Johnson's RX-7: Refreshingly Reliable

Title photo: @Yunnizhai

Misc. photo: CaliPhotography

Running through the spec lists of the boxy cars which caught his eye, he found one member of the Gran Turismo garage with an unusual engine configuration.

Two-rotor, 1300 cc.

That was when the seed was sown. A ten-year-old Johnson Mac had found a car that piqued his boyish interest in machinery. Little did he know that this quirky Mazda would influence the direction of his career, and that, twenty years later, he’d still be tinkering on a rotary-powered car with the same sort of enthusiasm he had at the onset.

Things didn’t take off like he would’ve liked, but perhaps those years of dreaming served to build a foundation he could later build upon. It was the white FC3S from Initial D that got him to scour the local classifieds for an affordable RX-7, but he was a high schooler then without the funds to get one of his own.

First Stage

It wasn’t until a few years passed that he could have one for himself. The primered exterior and stained burgundy interior of his first FC didn’t impress many, but the reliability of the naturally-aspirated 13B engine surprised its new owner. Despite the reputation these rotaries had, Johnson learned that proper maintenance could make one fairly dependable.

That foray with an atmospheric motor encouraged him to venture into turbo territory. With the help of Fris from Lucky 7 Racing, his friend Allen, and the rest of his FAFSA money, Johnson bought an ’87 Turbo II shell, fitted a turbo powertrain, upgraded the footwork, and went autocrossing.

It was only a matter of time before he graduated to track days. After his first time on a road course, he knew he’d found the hobby he’d spend the rest of his days doing. Two frightening crashes and countless nights working in his driveway didn’t deter him from pursuing his passion, but common decency did—temporarily, anyways.

After crashing his second FC, he didn’t want to burden his roomate with another project crowding the driveway, so he parked his rebuild while saving for a house of his own. Johnson had graduated and gotten an engineering job, so the money was coming in, but he was still stretched thin.

Third Stage

Three years passed before he could acquire a house, a grip on things, and, finally, another FC. Right as he was beginning to revive his car habit, his friend from Lucky 7 Racing called about a car that might interest him: a race-ready FD3S that the customer had sold back to the shop. Money was tight, but the timing could not have been better, so Johnson took a leap of faith.

The car had been built to run in NASA TT2 and built to a high standard. In fact, it was mostly complete, save for some paint and wiring issues. It even had a running engine making twice the power of his previous Turbo II’s. He sold off the salvageable bits from the crashed cars crowding his garage and made space for his third-gen.

That was the summer of 2016. Four months and three track days later, the engine blew. “I’d had some issues with breakup at the higher revs—I knew it was wiring-related, but I never found the source of the problem until it blew. “The OE reluctors were used with connectors retrieved from an OE harness, a weakened connection which may cause erratic spark timing when vibration is introduced.  We believe this may have caused detonation flattening the side seals on a rotor face of the first engine.”

Fortunately, Fris was willing to help him install a new motor, and over the winter, the two were able to give the FD another shot at life. “I rebuilt the harness from scratch that time, made sure all the connections were reliable, and upgraded to a Haltech ECU with improved engine safeguards. The tune was and is still managed by Nelson Siverio. He is a wealth of knowledge and the reason I’m interested in tuning as well.”

With the new turbo and an E85 tune, the 13B-REW makes 484 horsepower and 400 lb-ft at the wheels.

Making sure the engine ran well within a set range of parameters was the next goal. “You need to perfect ignition timing—that’s a non-negotiable, and then ensure fueling is appropriate at all times. These engines don’t work well outside of a pretty narrow operational window, so Nelson programmed several failsafes into the Haltech 1500 to keep the engine safe.

For example, if AFRs reach 11.8 at full load—11.2 is ideal—then the ECU triggers limp mode (in several stages) and drops the limiter to 3,000 rpm. I also have several different sensors installed throughout the fuel system to ensure I’m getting more-than-adequate pressure at all times. Monitoring the differential fuel pressure has been the best way to get a sense of what’s happening on the fuel delivery side of things.”

The Haltech did more than make his powerplant dependable—it made it tractable, too. Functions like boost-by-gear and boost-by-throttle position help to limit excessive torque and outline a semi-intuitive power delivery. Despite the big single turbocharger’s rapid onset, Johnson’s grown comfortable with the way the car squirms under power—it’s predictable.

“On the mechanical side of things, I installed an OS Giken 1.5-way differential and had it tuned to suit my torque curve. The lock-up is progressive, and the 295-width tires can handle the power if I’m careful rolling on the throttle. Out of hairpins, I still drive it like a turbo car from the ’80s, though.”

Even the modern Garrett GTX3582R isn’t quite as responsive as he’d like. Well, that may be due to the fact that an old-school HKS cast manifold is causing a bottleneck, but he has more pressing concerns before he can address a slightly lumpy power delivery.

The FD3S’ weakpoint, aside from the obvious engine issues, has been the flimsy five-speed—Johnson’s been through a few. His current answer to this persistent problem is not another h-pattern, but a dual-clutch sourced from an F80 M3. As the factory BMW clutch packs can withstand 600 lb-ft of torque, they should be more than stout enough for his purposes. Additionally, the advantage of seven gears and negligible shift times may help keep him in the meat of the powerband more often—thus solving his problems in slow corners.

It’s a tall order that will require the assistance of some transmission specialists who can mate modern BMW with modern-classic Mazda, but Johnson’s engineering insights and passion for this platform should carry him through the frustrating pioneering period. His commitment to the rotary sports car over the last two decades had made him into more than a mere tinkerer. He’s almost a qualified technician now, and his last forty track days all on the same motor stand as evidence to his understanding of this lovable, finicky oddball.

Buttonwillow: Where to Eat, Where to Stay, What to Avoid

“Just don’t think too much on the drive down,” says Elite Performance’s Gary Yeung.

It’s a long, dull drive to Buttonwillow, and the timing of the drive determines whether the drive is endurable or if it’s agonizing. Plan for construction on I5 if traveling after 8 PM in either direction.

Still, even though it’s the furthest track from San Francisco we visit, Buttonwillow still draws big crowds. Many are willing to make the trip south because Buttonwillow’s flow is unique and always challenging. Fast in places, technical in others, with all sorts of minor nuances that take some time to learn, driving there is never dull. Plus, it’s where most of Southern California’s track drivers benchmark their cars—on the 13CW configuration, anyways. A good time at Buttonwillow carries some weight in the track day community.

Before you can think about setting a quick lap, you have to prepare for difficult weather. The ambient temperature varies wildly, and from March to October, it’s not uncommon to deal with temperatures in excess of 100°F. Do what you can to stay in the shade; the elements will start to slow you down before you notice any decline in performance.

And as the giant tumbleweeds in the vicinity will tell you, it’s not only the stagnant heat you have to worry about. There is usually one good daily gust that can send everything flying, so always tie down your easy-ups.

Most of those who’ve contributed to this article insist that you drive a little further to nearby Bakersfield if you’re insistent on staying the night. Some would rather wake up early and make the long drive south than deal with Buttonwillow’s fleabag hotels. However, you can enjoy a more casual morning if you’re willing to drive to nearby Bakersfield, which boasts better food and a Costco, among other things, to make finding those odds and ends easier.

If you can spend a little more, the garage spots are usually worth the price.

Forty-five to thirty minutes outside of the track, you’ll find some respite from the weather and the iffy lodging outside the track.

Lodging

Motel 6 North

5241 Olive Tree Ct, Bakersfield, CA 93308

Motel 6 Central

350 Oak St, Bakersfield, CA 93304

Bakersfield Marriott

801 Truxtun Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93301

Harris Ranch Resort

24505 W Dorris Ave, Coalinga, CA 93210

Food

Aside from the decent cafe at the track, there are several decent options for a bite.

Taste of India

20687 Tracy Ave, Buttonwillow, CA 93206

Frugatti's (661) 836-2000

600 Coffee Rd, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Hungry Hunter Steakhouse

3580 Rosedale Hwy, Bakersfield, CA 93308

Willow Ranch

27770 Lagoon Dr, Buttonwillow, CA 93206

*Note that this is a good place to fill-up because it’s the last stop before the Lerdo Highway exit for Buttonwillow.

Tita's Pupusería Lonchera (taco truck located near Motel 6 Central)

20645 Tracy Ave, Buttonwillow, CA 93206

The worries of the weather are justifiable, but not something that should keep you from visiting the track. Buttonwillow is not the most accommodating place for a weekend away—hence the reason some choose to drive down the morning of the event, but it is worth the slog. Its flow, complexity, and challenge aren’t rivaled by any other Northern Californian track. If you prepare carefully and stay hydrated, the day spent in the blazing desert sun is well worth it.

Andy's NC Miata: How To Make 300 Horsepower In 3 Not-So-Easy Steps

“After five years of ownership, I’ve learned these cars only last when they’re basically stock,” Andy began.

Some of Andy Boskovic’s friend suggested he keep tracking his E92 M3, but it just wasn’t exciting him any longer. “I’d tried a few light cars, and I liked how playful they were,” he recalled. “No matter how much power a car has, if it’s lightweight, it will always be fun,” he said. Plus, the cost of consumables and its heft kept him from relaxing. Careful not to break the bank, he started looking for something svelte, simple, and reliable.

Because of his size and his cost constraints, he bought a mildly prepped third-generation (NC) Mazda Miata. For a third-gen Miata with Megan Racing coilovers, Hotchkis swaybars, and a factory hardtop, a mere five thousand was money well spent.

If there was one unforeseen problem at this point, it was that Andy did not know quite how limited the NC aftermarket was back in 2018, but, thankfully, this car was quick and reliable enough to not need to. The car ran well in stockish trim, and no real changes were necessary for the first two years of tracking.

The factory NC brakes are stellar: Castrol fluid, RB 2-piece rotors, and Hawk DTC-70 pads provided stable, reassuring confidence.

After getting to terms with the car, he could diagnose its few weak points. More confidence on the brakes meant harder laps and more aggressive corner entries, and those highlighted the one glaring handling issue.

Though fun, the car was a little too loose to be truly quick, and this was clearest in the faster corners. “The short wheelbase makes this car oversteer in Riverside,” he started. He first softened the rear bar, then removed it entirely. “I picked up a little understeer when I removed the rear bar, but I gained 1.3 seconds the next session on the same tires,” Andy added.

Another Half-Liter Can’t Hurt

After two years of trouble-free track days, the engine began to knock. Intent on keeping his costs low, he decided to try the 2.5-liter MZR alternative. This particular motor came from a Ford Fusion — a $200 find at his local junkyard that swapped into his car with minimal modification.

Swapping the 2.5 into the NC’s engine bay requires transferring oil pan and valve cover from the 2.0-liter to the 2.5-liter, grinding the front cover engine mount plate to allow the belt to spin without rubbing, and changing one pigtail for camshaft position sensor. Everything else stays the same; the whole harness, ECU, engine mounts work. What’s more, the transmission is direct fit.

It’s a good thing the swap was simple, because the excitement didn’t last long. After just three track days, the engine blew. Andy believes it was a lousy online tune which caused the engine to run too rich. Because he hadn’t installed any A/F meters, he’d been totally unaware of his pistons were getting washed over the first few months.

This setback didn’t deter him. In just a few weeks, Andy grabbed a new motor — one with which he would try a different approach.

Being designed for an SUV, the 2.5 MZR was never really designed to rev. The motor feels genuinely torquey—almost VQ-like—in the midrange, and calling the top-end lackluster would be generous. Extra cubes do help the car feel livelier in slower corners, but the disappointing final few thousand revs warranted a major change — even if the motor was never intended to buzz too high. With a set of Esslinger camshafts and a little headwork to enable 7,500 revs, he extended that top end to a point where things felt S2000-ish.

Another half-liter makes makes life significantly easier.

The 190 horsepower the new lump came along with a few complimentary additions to turn a mild street car into something focused and trailered. Version 2.0 sported a stiff set of Feals, a full cage, and a lot of unsightly bare metal. The stripping process brought the Miata’s weight down to 2,330 pounds, which is not much heavier than a Spec Miata, but with an additional 70 horsepower and 100 lb-ft of torque, those power improvements made the Miata much more versatile.

Compliance is Key in Southern California

The 13K/10K spring rates didn’t suit the bumpier tracks he frequented, so he consulted Karcepts, who tuned the NC cars which ran in the Playboy Cup from 2008-2013, suggested he try a softer setup. They supplied him with some MCS 1-ways, which came along with 10K and 7K springs. The improved compliance netted him a whole second on the same set of tires. Clearly, he was on the right track, though the setup was far from perfect.

In an attempt to try and minimize some of the car’s tendency to oversteer in high-speed corners, Andy cranked the front dampers and left the rears on the softer side. “It rotated when you wanted it to and the rear stayed stable. Still, when the rear finally let go, it was not very progressive.”

“I was never that interested in running aero because I didn’t like that Fast and Furious-look, but I couldn’t accept the snappiness at the rear, so I tried a wing.”

Following the first on-track session with Racebred Component’s 4” front splitter kit and their GT rear wing, Andy forgot entirely about looking like an attention-seeker. The aero bump immediately chopped 2.4 seconds off his previous best at Buttonwillow. Other than adding the wings, nothing else had been done to the car.

The unfortunate byproduct of greater stability in the fast stuff was a smidgen of push. Not so much to keep him from attacking, but just enough to feel the Miata was no longer the playful, adjustable thing it used to be. Cleverly, Andy chopped two holes in his front fenders and topped them with a set of Cockroach Concept louvers. These relieved pressure from the fender wells, improved front downforce, and helped the car regain its natural pointiness — now tempered by the rear wing. It’s extremely neutral in both fast and slow corners, and it’s still soft enough to soak up big bumps.

The performance of the front relative to the rear encouraged Andy to see if he could further strengthen the car at turn-in. With a five-inch splitter and front spats from Racebred, the front end was electric, but more importantly, he could still keep the car balanced aerodynamically, though that required doing something many Miata owners might be hesitant to do.

Trim Fast

Without much torque, Miatas have to avoid as much drag as possible, hence the preference among many owners to run only as much wing angle as necessary. He was conscious of overslowing the car on the straights, but he needed a more neutral balance to push hard. By increasing the angle of attack at the rear wing, he found a confidence-inspiring aero balance that, as he learned, improved the car’s cornering performance enough to incur a little drag.

For someone accustomed to trimming his Miata out as much as necessary, this was a shock finding. “I was losing about three miles an hour on the straights, but the car was so much faster in the corners that I saw a net benefit to this high-downforce configuration.”

Content with the aerodynamic and suspension settings, Andy started on the one area he was reluctant to try. Between a bad tune and his habit of revving the tits off his motors, he went through three engines —one 2.0 and two 2.5s — in the four years he’d had the car. Still, seeing a Mustang or Porsche walk away towards Sunset was a source of real irritation, so he decided to turbocharge his MZR.

Unfortunately, the aftermarket hasn’t provided NC owners with many different turbocharging methods to try. Yes, the MZR has been turbocharged for competition use, but the AER-built motor found in IMSA prototypes and Indy Lights cars is a far cry from the factory 2.5-liter.

Long story short, the turbocharging process has been, as Andy put it, “a world of shit.” The problems with overheating and oil starvation killed one motor quickly, and the current engine, built to maximize torque and keep the revs reasonably low, is still getting the bugs worked out.

However, parking lot tests have demonstrated real grunt, tractability, and promise. With a standalone ECU, a reinforced gear hub in the fragile gearbox, and a smaller wastegate spring, he plans to have a dependable 260 horsepower from 3,500 - 6,500 revs.

“I believe revving the 2.5-liter engine to 7,500 shortens the lifespan to forty track days or so. The turbocharged engine doesn’t need the same revs to make power. If you cap the revs at 6,500 and power around 260, I think it could last. I’m not betting anything on it, though,” he laughed.

Justin's IS F: Rekindling An Old Romance

Photo: Nolan Muna

Justin had his first shot at track days back in 2003, but that one afternoon at Thunderhill East in his 7th generation Celica GTS would be the last time he’d set a tire on track for nearly twenty years. Still, he managed to set a 2:15 at that event, so at least he had demonstrated his chops in the process.

Then life intervened. Marriage, children, divorce, and other financial priorities forced him to put his racing aspirations on the back burner for the better part of two decades. During his seventeen-year sabbatical, he dabbled with motorcycles and a third-generation Mazda RX-7, but never took either to the track.

Once the kids grew up, Justin saw an opportunity to return to the track. Then the pandemic hit, and to make matters worse, he lost his job. For a bitter moment, his chance to return to tracking seemed to fall just out of reach. Rather than fall prey to despair, Justin began consulting, then went into business with a close friend. Fortunately, that career move proved lucrative.

So much so that he could suddenly consider several supercars. “I debated between an NSX and an R8,” he said, “until my fiance made a suggestion. She said, ‘Instead of dumping a lot of money into one of those, why not buy a cheaper car you can modify your own way?/”

Cogent question. Justin started considering the criteria he was looking for in a mid-tier car. Reliable, large displacement, naturally aspirated, and as he thought longer and longer, he grew to like the idea of a four-door. He cast his mind back to a stoplight-to-stoplight race during the time he was driving his RX-7. “I remember an IS F totally smoked me,” he recalled. Seemed like the big Lexus sedan fit the bill.

And so he started scouring the more reputable classifieds. There wasn’t much he’d find that seemed like a suitable candidate. Ironically, it was only after four fruitless months that he capitulated and started scrolling through the Craigslist pages, where he only spent a few minutes before finding the perfect car. Better yet, it was parked just a little down the street from Justin’s house.

With only 77,000 on the clock, one owner, and complete service records tucked neatly away in a binder, this immaculate machine held a lot of promise. However, Justin being a prudent guy, he had his friend at Magnussen’s Toyota inspect the car to be certain it was the gem it appeared to be. After performing the PPI, his friend told him, “If you don’t buy this car, I will.”

Justin didn’t give him the chance. With his new acquisition sitting pretty in his garage, Justin began researching what a track-ready IS F had over his bone stock example. At the very least, any set of performance shocks and brake pads would keep it from falling on its face. However, Justin being well connected in the industry, he splurged for the fancier stuff: Carbotech XP10 pads, Michelin PS4S, and HKS Hipermax coilovers.

His return to the track—Buttonwillow this time—after seventeen years away was comically carefree. “It’s just like riding a bike,'' he told himself. He set out brimming with pride and excitement, but he quickly realized just how tire technology had come in the last two decades—and how rusty he truly was. After dropping two wheels at the exit of Bus Stop, he reigned in some of his exuberance and started to drive much more sensibly. “It was eye opening and humbling, to say the least.”

A trip to Thunderhill West a few weeks later was not only humbling, but dispiriting. The IS F’s inability, so he thought, to handle the constant barrage of corners put him in a foul mood. In fact, he was considering abandoning the platform that day at a somber lunch.

Post-meal, he found a little more encouragement from the car and managed not only to stick in a respectable 1:33, but he executed a spectacular pass around the outside of Joe McGuigan, who was then riding shotgun in a student’s car.

Two months later, he had his 22/20k setup that convinced him to give the platform a fighting chance.

Joe, another proponent of the Lexus sport sedans, could see by the IS F’s bucking-bronco body language that the damping was insufficient for the workout Justin was putting it through. Following Joe’s recommendation, Justin reached out to Shaftworks and ordered a custom set of coilovers to suit the heavyweight.

“That’s when it spiraled,” he laughed. Along with those new coils, he picked up Ultra Racing chassis braces, FIGS arms and bushings, Sikky swaybars, and a few other items that stiffened the chassis to the point he could drive the car as aggressively and accurately as he hoped. Of course, the newfound cornering forces required some additional core support for the driver, so he threw in a Recaro Profi XL.

It didn’t take long before he had to fortify the platform again. With all the extra energy he was putting into his wheeling, the tires and brakes were struggling to keep up. “I tried RT660s, but they got greasy too fast. I spoke with a Camaro owner who recommended Goodyear Supercar 3s and figured I’d try ‘em.”

Now that the car’s sorted and sweet, he has to be careful not to overdrive the car. “It will do what you want, provided you keep it within a certain window,” he added.

Wrapped around a new set of Momo Catania wheels measuring 18x10”, he was thrilled with the newfound consistency these new tires provided him. “Once they’re warm, they remain at the same temperature for the rest of the day—it’s a little like cooking with a cast iron skillet.”

Naturally, the added grip strained the binders to the point of developing stress fractures and mirroring some. In their place, Justin added a set of GS F calipers, bigger OEM Brembo rotors, and a set of Carbotech XP12s to bring everything up to a dependable par.

Swept away by the rate of development and the improvements he was enjoying, Justin asked himself, ‘What could it hurt to have a little more power?’

With a custom tune from Tuned by LOI, full bolt-ons, and a tankful of E30, the 5.0-liter made a very healthy 438 horsepower and 401 lb-ft at the rear wheels. To make the most of this bump in grunt, he added a Sikky carbon driveshaft and an OS Giken 1.5-way LSD.

With the level of funding he’s put into this machine, Justin decided to make this former heavyweight into a svelte track-only sedan—and is leaving it to the pros to help realize its potential. Additional cooling, a welded cage, and some lightweight body panels are just a few of the additions Race Factory will be making this summer.

If all goes to plan, he’ll be trailering this beauty to several shakedowns next year before entering in Global Time Attack, where he hopes to make a splash in the Street Class. With the good luck he’s had thus far and the wise McGuigan to guide him on his way, he has a shot at making some waves with this (perhaps former) heavyweight.

“I just want to thank my family, friends, and the car community for being so supportive. Without all three, my return to motorsports wouldn't have been anywhere as fulfilling as it has been.”

Photo: Nolan Muna

Peter's 2JZ-Swapped S13: Tweaking the Famous Drift Recipe

Photos: Luke Munnell

After an itinerant adolescence filled with drifting and hot rodding, Peter Hong relocated to Los Angeles, where his friend turned him onto track days. He picked up an E46 M3 and started running laps, but the cost of the car, as well as his fondness for the cars of his youth, compelled him to make a change.

His aim was rooted in pragmatism and thriftiness. Peter wanted to see if his S13 would handle as well as his M3 because, as he puts it, “then I wouldn’t need two cars.”

His background in drifting meant he’d already learned a lot about the chassis. Having been through five of them, some with swapped engines, he knew that the potential to find a nice balance between power and agility was there if he executed the build properly. Plus, with prices being what they were a decade ago, a well-modified S13 wouldn’t break the bank.

The first iterations of the car were as basic as can be. Aside from swapping in an SR20, the car had little more than basic bolt-ons and set of Hankook RS4s. Yet, contrary to popular opinion, it worked well on the road course.

Entry-level Ohlins, Z32 brakes, a Carbonetics 1.5-way LSD, and a set of Recaros were all the basic bolt-ons needed to make his car work well on the road course. Mild engine mods yielded 250 at the wheels—more than enough for a 2,800-pound car—and the sense of security from his six-point welded cage encouraged him to push the car hard.

“It’s such an intuitive car at that power level. I got down to 1:27s at Streets of Willow pretty fast,” he recalled. Achieving that time in a car requiring little maintenance was bliss; he’d managed to invest minimally and still extract plenty of performance. This was before he decided to wander off into the land of diminishing returns on his investment.

The last of the basic bolt-ons was aero. After throwing some of the APR catalog at the car, Peter was astounded with how well the once-ponderous front end would turn.

Adding power and a set of Brembo F40 brakes helped Peter lap Buttonwillow 13CW in 1:51.

But respectable isn’t really that satisfying in the short term, so Peter, carried away by his curiosity, decided to increase power. A succession of different turbos, an AEM standalone, high-lift cams, and minor porting eventually brought the power output to 390, but not before he went through a few engines.

It wasn’t that the hikes in power—each new motor made about fifty more than the last—stressed them to the failure point. Actually, the most powerful iteration lasted ten events before it spun a rod. Little did he know that slapping on a set of Pirelli scrubs and running the banking at Auto Club Speedway was denying the SR its lubrication. This happened three times, and every time he spun a rod, he just grabbed a new powerplant and got on with it. To be fair, this was easier to do when an engine could be found for a fifth of what they’re worth today.

However, the regular rebuilds challenged Peter’s patience. Seeking a more reliable motor that could produce more power safely, he started weighing the options. The weight and accessibility of the LS tempted him briefly, but a friend who’d just parked their fourth-generation Supra offered him its engine for a friends-only price. Again, it was Peter’s frugality that helped this “deal” along, and soon he had the Supra’s straight-six in his possession.

Unlike the SR, the 2JZ-GTE requires a lot of work when fitting it into an S-chassis’s engine bay, but with various sponsorships, he could make the transition to straight-six power pleasantly. AEM provided the ECU, Beau Brown tuned the engine, Kaizen Motorsports handled the wiring and plumbing, and HeliarcWorks did the fabrication; much of the front was tube-framed to compensate for the 2JZ’s weight. To safeguard himself from the starvation issues he’d dealt with before, he added a baffle and eventually an Accusump.

“It’s not laggy enough!” he laughed.

This time, he wanted to ensure the motor wouldn’t be the weak link. After mounting the radiator in the rear and a massive intercooler up front, he laid them both at 45° angles and devised all the ducting needed to ensure a steady supply of cool air.

The issue was no longer reliability. Instead, it was power—or too much of it. The oversized 90mm throttle body, log manifold, and hefty Comp 6467 turbocharger caused boost to hit like a steam hammer low in the rev range. With 450 lb-ft available at 3,500 rpm and a spiky delivery, the engine made far more than what the car and driver could realistically handle.

The lack of drivability forced Peter to try a few solutions: 295-section rear tires, a larger APR GT1000 wing, and better tires. These helped, but since the wheelspin was worst at lower speeds, he tried toying with the alignment.

Actually, he studied it. After installing a set of Powered by Max drop knuckles, he threw the car up on an alignment rack and started analyzing. These corrected camber and toe gain on compression and improved the control arm angle, resulting in optimized traction and reduced tire wear, but as the footage below shows, it’s still an animal.

Peter has decided to try a new platform and is selling this amazing car. Those interested can check the listing here.

James Snell's Supercharged S2000: Bold is Better

Four years ago, James hadn’t even considered tracking a car. Though he was definitely a dedicated gearhead, he preferred lowriders and rock crawlers, mainly. Some of his friends had taken the track day plunge, however, and a few of them were adamant he branch out a bit.One Saturday morning, he drove out to Streets of Willow with a few eager buddies and everything changed.

The giddiest of his friends also had good taste; he brought his S2000 along and threw James the keys. He also had trust and good manners—he only asked that James bring it back in one piece. The casual introduction had clearly had an effect, because, just one month later, James had bought one for himself.

Good Hands

It was no ordinary S2000, either. This AP1 was previously owned by a Ballade Sports employee, so it’d been given lots of love and attention. Along with some choice body modifications, it came fitted with KW V3s, a square set of RPF1s, an exhaust, an intake, a halo-style seat, and an F22C motor with roughly 40,000 miles. For someone dipping their toes in the water, James couldn’t have been luckier—the price he picked this one up for would irritate a lot of prospective buyers these days.

The car came with an OEM AP2 front bumper and CR lip, a replica CR trunk wing, and a full carbon hardtop weighing only seventeen pounds.

As nicely sorted as this example was, the AP1 is not a forgiving car. “The first few times I drove it, I probably spent more time spun off-track than I was on-track, but I didn’t care. I set a 2:14 at Buttonwillow 13CW and I felt like a rock star. I may’ve been going off a few times every event, but—and I can’t stress this enough—I was having the time of my life.”

“My motto then was: ‘If you’re not spinning, you’re not trying.”

However, he adapted rapidly. “Smooth is fast in that car. The more I softened my inputs, the better the car responded. My lap times fell, and I set my sights on a pretty significant goal early on. The aim was to set a Buttonwillow 13CW lap under two minutes on 200TW tires without the help of any aero.”

As James learned, trimming the first few seconds is easy. Three years passed before he was able to whittle his times down to something nearing his goal, but he didn’t care too much. Again, the thrill of driving and learning the nuances of the S2000 were the wind in his sails.

One of his biggest hurdles with the car was learning how to gel with its nervous behavior. “I was usually leaving some on the table because the rear was on a knife edge,” he said. It would give him the willies when the S2000 would rotate at higher speeds, but James realized that he had to suppress his instinct to lift his right foot. Backing out in that situation doesn’t always work well in this very pointy car.

After getting enough experience with the car’s edginess at higher speeds, he returned to Buttonwillow on a set of A052s which were well past their prime. Even after spinning the car six times, he didn’t falter. That day, he was determined to find those last few tenths.

When he saw a 1:59.7 appear on his AiM Solo, he whooped. “I went from setting a 2:14 in the same car, essentially. Sure, I moved from a Nexen to an Advan, but the car was identical otherwise. That gave me the permission, if you like, to take the next big step with this car.”

Forget Incremental Improvements

At this point, James was nearing his sixtieth track day in the car. To give it a commemorative special touch, he decided to douse it in a shade of green most often seen on Porsches. “I’d wanted a GT3 RS in Lizard Green, but I couldn’t justify the cost—I could buy a duplex for that money.”

Getting the professionals to paint it that color wasn’t cheap, either. Instead of forking out enough to buy two new motors, he set up a makeshift paint booth in his garage, studied YouTube, spent a thousand in materials, and gave it a whirl.

Not surprisingly for a car with such battle-worn exterior, prep took far longer than anything else. So much of the original panels were beaten beyond the point of sensible continuation. In the place of the old panels, he added J’s Racing front fenders and rear bumper, as well as a set of ASM rear over fenders. Over the course of four months, he spent three-hundred hours replacing panels, sanding, and swearing. The painting itself only took a few hours.

Then came a Voltex Swan Neck and a Racebred Components 3” front splitter. Along with the aero, he added a set of JRZ RS Pro coilovers and a Karcepts front sway bar which made a “night and day difference—it was almost a new car. I think the V3s were well past their prime, and I might’ve handicapped myself with those. When I finally got the right equipment, I immediately dropped my best at 13CW to a 1:55.7.”

Ready for Some Overdue Jam

The motor had been through the ringer and in July 2020, the motor dropped a valve. He spent the summer rebuilding another 2.2-liter Honda short block with a Port Flow Design cylinder head built by Tom Fujita. With Supertech dual springs, valves, and retainers, he’d be able to beat on it without worry. However, it was still lacking a little jam.

For that reason, he unsheathed his credit card one Black Friday and ordered an HKS GT2 Supercharger. That was the first of many modifications needed to double an F22C’s output.

With the guidance of Son Vo and FormulaS, the new engine package was fortified with a V-mount intercooler, plenty of ducting, 1300cc injectors, an AEM V2 ECU, and all the custom piping needed to keep the motor running cool.

Plans for a Forced Induction Future

The beauty of this supercharged motor is that it will remain as tractable as it was pre-blower, but with nearly twice the power at the top-end. Because of its linearity, it should be tractable, even with the stock differential.

To ensure over 400 horsepower is put to the pavement cleanly, he’s also widened the footprint a little with a set of Titan7 T-R10 wheels measuring 18X10.5”. Though he hasn’t settled on a specific tire, he’s thinking a square set of 295-section Hoosier A7s. Not only will the car put the power down, but it will stop in a fashion that might let him reuse his original braking points. Well, maybe.

“After seventy-five track days, I’m still ear-to-ear. Actually, I’m like a kid on Christmas the day before a track day. I purposely don’t drink caffeine from noon onwards so I can sleep. It doesn’t really work; I end up getting up at 3 AM and watching racing videos on YouTube until I leave.”

“What I’m looking forward to more than anything is that, once I pass Sunset, I’ll no longer feel like checking my e-mails.”

With the major drop in time he enjoyed after the last big step in modification, maybe his new goal of a 1:49 at CW13 is in the cards. Whether it is or isn’t, it’s certain that he’ll be grinning the whole way there.

Joey's Yaris: Giving the Family Car a New Lease on Life

Joey Rassool was bitten by the racing bug quickly after buying an FR-S a few years ago. Being a deep thinker and someone who never does anything by half-measures, he decided to take an abrupt left turn. Not everyone would see the sense in making the FR-S his daily and the automatic Toyota Yaris the track tool, but he had his reasons.

“I recognized the reality of modifying a car extensively—something I really wanted to do—and so I figured I’d keep the FR-S untouched. I had the family Yaris to play with, and since my siblings were done with it—it was a first car for most of us—I wanted to give it a new lease on life.”

It wasn’t convenience alone that drove Joey to choose the Yaris. After watching an SCCA H-Production race at 2014 Runoffs, he saw that this underrated econocar had real racing potential. So, without much hesitation, he and his brother Sam started modifying the Yaris for autocross. Tein coilovers, 15x8” Konig Hexagram wheels, 205-section Hankook RS4 tires, and a set of Hawk HPS pads were all it needed. A mild dent in the wallet later, they had a machine that would rotate better than most.

If there was one thing holding them back on the cone courses, it was the Yaris’ automatic transmission. Over the winter of 2019, he and Sam threw in a five-speed with an ACT clutch, and while the subframe was removed, they added stainless steel brake lines and new control arm bushings. Sadly, the fruits of their labor wouldn’t be enjoyed for another year.

Cheap seats, sticky tires, and a few bolt-ons were all this featherweight needed.

When COVID died down at the beginning of 2021 and they could finally get back on the track, they took it to the Streets of Willow, where the nose-heavy Yaris revealed a few of its flaws. “I really wasn’t familiar with how it would transfer its weight,” Joey began. It’s not hard to understand why the little Toyota was too happy to spin in the first chicane on the second lap.

“I really hadn’t changed much in the car then—it was all trial and error. I had a Whiteline rear swaybar in place that made the car just a little too twitchy. I started sorting the car out there. In fact, the whole setup problem—not a lot of people track these cars—has been like that. To get my first pointers, I had to consult some of the Honda guys to get an idea of what a car like this needs to go fast.”

“I realized it wasn’t the perfect platform in terms of weight distribution, but at least the problems happened at lower speeds,” he added.

A little twitchiness didn’t keep Joey from diving in headfirst. That year, he ran four of the five events of the TRD Series. The competition there encouraged him to find an ideal setup quickly, and with a set of stiffer BC Racing coilovers, he was able to counteract some of the nose dive and keep the short-wheelbased platform from rotating too much.

The Yaris may only make 100 horsepower, but it’s light. He went to great lengths putting this car on a diet; scrapping lots of the superfluous bracketry, interior, and even the heater core. Now, it weighs a little under one ton sans driver.

To capitalize on the cornering potential of such a light car, he consulted Chewerkz and added a set of shims to the rear as well as some eccentric bolts up front to achieve the camber figures he was after. Aftermarket being what it was, he had to rely on homebrewed ingenuity.

The resulting agility means minimal braking—in fact, this is a critical part of driving. “From the Bus Stop through to Phil Hill, I’m basically flat the whole time. This is a car which forces you to conserve momentum; braking as little as necessary, taking a shorter line when possible, and minimizing tire scrub.”

He’s still aiming to improve the balance. An LSD might solve some of the inside wheelhop and a Scion XB final drive should make the car peppier if not quicker. Its cornering forces cause fuel cutting in the quicker bends, so he plans on adding a baffle kit.

That list of mods might help his performance, which is already impressive for someone with only a dozen track days under their belt. This year, he finished fourth in the TRD Series. Plus, he’s aware that, at this stage, he could do more by working on his driving technique.

“Figuring all this out without much aftermarket support has been challenging, but the car is cheap enough to justify the trial and error. It’s been enlightening, too. Now, I think I understand concepts much better than I used to,” he added.

With this Yaris build, there’s the right mentality and the right sentimentality—he’s driven this car since high school—which makes me think they should go far.

MAXXIS TIRES SPEEDSF CHALLENGE (ROUND 5) AT BUTTONWILLOW RACEWAY - JUNE 27, 2021

INTRODUCTION

WOW was it a hot day! With temperatures hitting upwards of 106 degrees, it surely was going to be an interesting day at the track, coupled with a small group of drivers this round. Though the day started fast and ended just as fast, it was great to see some new faces on the podium! Buttonwillow is always a time for good fun!

CLASS S1

Gary Wong switched it up yet again for this round of the Challenge, this time bringing back the GR Supra and decimating the other drivers in his class thanks to a 1:52.746 lap time. Meanwhile, 2nd place podium was taken up by Kenton King in a 2016 Porsche GT4 Clubsport and a 1:54.488 for his efforts. Thomas Lee took 3rd place on the podium, though he was VERY close to getting 2nd place. However, a 1:54.654 is still good for a 2019 Porsche 718 GT4 Clubsport. More seat time = shaving down the tenths!

CLASS S2

Two drivers, two podium placers - easy peasy! It was Gary Yeung in the Dirty Mango S2000 who tore it up and just eeked by to get 1st place on the podium. A 1:53.289, literally just a gust of wind in the right direction, helped push the Mango faster over the line against 2nd place driver Kevin Schweigert who took his 2021 Supra to a 1:53.330. Mega battle between these two drivers at the top of their game!

CLASS S3

A little mistake after the fact here! At the time, it appeared Joe McGuigan was the only S3 participant on the grid so 1st place was ALL his with a 1:59.660 behind the wheel of his MR-S… HOWEVER, we had 2nd place driver Max Paolozzi join the fun. He took his 2013 Subaru over the line with a 1:59.727! Great work from Max and Joe here!

CLASS S4

Alex Shen done did it again! A 2:02.334 lap time all but guaranteed top step on the podium. He’s been putting in the work behind the wheel of his 2002 Honda S2000 and it shows! This is the 2nd time he’s won a round this season and it’s been great to see his progress improve immensely. Keep up the great work, Alex!

In a not-so-distant 2nd, Artem Rakhov’s efforts behind the wheel of his 1998 BMW M3 were rewarded thanks to a 2:02.891 lap time, a great show!

Justin Sacbibit, our 3rd place driver, threw in a 2:04.889 lap time for good measure in some kind of 2000 Honda (probably an S2000).

CLASS S5

Another winner winner chicken dinner all alone on the podium! Patryk Skowronski-Stec took his 1997 Miata around the hot asphalt of Buttonwillow and cruised to a 2:07.995 lap time, unbothered by anyone else!

CONCLUSION

Excellent work by the drivers who took their places on the podium! THANK YOU to everyone who participated on a FLAMING HOT Sunday at Buttonwillow! There will be many opportunities to chase podium finishes. This can be achieved with more seat time, coaching, and watching videos of how to attack the track!

Round 6 will be held at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on July 2. We look forward to more close finishes among the drivers! It won’t be as hot as Buttonwillow, but be prepared anyways! We truly appreciate our sponsors and participants and we are forever thankful as all of this would not be possible without them.

Thank you to our sponsors Maxxis Tires, Wine Country Motorsports, Titan7 Wheels, and Charles Schwab for their continued and valued support. Please visit their respective websites to show your support and let them know SpeedSF sent you!

SPEEDSF CHALLENGE - NOVEMBER 27 - ROUND 10 @ BUTTONWILLOW RACEWAY

INTRODUCTION

Our famous Black Friday event still lives on even during this dumpster fire year of 2020. Seems like some drivers are afraid of the SpeedSF Challenge at this track as much as they’re scared of taking home some fine Buttonwillow dirt, for only 15 drivers decided to take on the Challenge and prove just how fast they can navigate this motorsport oasis.

CLASS S1

Gordon Peng went solo this round but managed to claim the fastest time out of the entire Challenge group with his 1:52.314 lap time. That C5 Z06 of his has some magic for sure!

CLASS S2

Gary Yeung took 1st and only place in the Fast and Dirty Mango, posting a 1:53.495 lap time JUST BARELY beating the S2 class lap record at BW by .004 of a second when Ken Xu threw the hammer down in his RX-7 FD back in June of 2019. A lucky gust of wind blew Gary Yeung over the line, for sure! Great job on the new class lap record - standard fare, really.

CLASS S3

Finally, more than 1 driver in this class! With a whopping 5 drivers, for S3, we were able to see some diversity (yay!) in lap times and car selection. David Fitz-Randolph took home 1st place while beating the previous class lap record of 1:55.093 previously set by Randy Chen who drove a Honda S2000 back in June 2019. David’s time of a 1:53.962, is a record that may stand for quite a long time!

in 2nd place, Gary Wong in the 2004 Honda STayThousand put down a 1:55.423, putting him firmly ahead of 3rd place driver John Lee and his E36 M3. For John’s efforts, he put in a 1:56.521 lap time which is also a very nice pace!

CLASS S4

No record-breaking times here but still valiant efforts displayed by all three drivers in this 4-challenge lineup. Billy Jang took home 1st place by driving his Honda S2000 to a 2:00.255 lap time, while 2nd place was taken home by Christopher Anderson who put in a 2:01.529 lap time. 3rd place driver channeled his inner Senna by putting in a 2:07.581 while driving a bone-stock 2017 Subaru BRZ. Great driving by all three participants!

CLASS S5

MR2s are definitely the better Miata, as demonstrated by 1st place podium placer Tony Rodriguez who drove the MR2 to a 2:01.05 lap time and beat King Tang’s previous class lap record in an NA Miata, a record that had stood since November 2019. Awesome driving!

2nd place was taken home by a Miata owner-turned-Civic owner, cashing in on a 2:04.932 lap time while sitting behind the wheel of his EG Civic hatch (faster than he ever drove in his Miata around Buttonwillow, might we add), while 3rd place was taken home firmly by Zoe Downing, who was in no way challenged at all by 4th place driver Zeeshan Khan who only shows up to the Black Friday events.

CONCLUSION

Excellent work by our drivers who won their places and set new class lap records! THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the SpeedSF Challenge on a pleasant Sunday. For those who are still chasing podium finishes, more seat time, coaching, and watching videos of how to attack the track will certainly get you there!

Rounds 11 and 12 will be here soon! Our next SpeedSF Challenge will be a double-header hosted at Thunderhill Raceway (East) on December 12th and 13th! Round 11 will be on the Cyclone configuration while Round 12 will be on the Bypass configuration. It’s going to be a great weekend to cap off the SpeedSF Challenge season. We truly appreciate our sponsors and participants and we are forever thankful as all of this would not be possible without them! 

Thank you to our sponsors Wine Country Motorsports, Titan7 Wheels, Necksgen, and Charles Schwab for their continued and valued support. Please visit their respective websites to show your support and let them know SpeedSF sent you!

SPEEDSF CHALLENGE - NOVEMBER 29, 2019 - ROUND 13 @ BUTTONWILLOW RACEWAY

INTRODUCTION

Ah, Black Friday. There are those that get up early in the morning to blow away their money on frivolous retail deals while jumping over each other and causing general chaos, and then there are those who get up early in the morning to blow away their money on gas, consumables, try outdo each other on a race track, and cause controlled chaos. The latter sounds a bit more attractive.

What else is there to do after Thanksgiving other than to join the SpeedSF Challenge at Buttonwillow Raceway for the annual Black Friday event? 21 drivers certainly thought it was a good idea to join the party! With 3 new broken records, it made for an entertaining post-holiday event!

CLASS S1

A guy with a last name that barely anyone can pronounce piloted a German car that blew away the American cars that trailed behind who were, admittedly, only a few seconds behind on pace :D. Will Wattanawongkiri (Team WWR) took home 1st place with a blistering lap of 1:51.009, beating out Dan Avon’s previous lap record of 1:51.706 which was set back on 11/25/16! Pablo Marx took home 2nd place in his C6 Corvette with a lap time of 1:52:028 while Gordon Peng took home 3rd place in some 2-door Chevy thanks to a 1:54.210 lap time. Great job to everyone in this class!

CLASS S2

2 entrants, 2 winners! As usual, Gary Yeung in the Dirty Mango S2000 took home 1st place with his 1:54.572 lap time while Svilen Kanev took home 2nd place thanks to his 2:02.318 lap time settled while behind the wheel of a 2018 BMW 240i. Very good!

CLASS S3

S3’s 5 drivers were within striking distance of each other and the top three drivers were each around a second away from the next person up! 1st place driver Edwin Pham piloted his 2002 BMW M3 to greatness thanks to a 1:55.762, which was roughly 0.700 seconds away from the 1:55.093 S3 lap record set by Randy Chen in his 2004 Honda S2000 back earlier this year during our event towards the end of June. 2nd place was none other than Gary Wong in his Tay Tay S2000. Together they put down a 1:56.580 lap time while 3rd place Tony Rodriguez was just over a second behind in his own 2004 Honda S2000! Great driving put on display by these S3 drivers!

CLASS S4

You’d think the guy in the racing suit would take home 1st place, but it’s actually the grinning dude in the middle with a cheater-spec FR-S. Go figure. Not only did Joe and the FR-S take home 1st place, but he also broke the 1:59.104 S4 lap record once held by Sohan Kota in his 2000 Honda S2000 during the SpeedSF Challenge on 06/30/2019! Joe’s lap for this round was a 1:58.121, shattering the record by almost a full second! Good job big man!

2nd place went to David Fitz-Randolph with his built-not-bought 1995 Mazda Miata thanks to a 2:01.438 lap time while Joe Kuo put down a 2:03.720 lap time in his PTS Bright-AF-Blue 1999 Porsche Spec Boxster to round out the podium in 3rd place!

CLASS S5

The S5 “#YATALIFE” Class featured, would you believe it, all Miatas! 6 Miatas made it to the track, but only 3 made it on the podium. Seriously we should just have a Spec Miata class in addition to S5 for the “others”.

Featured on the podium were two regulars and some dude who only appears at SpeedSF events on Black Friday. The King, King Tang, took home 1st Place, beat his previous S5 lap record of 2:02.737 set back on 11/23/18 AND showed up for the podium ceremony for the first time in 2019. What a Thanksgiving treat! He put down a 2:01.430 lap time in his NA Miata, while 2nd place Scott Smith put down a “close, but no cigar” lap time of 2:01.551 in the “I eat motors for breakfast” Black Mamba Miata.

3rd place and relatively unknown, Zeeshan Khan, drove his 1994 Miata as if he hadn’t lost a step and earned himself a 2:07.293 lap time. Not bad driving for a guy who refuses to track his S2000.

CONCLUSION

An excellent job to our drivers who won their places and THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the SpeedSF Challenge! For those who are still chasing podium finishes, more seat time, coaching, and watching videos of the track will certainly get you there!

As we look forward to Round 14 (THE FINAL ROUND) of the SpeedSF Challenge at Thunderhill Raceway East on December 15, we want to say that we truly appreciate our sponsors and participants as it would not be possible without them! 

We thank our sponsors Wine Country Motorsports, G-Loc brakes, Titan7 Wheels, Necksgen, and Charles Schwab for their continued and valued support. Please visit their respective websites to show your support and let them know SpeedSF sent you!

Again, our next SpeedSF Challenge will be held at Thunderhill Raceway East in Willows, CA. Again, please check out the event website by clicking here. We will see you at our next event!