Half Mile Drag Racing Mazdaspeed – @halfmilespeed3 Goes to Indy

Can you believe it’s already August of 2021? It’s crazy how this year has flown by! Between the engineering projects at CorkSport and the racing with @halfmilespeed3…the weeks have become a blurr. BUT sometimes you just have to put your foot down and go racing. That’s what I want to tell you about.

Barett here, Driver of Halfmilespeed 3, where my goal is to race a 2009 Mazdaspeed 3 in the standing half mile. Much like the quarter-mile drag racing you have most likely seen or even participated in, but we stretch the race an extra ¼ mile and we race on no-prep airstrips. The added ¼ mile helps us reach speeds of 150+ up to 250mph for the crazy 2500whp builds. I’d like to invite you to see what’s happened with my 09’ Speed 3 over the last few months and what we hope to achieve at Shift Sector Indy this coming weekend (August 14^th – 15^th).

Let’s jump back to April 2021; the first race of the season at Coalinga CA. Like all the half-mile races I am participating in, this race was hosted by Shift Sector. If you want to check out Shift Sector more or see if they race you check it out here.

Anyways, the lesson learned was “Don’t change a bunch of shit on your car before the race”. I realize that’s extremely difficult it seems but trust me.

We nuked 3^rd and 4^th gear in my transmission Saturday AM because we thought it was a great idea to change the shifter assembly and cables a few days before the race. Those take time to get set up correctly or you can do damage…obviously. So, we found a used transmission locally (albeit a GEN 1 trans which is not ideal gearing) and got to work. By 330am (Sunday AM) we had the car running again and back in the trailer…off to the track by 8 am that morning.

Long story short, the car did drive off the trailer but then had an electrical issue that never let the car run again that day. The event was a bust…we eventually figured out the electrical issue was bad ground that was caused by the midnight transmission swap. Lesson learned!

The next event was a Roll Race hosted by Shift Sector down south at Willow Springs Raceway. I was excited to do my first roll race because we all know these cars are not great from a dig, but from a roll, they can really kick some ass.

If you haven’t done a legit (non-Mexico) roll race and get the chance…do it! It was an awesome experience and will be doing many more in the future. With that being said the race was held on the front straight of Big Willow Racetrack…so that meant we were lining up and launching at the exit of the last corner…that was interesting to say the least. The morning was four hours of practice and testing. The car was doing great, but the heat was really starting to wear on me and the car. By the end of practice, I was starting to see the heat really build up with 180+ degF intake temps and boost air temps in the 140+ degF range.

We let the car sit for almost a couple hours before the actual competition started. This helped alot, but damn was it still hot outside with ambient air temps over 100 degF. When my race came along I lined up with a 335i with a big single turbo and hood exit exhaust…we set off with a target hit speed of 40-50mph. Luckily this was right in the sweet spot for 3^rd gear and just a bit of brake boosting to hit the launch hard. As we got to the finish line the light flashed and we went for it….but the heat said nope.

Unfortunately my car stumbled and cut power. I went a bit to aggressive on the brake boosting and super-heated my boost air temps. This caused the ECU to pull power for a split second…just enough for the BMW to pull ahead.

Despite this I pushed forward and was reeling him in but there just wasn’t enough straight to catch him.

Video Link if Possible: “Built with Barett Episode 3”

Another lesson learned…I need to get my cooling in check before the next event. That next event is Shift Sector Indy. This is a standing half mile drag race at Marion Municipal Airport in Marion Indiana.

Image: shift-sector-indy-2021

As I write this, my Speed is sitting in a transport truck operated by English Racing along with nine other cars going to the same event. Quoting Myles Kerr @ English Racing…”4 GTR’s, 2 damn Honda’s, a Mazda, NSX, 570 and a 720.”

Yup, the Mazda is riding with the big boys. If I could take a guess, those two big rigs are holding upwards of 15,000+ whp of racecar…HOLY SHIT. I think my humble little Mazda is the only car not making 4 digit power…

Anyways, we made some changes for the Indy race for power, traction, heat control and reliability.

Heat killed us last time so let’s resolve that with a hole in the headlight (haha yes I said that) and force CO2 cooling on the intercooler.

So, to solve the high intake air temperature issue I cut a big ol’ hole in my headlight. Now I have a direct source of ambient air hitting the air intake system. Unfortunately, the CO2 cooling system did not arrive in time to get installed so let’s just hope it’s not so damn hot in Indiana.

For power and traction, I have finally moved from the restrictive stock ECU to the amazing Motec M142 ECU. With help from some awesome friends, I was able to get the Motec installed and running most of my desired auxiliary sensors (coolant pressure, oil pressure, PI fuel rain pressure, eMAP, EGT). There are two major benefits of Motec over the stock ECU (right now).

First, the Motec allows proper tuning control to 10k+ engine RPM whereas the stock ECU in the GEN1 flat lines control at 7k RPM. While the car/engine can rev out past 7k, the ECU stops actively controlling the tuning, and therefore power falls off. The new power band for the halfmilespeed3 carries to 8500rpm thanks to Motec and Justin @ Freektune!

Video Link if Possible: “Built with Barett Episode 4”

Just so you are aware, the engine is a complete CorkSport catalog build featuring an Overspeed Built Block (for 1000hp) with CorkSport manifolds, 4” intake, 3.5” exhaust, port injection fuel system and Kelford D camshafts. The turbocharger is still a stock flange CorkSport CST6.

So with that wish me luck and I hope to see you at the airstrip. Get out and drive your car…you don’t have to have a bonkers build and power number to compete and enjoy your Mazdaspeed. Go get a number and send it down a runway!

Image: how-to-race-your-mazdaspeed

Thanks for checking out the latest update with @halfmilespeed3. Follow on Instagram for more updates and checkout the live link for the Shift Sector Indy event in my bio.

Barett @ CS

September 25, 2018September 6, 2023

600hp Mazdaspeed 3 Build Path – CorkSport Barett’s 2009 Mazdaspeed

If you haven’t heard already, the CorkSport Dyno Day and Summer Event was a blast with food, friends, raffles, a Show-N-Shine, and the continuous string of dyno runs. The highlight of the dyno runs came when one of the CorkSport Engineers, Barett, put his car on the rollers. With a few minutes of warm up and anticipation building, it was finally time to see what the “CorkSport Speed” could do.

Getting past the ecstatic crowd to see the dyno screen showed an impressive 620whp/530wtq. Now, whether you were at the show or not, you may be wondering what Barett’s setup is to support these numbers. It’s not a short list but is simpler than you would expect.

In this blog, we are going to layout the WHOLE build to show you how your Mazdaspeed can make 600+whp.

The engine was built by CorkSport in preparation for setting up the Dankai Engine Program. It features Manley Connecting Rods and Platinum Pistons, head work very similar to the Dankai 2 Built Longblock, along with the CS BSD (balance shaft delete) and CorkSport Camshafts. Holding the block together are L19 head studs and ARP 2000 main studs.

To get the air in and out of the engine efficiently we have an assortment of bolt-on parts and some prototype parts because what kind of CorkSport R&D car wouldn’t have some prototype performance parts on it? To break this down in the simplest way possible we have laid out a full build list:

600hp Mazdaspeed 3 Build List:

CorkSport Built Engine:
- Manley Pistons – 0.5mm overbore @ 88mm
- Manley H-Beam Connecting Rods
- CS Balance Shaft Delete
- “Dankai 2” Ported Headed: Single Runner Intake, Bowl Work, Combustion Chamber Touch Up, Exhaust Porting
- CS Camshafts
- Stock Valve Springs (We would recommend upgrading these and plan to do so ourselves)

Bolt-Ons:
- CS HPFP Internals
- Cobb Accessport
- CS Intake Manifold (Coming Soon!)
- CS 72mm Throttle Body
- CS 3.5” Intake
- CS FMIC w/Big Core
- CS GEN1 Crashbar
- CS Dual VTA BPV
- CS CBE Exhaust
- CS Prototype “Bigger” Big Turbo (Check out pics below!)
- XS Power Exhaust Manifold (Soon to be replaced with a CS Prototype Exhaust Manifold)
- Depo Racing Catless Downpipe
Other Essentials:
- CS Stage 2 RMM
- CS Transmission Mount
- CS Passenger Motor Mount
- CS 51R Battery Box & ECU Relocation
- CS OCC Kit
- ACT 6-Puck Clutch w/Streetlight Flywheel
- N2MB WOT Box (Launch Control, Flat Foot Shifting, and Rev Limit)
- CS 13” Big Brake Kit (Because stopping all that power is a good idea mmkay)

Now, this isn’t the complete list, but it does lay out most of the essential parts to get your Mazdaspeed 3 over 600whp. You might have picked out a couple “prototype” mentions in that list above…well we can share a bit on the new CorkSport Mazdaspeed Turbo. You’ve seen the power it can make…and it still has some more left in it up top, now check it out some sexy billet and massive turbine.

Mazdaspeed 3 Turbo Turbine Closeup for 600+ WHP

Lastly, none of this power would be possible without the fuel to support it. As you may know already, the OE direct injection fuel system taps out around 380whp on an efficient build so how do we make another 240whp? Auxiliary fueling is the key my friends, and we recently posted a blog to help you explore Methanol Auxiliary Fueling that I invite you to read. To stay focused on Barett’s 600+whp build we have made an auxiliary fueling build list below:

Methanol Auxiliary Fueling 600hp Mazdaspeed Build List:

AEM Boost Based Pump Controller
Snow Performance 5 Gallon Cell Trunk Mounted w/CS Prototype Mounting Bracket
AEM 80 micron in-line filter pre-pump
ProMeth 220psi Pump (Essential for flowing this volume of methanol)
Snow Performance Solenoid
Devil’s Own 1in/4out distribution block
4x Devil’s Own 90degree nozzle holders
4x ProMeth Compact Check Valves (Essential for proper AFR control between shifts)
4x Devil’s Own D07 Nozzles (One per intake manifold runner; each flowing ~10gph)

Despite that this auxiliary fuel setup is providing the fuel required to support just over 600whp; it is at the ragged edge of what can be supported. Looking at the dyno graph further up you can see torque decline after 6000rpm and horsepower go flat. This is due to the auxiliary fuel system reaching its maximum fueling capacity and thus forcing us to reduce boost pressure as engine RPM goes past 6000rpm.

At this power level, true port injection auxiliary fueling is the correct step to take. Lucky for you guys and gals, we are currently exploring this path with our product R&D. We plan to give you guys and gals a full breakdown of our experience and how we built a full port injection auxiliary fuel system that can support over 600whp.

AND…I forgot to mention one very critical aspect of this entire build. Professional Tuning! This specific build was E-Tuned on the CorkSport in-house dyno by Dale Owen of Gem Tuning. E-Tuning is a great way to set up your car with the tuner that is the best suited for your platform and vehicle build because it doesn’t require the tuner and the vehicle to be in the same place at the same time.

Hang tight for more on the PI Auxiliary Fueling and thanks for tuning in with CorkSport Performance.

-Barett @ CS

July 31, 2018August 2, 2018

Join the Mazda Family

Oh man, where to start.

Day one, was a 6-hour drive from Utah to Boise Idaho. I was supposed to head out with a couple of other Utah guys, but they were not able to make it. I was on my own for 6 and the only thing going through my head was, “I’m on my own, driving to a town I know no one in, I have zero friends and that I’ll probably be the only Mazda 3 there”. I made it my goal to make friends wherever it is I go or else this was going to be a alone and this trip would have been a waste. As I get into town I settled into my Airbnb and decided to hit the town. I only saw one speed that night but I was anxious for the next day to go to the events start.

Day two, I went to this pancake house to grab some grub and I was shaking out of excitement. I head over to Keith’s house and see four speeds outside. I immediately knew I was in the right place. I walk up to Keith and welcomes me with open arms and announces I am the only Utah guy to show up this year. I start talking to everyone and get to meet everyone who shows up and I’m having a blast every one welcoming me to Idaho and the first takeover for me.

Keith announces we will be going to horseshoe bend. A canyon drive day one, one I will never forget. It was a beautiful sight the entire time. Brett hanging out of Corey’s MX-5 MSM taking beautiful shots of everyone’s cars and even a drone in the sky.

Later that day we head off to start our first competition of the weekend, go-karting. Name of the game fastest lap time wins a prize. I can’t remember who it was that won. Then that night was BBQ night and drinks all around. That’s when I got to meet everyone else who had shown up, share a couple of beers and enjoy the CorkSport koozies that were handed out.

Day three, I woke up in my car…well because of the night before.

Saturday was a slow and relaxed day of just hanging out in the garage hiding from the rain. While we hanging out in the garage some of the Oregon guys decided to adopt me and I can join them since I was the only Utahan. I also got to talk to Dale and pick his brain about tuning and learned a bunch about speed that I had no knowledge of as well. Later that night we head off to the raceway and I’m excited to see everyone run and see lap times everyone was laying down. There were a bunch of cool cars and Barett laying down some fast times on street tires.

Day four, the last day.

Everyone meets up to say their goodbyes, have a beer or two, share some last tales. The few people that have left a great memory for me where Keith, Jordan, Anthony, Aaron, Dale, Brett, Corey, and how could I ever forget Brian. As I head back to Utah with everyone on my mind and how my entire weekend went I wanted to turn around and just stay. I had made new Mazda Friends and Family.

Those four days were ones I could never forget. The feeling of being accepted into a group of people I didn’t know and didn’t necessarily fit in with was one that cannot be explained. It can only be experienced. When I came back to Utah, I couldn’t stop thinking about my vacation in Idaho. How it ended so soon. How it felt like I started a new life for just 4 days. I want next year to come sooner so that I may meet the friends and family I now have in Idaho, Washington, and in Oregon. Thank all of you again for the wonderful experience.

Oh yeah, by the way, I am making the drive to the CorkSport Dyno Day and Show & Shine on August 25th – Excited to see my new/old friends!

July 24, 2018July 26, 2018

CorkSport and Mazda Events

I absolutely love it when the fantastic humans at Corksport approach me to blog it up for them. So let’s dive right in, no time to waste.

August is kind of a sad month if you look at a calendar. No real holidays to speak of, it’s hot and miserable across the entire United States, and with the exception of Vigil of Assumption Day(whatever that is), August is kind of boring. But, look no further than the CorkSport’s Dyno Day, Show & Shine and Drag Racing on August 25th!!! It’s almost like Christmas in August. Free stuff, raffles, food and drink but most importantly, great people. Be sure to let them know if you are coming on their EVENT PAGE!

Oh, you forgot who I am. Well, I put on one of the craziest meets for us Mazda junkies. Mazda Takeover, yeah, I’m that guy that annoys you on the Facebook groups reminding you to come and have a weekend of a lifetime. You might be wondering what that has to do with a Corksport Dyno day? I will gladly tell you.

Corksport has gotten behind Mazdaspeed Idaho’s little shindig in a big way. You see, the good folks over at CS year after year make the trek, a pilgrimage if you will to Idaho for Takeover weekend. It’s only right that we return the favor! As soon as CorkSport announced their dyno day event, posts from Mazdaspeed Idaho members flooded our local page with questions, ideas, plans and straight up commitment to making the trip to CS in August.

I might be a little biased about the Mazdaspeed Idaho group being the best group of people ever, and they are. The cars in Mazdaspeed Idaho may not be showpiece material, nor are they the fastest on the planet, but us members love our Mazda’s as if they were show cars or all out HP cars.

Hell, one member sold his Gen 1 speed and within a year picked up a Gen 2 just because he loved the community more than the other community options given his other cars, so that’s saying something about not only the Mazda brand, his local Mazda community, but it says a lot about Corksport as well. Having owned his new Mazdaspeed 3 less than a week, he was the first to commit to wanting to go with the group that forms to the CorkSport dyno day! He is beyond excited to meet the people and see the building where his car part dreams come to fruition.

As of right now, I’m guessing Idaho will roll into Vancouver with 10-20 Mazda’s, which is a huge improvement over the 4 we took last year. I’m really looking forward to this event, mostly because it gives the Western Washington Mazdaspeed and Nator OR communities another group to bond with. Which is what Mazda should be about, forming and building a strong, unbreakable community that forges lifelong friendships through one shared passion. I really hope some California members make the trip as well. It’s always refreshing to see other Mazda’s, other ideas, and other builds.

I didn’t ask my boss, I told him I won’t be available because I have race car stuff to do with my race car family. And you all should tell your boss the exact same thing, and show up for one hell of a weekend out at Corksport.

See you @ CorkSport August 25th!

Keith Eggert

July 19, 2018

Dyno Numbers and You

We talk a lot about dyno testing and seeing improvements with CorkSport goodies but we rarely talk about what dynos are and why dyno testing should be a part of your build. While e-tuning using logs and v-dyno works great, tuning on a chassis dyno can be quicker and is a just a bit safer; since let’s be honest, 4th gear WOT pulls in your local area of “Mexico” can get a little sketchy sometimes. Keep reading on for some advantages of knowing your dyno numbers.

To start off, I wanted to share a little bit of knowledge of what a dynamometer (dyno for short) is and how they work. Dyno is a broad term for a machine that measures force, torque, or power. In the automotive world, we typically think of a chassis dyno that measures torque through the drivetrain of a vehicle, however, for high-level suspension tuning, shock dynos also exist. Now some of you may be surprised to hear that dynos measure torque, not horsepower. Torque is much easier to measure and can be easily converted to horsepower (HP equals torque times RPM divided by 5252 for those curious).

There are a couple names of dyno you have likely seen get thrown around: Dynojet, Mustang, Dynapack, and DynoTech to name some of the most common. Each measure power a little differently but for the sake of keeping things concise, each uses a known or controlled “resistance” to fight the vehicle’s torque that is being produced.

Dynojet and some Mustang dynos use a physically heavy drum while Dynapack, DynoTech, and other Mustang dynos use electricity or hydraulics to control the dyno’s “resistance”. Each type of dyno has its own set of advantages & disadvantages but the most important thing to remember is that they will read differently for the same vehicle. This means if you are getting your car tested or tuned on a dyno multiple times, be sure to use the same type, and better yet same exact dyno, to really see how your build has affected your horsepower & torque.

On to advantages of getting your car dyno tested. While most are not “make it or break it” changes, dyno testing can really take your build to the next level.

Bragging Rights: While an obvious one, dyno results make it much easier to compare your car to another since you have hard data to back you up. This is especially true if you are using the same type of dyno. On a lighter note, comparing your car to someone with a well-documented build can help you decide what your next mod will be.

Ease of Tuning: Consistent and accurate pulls can be had back to back on a dyno, without having to drive out to your “dyno road” after every small tuning change. In a properly setup environment, pulls will show only tuning changes instead of having to worry about every little variable that comes with on-road pulls. If your tuner is in town, having them live tune with your car right in front of them can turn a multi-week e-tuning process into a long afternoon. Plus, you won’t have to worry about an expensive ticket from the local boys in blue.

Monitoring Car Health: Friend has the same car, same mods yet are making much more horsepower? Dyno testing can show things like this that may indicate a big problem with your ride. Removing the “driver mod” from racing your friend light to light can help determine if there’s something more going on. In addition, having hard data on power & torque numbers can tell you when to stop pushing for one more psi, keeping your ride on the road and not in pieces.

New Mod Validation: Bought a part and want to see what it’s doing for you? A dyno before and after is a great way to validate your new mods and see what your next step should be. In addition, you may find out there are more benefits to a part than just max power gains. Maybe that newest part only gave you +2WHP at peak but shows gains of 10-15 through the middle of the rev range, or you can hold power to a higher RPM. Analyzing dyno graphs for more than just peak numbers is a powerful tool that can indicate how a part changes how a car feels.

Obviously, not everyone has access to a dyno and it is usually expensive to use a dyno for more than a few pulls, however, it is worth it and can give you some much-needed info about your ride while keeping you & your ride safe and out of legal trouble.

Looking for a dyno for your car? We are hosting the 2018 CorkSport Dyno Day in August. Dyno runs, food, a car show, and even drag racing are all on the agenda. Check out the Facebook event page for full details & don’t be shy if you don’t have a Mazda-we had a Fiat 500 Abarth on the rollers last year!

Hope to see you there!

-Daniel

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