First race in the 3s, Acura Integra Type R Options

[jgreening]

It was this morning very early before work. The roads were deserted. My buddy has a 2000 Type R with only a comptech exhaust. We raced for about 4 blocks. In a nutshell, he killed me off the line and was ahead by almost a full car length. From about the first 1/2 block to the finish my car was faster but I lost by about 2-3 feet. 1 more block and I would have won.

This post has been edited by jgreening: Dec 23, 2004 - 4:53 PM

[Jehuty]

The ITR has a number od advantages.

First and formost is weight. An ITR comes in a 2600 soaking wet. Curb weights state as low as 2400 pounds. Besides having an effect on the power to weight ratio, that's lett inertia for the front tires to fight off the line.

Tires may be a factor in the launch. There where probably some nice tires on the Celi but the tires on a stock ITR are pretty impressive as far as the softness of the compound goes. Probably not that much difference here tho.

Suspension! Follow an ITR on the highway for awhile and marvel at it's rock hard ride! Many people have an easier time launching a car that is sprung and damped hard! I know I do!

Gears. A type r carries a direct 5th tranny that effectivly works like a six speed for racing purposes. Many have mentioned the ITR's lack of torque but with gears like this it doens't matter.

Ever heard the expression "Horsepower sells cars. Torque wins races."? Suprise. It's bullsh!t. With the proper gearing and a good driver, the ITR's NA 190 hp are every bit as good as a turbocharched 190 hp. A turbo in and of itself is not an advantage.


Anyhow, I can't help but say I'm shocked at some of the replies on here. Noone should be expected to know the ins and outs of every aspect of tuning and performance, but everyone should know this:

The outcome of a race will never be derived from hp and weight alone. The cars themselves are roughly one third of the race equation, the other two being the venue and the drivers. None of these three elements can be fully described on paper, let alone the synergy of all three. That's racing.

The race described in this post should be a close call, and it was. I don't know how anyone sees it any other way. Hell, I've used an e36 M3 to beat a supercharged Saleen Mustang, and yet I've somehow managed to lose to a Chevy S10 in the same car! Why? I dunno. That's racing.