street car gone road race(kinda a build?)

[gotovato]

I like to read through builds while at work, so i thought id post up my story for others to read through. Not sure if this can be considered a build or not, but figured it would be ok for me to post up here. here we have my 2011 mazdaspeed 3, purchased in late december of 2016. I bought the car after my last car was written off in a hit and run parked on the street out front my house. I purchased my speed3 off a shop owner who i have now become good friends with. the car was modified when i bought it, including a cobb RMM, cobb downpipe, auto tech HPFP internals, access port v3, cobb turbo inlet, ST coilovers, and a set of wheels i was planning to buy for my last car, RPF1's 17x9 +45 with 255/40/17 bridgestone re71r tires.





when i purchased the car, the show owner had a used GT3071 he was willing to do free install on if i purchased it from him. after a little thought, and seeing all the great reviews on this shops work i decided to go for it as the deal was just too good. also upgraded to an HTP 3.5" intake at this time, and installed a damond catch can.


The car also had a leaky rear main seal and part of the deal of me buying the car was that the seal would be replaced for free, and it was! took this opportunity to upgrade the clutch cause why not, free labor! went with an ACT street clutch.



the car was dyno tuned by a local shop who was well know for tuning subaru's. the tune was ok. the car was on the stock top mount, which was heat soaking very very quickly on the dyno, also the factory bpv started leaking, so boost was kept to 19psi and the car remained like that until i was able to go fmic.


living in Canada it was actually cheaper(once you factor in exchange, duties, shipping) to have fmic piping made for the car then to purchase any of the available kits.

went with a mishimoto J-line core as it was cost effective and should be able to keep up with my power goals


after the fmic the car went back on the dyno we a new forge bypass valve. i made a little extra power, up from 271whp, to 305whp and 350wtq at 19psi with the fmic and new bypass valve. At this point, the clutch started to slip. well so much for that upgraded ACT clutch. Turns out the rear main seal was leaking again. the shop replaced the rear main for me again, and this time i went with an ACT 6 puck.




after the 6 puck went in, the car remained the same for the rest of 2017. being stored over winter until it was brought out this summer, 2018. the tune it was on was OK, but the power curve sucked, so much torque but it dropped off pretty early. i knew there was more to be had, i also decided i wanted to start road racing the car alot, and that meant id like a better tune. this summer i decided to finally go with an etuner, and thats when Nishan started tuning my car, but not before all the problems i ran into after pulling it out of storage...

[gotovato]

So, i pulled the car out in april, after the last of the snow and ice had gone, and started working on getting it sorted for my first time attack event ever. it was a disaster. the car was consistently over boosting and crashing into boost cut at 22+psi. i only had a stock map sensor so im not sure how far past 22psi it got but when i looked at a few logs, IDC was maxing around 91 so i figured i was probably safe. time came to chase down my over boost issue. spent a week freaking out thinking it was boost creep or something like that, didnt even think to check the basics until i decided to try bypassing the ebcs and just running spring pressure. thats when i found this broken line off of boost reference to waste gate.



then came the next issue, while testing the car, i was getting some serious serious spark blow out. great, more trouble. at this point, i had about a month and a week until my first event may 26th. i dont daily the car and its parked out of town, so its a bit of a drive to get to. really only work on it during the weekends. so another week went by. being SURE this was just spark blow out, i got myself some NGK LTR7IX-11 to replace my denso itv22, and problem solved! no more blow out. gap on the densos was way out, around at 33, from the 25 that they went in at, they had alot of KM on them so figured they were just dead. new NGK at 0.026 took care of that issue



my buddies/mechanics rx8. bone stock motor, highly highly modified suspension. turns a very quick lap for 160whp and 120wtq
had a great time out there, and quickly quickly learned, power means NOTHING compared to driver mod. more on that later





so the day was great, car performed well for what it is, but REALLY needed some camber, some better coils, and more then anything, driver mod.

this event lead me to my next issue, which ended up being tune related, but any wot pulls were resulting in AFRs in the 9s and even 8's. BATs were not a problem, hanging out around 43c, coolant temp was also OK, so i had no clue what the issue was. the guy who tuned me had 0 idea what it could be even with the logs i sent him. i had a strong feeling it was tune related, my shop thought maybe a bad o2 sensor. either way, i had to get this sorted out

[gotovato]

so, my rich at wot issue turned out to be the 2.5 load cap. i had no idea. i spent a few days looking at those logs wondering what the hell could be going on. looked at everything. Guess i didnt look close enough at load. It wasnt until I emailed the logs to Nishan and he got back to me letting me know it was the 2.5 load cap and would be remedied when we tuned the car. so, with event one completed it was time to finally get ready for my etune with Nishan. I went over the whole car. cleaned up my maf, replaced orings on the maf to intake, on my bypass valve, boost leak tested, smoke tested, and went over all clamps. everything was solid and ready to go.



finally after waiting a while for Nishan to have a spot available to get my tune started, he managed to open up one spot to get my started as he knew i was in need of some good quality tuning. and so it began. First step, get a 3.5 bar map in the car. went with the corksport 3.5 bar. Flashed the base map on, and away i went. maf cal logs, idle logs, 4th wot logs. all the fun stuff. never having done the maf logs it took me a few tries to get it smooth but i got it. 4th wot felt so slow but thats spring pressure for you.

[gotovato]

So the base map already had a the car feeling completely different. Nishan mentioned to me he had a specialized throttle calibration he includes which makes throttle input incredibly smooth, and this was greatly appreciated. My previous tune had sort of an on off switch effect for power. at part throttle i got not much of anything but once i passed a certain point it was full boost. There was no part throttle part boost. i noticed while on track with my other tune that it was either not enough throttle for corner exit and i would be slow, or it was full boost and i was just ripping tires off and under steering like crazy. this is not ideal. With Nishans map, the control is amazing. little throttle, little boost. Little more throttle, little more boost. it was great.





The other MASSIVE difference i noticed was in part throttle KR. My previous map, the part throttle KR was ridiculous. anywhere from 2-6 KR while just putt putting around. WOT was ok, but part throttle, and downshifting, KR was crazy. i was also explained that PT knock was an OK thing, and was normal so i never worried about it. but now, with Nishans maps, ive been getting none. like 0. little tip in KR maybe, the ODD PT KR, but NOTHING like before. im actually mind blown on the difference. its awesome.

well my base map was flashed and the logging began. heres the vdyno from my base log. Also keep in mind, im running NO meth, NO E85. this is strickly 94 pump gas. I dont have E85 anywhere, and am looking to avoid meth for the time being.

[gotovato]

so, i dont have a good vdyno for the second revision since the road was either not flat enough, or i hit a bump or something and it messed it up pretty bad. i find vdyno can be pretty finicky with me, and i do by logs on a few different roads. the best road is near my house, but thats a bit of a drive from where the car is stored at the shop and the roads around the shop arent the best, but theyre good enough for wot logs!

Here's revision 3

[gotovato]

the difference in the top end is what the butt dyno is noticing most. it now feels like it just continues to pull up top vs on the previous tune dying up top like a stock turbo. it doesnt run out past 5500rpm like it did before. im also down 50 wheel torque compare to my old tune, but it feels so much better now. much much faster. i can really ring it out. before i use to shift if around 5500rpm - maybe 6000rpm. now i just want to keep revving it. what a difference!



so, after revision 3, comes revision 4. still feeling strong. loving the way the car pulls now.
not making huge power here, but driving feel is so much better, and as this tune began i made sure
Nishan knew my intentions were to have a track safe tune i could beat on lap after lap without issue. Reliability was the goal and at this power level, with some driver mod, the car should be able to be VERY competitive in the class i race in.

[gotovato]

this brings me to my current race map, although the tune is still not complete and im currently rolling around on revision 6, Nishan has deemed revision 5 SAFE for track duty and i have been running it. on the street, revision 5 feels a good amount slower then revision 6, so i cant wait to hit the track with revision 6 once im given the OK.

[gotovato]

here weve got some footage from the track last week. got some go pro footage, and a potato clip my GF took of me chasing down a 450whp fully built STI. i felt a little bad for that 450whp STI. i was on him pretty bad in the technical parts, so much so he tried to run away from me and lost it off track on the hair pin. wish i had that clip. that did help me though as the guy wouldnt let me pass on the straight away even though i would quickly reel him in on the technical parts and get stuck behind him putting along. track etiquette anyone? either way, it was a great day for mazdaspeed victory. also turns out that civic was fully bolted and custom tuned, making some decent NA power. i was able to hunt him down pretty quick though and with power to pass that thing, didnt have to worry about getting stuck behind him if he wouldnt let me pass.




playing around with some hondas here

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[Neverlift]

Them Honda's were 20 feet from any of the apexes.

Do you run in a Time Trial or Time Attack street tire based class?

[gotovato]

So this year was my first time on track. I competed in a time attack event called OTA which is one of our local series. I plan to compete in a full season of CSCS next year which is our big time attack event over here. I'd be in production class which is a 200tw street class. Technically with my mods I could move into street class but I'd be out powered by k20 turbo civics. Hard to compete with those.

[gotovato]

just for anyone curious about my track focused mods, as of now theres nothing crazy. RPF1 rims, +35 offset up front, +45 rear, bridgestone re71r 255/40/17 have been my go to tires for the time being(will probably switch to hankook rs4 for next season), stop tech steel braided brake lines front and rear, stoptech 660 fluid, hawk HP+ pads front and rear, blank centric rear rotors, slotted stop tech front rotors, white line rear bar, corksport camber plates, and that basically sums up "track" mods.

[gotovato]

Things still left to install? well, ive got a sparco sprint L seat to install, mishimoto oil cooler, and SPC rear camber arms.

future mods? the goal for next season is to have a proper custom coilover setup built for the car. chasing one avenue there with the help of my shop. also, maybe a more aggressive brake pad. the hawk HP+ is already as loud and as dusty a pad as you can get so going up from there will be a non issue. will also need to make some ducting for my fmic/rad as coolant temps definitely climb. might even have to upgrade the radiator, i guess well see.

(its a pretty stock looking speed3 but thats how i like it, no exterior mods unless they're functional !)

one clip from a track day this past saturday. sent it hard. car is performing very well. it was about 36c out there(97f) so the car was running a bit hot near the beginning of my track day peaking at 240c coolant temps, but no real KR, BATS remained below 54c(130f) lap after lap so i was happy with that. as the night progressed the temp dropped drastically. i was able to do a 25 minute full hot lap session with no cool down, coolant stayed below 106c(222f) and BATs below 43c(109f). car was pulling HARD. felt like a beast even though its under powered but most standards. got a lot of good footage to sort through, heres one short clip of me playing with a 370z i was able to catch. more video to come!

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[Neverlift]

The RS4 wont have the grip of the RE71R, but its within a second or so around most courses. The Nexen Sur4G (not Sur4) have been beating RE71R times recently, and seem to be fairly cheap in comparison.

I recommend moving to a Hawk DTC compound for a brake pad. They are much louder and dustier, but do an amazing job. I used to DD my car on the DTC 60/50, cold bite was still up to HP+ standards, and just get better and better the hotter they get.. The v2 compounds are said to be even better, so you may find sales on the older version currently.

You will want to monitor your oil temps, coolant temps are not a good indicator of the wear the engine is receiving... but based on a 240 coolant temp, I would not be surprised to see outrageous oil temps.

Do not run full 25 minute sessions until you can monitor the oil temps, just a fair warning that I give to all of my DE students. Never complete a session without having the time to properly cool down the car. I would compare it to sprinting a half marathon and sitting right on the finish line.

Dont worry at all about power. Driver mod will overcome any perceived power differences in a competition environment, so long as the competitors follow the rules laid out by the organization.

As for custom coilovers, your KWs are perfectly fine for now. I compete on off the shelf KWs w/ progressive springs, on 40TW, I have no issues crushing class records by multiple seconds (set by much faster cars)... Getting quality instruction/coaching, & seat time are going to be the most important things you could do right now. No mod will come close to the experience, and bang for buck.

Try to invest in a place to mount your camera (I use multiple RAM mounts in my track car). That helmet POV is tough to watch, and does not show your hand placement, and any of the potential bad habits we all need to break once we start driving on a race track.

Also, learn to rev match downshift. Practicing hand placement, downshifting, and LFB (advanced stuff), continuously, and developing that muscle memory before you get out onto a race track is critical.

[gotovato]

Originally Posted by Neverlift The RS4 wont have the grip of the RE71R, but its within a second or so around most courses. The Nexen Sur4G (not Sur4) have been beating RE71R times recently, and seem to be fairly cheap in comparison. I recommend moving to a Hawk DTC compound for a brake pad. They are much louder and dustier, but do an amazing job. I used to DD my car on the DTC 60/50, cold bite was still up to HP+ standards, and just get better and better the hotter they get.. The v2 compounds are said to be even better, so you may find sales on the older version currently. You will want to monitor your oil temps, coolant temps are not a good indicator of the wear the engine is receiving... but based on a 240 coolant temp, I would not be surprised to see outrageous oil temps. Do not run full 25 minute sessions until you can monitor the oil temps, just a fair warning that I give to all of my DE students. Never complete a session without having the time to properly cool down the car. I would compare it to sprinting a half marathon and sitting right on the finish line. Dont worry at all about power. Driver mod will overcome any perceived power differences in a competition environment, so long as the competitors follow the rules laid out by the organization. As for custom coilovers, your KWs are perfectly fine for now. I compete on off the shelf KWs w/ progressive springs, on 40TW, I have no issues crushing class records by multiple seconds (set by much faster cars)... Getting quality instruction/coaching, & seat time are going to be the most important things you could do right now. No mod will come close to the experience, and bang for buck. Try to invest in a place to mount your camera (I use multiple RAM mounts in my track car). That helmet POV is tough to watch, and does not show your hand placement, and any of the potential bad habits we all need to break once we start driving on a race track. Also, learn to rev match downshift. Practicing hand placement, downshifting, and LFB (advanced stuff), continuously, and developing that muscle memory before you get out onto a race track is critical.

hey thanks for all the input and advice! this being my first year out, ive already learned driver mod is the most important thing above all. ive seen the proof, i know driver mod is number 1. the car isnt going to be getting anymore power mods.

I was looking into the hawk DTC 60 as they are the only pad above HP+ that are offered for the car from hawk and i think i will pick up a set next season. the dust and noise doesnt really bother me, ive become numb to it.

I know the RS4 isnt as grippy but the price difference is significant and i believe they last longer. Whatever tire i run i need to make sure its approved for my class.

You think my KW V1 are ok for now ?

I have a mishimoto oil cooler to install, with an oil pressure gauage and an oil temp gauge. those will be installed for next year for sure.

the video where im chasing the 370z i spent most of that track day working on my heel toe downshifts, braking later, and trail braking. i found these make a HUGE difference in times and it really shows while catching people in the corners. again being my first year im a huge noob. ive had ONE lesson so far and it improved my time over 4 seconds which on this track is significant.


as far as go pro mount, i really do need to figure something better out

[Neverlift]

The V1 are sufficient for now. The extra control you will learn from the additional yaw, dive, squat, and roll with that setup will pay off huge when you go to a high end damper setup that handles those type of oscillations more efficiently. Since they lack valving adjustability, you will be able to focus more on your driving & inputs, rather than using damper adjustments as an excuse for why you missed an apex, a braking point, or went 4 wheels off. I havent touched the valving adjustments on my car in 3 events, I just show up and send it, and adjust my driving and inputs as necessary.

The sooner you can get the camera mount figured out, the sooner you can start to study your own videos, looking for things you could be doing to improve. I used to use dual suction mounts from amazon ($40), tethered by steel cable somewhere inside the car. Never lost a camera, but piece of mind having that tether.

[gotovato]

Wow. Thanks for the good knowledge. I always thought the suspension would be limiting my improvement but I never thought that I could learn with it. Maybe another year on these coils will do me some good. I'm ok with that!

At first I was using the camera to just capture some cool footage but as the summer progressed I noticed I could use the footage to study from so that is a good point. There just isn't a good place in my speed I can mount it where I can see my hands, as well as the track

[Neverlift]

Sure there is, driver side, rear door glass.

You can see the tether anchored inside the car on the B pillar, as well as my external mic cord in this ancient footage from an excellent angle. BTW, that lap had an average speed of 89.5mph on 205/55 street tires... and hardly any movement from the dual suction mount.

Also, consider picking up Harrys Lap Timer or whatever for your phone. I have been using it at every event for 2+ years, and my lap times, GPS speeds, segment data, etc available on my phone at all times, and can overlay video as well with it. Huge help finding "low hanging fruit" areas to improve in between timed competition sessions.

EDIT: Fat Gecko or Smatree, I forget which one I used for this video, but both worked just fine on track when using the glass for the suction point. The Fat Gecko fell off my buddies s2k hardtop, and I didnt want to spend that much to replace it... hence the much cheaper dual suction option which I still have, but no longer use cameras outside the car (rollbar). I would recommend the Fat Gecko personally... just remember to get this, and attach it to the mount somewhere. I use the adjustment wing nut thingys haha

[gotovato]

Originally Posted by Neverlift Sure there is, driver side, rear door glass. You can see the tether anchored inside the car on the B pillar, as well as my external mic cord in this ancient footage from an excellent angle. BTW, that lap had an average speed of 89.5mph on 205/55 street tires... and hardly any movement from the dual suction mount.

wow ok that looks great. what mount setup is that? i need to do something like that. i was worried about externally mounting it but i understand thats how alot of people do it


maybe something like this?

[gotovato]

my most recent map from Nishan. the car feels amazing, quicker then my last map for sure. Boost is coming in significantly quicker as well. feels great!