Miles’ BRZ: Holistic Approach

Like so many of the Gran Turismo generation, Miles Kodama got his first taste of motorsports through the Playstation console, and then later through the mediums of television. After spending his high school years watching Top Gear, he had put an idea together of what his first performance car ought to be.

Miles’ first purchase, an E46 330i, might’ve been a higher mileage example, but it introduced him to the local BMW community. Some familiar names encouraged him to sign up for his first track event, which Miles duly did, but getting sideswiped by a drunk driver on I-880 prevented him from using the BMW on his track day foray.

“I got off OK, but the other guy crashed into the wall and ran off from the scene Oakland-style.”

The problem was that the car needed some work, and as he’d already paid for a ticket to Sonoma that wasn’t refundable, he had to improvise. Thanks to the kindness of his mother and a few carefully chosen words, he borrowed her convertible Mini Cooper – then with just 8,000 miles on the odometer – and used it to turn his first laps on track. The unavoidable consequence of thrashing a front-drive car surprised both the Mini service advisor and his mother, who couldn’t understand why driving to spectate at a race event would ruin her car’s front tires. Again, picking the right words makes all the difference when making a plea.

Still being a college kid with limited funds, Miles had to put his new interest on the back burner for some time until his finances improved. Sadly, that lull lasted a few years, during which Miles had to sell the BMW and instead drove a friend’s Astro van to school and later work.

Shortly thereafter, his dedication paid off and his well-deserved pay raise put him in a position to pick up where he left off. Earning a respectable salary put him in a position to pick up a newer, quicker car to make a concerted stab at track driving and fulfill the wish he’d been holding for the better part of a decade.

The year was 2016, and the interest rates played a large part in his decision. Between buying the two cars which fit his budget, an E46 M3 or a new BRZ, the latter’s appealing APR was what helped him choose. “I had to finance the car, so the manufacturer’s interest rate was the option that was kindest to my wallet. Additionally, I wouldn’t have to worry about old car problems; I’d fixed plenty of E46s to help pay my way through city college, and I was through with replacing rod bearings.”

One fortuitous offering left Miles utterly convinced that the BRZ was the way to be. At the time, Subaru offered a Performance Package for just $1,400. This consisted of bigger Brembo brakes, 17x7.5 wheels, and special Sachs dampers. The 2017 model also had a mid-cycle update with updated styling, more power, a higher ratio differential, a reinforced engine block, and a nicer interior.

Suddenly, all was progressing with a momentum of its own. After suffering through the break-in period, Miles’ colleagues invited him to join in on a track weekend. After so many years waiting, he was able to exercise that desire to drive, and his friends gave him several rabbits to chase.

However, their cars were so unlike his, he couldn’t help but wonder how he was stacking up as a driver. To get a better basis for comparison, he enrolled in the 86 Challenge.

Encouraged by its simple rules and one accepted model (at the time), he felt he’d be able to prove his mettle as a driver in this competitive series. Not surprisingly, the standard of competition was humbling, but rather than sulk, Miles took the opportunity to better himself and his machine.

“They were just fast! To be fair, I was running in the wrong class (Street) due to my aftermarket rear control arms, but even the guys in Stock class were way quicker than me.”

Even at that stage, his commitment couldn’t be questioned. Miles ran every event in his first season 2019 and placed fourth at the end of it. Being so close to standing on the podium stuck in his craw, though, as this was the position he’d found himself finishing in past go-karting races and robot combat matches. If he had a say in this new venture, he would work harder to ensure he finished at the sharp end of the pack.

“I’d finished fourth too many times – I had to win.”

To address his vehicular shortcomings, he made sure to make better use of the points allotted to him by installing a set of 17x9” WedsSport TC105X wheels wrapped in 245-section GT Radial SX-2s, Pagid RSL29 pads, as well as a set of Annex Clubspec Pro coilovers.

These mods alone would not make the difference, however. The simulator now played a daily role in his life, as did cycling sessions. Whenever a friend or a coworker suggested a few laps at K1 Speed, Miles was in. He monitored his diet, lapped as frequently as he could, and even enrolled in a few Drift SF classes to grow more comfortable with oversteer. Driving was no longer some confusing rubric; he’d grown comfortable enough to push and simultaneously assess his performance. Well, an AiM Solo helped a little in that regard, but the mental bandwidth had been freed up from learning the basics and now, fitter than ever and nearly 30 pounds lighter than when he started, he was ready to compete.

The holistic approach paid off, and at the end of the 2021, he finished second in the standings behind Tor Anderson. Being so close was bittersweet, but the result only strengthened his resolve.

For 2022, he committed to maxing out his available points with headers, a small wing, and E85 – all mods used by Tor the year before, minus the fuel. “It started to seem easy, if I’m being honest,” he admitted,” though I couldn’t rest; Timur Iskhodshanov kept me on my toes and was usually just a few thousandths behind me.”

At the end of the season, Miles finished first in the standings with seven first-place finishes and Timur behind with six second-place finishes. After three years of trying, Miles brought home the trophy he’d coveted for so long.

The competition was tougher the following year, with Timur now trading firsts with Miles and a new entrant, Quanli Xing, keeping everyone honest. Despite that, Miles prevailed again.

For 2024, he shifted his attention to a lingering worry in the back of his mind. With so many of the second-gen BRZs’ engines failing, he had to wonder if his number would be pulled in the near future.

Although his car had then performed 63 DEs without any real issues aside from blowing out his catalytic converter, he decided to safeguard himself from an expensive and embarrassing afternoon, he pulled the motor and inspected it. Much to his relief, it showed no wear, save for a few seeping points. Nevertheless, he took the opportunity to rebuild the bottom end with forged components and raise the compression ratio to 13.5:1 for another 10-20 estimated horsepower.

For the 2025 season, Miles aims to rejoin the 86 Challenge, but this time run in Touring class, where he can mix with his old sparring partner Tor Anderson and add a real aero kit to his car.

“Taking a Subaru BRZ or Toyota GR86 to the track reminds us it isn't about having the fastest car, but mastering what you have and growing as a driver. Modifying cars is part of the fun, but when combined with being humble, learning from others, and challenging yourself to be better, competing in the 86 Challenge became one of the most rewarding things I've ever done,” Miles concluded.

To follow Miles’ progress, visit his IG here.

Brian's BRZ: Painful Lessons in Lubrication

He’d spent years dreaming of driving on a track. Brian Armstrong had grown up hearing racing tales from his late uncle, a former professional stock car racer; and grandfather, a racer, mechanic, and performance engine builder. Even coming from good stock, Brian hadn’t really found a door into the world of motorsport himself. The opportunity finally arose when he relocated from New York City back to his native California in 2021.

Now in a more car-friendly environment, he decided to get a more track-oriented car and explore performance driving. It didn’t take long to choose a vehicle. He wanted a front-engine, rear wheel-drive platform and relatively low cost of operation. It was either the newly released BRZ/GR86 or the latest MX-5. The stars aligned when he found a 2022 BRZ in World Rally Blue in transit to a local dealer for MSRP. He put down a reservation site unseen and picked it up about a week later, in early December 2021.

In Good Company

He started with autocross, attending 4-5 events before graduating to track days. After a couple events, he found 86 Challenge, a local time attack series dedicated to the 86 platform and sponsored by SpeedSF and GT Radial. He started participating in the Stock Class, which allows only minimal modifications to the car, with the intention of setting a level playing field with a low cost of entry to be competitive. “The stock class appealed to me because all the cars are set up the same, more or less. That means your pace is primarily dictated by driver skill.”

The few modifications allowed in street class help showcase the BRZ’s brilliance out of the box; there are no drawbacks to having such a short list of legal upgrades. His car has the following modifications:

• Pedders Offset strut mounts and top camber bolts for -2.5° of front camber

• 17x8” 949 Racing 6UL wheels wrapped in 225/45R17 GT Radial Champiro SX2 tires

• AP Racing Endurance front BBK with Ferodo DS1.11 pads and Carbotech XP10 pads in the rear

• 7mm Perrin front spacers

• ARP extended studs

• GR Performance Exhaust

And he’s added a couple ergonomic tweaks: a shift knob from Ansix and, for a little added support, he inserted a section of half-inch yoga mat into the factory seat bolsters. It’s surprisingly effective!

In addition to competition, he also found community in 86 Challenge. Having faster drivers as benchmarks is helpful, but the participants also freely share information to help each other improve as drivers.“We record our telemetry data on AiM Solo 2 or RaceChrono data loggers, then share the data on Google Drive, so we can compare. It’s all voluntary, but we all want to help each other get faster.”

They were also interested in diagnosing some of the BRZ’s from-factory flaws. “We’ve also been collaborators in trying to understand and improve the reliability of the oiling system in the 2nd generation BRZ/GR86,” Brian continued. Two 86 Challenge participants had added oil pressure sensors to their cars and started documenting oil pressure drops on right hand corners as early as November 2022. After several drivers in the broader 86 community suffered engine failures on unmodified engines, including a couple who Brian knows personally, this became a bigger focus..

Brian’s analytical strengths helped him delve into the data and contribute to this effort. He instrumented his own car, with help from 86 Challenge drivers @nostreetracing86 and Miles Kodama, and published a video on YouTube explaining the issue with evidence from his car and two others. He also volunteered to test a prototype baffle from Killer B Motorsport and later Verus Engineering in hopes of finding a simple way to mitigate oil starvation.

Ironically, his engine blew the day one in-depth article he’d contributed to was published.

That expensive afternoon at Thunderhill East went smoothly until it didn’t. Initially, when Brian saw a pressure drop to 0 PSI, he first thought a sensor had failed. When he heard that terrible telltale shuddering sound emanating from his engine bay — the one he’d heard so many times in the big-hit failure videos on YouTube — he knew it was catastrophic.

Thankfully, fellow 86 Challenge driver Kevin Schweigert offered Brian space in his garage to suss out the cause of his FA24’s failure. With the pan on Kevin’s garage floor, Brian took a peek. It took two seconds to determine what had happened.

A small piece of metal had broken off the baffle and blocked the oil pickup. “It was a one-of-one prototype build, so these types of things can happen. Verus immediately accepted responsibility and said they would help with the rebuild.” They covered the cost of a new FA24 long block and, through generous donations from the community, Brian was able to cover the cost of labor and additional parts needed for the rebuild.

Second Stab

During this rebuild, Brian took advantage of the opportunity to make some improvements to his oiling system to try and increase durability and decrease flow restrictions, which can decrease pressure to the crankshaft.

His old oil cooler lines had been rubbing on a sheetmetal seam near the driver’s side headlight and there was insufficient protection from abrasion. It could have been a serious issue if not addressed.

Following advice from other 86 Challenge members, he decided to replace the lines with custom built Goodridge 910 AN hoses—as used in the GR86 Cup Car. These kevlar-braided lines are more abrasion resistant, but also feature a larger internal diameter, for less flow restriction. He also increased the size of the oil cooler core with the hope of reducing temps and reducing flow restriction.

His shakedown of the new engine, oil cooler, and a new generation of oil pressure instrumentation hardware at a recent SpeedSF event was auspicious. Everything worked well, Brian was at ease, so he pushed a little harder than normal set a new PB.

Brian’s committed to the cause. His continuing work with Verus aims to solve this starvation issue and the pair is planning to test a new prototype in January. They now believe the primary issue may be related to the oil returning too slowly from the heads to the oil pan, which the prototype attempts to fix.

The community support and innovation from the major aftermarket players have encouraged Brian to continue chancing his baby in an attempt to solve the problem which worries most BRZ owners. Undaunted by the big bang this year, he’s planning on returning to Stock class in the 86 Challenge in 2024. Consider it a testament to a lovely atmosphere among cooperative drivers and an exhilarating platform worth taking a few risks for.

You can follow him at @900BRZ on Instagram and YouTube.