Bennet’s C8: Driver Mod Comes First

Bennet Kao learned quickly that the Tesla Model 3 was a capable track car with the right technique. By capitalizing on its strengths — surprisingly capable brakes and its torque and traction advantages — he could stop the car in a short distance, sacrifice the mid-corner, and prioritize a strong exit to lengthen any subsequent straight.

Good traction and a favorable weight distribution make the electric heavyweight a serious contender on the track, but it’s not without its issues. The problem is the Model 3 is only good for about two hot laps before it starts to limp. Since Bennet recognized that driving skill came before a long mod list, he prioritized seat time. Posting only eight to ten laps per track day didn’t exactly constitute time well spent, so he decided to make a change to a car which weighed less than two tons.

“I figured the gen-two BRZ was the perfect segue,” he recalled. “I wanted to learn to carry momentum and drive a manual, and since this was rear-drive, I wasn’t comfortable with having too much power at first.”

He sent his new toy to TDW Auto in San Jose for their advice and mechanical expertise; having them install a pair of Stoptech big brakes, Racecomp Tarmac 2 coilovers, and a set of Kumho V730s. With how playful the car was from factory, these were the only modifications they felt were necessary.

Transitioning into a lighter, nimbler, and less powerful car was not easy; after setting times at 2:02 at Buttonwillow 13CW and 1:27 at Thunderhill West, he had to ask himself what wasn’t working. Thankfully, he had a few friends with similar setups who offered him some help. Seigo Ma, another gen-two BRZ owner, offered Bennet his passenger seat and fielded a few questions.

“I tried to focus on the exit with the Tesla. I also braked pretty late and hard with the Tesla, but I couldn’t do that in the BRZ; it would just oversteer too much. I looked at Seigo’s data and realized he was braking a little softer and a little earlier, but released the brake earlier, carried more mid-corner speed, and got back to throttle earlier. His inputs were gentler. That way, he could keep the car settled more of the time.”

Following an adjustment period working at finding more rolling speed, he started feeling himself. “I never spun that car, and I spun everything else I’d owned. It is the most forgiving car I’ve owned — you could make coffee while you corrected the oversteer,” he joked.

He whittled his Buttonwillow 13CW time down to a 1:58 and felt pleased with himself. That glow lasted until, after two dozen track days in the BRZ, he lost fourth gear. That prompted him to start looking for a replacement. “I missed the mid-engine feeling of the Tesla, but I did not miss the weight.”

Browsing an auction site one Monday afternoon, he came across a C8 Corvette with a few enticing modifications. A Brembo BM6 big brake kit and a set of four–way KW V5 coilovers would make it possible to get back to track driving that much sooner. He placed a bid, crossed his fingers, then turned off his computer and picked up his kids from school.

The following morning, he learned he’d placed the winning bid.

At Buttonwillow a month later, he left his first DE in the C8 with mixed feelings. While the car had the directness that he’d been missing, it felt like it was going to kill him half the time. “There was so much weight in the rear and the spring rates were way too soft. I kinda hated it,” he admitted. Additionally, the power steering pump seemed to struggle in high-load corners. “Going into Riverside, the steering assistance would sometimes work intermittently. I guess the pump struggles with the forces there.” Lastly, the motor would pull some power once the intake temperatures reached 230 degrees. “I could get about five hot laps a session at full power that day, but it was pretty warm.

While it wasn’t a stellar shakedown, Bennet kept his head up by maintaining his driving-first approach to driving, he recognized that his technique, even more than his setup’s shortcomings, was to blame for his unsatisfying first track experience in the C8. “I studied a few YouTube videos from other mid or rear-engine drivers and made some changes. I began to understand that this layout was not as forgiving as an FR, which meant my steering rate had to be a lot slower, and I couldn’t trailbrake as assertively as I did with FR cars. It just needed to be balanced more delicately.”

Refining his inputs helped him dial in the turn in more consistently and, crucially, settle the rear end. After all, such an incisive front end was what he’d been longing for, and with the ability to put down power much earlier than the BRZ ever could, he began to love MR driving dynamics.

With his technique honed to his car’s liking, he looked to improve the suspension for track work while keeping the car streetable. The KW V5’s default spring rate was 7kg/7kg, and while that split’s higher than stock Z51’s 4kg/5kg, it was too soft for track usage; resulting in excessive nose dive under hard braking and a lazy rear end during transitions. While researching popular spring rates for track-oriented C8s, he found that C8 Z06/Z07 has a stiffer front relative to the rear, which would help him get a flatter, better stabilized platform.

With a 14kg/10kg arrangement, as well as a bit more rebound at the rear, the C8’s setup is now neutral with a touch of oversteer. That said, having almost 60% of the weight in the rear aids in traction zones, and he’s been able to apply the throttle very early. Even with the wheels spinning, it still generates good propulsion.

Even more impressive than his ability to jump from platform to platform and adapt rapidly, Bennet wisely avoided going down the modification rabbit hole. “There’s so much to gain from focusing on the driver mod. I don’t think I’m a naturally talented driver, but I like to do my research and I studied a lot of the fast guys from Speed SF. They coached me with their onboard videos.”

One such driver claimed that the 991.2 GT3 RS was worth three times the C8 Corvette. To challenge this claim, Bennet handed his keys to the man. That was Joe McGuigan.

After returning from setting a 1:34 lap, Joe changed his tune a little.

“With the way you have it set up, it’s one of the best mid engine cars I’ve driven,” he began, “except for the brake pads — they don’t bite or modulate well,” he said. Bennet has since replaced those XP8 pads with Endless ME20.

For the foreseeable future, Bennet hopes to get as much seat time as possible — and as a father of three, all under five years of age, it’ll be hard to find the time. He’s got his work cut out for him, but his technique-forward approach should serve him well in the medium term. Maybe, once his schedule frees up and he’s learned all there is to learn from his C8’s current configuration, he’ll spring for aero, or level up and grab the Z06.

Protect Ya Neck With NecksGen

There’s a problem with the typical HANS device: its chassis, or the body of the device, sits quite high up between the scapula and on top of the sensitive part of the clavicle right beside the shoulder. With little natural padding here, the HANS device can pinch, snag, and interfere with the seat and the helmet when the driver’s seated in the driving position.

Due to the placement and angle of the lower tether mount, the REV unit offers unsurpassed angular impact protection.

NecksGen’s cost-conscious products have made preserving one’s well-being a more comfortable experience than using the better established products might. “The ‘chassis’ of the REV2 is much smaller than certain similar devices,” began NecksGen’s Jeff VanStone, “which makes it more comfortable due to its smaller footprint and the fact that it only sits on the soft tissue of the shoulders — it doesn’t sit on any bones.”

The REV2 Lite uses injection-molded carbon, whereas the REV2 Carbon uses hand-laid carbon for reduced weight.  

The REV2 is their most user-friendly of the lineup. However, those looking to spend less can try their simpler REV1. Cost has been reduced by paring the device down; meaning it does not come with the REV2’s adjustable helmet tethers. These come at a fixed length which, because of the varying anatomies of different drivers, might not always be appropriate.

“Because our devices attach to the helmet from down low on the shoulders, the driver’s neck length and helmet type will be more influential on the length needed for the tether attachments compared to a typical yoke style device, which will connect to the helmet directly behind the driver’s head.”

Therefore, in about 20% of user cases, the REV1 requires a second step of ordering a better suited set of tethers. “Because head, neck, and torso sizes and shapes vary widely, about one out of five customers needs to change to a different length of tether that fits their dimensions,” Jeff added.

Their Rally Pad (pictured) helps locate the device during ingress and egress; making life a little easier in the race car. 

A proper head and neck restraint system should sit somewhere at the top of any track rat’s to-do list. Any person who’s spent a good deal of money on go-fast modifications can put $500 towards their well-being. Besides, it’s easier to put in that push lap with the knowledge that having the right safety equipment will vastly improve the chances of walking away from a crash unscathed. Some people will pay good money to silence those nagging voices.

NecksGen also offers a wide range of harnesses, helmets, seats, and accessories to ensure safety and comfort at a reasonable cost.

Fan’s NC Miata: Truncating Ten Years

Pursuing a PHD prevents a serious student from doing much else, both for temporal and financial reasons. Fan You recognized the limitations he was under while going for another degree, but had already committed to finding a way realizing his newly-realized ambition of running track days. 

“I had no idea they existed before I moved to San Francisco in 2021,” he said. 

In his typical investigative fashion, he began researching what paths people took to getting acquainted with track driving techniques and how to best practice. For the amount of money he had available at the time, the simulator made the most sense. 

“I read and asked around, and realized the fidelity of modern simulator equipment is very good and would help me learn the techniques of driving.

After driving the simulator, I enjoyed it as a standalone and, even if I never actually raced on a track, I saw it as a good investment. My friends and I started a team, Drag-On Racing, and I dedicated nearly 1,000 hours to the simulator in the first 18 months of ownership.”

That analytical approach shaped his four-step process designed to sharpen his sword in the shortest time possible. 

All his sim preparation was put to the test on his first day of real-world track driving. This, the second step in his plan, depended on two changes: an acceptance of his limitations and disposable income.

A new job allowed him to buy his first track car: a Hyundai Veloster N, a “perfect beginner’s car” which he left untouched. “I was impressed with the suspension, the brakes, and the balance. The transmission was also quite responsive — some call it the ‘Korean PDK.’”

“Based on the research I did, I thought that starting track driving in an automatic front wheel-drive car would be safest to begin track driving; I was not sure I could deal with a RWD’s tendency towards oversteer.”

After a few DEs with his new acquisition, Fan started to probe. “I played with tire pressures and the rear sway bar to make the car a little more playful.”

That calculated sort of curiosity turned out to bolster his confidence in a way he hadn’t anticipated. “Turned out correcting oversteer is easier in real life. When you have the sensations from the car telling you before it begins to slide; you don’t have to rely completely on your vision.”

That was his first impression. As it happened, the tendency to oversteer caused by these setup changes, combined with his growing confidence, nearly cost him big. “It got away from me in Sonoma’s Turn 10, but I just barely saved it. Without my simulator preparation, I would’ve totaled the car,” he admitted. 

The third step in his process was again facilitated by a bump in income. As part of acquiring a rear-drive car with a manual transmission, a platform he felt comfortable with only after his front-drive introduction, he had to wait for a reasonable time to make a purchase. 

As all his prudence would’ve guaranteed, a big win in a poker game helped him secure the funds to pick up a cheap track toy. His deep-pocketed indifference even kept him from looking underneath the car before buying, but, fortunately, he found a mint example of a 2014 Mazda MX-5 Club package. As he would learn, the car was not stock. 

“It’s a shame more people don’t seriously track the NC. It is the redheaded stepchild in the Miata family but for me, it’s a cheap, reliable, and fun platform,” he said. 

Before he could have it inspected, he had to admit to his own shortcomings: he couldn’t drive a stick well enough to bring it home from the dealership. They transported it to him the next day. 

Over the following month, he found slow streets and cul de sacs to practice all he’d learned from his YouTube research. His shifting skills weren’t world class, but by the end of two weeks, he’d been able to coordinate his inputs well enough to make it from stoplight to stoplight. 

Then Gary Yeung at Elite Performance looked underneath and relayed tale of buried treasure. “It actually came with Ohlins DFVs and Whiteline Swaybars. “A nice bonus,” he said. “I’d watched Gary drive his Mango S2000 before and realized he was a very good driver as well as a very good mechanic, so I left all future work on my car in his and Melody’s hands after that. Elite Performance is a great shop and deserves more recognition.”

Following its post-purchase inspection, Fan ordered a Hard Dog rollbar and a set of Hawk DTC-60 pads, as well as a set of 225-section Nankang CR-S tires. During his first event in the Miata, a damp day at Laguna Seca, he remained cautious due to the way a shower the night before left a few rivers running across the track. 

The conditions and Fan’s unfamiliarity with an h-pattern gearbox were his greatest hindrances that day, but despite running the full track in fourth gear alone, he snagged an impressive 1:51.2. Relative to some of the full-out benchmark laps, Fan felt he wasn’t far off his potential performance. “That made me recognize the car’s potential,” he said. 

At Gary’s recommendation, he went ahead and prepped it for pushing harder with a small selection of modifications. With a better Hawk DTC 70/60 split, 17x10” Apex VS5-RS wheels wrapped in 255-section RE71RS tires, a Goodwin Racing radiator, and a camber kit, the MX-5 was ready for Fan’s second attempt at the famous Monterey circuit.

Favorable conditions and improved contact patch helped him snag a 1:48.2 at Laguna — with his AIM goading him on with an optimal time of a 1:47.0 — a time that put the S5 record in his sights. 

After an encouraging demonstration at Sonoma, he returned to Laguna Seca to log his current best of a 1:45.29, even with a silly mistake in T2 that robbed him of half a second. 

If he can find a cool morning free from traffic and commit more to Turns 6 and 8, he’s confident he’ll claim something in the high-44s. “It’s a matter of bravery; the car is more than capable at this stage.”

When he reaches the limits of current setup, he’ll start his fourth step: increasing power, improving aerodynamics, and reducing weight. “With these modifications, a sub 1:40 lap might be possible, but it’s too early to say conclusively.”

The rapid progression from novice to aspiring record-breaker can’t be attributed to anything other than two things: his two-thousand hours of sim driving accrued over the last few years and, of course, his need to realize his current setup’s potential. The main motivation behind my four-step plan was to train myself to be a well-rounded driver, capable of both manual and automatic, both FWD and RWD, with and without power, with and without aero. Actually, the reason for more power isn't to go faster, but to improve my throttle control.”

It was Fan’s analytical powers and prudent planning that helped him acquire the experience that would typically take ten years in just three. “From my research, I could tell that the important thing was seat time. If you want to be good at driving, you need to drive more than twenty events a year, which is already a lot for me — this is the main advantage of the simulator.”

If Fan’s been able to prove anything by truncating ten years, it’s the value of simulated seat time. Go get a rig – it’s one of the few ways you might make a return on your racing investment. 

Abdul’s E46 M3: Checking All Boxes

A competitive driver, totally dedicated to improving his skillset in the shortest time possible benefits from two distinct things: a dependable car and guidance from experienced mechanics.

“I wanted to be able to adapt to different cars quickly, so I tried most of the usual suspects that first year,” he recalled.

Abdul Osmani recognized that there were about a half-dozen well-trodden paths into high-performance driving after sampling the vehicles during his track day foray. Some platforms aren’t as well supported, as as a brief fling with a GT350 taught him, and there’s a good reason for this. “The Mustang taught me a lot about the problems with modern cars: they’re heavy, they chew up tires, and sometimes parts are hard to come by. I realized quickly that lightweight was the way to go.”

In order to advance at his desried rate, he had to conform and buy a proven platform. This realization pushed him towards an S2000, and it also helped him recognize the one other impediment to his success: his limitations as a mechanic.

So, in the name of expedience, he decided to turn to RCrew for their help. They provided him with a prepped track car and allowed him to apply himself to his new craft without distractions. The S2000’s sharp responses would help him improve, but RCrew’s support ensured his ass was glued to that Recaro seat — and nothing would do more for his advancement than practice.

COVID was starting to dwindle by this point, and now with a largely sorted car that could take the track abuse, he logged as many laps as some professional drivers do in a similar timespan. “I had the means to dedicate myself then, so between 2021 and 2022, I completed 41 track days.”

He’d made the major strides towards his ten-thousand hours and built the muscle memory needed to move into competitive motorsport, and setting fast laps began to lose a little bit of its luster. He decided that the next step was endurance racing, for which the Honda was not as well suited to as were some other popular platforms, he realized.

As the popular HPDE options go, there aren’t many cars with the peak grip and pointiness of the S2000, which makes it a serious contender when pursuing PBs. However, due to its low torque, he had to consider an alternative of a similar vintage.

“As fun as it was to set my fast laps, the chess match of enduros was a new challenge I needed; honing my racecraft would be more rewarding, I believed.”

The E46 M3 was the versatile, if slightly compromised, vehicle that would make a successful and similarly streamlined transition into longer races probably. “There were a few reasons why I thought that. For one, the M3’s easier to drive thanks to more torque and better ABS, and the parts are widely available. Plus, it’s eligible for a few different classes with just a tune. I knew this platform would make it easier to accrue the race laps I was after.”

Once he could commit to a plan, he discussed his options with RCrew, who took his provided chassis and whipped it into racing shape in four months. Part of the reason they could proceed so quickly was because, like with Jacek’s rock-solid E46, they used their tested and proven track car package, albeit with a few extras.

“We went with MCS two-way remotes, AP 5000R Pro brakes at both ends, a TC Design cage, RCrew headers and exhaust, a Bimmerworld rear wing, an RCrew splitter, Volk TE37 wheels: the off-the-shelf RCrew starter pack,” he laughed. “On top of the usual parts, we jumped straight into sphericals, a carbon roof, fiberglass doors, and an AIM dash.”

Weighing in at 2,750 pounds with half a tank of fuel and producing 310 horsepower makes the M3 the perfect middleweight that, as mentioned earlier, can run in a number of classes with as little as a change in engine calibration. It might not have the same degree of mid-corner grip or the turn-in immediacy as the car which it replaced, but the package is better suited to long-distance speed, net-net.

But in full time trials trim, the package still puts down sensational single laps. On a set of Hoosier R7s, Abdul’s 1:34.57 at Laguna Seca is remarkable — especially since he acknowledges that he made a few mistakes that lap. The mid-corner understeer in Turns 3, 4, and 9 “might’ve been caused by being a little impatient on the throttle.”

Furthermore, he’s convinced the slicks might benefit from a little more than the 3.8 and 3.0 degrees of negative camber he’s running at the front and rear axle, respectively. Along with a slightly torquier brake compound — he’s been running enduro pads — the turn-in phase might be shortened, which in combination with more mid-corner grip, might help him find another second.

“I didn’t think 1:33s were possible before this lap, but now, if my stars align…” he hinted.

The salient point is that the car is almost completely sorted, and its dependability has helped him get to the point where he’s able to isolate the smallest setup problems and focus completely on his driving.

This stoutness, plus its kindness to its consumables, has made him convinced that there isn’t another option for someone in his position. “It’s funny that this twenty-year-old car is one of the most sensible options nowadays,” he declared.

His performance in Speed SF’s inaugural enduro endorses this statement. After finishing third, he’s committed to the entirety of next year’s season. “I found the 2.5 hour-length perfect. In comparison to my experiences with longer enduros, the 2.5-hour format makes logistics and planning simple and cost effective. It’s almost like a really long advanced DE session,” he said.

Abdul’s had a few things helping him move efficiently and expediently towards his racing goals over the last four years. Not only has he had the good sense to recognize where his strengths lie — identifying a motivating objective, making the necessary lateral moves, and dedicating himself to the cause, while having the means and the connections to get the sort of help that saves him from headaches. Since advancement has been the aim, and the specific outcome has changed slightly with time, he’s had to think about his approach constantly. Not having to worry about picking the right parts or leaving stones unturned has freed up the bandwidth needed to keep adapting to an ever-changing environment.

Maxxis’ VR2: A New Option for PB Hunters

Those with their ears to the ground have heard about Maxxis’ new Victra Sport VR2, an ultra high-performance summer tire for DE dudes, weekend warriors, canyon carvers, and long-time racers like Justin Ross of Magic Developed.

Built upon the VR1, a famously consistent tire, the VR2 inherits all of its predecessor’s strengths, and takes a step forward in one crucial area: peak grip. This combination of durability and sharp-end grip potentially puts it among the fastest of the current crop of Super-200 tires.

At last weekend’s Gridlife Super Touring Cup race held at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca, Justin Ross set his fastest lap on his VR2’s seventh heat cycle: a 1:37.8 in a 2,770-pound (with driver) E36 M3 making 212 at the tires. “We put eight heat cycles in the tires that weekend and we saw little to no dropoff,” he began, “and I know they have another dozen left in them.”

The VR2 has that cross-session consistency and repeatability, and it switches on immediately. Peak grip is available from the second hot lap, and grip does not diminish much at all over the course of a session, making it a versatile tire for logging laps as well as setting the quick one.

“The first hot lap is fast, the second hot lap is the fastest. After that, the drop off is very marginal compared to other tires. If it’s 60 to 90 degrees, you can put about four to five laps, super fast, and drop off is marginal — like tenths of a second,” said Elie Mansour, E46 expert.

“The tires have between twelve to fifteen heat cycles. Like I said, before it ran a 1:20 [at Streets of Willow]. We went two weeks ago, 90 degrees in the same configuration, after five track days — it was the sixth track day, I believe, it ran a 1:21 in the scorching heat!”

Justin and his E36 was the standout this past Gridlife event. 

“Our cars are famous for going into ice mode [under braking], so I noticed [the VR2] kinda minimizes it. Even if you have to swing it or adjust it, it’s very predictable and it gives you feedback under braking,” Elie added.

The design uses a wide outer shoulder, a reinforced bead area, a super-high turnup sidewall ply improves lateral stiffness over the VR1, giving the car great grip and predictability from turn-in through the mid-corner phase.

“At the exit, if i’m completely transparent, the lateral grip on that tire stands above every Super 200 tire that I’ve driven before,” he adds. “Once you punch it, it does get loose a little bit,but I’ve noticed it’s more of a powerslide than a drift; it keeps pushing the car forward,” he explained.

All of Ross' Magic Designed cars relied on the VR2 that weekend. 

Engineers at Maxxis developed a new reinforced Carbon Black compound that reaches operating temperatures quickly. “The RE-71RS is good for about four laps, then it falls off. In our BMWs, the VR2 is as good at the end of the session as it is at the beginning,” Justin added.

“They communicate, too. They’re not noisy, but you do get a lot of feedback through the wheel. They tell you what they’re doing,” he added.

“It’s super easy to control. So even if it slides a little bit, it gives you warning at the edge, and you can control it and keep going. So it comes in handy for, either like a beginner driver –it’s forgiving, or an experienced driver who knows how to modulate it to go faster,” he continued.

The compounds retain silica fillers to maintain solid performance in wet weather, but if that peak grip comes at a price, it might be wet weather-ability. “The VR1 had the tread blocks to move standing water. The VR2 is fine in damp and drying conditions, but it is too focused to be as capable in a downpour. You won’t be caught out if it starts to rain, but there are better options for heavy rain. Put it this way — we went out in a storm and we kept it on track,” Justin said, adding a little laughter at the end.

The same set Justin used at Gridlife Laguna will be used again at November’s Gridlife event at Thunderhill Raceway Park. As he’s seen no diminishment in performance yet, and since he’s tested the sister car on another set which performed over twenty cycles, he’s confident they’ll be able to carry him over another race weekend. That bodes well for any track junkie looking for a stable tire to give them the chance to log laps and set the one they can brag about.

Chris’ Evora: Penny-Pinching Pays Off

After several successful years in time trials with two different E36 M3s, Chris Mayfield decided to modernize his equipment.

After that came a short spell with a supercharged E92 M3. As fast and capable as it was with stock power, once adding the supercharger, no matter what he tried, it would not put the power down effectively. He then recognized what the limitations of a front-engined, rear-drive GT sans transaxle were — particularly when the power figure creeped too high. The more power a road racing car must handle, the more value there is in moving the center of mass closer to the driven wheels.

Photo credit: JM Photography

Frustrated with the heavy GT, Chris contemplated hanging up his helmet, but fortuitously, a friend mentioned that one of his contacts happened to be selling a European sports car for a reasonable price. This Lotus Evora’s 2GR engine would make comparable power to the S54, and the chassis would be able to put it down quite easily. It also came with plenty of go-fast bits from factory, so it wouldn’t require as much fettling as the heavier front-engine GTs had. Best of all, if it wasn’t what he wanted, he could make a few quick fixes and turn it for a profit. Considering the bargain he got on the Evora, he named it Penny and began tracking it.

Fabulous From Factory

Even in stock trim, the Evora was refined enough for thousand-mile journeys and direct enough for respectable times at more technical tracks. Though its helical LSD would lock abruptly and induce a little more rotation than intended, it was soft in its breakaway, and always communicative thanks to a fast, feelsome hydraulic steering rack.

Having a torquey motor and sixty percent of the weight over the rear axle make the Evora easy to slide in stock trim. 

Before testing the Evora, he’d expected something more along the lines of a heavier Elise, but the bigger brother was far more forgiving. Even in stock trim with excessive body roll, its soft edges helped him clock a 1:58 around Buttonwillow 13CW his first time out — an impressive time for a factory car weighing 3,100 pounds with a tick over 350 horsepower

It wasn’t just the natural balance which helped him log such a lap. The AP Racing brakes, Ferodo DS2500 pads, adequate cooling, a flat underbody, a decently sized diffuser, double wishbones at both ends, and other features that came from factory contributed to a well-rounded car that could deliver lap after lap without faltering.

The bones were clearly good, but Chris had a few critiques of the car which, though extremely capable, was not quite sharpened enough to be placed precisely in every siThe abrupt lockup was quite exploitable in the slow stuff; bordering on over-rotation, but in faster corners like Bus Stop and Riverside, this characteristic wasn’t as useful. When lifting, the car would rotate as expected, but settling the rear with any throttle would induce a little bit of understeer — even without any weight transfer taking place. For this reason, he found himself overslowing the entries Laguna Seca’s T5 and T10 to ensure he wouldn’t be going for a trip through the dirt.

Beauty Under the Knife

Its suspension design requires less static camber than the E92 does, but there was need for more. With the help of custom upper control arms from Fred Zust at Black Watch Racing, Chris was able to dial in 2.7° up front and 3.5° at the rear. Not much for a full-on track car, but ample in practice, as it turned out.

Along with those custom arms, Fred Zust specced a set of custom Penske 7500 two-ways to sharpen the car and keep the aero platform level over — a must with the elements Chris had planned. With high school friend and founder of Zebulon Ryan Neff leading the charge, the two ran a series of 3D scans to devise the right aero package for the Evora’s sleek but surprisingly draggy body.

Even though the coke-bottle shaped Evora is a sports car, the weight and power produced give it some GT-esque traits which Ryan addressed in his aero design. With this car, he adhered to his typical philosophy for heavier, front-engine cars when designing the aero package: the front gets precedence. Generally speaking, the Evora needs more aero loading at the front axle to get the desired balance with a car like this. So, Neff built the six-inch splitter — which provides the ideal combination of downforce and efficiency — from the front of the bumper and extending all the way to the front axle line, where is blends seamlessly into the factory flat floor.

At the rear, Ryan devised a mounting system which would save Chris from having to hack up the beautiful rear clamshell. Only two holes in the rain gutter were needed to attach the mounts, which connect to a support that bolts directly to the chassis. Ryan’s careful touch is obvious in the design of the two elegant swan necks that pass through the panel gaps between the rear clam and the fenders.

The finishing touches on the first iteration of the aero package were: a set of skirt extensions which widen the surface area of the floor, and bolted on a set of his “ankle cutters,” which manage the inflow of air underneath the car. “The cutters function like a virtual sliding skirt,” he added.

To top off this first round of aero additions, Chris stuffed as much tire as he could fit under the factory bodywork — with 265s up front and 315s at the rear. The car wears its tires well and doesn’t necessarily need a massive footprint, but if the fender wells are wide enough to make room for more, he realized he may as well.

In its second iteration, the Lotus was swift enough to cut seven seconds off Chris’ previous best at Buttonwillow 13CW in the second session that day. A 1:51 is something to rejoice, but he couldn’t be happy too long — at the end of that exciting day, the factory powertrain showed its shortcomings. Simply put, the crankcase ventilation system was not built for 1.5 G and dumped too much oil into the intake manifold; choking the motor and breaking a ringland.

Thankfully, this didn’t mean his budget supercar would be breaking the bank. These Toyota motors have been used in a wide range of cars; making them cheap and plentiful. In went a new motor, to which Chris fitted a set of aftermarket stainless headers for a total of 360 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque.

There’s a planned diffuser on the way, as well as an OS Giken 1.5-way differential, which should make the car that much more accurate and predictable in the faster corners. There’s talk of turbocharging the engine for 500+ horsepower, but that’s still undecided.

If Chris does decide to venture down that route, a platform this strong, with this much aero, a friendly balance, and a great deal of mechanical grip should make great use of that bump in power on the track — unlike his old E92. It may be the best test for a versatile chassis like this. Perhaps it will cease being the friendly thing it’s been, but then it’ll be hard to complain when the times continue to drop rapidly. For the money, Penny has provided far more than most cars in this class ever could with similar levels of work invested.

Cody’s C6 Z06: Father-Son Duo Builds Best Of Both Worlds

Being a GM development driver comes with a few perks. In addition to the privilege of getting flown around the world to test interesting new machines, one of the less obvious pros to this line of work is being able to cement a relationship with your father when he decides to turn his Corvette into a special sort of track toy.

Cody Bulkley’s education and career facilitated the development of his dad’s C6 Z06 — a project ten years in the making. His background has helped him from being swayed by forumthink, as the idea of a clubsport build isn’t always encouraged by the armchair authorities. Some claim that the best of both worlds just can’t be attained and, in actual fact, any attempt will result in something that performs poorly on street and track. Cody thought otherwise.

In his mind, a reasonably modern car can be versatile enough to drive three-hundred miles to a track, compete with caged cars, and drive home in relative comfort, but it’s not an easy balance to strike. It takes a special sort of patience and technical insight to arrive at this compromise.

During his five years in a dual bachelor’s program at the Oregon Institute of Technology, Cody joined the school’s FSAE program, which later led him towards a role in the performance end of the automotive industry. General Motors hired him as a chassis integration engineer and he joined the team that developed the C8 Corvette. Concurrently, his dad picked up the Z06 with the intention of turning it into a serious track toy. With all Cody had gleaned from his job, he had to get involved.

“The easy answer to building a track car is to throw a set of Penskes, a cage, and full aero at the car and call it a day, but we couldn’t do that. Dad drives the car to work regularly, so we had to make it more than a back-breaking trailered car.”

While that was a tall order with a relatively spartan and simplistic performance car, the C6 Z06 has good bones, and proved to be much more versatile than he had originally believed.

The first order of business, as his father requested, was increasing power, which was followed by the attendant challenges of cooling a hot-rodded powertrain. A big cam, a ported intake manifold, upgraded trunion rockers, bronze guides, race lifters, ported and polished heads, and long tube headers added another two hundred horsepower to the tally.

To enjoy some 700 horsepower on hot days, the father-son duo had to labor over the cooling package. After plenty of deliberation, the two installed a GSpeed dual oil cooler, Spal fans, a C&R radiator with the GSpeed C7 fan kit, and an LG Motorsports vented hood. Along with engine coolers, they added a GSpeed power steering cooler and a Turn One power steering pump.

The dual-wishbone setup needs little to make it work well with wide tires and a good deal of lateral load.

To keep the car civilized enough for stoplight-to-stoplight driving, they pulled a few OEM products from the Vette parts catalog, including a C6 ZR1’s torque tube, a C7 ZR1’s clutch and mated them to an RPM-built transmission, which has proven capable of handling the power.

Its 600 lb-ft of torque and 7,100-rpm redline would make a 4,000-pound vehicle feel frighteningly fast, but this Z06 weights in at 3,150 pounds without driver. Not many can outgun this car on straighter sections, but many modern cars could make better use of the power — at least before Cody went to work on the suspension.

The combination of stock suspension and big power left Cody with no leeway. Its sudden breakaway made it difficult to attack faster corners, and when the road surface varied much, it didn’t inspire confidence. Along with the optimized spring rates for their LG coilovers and the GM T1 bars at their softest settings, they installed a Wavetrac torsen-style differential. “That diff made all the difference. It made it possible to finesse the throttle. We found a second with that one modification alone, easily. All these touches have made it progressive in the power-down phase, and that’s why I’ve been able to find most of its time in the high-speed sections.”

Subtle aero mods helps this car slip under the radar while encouraging faith at higher speeds.

It has to be said that, despite its stockish silhouette, the aerodynamics have been massaged, though only a little. Nevertheless, the resulting improvement of the center of pressure helped improve the car’s performance in faster sections. “Originally, it was a little aero-loose,” Cody began, “but we moved its pivot point rearward with a rear wing, wickers, and a big front splitter for balance.”

Thankfully — and making the finer points of this process is due to Cody’s education — the improvement in stability didn’t come with any detriment to livability. “We’ve kept all the factory rubber to keep it semi-civilized,” Cody said.

“We had to replace the front and rear brakes with a set of AP Racing six and four-piston brakes, respectively, but they last a long time. OK, we have to pay the Corvette tax in tires, but we’re able to stretch a set of Supercar 3Rs through four or five weekends.”

That combination of moderate weight and mega power has produced lap times that modern supercars and a few full-on race cars might struggle to meet, as seen below:

Not to add insult to injury, but the current lap times don’t tell the whole story. Cody’s personal best at Laguna Seca was set with a failing clutch, and his best at Thunderhill was set on a 90-degree day. When all their stars align, the Corvette may run a couple seconds faster at the featured tracks.

And this very car was driven to and from the track. Cody’s dad even takes it on work trips to Washington State every blue moon, and it still hurts feelings. “As I said, it’s not easy to find that balance between street and track, but we’ve been able to compete with plenty of caged race cars in what is truly a street car. As we incrementally improve the car, we are aiming at setting several class records across West Coast time attack organizations,” Cody concluded.

I'd like to give a big thanks to Roger, Jamie, and Gary for helping me tear down and rebuild the car over the last decade. Couldn’t have done it without you guys.

Speed SF’s First Enduro Goes Off Without a Hitch

Endurance racing is the next step for many HPDE drivers who want to try their hand at wheel-to-wheel racing. The long sessions, the greater emphasis on strategy, and the ability to share a car make it easier to find a seat, generally speaking. We recognized that some of our talented HPDE drivers, some of whom already have been racing in other long-distance series, might be willing to take the leap into a new style of enduro if we helped them stick the landing.

So we brought our most experienced drivers together to brainstorm. After several months of revisiting various rulebooks and taking a look at the greater range of driving experience we had among our regulars, we devised a plan for an accommodating, competitive endurance format that would not break the bank. Endurance racing can be very expensive, but it doesn’t have to be.

Our loose rules are meant to be easily understood, keep barriers to entry low, and welcome a wide range of driving talent and vehicle performance. Tire choices, horsepower, and weight are all left open. Tires are open as well, as long as they’ll last a 2.5-hour race. There isn’t a restriction on driver count, either — some brave souls can run solo if they choose to.

The one mandatory pit stop is timed at seven minutes. We want to make sure the teams have plenty of time to safely refuel and remain hydrated. It also evens out the playing field; the high budget teams can’t take advantage of a fast refilling system and the low budget teams behind.

As for the regulations, we allow vehicles that pass the safety standards of NASA, SCCA, Lucky Dog, and other major endurance racing series. The vehicle will need to pass our safety tech inspection.

Drivers are required to hold a race license from another approved organization, though we can make exceptions. For drivers without a racing license, as with LeMons, Lucky Dog, and Chump Car drivers; we require they have experience in wheel-to-wheel racing or advanced open-passing run groups with Speed SF track day events. Essentially, they must have a long-standing record showing they are capable of racing in close proximity to others.

The classing is easy and straightforward. It’s based only on the car’s capabilities and the drivers’ performance during the event.

Whatever the time set in qualifying must be adhered to in the race. Essentially, that time cannot be beaten by an established delta or a penalty will be issued. The first infraction will incur a drive-through penalty; the second, a two-minute hold in the pits; the third, a five-minute hold; and the fourth, disqualification. We can also force the team to change class, depending on how much faster their race pace is. Sandbagging is something we hope to avoid.

Last weekend, we put these plans to the test at Thunderhill Raceway Park.After collecting the qualifying lap times from our 21 different cars that day, we established the parameters that would determine which team would run in which class.

Class A: 1:55 - 1:59

Class B: 2:00 - 2:05

Class C: 2:06+

The drivers on the cusp then decided whether to push their car to race in the faster class or dial back to race in the slower group — to push for total dominance or take the conservative approach. Strategy (as well as reliability and consistency) is what decides an endurance race, and our drivers were forced to make a choice that morning.

We started our race at 8 AM, the coolest time of the day, as we wanted to reduce the effects of heat on both drivers and vehicles. Many drivers appreciated that.

Class A and overall winner Daniel Rose had competed in many sprint races in NASA before this, but only a few endurance races. He had his worries about running an enduro, since they aren’t always the best organized, but that wasn’t the case here.

“Speed SF has always been a good host for the track day events, and I’m happy I did it because the enduro was really well organized; everyone knew what they needed to do. Sometimes things can get a little hectic with these kinds of races, but everything was well explained to the drivers that morning.

The classes were split just right — the competition at the front was intense and I had to stay sharp since I was running solo. Thankfully, my car ran well the whole race and went without a single hiccup, but I made one mistake — I drove over some oil in T3 and went into the dirt, but nothing major. Still, with how close it was until the end, I had no idea where that mistake put me. We pitted at the right time, I kept consistent with my lap times, I put my head down, and we came out on top. Group A win and first overall!”

“As far as I heard from everyone else in the paddock, everyone was happy with the class sorting,” Rose added.

Coming in second in Class A were Maxwell Lisovsky and Nate Hackman, who put the plan together at the very last minute. “Maxwell called me on his way down from The Ridge. He needed a co-driver. I’d never driven the car before,” Nate said. He wasn’t filled with confidence, but he took the opportunity.

The two met at Thunderhill and crossed their fingers. Max’s TT2-spec E36 wasn’t built to endurance specs, so he had to sort out a few things during qualifying.

Nate, with fifteen minutes to get a feel for a car he’d never driven before, jumped in and put the car on pole with a time of 1:54. With such a strong start, he decided to start the race and battled door-to-door through four consecutive corners over the first lap to take the lead.

“I really didn’t want to blow the motor in the first stint, so I short-shifted the whole time,” Nate admitted — a sensible approach to getting a time attack car to last 2.5 hours. Even leaving the car in fifth gear for half of the lap, he could set consecutive lap times in the 1:55s.

With a healthy lead, Nate made the mistake of beating his qualifying pace in the race — excusable considering his inexperience with the car — and had to serve a five-second penalty. While in the pits, Daniel snuck by and held onto the lead.

Considering the fact Maxwell and Nate had “no real plans, no communication, and no execution,” as the latter put it, their performance deserves a tip of the hat. Turns out the “send it and pray” approach, even with a time attack car, can yield impressive results in a medium-length race.

Abdul Osmani, a regular Lucky Dog endurance racer and the only solo driver on the Class A podium, also challenged Daniel through much of the race. “I found the 2.5 hour-length perfect. In comparison to my experiences with longer enduros, the 2.5-hour format makes logistics and planning simple and cost effective. It’s almost like a really long advanced DE session,” he said.

Joe McGuigan, regular endurance racer and Speed SF Challenge winner, used the enduro to shake down his newly acquired E46 M3 and get an idea of its fuel burn rate. As his co-driver Don signed on for twenty laps tops, Joe felt he’d leave some on the table, run in Class B, and use the track time to identify any possible problems with his new car.

The M3 had pace, though, and Joe beat Speed SF favorites Gary Yeung and Yunni Zhai to the win by a lap. The M3 proved more economical than he’d planned, so he finished his two hour-long stints with a few gallons left in the tank. The fact that he was able to run an endurance race without having to spend more money to buy a high-capacity fuel cell is just another way this medium-length race lowers the barriers to entry; a fully-built endurance car isn’t necessary for a race of this length.

At 10:30 that morning, the checkered flag flew and we could breathe a sigh of relief — our first endurance race was a success. A total of 21 cars entered and 19 finished. Considering the heat that weekend, not to mention the added strain of a medium-length race, that finishing rate speaks highly of our drivers and their level of preparation.

We’re in the middle of planning next year’s season of endurance racing. but waiting on confirmation from our regular tracks before we publish what we hope will be a very busy 2025 calendar. In the meantime, we’ll be using the race data from this event to create better classing rules that will accommodate an even wider range of drivers and vehicles.

Seeing our dedicated drivers take the next step into racing and proving themselves in a new environment makes planning these events worth the extra effort.

Class A Winners:

1st Daniel Rose BMW E46

2nd Maxwell Lisovsky / Nate Hackman BMW E46

3rd Abdul Osmani BMW E46

Class B Winners:

1st Joe McGuigan / Don BMW E46

2nd Gary Yeung / Yunni Zhai Nissan 350z

3rd Nicolas Voordeckers Funduro Speedster

Class C Winners:

1st Michael McColligan Honda Civic

2nd David Vodden Honda Civic

3rd Becky / Niki Arsham Honda Civic

Results

Joe’s RX-7: Long Time Coming

Joe didn’t let fear keep him from starting his love affair with the rotary engine quite young. After a fling with a CRX, he picked up his first RX-7 at 17. This Turbo II, the first of eleven second-gen RX-7s he would go on to own, was a surprisingly swift car that earned him street cred he never asked for. “I once beat this girl’s boyrfiend in a drag race. He had a new Mustang Cobra and I’d just turned the boost up. She came to school the next day telling me about how her brother wanted to kill me. I didn’t get it — it was just a street race.”

He came a long way from teenage antics just as quickly as he got started in cars. The second-gen RX-7 would carry him first into drifting with Nor Cal Drift Academy back in 2004, where he was able to start getting his speed fix in a pro-social manner. Four years later, he picked up a third-gen RX-7 and jumped into track days with the intent of building a dedicated race car, but life intervened.

When his financial predicament forced Joe to take a break, he considered a more cost-effective hobby, but his love for racing won out and pushed him to find a better-paying job. Shortly after selling a lot of Gamestop stock, he put together enough money to purchase a mint third-gen. The only modifications were a set of coilovers, an exhaust, and a v-mount intercooler.

After flying to San Diego to inspect the car, he had to roll the dice. “I knew it was a gamble, but I decided to drive it back to the Bay Area. Not something anyone would do with a thirty-year-old rotary car, but this one was nice enough to convince me it’d probably make it. As soon as I got home, I replaced the OEM suspension — I mean every piece — with adjustable or track-focused parts.”

Along with a set of Tein Flex-Z coilovers, Enkei RPF1s wrapped in 275-section NT01s, and Hawk Blue brake pads, he had made his first step towards making this pristine car into a full-on race car.

Sadly, he’d have to wait longer than he anticipated to experience the RX-7s potential on track, since, after a year of enjoyable, issue-free canyon driving, it failed his first time out on track. “First time to Thunderhill in this thing, and it gave me one full session before it went bang,” he laughed.

With the car back on the track without an engine in its bay, Joe pondered his predicament for a while. As he’d rebuild the motor for more reliability and leave no stone unturned in the process, he figured he’d go ahead and make the cosmetic and aerodynamic changes he’d initially planned for a step much further down the road. Along with a Racebred splitter, he added a Battle Aero wing and both a diffuser and a widebody kit from Shine Auto, as well as their carbon hood.

As he knew what the odds of an engine failure were, he’d planned for the worst and had already picked up a Mazda crate motor, complete with an old-school Turbonetics single kit.

To spare himself any frustration, he had to adopt modern ways. “I went from having a hot rodder’s mentality to a twenty-first-century tuner’s,” he added. After picking a Haltech 1500 ECU, largely for the failsafes it offered him, he had it tuned conservatively by DK at a modest twelve pounds of boost. With a rich mixture and a healthy 300 horsepower at his disposal, he’d have adequate power and some peace of mind the next time he took the car to the track.

“I rely on a heavy premix ratio: two-stroke oil and 101 octane fuel. That’s one of the best precautions you can take.”

All the preparation paid off. During his shakedown at Thunderhill, the water never got above 180 degrees — the v-mount setup and large Fluidyne radiator doing their jobs. The oil, however, was hovering around the 215-mark most of the day. To remedy that issue, he installed a set of thirty-row oil coolers. He’s confident that the car in its current state can handle the next few track days without issue, so he’s moved from focusing on the car and addressed the loose nut behind the wheel.

“The plan for ’25 is to visit all the NorCal tracks, work on my driving, and start competing in Speed SF Challenge. There are other things I’d like to do to the car: a wider widebody, 315s at all four corners, Bosch ABS, and traction control through the Haltech. The plan is to get the car running at its best before I can dump any more money into it.

Wisely, Joe decided to throttle the power output until he’s grown accustomed to big turbo power. Once the next round of modifications is installed and operational, he’ll turn the boost up a bit, but he won’t go crazy. As much power as a tuned 13B-REW can provide, is known first for its handling, and that’s what Joe’s prioritizing alongside reliability. 

His thirteenth-ever RX-7 has been an emotional investment as well as a financial one, but it seems that twenty-odd years of working with rotaries has taught him what the platform can do when all the proper precautions are taken, including the necessary TLC, fueling, and oiling to keep things copasetic.

CSG Brake Pads: Details Make the Difference

Much like tire technology has evolved rapidly in the last several decades, so has brake technology. There are hundreds of brake compounds produced all over the world, and the majority of off-the-shelf brake compounds offered decades ago still exist today. These compounds that may have been great in the past may not be ideal for today’s performance requirements.

CounterSpace Garage have tried to make their mark by putting together a detailed, comprehensive understanding of the entire braking system (across numerous makes and models) as well as the general demands of the entire racing landscape. After spending years testing hundreds of discs, fluids, compounds, and calipers to identify their respective limitations, they’ve been able to satisfy a wide array of performance cars, tracks, and tire compounds.

Contrary to popular opinion, outright braking performance is only one part of the puzzle. Not only are CSG concerned with improving the pad’s outright performance, but they also think about pad control and the context in which the pad will be used. If a pad isn’t suited to the driver’s preferences or the car’s limitations, it will never be used to its full.

To improve control, maintaining consistency is paramount. If the brake pad breaks down, then it snowballs into fluid failure, excessive caliper flex, and excessive disc wear. Consistency also means friction characteristics at different pressure applications, pad modulus through the temperature range, and performance from fresh to the backing plate.

Expending Energy Efficiently

Aiming for a consistent friction material often yields higher pad stiffness, which allows for a more responsive braking feel or “bite.” This doesn’t mean the brake torque is delivered in spikes, which can cause early ABS intervention, but rather with smoother engagement and smoother release. Primarily, the driver feels a more intuitive relationship between his brake application and the way his car decelerates.

Thanks to CSG's custom setup, Gary Wong enjoys reliable, reassuring braking performance in his high-horsepower heavyweight Supra.

Stiffness has secondary benefits including: better pad wear, lower overall heat generation and less heat transfer into critical components like the caliper and hydraulic fluid compared to the existing compounds on the market. A stiffer pad is usually a denser pad, and more material means more thermal capacity.

In order to understand how stiffness plays a role in response, we should use a simple physics equation with the assumption of infinitely rigid structures:

Friction Force (Ff) = Coefficient of friction (mu) x Normal Force (Fn)

This equation helps us visualize the effect of using two different sanding blocks to hold a piece of sandpaper against a sanded surface. A sponge requires more vertical force to generate the same level of friction force at the sanded surface compared to using a piece of hardwood. Now it’s obvious why having a good pad compound can result in better pedal communication and improved control over braking events — it maximizes tire adhesion and improves peak deceleration characteristics more consistently and with less force.

Tailor Made

When we’re trying to assess the level of control their particular pad offers, we consider things like: whether or not they need to build up the threshold pressure, whether they need to reduce their brake pressure carefully like with an aero car. This helps us establish the control objectives,” CSG’s David Leung notes.

“If a driver is dealing with a lot of ABS intervention, a digressive pad can help. As it limits some of that power at higher pressures, it makes it less likely to activate ABS.

Part of Gary Yeung's remarkable speed in his normally-aspirated S2000 comes down to its ability to decelerate, courtesy of CSG.

For cars with aero, a progressive pad might be best. As temperature and pressure increase, breaking power increases at an exponential rate. However, when the aero bleeds off (often very rapidly), this compound makes it easier to reduce pedal pressure quickly enough to avoid lock-up.

All of these profiles are taken into consideration to deliver what is ultimately an intuitive braking experience that allows the driver to focus on other aspects of driving and racing.

To demonstrate the ways in which driver preference factors into the equation, consider just the well-known users of the Supra A90 who’ve partnered with CSG: Jonathan Wong, Jackie Ding, Gary Wong, Allen Patten, Dave Kramer, Drew Turner, and even Toyota Engineering have turned to CSG for their own bespoke setup.”

Thermal Constraints for Different Applications

To get the most from a particular set of pads, some turn to ducting, which helps keep a brake system in its operating window. Some pads need to operate at a much lower temp to generate the performance and better wear (especially pads that generate excessive heat). High levels of heat generation also transfers into the caliper, causing them to get soft, and also transfers into the fluid.

Some pads need heat to perform, which is where ducting can be a detriment, since heat may be required for some friction materials to improve wear consistency in racing situations. Ducting also subjects a brake system to a wider spread of temperatures, which can shorten the lifespan of various components.

Viz paint is used to establish the exact thermal parameters their brakes must operate within.

Ducting does have some benefits especially when you’re operating a spec/homologated brake system that may have undersized calipers/discs (they usually get replaced after each race) and require the brakes to be regulated in a more consistent temperature range.

At the end of the day, ducting should really be a fine tuning tool, not a complete solution to resolve brake issues. It all comes down to designing for the appropriate application and optimizing the performance zone.

Maximizing Both Ends

“We also assess the rear brakes’ utilization. Regardless of whether they’re optimizing their rears to work with the factory bias or they’ve added a proportioning valve, we want the brakes to aid in slowing the car and assisting in rotation.

Jackie Ding's able to make his Supra turn like a much smaller car thanks in part to the well-chosen pads at the rear axle that facilitate usable rotation. 

By maximizing the rear brakes, we can utilize the tire grip from all four corners of the car. Using tire grip from all four tires means better distribution of brake load, maximum deceleration, better wear, and better temperature management to keep the brakes in the optimal operating zone.

A Compendium for All Invested

To take every conceivable factor into consideration is how CSG has been able to develop a wide range of pad solutions. It’s also due to driver feedback and motorsport data, as shared with them by their loyal customers. This information is then filtered down into a range of solutions that meet spirited driving activities to racing at every single level between HPDE and professional racing applications.

"All relevant areas of braking performance must be understood to provide a truly premium product," David adds.

CSG have made countless strides towards finding the right products for most of today’s platforms, They’ve built a compendium of braking data over years through internal development goals, brake dyno work, interacting with their customers, and using their feedback to tailor their products to the customer’s demands. They offer a huge array for different conditions, setups, and for different driving styles.

“CSG is a premium product and the costs reflect that. With that cost, we offer free consultation since we want to meet our customer’s needs and optimize results. All we ask is that they provide data. Ideally, this comes in the form of telemetry, but onboard video, photos, and anything else that can contribute to a clearer picture of what’s happening at the track,” David adds.

The brake system is an ecosystem in itself, which is better understood through constant communication between customer and manufacturer. This interaction is the backbone of CSG’s feedback loop, and only through this and the high-quality data it relies on has high-grade deceleration been made available to drivers of all stripes.

Brian’s Mustang: Keep It in the Family

Brian Navarra comes from good stock. His dad is a vintage racer with a penchant for Mustangs and he’s also the kind, trusting type, which is why he handed Brian the keys to his 67’ GT350 race car one seminal afternoon at Sonoma Raceway many years ago — back when it was known as Infineon.

“I probably wouldn’t have let my kid drive that car,” Brian said, laughing.

Fast forward a few years, and Brian had built his own ’66 Coupe into a no-frills track car. He quickly learned that his single-purpose car was on par with a few nicely sorted modern machines — so why build something so uncompromising and harsh if there wasn’t any speed to be gained from it? That was the thinking then, anyways.

Rather than spend months undoing all the unpleasant track-oriented modifications that worsened it as a street car, he decided to buy another ’66 and build a dual-duty track toy. Again, that was the plan, but having made a few more friends in the business and eager to try some new ideas, he ended up building another single-purpose machine without air conditioning.

However, he took this one much further in several key areas.

“It’s just on from 4,500 to 8,500,” Brian exclaimed.

At first, he aimed to race the car in a wheel-to-wheel setting, probably NASA American Iron Extreme. But as that class has fizzled into nothing over the last ten years, time trials caught his attention as it would be the most accommodating for an all-out build of this nature.

Taking his cue from the old IMSA GT Mustangs from the 1980s, he tubed the front end and added about as much structural support he could manage. “The number and size of the subframe reinforcements make the whole thing a lot like a box frame.”

It wasn’t just the IMSA cars’ rigidity which he tried to copy, but the motor as well. Back further in the body than the factory motor ever sat, Brian stuck an ex-NASCAR motor. Pieced together a Yates 358 with 13:1 compression.

Although the bottom end is basic small block architecture, it has race heads, port injection, and an Emtron KV8 ECU tuned by Nick Pavloski of Cohesion Motorsport to make a tick under 600 horsepower over a broad powerband.

To keep the powerplant lubricated once the anticipated suspension and tire upgrades were in place, he installed a five-stage Raceline dry sump system with an enormous NASCAR-grade Peterson tank.

It puts that power to the pavement via an HGT six-speed sequential and 335-section Hoosier A7s. Power application is impressive — in no small part improved by the three-link rear end. The full floater Ford 9” housing and DPI Platinum Torsen with 4.22 gears aid in turning traction into propulsion, too, provided Navarra rolls on the throttle out of slower corners somewhat cautiously.

Custom in-house 304 stainless stepped piping incorporates an oval x-pipe underneath the car and Borla XR1 mufflers.

The solid rear axle’s disappointing performance over curbs can be overlooked easily since its straightline performance is so strong. Plus, with the additions he’s made to the rear, he can adjust the rear over a fairly wide range to get the car to suit most settings well. “I added a Watts Link because it’s very tunable for longitudinal and lateral grip. If you’re able to make enough changes at the track, it’s easy enough to work around the solid axle’s shortcomings.”

To fit the 18x12.5” Signature wheels, Brian’s had to stretch the rear fenders to comfortably fit massive tire and wheel package. He ended up building his own front fenders with Eddie Venancio and an English wheel, which was wide enough to drape over his custom double wishbone front suspension.

Brian styled his suspension setup after a variety of race cars he’d studied over the years. “I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted. I still spent some time plotting the mounting points, but fabbing the arms and the uprights was easy enough."

Some things he decided to rely on a bigger company for. “I decided to go with a pre-made spindle from CorteX Racing because it was proven.”

AJ Hartman aero helps its high-speed stability.

For steering, he opted for Sweet Manufacturing’s power steering rack, then added double-adjustable JRi shocks at all four corners with weight jacker perches. Getting the balance right, despite having a hair too much heft over the front axle, was a priority. In fact, he moved the motor back towards the firewall by several inches. Now, his footwell’s noticeably hot by the third lap.

A MoTeC C125 dash and PDM keyboard conveys all necessary info.

Weighing just 3,150 pounds with driver, it has the legs on many cars at faster flowing tracks with (mostly) clean surfaces, but it still struggles administering power at Buttonwillow, say. The aero is admittedly a work in progress, with the completely unsealed front end, homemade splitter and airdam generating little downforce. AJ Hartman rear wing.

He plans for another engine with newer generation Yates parts and a promised 800 horsepower. It’s also somewhat lighter than the motor which currently sits in the Mustang by a notable eighty-five pounds, which should help him with his weight distribution aims. It’s sitting fifty-fifty at the moment, but if shifting the center of mass rearwards like a touring car’s might make all the difference with 33% more power. The more power you make, the more advantageous it is to have additional weight over the driven axle.

The short-term goals are refining the aero package, reducing weight, and continuing to tune the car to suit the driver. Long-term goals are bringing this rough but remarkably advanced Mustang up to carshow-standard levels polish and presentation. “I was kinda shocked when I brought it to Gridlife and realized how ratty it looks.”

No matter. He’s been focused on the right stuff for now. Paint and air conditioning can come later.

Forced Induction For Track Work: Supercharging Two Popular Platforms

Among E46 M3 and S2000 owners, power is almost considered a four-letter word. The majority of those who regularly lap these cars, for reasons of simplicity and cost, prefer to optimize their car’s handling and braking performance in pursuit of impressive lap times. Also, they typically pride themselves, though usually tacitly, on their ability to lap quickly without a big motor to lean on. However, the ratio of grip to power usually falls in favor of the former with most of these builds, which forces the builder to consider whether a significant bump in grunt is worth the time, expense, and possible hassle.

Two of our fastest drivers decided the relatively cost-effective path of forced induction to determine if more power makes a worthwhile difference with these two popular HPDE platforms.

Seigo Ma had been swooning over the videos of the Arvou S2000, a lightweight AP1 using an HKS supercharger to make a touch more than 400 horsepower. The already capable package could exploit that power bump well enough to lap the technical Tsukuba circuit in a remarkable 53.887 seconds.

Seigo wanted to double his engine’s output, but worried that the famously fragile platform wouldn’t be able to handle it. So, in an attempt to get some much-needed encouragement (and see F1 in person), Seigo took a trip to Tokyo. Three days in, he visited Arvou to consult with Mr. Shibata, who encouraged him to take the plunge.

Back in San Francisco, Seigo started speccing his own HKS kit. He did his homework and chose the option of the smaller pulley needed to make 400+ horsepower. After he installed the kit, he sent his car to Blacktrax for the first pass at tuning his Hondata Pro ECU. They were able to make a knock-limited 350 horsepower at the wheels available over a very narrow powerband. “It only revved to 7,000 safely. That lowered redline, the shorter AP2 gearing, and 4.3 final drive made it a challenge to drive; it required constant shifting.”

To make the most of his new kit, Seigo ordered a higher flow fuel pump, 1050cc injectors, colder spark plugs, and a surge tank with an integrated fuel pressure regulator — all the items needed to run E85 safely. A retune of the Hondata brought power up to a knock-free 420 horsepower available at 8,500 rpm. “Power delivery was like a stock F22, but with a lot more at the top end,” Seigo said.

Even with 285-section rear tires and an OS Giken differential to help meter out that power, the bump in grunt was challenging to manage. “Second gear was pretty much useless,” he added. It also proved too much for the factory gearbox; breaking fifth gear broke on his second track day at that power level. To get himself back on track, he picked up a used AP1 box and a larger supercharger pulley to drop boost and lower the power output.

Relocating the oil cooler made lowered temps enough to run full sessions on moderately warm days.

The AP1 box’s longer gearing combined with the lowered output — about 360 horsepower — helped Seigo get to grips with the car at his next outing. Usable power, strong traction, and drastically improved top speeds has helped him keep up with higher horsepower cars that previously left him in the dust. Before braking for Thunderhill East’s Turn 1, he was traveling at 133 miles per hour — roughly 15 miles an hour faster than he ever had before.

The only notable issue with the car were creeping supercharger oil temps, which he resolved by relocating the supercharger’s oil cooler under the right headlight. With that upgrade, the car has been mostly reliable.

On moderately warm days, the car can run full sessions without issue. Only on the hottest days does it begin to falter, but it still works well enough to run three consecutive laps before engine oil temperatures get too high.

A drawback of running E85 is that combined with the new powerplant, it gets quite thirsty. “I burn half a tank per session, so I’ve gotta bring a few jugs of e85 with me every day. It’s still cheaper than running 91 octane and is much safer for the engine though.”

For Christian Fernandez, power was the last box to be ticked after aero, weight reduction, and a solid suspension setup. He’d already set impressive times with his E85-fed E46 M3, but he wondered if there might be an easy solution to extract a little more from his S54.

Dan from RCrew, Christian’s dependable mechanic, made him an offer on an ESS supercharger kit which promised easy power and little-to-no hassle.

As Christian had already installed a larger pump and 550cc injectors in preparation for corn juice, there wouldn’t be much more he’d need for a successful install.

“Multiple YouTubers who’d used the same kit complained of overheating issues, though. The front-mounted intercooler wasn’t necessary with this entry-level kit, so I decided to take the band-aid solution and install a water injection kit to keep intake temps low.”

On a Dynojet, HTE Performance tuned the stock ECU to handle six pounds of boost from the the supercharged S54 put down 487 horsepower — 157 more than what the atmospheric, E85-fed motor had made on the same dyno.

The bump in power is felt largely at the top of the rev range; making the motor feel similarly linear in its delivery, but notably faster at the end of straights. “It’s pretty easy to put the power down, but the extra 3-4 miles an hour it nets at the end of the straights forces me to reconsider my braking points.”

This bump in straightline speed doesn’t overwhelm the current cooling system, which consists of a larger radiator, an oil cooler, and the water injector. “Even on 80° days, the needle never moves past the ¾ mark!

That said, I’m not sure I’m getting all that peak power over a whole session. It probably needs an intercooler.”

The blower hasn’t made maintenance a nightmare, but it has exposed a few leaks that weren’t an issue before. Running a leakdown test revealed a leak from the valve cover seal and around the aftermarket injectors, which never seat properly and require a washer for passable fitment.

Both drivers are content with their new engine setups, which have proven to be reliable after the little issues were addressed. Seigo bought a usable 150 horsepower and 2.5 seconds at his regular tracks. “So far, it’s been money well spent,” he said.

Christian is content with the improvement, though the M3 was never lacking power in the way the S2000 was. To be fair, the former has gone a step further in addressing all their supercharger’s shortcomings, while the latter has taken a more relaxed approach.

There’s still more to be done before the bare-basic ESS kit offers track-worthy performance, but once it’s sorted, there’s no reason it shouldn’t have that funny effect of shortening straightaways — so much so that Christian will have to start thinking of braking point right after he starts to accelerate.

Pauline’s Challenger: Part Car, Part Canvas

To earn her racing spurs, Pauline Yruretagoyena’s picked a car which mightn’t have had the greatest following among the track day crowd, but it pulled at her heartstrings the hardest. More than just emotive, her 2019 Challenger R/T was reassuring, stable, and safe, and having a 5.7-liter engine mated to an eight-speed automatic allowed Pauline to leave a little on the table and still get her kicks.

Which isn’t to say she was taking it easy. Pauline pushed herself to explore new and uncomfortable situations in which Her driving talent would be shaped for the better. For instance, her willingness to drive in wet conditions helped teach her how to drive smoothly and precisely. After she saw the benefit some of the arduous challenges offered her, she decided to take a two-day high performance course at the Radford Racing School. Among other skills, this school taught her how to trail-brake well enough to get the big Challenger pointed in the intended direction sooner.

Her ardent supporter and personal mechanic Adrian then equipped her Challenger with wider 285-section front tires, BMR linear springs, an Eibach hollow swaybar, Mopar strut bars, and the Brembos from a higher trim Challenger. These all contributed to an encouraging surefootedness and crisper responses when pushing the car harder than before. Most importantly, they’d get the big barge pointed in the right direction earlier so she could take full advantage of its impressive powerplant.

And as much fun as she had with the R/T, when 2022 rolled around, she had to consider the circumstances that made getting a perfect upgrade possible. Dodge had then announced the Last Call for the Challengers with their legendary HEMI engine. They also brought back the Plum Crazy paint option for the 2023 model year that had been discontinued in 2019. After two years of competing with the old automatic car, she was hankering for a manual.

So she ordered a 2023 Dodge Challenger Scatpack R/T Widebody with the T/A package — meant to commemorate Dodge’s success in Trans Am. It came with a wider footprint than her previous car, the most powerful normally-aspirated V8 in the Dodge lineup, adaptive Bilstein dampers, a limited-slip differential, and a manual transmission.

“I knew it was for me when I saw the color and the fender flares in person,” she gushed.

There’s not much more the car needs from factory. Underneath the blistered fenders is a square set of 305-section tires, and the 6.4-liter up front comes with 485 horsepower and none of the heat issues the supercharged Hellcat endures on the track. As it was already suited for track work — far better than any other variant of the Challenger — Pauline didn’t have to consider a list of modifications to make it track worthy. Instead, she could spend the first four months of ownership getting her head around its one novel (for her) features: a TR6060 six-speed transmission.

Long before she took this new car to the track, she put nearly 1,500 miles on the car — many of which in an empty parking lot or a deserted graveyard road. Without having to worry about traffic, she could practice the basics of driving a three-pedal car, as well as some of the track day techniques like heel-toe.

There was no way she could sensibly practice downshifting under heavy braking while on the street, but her time spent studying videos online helped prepare her for a Speed SF event at Laguna last June.

There, Joe McGuigan helped her fine-tune her blipping and clutch release so that she could coordinate her gearchanges crisply and keep the motor in the right rev range. Though the challenge was made somewhat more challenging by the T/A’s straightline performance — seriously greater than her R/T’s, with Hawk DTC-60s at all four corners, she never felt the new car lacked any braking performance during her first day. After a few sessions of bucking on the brakes and dragging the motor, it all began to click. By the end of the third session, she set a lap time ten seconds better than she ever had with the old car. Considering the T/A still needs a new alignment and a few other additions to make it truly track-oriented, that’s a remarkable improvement.

Her clean, level-headed driving impressed Joe enough to recommend she try the Speed SF Challenge series. “He insisted I join, but I’m still waiting to feel comfortable in the car before I begin competing with the guys here. They’re all too fast!” she admitted.

Perhaps she undersells herself, but maybe she’s just being prudent. Either way, it won’t be long before her lap times convince her she’s ready. In the leadup to the her moment of unshakable confidence, she plans to widen the footprint with a set of Apex VS5-RS wheels wrapped in 305-section Nankang AR-1s, protect her paint with a full PPF, and make a few aero additions.

Given her studious approach, she’ll be on top of her new T/A in short order. Not that she needs to, since, for Pauline, it’s always been about enjoying all the various experiences a sentimentally motivating machine can offer: customizing its appearance, learning its different features, a finding time to savor the time spent cruising at moderate speeds in scenic settings. Spyro, as she’s named the car after her favorite video game character, is less a tool than it is a personal statement and a means of finding satisfaction on a daily basis.

Between her insistence on seat time over primo parts, as well as the importance she places on feeling something sentimental for her vehicle, she could teach a new generation of spirited drivers that a successful track day has little to do with having the fastest car in the paddock.

AP’s Spec Corvette: Ferrari Fill-In For Forty Large

After a lifetime spent racing karts, Outlaws, and everything in between, AP Miranda decided to take a good chunk of the change he’d made over his career as a professional pilot and buy a Ferrari Challenge car. However, he found that the Challenge drivers he met weren’t too welcoming to his outlaw attitude. The series he’d dreamed about for so long quickly lost its luster, and he was curious if there was a better way to spend his money.

AP decided to seek out a cost-conscious alternative among a more welcoming bunch. “I met a couple of the Spec Corvette guys at a Speed SF weekend and they pulled me right in. They were a bunch of renegade guys looking to have a lot of fun — so I signed up and I haven’t looked back.”

Within a few months, he’d built a budget club racer with V8 power, a large footprint, and more than enough performance to keep a driver with racing experience in twin-turbo Ferrari entertained. Best of all, he’d done it for about a sixth the price of his old Ferrari.

The C5 Corvette doesn’t have to be expensive to run. Well, it’s always going to be hard on consumables, but compared to other cars running in the 1:37s on the old Laguna Seca, this version of the C5 Corvette can’t be called pricey. Simple, too — the formula for Spec Corvette is meant to be basic so that the fields can be fairly fat without too much expected from the participants in terms of vehicle prep.

This meant that the competition would likely be close, and so AP put some more money into a knowledgeable instructor to help him get the most from his new old car. He hired Tim Moser, a respected coach with a background in Formula Dodge-Barber, LMP3, and other serious machinery, to show him how to extract all the potential from his low-downforce, high-torque middleweight.

Strengths

Building a Spec Corvette requires little. There is the sole aero item — a three-inch ducktail spoiler from Trackspec Motorsports, but the car is compliant, stable, and predictable without major aero. This is due in part to a set of one-way Penske 8300 dampers and monoballs replacing the OEM bushings. If there’s one thing which the C5 needs to be less of a transporter to the pitch and putt and more of track scalpel, it’s removing the factory rubber.

The factory brakes are fair, but the Wilwood six-pistons are a great budget upgrade, and their rotors will last a year of racing before needing replacement. Even though the minimum vehicle weight is just 3,200 pounds, the Wilwood pads can last six weekends without losing their competitive edge. Retain the stock brakes and you’ll be working on them a lot of the weekend, but the stopping power is sufficient.

In the interest of keeping costs relatively low, the series has mandated a 200-treadwear Nankang NS2R tire, which should last three weekends or so. Considering the power and weight, that’s a relatively long life.

It doesn’t matter if the donor car is powered by an LS1 or an LS6 — either motor shouldn’t have much difficulty making the maximum 380 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels as per the Spec Corvette rules. Both motors are under stressed, consistent, and easy to work on.

There are two options if the car comes with the less-desirable LS1. It can use the intake manifold, heads, and camshafts from the LS6 to make the allowed power, or, if the LS1 is kept totally stock, a set of long-tube headers are allowed. The LS6 only needs to retain the factory headers to make the desired output, so it’s the better choice. Plus, its “batwing” style oil pan is broad, shallow, and sufficient for Spec Corvette usage. In fact, it’s fine for just about any application which doesn’t involve slicks and wings.

However, G-forces and sustained high-revs will still cause oil to accumulate in the LS6’s heads, and to avoid this problem, some use reduced diameter pushrods, some drill holes in the lifter trays to drain oil to the sump faster.

Those are the essentials, though there are a couple preferred changes a cost-conscious owner/driver would consider. Though differential and transmission coolers help extend the lifespan of some of these consumables, they’re not necessary to ensure consistent performance over a single race — or even over a single season. The one last potential issue in this area is, thankfully, solvable with an OEM part. The LS7’s clutch is a cheap and easy replacement for an LS6’s clutch which struggles with the increased power output. Impressively, a Spec Corvette can be built with all new components for just $40,000 — quite inexpensive for the sort of lap times it’s capable of.

“The shocks work pretty well; we barely touch them over the course of a weekend,” Tim says.

Weaknesses

Now, while it would be unfair to say the car leans on its power advantage — which is enough to make it a contender in NASA ST3 — it does have some shortcomings in other areas. The braking performance is fair, though having to run the stock master cylinder makes the pedal feel a little softer and over assisted than a real race car ought to. That, combined with the oft-derided ABS system, forces the driver to learn all the braking system’s shortcomings. “You’ve gotta have the wheel totally straight if you’re going to brake aggressively,” Tim elaborates. Consider that this braking handicap would likely be worsened if the rules allowed the car to have all the camber it could use.

There is the famous lack of visibility to deal with, too. The combination of a low roofline, thick a-pillars, window nets, and a halo seat makes it tough to get a sense of what’s around you. Factor in the C5’s long overhangs and somewhat vague steering, and it might not be the easiest car to place precisely.

Such a small window opening makes rapid extrcationg an act achievable only by contortion artists.

Nevertheless, that’s a short list of shortcomings for a car with so many strengths. Tim’s coaching and Speed SF’s open lapping groups have helped AP feel at ease in the car. “We used the last event at Laguna for passing practice since we’re usually up front at race weekends and don’t get enough naturally. Everyone we drove with was courteous and aware, which made it easy to run nose-to-tail for several sessions that day.

We loved the low-key atmosphere; normally someone complains when you’re driving in such close quarters with someone else. We didn’t get any of those problems with Speed SF, and we got all our time thanks to every session running on-time.”

No major mechanical issues, close driving with plenty of opportunities to practice managing traffic, and a strong series of lap times in the low 1:37s made their last training weekend at Laguna Seca a total success. We hope Tim and AP join us again and give us a demonstration of racecraft in one of the best performance bargains around today.

AP plans to start renting these cars out on an arrive-and-drive basis to those interested in the coming months.

Speed SF Goes Karting: A Thank You to our Coaches

Photo credit: Rachael Hairston Photography

Speed SF’s tiring schedule relies on the enthusiastic support of volunteers, and in an attempt to thank our most dedicated instructors for their time and energy this past season, we decided we’d sponsor them in a special kind of race that gave back to the community.

Miles Kodama, Nate Hackman, and Matt Misencik put in an incredible number of hours this past year, and when asked if they’d be interested in participating in a karting event at Sonoma Raceway, they agreed without hesitation. For all but Nate, this would be their first time racing on Sonoma’s one-mile outdoor karting track.

They’d also get to feel like charitable citizens while they got their jollies. The Sonoma Raceway chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC) organized the Karting for a Cause event, which donated its proceeds to local children and families in need. Since 2001, the Sonoma chapter has distributed more than $6.8 million to qualified Sonoma County youth groups.

But being good Samaritans was only a small perk in comparison to the pleasure of driving alongside old friends at a top-tier venue in the Saturday sunshine.

Sonoma Raceway’s karting center had recently upgraded their rental kart fleet with new Tony Kart-stickered machines. These nine-horsepower karts weren’t exactly groundbreaking in terms of straightline performance, but being brand new, they generated enough grip to make hustling them on hard tires a bit of a workout in the June heat.

While the standard of kart used that day was nothing new to them, the track was. Sonoma’s outdoor track has been a draw for karters across the nation for the past twenty-odd years. Not only is it set in scenic surroundings; overlooking the full road course below, it remains one of the best designed kart courses in California. The one-mile track mixes technical sections and quick sweepers would make even slightly slow karts very exciting.

The format for the day played a large part in the lighthearted and unpredictable feel of the afternoon. Progression through the day’s six events, each lasting eight laps, was decided by elimination; the fastest four of every seven or eight-person grid would make it to the next race.

From the start, it was clear that Miles, Matt, and Nate had the talent to put them at the front, but despite most of the competitors there not having the same sort of skill, establishing the grid and kart choice through lottery kept things fresh, fun, and challenging. They’d have their hands full making their way through the pack after starting at the rear.

Miles took silver in the first event, Matt won the second, and Nate dominated the third. By the fourth, enough of the field had been eliminated to put the Speed SF drivers toe-to-toe. Matt’s talent for finding grip and managing slow-speed technical sections helped him pull ahead of Miles; the two finishing 1-2 in the fourth event. Nate won the fifth event outright, and for the final race, all three Speed SF drivers were gridded up along with the one threat to their dominance: a young stock car driver who’d flown in from North Carolina.

With the win on the line, the four forgot about driving like gentlemen and began stripping the karts of their new stickers. Unfortunately, the rising stock car driver pulled the mechanic-confirmed fastest kart in the fleet, so the Speed SF trio had their work cut out for them.

Matt started first, followed by Nate, their one adversary, and then Miles. Nate believed Matt would sail off into the distance as he’s proven himself capable of in the past, but Nate found his way past and put his head down to try and stretch a gap. With the stock car star following in his blind spot and taking every low-probability attempt, Nate had to get his elbows out himself to hold his spot. As the two continued to make contact in Man Maker, the course’s fastest corner, Nate decided he wasn’t going to let himself get pushed off and decided to go for broke.

In Man Maker, Nate had been edging towards taking it flat the entire day. On the penultimate lap of the final event, he finally found the confidence to try it. His Hail Mary attempt was matched by the NASCAR hopeful and the two touched at the exit of the corner. Fortunately for our 2023 Challenge S4 vice champion, his rival fared far worse and took a trip into the dirt, giving Nate the chance to stretch a lead over the final lap.

In the end, the Speed SF team came out on top: Nate, Matt, and Miles finishing first, third, and fourth, respectively. After a thrilling day with close racing and near-perfect weather, a trip to the top step of the podium was the icing on the cake. There would be no celebratory champagne on the rostrum, but they’d get a few glasses of grape juice soon afterwards.

After setting their new hardware aside, they relocated to dining space overlooking Turn 3, where they sat around white tablecloths and enjoyed a three-course luncheon with wine pairings from select local vineyards. If they didn’t feel like high rollers then, the view of the stock cars qualifying just feet away for the following day’s NASCAR race did.

Our instructors are the backbone of this business and their efforts have not gone unappreciated. We’re thankful for these three and all the others who spend their Sunday mornings driving to the track when they could be sleeping in, and for their long hours and considerable effort, treating them to a race and a meal was the least we could do.

Tom’s Miata: Frankenstein Fun

Tom’s story began with his Mini Cooper in the fall of 2018. Then in high school, he cobbled together parts from forums and Craigslist Marketplace postings and ended up pushing a little 230 horsepower and 270 lb-ft from the 1.6-liter. It carried him through his track day foray, but the more he drove it, the more it faltered. He couldn’t keep up with the costs, the fuel, and the track day entries.

His friends suggested a simpler car to try and earn his driving spurs with. By parting out the Mini, he could put together the few thousand he needed to pick up an NC Miata with nearly 200,000 miles on the clock. The NC had lived an unloved orphan’s life; moving through seven households before ending up in Tom’s driveway. Somehow, it was still stock when he bought it. This basic package promised regular attendance at local lapping events, even with his college schedule limiting his time and his finances.

Tom didn’t have the means or the interest in going ga-ga with the mod list. The basic package of Feal 441+ Road Race coilovers, RX-8 sway bars, and Cobra Suzuka buckets did him just fine as he was making his way from novice to intermediate. The objective was to get good enough to feel comfortable at the limit and fix what broke.

Fortunately, little did. The only issue in that busy twelve months was the OEM radiator bursting. In the first year of racing, Tom and a few trusted friends logged over thirty DEs on the dependable little Miata. It actually helped him earn a few bucks, too, after reading Engine Management: Advanced Tuning by Greg Banish, he picked up enough to start tuning the factory ECU and starting a side hustle. That money went to his track fees, and it seemed like he’d found a self-sustaining system for himself. All was well with the world until it wasn’t.

After the engine blew, he borrowed his friend’s daily to finish out the final three weeks of his final semester at school, then bought the remainder of a friend’s parted-out NC track car, which fortunately still had its motor. It wasn’t an ordinary two-liter. His friend had swapped in a 2.5 from a Ford Fusion, a budget upgrade with minor architectural differences to the 2.0 it replaced. Swapping it into his car took less than three days.

Unfortunately, the stock 2.5 fell flat on its face at 5,500. With a set of OEM Mazdaspeed 3 valve springs and a set of Xero Limit “Boost” camshafts, Tom was able to raise the 2.5’s rev limit without any thinning of the functional powerband. The 170 lb-ft on tap starts around 3,000 and carries through 5,000, and the power keeps building to the 7,100-rpm redline, where it makes 197 at the wheels.

A comparison of the 2.5 on E70 (red) versus the 2.0 on 91 (blue).

“The objective has been to see how fast I can go without cutting corners or spending much money,” he elaborated. This is Tom’s main reason to try and use as many OEM components as possible. To avoid dealing with the factory rear hubs shearing, he upgraded to a set of hubs from its stouter older brother, the RX-8.

Though it required a bit of custom work to make it fit, the in-the-family RX-8 differential helped tremendously. Better, more progressive breakaway and improved acceleration from a 4.1 final drive originally suited to a torque-free rotary. After this upgrade, the car no longer lost speed going uphill between Turns 8 and 9 at Thunderhill East.

Because the RX-8 differential is taller, in order to sit in the same spot, Tom had to move the alignment area for the studs to sit in the same spot, which meant losing the alignment dowels. Without these, the powerplant frame eventually started sagging after a few months of hard driving. Eventually, this led to the powerplant frame contacting the midpipe under heavy braking and curb hopping. His attempt at notching the powerplant frame was one piece of trial-and-error that didn’t go his way, but he plans to put a set of custom locator plates to avoid this problem permanently.

Currently, he’s fighting the smaller issues like the one above which make the car hard to drive as regularly as he’d like. “Mostly just little gremlins from the engine swap,” he added. Other than that, it's the wallow from the original bushings which make the Miata a bit unpredictable at times. That’ll be relatively straightforward though time consuming.

If his first year out of school is as lucrative as he hopes, he might assemble a new motor to make the MX-5 a real S2000 rival with the following parts: a Fusion’s 2.5-liter Duratec block and pistons, and a Mustang’s 2.3-liter Ecoboost connecting rods and crankshaft, 12:1 compression and an 8,200 rpm redline, he’s hoping for 270 horsepower at the wheels. “It’s going to take a lot of development on my end, but I’ve got a small group guiding me. I’m in good hands.”

Along with the added speed comes a need for better deceleration, so in addition to a set of four-piston Wilwood calipers and RX-8 Sport rotors (which are only $30 per corner), he’s gone and picked another part within the Mazda lineup that takes a little innovation and forum-digging to swap. The RX-8’s ABS system is less prone to engage ice mode. Though this will be another trek down an unpaved path, he’s been given the schematics from others and feels confident the swap will be successful.

“It’s been fun to Frankenstein because I like doing things that not many have done, but I’m more interested in retaining a lot of OEM equipment since I don’t think it will have many issues in the long run. Hopefully, these parts will make it easier to go out and drive more miles. I still need seat time more than anything. Seat time, saving money, and keeping it reasonably streetable have been my objectives. I think I’ve achieved most of them."

Now, I’m considering making it more of a race car since I’ve got a daily now. But until I can afford a truck, there’s no point in making it a total pain to drive. The added torque is definitely enjoyable in the canyons, where I can keep it in third most of the time.”

How many Miata owners can say that?

Cory’s C6 Grand Sport: Safe Not Sorry

He’d spent several years finding his feet in a Mustang, but after his friend was kind enough to let him try their Corvette Z06 at a track day, Cory Smetzler knew he had reached a junction, and although it would cost more, the prudent thing to do was to take a left turn.

The C6’s shape stimulated his imagination, and the performance was already so much more than what he’d been accustomed to; the Z06 in near-stock trim could already outperform his highly-modded Mustang. It was clear that it was time for a major change.

But Cory is a practical person, and making an expensive shift could not be justified by the C6’s soft, curving lines and wide arches alone. Pretty as it was, it was the performance package which convinced him to shell out some more coin, since its improved weight distribution, roomier wheel wells, and dead-reliable engine package promised much more fun and fewer headaches.

A set of American Racing headers bumps output to 470 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque at the wheels.

And pragmatism kept him from buying the same model, too. Instead of taking a chance with the Z06’s LS7 motor and its propensity to swallow a valve, he instead opted for the mid-tier Grand Sport, which loses the special motor and the aluminum frame. In their place, the Grand Sport comes with a more pedestrian LS3 and a steel frame, but for the price of less power and more weight, Cory purchased peace of mind.

Though the LS3 isn’t quite the motorsports-grade product the LS7 is, the improvements already made to this particular motor helped Cory forget about lost potential. The previous owner had installed a Dewitts radiator, a FAST 102 mm intake, a Nick Williams throttle body, as well as Doug Rippie Motorsports differential and transmission coolers.

The powerplant ran smoothly in the sweltering summer heat, though the engine lacked that zing and top-end that the other Corvette had, the mid-range torque of the mildly tuned LS3 was plenty exciting.

Mated to a TR6060 six-speed transaxle, the torquey LS3 and its 400-odd horsepower could get the car to GT3RS-speeds surprisingly quickly, so Cory wasted no time giving his new track car the stopping power and safety modifications that it warranted. He doled out the big bucks for an AP Racing Essex front brakes with 372mm rotors and inch-thick pads which guaranteed stopping power, consistency, and long pad life. No sense in taking shortcuts when stopping a heavy, powerful car.

Its accessible mid-range torque is exploitable on shorter courses and still strong enough to reach similar top speeds on faster ones. Surprisingly, the wonderful spread with the right combination of wheel size and final drive make it effortless to keep the engine humming along without the need for many shifts. This is a large part of what makes it so effective at tight tracks.

A 3,300-pound Corvette shows its shortcomings on tighter tracks. The poor motion ratio of the rear leaf springs pushed Cory to double the rear spring rate, which allows for the car to break away more progressively, and the resulting confidence from this predictable sliding helps Cory drive the car with more slip angle than he has with any other car.

The willingness to push a tail-happy car hard in the butt-clenching corners takes more than just progressive breakaway. Cory added a Nine Lives Racing single-element rear wing, mounts, endplates, front tunnels, and a homemade birch splitter added the stability he needed to trust the Corvette in fourth-gear sections at faster tracks like Sonoma.

The current setup isn’t perfect, but it’s nearly there. There’s the matter of weight to deal with, and he’d still like the rear to be better settled, but it is reliable and relatively kind to its tires, and so he’s been able to put in plenty of hassle-free track miles without going through too much rubber. Low maintenance and lots of seat time has been his credo since the start, and he’s hired Joe McGuigan to help put his philosophy to good use. With a little coaching, he’s been putting down impressive times after just a couple visits to Sonoma.

Since his recent move from the Pacific Northwest to Southern Oregon, Cory’s been able to enjoy the temperate weather and make it to track days with more energy and regularity. Seeing as how he’s been able to set impressive laps at circuits that are new to him, it’s certain he’ll be a force to be reckoned with in our Challenge series very soon. We’re happy to have him.

Alex’s FL5 Type R: Best of Both Worlds

For Alex Peysakhovich, living in NYC had its perks, but easy access to track days was not one of them. When he relocated to Los Altos and found himself with a backyard and a garage, he decided it might be time to purchase that car he’d always wanted and take advantage of California’s temperate weather and multiple tracks within a few hours’ driving distance.

His heart was always with Honda, but the then-current FK8 Type R was too boy-racer for his liking. “I really loved the car, but thought about some things you have to do with your only car, like go to a business meeting or drive in a funeral procession, and I couldn’t really imagine doing those in an FK8.”

So instead he began tracking with an ND Miata. Heavy modification made it a capable cornering machine, but its impracticality became a constant pain; it needed a trailer for long drives and couldn’t be used to take his dog and his girlfriend on weekend trips. He thought about getting an electric daily that he wouldn't track or modify, but that idea didn't last long. “What’s the point of buying a car you’re never going to take to the race track?” he asked himself.

Enter the FL5 Civic Type R, which debuted after a couple years of tracking the Mazda. The new Civic traded its predecessor’s divisive looks for more subdued styling, so Alex had to check it out for himself.

“I used to think Type Rs were a little overhyped, but after seeing it in person, I recognized why the car has a cult following,” he said.

He appreciated the way Honda’s engineers made this fifty-grand Civic feel unmistakably upmarket. But more than presence or build quality, it had real-world usability going for it. On longer trips, the comfortable seats were a welcome upgrade from his Miata’s race buckets. The interior space, the fit and finish, and the performance made the FL5 a great candidate for a daily driver-come-sleeper, and once the premiums started to shrink, Alex pulled the trigger and brought one home.

Before his first track outing, he made a few adjustments. He’d learned enough to know that a ~3,200 pound front-driver would wreck its Pilot Sports fairly fast, so he ditched those for a set of 265-section Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RS tires wrapped around Apex VS5-RS wheels. Along with a set of eccentric lower ball joints to increase negative camber at the front axle, he replaced the stock pads with a set of Ferodo DS3.12s to help clamp the factory two-piece rotors.

He broke it in over 600 miles then took it to Thunderhill West for its shakedown, where he was pleasantly surprised. The steering was quick, despite a dead spot at twelve o’clock, and the gearbox was, well, Honda. If the interfaces were lacking in any way, it was the position of the throttle — as he put it, “in another zip code.” Thankfully, the auto-blip function facilitated heel-toe shifts despite the awkward pedal placement.

Being a front-drive car, he had expectations for how it might handle on a damp morning. Those were dashed on his first fast lap after mounting the dorito at Turn 3, when it hung the rear out in a big way.

“As far as a car that can pack a weekend of camping gear and do great times around Laguna, it’s a hard car to beat.”

The FL5’s mechanical LSD and brake-based stability control system do a commendable job getting the middleweight to rotate. What was less than impressive were the thermal problems which have been associated with the turbocharged Type Rs. Though not catastrophic, the heat causes the motor to pull timing by the end of a long session, but never puts it into limp mode. “I think there’s only so much you can expect from a turbocharged two-liter making over 300 horsepower,” Alex added.

Fortunately, these issues are not new to the Type R lineup and the FL5 was designed to make them easier to address than its predecessor ever allowed. The ducting routes have been established from the factory, along with a functional hood vent. Honda laid the groundwork, but more needs to be done for hot summer days. “It isn’t imperative, but it could use a bigger radiator and an oil cooler. I’ve got those sitting in my garage in anticipation for the summer.”

“The designers cared about the experience of the car; they wanted it to feel special, even when parked.” Alex added. Credit: Tokumeigakarinoaoshima CCA-SA 4.0.

Beyond that, any remaining mods are far from necessary. The FL5 is well-balanced out of the box and does not need much more power. “The engine is certainly strong. If it could use something to make it feel a little sportier, it would be an exhaust — it’s too quiet.”

That subdued exhaust note is part of what makes the car so versatile, and its wide repertoire comes at a premium. Besides requiring pricier fuel, the turbocharged front-driver is hard on its front brakes and tires, and it goes through consumables far faster than a lighter, better balanced car like a Miata.

There’s no denying the running costs are too high to track a Type R regularly — multiple track days per month will continue to be the Miata’s job — but the Civic will be doing daily driving, mountains, longer trips, and rear its head at Laguna and Thunderhill East a few times a year.

Four years ago, Alex thought fifty thousand for a Civic was steep, but he’s changed his tune as of late. “I know that sort of money for a Civic sounds crazy, but you really need to try it. It’s tough to think of something similarly priced that handles so many different tasks as well as the Type R. If I could only have one car, this would be it.”

Gordon’s M2: Iteration Cycle

After beginning HPDE during an Apple track day at Thunderhill East, Gordon Mak found a new outlet for his workplace frustrations and his analytical habits.

The Golf R he got his start with proved to be impractical, and practicality being a criteria he’s used to pick his collection of track cars, it didn’t last too long. The Golf’s nannies intervened too much to get closely acquainted with, as the instructor sitting alongside Gordon mentioned several times.

That instructor also encouraged Gordon to look in the right direction, squeeze the throttle with caution, and soften his steering inputs as much as possible. That coach did Gordon an enormous favor that day by instilling good habits in a firm yet friendly fashion. On his drive home, he had a moment to ponder the afternoon’s teachings. Gordon recognized that his new hobby would require two things: a communicative car and the right skillset needed to exploit its full potential.

By the next spring, Gordon was presented with a chance to buy a first-gen BRZ for invoice. The rawness and urgency of a lightweight, balanced car had him hooked, and the first big spin at The Andretti Hairpin had him shook. “Oversteer was a new concept to me,” he said.

Rather than remain intimidated, he tried to suss out his shortcomings then and there. In analyzing his onboard footage following that track day, Gordon could clearly see how ill-equipped he was to deal with the situation. “I just froze; my hands didn’t move at all,” he admitted. 

While some told him it wasn’t the prudent thing to do at that stage, Gordon took a leap and bought an even tail-happier car in the middle of the pandemic. The price was right, and the on-tap torque from a twin-scroll turbo motor and short wheelbase made the GR Supra a lively, exhilarating car with which he could develop his car control skills.

From then on, he committed to the invaluable skid experience of Drift SF, where he could hold long slides, connect corners, and spin without any consequence. “It was sanctioned parking lot hoonery — low credit score activity — that helped me make my first big steps as a driver. By the second event, it all clicked for me,” he said.

“I have to thank Joe McGuigan for teaching me how to slide the car with confidence. Once you move past the pit-in-stomach feeling of losing traction and the belief that you’ll be unable to respond, you can get a lot done. Without all the drift practice, I wouldn’t have felt confident enough to keep pushing,” he explained. 

As fun as it was, the Supra lacked the directness of the GT86. When the dealership he bought the Supra from offered to buy it back for the same price he paid a year prior, he didn’t hesitate. Without waiting, he replaced it with a GR86 and ran eighteen successful events over the next eighteen months.  

The unfiltered driving experience he’d missed so much during his Supra ownership had returned, but not without some adjustment. “After I switched to the GR86, I found myself - for a few events, initially - making unnecessary steering corrections because I had built up so much muscle memory from the Supra always going sideways. It took me a surprisingly long time to get over it, he explained. But even after altering his technique, there was one potential issue he couldn’t get his mind off of. “The ever-present possibility of losing an engine made it difficult to enjoy the car.”

Finding a suitable replacement was simpler at this stage, since Gordon had determined precisely what he was looking for in a track car. He wanted something dependable enough to run full sessions at Thunderhill in the middle of July, something that had adequate performance out of the box, and something which would carry a spare set of wheels and a couple suitcases if needed. Essentially, it had to be mostly turnkey and, if necessary, require only minimal modification. 

Two drivers helped motivate his decision to buy a new M2. First, Randy Pobst’s hot laps in a particular stock car at Laguna, when compared to the PBs set by amateurs in heavily-modded examples of the same model, helped Gordon recognize how big a factor driving skill truly was.

Jackie Ding, the other pro responsible for his decision, had demonstrated what the new M2 was capable of in mostly stock form. While he was worried he might have another Supra experience ahead of him, he took the gamble and sold his GR86 for a brand new M2 in Zandvoort Blue.

Since he recognized the value of seat time, he had less interest in modifying the car heavily than some of his peers. “I’m less concerned with lap times now,” he began. “I’d rather have a few modifications to help me feel calm and confident in the car, but I don’t really have a mod-itch to scratch. I’m more interested in the activities which help me improve as a driver, both on and off the track. If I have an itch to scratch, it’s an itch for self-improvement.”

That said, there’s still some room to make a heavyset grand tourer more at-home on the track, and if he can make a modification or two that will save him in consumable costs, why not? With Millway front camber plates, CSG CP pads, SRF brake fluid, and a square set of Apex VS5-RS wheels measuring 19x10”, he had all he needed to run track days comfortably while keeping his tire bill reasonable. 

The two issues with the car, besides its unignorable mass, are that it’s slightly under-tired and the ZF8 gearbox leaves a little to be desired. “I went a little too conservative with my wheel choice, possibly. It’s even tail-happier than before; I can drift the car in fourth and fifth gear now!” he laughed. 

Some of that is due to the ZF8’s short gearing and the way it shifts somewhat harshly. “It’s easy to spin and lock the wheels on even a slightly damp track.” It’s a lairy sort of car that’s constantly on the verge of oversteer, but at least slide correction is no longer a foreign concept — it’s now something he does without thinking.

Gordon still has some plans for the M2 in the future, but as it’s been happy to run coolly on the hottest days, transport him to and from the track in comfort, and make his track days a little less stressful that the rest’s, he’s content with it as it currently sits. His heart still pulls him towards something lighter and more visceral, but the M2 is about as good a streetable track toy gets. 

And that practical package makes it easier to pursue his main aim, which is to interact with the track community, get enough seat time, and hone his craft as a driver. The fact that the M2 is well insulated helps him hear his coach’s feedback from the driver seat is an added bonus. 

“If you really listen to your instructor, you will improve. I try to remain open minded, test the suggestions coaches and friends give me, and analyze the results. If I can get into an iteration cycle with whomever I’m working with, I’m confident I can find an effective solution to any problem pretty quickly,” he added.

Gordon’s story is one which demonstrates the value of analysis, and, necessarily, the importance of the human element. Rather than descending down the rabbit hole of buying parts to find speed (and justify the costs), he took a different path. He’s searched for the answer to his particular problems and found a repeatable process to keep him active, happy, and stimulated. That’s not something that can be found trawling the forums for an answer.

Joe’s M3: Proving His Potential

Photo credit: CaliPhoto

When building a track car, it’s almost always easier to take the paved path. Picking a platform that has been thoroughly developed, with available parts for every possible problem and associated forums filled with information help get the driver to the track without much wrenching.

Not that ease was the main reason Joe McGuigan decided to add an eighth car to his collection — he did that because his friends urged him to try the car he’d avoided for a while. They were tired of watching him struggle with his trailblazing passion projects. They said he’d be able to save himself time if he just joined the tribe and bought an E46 M3.

When Spencer Kimball decided to sell the E46 he’d built for his father, whose injuries prevented him from enjoying it, half of the greater NorCal track community flooded his inbox. Spencer had already proven he knew how to put a seriously quick M3 together, and this example checked just about every box a track car needs to. Plus, the price was impossible to argue with. It would make some track rat a very happy owner soon enough, but an iconoclast like Joe? Not likely.

He was well aware of the M3’s potential, but he never found it interesting enough to build one himself. He preferred the challenge of developing a less-loved car, and always found the E46 M3’s competence a bit boring. Too easy to drive quickly, too easy to build. Not enough of a challenge for a man trying to prove a point.

However, the long list of primo parts and the low, low price were too tough to ignore. Joe had to accept the “boring” car for the simple fact that he would no longer be able to handicap himself with a sub-par chassis. “I could show people how fast I really am,” he added. Rather than prove a point as a builder, he could prove himself as a driver.

He mulled it over for a few days before pulling the trigger. Picking it up on the way home was the easy part. Driving it back to his crowded driveway, it dawned on him how big a task he’d set for himself: “Now I’ve gotta put my money where my mouth is and build a really fast car,” he said.

Fortunately, the car was already well on its way towards perfection. Spencer had big plans for the build and sank a good amount of money into making it fast, reliable, and fun to drive. The short list includes:

• Shaftworks USA coilovers with 500/750-lb springs

• Custom Drexler-style 1.5-way differential

• 4.10 gears

• SPL arms

• Supersprint V1 header

• CSL intake

• HTE tune

• E90 GTS rear wing

• Bimmerworld diffuser

• Bimmerworld 3” exhaust

• PFC ZR45 BBK

• APEX Wheels 18x10" ET25 Forged VS-5RS

Those and a few minor mods were all Joe needed to set some competitive times. The first track day was a few days after pickup, so he only had time for an alignment and a fluid flush. Nevertheless, its first outing in his hands, a two-day event at Buttonwillow, was a success.

He found it fast and forgiving, with a linear power delivery and direct steering. Those qualities, plus a hint too much understeer, helped Joe get on top of the car in a session. By the end of the first day, he lapped Buttonwillow 13CW in 1:56.3 — on an old set of Toyo RRs, no less. The predictive timer showed an optimal lap a half-second faster which, funnily enough, is one tenth shy of his best-ever time at 13CW in his well-developed IS-F.

He’s already sussed out its shortcomings and drummed up a short list of solutions which he plans to implement soon. Being able to knock out problems quickly with the support of a vast market is one of the reasons going with a well-loved platform makes sense. “I plan to move pretty quickly with this build. Who knows? I might sell it next year,” he laughed.

The brakes are capable, but the pads might need to be changed as the initial bite wasn’t strong enough to give him much confidence. The spring rates are too low; the owner before Spencer had specced them for autocross. It’ll receive MCS two-ways, a TC Designs cage, reinforced swaybar brackets, and full Zebulon/Buildjournal aero in the next couple months.

But the bones are good, as they say, and it’s already fast enough to aim for some of the times set by friends and colleagues in the E46 scene. While he hasn’t given up on his IS-F, he’ll fixate on beating the established BMW benchmarks for the time being.

Andrew from Buildjournal has taken his E46 M3 just about as far as anyone on the West Coast has, and his car can turn a lap around 13CW in the 1:49s. “I’m sure its capable of something in the low 1:50s with weight reduction, a better setup, and full aero,” Joe declared. There’s no reason to doubt it.

The potential is obvious, the build is nearly finished, his connections are eager to help him, and all he’s had to suffer is a little boredom. The E46 might not pull at the heartstrings like some passion projects, but he can’t deny the potential that the project holds — and the fun he’s already had with it — has caused him to change his tune.