Interview: We talk with Jeff Westphal about the GST Impreza, Possibly Rally Cross, and a chance to WIN A PRIZE!

Jeff Westphal has been one seriously busy dude. Between racing in different series, testing the world famous GST Motorsports Impreza, and doing his day to day thing, he still finds time to talk to us at Subie-Life.com!

Q: Hi Jeff! It’s been some time since we last spoke to you. What have you been up to? Any cool racing that you’ve been doing?

A: Hey. Since we’ve last spoke I’ve been racing with some clients of mine in an Endurance Race known as the 25 Hoursof Thunderhill, as well as with Insight Racing in their 328i Continental Tire Car.

Q: So on the vast universe known as the internet, we’ve been seeing a lot of images of the GST Impreza L under going a lot of changes. These changes seem significant. What things were done?

A: Wow, where to start.  Well, the car has basically been rebuilt minus the mounting points for the fuel cell.  Everything else has been modified or refreshed.  Some special attention was paid to aero profile, as was weight balance so not only did we shave considerable weight off the car, but it came off all the right places.  As many Subaru owners are aware, the cars polar moment of inertia is pretty far forward, which can be like trying to turn a shopping cart with all the goodies up front.  One of my requests was to get more of the vehicles mass over the rear of the car to engage the rear tire more since we never seem to hurt those.  We also added a proper pedal box setup with dual masters and a  bias bar.

Q: How much of your own input did they take into consideration when they modified the GST Impreza L from last season to this season?

A:  The direction to take the car has been a collaborative effort since day one, as 2 or 3 minds are better than one.  That said, one of the reasons GST called me to drive was for my professional input from other disciplines of motorsports that I’ve competed in, so when i ask for something to make the car better we all work pretty hard to get it done.

Q: Coming up next weekend is the Global Time Attack event at Willowsprings International Raceway and what I’ve heard is that this car will make an appearance. Is this true and if so, what can we expect?

A: Yes it is true we will be attending the GTA event next weekend.  The team and I have realistic expectations, we ran a 1.20.7 there in the early stages of development with the car last season and i think the car should be good for a high 19 in last years trim.  I’m hoping to challenge for the overall record that Billy Johnson has at a low 1.18.  We do need some time to iron out some logistical issues with the new platform we’ve created so I’m not putting all my eggs in one basket if you will.

Q: What other things are in the works for the GST Impreza and yourself this season? We’ve been hearing some rumors that you guys are actually going globally. Is this true?

A:  Yes, since it’s been officially released, we were afforded an invitation to the World Time Attack Finals in Eastern Creek, Australia so we will be going abroad to battle the best in the biz if you will.  This event I am really looking forward to.

Q: So, let’s get back to you. What have you been doing during the “off season”?

A:  I’ve been working on deals to bring with me in 2011, as well as enjoying some off season training.  Even though the weather isn’t the best, I love to cycle so i’ve racked up some mileage which feels great.

Q: I ran into you recently at Global Rally Cross a few weeks ago and we talked a bit about your feelings about the event? Can you share what your initial response was and will there be a possibility of you dabbling in Rally Cross?

A:  I loved the event, the AWD cars made me seriously consider how to become involved as they are very impressive.  I think if someone had an AWD car with high power and a sequential, it wouldn’t be too hard to prep it into a rally cross car…. “wink wink”

Q: You mentioned to me that you have picked up a new partner / sponsor and it’s Kicker Audio. Tell our readers more about this!

A:  I am fortunate to be working with such a company like Kicker.  We’ve actually been talking for a while, and finally it seems all of our goals were aligned so we are partnering in 2011.  I am one of their professional athletes, and I’ll be awarding Kicker Audio gear to fans of mine, motorsports ,and the Kicker brand all year.

Q: Jeff has been kind enough to give us an Kicker iPod docking unit! All our readers have to do is “like” Jeff Westphal Racing’s Facebook Page, “like” this article on our Subie-Life.com page and subscribe to Subie-Life.com’s email notification! If you do all three of these, you have a chance to win this awesome prize! Thanks Jeff for taking your time to talk to us and please take a moment to thank anyone that is helping you out this season!

A: Thanks to all the readers who continue to support this industry, without you guys we wouldn’t be here so this one is for you!  Like the pages and sign up, a Kicker Ipod Docking unit will be yours courtesy of Jeff Westphal Racing, Subie-Life.com, and Kicker Audio.

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We’re still alive… I promise you that

So, it’s been a little hectic here with myself. I know there have been a few things developing about the new Impreza and even in the motorsports world, things have been buzzing around. I’ll be blunt, I’m sorry for not doing as many updates as I should.

In light of what has been going on, I’ll be doing more editorial pieces when things are slow in the news world. It helps that (I know it sounds like I’m gloating, but I’m not… I swear) I know some people in the industry of motorsports and racing and I’ll get their perspective on things. I’ll try to get more insight on the GST Impreza and even talk to their driver, Jeff Westphal about their season.

Also, I’m still waiting on a few things to develop because two things are coming up. One, our 1 year aniversary is coming up fast (and furious… did anyone catch that 2011 STi drifting in the movie?) and two, Xgames is coming up and you bet your ass we’ll be doing a meet, cruise, and give away like we did last year.

I love this site, I love you guys, and I love talking, writing, and blogging about Subies. Hopefully in my personal life, I’ll be able to come up with a few things like shirts, stickers, and such so you can show your support and love for Subie-Life.com. Thank you all for sticking with us for about 10 months and I promise things will get better. I love you guys (and gals)!!!

Interview: Jeff Westphal aka G-Stig sits and talks with Subie-Life

So if you’re into Time Attack (or even if you’re not) you have heard of the “G-STIG” from GST Motorsports. If not, let me do a quick explanation. Throughout the Time Attack season, the G-STIG (much like the Top Gear’s STIG) drove the GST Motorsports Impreza L. Now, they kept the identity of this driver a mystery. At the end of the season, they would reveal the true identity of the G-STIG and we found out it was Jeff Westphal. Jeff was nice enough to talk to us!

Q: Hi Jeff! So the Redline Time Attack season was just completed and you topped it off by breaking a record! Congrats! So, tell us a little about yourself; your racing history, hobbies, and how you got hooked up with GST.

A: Well, I’m 24 and I live in San Carlos, Ca.  I was born in San Francisco and grew up on the peninsula.  As a kid I was very active, and that still holds true today.  I love anything physical, but especially enjoy snowboarding, cycling, running, soccer, and weight lifting.  That’s actually how I stay in shape to drive such ferocious cars like the “L”.

Training not only helps my endurance and mental acuity, but it also battles the genetic makeup of my Italian family and their affinity for food.  I love to eat, especially good food.  I haven’t touched a lick of fast food since 2004, but i more than make up for the caloric intake with other “healthier” forms of eats.  Aside from training and food, I really enjoy music and seeing live shows for which i am lucky as the bay area but specifically San Francisco has plenty of!

To keep my racing history brief, as there is a bio on my website www.jeffwestphalracing.com, but my career in racing started from a job in high school at an indoor kart track funny enough.  That led to a Redbull scholarship shootout months later, and then turned into 3 seasons of formula car racing.  One championship later, I sat in a Rolex car at the 24 Hours of Daytona for the past 2 years with the debut and development of the Pratt And Miller Dinan M6 in between.  It was the Daytona 24 this year in the M6 that led me to GST by way of a Speed channel reporter’s recommendation to Mike Warfield.

Q: Wow, such a great and young racing history you have so far! So going back to Redline Time Attack, how did GST and this whole G-STIG get started up? What did you think about their idea?

A: The G-Stig was an idea Mike came up with and  presented to me about a month before the first event.  I thought
about it for a few days, and realized that it would be a long term investment for me in the sport, but that it would be great for the fans of Redline Time Attack to have a mystery driver in the top tier of the competition.  So from that point it was a no brainer for me, i said “sign me up!”.

Q: Was it hard to keep your secret as the G-STIG? How many people actually knew?

A:  little did I know how hard it would actually be to keep my identity a secret.  It was more than just changing in and out of my  race suit 3-4 times a day in secret, and keeping the visor on the  helmet down.  Some things people don’t know, at one point in the  season we had David Empringham and the Sierra Sierra crew thought I was Tanner Foust and they held  their cherry picker hostage unless the GST guys told them who the G-STIG was.

At another event we had the Owlee tv guys positing cameras  up across from our trailer all weekend to try and figure me out.  After that I started changing in the AE Performance motor home as I’m also coaching Paul Walker, and then we started having fans coming up saying “how come Paul gets changed and walks out with his helmet on?” so it really was a dynamic thing all throughout the year.  I guess that means we kept everyone guessing….

Q: You drove the famous GST Impreza L this whole season, what were your impressions on this machine? 

A:  Coming from the limited experience I’d had in racing, I was  fortunate to sit in some pretty fast racecars.  The m6 was 500+hp and  did over 180 at daytona, the indy lights car was a 200mph+ car that  had about 450hp but weighed around 1700lbs, and the racing school my career started at which I now teach at uses me for testing their 300+  hp Lola formula 3 cars, and NONE of that prepared me for what the GST L had to dish out.

Even on low boost, the first time I went out I thought to myself “holy crap this thing goes!”.  As with anything you get used to it, however this car never feels slow, I just feel like it could be faster.  And to be honest, this whole
year I asked to change everything on the car except the power.  Chassis development has made the L much faster this season, some 4+  seconds at most tracks.

Q: We saw the GST Motorsports Impreza L change a lot this season. How much of your input was given to improve their GST Impreza L?

A: Part of my role in GST’s program this year was to develop the car they felt always had the grunt.  They were absolutely right, from me  requesting new settings or parts on all 3 diffs, wings, front end aero, track width, springs, shock valving and settings, alignment and sway bars, we’ve made this little 1996 L into a monster on the track.  It was a chance for me to call upon all the Grand Am Rolex, and Formula Car driving I have done in the past to help turn this street car into a racecar. 

I couldn’t have done it without the cooperation of the team  for all their hard work, and the sponsors for their continued support of their products and our program.  As you said, the car really has changed shape!

Q: You had an epic event at Infineon allowing you to clinch your championship and it was a wet and wild event. How were you able to drive so well in the rain? 

A: Ahh the rain!  I love the rain, its something that most drivers  fear, and I did in the beginning.  My view is if there is something I  am afraid of or not good at, I do it more.  As you might imagine, I am extremely competitive and hate being “beaten”, so I try not to let anything beat me.  What is most important about driving a racecar,  and especially hold true in the wet is to know your surroundings.  In the rain, the line I use is different. The track also changes every lap, so it’s up to the driver to  pay attention to everything that’s going on around them.

The commonly used areas of pavement get polished, so the water has no where to go in the pores of asphalt which in turn makes the normal line slippery like ice.  But I also pay attention to weather patterns, wind direction (yes it can affect aero!), puddle accumulation or dissipation, and grip  levels of surfaces.  In the rain, you are flirting with the edge at a  lower speed than you are used to, that’s why it’s so easy to over do it!

Q: What are you future plans? Are you returning to Redline Time Attack? 

A: At the moment I do plan to return to time attack with a revamped “L” as it embodies all that time attack is truly about, the quest for outright speed and creative ingenuity.  However there are some other plans in the works at the moment as well.

Q: Anyone you would like to thank that helped you in the Redline Time Attack series? 

A: Well first and foremost I’d like to thank Marshall, Mike and the GST guys (Keith, Tommy, Earl, Mert, and everyone else who helped out at the track) for making it possible for me to be involved in time attack.  I’d also like to say thanks to everyone involved in Redline Time Attack for making such a fun series to compete in.  And also our sponsors, with out them the “L” wouldn’t be able to break any records:

Hankook
Kognition design
Cosworth
Guard transmissions
JE pistons
Brian Crower
Wheeldude.com
Afi turbo

Some personal supporters of mine:

Alpinestars
Go Pro camera
The Draw portfolio
TNT demolition

And lastly, Mrs. Warfield for not killing her husband after all those late nights and extended weekends of racing related duties….. and killer sandwiches

Q: Thank you very much Jeff! Hope to see you around the track soon! 

A: Anytime, it was my pleasure.  See you soon!