CG13
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I completed my first two track days of 2026 in the last two weeks. This off-season I added a few more mods as shown below.
2024 FL5
2025 track season setup:
PWR intercooler
PWR track spec radiator
HEL oil cooler
Twosport downpipe
Remark titanium full exhaust
PRL rear motor mount
PTP turbo blanket
PTP downpipe blanket
PRL intercooler pipe kit
MDR radiator hose kit
Honda forged wheels (OEM size)
Integra Type S suspension module
EVS camber joints
Paragon P3 front and rear pads with titanium shim
Castrol SRF fluid
Tires: Cup 2, PS4S, Trofeo R
Hondata 91 octane, intercooler, DP off the shelf tune
2026 changes:
AP Racing Radical Competition front brake kit (calipers, rotors) (CP9668/372mm)
Ferodo DS1.11 front pads
Ferodo DS1.11 rear pads
H&R wheel spacers (15 mm)
Eventuri intake
Wunderladen coolant expansion tank (OEM one cracked)
Wunderladen baffled oil pan
HEL stainless brake lines
WOT undertray
PWR WOT triple pass radiator with transmission cooler
Track report 04/11:
First track day started with 48 degree temperatures and heavy rain. It let up just before the first session began. I was on Michelin PS4S tires with 2 track days on them back in October. I rotated front to rear before this track day.
The track (I29 Speedway) is a 2.2 mile (long course, 1.3 mile short course) clockwise setup with 15 turns and five short straights. It has no real elevation changes and is pretty bumpy in spots. I run in +R mode with the ITS suspension module. Previously, the FL5 suspension module was too stiff for this track and slowed me down. I drive with pedal dance — all aids off.
I went out first in the advanced group and on my initial (SLOW) lap I hydroplaned through turn 15 and at 25 mph slowly spun a full 360 degrees. Needless to say, grip was poor and my best lap was 2:26, a full 40 seconds off my best at this track. A few drivers chose not to go out. I just took it slow and throughout the day the racing line began to dry enough to at least push the car a bit.
The AP Racing brakes with Ferodo DS1.11 pads are fantastic. They are in a completely different league in terms of feel and consistency than the stock Brembos with Paragon P3 pads. These are now without a doubt the best brakes I’ve had in any car, including PCCBs in a GT3RS.
Temperatures reached low 60s in the afternoon. Best lap of the day was a 1:48, about 1.5 seconds off my personal best. After this rain fell intermittently so I never ran another lap close to this time. I completed only 32 laps on the day (not including cool down laps). Cold, rain, and wind just made this day less enjoyable than most. The car performed perfectly with no issues.
Cooling was not a concern with my setup and these temperatures.
The addition of the Eventuri intake, with my other mods left me feeling underwhelmed with the off-the-shelf Hondata tune. 3rd gear didn’t feel linear, with a large surge in power around 3-4k rpm and the car just generally felt like it was choking a bit for power.
Track report 04/20:
My second track day was today, where we rented the track for 10 drivers. This was a more relaxed atmosphere where we could try each others cars and run at our own pace.
I completed 21 laps on the long course and 25 laps on the short course, not including cool down laps. Half of the drivers were not accredited to drive the long course when renting the track this way so I spent a lot of time driving short course configuration and riding with other drivers to help them learn the course. 41 of 46 total laps were with passenger.
Temperatures started in the low 50s and the track was dry. By end of day it was over 80 degrees. My PS4S tires were on their fourth track day and I felt it.
Vehicles present for this private rental were an eclectic mix:
- My FL5
- Shelby GT350R (stock with carbon wheels, Cup 2 tires)
- ACR Viper (stock Kumho Ecsta V720 ACR tires)
- 2014 911 Carrera (stock, PS4S)
- C8 (supercharged, pads, Cup 2)
- C8 Z06 (stock, Cup 2R)
- Miata RF (stock, not sure which tires)
- 95 Cobra R (pads, not sure which tires)
I ran the fastest times of the day on both the long and short courses, though I didn’t set any personal bests. Best time on the long course was a 1:47, about 0.5 seconds off my best. My best time on the short course was a 1:18, over a second off my best time last year.
My personal bests last year were set on Trofeo R tires, that only lasted one track day. They were glorious to drive on while they lasted but I won’t be buying them again due to short life span. With my current setup and those tires I think I’d shave 2+ seconds off my times.
Times were really dependent on the drivers, obvious from my car being the fastest in that mix. The ACR driver wasn’t pushing the car with the colder temps and the Z06 driver was brand new to track driving.
I drove the GT350R, the Z06, and my car. The Z06 is in a completely different league performance wise. I did not care for the brake or gas pedal feel. Both feel disconnected from what’s actually happening. That said, once you get used to it…. Brakes were very strong, engine is ridiculous. It still feels like a big car that you sit inside like a bathtub and I wouldn’t buy one. It really made me think about the interior of my 991.2 GT3RS and how much smaller and open it felt, despite actually being a smaller car.
The GT350R was easy to drive fast, but felt large and heavy. I was within a second of my FL5 times within a few laps in the Shelby. Since it wasn’t my car I left it in sport mode and the traction control was pretty heavy handed. Given some time with the car I would be much quicker than in my FL5. It experienced no cooling issues all day.
Most fun ride along of the day was in the Miata, it’s just such a joy after being in the big, heavy, high powered cars, and the much more hardcore and frantic feel of my FL5.
Water and oil temperatures were good all day. That said, In the afternoon, with temps in the low 80s I was losing about 5 MPH on the long straight compared to my morning times, indicating the car was likely pulling timing. That’s with just about all the cooling mods done. I’ll be pursuing a vented hood next. I like the J’s Racing Phantom dry carbon hood, but I don’t like the price. I talked to Spoon about the S-Tai bumpers and hood but they indicated 8-12 month lead time required.
Biggest challenge of the day for me was fighting understeer and finding traction with the worn PS4S tires and track conditions.
What’s next:
I received a @Jester04 tune tonight for 91 and 93 octane. Initial impression of the 91 octane map on the street is positive. I should have another track day on 05/03 to test the improvements in both maps over the Hondata tunes.
2024 FL5
2025 track season setup:
PWR intercooler
PWR track spec radiator
HEL oil cooler
Twosport downpipe
Remark titanium full exhaust
PRL rear motor mount
PTP turbo blanket
PTP downpipe blanket
PRL intercooler pipe kit
MDR radiator hose kit
Honda forged wheels (OEM size)
Integra Type S suspension module
EVS camber joints
Paragon P3 front and rear pads with titanium shim
Castrol SRF fluid
Tires: Cup 2, PS4S, Trofeo R
Hondata 91 octane, intercooler, DP off the shelf tune
2026 changes:
AP Racing Radical Competition front brake kit (calipers, rotors) (CP9668/372mm)
Ferodo DS1.11 front pads
Ferodo DS1.11 rear pads
H&R wheel spacers (15 mm)
Eventuri intake
Wunderladen coolant expansion tank (OEM one cracked)
Wunderladen baffled oil pan
HEL stainless brake lines
WOT undertray
PWR WOT triple pass radiator with transmission cooler
Track report 04/11:
First track day started with 48 degree temperatures and heavy rain. It let up just before the first session began. I was on Michelin PS4S tires with 2 track days on them back in October. I rotated front to rear before this track day.
The track (I29 Speedway) is a 2.2 mile (long course, 1.3 mile short course) clockwise setup with 15 turns and five short straights. It has no real elevation changes and is pretty bumpy in spots. I run in +R mode with the ITS suspension module. Previously, the FL5 suspension module was too stiff for this track and slowed me down. I drive with pedal dance — all aids off.
I went out first in the advanced group and on my initial (SLOW) lap I hydroplaned through turn 15 and at 25 mph slowly spun a full 360 degrees. Needless to say, grip was poor and my best lap was 2:26, a full 40 seconds off my best at this track. A few drivers chose not to go out. I just took it slow and throughout the day the racing line began to dry enough to at least push the car a bit.
The AP Racing brakes with Ferodo DS1.11 pads are fantastic. They are in a completely different league in terms of feel and consistency than the stock Brembos with Paragon P3 pads. These are now without a doubt the best brakes I’ve had in any car, including PCCBs in a GT3RS.
Temperatures reached low 60s in the afternoon. Best lap of the day was a 1:48, about 1.5 seconds off my personal best. After this rain fell intermittently so I never ran another lap close to this time. I completed only 32 laps on the day (not including cool down laps). Cold, rain, and wind just made this day less enjoyable than most. The car performed perfectly with no issues.
Cooling was not a concern with my setup and these temperatures.
The addition of the Eventuri intake, with my other mods left me feeling underwhelmed with the off-the-shelf Hondata tune. 3rd gear didn’t feel linear, with a large surge in power around 3-4k rpm and the car just generally felt like it was choking a bit for power.
Track report 04/20:
My second track day was today, where we rented the track for 10 drivers. This was a more relaxed atmosphere where we could try each others cars and run at our own pace.
I completed 21 laps on the long course and 25 laps on the short course, not including cool down laps. Half of the drivers were not accredited to drive the long course when renting the track this way so I spent a lot of time driving short course configuration and riding with other drivers to help them learn the course. 41 of 46 total laps were with passenger.
Temperatures started in the low 50s and the track was dry. By end of day it was over 80 degrees. My PS4S tires were on their fourth track day and I felt it.
Vehicles present for this private rental were an eclectic mix:
- My FL5
- Shelby GT350R (stock with carbon wheels, Cup 2 tires)
- ACR Viper (stock Kumho Ecsta V720 ACR tires)
- 2014 911 Carrera (stock, PS4S)
- C8 (supercharged, pads, Cup 2)
- C8 Z06 (stock, Cup 2R)
- Miata RF (stock, not sure which tires)
- 95 Cobra R (pads, not sure which tires)
I ran the fastest times of the day on both the long and short courses, though I didn’t set any personal bests. Best time on the long course was a 1:47, about 0.5 seconds off my best. My best time on the short course was a 1:18, over a second off my best time last year.
My personal bests last year were set on Trofeo R tires, that only lasted one track day. They were glorious to drive on while they lasted but I won’t be buying them again due to short life span. With my current setup and those tires I think I’d shave 2+ seconds off my times.
Times were really dependent on the drivers, obvious from my car being the fastest in that mix. The ACR driver wasn’t pushing the car with the colder temps and the Z06 driver was brand new to track driving.
I drove the GT350R, the Z06, and my car. The Z06 is in a completely different league performance wise. I did not care for the brake or gas pedal feel. Both feel disconnected from what’s actually happening. That said, once you get used to it…. Brakes were very strong, engine is ridiculous. It still feels like a big car that you sit inside like a bathtub and I wouldn’t buy one. It really made me think about the interior of my 991.2 GT3RS and how much smaller and open it felt, despite actually being a smaller car.
The GT350R was easy to drive fast, but felt large and heavy. I was within a second of my FL5 times within a few laps in the Shelby. Since it wasn’t my car I left it in sport mode and the traction control was pretty heavy handed. Given some time with the car I would be much quicker than in my FL5. It experienced no cooling issues all day.
Most fun ride along of the day was in the Miata, it’s just such a joy after being in the big, heavy, high powered cars, and the much more hardcore and frantic feel of my FL5.
Water and oil temperatures were good all day. That said, In the afternoon, with temps in the low 80s I was losing about 5 MPH on the long straight compared to my morning times, indicating the car was likely pulling timing. That’s with just about all the cooling mods done. I’ll be pursuing a vented hood next. I like the J’s Racing Phantom dry carbon hood, but I don’t like the price. I talked to Spoon about the S-Tai bumpers and hood but they indicated 8-12 month lead time required.
Biggest challenge of the day for me was fighting understeer and finding traction with the worn PS4S tires and track conditions.
What’s next:
I received a @Jester04 tune tonight for 91 and 93 octane. Initial impression of the 91 octane map on the street is positive. I should have another track day on 05/03 to test the improvements in both maps over the Hondata tunes.
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