2009 Undefeated Redline Time Attack Unlimited RWD Class Champion

Las Vegas, NV (Sunday November 15, 2009) FX Motorsports Development, Billy Johnson, and the Cricket/Yokohama Tire Unlimited NSX overcome disaster this weekend to take the Overall win at Auto Club Speedway and set another track record for a production-based car. 

Coming from an Unlimited RWD class victory and record at the 2009 Super Lap Battle Time Attack event at Buttonwillow the previous Wednesday, FXMD came to the Redline Season Finale at Auto Club Speedway with high hopes. With new untested changes made to the FX750 NSX before Buttonwillow, FXMD was looking to further shake down the car on Saturday in preparation for Sunday’s Time Attack.

Saturday’s testing proved to be successful despite losing the right rear tire on the banking at 150mph. Driver Billy Johnson stated “I simply set the tire pressures too low for how cold the track conditions were and I didn’t let the tires get up to temp before the banking. It was not a tire failure by any means but rather a misjudgment in pressures. Thankfully I was able to keep the car off the wall and in one piece”. Unfortunately the down tire took out the remote reservoir canister of the KW 3-way motorsport dampers along with it. Thankfully KW North America was there and helped get the situation under control with a replacement set of competition coilovers.

As Sunday rolled around, testing couldn’t have gone better with the new Performance Friction “Z-Rated” Forged Monoblock Calipers with multi-pad technology (1 brake pad per piston) and 2pc floating rotors. “These brakes are amazing” Johnson said, “The pedal remained rock-solid and consistent lap after lap with zero signs of fade. The combined stiffness of the caliper and multiple pads per caliper make modulating the brakes almost telepathic, you have to truly experience it yourself to believe brakes can be this responsive and communicative”.

Despite the good start, the day was not going to be easy for the FXMD team. A snapped input shaft in the transmission looked to end their chances of competing and clinching the Unlimited RWD Championship. Crew Chief Radomir Banda said “Failures happen when making this kind of power. While we have made steps to increase the strength of the transmission, we have never seen a failure like this before. The fracture was so perfect it looked like it was cut on a lathe”.  The team had three hours to swap transmissions before the last timed session of the day. “These guys are amazing” said Johnson, “Whenever we are thrown a curveball that would make other teams pack up and go home, the whole team comes together. Against overwhelming odds they put the car together in time to give me one last shot.” 

For the final run, the team installed a bone stock transmission that had a less than ideal gear ratio and final drive, and the factory limited slip differential. They increased spring rates and raised the ride height to prevent the right front tire from bottoming out into the fender on the banking. They re-aligned the car, put on new tires, upped the boost, and fixed a cracked header. With all these changes and no practice time, the team wasn’t sure what the result was going to be.

As the sun started to set over the Southern California mountains, the last run group was the Unlimited class. With a best lap of 1:37.7 seconds during testing, Billy had to shave off nearly 2 seconds to beat the current record set by the AMS EVO X which turned a 1:36.230 in the first timed session.  On his second lap, Billy was able to edge AMS out with a record-setting lap of 1:36.103, just a tenth quicker than the EVO.

This result marks the 5^th Overall Victory and 5^thTrack Record for the team out of 5 races attended this year.  An undefeated record clinched the 2009 Unlimited RWD Championship for the FX Motorsports Development team.  We would like to thank Redline for a great year and special thanks to Sierra Sierra Enterprises for welding our header back together, they are a class-act.

We would like to thank all of our sponsors for their superior track proven products and unwavering support throughout the entire year.  Without their support this undefeated season would not have been possible.  Special thanks to Sam Kwa from Yokohama Tire for providing us with valuable advice via phone throughout the entire weekend and Chris Marion from KW Automotive for the on site product support.

Cricket Wireless
Yokohama Tire
Performance Friction Brakes
KW Suspension
NEO Synthetics
Brian Crower
WPC Metal Treatment Co.
Uehara Motowerks
Downforce.biz
RC Fuel Injectors
Race Engine Development
Applied Motorsports
Tial Sport
STMPO
FIX & STACK Restaraunt in Las Vegas
Back in Balance Chiropractic
GoPro Motorsports Hero
Daliracing
Autovation
Darton International
Findly Acura
RPS Clutches
OS Giken
CP Pistons
Grafikimpact

FXMD hot lap at California Raceway during the 2009 Red Line Time Attack Finals
 

FXMD hot lap at Buttonwillow Raceway during the 2009 Superlap Battle Finals