Get Involved In Grand-Am Online

Whether you’re a weekend road racer or just someone who loves the thrill of watching cars carve out a track, you’re going to love what the folks at the Grand-Am Racing Series have put together for you.

They just have placed the finishing touches on their forums in order to give fans a place to talk about recent and future races, the teams, the cars or anything and everything Grand-Am. Also, they have put all the fans in touch with the drivers and staff of the Grand-Am Series by implementing blogs for drivers to chat about the races so you can read about how your favorite driver handles the track in your backyard. GM has some amazing teams out there racing in the Grand-Am Series, which we love to cheer on and support them in every opportunity possible! read more...

GM Drops the Shades at HIN Night Shift in NY

It was an exciting weekend at Belmont Park in New York this weekend as the GM Tuner Tour dropped in at its first Hot Import Nights “Night Shift” event for 2008. The Night Shift events bring the classic HIN atmosphere out under the stars and allow the show to be much larger than any indoor arena can be. This lets attendees participate in more activities and have a chance to check out cool exhibitions like freestyle motocross, drifting and street bike stunt shows.

The GM Tuner Tour brought an incredible showing of cars to this show including Kat Von D’s Pontiac Vibe and 50 Cent’s own Pontiac G8. Of course Jason Whitfield’s custom LSJ swapped Chevy Aveo and the new 2008 Cobalt SS Turbo were on site and, with the SS Turbo rolling on the streets now, there was tons of buzz around it the whole night including a few guys that had already picked one of these up! Adding a nice treat for the attendees, Neil Tjin, and his Tjin Edition Tour, had his custom creations on display which include a Chevy Cobalt and Pontiac Solstice. The attention to detail on Tjin’s concepts is amazing and as all the attendees found out, definitely worth the trip! read more...

ECOtec VIP Owners Meet at Mid-Ohio Sports Course

Whenever you get a group of ECOtec enthusiasts together at a racetrack you know a great time is in store! This past weekend we hosted a GM VIP ECOtec Owners meet at the Mid Ohio Sports Course in the midst of a KONI Challenge race. We had such a great initial response for registration for this event and some owners came from as far away as Ontario, Canada and Tennessee to take part in the festivities so we didn’t want to disappoint.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning at the Mid Ohio Sports Course and once we had the owners parked in our VIP corral we got everyone together to go over all the great things we had in store for them. We started the day with Dwight Woodbridge, GM Racing Program Manager for Grand-Am KONI Challenge, guiding the owners throughout all the GM race teams pit areas and introducing the VIP guests to the drivers, engineers and mechanics at all the various teams. The owners had unbridled one-on-one access to all the staff and were free to ask all the questions they could think of. read more...

Mid-Ohio Sports Course VIP ECOtec Owners Meet

This weekend is going to be a blast for all of our registered ECOtec owners at the Mid Ohio Sports Course in Lexington, Ohio! There’s going to be plenty of racing and pit tours, along with a catered lunch for all the owners. We want everyone to be able to enjoy everything that GM is putting on this weekend so below is a schedule of the events for Sunday so you can make sure you don’t miss a thing!

Check out the Schedule after the jump. read more...

Rhys Millen made it to the podium for the second time in as many races last weekend at Englishtown, NJ.

Rhys Millen on Podium Again at Formula Drift Englishtown

For the second time in as many races, Rhys Millen won a spot on the Formula Drift podium. After a fierce drift battle with teammate Dai Yoshihara in the Pontiac GTO Drift, Rhys Millen and his Solstice GXP Drift grabbed third place at the Formula Drift event in Englishtown, New Jersey on June 14th. Dai Yoshihara, in repeat performance from the last event, finished fourth. Dai came into the Englishtown event qualified in the number one spot. Gardella Racing’s Ryan Tuerck in the Mobil1/Maxxis Tire Solstice GXP Drift qualified 10th and was defeated in round 1. read more...

Jason Hunt

Three-Time Pro Front-Wheel-Drive Champ Jason Hunt Bringing the Matco Tools Chevy Cobalt to IHRA’s President’s Cup

Budd’s Creek, MD- Jason Hunt and Charlie Schafer Industries are bringing their 200 mph, tube chassis, front-wheel drive, four-cylinder Ecotec powered Chevy Cobalt out to play in Top Sportsman this weekend.

Hunt, who is the reigning NOPI PRO FWD Champion and who currently sits third in points, is trying his hand at competing against rear-wheel-drive, eight-cylinder, door slammers before heading out to Denver, CO next week. Maryland International Raceway is Hunt and team owner, Schafer’s home track and they were really excited when the race could work into their schedule. read more...

Jaime Holtom and Eric Curran raise the winners' trophy at KONI Challenge, Lime Rock.

Cobalt dominates KONI Challenge

Being a racecar driver is one of the most physically and mentally challenging occupations out there. Being an actual racecar is to, but with a little less emphasis on the mental aspect. That’s what makes the team at Georgian Bay Motorsports and the 2008 Cobalt SS Turbo so impressive.

If you were to look at the current top standings in the Street Tuner Series, you’d wonder why the other teams even bother showing up. The Chevy Cobalt teams have been dominating this year with the new Turbo Cobalt SS. read more...

Free Chevy Cobalt VIP Enthusiast Meet - Ohio

Chevrolet wants to show their support to Cobalt and Ecotec enthusiasts! Chevy Racing is offering a limited number of Cobalt owners (and their guest) special VIP treatment at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course on Sunday, June 22, 9:00a.m. – 4:00p.m.

Come cheer on the production-based Cobalt SS teams during the Koni Challenge race, plus get behind the scenes with the Chevy staff, teams and drivers. Don’t own a Cobalt? No problem – any Ecotec- powered GM vehicle is eligible. read more...

Tuner Tour Goes Big In Columbus!

The GM Tuner Tour is no stranger to all sorts of venues across the country. However, Columbus, OH is uncharted territory for Hot Import Nights, so we thought we’d show the fans in Columbus what HIN and the GM Tuner Tour was all about. The GM Tuner rig was set up at center stage so it stole the show and grabbed everyone’s attention in the hall. The GM Tuner Tour also brought out something special for the Columbus show in the form of a Kat Von D “tattooed” Pontiac Vibe. The custom Vibe is decked out with airbrushed artwork that is inspired from Kat Von D’s actual artwork. There was also a custom backdrop and kiosk setup by Kat Von D’s car that allowed attendee’s a chance to enter a custom inked 2009 Pontiac Vibe. read more...

Super Street Features Whitfield Racing’s LSJ Aveo

An LSJ in an Aveo? Yeah, you read right. Jason Whitfield builds some of the cleanest go fast machines you’ll ever see and was in the mood to build the ultimate sleeper. He loves the 2.0L LSJ ECOtec engine and as he looked around the GM stable he saw the Aveo and his mind was set. Being one of the smallest cars on the road no one would ever expect an Aveo to blow their doors off but that is exactly what this car will do. Whitfield goes over his whole build and how he built up his monster Aveo in the June 2008 Issue of Super Street that is on newsstands now. Many of you are familiar with Jason Whitfield from his Candy Red Whitfield Racing Cobalt Drag Car. That same engineering and technology was brought over to this Aveo project.

The car is on the GM Tuner Tour right now, which travels the nation to some of the top shows across the country. If you make it out to one of the shows, be sure to drop by and check the Aveo out in person. You will be IMPRESSED! The new issue of Super Street is out on newsstands now, so check it out. The article is great! Keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming issues of SS as this buildup will be in the next few issues. Stay tuned here for more info. Check it out and start dreaming about what you would do with your own 250hp Aveo. read more...

Grand-Am Cobalt Conquers at Lime Rock

Congratulations to the Georgian Bay Motorsports team for their success this weekend competing in the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series at Lime Rock Park. Eric Curran and Jaime Holtom placed first for the second time this season in their No. 01 Georgian Bay Motorsports 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Turbo. "The car was absolutely awesome," Holtom said. "The Georgian Bay Motorsports Cobalt is a rocket ship. When you've got a well-balanced car at Lime Rock, you can do good things. It was a perfect weekend for our Georgian Bay Motorsports Chevrolet Cobalt SS." read more...

Bruno Massel wins Division 5 Comp Eliminator

Over the holiday weekend, while we were all relaxing and playing, Bruno Massel was working hard at the NHRA Division 5 event in Brainerd, MN.

The father and son team that is Bruno Massel Racing achieved a milestone: the first ever NHRA Comp Eliminator win for the ECOtec engine, and, I believe, the first Comp Eliminator win for any 4-cylinder engine.

Comp Eliminator is a tough class, requiring elapsed times that are both quick and consistent. Competitors cut good lights and excel at race strategy. Bruno Massel piloted his rear-wheel-drive WyoTech Chevy Cobalt to the number-one qualifying spot with a run of 7.372s and delivered the win with a run of 7.458s. read more...

2008 Cobalt SS Turbocharged Impresses Modified Magazine

The 2008 Chevy Cobalt SS is turning heads everywhere it goes, so it’s no surprise that Modified Magazine wanted to see what everyone was talking about. Modified flew out to Buttonwillow raceway to give the 08 Cobalt SS a run for its money and let’s just say they left broke. Modified is one of the best aftermarket mag’s for parts and accessories out there and they know performance like the back of their hand, which is why it is so impressive for them to be blown away by the new Cobalt SS.

Their review of the new turbocharged Cobalt is in the June issue which is out on newsstands now, so pick it up and see what impressed them the most! For more information on Modified Magazine go to www.modified.com. read more...

Limited Number of High-Performance LSJ Cams Available From GM Racing

Attention, LSJ-owners!

If you are working on upgrading your Cobalt SS Supercharged or ION Redline for off-highway performance, you’ve probably already read Chapter 6 of the ECOtec 2.0L LSJ Power Book (if not, you can download it from gmtunersource.com by clicking on ‘Racer Tech’ then ‘ECOtec LSJ Build Book’). Many of you have already emailed, asking about the high-performance cams that are referenced in that chapter. Well, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that GM Racing has these cams available, right now, for sale. The bad news is that we don’t have very many.

Here’s how you get them. First, send an email through the tech questions link on the Racer Tech pages of gmtunersource.com. That way, if we’re already sold out, I can bounce you back and let you know. Note, I will NOT hold any parts just because you send an email. Parts will go to the first checks that arrive. read more...

Brian Ballard and his Mobil 1 Chevy Cobalt took advantage of two hole shots to secure a spot in the Budd's Creek, MD winner's circle. (Photo courtesy of Jenny @ Tempest Racing)

Ballard Takes the Mobil 1 Chevy Cobalt All The Way

At NOPI’s first Sportsman Only event this past weekend in Maryland the CSI team didn’t take any chances on their approach to this race. “We are running the car just like at the national events and not taking anything for granted,” stated Team Owner, Charlie Schafer at the start of the race. It was a good thing too, as the team still had to abide by the NOPI sanctioned by NHRA rules and qualified an impressive 3rd place.

As the rounds went on, it was evident that Brian Ballard was going to have to face two much quicker cars to get the event win. After winning his first two rounds of eliminations Brian faced #1 qualifier, Levi Stanley. Ballard got the advantage off the starting line and never looked back, taking the win with a 9.61 elapsed time to a losing 9.49 E.T. Going into the final was not going to be easy either as he faced #2, qualifier, Jonathon Reynolds. One again, Ballard showed why he is in the seat for CSI racing and took the Mobil 1 Chevy Cobalt, Ecotec powered, boosted by Air Werx across the stripe first with a 9.63 E.T. over a faster 9.53 E.T. read more...

Marty Ladwig Highlighted in "Super Street" Magazine

The May issue of Super Street Magazine has a great feature on Marty Ladwig and his Chevy Cobalt racecar. Marty is a pioneer when it comes to Chevy Sport Compact Racing and is being recognized for not only that, but his incredible consistency on the track year in and year out! The story highlights Marty in a great way.

Marty is already off to another great start for this year, and is on pace to do some great things. I wouldn’t be surprised if Marty grabbed another record or two along the way. Thank you Marty for giving Chevy Cobalt fans across the nation, something to cheer and get excited about! Take a look at the race schedule and get out there and support our Cobalt race teams. These guys are amazing characters off the track and always make time for their fans.

Make sure to check it out. The magazine is still on sale at bookstores right now. read more...

Ryan Tuerk drove his Solstice GXP to the podium in only his second event in the new car.

GM Nearly Sweeps Formula Drift Atlanta

Formula Drift Atlanta was a huge event for Pontiac drifting: two Solstices on the podium and the GTO in fourth. It was a long haul for event winner Rhys Millen, who persevered through two qualifying rounds and four elimination rounds. Rhys had an unwaivering focus. This will probably make me sound old and dorky, but remember Ice Man from ‘Top Gun’? That was Rhys this weekend: no mistakes. None. Then there’s modest Dai Yoshihara, claiming that he was still getting used to being behind the wheel of the GTO. . . Dai, I don’t think you can say that any more, because it’s clear you have pretty good handle on it! And Ryan Tuerck. Only his second Formula Drift event in his new Solstice with a new team, and he lands himself on the podium.

Absolutely amazing. Congratulations to all. read more...

Don Nase talks about his ECOtec-powered dragster to a group of VIP ECOtec owners at NOPI Englishtown.

GM ECOtec VIP Owners Meet NOPI Englishtown, May 4

NOPI Englishtown marked the second GM ECOtec VIP Owners Meet of the year. We were a bit concerned about the weather due to the fact that it was very cold and overcast with light rain and heavy wind on Saturday. We stayed positive and continued to setup the GM VIP area and it paid off big time. Come Saturday morning, it still looked bleak, but at about 11:00 in the afternoon, the sun came out and warmed everything up just right!

This event went great. We had over 31 ECOtec VIP cars and about 60 fans in attendance. They received a treat this weekend, with a full-on tour of the new HHR SS and the 2008 Turbo Cobalt SS with Brian Brown, the Chevy HHR and Cobalt marketing manager. Soon after that, Carmen Smith took the group on a pit tour of all the ECOtec/Cobalt racers. This is when the fun really began. The owners were able to get up close and personal with all of the racers and their racecars. They had a blast asking questions and talking about how they make power and what parts they use. After the tour, we all went to the grandstands to cheer on our favorite Cobalt racers as they were running extremely well this weekend and were set to run some serious numbers! read more...

Gary Gardella and Ryan Tuerck celebrate a big NOPI Drift victory in front of the Gardella Racing Pontiac Solstice GXP.

NOPI Englishtown: Pontiac Solstice GXP Get Its First Drift Win!

A cold and rainy morning turned into a beautiful afternoon for the Chevy Cobalt drag cars and Pontiac Solstice drift cars at NOPI’s Englishtown event.

The pro drag racing teams got only one shot at qualifying, but it was enough for Gary Gardella to put his Chevy Cobalt at the top of the Pro FWD class with a 7.12 second run. Chevy racer Marty Ladwig was in the second spot in Pro FWD, and Bryan Jimenez grabbed the same spot in the Hot Rod class. The Turbo Street class was able to squeeze in two qualifying rounds. Brian Ballard landed in the top spot, piloting his Cobalt to a run of 9.518 seconds at 152.90mph.

During eliminations, Brian Ballard progressed consistently through four rounds to bring home a win for Chevy and his CSI racing team. Turbo Street is a highly competitive class with little room for error. Congratulations to Brian, Rob, Jason, Charlie, and the whole CSI team! read more...

2009 Cobalt SS Gets Great Reviews From RiceBoyTV.com

Many of you may not be familiar with www.RiceBoyTv.com, so let me bring you up to speed. John Naderi is a guy that has been in the market for many years. He has made his way through the famed site Overboost.com and eventually found himself at Primedia. This is where he became the editor of Super Street Magazine, which many of you are familiar with. John had a great run with Super Street and made a huge impact thanks to his contributions to the Tuner Marketplace. John recently took a chance at creating a new media outlet, which has given him creative freedom and a new perspective for the tuner market.

He is joined by some heavy hitters that worked along side of him at Super Street Magazine – Ricky Chu and Justin Kaehler. Both of these guys are huge assets to RiceBoyTV.com and have made a great name for themselves in the marketplace. We have been talking to them about the new Turbo Cobalt SS for a while now, and they finally got a chance to drive it. They recently did a story on the new Cobalt on their site, and gave it amazing reviews. read more...