Cyrious Report: Season Recap

Formula Drift Canada's biggest round of the year was set to take place at the home of Canadian drifting, the place where it all started for me, Autodrome St.Eustache!

The track is about 30 minutes outside of Montreal, and over 10,000 people came out to watch. The fans are truly the best in the world, very vocal about what they like by cheering loudly or chanting one more time when there is a close run. It's quite an electric feeling at St. Eustache, and one that I look forward to attending each and every year.

Going into this round we decided to freshen up the tune in our 2JZ-powered Scion FR-S, so Sasha from Onpoint Dyno came in and together we were able to get an extra 80lb-ft and 40hp. We also changed our alignment settings to get the maximum amount of mechanical grip possible. The car was as strong as it could be for the weekend.

Practice day was on Saturday. We did a few laps working on our set up, but the rear gearing wasn’t right. I always come to events with 3 differentials with different gear ratios, so we decided to swap the one that was in the car for what we felt was a ratio better suited for the track. Unfortunately we had some problems installing the new differential, so we didn't have a chance to test it out that day but we would be ready for battle the next day!

Qualifying day. The track layout we were running is one of my favorites. Despite the lack of practice the day before, I was confident that we would be able to get the hang of it quickly. We started our second day of practice strong. Our rear end gear choice was spot on! For the rest of the day I pretty much ran the same lap. Placing the car in the same spot every time. My first qualifying lap was pretty good. Typically on the first qualifying lap, I drive with a little bit in reserve and pulled off a good run with a score of 85. On my second lap I went all out and put down probably my best lap of the weekend! That gave me a score of 91 with a final qualifying position of 3rd place!

The competition was set up as a top 32, and our first battle was against Riley Sexsmith. Riley and I are good friends off the track so it was a bit disappointing for both of us that we had to go against each other in the first round. I was to lead first. I ran a lap very similar to my qualifying lap, Riley kept up but made a few small mistakes in the follow position. When we switched positions, I stuck with Riley through the course and was awarded the win. Next up, top 16…

The Top 16 ceremony was pretty cool. I rolled out with my fellow Scion Racing driver Fredric Aasbo. It was my birthday that day as well so the crowd gave me a loud "happy birthday" after my introduction! After the intros were done Fredric and I did tandem donuts while Lisa with Scion Canada rode in my car shooting live on Periscope! You can check out the video below.

In the top 16 I went up against Dean "karnage" Kearney in his Dodge Viper. I led first, and once again ran the same line I had been running all weekend. Dean stuck with me through the entire course until we got to the last clipping point, where he got too close, bumping into me and causing me to spin. When I spun around he proceeded to drive over my right front wheel, damaging my steering. We rushed back to the pits to assess the damage. The steering rack, rack spacer and inner tie rod was bent. The judges declared Dean at fault, so we were given about 25 minutes to fix my car. We scrambled to get it straight, I had a spare inner tie rod and spare steering rack but there was not enough time to do the rack. So we bashed it straight with a hammer the best we could. Time had run out and my car was far from perfect with the front toe being out almost 2 inches, but I wasn’t ready to back down from this battle. I pulled up to the line first and the crowd cheered very loud. I was a bit worried about what my car was going to do in the first corner when we initiated drift, but Dean slowed down a lot more than I expected and I straighten out. I spent the rest of the run trying to catch up. The Judges called for "one more time". But as I drove back to the pits my clutch started to slip really badly. I had hoped it was just over heated and that during the tire change it would cool off enough to do our next run, but it didn’t. The car wouldn't move at all, which meant that our weekend was done.

Overall it was a great event. Everyone was saying it was the best drifting they had ever seen me do and the support and love from the fans made it one of the most memorable weekends of the season. I am really feeling at one with my Scion FR-S and we're only going to get better in the years to come! We’ll be racing again soon and our clutch is out getting rebuilt so it won’t be long before I’ll be sideways again.

Thanks so much for the support!

Scion Life

Some newbies out there might think of Scion as just another automotive manufacturer spewing out small gas saving cars designated by variations of 2 or 3 letters with alternating cases. For those who really know, it’s much more than that. Scion owners are a breed of enthusiasts that cannot be duplicated. Their passion for Scion is unparalleled. It’s not a hobby, it’s a life. It’s the Scion Life.

When the first xB was unveiled in North America back in 2003, Toyota took a risk to start a new brand and bring over their rolling box 
into our market. The quirky styling of the first generation Scions were different from anything available at the time. Were people ready for the xB? You bet they were. In the first year, almost 100,000 Scions were sold and hit a chord with every demographic. In the blink of an eye, you would see xB’s and xA’s being represented by tuners, fabricators, racers, hip hoppers, families, old people, and young people. It was at this point that everyone recognized the Scion Life and the industry would never be the same.

Fast-forward to present day and you can’t drive one city block without seeing a Scion, either stock or fixed up. In Vancouver, Mati Ma of 604 Scion saved up his money for nearly four years in order to buy the xB that he always wanted (that’s a lot of top ramen lunches and dinners). Mati enjoys the west coast cult status of Scion but sees it spreading quickly through Canada on the eastern borders. Canadians will have no trouble customizing their rides according to Mati, “There are tons of companies making parts for Scions in a gazillion styles so it’s easy to start fixing up your car right away, customized to your own style.” His rapidly expanding group provides support, event coverage and meet-up details to BC owners and enthusiasts.

There are thousands of diehard Scion owners that devote their lives to a brand that fully embraces their supporters, which is rare in this day and age. I guarantee that if I grabbed 100 Scion owners off of the street, their descriptions of the lifestyle would have miniscule variations, if any at all. In fact, we chased down a couple more Scion owners just to prove that point.

Martin Trujillo reminisces about his first encounter with Scion as “funky, cool, and different. Like nothing I had ever seen before.” He’s met so many people by modding up his Scion that he couldn’t get out of the Scion Life if he tried, not that he wants to. When we asked Kirby Quinto what set Scion owners apart from the rest, he said “We don’t steal from each other. To me, Scion owners are how automobile enthusiasts should be. We show togetherness and embrace any new owners that introduce themselves in the scene. It’s not about how your car looks or how fast. It’s about you as a person showing love for the Scion brand.”

Scion Life is more than just a trend, it’s a worldwide movement. And if you’re lucky enough to be reading this from the front seat of your new Scion this new world will soon open up to you in time. Just remember to continue spreading the Scion Life to everyone that you come in contact with to ensure that the daisy chain will never end.

Scion Life was originally published in Issue 3 of Scion Magazine. To read more, visit scion.ca/magazine

Speed Academy Adds 100 Horsepower To Their Scion FR-S

The engine in the Speed Academy Scion FR-S has been extremely reliable, having not only survived a turbocharger and nitrous injection prior to Peter and Dave’s involvement, but also having run strong at Targa Newfoundland last year where it finished 3rd in class and 6th overall.

But with another weeklong endurance race on the schedule, this year running the car in the inaugural Ontario1500 event, the Speed Academy team decided to take the precautionary measure of swapping in a low mileage FA20 engine prior to installing a Jackson Racing supercharger kit.

As Dave explained, “For Targa Newfoundland we felt the stock FA20 engine was a perfect fit, since its 200 horsepower would be more than enough for us to run competitively. For Ontario1500, however, we really wanted to boost engine output since we’d be running against some very fast track-prepped machines. After doing a lot of research on forced induction solutions for the FR-S, we settled on the Jackson Racing supercharger kit, which offers what we consider the best combination of reliability and performance.”

The JR kit looks a bit intimidating all laid out on the shop floor prior to installation, but the instructions provided are outstanding and Peter, Dave and their shopmate Ken had the supercharger up and running after about 8 hours of wrenching.

They also installed Jackson Racing’s track engine oil cooler kit, which features a large capacity Sebtrab oil cooler (left) that’s integrated beautifully on a mounting bracket that’s also used for the supercharger’s oil cooler (right). Peter and Ken tested it for leaks (above), and the Speed Academy team is happy to report that oil temps are perfectly controlled by this setup during a recent track test.

But before track testing, Sasha from OnPoint Dyno worked his magic dyno tuning the ECU for the 9 psi of boost pressure the Rotrex supercharger makes at 7,000 RPM.

The end result of the OnPoint custom tune on 94 octane was a rock solid 262 horsepower at the rear wheels. That’s almost 90 wheel horsepower more than the engine produced last year and should make this FR-S a serious contender during Ontario1500.

Engine Swap video:

Supercharger kit install video:

Dyno Tuning video:

Be sure to check out the Speed Academy YouTube video series covering the entire buildup prior to Ontario1500, including the engine swap, Jackson Racing supercharger installation and dyno tuning episodes above.

Speed Academy Gives Their FR-S a JDM Makeover

Peter and Dave from Speed Academy have been hard at work this summer preparing their Scion Racing FR-S to compete in the inaugural Ontario-1500.

Racing on 6 different road courses in Ontario for a week straight in mid September means the Speed Academy FR-S requires equal parts mechanical grip and aerodynamic grip. So although Peter and Dave loved the Zele wing they ran on the car during Targa Newfoundland last year, this year they’ve stepped up to a true GT race wing from highly regarded Japanese aero manufacturer Voltex.

Those funky looking swan neck pedestal mounts aren’t just for looks, they actually clean up airflow on the bottom side of the wing where all the downforce is made (contrary to popular belief, the curve along the bottom surface is what creates downforce on a proper airfoil shaped wing like this Voltex Type 7 GT wing).

You know it’s a serious wing when it comes with a massive carbon fiber backing plate that secures it to the underside of the trunk lid and distributes the load across a very large area.

The boys at Speed Academy did have to trim the underside of the trunk to fit this plate, but the end result is very clean and very strong.

With the wing install completed, it was time to bolt up the new wheels for 2015. Last year they ran forged Volk Race CE28RT wheels in bright red, but this year they’ve decided to change up the look of the car with this stunning set of Advan GT wheels in Titanium Blue. These are also a forged wheel manufactured by Rays Engineering in Japan, so weight has been kept at a minimum and strength at a maximum.

Plus Peter and Dave love how concave the face is on these wheels. Delish!

They’ve changed things up in the tire department, opting to run Toyo Proxes R1R extreme performance summer tires this year. As Dave put it, “We’ve had a lot of racing success on Toyo tires over the years, including 7 race wins in the Canadian Touring Car Championship, so we’re excited to run on the R1R compound for Ontario1500, which perform extremely well in both wet and dry conditions.”

There’s lots more to come from Speed Academy on their FR-S build this summer, including swapping in a low mileage FA20 engine and adding a forced induction kit to it, but in the meantime check out their JDM love-fest video covering all the parts above.

5 Things You May or May Not Have Known About the Scion iM

This fall marks an exciting time for us at Scion. Not only are we coming up on our five-year anniversary since our debut in Canada, we’re welcoming a new member of the family: the 2016 Scion iM. Here are five things you may or may not have known about the iM.

DUAL-ZONE CLIMATE CONTROL

Have you ever gone on a road trip where you and your passenger just couldn’t agree on the in-car temperature? You prefer it cool, they prefer it warm, but what’s a driver to do? The iM comes standard with dual-zone climate control. That means your passenger and you can travel comfortably with the perfect individual climate so neither of you are left in the cold.

BACKUP CAMERA

You can rely on the iM’s backup camera that allows you to see what’s behind your vehicle while backing out of a space.

LED HEADLIGHTS & TAILLIGHTS

LED daytime running lights and taillights give the iM a modern and dynamic look from the front and the back. Halogen headlamps also run automatically and power-adjustable mirrors come standard with turn-signal indicators to ensure visibility and safety.

17” ALLOY WHEELS

The iM sits on aggressively styled 17” aluminum alloy wheels giving your car the looks and the grip it needs to hit the highway or cruise the streets.

AHA RADIO

Housed in the piano black dash, Aha radio provides the in-car entertainment and connects with your smartphone to make any trip more enjoyable. Accompanied by a Pioneer audio system with 7” touchscreen display, the Aha experience allows your to access and organize your favourite content from the web into personalized stations in real-time.

You can now visit your local Scion dealer to check out our sporty new hatchback that comes ready for adventure. With space, versatility and a fun-to-drive experience powered by the 137-horsepower 4-cylinder engine, the only question left is are you ready? #iMalwaysready

B-Kyu Gurume

While some people dread the end of summer, we look forward to the arrival of national fairs like the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) and the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) and the culinary offerings that come with it. Last year, we discovered the Thanksgiving Waffle by Fran’s Restaurants at the CNE – a combination of Canadian tradition and comfort food. This year, we hear they’ve got Poutine Balls and a Baonana Split that reminded us of something we discovered in Japan called “B-kyu gurume.” Learn more about the inexpensive delicious trend that’s taken the world one bite at a time.

Japanese cuisine is changing. Here in Canada, long gone are the days when “Japanese cuisine” was just a synonym for sushi. And in Japan, the culinary scene seems to have finally escaped the looming shadow of Michelin stars and traditional, multi-course “kaiseki” dinners. But that doesn’t mean a country renowned for its cuisine has taken a gastronomic nosedive – quite the contrary, in fact.

The last several years have seen the rise of “B-kyu gurume” – literally, “B-grade gourmet.” The translation is a bit of a misnomer as B-kyu does not denote low quality. However, it certainly renounces fancy mood lighting and stuck-up waiters. Furthermore, a large part of the appeal of B-kyu gurume is how it counters the pretentious notions of the high-end A-kyu cuisine, liberating food lovers from the golden shackles that Japan essentially built its dining reputation on. Its popularity has grown to include dedicated magazine guides and TV shows. There are even major food festivals surrounding the movement.

So what is it, exactly?

The Japan Times defines B-kyu as “inexpensive, down-home cooking that reflects local culinary traditions.” “Everyone describes it differently, but for me B-kyu is a soulful food. It has to be delicious, cheap and made with quality ingredients,” says Koji Yamamoto, owner of Yakko Izakaya in Osaka. “My favourite thing about B-kyu is how we mix in other cultural foods with our traditional cuisine to create something new. It’s a dish made up of different countries.”

At its heart, B-kyu looks a lot like the same food craze that has swept Canada in recent years: slightly elevated, blessedly cheap, and cheerful comfort food. For Shinji Yamaguchi, who spent years eating his way through Japan and now runs Toronto’s Gushi street food stall, it’s about fun and sheer enjoyment: “B-kyu gurume is not fancy, you can eat it aggressively, and it looks good and tastes good – like junk food.”

Written by Nelson Tam. B-Kyu Gurume was featured in Issue 7 of Scion Magazine. To read more, visit scion.ca/magazine

Cyrious Report: Exciting times at Trois-Rivières

For the third round of Formula Drift Canada, the team and I travelled to the famous streets of Trois-Rivières, where people have been racing since 1967! Held over two weeks in August, the Grand Prix Trois-Rivières plays host to multiple series race events that include NASCAR and World RallycrossRX, and for the first time a drifting competition with FD Canada.

The streets of Monaco inspired the track and while on paper it appears to be two turns, it’s actually quite difficult. To start, the track is entirely lined with concrete walls so there is really no margin for error. Secondly, we were only given two 30-minute practice sessions which really didn’t give us any time to make set-up changes so everything had to be pretty good right from the get-go. Luckily, we were able to walk the track the night before the competition, so I was able to get an idea of what I was going to need to do to make every lap of practice count.

My first practice run went great! I felt really comfortable right away with the track, placed the car where it needed to be, and felt really fast throughout the course! We only got one lap in on that 30 minute session because there was a crash, but I felt good about how I did. Next session out I was able to get in two good laps, and I was feeling confident going into the top 16 competition.

Unlike the other FD Canada events this year, there was no qualifying. Instead, they used the championship points to decide the order of the top 16. Also, due to the time constraints of GP3R, there would be no “one more time” calls from the judges so every run really needed to sway the judges in your favour. The top 16 battle was spread out over two days, with the first half held on Friday and the rest of the competition on Saturday.

With me leading the board on championship points, I qualified in first and was paired up with Jo Thiffault. I led first with a good clean lap, but while Jo kept up, he made a few mistakes. On my follow lap, Jo slowed down way more than I expected on entry, causing me to straighten up for a second but I managed to keep up with him for the rest of the run. It was a close call, but the judges gave me the win!

My next battle was against Tomy Boisvert-bellamare. We’ve battled against one another every round of FD Canada so far. Knowing Tom, I knew he was going to give it his all and this was not going to be an easy fight. I led first and did a near perfect run! Tom hung with about two car lengths back but couldn’t close in on me. On my follow lap, I was able to close the gap between him and I and was awarded the win.

On to the final 4! I was up against Martin Langlois, a really good driver that’s pretty aggressive. I led first, did a great lap and Martin stuck with me by about three car lengths only making some minor mistakes. Which meant that my follow lap would have to be perfect. We took off down the straight into the first corner and I mis-shifted, putting it in fifth gear instead of third. Right away Martin gaped me by four car lengths. I tried to make it up but just couldn't close that gap and Martin took the win. I heard that many of you were saying “one more time” on Periscope! I spoke with the judges afterwards and they agree that had it not been for the circumstances, they would have called for one more time.

In the end with my first place qualifying position, I finished the event in third overall! But the day wasn’t done just yet. With the competition out of the way, the top 3 drivers of the event got to do demo runs Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Dean Kearny. Even better, I was lucky enough to take Yves Levesque, the Mayor of Trois-Rivières along for the ride! We had some great tight runs, the Mayor loved it and the crowd went wild!

So after three exciting rounds of FD Canada, I ended up being the top qualified driver going into the final World Round in September back in St-Eustache! I’ve also been told that I am officially FD Canada’s “Drifter of the Year.”

Up next for us is FD Pro2 in Texas. We will be making some changes to our transmission that will hopefully prevent mis-shifts from happening and do a few other little things but overall I have been extremely happy with how my Scion FR-S has been performing this season!

Thanks so much for the support!