Speedhunters Special - 90s JDM Legends by Lee Ryan

Special

90â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s JDM Legends Time to meet your childhood heroes

Menu It’s Not A Nismo Z-Tune GT-R… It’s Even Better..................... 1 Wider Is Better: TRD’s 3000GT .................................................7 Batman Called, He Wants His NSX Back................................. 13 The Right Formula: A Californian FD3S RX-7.......................... 19

It’s Not A Nismo Z-Tune GT-R… It’s Even Better CAR FEATURE | BY Stefan Kotze | 30TH APRIL 2020

It’s what under the hood matters Like the 700whp Lancer Evo X and fully-built R32 Golf I recently shared with you, this Nissan is another build out of the Powertune Australia stable, and it’s impressive to say the least. The BNR34 has one of those bodies that doesn’t really need any work, but a few select products can definitely enhance it. Any Z-tune item from Nismo is most welcome, and this car wears a lot of them – front bumper, front fenders, hood and rear over-fender flares no less. Nismo side skirts are also used, along with a Knight Racer carbon fiber front splitter with under-tray. There’s really only one set of wheels you can fit to a Skyline GT-R with most of the Nismo catalogue thrown at its exterior, and these are them. Manufactured by RAYS, the glossy black Nismo LMGT4s measure 18×9.5-inch at all four corners and are wrapped in Yokohama Advan AD08R rubber.

Getting yourself into a well-sorted BNR34 Nissan Skyline GT-R isn’t easy these days. Not only does buying one in the first place require a substantial investment, but then you need another bag full of cash to add some quality modifications or rectify shoddy ones. The owner of this particular R34 GT-R V-Spec II bought the car with every intention to modify it. Yes, the final RB26-powered GT-R is an epic car in stock form, but by today’s standards they’re lacking in the performance department. Even modern day sports saloons are quicker, and dare I say, more exciting than an R34. But what these cars have is an unbeatable cult status and major tuning potential. Not everyone dreams about owning an M3, but I can guarantee you, almost everyone dreams of owning a Skyline GT-R.

The brake system has been given an upgrade too. Using a Supertec Racing brake adapter kit, the Skyline features R35 Brembo 6-pot calipers up front and R35 Brembo 4-pots at the rear, and these clamp on 380mm AP Racing 2-piece rotors via Endless MX72 pads. It shouldn’t come as any surprise that the Skyline’s suspension has been enhanced, and Powertune have done this through a combination of MCA Street Ultimate coilovers, and a Nismo Pro II Circuit link set, Nismo stabilizer kit, Nismo underfloor reinforcing bars, and Nismo titanium tower bar.

Up top, the cylinder head was CNC ported and hand finished, and runs a shim-less setup with Supertech oversized valves and Tomei dual valve springs. An HKS V Cam Pro 262-degree/10mm-lift camshaft features on the intake side, with an HKS 272-degree/10.2mm-lift cam on the exhaust. Turbo-wise, the GT-R’s original Garrett GT2556R twins have given way to a big single BorgWarner EFR 9174 mounted on a custom twin-scroll Powertune manifold that uses dual Turbosmart 40mm wastegates for boost control. On the intake side of the equation you’ll find a Plazmaman 100mm competition intercooler feeding into an 80mm drive-bywire throttle body and a serious fuel system to match the air flow. The latter is comprised of an Aeromotive 325 Stealth in-tank pump, surge tank, mechanical Kinsler 400 Tough pump, Aeromotive Extreme Flow regulator, and twin fuel rails running six 1,600cc and six 1,650cc injectors. The exhaust features a custom 4-inch down-pipe flowing into a 4-inch system complete with an electronically valved Varex muffler. These handling upgrades would certainly

you’ll find most cars eclipsing the 1,000hp mark

improve the factory-spec car with an advertised 276hp (300hp+ in the real world) on tap, but there’s a lot more power under the hood of this one, so the modifications were more of a necessity than a simple enrichment of the brakes and suspension.

to be of the R35 variety running a VR38DETT. The engine build in this car is still based on an RB26DETT, albeit using an N1 block and a Brian Crower stroker kit to pull capacity out to 2.8L.

More than just horsepower numbers Four-digit power figures aren’t all that uncommon in GT-R tuning circles these days, but

Along with the BC forged pistons, connecting rods and crankshaft, the engine features ARP hardware, an N1 water pump, Tomei oil pump and an oversized oil pan. An ATI 1,000hp Super Damper harmonic balancer is also employed to eliminate any torsional crankshaft vibrations.

Form follows function It’s obvious to see that no stone was left unturned in the pursuit of power and performance with this build, and to extract every last drop of potential out of the package Powertune went with a race-spec MoTeC GPR-M150 engine management system. Of course, all of the engine modifications would be in vain if the car couldn’t get the power to the ground, but that’s not a prob-

lem when you’re running an OS Giken OS-88 6-speed sequential transmission with ATS triple-plate carbon clutch and a Quaife ATB helical limited slip front diff. Powertune also installed a custom gear position sensor. If this were an early ’00s build you might find an interior peppered with aftermarket gauges and accessories, but that’s not the case here. The interior modifications are totally restrained and limited to a Nismo 300km/h cluster, Mine’s steering wheel, MoTeC control panel in the center console, and a MoTeC C187 color display unit neatly mounted in the original MFD position with a custom pod. The beauty of this car is in its simplicity; a combination of high-quality parts that have been pieced together in an ultra-clean way. It’s well beyond an ‘OEM+’ build, but it still kind of feels like that – at least from a visual perspective. And then the boost hits, and you wonder why anyone in their right mind would want to keep a BNR34 GT-R stock.

Wider Is Better: TRD’s 3000GT CAR FEATURE BY Dino Dalle Carbonare 26TH AUGUST 2018

This particular car is currently on sale, but before someone out there snaps it up I was given a chance to shoot it in all its glory.

fiber but was actually rather thick FRP. Hardly any stock was kept and you’d have to usually wait a good month for it.

The transformation begins up front with the bumper, an all-new taller piece with an integrated finned lip spoiler and a far bigger gaping grille to feed more air to the intercooler and radiator behind it. It arcs out on the corners to line up with the wider front fenders giving an already totally different look compared to a stock car.

The next piece of the puzzle were the wider front fenders.

An optional piece and one we’ve seen countless times fitted on even “narrow body” Supras is the instantly recognizable TRD hood with its four iconic grilled openings. This was a special-order piece, one I always assumed was made in carbon

When Toyota puts the new generation car on sale it will have quite the impact on the tuning scene around the world, and I’m sure I’m not the only one eagerly anticipating to see how it will all unfold. Last week we looked at a car designer’s interpretation of what the 21st Century Supra should have been according to him, this week we take things back the other way and look back at a car that possibly was the most visually enticing expression of the JZA80: TRD’s 3000GT. I came across this car after looking through a small garage in Yokohama filled up with some mouthwatering modern day classics, and there next to a one-owner NA1 NSX-R it sat in all its widened beauty. This was one of only a handful of cars that TRD built in house, transformed visually with the 3000GT conversion. The idea behind this aesthetic kit was to celebrate Toyota’s success in JGTC and give owners the chance to sport an authentic GT car look on their very own street cars.

As much as this may sound like a contradiction, it’s as much aggressive as it is subtle, especially presented in black as you see here.

Again these were made in FRP like the rest of the 3000GT conversion and featured rounded off triangular openings similar to the ones on the bonnet. Baby got back To help fill up the generous space now freed up under the wheel arches Toyota had their 18inch two-piece five-spoke wheels fitted, 9.5-inch-

Some may say the JZA80 Supra was probably the last car that needed to be widened, but when it’s done in an official and authentic way through Toyota’s own motorsports division, well, it just makes total sense. The 3000GT kit was conservative, it boosted front and rear width by 50mm by pumping out the car’s natural curves.

es wide for the front and 10.5-inches wide for the rears. They could probably do with a bit more width and offset to really give the car the modern day stance it deserves. But then again those were the nineties and a tight wheel fitment wasn’t really much of a priority, especially from the manufacturer’s own tuning arms. Nothing a spacer at each corner wouldn’t fix, though. I’ll let you in on a little secret. You’ll probably hate me in about three seconds but hey, at least I’m being honest. I never liked the JZA80. There, I said it. That was my opinion for a good 20 years, up until recently where I’ve actually cultured quite an affliction with the car. I don’t know what it was that didn’t make me like the car initially, maybe that bulbous design, the big headlights, or the plain and uninspiring interior. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate it, I was just more about the Skyline GT-R. I respected its mechanicals, except for the inherent lack of traction its FR layout gave it, but yeah, it just didn’t inspire me. Now, I want one bad, I want to build one up and do silly things with it. A 3000GT would be a true dream as I’m all about the GT look on this car, something I really became aware of when featuring this particular example. The setting sun over the Tokyo Bay that late summer afternoon really highlighted the car’s newfound rear girth. Just look at those hips. Part of the conversion was also a set of skirts which tied the front and rear ends together beautifully, even adding larger rear side intakes into the mix for more presence. The rear bumper was not touched or restyled,

it probably didn’t really need to anyways, the kit just flowed nicely all around the car without interruptions.flowed nicely all around the car without interruptions. There were then two types of rear spoilers to choose from; the Type-S you see here and which allows for some adjustments in the rake of the main wing element, and a Type-R which was of a totally different design, was not adjustable but had a center wing stay. The latter would have been my choice, it was

just absolute nineties and fitted the car so well. The little carbon covers for the wing adjusters are aftermarket and are pretty much the only non-TRD detail on the car’s exterior. On the handful of cars that TRD built officially, they never touched any of the engines. That was left for the owners to do… 2JZ = fun Lifting the TRD vented hood it quickly becomes obvious that whoever owned this car

originally couldn’t possibly live with a strangled stock 2JZ-GTE. Who would right? Look closer and you’ll see there’s a TRD chassis plate to warrant the fact that this was 3000GT car number 15 ,officially built at Techno Craft, something collectors froth at the mouth upon seeing. Stock 2Js have been proven many times around pretty much every corner of the world to be bulletproof up to some really fun power levels.

The Perfect Collectable There’s something so special about looking at a car that you know backs up its looks with adequate power, and here there are 700 horses worth of adequacy.

So this RZ spec Supra was dropped off at a tuning shop, stripped of its sequential turbo set up in favour of a HKS T04Z, along with all the supporting modifications that would allow the mid-sized single to reach its maximum potential. So that means an upgraded fuel system, a pair of hotter cams, a VVTi controller and a HKS F-Con V Pro ECU to control it all. Taking advantage of the TRD 3000GT’s front air dam, a massive Trust intercooler has been dropped right behind it. The car is set up to run two preset boost settings, a normal 1.4-bar setting which gives a reliable 600hp and a 1.7-bar ‘fun’ setting to scare yourself which throws an additional 100hp into the mix. Joining the TRD strut tower brace are some select suspension goodies, starting off with Zeal adjustable coilovers at each corner and a six-point roll cage which we’ll see shortly in the cabin. The drainpipe angled exhaust silencer is a must on any Supra and here it pours out that sweet, unmistakable deep growl that the 2JZ is loved for.

The bolt-in six-point cage is the first thing you’ll notice when swinging the long and heavy driver’s side door. What you’ll also notice is the fact that it’s totally removable and it hasn’t caused any damage to any interior pieces and nothing had to be cut out to fit it. When I noticed this I let out a deep sigh of relief, as you know what I mean, on special cars like this, the more preserved the car is, the better!

much the perfect collectable Supra. It’s a car that I’m glad I got the chance to immortalize against one of my favorite shooting locations in Japan. However I am quite interested to hear about people’s opinions on this car and the TRD aero conversion. I do wonder if others like me have discovered a newfound love for the JZA80 and if so just what is it that makes this car so damn attractive?

The rest of the cabin, steering wheel included, has been left untouched. Even the seats with their mid-nineties Toyota funky design fabric. The passenger side airbag cover has been removed and replaced with that looks like a Top Secret carbon instrument cluster, sporting three more gauges from the Trust catalogue. The car has obviously been cared for, there’s hardly any wear and tear anywhere in the cabin and even the steering wheel and shifter looked practically new, hinting that they were probably removed and replaced with something aftermarket and then refitted when put on the market. We can safely call this quite the unicorns of JZA80s; the looks, the TRD plaque, the performance, the condition. It’s a car that will no doubt end up in the hands of someone that is looking for pretty

Batman Called, He Wants His NSX Back CAR FEATURE BY Trevor Yale Ryan 23RD FEBRUARY 2018

After Senna initially drove what was slated to be a near-production prototype he expressed his concerns that the New Sports eXperimental was a “bit fragile”. After the feedback, the engineers went back to the drawing board.

Jami Rahman’s NSX has been at least a bit of all these things during the seven years he’s owned the car. He describes the NSX as something special; it’s a true exotic but it doesn’t have the major compromises other cars in the same class do. At the end of the day, it’s still a Honda.

The result of their extra efforts, just months before the design was finalised, is a chassis that is 50 percent stiffer than the early car that Senna first drove. The engineers then invited Senna back to further tweak the suspension at the Nürburgring. Of course, he kindly obliged.

Jami always loved the NSX’s aesthetics. Thinking about it, it’s a bit crazy how the aftermarket for these cars has evolved to keep them looking as modern as ever while still maintaining that ’90s charm.

However, it was his wife Linda who really pushed Jami to go for the NSX; it was the car he had always talked about, ever since they met. Jami got lucky on eBay Motors on a car in Manhattan, and ended up purchasing it sight-unseen when the market was at its lowest point. Now, the price on these cars (and so many others), is skyrocketing. I completely understand why though, as

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Besides the looks, though, the single attribute that amazed Jami the most when he picked up the NSX was the handling. In part, we have Ayrton Senna to thank for the excellent feel that these cars have, and as Jami’s all-time favourite racing driver, his signature is proudly displayed on the car.

If you don’t love it, I have to say you’re just wrong. It’s the ’90s sports car that can and does do everything. There are plenty of full-on show builds, canyon carvers, track monsters, and even daily drivers in existence around the globe.

Having previously owned a Miata with even-more insane mods, the move to the NSX was a big jump for Jami. There were other options too, and after parting with the Miata he went on the hunt for either an RX-7, an S2000, or an NSX.

the styling is something that just looks so right, and there’s nothing that compares to it in today’s market.

These factors, along with the aluminum chassis and what was at the time all sorts of cutting-edge technology and manufacturing mumbo-jumbo, make for a car that even today is an absolute pleasure to blast through the twisties. It just speaks to you.

In part, we have Ayrton Senna to thank for the excellent feel that these cars have, and as Jami’s all-time favourite racing driver, his signature is proudly displayed on the car.

It didn’t take too many twisties until Jami and I soon found ourselves quite literally in the middle of nowhere, though. As such, making a u-turn on what had pretty much turned into a go-kart track was quite difficult. Good thing Jami is a braver man than I am, or we’d still be out there…

big difference when you’re pushing the car to the limit for any length of time. It’s great to know that a nearly thirty-year-old car that looks as awesome as this gets hammered around the racetrack too. Seeing as how Jami did in fact daily drive the car for some time, it isn’t an entirely all-business ordeal though. The OEM seatbelt remains for street use while the Cobra Evolution halo seat still allows for the driver to check his blind spots. For the track, a Mugen harness bar and Schroth Racing harnesses ensure the driver is protected through any unforeseen situations. An AIM MXG digital dash unit conveys all the information you could ever need, working in conjunction with an AEM Infinity engine management unit.

Helping him in his quest to turn around is a Stanceparts air cup kit, something we’re starting to see on more and more cars that don’t want to compromise on any front.

this is his fourth set of wheels, I think the current staggered Gram Lights setup, in 17 and 18-inch diameters, are a great match to the car. I hate to say it but I really would like to see how this thing looks slammed.

After all, the NSX still is a Honda, and that’s part of what makes it so great, even from the factory. Jami daily drove the car for the better part of a year and said it was easy to live with. Over time, however, his NSX has evolved into something so much more than what Honda designed.

Of course, that’s entirely not the point here, and Jami has opted instead for KW Variant 3 coilovers with Swift springs - certainly a tried and true combo. Other suspension bits from Cedar Ridge help button up the already tight car.

Track Time As good as it felt on the back roads, Jami has dialed this thing in for the racetrack.

Jami had a lot of help with suspension setup from friends like Jeff Leong who is apparently quite handy behind the wheel of his own NSX.

He’s made use of a set of ADVANCE fenders and Marga Hills rear quarters to stuff in an extra 2.5-inches of tire width on all four corners. While

The Downforce Type R hood is indubitably a great choice here; besides looking great, the increased airflow through the front end makes a

The powerplant is another area where Jami was keen to point out the help he has had from his mates like Tony Pham (a guy whose name I seem to have a knack for hearing since meeting him and his NSX last year) and Regan Yu, both of whom also own supercharged NSXs. Due to the typical tight and tidy Honda packaging, it’s hard to tell that under the CT Engineering supercharger there are ID 1000 injectors that help feed the now-thirstier motor and CT Engineering headers that help evacuate the spent fumes. From there, the exhaust is sent out back through a Taitec setup that sounds phenomenal. Jami is also running an AEM water/meth injection kit that was installed and tuned down south in Huntington Beach by AutoWave. The responsiveness of the motor is quite nice, to say the least, and from the driver seat the communication from the chassis as a whole is second to none.

Perhaps the only thing that could improve the feel of the car would be a rigid collar upgrade; lo and behold, I spotted a set that was still boxed up on the floor of the NSX when I was poking around inside. I’ll have to remember to ask Jami if he’s as happy as Blake was with his rigid collars that Spoon themselves installed on Project NSX. From everything I’ve heard from other avid drivers who’ve had them installed I’m sure Jami will consider it money well spent. Family First Overall, the NSX has been the perfect platform for Jami to tweak as he’s seen fit and he’s turned it into an proper track weapon. It’s stable at speed thanks to the Route KS front end and that massive Voltex wing which works with the Taitec JGTC diffuser out back. Not only do the aero bits physically balance the car, but they add to the aggressive no-nonsense look. All of these changes, along with details like the ARC Light LED corner lights, turn signals, and tail lights just add to the already mean aesthetic, it’s a modern take on what’s well on its way to being a classic car. Half the fun of taking photos of cars is learning about why the owners bought the cars in the first place, and why they’ve made the choices they have with them. The more time you spend just hanging out with the owners, the more little tidbits you learn about the cars and what they’ve been through. Jami told me that immediately after he picked up the car from detailing at CarzWerk once the widebody was installed, his four-year-old daughter opened a car door into the NSX, chipping the paint. Naturally, she was terrified to tell her dad

what had happened, but she did. After a quick check on the car, he just told her her was happy she told the truth. While Jami does love his NSX he assured me that he does love his family much, much more than he could ever love a car. He just hopes the NSX helps foster an appreciation for car culture in his daughter. After all, it’s the coming generation of designers, engineers, tuners, and track addicts who will decide what the next supercars, exotics, and aftermarket parts looks like and drive like.

The Right Formula: A Californian FD3S RX-7 CAR FEATURE BY Trevor Yale Ryan 17TH MARCH 2018

wheels paired with good brakes. Nothing ground-

The ride height is just right; any lower and you’re con-

breaking, but undeniably good.

stantly rubbing your tires on the fenders and scraping on speed bumps.

In general, the suspension/wheels and brakes/aero pathway is asolid one to follow, and I’m glad to come

That’s just as well, seeing as how there were plenty of

across so many FD3S chassis that are regularly being

speedbumps in a lot near the Bay that I’d been itching

pushed to the limit, rather than turned into show cars

to shoot at.

or slammed onto the pavement. Owners of RX-7s love their cars, and you can see this in their builds.

While our schedules forced us to shoot in the harshest light of the day, I got lucky when a bit of cool fog

I’ve yet to come across an RX-7 around the San Fran-

I love a good RX-7, particularly the FD3S. If I was a smarter (read: richer) man, I would purchase one now before

rolled in.

cisco Bay area that isn’t properly set up, and Sonny’s

With the view of the Bay and Mazda’s ‘Chaste White’

1994 FD3S fits in quite nicely. Working at a rotary

that was laid down on the car from the factory, it was

shop before jumping into ownership of the car, he

an easy one to make look nice.

knows the machine inside and out.

they reach ridiculous NSX-esque prices here in the US. But alas, for the time being I’m stuck looking at them through my camera where I’ve noticed that there seems to be a standard formula for a good RX-7 in California. I’ve seen a number of FD3Ss for the track that are all modded with the same ethos in mind, however, each owner has their own take on reaching relatively the same end goal. The ones I’ve encountered and liked the most are those where the owners have opted for proper suspension that lowers the car a bit, a big wing out back for the track, coupled with at least a bit of front aero, and real

As you can clearly tell, Sonny hasn’t done anything

he’s made a handful oftweaks, and is finally ready for

In the front of the car you’ll notice an AP Racing big

Some things Sonny’s taken into his own hands, like

too extreme with the build, going with the simple,

his own circuit time with the RX-7.

brake kit tucked into the wheels which make use

the Mazdaspeed hood that now has extra vents

of 13-inch rotors, meanwhile in the back a ’99-spec

which he cut out himself. From the outside, it’s a

brake setup is used.

well-balanced, buttoned-up car that looks good and

For rear stability in high speed cornering, a Voltex

has the performance to back it up. From the inside,

tried and true aforementioned formula. How To Improve On Perfection While he hasn’t taken any huge risks with the car, you just don’t need to, to make an RX-7 aesthetically

Straight off the showroom floor, I think the RX-7 was

Type-2 carbon fiber wing has been selected which

not a huge amount has changed. A Nardi-Personal

amazing. Maybe I’m partial to them, but they are just

already a gorgeous machine. Sonny agrees, men-

works with a big rear diffuser. Up front, a ’99-spec

steering wheel can be found replacing the OEM and

so cool looking when tweaked just a bit.

tioning that it’s always been a stylish car. Lowering

bumper is used with an AutoExe lip, along with the

only a few other expected mods have taken place

the FD3S and improving the handling, as well as the

canards and side skirts to complete the aero.

here. Bright red Spirit R buckets sit on OEM tilt rails, a

We cruised around from spot to spot as I took in the

feedback, the car now makes use of JRZ Pro coilovers

various details of the Mazda; across the water from us

with adjustable external reservoirs.

you can almost make out the Oakland Airport, nestled on Bay Farm Island.

To further improve the Mazda, Sonny has chosen

feature which is quite nice to have in the rigid Recaro I know this isn’t the point, but it all looks so cool

seats seeing as how the owner cruises it around quite

together, the carbon fiber contrasting nicely with the

often.

glowing white paint.

Advan Racing TCIII wheels in an 18-inch diameter, Throughout the course of the day I learned the car

The car is ready for harnesses to be installed, which

measuring 10-inches wide in the front and 11-inches

Throughout the car Sonny’s chosen quality parts, and

looks like the final piece of the track day puzzle. I

was originally Sonny’s friend’s, who drove it at the

wide in the back. To fit the 265/35 and 285/35 Han-

it’s always good to see a car that will be thrashed on

spotted the

racetrack often when he owned it. Eventually the

kooks in the wheel wells, Sonny’s rolled and pulled

put together properly with well-engineered compo-

aforementioned JRZ external reservoirs, which match

friend let go of the car, and after some years Sonny

the fenders front and rear respectively.

nents.

the Spirit R seats, neatly mounted to the M2 roll bar.

tracked it down and bought it for himself. Since then

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Another touch of red can be seen in the engine bay where you’ll find a freshly-built 13B powerplant. Sonny says the the rotary motor is one of his favorite aspects of the RX-7, and as such, it just wouldn’t be the same if he removed it. Judging on the comments I’ve seen every time I feature one of these cars that’s been swapped, it seems plenty of others feel similarly. A BorgWarner EFR 7670 turbo sucks air in via a K&N filter before shoving it into a massive HKS v-mount intercooler, which is housed in the roomy area in front of the small twin-rotor engine. It’s a thirsty thing, using 550cc primary injectors which are helped by ID2000 secondaries, with fuel supplied from a Walbro 455lph pump. After being converted into power inside the magical spinning Dorito, spent fumes travel through a resonator and out an RE Amemiya dolphin tip exhaust system. The buzzing motor sounds great through this setup and smells nice and sweet too; Sonny is running corn ethanol through the motor for a bit more power and stability, as tuned via an Adaptronic ECU. With a lightweight flywheel and ACT clutch delivering power to the 5-speed gearbox and out back to the factory 4.10 gears, it’s an extraordinary driving experience. Another of Sonny’s favorite aspects of the car is its lightweight feel, and with all the mods that have been done to the car this has only been improved in the three years he’s owned it. The FD3S was always Sonny’s dream car. Now that it’s his and he has it where he wants it, all that’s left is as much seat time at the track as he can possibly get in. If I said I wasn’t a bit jealous, I’d be lying.