COTA Track Record has been broken!

[tamir5005]

AUSTIN, TX., August 26, 2018 — AF1 Racing, Inc., alongside Griiip and Mayer Motorsports, have announced their official Formula 1000 record-breaking lap time at the Circuit of the Americas. The record setting Griiip G1, piloted by Alex Mayer of Mayer Motorsports, proved to be a formidable piece of machinery and registered a blistering laptime of 2:08.65 upon its debut weekend at the world-renowned Texas track! This lap time is only a few seconds off LMP2 times, 9 seconds faster than a McLaren P1, and 3 seconds off the MotoGP lap times!



Israeli design. Italian manufacture. The Griiip G1 is aimed at bringing a new and exciting concept to the world of racing. The product of such a goal leaves us with a fearsomely light, powerful and beautifully designed open-wheel racer. The G1, powered by the 201 HP Aprilia RSV4 engine, is also the first Formula 1000 race car that gave up the chain drive for a patented driveshaft design, resulting in better performance and zero maintenance.

On site was the current US Formula 1000 champion – Alex Mayer of Mayer Motorsports, ready for the weekends testing. As one of the elite teams in the North American region, the Mayer Motorsports crew put together an in-depth and surgically precise method to churning out some of the best performances in road racing. The Mayer Motorsports crew currently has the North American F1000 points lead and lay claim to multiple prior championships.

AF1 Racing of Austin, TX, the current owners of the two G1 race cars and a leader within the Aprilia community is no stranger to the world of competitive racing, this top-rated Aprilia Corse Certified dealer is the proprietary importer of Griiip G1 cars in the Americas, and will provide support on the cars powerplant, sales, parts and technical expertise overall.

Now, AF1 Racing and Griiip are starting with preparations to launch a US G1 Series in 2019, and looking for strategic partners, promoters, teams and drivers to have a full Griiip G1 spec series next season. The G1 Series will introduce some innovative technological features, first to be seen in Motorsport, that will ensure it will be one of the most exciting racing series in the world.

“Since we heard about the Aprilia powered G1 race cars, we wanted to have them in our shop and to see how they work at the track”, said Ed Cook, CEO of AF1 Racing. “the build quality is impressive, far higher than you would expect from a young company like Griiip, and we are happy to see that the performance matches the build quality. We are very excited about this collaboration and look forward for launching the G1 Series here next year”.

“Having the track record for Formula 1000 cars at COTA on our first USA test drive is a dream come true”, said Tamir Plachinsky, CEO of Griiip. “It is the first time we can compare the G1 performance to other Formula 1000 cars and to get feedback from the best F1000 driver. The track record speaks for itself and the amazing feedback Alex gave confirms the superior design of the G1!”.

“The best F1000 race car I have ever driven”, said Alex Mayer. “The dynamic behavior is exquisite. The G1 is so stable and communicates everything it is doing, that in fact it didn’t feel that we were as fast as we were. As this is the first time for me in this car and this is the laptime we made after only 2 days, I am sure that with some more testing we can improve it dramatically”.

For more information about the G1 and the G1 Series, please contact AF1 Racing at info@af1racing.com or Griiip at info@griiip.com. To follow Alex Mayer’s career, visit his Facebook page.

About Griiip
Combining innovation and passion, Griiip is opening new possibilities for drivers and fans, enabling them to connect with racing like never before! By harnessing the power of data, Griiip have created the first ever smart connected race car; the G1. In the ‘G1 Series’ Griiip delivers live video and data, prediction analysis, advanced insights and mixed reality races to our platform, giving fans and drivers the most exciting destination to engage with motorsports.

We invite you to visit us at griiip.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

[tamir5005]

[Mike Holland]

Your car may be faster than the track record for F1000 but the car is not a legal F1000 car with Carbon Fiber bodywork. There is a series for F-1000 cars in SCCA called the North American F1000 Championship. Track records are set in a race. Put fiberglass bodywork on the car and come to the next race at Road Atlanta. Rule book can be found here: https://www.scca.com/pages/cars-and-rules



https://northamf1000.com/

[tamir5005]

HI Mike,

Thank you for the comment. The G1 is designed according to the SCCA GCR and as such has a fiberglass body work, it is black fiberglass, not carbon fiber. We intend to participate at the Road Atlanta race with 2 cars and look for drivers that will want to participate. Will you be there also?

[Mike Holland]

I thought that I had read the specifications as having carbon fiber bodywork.
I have planned to be at Atlanta one way or another.

[jchracer]

“Since we heard about the Aprilia powered G1 race cars, we wanted to have them in our shop and to see how they work at the track”, said Ed Cook, CEO of AF1 Racing. “the build quality is impressive, far higher than you would expect from a young company like Griiip, and we are happy to see that the performance matches the build quality. We are very excited about this collaboration and look forward for launching the G1 Series here next year”.

Oh goody.....another open wheel spec series. Just what a already limited market needs, to be carved up into ever smaller pieces until the thing is truly dead....

Nice car though. Why not compete against other F1000 manufactures? Afraid of the results?

[Daryl DeArman]

Nice car though. Why not compete against other F1000 manufactures? Afraid of the results?

By "results" do you mean having that Aprilia motor immediately neutered with restrictors, or banned all together as a post-2014 engine which may be subject to approval prior to acceptance?

[tamir5005]

Agree with you that the world doesn't need another racing series, and if what we are developing was more of the same, than for sure we have no right to exist.
We are doing things differently and addressing what we believe are the sports major challenges: High season costs of entry-level racing and an outdated, unrelated, and non-engaging viewing experience.In the G1 Series, we will be using the G1 - the most advanced Formula 1000 race car ever designed, and implement new technologies which will change the way racing is experienced by drivers, viewers and gamers.

Viewers - Will gain access to live real-time video streams from all the G1 race cars, allowing them to choose the driver they wish to follow. Real time analyzed data with Insights and analytics, polls and fans generated content will bring the viewers closer to the racetrack than ever before.



Drivers - Every time you drive the G1, we analyze your data to provide you with tailor-made insights on how to improve your driving style and how to setup your car, without the need to pay a team of experts.

Gamers - Simulator drivers will be able to race against the real G1 drivers, bringing the physical and virtual worlds together for a completely new experience.

Hope now it sounds more interesting and that we are not just adding another racing series to the over crowded racing market.

We are not afraid of racing against other F1000 cars and plan to race in the last NAF1000 race at Road Atlanta. It is just that the technologies we are developing will work best when all the cars are manufactured by the same manufacturer.

[TimH]

Hey, if they can get it approved for F1000 let them go ahead and run their own series, too. It's not like the Pro1600 series "diluted" Formula Ford.

And if they enter some existing F1000 events they just might set a real lap record.

[Thomas Copeland]

Congrats on your record at COTA (even if your engine doesn't yet comply with SCCA). As one of the members of the organizing group for North American F1000 championship (and the F1000 Pro Series and USF1000 before that) i'm looking forward toward finally seeing the Griiip at Road Atlanta and hearing more about it. The number of constructors currently in F1000 says lot about how exciting this class is.

[J Leonard]

HI Mike,

Thank you for the comment. The G1 is designed according to the SCCA GCR and as such has a fiberglass body work, it is black fiberglass, not carbon fiber. We intend to participate at the Road Atlanta race with 2 cars and look for drivers that will want to participate. Will you be there also?

So they would compete as FS until homolugation as FB/ F1000?

[ghickman]

So they would compete as FS until homolugation as FB/ F1000?

No homologation required, SCCA dropped that a few years ago. It only needs to comply with the SCCA F1000 Rules to run in an SCCA class at the Majors level. Otherwise it falls into a regional class only in FS.

Since this car is powered by an engine that is newer than 2014 it will be subject to approval. Most likely a dyno sheet will have to be given to the CRB at which point it may not be approved.

Not take away what Alex may have done with the car at COTA but track records are meaningless in anything other than a sanctioned SCCA event running as a car that has been approved for competition in that specific class.

[Thomas Copeland]

Gary, the September 2018 GCR says:

9.1.1. Formula 1000 (FB) Specifications
K. Competitors wishing to use engines newer than 2014 model year may be required to supply dynamometer
data to the CRB to be approved for use.

Doesn't sound like its a hard requirement. Only that it "may be required".

From my reading of the rule they are good to go.

I don't know what makes their record "official" though. That might be debatable.

[Daryl DeArman]

Gary, the September 2018 GCR says:

9.1.1. Formula 1000 (FB) Specifications
K. Competitors wishing to use engines newer than 2014 model year may be required to supply dynamometer
data to the CRB to be approved for use.

Doesn't sound like its a hard requirement. Only that it "may be required".

From my reading of the rule they are good to go.

I don't know what makes their record "official" though. That might be debatable.

Depends on how you read it. I read that if you WISH TO USE such an engine you may be required to supply dyno data before the engine would be approved for use.

In other words, prior to approval the CRB may/may not require dyno data.

[Thomas Copeland]

you might be right. Guess it wouldn't hurt to make it more clear.

[Daryl DeArman]

you might be right. Guess it wouldn't hurt to make it more clear.

No kidding. They know what they meant when they wrote it. Maybe purposely ambiguous so that they can interpret/apply it however they see fit, or just to give them the satisfaction of responding to letters with "rule is adequate as written".

[ghickman]

Gary, the September 2018 GCR says:

9.1.1. Formula 1000 (FB) Specifications
K. Competitors wishing to use engines newer than 2014 model year may be required to supply dynamometer
data to the CRB to be approved for use.

Doesn't sound like its a hard requirement. Only that it "may be required".

From my reading of the rule they are good to go.

I don't know what makes their record "official" though. That might be debatable.

Trust me, if you show up with an engine producing 200 HP the CRB is going to be looking to put a restrictor on it. This is why they stuck that in there.

Rumor has it there's a couple of competitors running 2017 engines but back dating with 2011 fuel injection and ECU to make them run. I doubt they supplied the CRB with dyno sheets.

[Thomas Copeland]

I was always against restrictors on the current engines, still am, but it new ones come along and If they are producing over 200hp there might be a valid case for restrictor on that engine. Case by case basis. I also heard that there might be 2017 engines currently running too, which begs the question about how to interpret that rule.

[ghickman]

I was always against restrictors on the current engines, still am, but it new ones come along and If they are producing over 200hp there might be a valid case for restrictor on that engine. Case by case basis. I also heard that there might be 2017 engines currently running too, which begs the question about how to interpret that rule.

I'm with you on the restrictors. I'm reasonably certain it was Jeremy Hill that led the charge on the CRB's decision for the 2014 and newer rule. I see nothing wrong there unless it simply is not being enforced.

As for the back dating, we may see this play out at the Runoffs next month.

[JerryH]

As the builder of the JDR F1000, I welcome the opportunity to compete head to head with any and all. Multiple manufacturers is one of the things that make the class interesting.

If it has no carbon in the bodywork (except front and rear crush structures), the engine remains stock, it uses the stock ecu and throttle bodies, and everything measures correctly, it is legal. The newer engine has been dealt with by Scca by adding weight, and who knows, they could add more. Not a big deal if they do.

If it is Scca legal, Please get it homologated and come run with the NorthAmF1000 series where you can really prove how good the car is. I have volunteered to walk you through the homologation process.(Yes Gary each of my cars has had to get homologated in order to get a logbook issued....including to the two I just finished.....but it is quick and easy).

It will be interesting to see where the Cota track record ends up after the NorthAmF1000 winter series race there in February. If Osborne, Hickman, and Mayer all show up, I am sure it will drop a bit. Both Loshak and Osborne were in cars new to them back in 2013. They both got faster as the year progressed.

Hopefully we will see a car at road Atlanta in November.

Jerry Hodges
NorthAmF1000
JDR Race Cars

[Mike Holland]

I dont see the Griip listed in the entry list yet. Are you going to enter?

https://www.motorsportreg.com/index....4EA42B2B48F8FC

Registration ends on October 28, 2018 11:59 PM EDT

[tamir5005]

We didn't register yet but working on it. Until when the registration is open?