Good weather is a tuners best friend. A clear sunny day will brighten any mood and clear nights are often filled with the sound of high exhaust notes bouncing off twisty canyon roads. The first part of the year was uncharacteristically sunny, an opportunity that did not go unnoticed. A few of the guys from Limitless and a few of the MINT crew met at the Starbucks on Gellert in Daly City Friday the 11^th, sneaking in a last minute meet in the days before the first storm of the year. Casual conversation in the parking lot brought the small group together, a congregation of cars representing all walks of life. A number Nissan S chassis were joined by their bigger cousin, a Nissan Skyline R33 GT-S piloted by Shane of Limitless. Parked close by was a well tuned and highly respected Scion Xb, whose owner Dray proves that tuning is not just a young man’s game. The showcase was the Skyline, Shane’s way of showing the world he’s out to do big things, but was not the main point of the meet. Gathered to drink manly iced coffees and discuss upcoming events, the guys played it low key and had a good time swapping stories and egging each other on. Next on the list is a minor appearance in We`k Fest on Sunday February 20^th, followed by the season opener of Formula Drift at Thunder Hill on Wednesday March 16^th. Shaping up to be a big day besides the odd day of the week it scheduled, March 16^th will be the time for MINT to shine on track, and begin to establish themselves. A new project in the works to push his well known AE86 over the top, Alex is planning to unveil his efforts over the last few months on the 16^th as well. The secret isn’t on the street yet, but it’s sure to be a game changer once it hits the track. Weather permitting, the guys at Limitless will schedule more meets in the future, open to all fans of cars, tuning, and of course Limitless Motorsport. Stay tuned.

Team building in the car world is nothing new. You can follow the organization of like minded participants all the way up to the top brackets of modern day racing. Publicly it usually starts as a close group of friends with similar cars or similar interests has the same fundamental core as the partner system in F-1. Comprised of eleven members, and dominated by a showing of Nissan 240s, MINT is run by a core of 4 drifters who consider it a family more than a team. Alex, Chris, Jose, and Sherry are the team aces. They gather before every event to help coordinate team effort, place people on track, and have others standing by for support.

MINT is a very active group, traveling as far south as The Streets of Willow and as far north as Thunder Hill Raceway to practice their craft and promote their name. Chris’s white AE86 coupe has had a lot of success in the 99 Drift at the Stockton 99 racetrack, as well as being a serious figure in Thunder Drift and a member Battle Swing. Alex and Sherry are often busy organizing the event and helping members get their cars ready. Like the recent Limitless day at Thunder Hill on December 26, Alex coordinated MINT car appearance. Team members Andrew and Lawrence, who are always at the root of a team gathering, also stepped in to help out. Operating out of Limitless Motorsports, Alex has made the garage MINT’s home base as well as car maintenance and meeting location prior to any event.

MINT is aiming to become a serious contender, placing drivers in every event possible. Keeping his eye on the prize, with emphasis on the friendly aspect of the team, Alex gained a little success in a game usually dominated by big spenders. Alex keeps the group informal to remove any pressure, while maintaining a rough structure that makes things happen. MINT has also helped push Limitless Motorsports into a local celebrity setting, with each car representing the shop at events and plenty of fans wanting to know where the cars are built.

MINT has a lot more planned for the coming season in 2011. In development are some promotional materials in the form of stickers and T-Shirts, as well as a hydraulic Wilwood parking brake setup being designed by the wizards at Limitless. MINT is also looking to have a strong showing in events this coming year, with a minimum of four drivers per event, develop the a team tandem to show case at the events, and promote exposure of the team beyond the small gathering of fans they have in the bay area.

Already an established name, MINT is just as serious about their competition as they are about having fun. Look for them in the Season Opening event of Thunder Drift on March 16th, or catch the team blog and individual information at mintdrft.com

A big part of the success of Limitless track days are the guys who show up to the skid pad and slide around in a nonchalant manner. The group Sunday was no different, a very good mix of Turbo and NA cars, of drivers experienced and still learning. The biggest surprise came from a young gun named Sunny who showed up in his moderately tuned AE86 GT-S hatch, a car he bought for $1000. Sunny showed up early, watched the action on track and on the pad, then set forth to hone skills and by the end of the day he was swinging with confidence. Attracting the eye of the staff photographer for skill and eye candy, Sunny looks well on the way to becoming a serious contender in future events.

Amongst the familiar faces Big Don showed up in his Corvette, choosing to exercise his right of horsepower and leave the Miata at home. Setting a very fast pace in the Grip session Don was doing what he does best, burn rubber, obliterate the clock, and put disbelievers in his rear view mirror. T-Hill and Limitless gurus Mike and Jack, two well known FC owners, showed up to represent the Rotary spirit alongside long time Limitless driver and photographer Mike Tseng. Setting the pace at a really high level, these four prompted the rest of the field to “Nut up, or Shut up”, causing a number of high tension exchanges between grippers throughout the day. Most notably was the exchange between a built STI and EVO 9 that were dog fighting throughout the afternoon, helping to add to the endless argument about which chassis is the better AWD sports sedan.

The drift crowd really brought their A game on track, and with the skill level of all involved about equal, more time was spent on track driving. MINT lead the way early with Sherry Kamiya in her recently primered 240 Vert showing the onlookers how to nail the switch back at turns #12 and #13 flawlessly. Reminding people why there is always a strong showing of the venerable AE86 chassis, Chris Villereal practiced getting used to the newly installed Hydro E-Brake in his car. Banging it around every corner on track, Chris focused on E-Brake technique in turns #10 and #14, while showing the huge crowd of enthusiasts that you don’t need heavy braking or massive power to swing #1, #2, #3 and the back stretch.

Limitless track days wouldn’t be complete without at least one Bay Area motorsports celebrity, having been popular with the likes of Luke Longberger and Ryan Kato to name a few. Sunday’s was host to a local who is well known in the GoKarting circuit at GoKart Racer in Burlingame, and is looking to apply the techniques and skills used to the Miata he drives daily. An SF native Alan represented NorCal Roadsters, the Bay Area local open top car forum, in his SuperCharged NB1 on track. A car that appears stock from the outside, Alan boasts an increase of power coupled with a big brake upgrade and Koni sport suspension. Despite the threat the car possessed, hitting upwards of 110 on the front straight, Alan attributes most of his ability to learning on the slower, more momentum based Karts. Calling it 80% driver, 20% car, Alan explained that the smoothness of input and gentle feeling he has for weight transfer comes from the smaller open wheel vehicles. Secretive about upgrades planned for the future, Alan did say he’s looking to make a few minor tweaks to the car, but keep it tame as it acts as his daily driver to and from work every day. Look for him in future Limitless events.

All in all a successful showing, it was an event that kept the excitement high throughout the day. Impressed by the number of times the Tow truck was dispatched, Turbo commented that there is something about the good weather that keeps people on their best behavior. In word from the legend that embodies T-Hill, keep it classy guys. Look for more LMS track days in the coming months by staying tuned to limitlessmotorsports.com. More pictures can be found @

http://www.flickr.com/photos/riboflavin/sets/72157625998891406/

All photos courtesy of Jin Na.

Shaking stigma can be the hardest thing one can do in a lifetime. Being branded in a negative way by those who don’t understand often lead weaker men down the path of submission as they give in to the standards around them. Worse yet is the small number that will give in completely and abandon what they love most, saving face by living a lie. This was the exact opposite of four individuals gathered by chance at Thunder Hill raceway, Sunday February 6. Call it luck or call it fate, when four men passionate about the second generation Mazda RX-7 showed up that day, they came together as rivals to let a crowd of onlookers know that the FC is still a very capable car.

Made popular by social media, the RX-7 has long been the dream of tuners of varying ages. Widely recognizable in any form, it is makes just as many negative waves as it does positive ones, often regarded as an unreliable mess of a car, burdened by cheap quality and an unusual power plant. Carried from generation to generation, handed down from one owner to the next, that stigma has been the monkey on the back of RX-7s since their early critics in the late 1970s. A critique that fell on four sets of deaf ears. On his second foray onto the track, Harold brought his recently acquired S5 Tii out to get used to the car and see what it can do. Coming from a strong history in tuning Hondas, Harold was attracted to the RX-7 based strictly on the reputation that precedes the car on the street. The rarity and extreme differences keep him coming back to the car, and he says he takes joy in being able to learn new things as the build progresses. Attracted for some of the same reasons, young Mike has proven time and time again to be a formidable opponent in a GoKart, and applies the same theories to the RE-Amemiya clad GTU-S FC he pilots. A daily driver with flair, the FC is Mike’s longstanding passion, and car he won’t give up on until it’s perfect. Unknown to either Harold or Mike, two serious contenders had shown up Sunday ready to prove to the world that the FC chassis is alive and well(thank you) and that it still has enough juice in the tank to give everyone a run for their money. One brought in by trailer, one driven by the owner, the White FC piloted by Mike and D, and the Grey FC by Jack and Alice were seriously built in comparison to the other two cars. Brandishing the negative side of rotary ownership like a flag of pride, each man set out in the first session to feel out his car, and have fun on track. Quickly things began to heat up, and a long time fan of Mazda’s best effort in the 1980’s set up a contest during the moderate heat of the third session. The most well rounded, young Mike would take point and give his new suspension a work out, followed closely by Mike and D in their built S5, with Jack’s stripped and built NA and Harold’s Tii bring up the rear because they possessed the most power. With all the cars lined up, Turbo dropped the flag these four men competed in three laps of close competition; Limitless Motorsport’s first shot at a Best Motoring like comp.

Set up spartan but comfortable, young Mike’s FC has a cat back, suspension and a custom intake. Basically a stock car that would pass yearly emission inspections as is, it put the burden of proof on the driver, exactly where Mike wanted it to be. The white S5 NA was a clean example of a sunroof-less car, though it didn’t start out as a Mazda special edition like the other Mike’s car. Stripped and caged, it was purpose built to run the course hard. An aluminum radiator addressing cooling needs. Factory Turbo 4 pot brakes to keep it in line, and larger 17 inch 5Zigen FN1R-C wrapped in 245 and 255 rubber front and rear respectively gave the car its road hugging ability. Harold boasts the most power, his S5 Turbo rated at just over 200 crank horse from the factory, and he rounded it off with MazdaSpeed ground control suspension, an N1 type cat back, and BOV. Built near the extreme for an NA car, Jack’s FC is a serious piece of work, but matches the driver perfectly. Build S4 block with S5 9.7.1 compression rotors, stripped completely inside and out, caged, and a built 4.88 rear end, the car makes ears bleed when it goes past the start/finish line, and leaves most competitors sucking the fire balls it produces with each shift.

With the drop of the flag they were off, lead through the first section by young Mike who shown that smoothness equals speed. Dominating on turn #3, young Mike was able to put a small gap in between the tightly knit pack as they headed up the hill to turn #5. Blown away and a bit intimidated by the power delivery of the NA car before him, Harold played it safe in the earlier tighter section, doing his best to stay hot on Jack’s heels as the grey car assaulted the lines of the car it was chasing. Down the slope the four cars were running hot, tires screeching as they were forced to hold grip and get hot at the same time; neither man wanting to give up any advantage. In the flat back straight the higher output of the Turbo and the quicker winding of the two cars in the rear brought the pack near even going up the hill to turn #9. Things were quickly sorted out by the sharp curve and steep incline. Around the back side Jack found the opening he was looking for and was able to overtake the white FC piloted by Mike, and hit the straight between #13 and #14 with enough momentum to pass the red FC in the lead as well. Braking competition at #14 brought the three cars in the rear together again, with a short drag down the front straight.

Crossing the finish line and starting the second lap, the white FC moved to the outside and passed the RE-A GTU-S and set its sights on the speeding gray machine leading the pack. Behind the white bomber, the two red cars began a struggle for 3^rd that started deep within the braking zone of turn #1. Hot on the brakes and utilizing every ounce of pressure they would give, young Mikey was able to cut at just the right moment and slingshot into turn #2 with enough force to counter the accel of the Turbo engine screaming at his heels. In a fashion similar to two lions chasing the same prey, Mike and Jack dashed up the hill to turn #5, dodging the first signs of traffic from other drivers, and separating themselves from the other two cars. Dyno’d at a similar horsepower, Mike is able to match the quick the speed of Jack’s car in the straight, and his wider tires give him a slightly more precise line, keeping him neck and neck with the quicker accelerating NA. Jack pushed the car around the back three at whirl wind speed, giving little ground until turn #9, when Mikes surgeon scalpel driving line brought them near even. Accel. gave him the right of way as Jack kept the lead back in the short straight before turn #10, but after a quick slalom through #11, #12, #13 Jack pulled aside and let Mike ahead, switching their roles to take the dog fight to the next level.

Behind the two race built cars, Mike fought hard to keep Harold from overtaking. His nervousness gone, Harold was able to push himself and his car around the back end of the track. Mike again shows the techniques he’s learned in GoKarting by putting some distance between the two in tight section of the rear of the track, but was unable to keep the turbo car at bay for long. Coming around turn #15 Harold eased ahead of the Red RE-A car, leaving Mike waving and cursing at the same moment.

Dead ahead just entering turn #1, the white FC and the gray FC are driving near identically. Mike’s larger tires gave him greater high speed stability, but Jack countered back in turn #3, inching closer just as the two went up the hill. Not pulling anything back in the third lap of the competition, both Mike and Jack had their cars pegged through the back, pedal to the metal and tires screeching up the incline at #8. Mike split through turn #9 perfectly, inching ahead. Banging the top of 3^rd gear he prepared to setup the final swing at the end of the track, and put the competition to bed. Slowly it looked like Mike could pull away from the metallic colored bullet behind him, when disaster struck. Going hot into #10 and #11, Mike spun off the track, allowing Jack an easy pass and a quick sprint down the front straight to take the gold. Harold and Mike crested the hill soon after, seeing the white car off track before smoothly coming across the finish line. The red flag was dropped, allowing Mike to ease his car back onto the track and finally exit the hot pits, where the cause of his troubles would later be determined.

Coming off the track all the drivers were thoroughly satisfied in the competition, and the level of camaraderie they found in their fellow FC drivers. Harold was extremely pleased with the way his car felt and while he was still getting a feel for it, was excited to have pushed it against other drivers with the same machine. Once his nervousness was gone he was able to open up and really have fun. Jack admitted that his car felt a bit squirrelly, guessing that his tires may not have been at the proper temp. He could see/feel that he was a bit slower on throttle up out of the turns in comparison to Mike, who was aided by larger wheels and tires. All the drivers were extremely surprised by the level of competition the white FC brought, and looked over to see the cracked thermostat housing atop Mike’s engine that had distracted him, causing the spin. Catching jets of steam leaking form under the hood just before turn #10 on the last lap, Mike took his eyes of the course for a split second, and lost it when he saw how deep in the corner he was. Glad to have avoided a serious off track incident, but wary of driving the car again, Mike retired the car until he could patch the housing. Down on power, but still all smiles the group of FC guys impressed a large number of the crowd at the track, Jack’s wide open exhaust making people in the 3^rd level of the tower wish they had ear plugs as it screamed by. All the drivers agreed the one lesson they took with them was skill is driver then car, but don’t ever judge a book by its cover.

Photos courtesy of Jin Na

Taka Aono pulling awesome drifts throughout the weekend. This turbo Corolla is really an inspiration for many.

Favorite for many, Aasbo also doing some insane drifts. No one throws a Supra around the track better.

Mad Mike living up to his name. Throwing up a hand as Mike pulls out of the tear drop and into the last clipping point.

Matt Powers and his eye-catching new livery. Still dropping bumpers around the track like last year though!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_tseng/sets/72157624958861970/