Round 4 GTA Pro Am Motor Massive Auto Club Speedway Infield
Back for Round 4 of Global Time Attack’s Pro Am Series at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana California. This event just like last year was coupled with Motor Massive. Motor Massive this year was not only an event for the Scion FRS/Subaru BRZ fan base, they also opened the car show up to just about every manufacturer. Motor Massive claimed upwards of 20 different venders and over 5000 spectators.
We prepped long and hard for this event, both cars went through some large transformations. Drivers Bryan and Steven Friday took what happened at the Round 2 GTA and came up with necessary upgrades needed to each vehicle. We were also joined by Project Import drivers Jorge Torres in his Street RWD 350Z and Bijan Jafari-Kashani in his Street RWD Honda S2000.
With our EK we continued to attack the suspension and steering for this event. We had previously shortened the front spindles, flipped the tie rods and added in Buddy Club extended ball joints and had been feeling a ton of tire rollover. So this event we threw on a different set of tires for their stiffer side wall. New WHITELINE front sway bar and our Project Import Honda catch can kit. We also put power steering back into the car and added a steering quickner.
With our Honda Civic EG, another engine replacement was needed after the last GTA event at Buttonwillow. But instead of continuing to throw stock blocks at the car we went a different route. We ended up finding a used Civic with a built motor in it. We quickly ripped the motor out of the donor and slapped a stock engine in it and sold it off. The block was sleeved with Arias pistons and Crower rods. We then took the built engine and tore it down. Bore, hone and resurfaced the new sleeved block. New piston rings, and ACL bearings, the motor was set. We were able to get the engine in the week before the event and get started up on a base map. We were unable to get the car fully tuned though due to time constraints.
Once out at the track we got setup waiting for the July California heat to engulf Fontana. Throughout the sessions both cars needed some attention. Driver Steven Friday was conveying that his tires were over heating in a matter of four to five laps. The tried and true almost stock EK was a champ though and Steven was able to push each session to place second for Street Class FWD with a time of 01:21.644.
Driver Bryan Friday was explaining how the current tune on the engine was not at all right and was lacking a lot of power. In the second session the wastegate boost line came off causing the car to over boost and go to protection scrapping that session. And in the second session of the day he also was saying the tires were getting over heated. All and all Bryan was able to place second as well for Limited Class FWD with a time of 01:20.231. This also places Bryan in first place over all in the GTA PRO AM.
Future plans for both cars are already being undertaken. For both cars new sets of 17” XXR wheels to fit 235/40R17 Federal tires are on their way. The Street Class Civic EK will be receiving a new cylinder head with Crower stage two camshafts and possibly some front aero for the Roval. The Limited class EG will back to E85 with a tune hopefully pushing 16psi boost. We are really excited for the next event with GTA at ACS again.
A big special thanks to our sponsors:
And a special thank you to Team Hope Motorsports!
