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Sneak Peek: Dino Crescentini's StopTech Porsche 911 GT3
By Steve Rockwood
Carroll Shelby once said that to make a small fortune racing, you must first spend a large one. Of course, Mr. Shelby was also the spokesperson of some snake oil company that combines the last letter of the alphabet with the shortened version of the word maximum when Global Motorsports Group (GMG) became more than a twinkle in its founders' eyes. Founded in 2001 by James Safronas and Fabryce Kutyba, GMG started its existence in a 1,200 sq ft facility, and has since grown to fill its current 15,000 sq ft stable with high-end hardware that features charging bulls, prancing horses and a slew of crests from Stuttgart. One of the many purebreds GMG looks after is the Pirelli World Challenge GT #4 StopTech Porsche 911 GT3, driven by Dino Crescentini, CEO of Centric Parts and StopTech.
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The #4 StopTech Porsche 911 GT3 negotiating the tight turns of the Pirelli World Challenge event on the streets of Long Beach. |
Dino's ride is raced in the Pirelli World Challenge GT class, which features cars from Porsche, Volvo, Chevy, Dodge and Nissan. The rules strictly limit the modifications a team can do to the car, with the 911 GT3 only allowed simple modifications like exhaust, approved StopTech brakes, suspension, and aerodynamic modifications. Cars that finish well are given weight penalties based on finishing order, known as Rewarding of Equalizing Weight Assigned to Reduce Driver Sensitivity (REWARDS). REWARDS weight operates with the goal of providing close on track competition between the diverse field of cars in the top third of the field by adding or subtracting weight. The maximum amount of additional weight is 7%.
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Due to World Challenge rules, engine modifications are light compared to MotoIQ regulars. The #4 StopTech Porsche features a sealed spec 3.8L motor making 450HP before the addition of a GMG WC exhaust for the 997 GT3. The GMG WC exhaust improves on the stock system by adding a modest 5hp while simultaneously shedding 20lbs from behind the rear axle centerline. Almost as important, the GMG exhaust system makes this flat six scream with the best racecar engine sound this side of the Grand Am Cup RX-8s and Formula 1.
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The nearly stock 3.8L Porsche mill makes 450HP. GMG added its own WC GT3 exhaust system to the car as the engine's only modification. |
