Drag Racing: Just Like the First Time

Ask any of my friends or coworkers and they will quickly tell you โ€œBarett Loves Curves!โ€

ย Iโ€™ve always been the first guy to dive into the corner, hit the apex and power out with just a touch of wheel spin. ย My car follows suit with its build; upgraded sway bars, big brake kit up front and the steering wheel to hold it all together. ย Of course, my friends were always there with the peer pressure to hit 1320โ€ฆLuke McCarvel being the biggest offender (check out his โ€œDrag Strip Checklistโ€). ย ย However, one day my opinion changed. ย 

At some point I realized that I canโ€™t knock it until I try it, so I finally succumbed to the straight line life.

So letโ€™s go through the first line up: ย Do a burnoutโ€ฆthat was much easier than I expected. ย 

Ok now roll up to the staging lineโ€ฆdonโ€™t be that guy that rolls through and has to back up. ย Knuckles white on the steering wheel, heart beating in rhythm with the launch control, closely watching the tree light upโ€ฆGREEN LIGHT! ย Launchโ€ฆwheel spin to redline. Shiftโ€ฆwheel spin to redline. Shiftโ€ฆtry to modulate the throttle, but still tons of wheel spin. Shiftโ€ฆfinally the car hooks, builds speed then itโ€™s over in the blink of an eye. ย 

All that build up waiting in line, doing the burnout, staging, launching and rowing the gears for a few seconds of intense adrenaline. ย It was an absolute blast; I couldnโ€™t believe how intoxicating just a single pass was. I wanted more and I wanted it immediately. Back in line, I went. ย 

My first pass was an awkward 14.37sec @ 119.8mph. ย I say awkward because that is a slow ET for the trap speed. ย It shows just how much tire spin I was fighting and how much time I was giving up because of it. ย With full interior and street tires this was to be expected, however, the crowd thought it was quite funny either way. ย 

I proceeded to make 3 more passes as the night progressed. ย Each time making a small change to the car or to my approach and control of the launch and throttle modulation. ย ย Each pass rewarded me with a small improvement for my efforts. Each pass down the strip left me wanting more from the next pass.

The third pass was the most frustrating of them all. ย At the start of the night, I set a personal goal to break into the 12s. ย I didnโ€™t know if it was realistic or a complete dream, but I had to start somewhere. ย That third pass was also the one that drove me to get my shit together because it teased me with a 13.000sec @ 120.95mph. ย So Close!

Alright one more pass, this was the one I could feel it. ย 30 minutes later Iโ€™m staring at the burnout box, line up drop 2nd and get the tires nice and hot. ย Pull up to staging next to a real crowd killer (I mean Mustang). ย 

Yellowโ€ฆ yellowโ€ฆyellowโ€ฆโ€ฆ.GREEN LIGHT!

Launchโ€ฆlittle wheel spin to redline. ย 

Shiftโ€ฆlittle more wheel spin to redline. ย Shiftโ€ฆmodulate the throttle with only a tiny bit of wheel spin. ย Shiftโ€ฆnow the car really hooks but Iโ€™m a few lengths behind that Mustaโ€ฆoh shit thereโ€™s the turboโ€ฆIโ€™m reeling him inโ€ฆitโ€™s so closeโ€ฆI fly past him with the rev limiter dancing.

ย Itโ€™s overโ€ฆdeep breathโ€ฆthat was it I know it.

Now the quick jaunt to the end of the strip then back to the little building and the old guy thatโ€™s been racing since flatheads were a thing. ย 

โ€œCar 610?โ€

โ€œYes Sirโ€

โ€œHereโ€™s your slip. ย Is that a Maaazda?โ€

YES! Hit my goal for the night and the car can still drive me home. ย I call that a success.

I parked my car, picked up my 120+mph club sticker and enjoyed the rest of the night with my good friends from Idaho Mazda Takeover. ย It was a great night and one I plan to top in the near future.

Anybody have some stock brakes and drag slicks I can borrow?

 

-BS @ CS

The Slippery Slope of Modding

If the title doesnโ€™t tell the story then you must still be at the top of the hill; good luck with that as it wonโ€™t last long.  Now let me tell you my story.

Even before I got my Mazdaspeed3 I was a tinkerer; I wouldnโ€™t call it modding because there were no off-the-shelf parts for my vehicle at the time. ย I was 16 years old with my first truck; I quickly made it loud and obnoxious among many other things.

Flash forward to my later years, and youโ€™ll find that I havenโ€™t changed; things have just gotten more expensiveโ€ฆ ya, you know what Iโ€™m talking about.  We donโ€™t grow up; our toys just get more expensive.

So I got my 2009 Mazdaspeed 3 in 2014 with a fresh Mazda Motorsports short block, a CorkSport SRI, and Race Pipe.  Oh, donโ€™t let me forget the CS Fuel Pump Internals and Cobb APโ€ฆ I donโ€™t want to get roasted on my blog. Anyway, that setup was short lived.  

Within two weeksโ€™ time, just long enough to break-in the engine, there was a prototype CorkSport Mazdaspeed turbo on my car along with an assortment of other goodies such as a Downpipe, Cat-Back Exhaust, and a few suspension goodies.  Two weeks! Thatโ€™s all it took!

Over the next year, the car had new parts on it every monthโ€ฆperks of the job you could say. ย I tried the Mazdaspeed3 TMIC setup, and then like everyone else moved to an FMIC setup, new CS Struts and Springs got set up, went to a 3.5โ€ intake, got the engine all mounted up and then various other engine power products like the CorkSport Intake Manifold and Camshafts. ย Oh! I almost forgot the MS3 Big Brake Kit up front! Damn I have to say going fast is fun, but โ€œthrowing out the parachuteโ€ as you dive into a corner is just as exhilarating.

Like any seasoned Mazdaspeed owner knows, the OE short block was not long for the world. ย 18K miles later the infamous friction washers got me with a silent death. Allโ€ฆ yes, I mean ALLโ€ฆof the valves were bent, and the head was looking a bit rough, but luckily I didnโ€™t vent the block. ย 

At that point, my beloved Mazdaspeed and I were not seeing eye-to-eye (I think we have all had this feeling with our project cars right?  You debate pushing it off a cliff?) so she sat for a good nine months before I decided I was ready to build the engine.

Wait. What? Remember that slippery slope I told you about? Well, when you are already this deep into the car the slope is covered in gear oil and damn near verticalโ€ฆso I went deeper into the darkness known as project cars.  

A month later I had a built engine (and significantly less money) that was ready to take on 600+ HP and more than eager to continue eating away at my bank account. ย A built engine wasnโ€™t enough though. I cut up the front of the car for the custom CS Crashbar with/Big Core Intercooler so I could support my new power goal of 500WHP. ย I have the engine, so I might as well use it, right? (Note: This is the kind of logic that continues to cost you lots of money) To do this, I go the car setup with a larger turbocharger and an AEM Methanol Injection System. ย 

The single 16 GPH nozzle was quickly at its power capacity so without even considering the cost I moved to a port meth injection system that is getting set up as I write this. ย 

Anywaysโ€ฆwhy does my story matter to you? Well because itโ€™s not just my story, itโ€™s the story of damn near every guy and gal that gets into modding their Mazda.  Maybe power isnโ€™t your goal like mine is, but if youโ€™re a motoring enthusiast, then it doesnโ€™t matter. There are so many awesome ways to slide down the proverbial hill.  

For all of you at the top stillโ€ฆ this is your warning. ย Enjoy the ride with its bumps and bruises, but most importantly appreciate the experiences and friends you gain along the way.

-Barettย 

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