The Road to the 2012 Run-Offs 

2012 National Championships

To Contact Us:

                 Email:    terry@powerhouseracingteam.com                        Phone:  561.236.2376                         

                 Mailing Address:  PHR / TEAM IMAGE - 13025 Compton Road  - Loxahatchee, Florida 33470 - USA

 

Powerhouse Racing On Podium at Double National Day One - In Gravel Pit Day Two.

ROAD ATLANTA Braselton GA - March 17, 2012

Terry Giles managed his Corvette to a second place finish in the first of two races over this past weekend. On Saturday, Terry had qualified third and  on lap 8 took the second spot. Running nose to tail with the ECR powered Camaro of John Schaller, Terry developed a brake problem with 8 laps to go, he managed to hold on despite the mechanical issue to take the second step on the podium. “We were really impressed with the new Hoosier radials we are running, our times were as good as we ever had on the Goodyears, but the tires were lasting a lot longer” crew chief Kevin Allen said after the race. “I am really happy with the Hoosiers, had we not had a brake issue, we would have challenged Schaller for the win” driver and team owner Terry Giles commented. On Sunday that proved to be the case - with the drop of the green flag it was Schaller and Giles taking point and checking out on the field. A bad crash at Turn 10 on Lap 6 took the field to pit road for an extended 20 = minute black flag situation. It was a single file restart and once again Schaller and Giles checked out on the group. With three laps remaining, working the end of 4 laps to go - Terry made a run on Schaller into Turn 10 with a track left entry, early apex and John taking a wider track right entry - Terry out braked Schaller and as fast as the door opened and Terry stepped in John slammed the door shut, the two touched and Terry was sent into the inside barrier - where he came to rest in the gravel pit - day over. “All I can say is that is racing, John will say it was bad judgment on my part and I will say it was a bone head move on his part - I suspect we will never see it the same way” Giles said. The crash will cause the team to miss the race at Memphis at the end of March, but they will be in attendance at the Double National at VIR in April.

 

Powerhouse Racing Announces Hoosier as New Tire Sponsor for 2012.

West Palm Beach, Florida - March 12, 2012

Powerhouse Racing announced today that race tire manufacturer Hoosier Race Tires  has joined the team as

The official team tire and newest team sponsor. “We are extremely excited to announce Hoosier as our tire for

The 2012 race season. We did some preliminary testing of their new radial at Roebling Road back at the February

National and were pleased with the advancements that Hoosier has made in their GT1 radials” stated team crew

Chief Kevin Allen.  The team will begin running the tire full time at the March Double National at Road Atlanta on March 16th - 18th, 2012. “I have to thank Goodyear for their past support of the team and personally thank Eric from Comp Tire South and Mike from Comp Tire West for  their many years of support for me and Powerhouse Racing “ commented team owner and driver Terry Giles. “After Bob Shaffer retired from Goodyear, the company spent less and less time and money on sports car racing and as a result, despite Eric and Mike’s best efforts we were unable to reach a deal with Goodyear. Hoosier stepped right up and put together a great deal for us for 2012 and I have to say they have impressed us right out of the gate with the incredible technology advancements they have engineered into these new GT 1 radials” he said further. Hoosier had developed totally new radial technology in their new generation of GT race radials and will get plenty of exposure in the SE Division and in GT racing in general with this new Hoosier / Powerhouse Racing partnership arrangement. “It was time for a change and Hoosier presents the latest technology in racing tires as they have worked overtime to develop this new radial” Kevin commented. “I agree” Terry continued, “Hoosier isn’t relying on decade old compounds and technology, they have built this new radial from the ground up, new technology, new compound - it is the tire of the future for big bore cars” he said. The team is set and ready to debut with the new tires and the new sponsor for Road Atlanta.

 

Powerhouse Racing Returns ECR To Podium Beats Out Roush/Yates Power.

ROEBLING ROAD - Bloomingdale, GA -  February 26, 2012

Under cool overcast skies, Terry Giles returned to National GT1 competition after a year layoff and drove his

Red Rhino Pizza, ECR Engines sponsored Corvette to victory over the Roush/Yates powered Optech Mustang

driven by Zach Monette. In a field of 13 cars, the Mustang of Monette and the Corvette of Giles checked out on

the group at the drop of the green. Running wheel to wheel into turn one Giles gave way for Monette to take the

corner and the battle was on. For 7 laps it was nose to tail around the famed 2.02 mile road course until Terry

ducked inside Zach at the entry to turn 6 and he proceed to show the dominance of the ECR powered Corvette

opening up over a second a lap on the competition. “I have to thank Red Rhino for helping us get back on track

this year – and most of all I have to thank Richie Gilmore, Spenny Clendenen, Danny Slack and all of the guys

at ECR engines for giving me the most reliable and responsive horsepower ever” said Giles after his victory.

 

“The power was incredible and the torque out of the corners made all the difference, you couldn’t tell Terry had

been out from behind the wheel for over a year at all” stated crew chief Kevin Allen. “We were happy to put Red

Rhino in the winner’s circle on their first outing as a sponsor – they are a new pizza company and we thank them

for their support” he said. This is the team’s first race as they return to National GT1 racing and Trans Am racing

after a year layoff. The next race for the team is the Double National at Road Atlanta on March 16, 17 and 18.

 

 

Powerhouse Racing Returns In 2012 With Red Rhino Pizza, ECR Engines, H2O Overdrive, Base Fuels, PST and TCP.

West Palm Beach, Florida - February 6, 2012

Terry Giles driving the  #85 Powerhouse Racing C6 Corvette returns to SCCA GT1 National Competition in 2012 - with the team announcing a preliminary 10 race schedule. Powerhouse Racing returns to the track with sponsors Red Rhino Pizza, H2O Overdrive, ECR Engines, Base Race Fuels, Performance Shaft Technologies, and Thermal Control Products on board. “We are excited about the new season in front of us and to have so many of our sponsors returning for 2012. We welcome our newest sponsor Red Rhino Pizza out of Alabama. Red Rhino is a great product that just was introduced to the market in 2012 - so we are glad to be apart of their marketing and promotional campaign” stated team owner and driver Terry Giles.  “Having ECR Engines under the hood for 2012 is another great point for our team” quoted team crew chief and car engineer Kevin Allen. “The power they provide us is second to none and the reliability has been exceptional - we have done well with and for ECR and we plan to continue our winning ways with ECR powering us” he said. “I have to thank all of our sponsors in this tough economic time for standing by us and seeing the value in being on our car” Terry said, “we will strive to give them more than their money’s worth in 2012”.

 

Powerhouse Racing Lands On Podium at VIR Double National Day One.

Virginia International Raceway, Dalton, VA - April 23, 2012

In the second outing on the new Hoosier  tires, Terry once again bested his own personal fastest lap at a Double National event. “The Hoosiers work phenomenal, the set-up is different and I feel like we are getting there. The tires may take an extra lap or two to come in - but they are there at the end of the race and have shown incredible wear characteristics. Between Hoosier tires and ECR power - we have all the tools we need to win this year, it is just me getting back in tune with the car and getting my rhythm back after being out of the car for a year” Giles commented. The team did well in getting the car ready for Saturday’s race after a first lap Friday morning qualifying incident had  the #85 Red Rhino Corvette backed into the outside tire wall, leaving a battered racecar and missing Saturday's qualifying run. The team got the car ready for Friday afternoon’s Sunday Qualifier - where Terry put the car on the grid in 3rd position. Terry went out Saturday morning and qualified the car 4th for that afternoon’s race. The weather for Saturday’s race was overcast, but no rain. Terry powered the car to the last podium position finishing 3rd, with a broken transmission on the last lap - the car was back on the jack stands for even more trackside repairs. Kevin Allen and Krys Dean thrashed on the car all afternoon and into the evening hours to have the car ready to make the grid for Sunday’s race, Mother Nature however was less helpful as the skies opened up Saturday over night and the rain continued all day Sunday. The team opted to trailer the car and ready themselves for the next race at Road Atlanta in May. “With the off track in Friday’s qualifying, the torn up transmission, we just decided it was best to not risk any more damage to the car or incur any more expense in repairs due to the heavy rain—trailer it and race another day” said Crew Chief Kevin Allen as the team loaded the wares to head home and prepare for Atlanta on May 20th.

Overcast skies at VIR for Friday Qualifying and Saturday’s race.

Team Preparing For Road Atlanta and Road America

Loxahatchee, Florida - May 11, 2012

The Powerhouse Racing Team is setting the #85 Red Rhino Pizza / ECR Engines / Hoosier Tire / H2O Overdrive / Base Race Fuels #85 Corvette up for battle in preparation for the upcoming National at Road Atlanta on May 20th. “We are excited to get back to Road Atlanta after the last race ended in the gravel pit. I think Terry has come to terms with his attempted pass on the leader in the closing laps and is ready to redeem himself for a win at Atlanta” stated crew chief Kevin Allen. “I have gotten more accustomed to our tire change with the Hoosiers” said Giles, “they don’t come in quite as fast as the Goodyears tend to, however they are far superior in terms of wear and reliability, they are there at the end of the race, unlike the Goodyears. They are a far more consistent tire”. The team made the switch to Hoosier at the beginning of the 2012 season and have experienced a bit of a learning curve, but have stated that they are seeing faster lap times at all tracks as they get the set-up changes down and Terry gets used to the feel of the new rubber. “Our ECR power has been flawless as always” said Allen as he prepped the car for Atlanta next weekend. The team was the first race team outside of NASCAR to become sponsored by and have engines supplied by ECR (Earnhardt Childress Racing Engines) back in 2009. Since that time ECR has begun to supply engines to other GT1 teams, Trans Am teams as well as teams running in World Challenge and Daytona Prototypes. “I really have to thank Paul at Base Fuels for continuing to sponsor us and supply us with the best race fuel on the planet. It is consistent drum to drum and we don’t have the worries associated with using track gas - where you never know how old it is, does it have water or dirt in it - ECR loves the Base Fuel and recommends it in their road racing engine program. ECR was impressed with the Base Fuel we supplied them to dyno our engines, they commented on how great it was - it is all we will put in our tank - except for at the Run-Offs were we all have to run the fuel they supply us for compliance reasons, since it is the National Championships” commented Giles. With the car being readied for Atlanta, after this next race on the 20th, the team will then head west and will compete at the June Sprints at Road America. “There are already eleven GT1 cars registered for the Sprints, it is going to be a race” said Kevin. “Terry loves Road America, has some good laps there -he finished 3rd at the 2010 Sprints and has been looking forward to getting back there with these new Hoosiers - the new set up and see what we can do”  he said. The team will be at Road America on June 15th - 17th for the Sprints and will also run the July CAT National at Road America and the August Trans Am race there, before heading back east for the August National at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. From there the team will once again head west for the 2012 SCCA National Championship Run-Offs to be held at Road America in September.

ECR Engines and Hoosier Tires Prove Superior – Electrical Gremlin Steals Win.

ROAD ATLANTA – MAY 20, 2012

It was a classic showdown between manufacturers, engine builders and tire companies. Saturday qualifying put the Roush powered Mustang of Zach Monette on the pole for the Atlanta National at Road Atlanta with the ECR powered Corvette of Terry Giles on outside pole. Giles sat out the afternoon qualifying session and in the process was “bumped” from second to third pole position by the Ford Mustang of Claudio Burtin. Both Monette and Burtin were running on Goodyears, Giles on Hoosier. At the drop of the green flag the top three cars pulled away from the field, on lap 2 going into Turn 6, Giles threw a move on Burtin and moved into 2^nd place behind the Mustang driven by Monette. It was a nose to tail run to the mid point of the race, with half the laps in the record book, Giles made a hard charge down the front straight and passed Monette for the lead going into Turn 1. Giles continued to press forward building a four second plus lead over Monette. With just 4 laps to go, with Giles firmly in control for the win, the electrical gremlin reared his ugly head and robbed all of the power to the ECR powerplant under the hood of the #85 Powerhouse Racing / Red Rhino Pizza / ECR Engines / Hoosier Tire / H2O Overdrive / Base Race Fuels / PST Driveshafts / Thermal Control Products Corvette driven by Giles. Giles was forced from the race with the mechanical failure and coasted off the track into the run-off area at Turn 5. After sitting dead off track for over a minute and a half – the car re-fired and re-entered the track, Giles forged his way to a fifth place finish at the waving of the checkered. “It was a heartbreaker – Terry ran the best race of his life, he did everything right up until the electrical issue took him out of the race” stated crew chief Kevin Allen. “I should be crazy mad at this – but I am not” said Giles. “ECR gave me more than enough engine to show everyone that we can beat those Roush / Yates Ford engines, Hoosier builds the best tire for these cars – I had plenty of tire and put the car more places with more confidence than ever before – I mean I ran the fastest race lap of my life here on these tires – sure I wanted the win – but ECR and Hoosier proved themselves today – just like we did. Giles ran a 1:24 after passing Monette for the lead, this was a full second faster than his qualifying time. In fact Giles set a pace and ran 11 or the 18 race laps faster than the entire field.  “Kevin gave me a set-up that was perfect. The car, the engine – the tires – it was all perfect – so it was a little electrical issue that lost the race for us. I jiggled every wire – flipped every switch and banged on everything I could get my hands on, it re-fired and I just jumped back to it – for not winning – it was a great day” Giles stated with a big smile on his face. “We proved ECR power can run over those Ford engines, we proved Hoosier can out-perform the Goodyears and I proved I can beat Zach at his home track, we learned a lot this year so far even though the scoreboard doesn’t reflect it – but we are really getting prepared for the Sprints and the Run-Offs and I feel we have the package to win it all this year” he stated further. Next up for the team is the June Sprints on June 16 – 17, 2012 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI.