scion tC team uses

"           Scion-supplied OE parts

"           TRD-supplied supercharger and intercooler, front big brake kit, and limited-slip diff.

"           Nitto 235/40R17 NT-01 tires

"           Enkei RPF1 17x8 wheels

"           Dezod-supplied AEM standalone engine management, plug and play harness, injectors, end links, and stainless clutch line

"           Church Automotive Testing dyno tuning

"           Moton Suspension coilover shocks

"           Vogtland springs

"           Progress Technology rear swaybar

"           Motul brake fluid, engine oil, transmission fluid, and super coolant

"           Racepak IQ3 logger dash

"           AEM sensors

"           Kaminari carbon fiber roof and composite headlights

"           Royalty Auto Body body work

"           Americas Tire Co. tire mounting and balancing

"           Racetech Viper head-restraint race seat and 6-point harnesses

"           Centerforce clutch and low inertia steel flywheel

"           AIT carbon fiber hood

"           Wild Pony Motorsports-supplied camber/caster plates

"           Goodridge stainless brake lines and oil cooler and fuel system fittings and lines

"           Carbotech XP10 and XP8 brake pads

"           G-Force 5-point harnesses, racing suit, gloves, and helmet

"           DC Sports Header

"           Energy Suspension bushings and motor mounts

"           HoseTechniques silicone hoses

"           M-Workz alignment and corner balancing

"           turn3 clothing

"           NST shifter bushings and pulley

Jackson-Dawson Communications (JD) is a 27-year-old privately held company that provides creative and strategic services to a range of national clients. Core competencies include retail training, event marketing, marketing services, business theater, video and media production services, meeting planning, print graphic and design services, staging service and vehicle management.

With corporate offices in Detroit, MI, Jackson-Dawson also maintains offices in Torrance and Irvine, CA, Manhattan, NY, and Spring Hill, TN. Jackson-Dawson owns and operates several divisions: Peloton Creative Group, BenMar Communications, Drivers Talk Radio and Drivers Talk Testing.

Jackson-Dawson and Scion to Race in Grand-Ams Koni Challenge and

NASAs Performance Touring for 2008

2007 Championship Team Will Be Scions Inaugural Entry into Professional Endurance Racing

TORRANCE, Calif.  After a tremendously successful 2007 season in the worlds first national road race Scion tC, Jackson-Dawson (JD) and Scion are taking their road racing program to the next level.  The team will be competing in select Grand-Am Koni Challenge races.  The car will be prepped to run in the highly competitive Street Tuner (ST) class which routinely sees fields in excess of 30 cars per race.  In addition to running in Grand-Am, the team will continue the grassroots Scion tradition by campaigning the car once again in NASAs (National Auto Sport Association) Performance Touring series.

The Scion tC road race car is currently undergoing further development to make it competitive in Koni Challenge against the likes of Honda, Acura, Subaru, Mazda, Chevrolet, and many others.

Driver and team manager Dan Gardner will be bringing NASA and World Challenge driver Patrick Lindsey on board to share driving duties in Grand-Am.  Lindsey is the 2006 NASA PTA National Champion. 

The well-known and respected BGB Motorsports team will be helping the team field the entry.  Their race strategy and know-how is second to none in Grand-Am.  The team recently finished an impressive third in the season points standing in the Grand Sport (GS) class of Koni Challenge.

"Were extremely pleased to have Scion on board with us," said Gardner.  "The brand is young, edgy, and hip, but theyre serious about performance too.  Last year was a great season, and it only made sense to take things to the next level.  We want to prove even further how solid the tC is by placing it up against some of the worlds best factory-backed efforts."

The team is using the best brains in the business to help make the car turn, accelerate, and brake exceptionally.  The tCs fully independent suspension and large 2.4-liter 4-cylinder should spell good things to come.

The JD team really put together a fantastic effort last season, said Steve Hatanaka, Scion auto shows and special events manager.  Grand-Am is an extremely visible series, and we cant wait to show the tCs capabilities.

Toyotas own in-house performance division, Toyota Racing Development (TRD), will be helping to support the effort as well.  TRD has long been associated with both professional and grassroots racing.  Its ever-expanding lineup of performance products specifically developed for Scion vehicles help any owner get more out of their tC, xB, xD, or xA.

The tC is a great platform that gets even better with the addition of TRD performance parts and accessories, said Gary Boler, TRD business operations manager.  Were pleased to help support Scions racing effort, and cant wait to make the car even hotter than it already is.

Partnership arrangements are already in place with some of the top companies in the industry, such as:

"           Nitto

"           Enkei

"           Recaro

"           Moton

"           Progress Technology

"           Dezod Motorsports

"           Kaminari

"           Centerforce

"           NST

"           AIT

"           Wild Pony Motorsports

"           Goodridge

"           Carbotech

"           G-Force

"           AEM

"           Energy Suspension

"           HoseTechniques

"           Motul

"           Americas Tire Co.

"           Church Automotive Testing

"           M-Workz

"           Royalty Auto Body

"           turn3

"           Vogtland

Other sponsor companies are joining the fold regularly as well.

Jackson-Dawson was a Scion partner when the tC first launched, said Jill Lindsay, executive vice president, west coast operations, Jackson-Dawson Communications.  Its a great fit for us, and a huge leap forward as we venture into the realm of professional road racing.

More details will be released soon on build specifics and the teams plans and schedule for the 2008 season.

Jackson-Dawson Communications (JD) is a 25-year-old privately held company that provides creative and strategic services to a range of national clients. Core competencies include retail training, event marketing, marketing services, business theater, video and media production services, meeting planning, print graphic and design services, staging service and vehicle management.

With corporate offices in Detroit, MI, Jackson-Dawson also maintains offices in Torrance and Irvine, Calif., Manhattan, N.Y., and Spring Hill, Tenn. Jackson-Dawson owns and operates several divisions: Peloton Creative Group, BenMar Communications, Drivers Talk Radio and Drivers Talk Testing.

Dan Gardner and JD Scion tC Take Two Poles and Two Firsts in World Debut of Car

Testing Session at California Speedway Shows Great Promise as Team Wins Both Days at

NASA's Season Opener

TORRANCE, Calif.: Just days ago at California Speedway, the Jackson-Dawson Scion team took two pole positions, two wins, and a class track lap record.  It was supposed to be a test weekend.  The car had never seen the track, and driver Dan Gardner hadn't logged a single lap in it.  Still, the car performed well for a first outing, and the team was rewarded with two unexpected victories in the PTE class.

"I started out slowly, just feeling things out: the suspension, the brakes, the engine," said Dan Gardner.  "The car was fairly easy to drive, and confidence built throughout the weekend.  We learned a ton about what we need to do to make the car competitive at Nationals, but what a great first showing.  We're all thrilled, and it reinforces our position that this platform has great potential."

On Friday, the team got everything dialed in, taking lots of tire temperatures and making adjustments.  Unfortunately the spring rates of the Progress shocks would need to be upped to keep the car from riding on the bump stops.  The team combated the accompanying understeer by making radical adjustments to tire pressures and by setting the custom Progress one-inch rear swaybar on full stiff.  By mid-Saturday Gardner was able to induce oversteer and drive around the problem.  Lap times improved as the car was able to rotate, and by Sunday Gardner had ripped off a 2:03.594 best lap time.  Not bad for a car with a totally stock motor and suspension that was still being sorted.

The team also competed in NASA's Time Trial series, running in TTE.  They took the class win on Friday, but only managed a second and third on Saturday and Sunday respectively.  More power is in the cards for the car before the next event, and then even more before Nationals.

In the team's core series, Performance Touring, the car really shined, executing many passes under late braking, even with the stock braking system still on the car.  Of course it was enhanced by Carbotech race pads, Goodridge stainless lines, and quality brake fluid.

On Saturday's race, Gardner would secure the pole, get a great start, and go on to win the race by almost a full lap.  The start was particularly good, as Gardner dipped inside of turn 3, and snatched several positions early on.  From there the race was mostly a coast.

Sunday's race would prove to be quite different with more competitors and an awful start.  A group of cars jumped the green flag, checked up, and then a group of Porsche 944s proceeded to crash into one another before the flag even dropped.  It was an accordion effect, and Gardner was stuck in the middle, coming just inches away from being sandwiched.

The green flag then dropped, as Gardner was literally parked on the inside of the track.  Just about every car he outqualified rushed past, as the team lost perhaps a dozen positions including one to an in-class Toyota Celica.  It was time to play catch-up.  Only half a lap later Gardner would simultaneously pass the Celica and the leading Spec-Miata.  From there Gardner put as many cars as possible between him and the second place car.  All in all, he would move up 15 positions over 12 race laps to take the win, again by almost a lap.

It wasn't an ideal situation with the way the car was handling and a lack of power, said Lead Engineer Mike Kojima. We really had to finagle things to work around the problem, but it was still a great first showing for the car.

Before departing for the race, Toyota Motorsports advised the team that the car would fuel starve at a shocking half-tank.  This turned out to be exactly the case, as in the right-hand infield hairpin the power would completely go away sometimes at even more than half a tank.  It's a problem the team will address soon, but for now they'll just monitor fuel levels closely.

The engine oil would run up to 260 degrees F and the power steering fluid would reach almost 280 degrees, as it boiled over.  Both systems will need coolers installed soon.  On a positive note, the stock cooling system never got over 210 degrees, even with ambient temps moving into the mid-90s.

Again, I would have loved to be there, but I'm just happy I was able to crank on the car before the race and make sure it was ready for its debut, said Chief Mechanic, Chris Viscovich.  The race definitely doesn't begin at the starting grid.  It's a mantra the entire team lives by.

Team to Put Together the First Wheel-to-Wheel Road Race Scion tC to Compete in a National Series

TORRANCE, Calif.  After winning a national championship at Mid-Ohio driving for Jackson-Dawson (JD) this past September, Dan Gardner and the JD team have partnered with Scion.

The 2007 Scion tC road race car is currently in development and will be unveiled on March 17 at California Speedway. The car will compete in the National Auto Sport Associations  (NASA) 2007 inaugural points race, running in Performance Touring (PT) E class, otherwise known as PTE.

The series uses the same innovative base classing and points modification rule set found in NASAs Time Trial (TT) program.  The team will participate in TT events on top of their core PT series.

"Were really excited to be driving a Scion," said Dan Gardner.  "The brand lines up well with our own youthful image, not to mention the fact that we really believe in the potential of the platform.  We truly appreciate Scions involvement in our program, and will do our very best to take home as many podiums as possible."

Any new platform takes considerable development time, and the team is using the best brains in the business to help make the car turn, accelerate, and brake exceptionally.  The tCs fully independent suspension and large 2.4-liter 4-cylinder should spell good things to come.

Partnership arrangements are already in place with:

"           AEM/DC Sports

"           Progress

"           Tire Rack

"           Kaminari

"           Dezod Motorsports

"           Nitto

"           Mothers

"           Harman Motive

"           Americas Tire

"           G-force

"           Carbotech

"           i-Speed/Crawford

"           turn3

"           Recaro

"           NST

"           Wild Pony Motorsports

"           Royalty Auto Body

Other partner-sponsors are being secured on a regular basis.  Scion has supplied the team with a vehicle and both OE and TRD parts.

JD has been a longtime Toyota partner, said Jill Lindsay, executive vice president, west coast operations, Jackson-Dawson Communications.  Its a great fit for us to be involved with Toyota and Scion in a motorsports capacity as well.  We look for great things to come from the program.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida.   Dezod Motorsports has always been involved in pushing the envelope and comprising the most intuitive and innovative products for niche markets. Establishing themselves with the seventh generation Honda Civic, which spans from 2001-2005, and branched out into several other markets such as the Scion tC and the Chevrolet Corvette, this company truly is known to address what the market needs and deliver it with a crushing blow.

Realizing speed and high-reving RPMS are only half of the battle of a high powered daily driven car, the Dezod team decided to address other issues involved in making slow cars faster and safer on the roads. They had decided to address the 60-0 MPH problem, which is commonly discovered after the addition of a significant power source to the vehicle. 

The need for a hard initial bite and minimal fade with a vast heat range is essential on a daily driven brake pad that could be used on a light track day as well. This was rolling along the premise of a hybrid pad comprised of the aspects of the widely known Hawk HPS street pad and track-day HP Plus pad.

The HPS is a great street pad, but lacks the effort for a track day and suffers on the higher heat temps. On the other hand, the HP Plus is excellent in this scenario, however does not work well with cold operating temps encompassed in daily driving. The Dezod crew had sought out to make a pad to encompass all of the needs with an attractive market price. Shortly after, the 'X-Rated' pad was born.

The pad is comprised from a special hybrid proprietary compound noted as 'Rated X', which is composed of a high metal and carbon based content for extreme heat abuse, while still offering low resin for long life and fade resistance. With OE fit and finish, one can not find a better pad for the price.They are available exclusively through Dezod Motorsports and encompass the following introduction applications:

Chevrolet Corvette 97+

Chevrolet Cobalt SS 05+

Honda Civic

Lexus IS300 01-05

Saturn Ion Redline 04+

Scion tC 05+

Scion xA/xB 04+

Toyota Yaris 06+