Whaaaa?? No Autox!

The CARTCT autox was cancelled due to rain, this would've been my first one for the season since I've been MIA for some time. I'm a bit disappointed because those 50mph winds and standing water wouldn't have bothered me! Oh well,... it looks like the next autox in store for me will also be my first autox of the '07 season on April 28th with FCSCC. I'm excited because I spent most of the winter gearing up for the season and am looking forward to utilizing all of the new items at the autocross.

MOREE POWERRR!!

I went to 'The Shop' down by Stew Leonard’s in Norwalk, CT to get some stuff installed; usual fuel pump etc. and to get a boost leak test, all of which was to be completed before my tune. I was greeted by Jimmy with the utmost respect and professionalism. I explained what had to be done and he said it was not a problem. After most of the parts were complete and during the boost leak test they found a leak in my stock injector seals. This goes to show that even Evos rolled out of the factory floor COULD have some minor defects, because nobody touched my stock injectors, it was probably leaking from the factory (which would explain my boost fluctuations I was getting when at full boost since day 1 when I received the vehicle). I was probably running autocrosses and track days at reduced power! This was on a Saturday and the Mitsubishi dealership was closed so I was left without a vehicle, however Jimmy came to the rescue and asked if I needed a ride and personally drove me back home. Not only did he drive me home but he offered one of his personal vehicles to drive while my car would be left at ‘The Shop’ until they could replace the leaky injector seals. I declined the offer since I had a replacement vehicle at hand, but Jimmy’s actions reflect somebody who truly understands and cares for his customers! Most notably I enjoyed seeing the R33 GTR and C6 Z06. Overall, ‘The Shop’ is a wonderful place to get vehicles installed, fixed, tuned, etc. at a reasonable price. I would highly recommend ‘The Shop’ with Jimmy and his mechanics. I will definitely be coming back here! After the injector seals were replaced and all the leaks were taken care of, Jimmy told me that Al was in the area so I told him to tune my vehicle with a custom Dynoflash since I figured my car was already there. The tune I asked for was a conservative one because I do a lot of autocross (full seasons) and track days (2-5 a yr). I would like to say that Al did a terrific transformation of my vehicle. I went with Jimmy for a test run and when I first went WOT I couldn’t believe how hard the car pulled, the gains were definitely noticeable. I can’t wait till the next racing season! I’ll have to give the ¼ mile ago and see the trap speeds.

My modifications are: Works Drop-in Filter, 3’’ Works Coated DP, 3’’ Works HFC, 3’’ Greddy Titanium Exhaust, Hallman Manual Boost Controller (Tuned for 21psi on 93 octane), Walbro 255 Fuel Pump, AMS Lower Intercooler Piping, Forge EVO15 Diverter Valve

Note: The tune was done on my snow tires, I photoshopped my name out, and there is a misprint on the sheet should be 2006 not 2005

Here are the dyno sheets:

NHIS with SCDA

Here's a recap: Drove in the heavy rain on Sunday to Loudon, New Hampshire with buddy Nick in a black Evo 8. We stayed at the Red Roof Inn and woke up around 6:30AM to get ready. We started the morning with some instruction on the basics of cornering (apex, threshold braking etc.) then it was our turn to drive. I was placed in the novice class and most novices have their instructors drive their vehicles first before they do, but because I had prior experience to the track my instructor said I didn't need to and was off on the track right away. It took me about 5-6 laps before I remembered the correct line and after 25 some odd minutes of lapping on the track I was able to get a feel for the AWD Evo. The first run was very slippery because it was still damp from the rain the night before but I didn't notice a difference in my full thread toyo RA1s. As the day progressed I got faster and faster and it got to the point where I was able to pass every single car in my group, especially when the track became drier from the warming weather and tires being broken in. I was told from my instructor that I should've been placed in the intermediate instead of novice group but next time I will do that because there were a lot of bad drivers out there... particularly people who braked at the wrong places, with bad driving lines, and erratic driving behaviors. Basically the schedule of the day was class for 30 minutes, driving for 30 minutes, class for 90 minutes, drive for 30 minutes, then drive for 30 minutes. This was my second time at the track so there were no new surprises just a whole lotta fun!

Here's a picture of me:

Why a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution??... WHY NOT!

Why a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX (or any LanEvos)? Well,... Why Not!
The car is a pure performance vehicle that can out perform exotic cars for a fraction of the cost and price! Sure this car doesn't look pretty but underneath this four-door, big-winged vehicle lies a turbocharged awd beast. Not only is it easily modifiable for enormous power, you won't go broke doing so either! This rally-bred street car is truely a remarkable piece of engineering. It is the most versatile, whether it is snowing, raining, or dry outside... this car will dominate all.

My New Car!!

Finally!! After a season and a bit of full autocross in the Infiniti G35 Coupe, I feel that it's time to get my priorities straight and that is to start racing competitively. Not only was the G35 a bit on the hefty side, it was also RWD and RWD year-round in New England weather just couldn't cut it. Even with heavy duty Bridgestone Blizzak tires I couldn't get up some hills... since I didn't want to purchase a winter beater I decided to let her go and get a new car. I do miss the stellar unique styling of the G35 but that was sacrificed with greater performance. It was pretty much a toss-up between the 2006 Subaru STI and 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX. The deciding factor came down to:

Price - The price of a new '06 Evo was less than the '06 STI
Handling - The handling of the Evo is often attributed similar to a surgeon's scalpel; I felt that the Evo was more responsive
Weight - The Evo (3263 lbs) is lighter than the STI (3,351 lbs)
Appearance – I liked the aggressiveness and carbon fiber wing
Engine – The 4G63 can be tuned to extract great power with minor modifications

Overall you can’t go wrong with either but I chose the Lancer Evolution

Out with the old...



And in with the New!!