Austin Phipps uses Bluestuff pads and GD Sport Rotos on his V8-powered saloon
Arizona-based Austin Phipps of the Mulletsport race team is a professional drifter, currently using a modified 2012 Audi S4 with manual transmission and rear-wheel drive conversion in various drift series across the USA.
Ahead of the mighty FuelFest 2025 event, Phipps decided to finally get to the bottom of the engine issues that had been haunting him throughout the year by replacing the entire powerplant with a boosted LS V8 motor.
With more power than ever on tap, he also upgraded his EBC Yellowstuff brake pads to Bluestuff components, retaining his GD Sport Rotors in the process. This setup aims to maximise his current brake system, before he takes the plunge to a big brake kit.
You can read how the event went in his own words below…
“What an event; a huge crowd and tonnes of laps. The car worked amazingly well! I have no complaints. I am so confident going into comp season. Set up out of the box is so close to perfect. I am blown away.
“2025 hasn’t been the season we planned. Going through four motors starting this year, I made the decision to go back to the proven American LS V8 powerplant. This time I went the direction with the most bang for your buck: a turbocharged, aluminium 5.3-litre Gen 4 LS. I went with the aluminium motor to save 100lbs of weight on the front of the car over the iron block. Keeping weight in mind, I mounted the turbo in the trunk area of the car. With no intercooler and currently on 6psi of boost during testing, I was wildly impressed on the response and temperatures of the new powerplant.”
“Everything was on-track to have a fully prepared event. EBC Brakes sent us out a care package of EBC swag. The trailer was packed up. Just one last nut and bolt check and fluids change before race day. Thursday night, we found excessive metal in the oil filter, causing the team at Haus of Euro to dive into the engine 48 hours before Fuel Fest Phoenix 2025. We found the new triple-disc clutch was being overextended by the slave, resulting on premature wear to the thrust bearing in the engine. We sourced parts for delivery on Friday morning. The team reassembled the engine and was buttoned up on Friday afternoon.
“We loaded up Friday night and headed straight to the track Saturday morning. Unloaded the car and set up our hot pit for ride-alongs. The plan was a few light laps. After the year I have had, my ambitions of driving got the better of me. Full send lap 1. Car was dialled in and planted. Logs on the motor looked spot on. So, we started taking passengers in lap 2! The track layout was a fast entry, into a tight transition, flowing into a straight with a Manji right before a long wall ride in front of the crowd. With the new turbocharged V8, lighting up the tyres is no longer a problem. Slowing the car down is now more needed than ever!”
“Still on stock A4-sized brakes all around to keep the weight as low as possible on the S4, along with a non-booster braking system, the pad and rotor combination is hyper-critical on placing the car on the right line. Transitioning on the throttle, headed right at a concrete wall in front of 5000+ people, I had all the confidence to stand on the throttle and rest my left foot on the brake pedal. Slowing down the front of the car precisely to ride the wall and keep the rear tyres smokin’.
“I love my Bluestuff pads! Complete confidence in the bite of the brakes throughout the run.
“Sadly, we had an oil cooler failure late in the night, causing us to retire the car. We repaired the car and loaded it back in the trailer. Bright and early, we were back on the road headed to FCP Euro in Mesa, AZ, for their morning motoring meet. Featured in the Liqui Moly booth, we received a wild response to the car from the euro community, a lot of head scratching followed by the biggest of surprises when following the charge piping through the car into the trunk, revealing the massive turbo. What a weekend!”
Bluestuff NDX Pads
The Bluestuff-grade pad from EBC Brakes is a truly high-end premium pad: beds in fast for street use on premium cars with ZERO noise, squeal or vibration. Also EBC’s recommended pad for driving to/from AND performing on track days.
GD Sport Rotors
All EBC rotors including USR Slotted Rotors are British made and are precision machined in the UK. Rotors are made from high quality grey iron to exacting standards and undergo extensive testing and rigorous quality control.
