Friday, March 27, 2020

INSPIRE: YK*RKEW EG6 Civic is now the fastest NA FF at Tsukuba Circuit-56.070 seconds

Since yesterday's post on the GNR EK9, I've been researching more Instagram accounts and YouTube channels along with reading the 4 Parts to "The Chronicles" Attack Tsukuba event posts. I found out that the Yellow Factory R KEW (Kanagawa Engine Works) sponsored EG6 Civic hatchback is now the fastest NA FF (front engine-front wheel drive) machine with a best lap time of 56.070 seconds. He is knocking on the door to that 55 second barrier. Wow!

I want to make sure I give credit to those taking these photos.

So, enjoy these photos from The Chronicles 4 posts. Find more here:
https://stickydiljoe.com/2020/03/25/attack-tsukuba-2020-coverage-part-4/
Please also jump over to Joey Lee's YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/stickydiljoedotcom

Please also check out @shuboxinc Instagram page. This dude lives in Japan and Vancouver and covers the racing scene in both places. He also has a YouTube channel found here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYH32V6cfQ0lDRQgnltiQ8Q

Without these dudes taking their time and money to travel to Japan and photograph and video these events and cars, I wouldn't have them, so big thank you!

Ok, back to the Yellow Factory * Racing Kanagawa Engine Works EG6 Civic hatch time attack car.
My notes on the car are:
Yellow Factory*RKEW EG6
K24, ITBs, ???hp/770kg (1694lbs)
Big aero, wide fenders f & r
Photo by Joey Lee of "The Chronicles" 
My point in writing this blog entry is to appreciate this car and its lap times, see the similarities to those of the other Top 5 Hondas and the differences. Because there are really no rules except to run street legal sticky tires, the creativity of Time Attack leaves it open to each team copying what works and coming up with their own tricks along the way using trial and error.

An interesting thing too is the "Time Attack season" in Japan is pretty short. It's during the winter months. Why? Cold dense air makes more horsepower and less stress on the powertrain. If the sun is out, the cool air and sun keep the track surface warm enough for grip but not so hot that the tires get greasy and slippery. Makes sense. Also only makes it possible for 3 big events. At least, that's all I'm really seeing during these months. That could be partially due to the small amount of coverage I see online. IDK.

Big front aero, wide wheels/tires, carbon body panels
Wide fenders, wide wheels/tires up front, carbon hood, doors, hatch and wings. I noticed the yellow tape sealing off the front splitter to the bumper. Cheap and functional. Heat and air vents in the hood.

Here was my first clue that the YF RKEW EG6 had set the fastest lap time. Thanks @shuboxinc! 56.0 is insane! It's super fast!

Notice the long shifter. I'm pretty sure that is a

Here's a video of the car a year ago (Feb 2019) run a 56.697 sec. In an entire year he's gained .627 seconds. A years worth of development and driving! Hours of hard work! Lots of money! All for .627 sec. LOL Much respect!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l48A3101pZ8&t=28s

So, I know this is a K24 powerplant. You can see ITBs, which Joey Lee's article says are Toda Racing Sports kit. A titanium strut brace, tube front radiator support. I don't know the power level.
The weight of the car is even lighter than the GNR EK9, by 176lbs. That's not chump change. 1694lbs is feather light. Part of the difference could be the EG chassis is slightly lighter than the EK chassis.
Super cool picture looking down on the paddock at Tsukuba. Man and his machine! Pretty cool that the rear hatch is still functional. You can see the rear side windows are lexan or carbon as well just like the GNR EK9.
The YF*RKEW EG6 and GNR EK9 are very very similar in build design. Let's see if we can spot any differences.
One difference I spotted was the YF EG6 has a rear carbon diffuser for cleaning the air flow out the back of the car and likely helping with downforce. Both cars are running 295 (or larger) fronts and smaller rears. Both have K24 engines. What I don't know is if either have standard 6 speeds or sequential gearboxes. That could cut down on gear change times and allow for customized gear ratios. The details of the drivetrain specs are just not known in the public so there could be some key differences there. Also, the "driver mod" is another big factor in lap times.

56.070! There you have it! The gold...errrrr....yellow standard for all other Honda time attackers to beat!

No comments: