(For Immediate Release, June 15, Willow Grove, PA)

A.W.E. Tuning takes the Front Wheel Drive Street Class win in the latest round of the Redline Time Attack, held at the Thunderbolt race course of New Jersey Motorsports Park.

In an incredibly tight finish on Sunday, A.W.E.'s 2008 VW GTI, driven by resident hotshoe Mike Romano, bested the SeriouSpeed Mazda 3 entry, driven by Gary Fratianne. The margin of victory was just .08 seconds, with Mike turning the fastest lap of the session at 1:41.088.

The Redline Time Attack event was held over three days, with several hours of practice available to all participants. A timed lap session was performed at end of day on Saturday and Sunday, and the best time of these two sessions was taken to determine the winner.

As a proof of performance and reliability, the A.W.E. Tuning GTI was equipped with the company's soon to be released K04 turbo kit, producing approximately 360 crank hp on 100 octane fuel.  This turbo upgrade is the first production based aftermarket big turbo kit in the world for the TSI engine, and features cutting edge hardware engineering and G.I.A.C. software calibration. An A.W.E. Tuning turbo back exhaust system with HJS metal catalyst was also installed.

Further, the A.W.E. Tuning GTI was fitted with top name handling and braking components: a Bilstein PSS-10 coilover kit, an H&R 28mm rear swaybar, a Stoptech 328mm front brake kit, Hawk race pads, and Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec street tires.

Not a single issue was encountered all weekend, as everything ran flawlessly throughout several hundred full-bore track miles in mid 80 degree F temps.

Watch the A.W.E. Tuning website for a release of this new K04 turbo kit by the end of June, 2009.

See the turbo kit in action on the track:

(For Immediate Release, August 18, College Station, Texas)

College Station, TX - TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning continued their winning streak at Texas World Speedway (TWS) by placing first in all four races while turning amazing lap times at the same time. With each race, the 2002 Porsche 996’s performance improved and eventually Team TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning set an impressive lap record of 1:49.263.

August at Texas World Speedway is traditionally a very hot month. During Friday practice, with temperatures reaching the century mark, Jay Matus beat his August 2008 GTS 3 lap record of 1:53.568. “I am thrilled that I eclipsed my previous track record,” said Matus as he reviewed the time sheets.

Saturday, the mercury read 105oF with on-track temperatures reaching 130oF. The extreme heat tested each driver and everyone had to practice caution to avoid heat exhaustion. Team TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning worked through the heat and turned a record time of 1:51.219 during the Saturday morning qualification. The team was ecstatic that the car went even faster than during Friday practice andthe team finished under the previous year’s lap times with a 1:52.350 for Race 1 and a 1:53.542 for Race 2.

Temperatures on Sunday were considerably cooler than Saturday, but still lingered in the mid to high 90’s. When Matus got on track for the Sunday morning qualification, he felt a loss of performance with the car. He believed the tires had too many heat cycles on them. When Matus drove into the garage and reviewed the data with crew chief Viking Sjovall, of Viking Motorsports, they realized why he felt the car was slipping: he had turned a lap time of 1:50.444 which is the record qualification lap time for any GTS 3 car in the history of Texas World Speedway.

The team went on to finish in first place for Race 3, capturing their third win of the weekend. With one more race to go for the weekend, and the last race before the NASA National Championships, the team decided to give the car one more push. Viking Sjovall believed there was always a “sub-50” in the car. Race 4 proved him right as Matus finished with an all time GTS 3 record lap time of 1:49.263. Not only did he turn one “sub-50,” but he did it twice as the very next lap was a 1:49.696.

Overjoyed, Team TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning was very pleased with the results of the weekend. When cooler temperatures return, Sjovall believes there is a “48” in the car.

Team TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning is ready for the NASA National Championship at Utah's Miller Motorsports Park September 10-13.

(For Immediate Release, April 18, College Station, Texas)

Team TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning continued their outstanding season with 1st place finishes in all three races of the weekend at Texas World Speedway. In addition to setting the German Touring Series 3 (GTS 3) lap record for this course, they set an all-time personal best time of 1:51.775.

After seeing rain at the last 2 events, Team TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning came prepared with rain tires. The team may have suspected they might need something more than just rain tires when they awoke on Saturday morning to find the sky eerily red.

Shortly after arriving at the track, rain and hail were coming down so fast that the tunnel entrance began to flood. Rain and tornado watches postponed all sprint races until the next day.

Sunday morning was completely opposite of Saturday’s. Warm sun rays, cool temperatures and a slight breeze welcomed Team TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning to the track.

Driver Matus and the team were anxious to get on track after the Saturday storm delay. After having plenty of time to prep the 2002 Porsche 996, Matus brought in an impressive 1:52.627 for the first race.

Team TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning did not have a great qualification the next time on track because of an all-course black flag situation. Driver Matus would start race 2 in second position. Fellow GTS 3 driver, Steve Medina started race 2 in the pole position for GTS3 and with a target on his car. Matus caught and overcame the deficit and finished the second race with a 4.528 second lead over Medina.

It was the first of two track records the team would set that day. The 1:52.092 finish put Team TxSpeed back into the pole position for the final race of the weekend.

As the team prepared for race 3, they were ready to see just what the Porsche and Matus could really do when pushed to their limits. With an amazing finish of 1:51.775, Matus and the Porsche gave everything they could in the last race of the day and weekend.

G.I.A.C. ECM tuning by A.W.E. Tuning allowed Matus to consistently shift at 7200 RPMs, thus maximizing horsepower and torque. There was only a minor problem diagnosed from the Team pushing the limits: the ABS system started to malfunction. Team TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning learned just how far they could push both the driver and car.

Overall, Team TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning was very pleased with their performance. They continue to fine tune the Porsche and their driver every race weekend. They look forward to the next race weekend at Hallet Motor Racing Circuit in June and continue to keep their “eyes on the prize”: 1st place finish at Miller Motorsports Park for the NASA National Championships.

(For Immediate Release, March 23, Cresson, TX)

The TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning Porsche 996 does it again with more first place finishes!

Team TxSpeed had a very successful weekend at Motorsport Ranch Cresson.  The team continues to learn the 2002 Porsche Carrera 996's handling capabilities in wet weather track conditions. This was the first time the Porsche was run on Motorsport Ranch's Cresson track.

The 1.7 mile road course at Cresson is 40 feet wide, a mix of eleven on and off camber turns, and elevation changes. This is quite a technical course in dry weather. Wet and cold weather created even more challenging course conditions.

The team was not expecting wet weather for the weekend. They had looked at weather forecasts earlier in the week and expected the rain to dissipate by Saturday. Contrary to those expectations, Team TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning awoke early Saturday morning to find rain coming down.

The first race of the day posed some unique obstacles: 1) no full rains tires were available; and 2) the intermediate rain tires would not get up to temperature. This created traction problems for the car, and as driver Jay Matus was entering Rattlesnake turn he shifted down from 3^rd gear to 2^nd. This is an area where cars will frequently spin as they come out of the turn. Matus slid off the track, into black mud but recovered quickly and returned to the track. "I have driven on ice and snow many times before. In the rain, Cresson is so much slicker than any of those conditions," said Matus after he completed the race. Matus still held onto 2^nd place despite the slick track, with a time 1:39:934. It would be his lowest place finish of the weekend.

The track dried considerably by the second race of the day and Team TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning was determined to finish in the lead. Viking of Viking Extreme Motorsports adjusted the car's set-up to be as optimal as possible. "The Moton shocks we received from A.W.E. Tuning allowed us to adjust to the weather conditions affecting the track. We went from 2^nd place in the first race to taking 1^st place in the remaining races" said Viking. Team Team TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning finished the second race of the weekend with a considerably better fast lap of 1:20:669.

Sunday was a superior day for racing. The track was dry and the temperature was much warmer than the day before. Matus qualified that morning with a record time of 1:20:600. This was a preview of the how Team TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning would complete the rest of the day.

By the last race of the day, the team was back in top racing form. Matus turned an impressive 1:20:462. He beat his own track record for GTS3 at Cresson. Matus previously held the GTS3 record, set in March of 2007, with his 2000 Porsche Carrera 996. That was before the car met its untimely demise later that year.

Overall, Team TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning came out as the points leader for the weekend, a new track record for GTS3, a second place and three first places. The team is confident it will continue to learn the capabilities of the car and improve at each event. Now, on to Texas World Speedway in April!

(For Immediate Release, February 3, 2009, Angleton, TX)

TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning Porsche Leads the GTS 3 Field at NASA (National Auto Sport Association) Texas Season Opener. Sets Lap Record. Finishes 1st in 4–out-of-4.

The TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning Porsche team was a strong contender at the NASA Texas Season Opener, despite wet weather conditions and continual over all refinement. The team was the top German Touring Series 3 (GTS3) finisher at the series opener of the Grand Prix of Texoma Series.

Most of Friday was spent at the dyno fine tuning the naturally aspirated 2002 Porsche Carrera 996 for competition over the weekend. During the off-season, slight modifications were made resulting in the necessity for new dyno certifications. Rear wheel horsepower was measured at 288 hp, while torque came in at 245 lbs ft. This data provided the team with the information needed to ensure the car was within the GTS3 rules. The car builder, Viking Sjovall of Viking Motorsports, had just half a day to complete the necessary calculations to get the car to specifications. In the meantime, the GTS 3 directors inspected the car and paperwork, deeming the car NASA GTS3 compliant. Nut and bolting the car continued late into the night.

There was no time for Matus to practice on Friday because of the time spent calibrating the car. It would have to wait until Saturday.

The team arrived early Saturday morning focused and ready for competition. The first task was to make the practice session. It was only 15 minutes long. When Matus went to qualification, he finished with a 1:41:198, which put him on the pole for GTS3.

The first race of the day came in the early afternoon. Team Texas Speed/A.W.E. Tuning came out fast and hard. In the second lap, Matus clocked an impressive lap time of 1:40:530, a track record for any car in GTS3. He crossed the finish line as first in class.

Matus achieved another first place podium finish in the second Saturday race. Team TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning was satisfied with the results and began to prepare for Sunday’s two races.

The team woke up Sunday to a cool crisp morning. Matus qualified again as the GTS3 pole sitter. The first race of the day came after lunch giving the team time to prepare for the afternoon races. Lunchtime came, along with menacing clouds. Rain poured down; drenching the track. The team had some important decisions to make: continue on Hoosier DOT Radial drys, and risk sliding around the track, or put on the rain tires? It was heavily debated in the garage even up to 15 minutes before they were to grid. Finally, the team decided to stay with the Radial drys.

As Matus drove to grid, the rain slowed to a drizzle. The team held their breath as the race began, hoping they had made the correct tire decision. Almost immediately after the pace car exited the track, Matus took the lead and left the others in his spray. He finished the race with a fast lap time of 1:54:693, leading the entire field as first overall and first in class. In the fourth and last race of the weekend, Matus finished with a fast lap of 1:41:211 and ended the weekend with his fourth first place finish.

After each race, GTS directors had the TxSpeed/A.W.E. Tuning Porsche and other top finishers impounded. Each time, the team was in compliance with the NASA regulations.

Needless to say, Team Texas Speed/A.W.E. Tuning finished the weekend with not only the GTS3 lap record, but four 1st place finishes. It was an impressive feat for the car, which had finished only its third regional race weekend.

(For Immediate Release, August 7, 2008)

The debut of the TxSpeed / A.W.E. Tuning Porsche 996 was a resounding success on August 2-3, 2008. Driver Jay Matus competed in Round 5 of the NASA Texas Lonestar Cup, held on the 2.9 mile clockwise course of Texas World Speedway.

The team ended the weekend with an impressive record:

• Qualified Pole Position in all four GTS3 races
• Set a Qualifying Lap Record time in GTS3: 1:52.568
• Earned First Place in all Four Races

When the weekend started, the race group had eighteen competitors, with ten being in German Touring Series and five competing in GTS3. It was a sunny, hot, humid weekend with temperatures ranging from 102 to 109 degrees - the type of weather that will test the failure point of the parts on race cars and the stamina of the drivers. Matus prevailed, despite the challenge of extreme temperatures and a recently completed race car build, to end the weekend as "last man standing" in GTS3, as none of the other GTS drivers made it to the final race of the weekend.

A.W.E. Tuning would like to congratulate TxSpeed for their victories!

Click here to see the 2008 Season Closer Recap video!

(For Immediate Release, October 1, 2007)

Regal Autosport, based in the UK, has won the 2007 VW Racing Cup in a prepared MK5 Golf GTI driven by Tony Gilham. As A.W.E. Tuning’s official distributor for the UK market, Regal outfitted the car with a custom 2.5 inch A.W.E. Tuning Race Exhaust, based on many of the same components as their wildly popular MK5 street systems. The 2007 VW Racing Cup is a televised UK racing series.

The Regal Car was the only one to score points in all of the 12 races in the championship, every single finish being in the top 7 positions including 2 wins, 3 seconds, 1 third, a pole position and 2 fastest laps. This combination of Tony’s pace, consistency and ability to keep out of harm’s way is what ultimately allowed Regal to take the title.

Chris Stewart, President of Regal Autosport, says “Reassuringly, the only parts on the car to fail all year were original equipment parts, the aftermarket performance parts were, without exception, perfect for the duration of the season and this is a credit to the companies products which on the whole were parts designed for and ordinarily fitted to road-going cars! The racecar has allowed us to test each of these products to the absolute limit and the fact that they have undergone a whole season of racing has given us the confidence and facts to sell them to our road car customers.”

A.W.E. Tuning would like to congratulate Regal Autosport and Tony Gilham for their victory and amazing race season. For more information on the car and Regal Autosport, please visit:

VAG Tuner

For more information on the A.W.E. Tuning MK5 GTI exhaust:

A.W.E. Tuning MK5 GTI exhaust