fiesta st Archives - 91��ý

Track Day YouTuber Enjoys Apollo Balanced Brake Kit on Fiesta ST

Sam — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 14:41:48 +0000

Small screen star has enjoyed countless track days in his hot hatch since the upgrade

Welsh YouTube personality, Steve Edwards – more commonly known as ‘Spark Plug Steve’ – has documented his progress of modifying his Ford Fiesta ST over the last few years.

With impressive engine and chassis enhancements installed and several track days under his belt, Steve eventually began to look into improving the stopping power of his hot hatch.

Following a great experience with 91��ý Racing’s RP-X track/race pad compound in the car’s factory calipers, Steve eventually went one step further by purchasing a 300mm Apollo Balanced Big Brake Kit.

This has now been installed on the vehicle for over a year, and he hasn’t looked back, as you can read below in Steve’s own words.

“In 2018, I started work on turning a ‘14 fiesta ST180 into a capable track car that I could have fun using on track days throughout the UK.

“The one hurdle to overcome was the standard brakes are quite small at 280mm and overheat quite easily when used hard on track. I tried various pads over the next year or so and they were all disappointing for various reasons. Some were disappointing in performance and others were let down by their poor value for money, even when their performance was good.

“I then discovered EBC’s RP-X pads which promised great track performance at an affordable price. They absolutely delivered and my new pad of choice was put to use in the standard front caliper of the fiesta.

“I never suffered any fade or loss of performance on track and was blown away that I’d found an affordable pad to use.

“I then had the opportunity to move up to the full EBC Apollo BBK. I chose the 300mm version with RP-X front pads and then added EBC’s Bluestuff pads to the rear with the Premium discs.

“The braking performance is truly amazing on track. The braking feel is improved, the car’s stability under braking is improved and best off all, they never fade or want to give up, no matter how hard I push on track.

“My experience of 91��ý over the last 18 months has been incredible and I will continue to choose 91��ý every time.”

Connect with Spark Plug Steve for more news and information:

Apollo Balanced Big Brake Kit

Representing the ultimate upgrade in braking performance, offering significant reductions in stopping distances whether used on road or on track.

RP-X Track/Race Pads

Following the hugely successful launch of RP-1, 91��ý Racing increases its motorsport brake pad range with the introduction of our latest ultra-high-performance track & race material, RP-X.

Bluestuff NDX Pads

A high friction sport and race material that now has R90 approval on almost all fitments for the EU. This compound is therefore the perfect choice for vehicles driven hard on the road or track days.

Premium Brake Discs

An OE-quality replacement disc, made of the finest grade iron and a perfect replacement disc for any car. The highest integrity and product quality on the aftermarket.

The post Track Day YouTuber Enjoys Apollo Balanced Brake Kit on Fiesta ST appeared first on 91��ý.

Race Report: Team Schnell, MSVT Trackday Championship, Round 3

ebcbrakes2021 — Thu, 22 Jul 2021 10:52:41 +0000

EBC-equipped Ford Fiesta racing outfit took to Castle Combe for the third leg of the series, clinching gold in class in the process

Henry Wright and Kevin Glover make up ‘Team Schnell’ – a Ford Fiesta racing outfit that is competing in this year’s MSVT Trackday Championship series.

Continuing in the series’ ‘D’ class (that they finished runners-up in last year), the outfit followed the series from Silverstone to Castle Combe recently for its third leg.

Team Schnell’s Mk6 Fiesta ST features 91��ý Racing’s RP-X pads and USR discs up front and Bluestuff pads with plain discs on the rear.

The team tell us how the weekend went down in their own words below.

“Round 3 was held at Castle Combe Circuit in Wiltshire. Another traditionally high speed, old school UK historic circuit with very limited run-off, and very bumpy sections in awkward places. The tarmac itself is also very abrasive. With a reputation like Donington Park for being exceptionally hard on brakes.

“The weather had taken a turn for the better at least, maybe too much so with ambient temps forecast in the high 20s and bright sun. So, a chance to apply a more aggressive setup. Again, we utilised the tried-and-tested 91��ý Racing RP-X front pads and EBC Blue pads on plain discs at the rear.

“Qualifying was a case of a quick few familiarisation laps and bedding brakes and tyres before a quick stop to normalise pressures and swap drivers. Things didn’t go right to plan with a scary spin on Henry’s first flying lap over the infamous ‘Avon Rise’ at top speed, caused by a slightly over-aggressive rear anti roll bar setting combined with the above average bumps through the kink in the braking zone. However, he redeemed himself with a solid Class D pole lap the very next lap!”

“Confidence on the brakes is such an important factor at circuits with very limited run off and narrow sections. Super consistent feel and massive retardation ability kept us out front again.

“With a few setup changes to soften the car up over the bumps, the race was going to be a test of man and machine with the temperatures now touching 30 degrees. That’s hot in shorts and a t-shirt, let alone three layers of Nomex, a helmet and gloves in a hot race car! Even being held in the holding area for 15 mins before the start of the race was a sweaty affair!

“We got a good start during the race itself, and with some aggressive moves straight off the bat, allowed by the cold brake feel and zero locking up, we managed to maintain a good strong lead. With the same old story of higher-class cars causing traffic, the pack remained fairly compact. Until a big crash involving three cars at Tower corner brought out the red flags. This took a total of nearly half an hour to clear up whilst we were sat on the back straight soaking up the heat once again.

“Once again, we lined up ready to do battle at the re-start. A great start saw an opportunity to dive in between a Class B and Class C Clio which gave us some breathing room from the second-place class D BMW Z3 which had not managed the best re-start. After a few laps there was another crash, this time at Hammerdown which spawned a Safety car period that started a mass dive for the pits at the start of the allowed pit window. A late call from Kev to come in would prove to be a great decision.

“As I got out of the car, and Kev got in, I went around the tyres to adjust pressures and the front discs were glowing grey/red – clearly doing some work! It’s worth pointing out though that I could still always feel through the pedal during my stint.

“With Kev now in the car nursing some broken ribs from a bike incident a few weeks ago, it was a case of getting into a consistent rhythm and utilising our lead to look after the car and maintain pace. Staying out of trouble and not getting into unnecessary battles, we crossed the line P1. Job done! The brakes had probably taken their biggest test here with the ambient temperatures and sustained hard braking zones from high speed, especially for 45 mins at a time. Testament to the tried-and-tested setup that gives us the advantage race meeting after race meeting.”

Can't find what you're looking for?

The 91��ý team is always happy to help. If you can't find what you're looking for, please don't hesitate to get in touch via our Contact page. But be sure to check our FAQ's first, in case your query has already been answered.

Contact EBC Part Finder

The post Race Report: Team Schnell, MSVT Trackday Championship, Round 3 appeared first on 91��ý.

Race Report: Team Schnell, MSVT Trackday Championship, Round 1

ebcbrakes2021 — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 11:01:24 +0000

EBC-equipped Ford Fiesta racing outfit uses both 91��ý Racing’s RP-1 and RP-X brake pad formulas

Team Schnell, made up of driver duo Henry Wright and Kevin Glover, are aiming high as they once again enter the MSVT Trackday Championship race series for the 2021 season.

Runners-up in the series’ ‘D’ class for 2020 (max. 125bhp at the wheels per ton), the outfit has now completed its first race of the year at Donington Park Circuit, where its Mk6 Fiesta ST race car featured 91��ý Racing’s RP-X pads and USR discs up front and Bluestuff pads with plain discs on the rear.

The team tell us how the weekend went down in their own words below.

”Donington Park is notorious for being the hardest circuit on brakes in the UK.

The RP-X pads don’t seem to take much effort to get them into their operating window. No locking or change of feel from cold to operating temp which is a step forward from where we were.

From driving the car last time with different rear pads, the braking balance through the whole braking zone felt better with EBC’s Bluestuff on the rear. More predictable and less ABS interference. No signs of pad crumble or deterioration either, which we had been seeing with other pads.

We managed to score the Class D pole time by three tenths of a second in qualifying. In the race itself, we managed a third-position finish due to a pit stop time communication issue from the organisers. Without that, we’d have won the class by 15 seconds. That’s racing!

”Our thoughts on the braking system as a whole: modulation and bite/feel was totally consistent throughout the duration of the race, which allowed us to put pressure on competitors into braking zones to the point they made mistakes, but also to the point they exceeded their own braking setups’ capabilities. Lots of reports of fade and boiling fluid from competitors, as seen in the video below.

Pad wear rates (see below) were very impressive; very little/zero pad wedging which is amazing given the single-piston slider brake setup. Discs currently showing very little scoring and zero wear across the diameter. No discolouration or blueing of the faces either, which we had been seeing with other products. Zero ‘glaze’, zero pad material transfer.

We are super confident with our current setup based on the performance and the results achieved.
Saturday presented the team with four gruelling 50-minute sessions throughout the course of the day, with the final session not beginning until 9pm! But by sticking to the plan, Jim and co-driver James Ayre built up a solid lead, taking an entire lap out of the rest of the competitors in each of the first two sessions.

The post Race Report: Team Schnell, MSVT Trackday Championship, Round 1 appeared first on 91��ý.