But plenty of the engine is modified, including a lightweight flywheel, larger turbocharger exhaust turbine, high-flow stainless steel exhaust and racing catalytic converter, high-flow intake and air filter, custom oil sump baffle plate, larger radiator, intercooler, oil cooler, upgraded engine mounts, BOP engine limiting software and a MoTeC ECU that maps the engine to run 100 octane fuel. It’s “more or less” because JAS does seal the engine. Though louder, the race engine comes from the same Anna, Ohio, engine plant as the road car’s, and the internals (pistons, rings, valvetrain, etc.) are more or less left alone. Then hit a third button on the box: "start." With that, the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that the Type R receives snarls to life, muted a touch by high-flow catalytic converters, but no mufflers that I could see or hear. In a box with eight buttons on the lower console, make sure "main" and "ign" (ignition) are switched on and the hydraulically actuated, six-speed XTRAC sequential transmission is in neutral. Starting it is a touch more involved than the road car. The instrument panel, for example, is a small screen from MoTeC that moves with the steering column and provides tons of info about all the car’s systems. A simple plastic dashboard meets the base of the windshield otherwise, it’s nothing but a bunch of wire looms and purposeful equipment. The interior is different from the road-going Type R in the sense that, well, it’s not there. Thankfully, the steering wheel also tilts and telescopes, making it easy to get comfortable. Unlike some other race cars out there, the Civic’s race seat is not directly bolted to the frame it does move fore and aft to help you find a good spot for pedal reach. That means before I get in this particular Type R Civic, I first remove the steering wheel and climb over an elaborate roll cage, which JAS installed, before plopping into a snug and deeply bolstered racing seat. However, long before the 84 car came here, it went to JAS Motorsport just outside of Milan, Italy and was outfitted with different suspension, brakes, wings, diffusers, and interior. The Civic TCR race car starts life in Swindon, England, at a Honda plant as the structure and body of a Civic Type R road car, meaning I am settling into a somewhat familiar place. And under that awning, a small crew helps me get strapped inside to drive it. That car now sits under an awning just outside of the start/finish of the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan, a small, private racetrack outside of Detroit. ![]() Driver Brian Henderson and owner/driver Todd Lamb ran in front, but ultimately finished eighth in class after getting unlucky with a call to switch to rain tires and the rain not showing up. ![]() At the last event at Mid-Ohio, the fast and relatively small cars competed fiercely, often entering, and completing, corners three-wide. Here in the States, IMSA holds the Michelin Pilot Challenge, where you can see Alfa Romeo, Audi, Honda and Hyundai racing each other. Touring Car Racing, or TCR, is a worldwide race class that started only five years ago yet is quickly becoming a very popular destination for both drivers and manufacturers.
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