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Street Racing Illustrated | Behind the Wheel with Juan Burgos

Behind the Wheel with Juan Burgos

From daily driven to passion project.

Interviewer | Clifton Hernandez

Photos | Phillip Pratt

 

Juan Burgos’ boosted EG-Sedan

 

Where does the admiration of an inanimate object come from? What drives (no pun intended) us to keep a pair of shoes or hat way past it’s prime?  Sure, we could take a ride down to Foot Locker and buy a fresh pair of Nikes and probably a new snap-back, of course. But we know what’s good when we get back home. When it’s time to jack the car up and get to work, we know what’s going to be on our feet and absorbing the latest batch of sweat off our head. We sat down with Juan Burgos to talk about his car, racing, and… other stuff, to answer this question.

 

Street Racing Illustrated: What got you into cars?

Juan: Honestly, ever since I was little, 2 or 3 years old, my parents always told me I had a fever for cars. I always had little toy cars. My grandma, she used to take care of me a lot, she’d be the one playing cars with me. Back in Colombia (where Juan is originally from), I used to fight with my parents to stay home from daycare to go with my dad instead. I used to put nails in his tires just to see how it would get fixed.

 

SRI: So, you were definitely a @#@$# kid… How old are you now?

Juan: I’m 23 about to turn 24.

 

SRI: When did you come here?

Juan: I was about 4 or 5 years old when I first got here.

 

SRI: What was your first car? The one you learned to drive in, doesn’t have to be yours-

Juan: It was always a Honda. I had multiple ones, including this one, my 94’ EG 4-door, I bought it to fix up and sell. It was originally meant to be a project for a class in high school. I was going to fix the head gasket and then sell it. It was my senior year project to graduate from technical school. It was a single-cam [back then, of course]. I loved it so much, ended up keeping it as a daily, but the fix didn’t last. I blew the motor.

 

Juan Burgos’ boosted EG-Sedan

 

SRI: This is the car you have now? Your first car is the still the car you have now?!

Juan: Driving, driving, like taking it out to get registered legit, yeah. I don’t daily it anymore, I’ve got a truck for that. But this was basically my only car under my name until I got my truck.

 

SRI: This is interesting… If I gave you an unlimited budget to build anything you wanted, it’d be…?

Juan: I’d probably stick with this same car. My same Honda. It’s been a long process. Honestly, [with this car] there’s never any end to it. Even now, there’s not that much to it. I’m not fast enough to make it to the [Street Racing Made Safe] Top 10 list, as is, but if I had the budget I’d go K-series. Right now, it’s got a B-series because it’s within my budget. The Ks can be a bit expensive; like, I’d have to go with a Dog Box because the transmissions never hold up…

 

SRI: Are you saying your dream car is the car you’re driving?

Juan: I’m not saying [the Civic] is my dream car, but with an unlimited budget, it’s the one I’d continue with.

 

SRI: How old were you for your first race?

Juan: Probably 17 or even earlier than that. My parents don’t know but I used to drive without a license.

 

Juan Burgos’ boosted EG-Sedan

 

SRI: Well, there’s no way they are going to read this… What was the race?

Juan: Me and my friend’s car, another EG 4-door, but automatic. It was his sister’s car. Just the two of us going down the block, neck-to-neck the whole way, bone stock cars! I don’t think we even made it to 70 [MPH]. But it was entertaining!

 

SRI: What’s the best race you’ve had so far, since then? I don’t mean that stock foolishness. I mean a real race?

Juan: I like going up against high-end cars. When I’m at the track for an event I go to like GT-Rs and stuff. Try to find one as stock as possible and put them to shame. My favorite race though was against this blue GT-R. It was pretty close. His trap speed was about 128, mine was 121. My goal right now is to beat one.

 

SRI: How does that go down? When you’re approaching these hundred-thousand-dollar cars and asking them to race your Civic? I mean they really have more to lose than to gain going up against you.

Juan: First thing they ask is ‘what’s done to the car’. I tell them it’s a 2.0 bottom with a 1.6 head (B20) on 8lbs of boost. They call me a liar and say I’m making five or six-hundred horsepower. Right now, it’s only making around three-hundred to the wheels. I offer to show them a dyno-sheet and everything. It’s hard to get a race.

 

Juan Burgos’ boosted EG-Sedan | “Warming up” before making a pass at Palm Beach International Raceway

 

SRI: Are you like the only gear-head in your group of friends?

Juan: Nah, I have a lot of guys around me that are into racing. Mostly people from my neighborhood. Ever since we were teenagers. There’s a group of us called Four-Seven Built. Daniel is one of my friends I hang with the most. He’s got an S10 with an LS swap. He goes to track with me every time.

 

SRI: So, who’s car is faster?

Juan: I’d say mine… when he’s off the juice. All-motor he’s not faster, but on the juice, he’s got me. [laughs]

 

SRI: What’s your favorite aspect of the whole hobby? Is it the racing, the satisfaction of building something you know can compete?

Juan: I just love the adrenaline you get behind the wheel. The car isn’t all that pretty on the outside-

 

SRI: Been meaning to ask you about that. Is there something you want to do to it…?

Juan: I sent it to get painted once. Some guy in Hialeah that knew my dad. The biggest mistake I’ve ever made [with the car]. It’s why it looks the way it does now. The car was beautiful for like two weeks, shinning. I’ve got one video and one picture of the car when it first came out. After that… the paint just went to crap. I paid the guy $900, just for the labor. It was a learning experience. Once I’m done with the new motor set-up, I’ll get back to making it look pretty. Not into body-kits so much anymore, but I want to make it clean. As OEM as possible.

 

Juan Burgos’ boosted EG-Sedan

 

SRI: What magazines were you into coming up? Did you have Super Street posters on your wall and stuff like that…?

Juan: Every time I’d go to the grocery store with my parents I’d go over to the magazine rack and get Lowrider, I always liked that-

 

SRI: So, boobs, then.

Juan: [laughs] I guess you can say that!

 

SRI: I’m sorry but, ten-year-old with a Lowrider magazine, you aren’t looking at no damn cars… I’m kidding.

Juan: If it were in my budget to do it, I’d build one [a Lowrider] today. A 59’ Impala. Hydraulics, clean undercarriage, sound system… But it’s expensive.

 

SRI: Don’t hear Lowriders around these parts too much. What got you into that?

Juan: I don’t know, I just like them. I used to watch a lot of West Coast Customs-

 

SRI: Just say it, you watched Pimp My Ride! Say it, you like goldfish in cars!

Juan: I watched it! [laughs]

 

Juan Burgos’ boosted EG-Sedan

 

SRI: The guy that wants to keep his Civic was OEM as possible on the outside, is also into Lowriders with all their elaborate, deep paint jobs?

Juan: I want to keep it [the Civic] as factory looking as possible. As of today, the car has full interior, everything still. I don’t think I’ll ever cut up the car to save two-hundred pounds or so. I want to keep it fun and safe.

 

SRI: Well it’s been real Juan, got anyone you want to shoutout?

Juan: I’d like to thank my wife Julissa and my brother Alejandro for helping me work on the car and getting it to where it’s at. She doesn’t mind getting dirty like other girls. And last, my friend Daniel for helping me out on the build as well.

 

“I’d like to thank my wife Julissa and my brother Alejandro for helping me work on the car and getting it to where it’s at…”

 

Instagram: @juan_skiii

 

Street Racing Illustrated | “Bigger than Business”

Bigger than Business

From humble beginnings to becoming one of the most reputable tuners and JDM importers in the area

Story | Phillip Pratt

Photos | Clifton Hernandez /  Wendy Evans

 

Tony Folks, owner | Island Boy Tuning

 

Down here in South Florida there are a few shops that are universally acknowledged as ‘reputable’ if you ask people that are in the know; Drag, AG, WRXperts and the topic of the day; Island Boy Tuning, also known sinply as IBT.  Started in Plantation, Florida in 2006, tucked away in a row of bays off of Peters Road, it was a bit hard to see from the street, or even know it’s there unless you’re already looking for it. For all the initially perceived clutter within, the shop is immaculately kept in order. Seriously, you can eat off these floors (Disclaimer: probably not a great idea to eat off any floor)!

 

Walking into the left side of IBT, which encompasses four bays, you’d probably scoff at the shelves filled with random ‘dirty’ alternators, oil pumps, and starters, not to mention the smattering of complete engines decorating the space. That is until you realize it’s not so random. Everything is in its place alongside others of its kind and that those power plants are all fully operational. Who created this controlled-chaos? None other than Jamaican born, Landris “Tony” Folkes the mechanic, mastermind, Renaissance-man, and the proprietor of IBT.

 

1JZ Swapped IS300 | Island Boy Tuning

 

I have to admit, when the idea of featuring IBT was brought up, I recognized the shop as a place that builds and maintains some sick Hondas. That short-sighted view was quickly put to pasture, and not just by the three 1JZ-VVTI engines within the shop (one of which was quietly nestled inside the body of a white 94’ BMW like it belonged there), but by Tony himself that wasn’t shy about making sure I understood that he’s not just a ‘Honda guy’. After seeing some of his past projects, such as a one-thousand horsepower Supra that he built from the floor up himself, to refer to him as ‘just a Honda guy’ would be paying him a disservice. With that said, he still builds and maintains some sick Hondas!

 

Passion isn’t just skin deep | Island Boy Tuning

 

As Tony walked my photographer and me through some old projects and talked to us about his sixteen-year long career as a mechanic which humbly began in the driveway of his home in 2004, I gradually realized that this gentleman truly loves what he does. He lives and breathes for it. Assuming the IBT logo tattooed on his forearm didn’t say enough, that is. It’s not about the money at this point. He takes great pride in what he does.

 

“…humbly began in the driveway of his home in 2004”

 

The fact that IBT has survived as long as it has while others have come and gone, is a testament to that. While showing us how he’d rather take the time to gravity bleed a radiator, than taking shortcuts, he simply proclaimed to us that he ‘gives a damn’ about what he puts out on the road. It’s a fact that’s also well known to his customers and peers. When asked if he has any designs on competing at track events such as Street Racing Made Safe’s ‘Top 10 List’, he laughed and confessed to us that any time he finishes a build for himself or as a showpiece for the shop, he immediately receives offers on it, often before it’s even complete.

 

JZ swapping the world | Island Boy Tuning

 

That was exactly the case with the aforementioned 1156whp Supra, as well as an IS300 wagon love project that he converted to a manual transmission. If that wasn’t enough ‘wow factor’ for a potential buyer, Tony then dropped in a 1JZ power plant and custom installed a pair of Supra brake calipers. A feat that he nonchalantly referred to as “easy”. Tony doesn’t limit himself to South Florida, or even this hemisphere. He habitually travels to the Land of the Rising Sun to source his own engines and other sweet, sweet, authentic pieces of JDM goodness. Walking the streets there, Tony was surprised to find that his YouTube antics of starting engines on the floor of his shop had garnered him some measure of fame among the tuner community there. “One time, while I was out buying, some guy came up to me with his phone…” Tony remembers “it was me on YouTube cranking one of my motors!”

 

Island Boy Tuning

 

Tony is as enthusiastic about building monsters as he is maintaining the IBT culture, which I can honestly say is beautiful to witness. During our visit with him, he invited a couple of friends, who, in reality, are customers, but you wouldn’t guess that by the way they talk and joke around. Everyone that was there seemed more like family and old friends. The only thing missing was a grill and a drunk uncle’s inaccurate tales of yesteryear. Frankie Lugo, the proud owner of a 2JZ-swapped, IS300, built by IBT, makes the drive all the way up from Miami, as he refuses to let anyone else touch his car.  “I met [Tony] through my brother…” Frankie recalled. “He had an Accord with a Prelude motor, a swap he told me Tony did in a single day.”

 

When Frankie visited IBT for the first time and met its proprietor, he described Tony as being down to earth. That he took the time to explain everything he could do for him, and his then stock Lexus, sporting nothing more than a K&N filter. “He didn’t try to sell me on anything.” From that point, it’s all history. The two collaborated on building one of the most unassuming sleepers this side of the Pacific Ocean. “I trust him,” Frankie remarks. “My wife and I may be relocating in the near future, further up the East coast… I’ll ship my car to Tony. It’s more than a client/ customer relationship.”

 

Island Boy Tuning

 

That kind of loyalty doesn’t come cheap. Scrolling through Facebook reviews, you’ll find nothing but shining testimonies of satisfied customers and not just from the tuner community. He lovingly performs maintenance on everyday commuters with the same fervor he does 1000hp highway-killing machines. Being an IBT customer comes with more than a guarantee of first-rate service. It includes an invitation to become part of the family. Even with lasting success and a laundry list of incredibly built cars Tony, remains humble and welcoming to new customers and challenges. Something that other equally fruitful establishments can forget from time to time.

 

“My first car was an 88’ Civic DX… I respect the guy who owns a hatch’ the same way as another with a GTR because, at one point, I was that guy.”

 

Since the writing of this article, Tony and IBT have moved out of their Plantation digs and journeyed a bit south to the Town of Davie and settled into a new 4000sgft facility, located at 5420 W State Rd 84 #2-6 (Davie, FL 33314). Do yourself a favor and go check Island Boy Tuning out!

 

 

Instagram: @ibtuning

Ph: (954) 704-3988

Street Racing Illustrated | Wekfest Florida 2017

Wekfest Florida 2017

Event coverage from the Wekfest show hosted in West Palm Beach

Story | Phillip Pratt

Photos | Phillip Pratt

 

If you’ve ever been to a Wekfest car show, you know it’s just that. A car show. Not a 2 – step competition, B-boy contest, freestyle rap battle or a “fashion show” (which inevitably involves bottles of water. Cold bottles of water). It’s an event that puts the cars at the center of attention at every step of the way. It’s become a yearend show in South Florida that brings in cars from all over the state, and from each subculture within the hobby. Enthusiasts break themselves for days in preparation and it shows as each vehicle on the floor is lovingly and meticulously detailed until the convention center’s LED lighting fixtures blindingly glisten off fresh paint and the well-oiled surfaces of low-profile tires. This year’s offering wasn’t anything less than awe-inspiring as the room was crammed wall-to-wall with some of Florida’s (and beyond) best.

 

Toyota Supra

Ultimate Performance EG Hatch

Wekfest merch table and DJ

BMW

Nissan Z

Disruptive RX-7

S2000

Old School

Skyline GTR

RB26DETT

Nissan Silvia S14

DC2 Integra

Lexus IS300

Lexus Row

Aisha’s 97 Hatch

Blob-eye STI

Street Racing Illustrated | “Jill of All Trades”

Jill of all Trades

Aisha Christian’s 97’ Honda Civic Hatchback

Story | Phillip Pratt

Photos | Ralph Gabaldon

 

Aisha Christian’s 97’ Honda Civic Hatchback

 

We’ve all seen the decal “Built not Bought” pasted on windows at every show, meet or parking lot we’ve been to in the last five or so years. In reality (where most of us live), very few can say they performed all the work on their car. And by “work”, I don’t mean installing a new intake, or even painstakingly swapping out the spark plugs on a Subaru. It’s the reason why shops exist and professional technicians can charge upwards of $50 an hour in labor. While we are all enthusiasts, most of us don’t have the expertise, confidence, or patience to acquire the knowledge necessary to build our dreams into reality. Now that we’ve outlined that small minority of enthusiasts, take that image and turn it into a woman. Crazy, right? Ok, just for kicks, let’s name her Aisha Christian and imagine she built, with her own two hands, one of the most awe-inspiring complete, turbocharged B-series, Honda Civic hatchbacks you’ve ever seen. Got it? Great, now start subtly nodding your head in respect, because every word you just read is true.

 

Aisha Christian’s 97’ Honda Civic Hatchback

 

Honda Civics are a plentiful breed in the tuning ecosystem. They are so plentiful, in fact, it is hard to find standouts among the throngs of coupes, sedans, and hatchbacks. It really isn’t hard to make a Civic look good (funny though, spend enough time in Pep Boys, it’s easy to make an ugly one). What makes Aisha’s 1997 hatchback special has more to do with its builder than its bolts. Many moons ago, the alternator of her first car, a 1990′ Civic, did what alternators normally do when you don’t have the money to deal with it. It died. After shelling out what she believed to be too much for a simple repair job, Aisha purchased a Honda repair manual and never looked back.

 

Aisha Christian’s 97’ Honda Civic Hatchback

 

“They charged me $250, not including the cost of the alternator,” she remembers. “I was so upset that I had to pay someone that much money to do something so simple. Something that I was capable of doing myself.” If you’re not aware of what’s inside that book of spells, it covers everything from basic maintenance, to a complete engine tear down; obviously, a chapter Aisha didn’t skip a single page of. She’s responsible for everything on her car, short of machining and bodywork.

 

Aisha Christian’s 97’ Honda Civic Hatchback

 

Like everything else with the Honda breed, deciding on the power plant can be one of the most daunting of tasks. These days, many builders choose the newer, larger displacement, K-series motors. In Aisha’s case, she decided to be more of a traditionalist. She went with the tried and true B-series for her hatch, and not just something sourced from another car. Under the hood, you’ll find a B16 head married to a B18C1 (GSR) block; a classic set-up among Honda enthusiasts, especially those that have forced induction on the mind. In preparation for the snail, the lower half of the engine was expertly fitted with a set of Supertech 9.0:1 pistons with Eagle rods, crank, and a Golden Eagle block guard. Legendary names like Skunk2 and AEM join in on the fun supplying the EJ with an intake manifold, fuel rail, and pressure regulator as well as cam gears that Aisha always seems to keep spotless. Fastened to a Blackworks manifold is a Borg Warner S200SX-E T4 turbo, mated to a T3 turbine housing. A Tial blow-off valve and wastegate handle the expulsion of excess pressure from the system, whilst a Treadstone intercooler brings the charged air to lower temps. A Competition Stage 5 clutch and X pressure plate help transfer all this power the floor, and there are a handful of ego-thrashed natives of the West Palm Beach International Raceway that can attest to this fact.

 

Aisha Christian’s 97’ Honda Civic Hatchback

 

If you look at Aisha’s hatch and it reminds you of something else, it should, if your V-Dub fan, anyway. The eye-catching spicy hue is named Magma Orange, sourced from a Fahrenheit Edition 07′ VW GTI. The 97′ front end underwent surgery and was upgraded to that of a 99′-00′, EDM power adjustable headlights, and sports a JBlood bumper with a gorgeous, one of its kind Kevlar lip. Adding a couple angles to the car’s particularly rounded rear is a Bomex wing. The Civic is equipped with a set of 15×7 Work Emotion CR Kai wheels, wrapped in Hankook Ventus R-S3 rubber, proving that Aisha wanted nothing less than the best for her ride. Stopping duties are handled by Wilwood DynaPro series 4-pot brakes. Allowing the hatch to hover securely above the pavement are a set of Function& Form Type 1 coil-overs, enhanced with FRP Eibach springs. To better manage body roll Aisha installed an ASR subframe brace, Beaks tie bar with front and rear cambers and a traction bar provided by Hard Race.

 

Aisha Christian’s 97’ Honda Civic Hatchback

 

The interior of the EJ is no less impressive than anywhere else. The dash and trim look as new as they did rolling off the showroom floor. Her gauges aren’t squeezed into every crevasse possible, but tastefully and functionally placed in the most appropriate of places. Ensuring she’s securely planted inside while pulling Gs, Aisha installed a lovely pair of Recaro seats, and color matched the inserts of the doors with the same sexy red. Her ‘racecar meets street-dream’ approach is completed with an NRG quick release hub and a Momo steering wheel combo.

 

Aisha Christian’s 97’ Honda Civic Hatchback

 

By no stretch of the imagination is Aisha’s Civic a secret in the South Florida scene. She’s pulled down awards from Wekfest, Clean Culture, and Honda Fest, while still managing to snatch wins in front of thousands at SRMS track events. But she’s not satisfied, nor does she plan to slow down. Aisha harbors aspirations to install a roll cage, lighten the body, and get into Circuit Racing. Like I’ve heard from so many before her, Aisha doesn’t do it for the accolades or recognition. “My biggest achievement is ‘self- achievement’, it’s such a good feeling knowing to myself that when I look at my car, I did that.” It’s a sense of accomplishment, setting out to do something and completing it. Even though I consider my car as still ‘under-construction’. It’s a never-ending project. I always want to do more…”

Amen, sister. Amen.

 

Aisha Christian’s 97’ Honda Civic Hatchback

 

Instagram: @aisha_ladybuilt

 

Street Racing Illustrated | Drive By – Reyana Lobban

DRIVE-BY – Reyana Lobban

A chat with Rey on life, racing, and her DC2 Integra

Interviewer | Phillip Pratt

Photos | Rafael Gabaldon

 

1997 LS Acura Integra

 

Name: Reyana Lobban

Car: 1997 LS Acura Integra

Nationality: Jamaican American

City of Residence: Pembroke Pines, Florida.

Age: Finally 16 lol

Engine Mods: B20Vtec (B16 head, B20B block), B16 Transmission, Type R Cams, Blox Intake Manifold, Mugen Headers, Forza Exhaust, AEM Fuel Rail, 40 shot of Nitrous

Suspension: Function and Form Type 2
Wheels, Tires: USDM Integra Type R wheels with Falken Ziex ze950 tires

 

Street Racing Illustrated: When did you get into cars?

Rey: I’ve been around cars my whole life being that my dad was a mechanic and is a car enthusiast but I wouldn’t say I was always like this lol. I’d go to the race track with my dad all the time but it wasn’t until we went one evening and I saw a Supra on the way back home. It was the first time I’d ever actually paid attention to a car like that, I was about 9 or 10. I’ll never forget the sound of the car, hearing the blow-off valve oh my gosh, and the cleanliness of it. From then on, I knew what I wanted to do.

 

SRI: How long have you had your Integra?

Rey: The Integra and I have been through a lot. Back in 2014, I got my first car; a white GSR in which I had the B20V originally. Then I sold the GSR shell and decided to start over, so I got a Red LS Integra with a Jap front so I could go LSVtec. However, In the end, I just decided to put on the Type R wheels, Brakes, Valences, Side Skirts, put in some Sparco seats that were given to me as a gift, drop the B20 back in it and call it a day lol. To put it shortly, a very long 3 years.

 

1997 LS Acura Integra

 

SRI: What’s your favorite upgrade you’ve done to it thus far?

Rey: Honestly the favorite upgrade I have done to the car, is putting it on Nitrous lol. It’s like Vtec x2!

 

SRI: Outside of cars, got any hobbies?

Rey: When I’m not working on my Teggy or at the shop, I enjoy doing things other girls do pretty much lol. I like having sleepovers, doing my nails, shopping in expensive stores, etc. I also enjoy reading and competing in medical competitions.

 

SRI: If you didn’t have your Integra, you’d be driving a…?

Rey: This is honestly my favorite question because everyone always assumes I’ve been about Hondas since the beginning lol! If I did not have my Integra, I would definitely be driving an all-black 1998 S14 240sx with a 2JZ.

 

1997 LS Acura Integra

 

SRI: Track or show?

Rey: Track. I’ve got the need for speed.

 

SRI: Describe the feeling of your first race at PBIR.

Rey: My first race at PBIR was definitely nerve wrecking. I raced a Yaris… and I missed 3rd gear and lost! LOL, I cried when I got back to the stands. But then I realized that I’m not going to always win and I got over it.

 

SRI: Day meet or night meet?

Rey: Being that I’m still under my parent’s supervision, no night meets for me, haha. But I like day meets, that way I can actually see the cars. Artificial light does no justice.

 

1997 LS Acura Integra

 

SRI: How important is your date’s car?

Rey: As long as it’s clean and low, I’m good with it.

 

SRI: What would be your last meal?

Rey: Fried Chicken and gravy from Barbican Square. It’s all I ever want.

 

SRI: Who is the biggest influence in your life, right now?

Rey: Roger Lobban, my dad, my old man, the real papa bear lol. I would be nothing that I am today without the guidance of him. I wouldn’t even have the amazing opportunity of answering these questions with you guys.

 

1997 LS Acura Integra

 

SRI: You get one superpower, what is it?

Rey: To remember everything I read, I’d pass my exams with flying colors.

 

SRI: Favorite TV show?

Rey: Adventure Time

 

SRI: One thing you couldn’t live without is…?

Rey: My Cell Phone. I go crazy even when it’s only dead.

 

1997 LS Acura Integra

 

SRI: Favorite cruising song?

Rey: Fake Love- Drake

 

SRI: Last movie you watched?

Rey: I watched “Sing” with my best friend.

 

Don’t get too comfortable with this set-up. Rey and her pops have something cooking on the horizon. Expect her Teggy to be a whole new animal the next time you see it at the track! Big thanks to Rey for making time with us.

Instagram: @blahkmexican

Street Racing Illustrated | Behind the Wheel with “The Incredible Carlos Recinos”

Behind the Wheel with “The Incredible” Carlos Recinos

The driver of Miami’s Hulk Civic

Interviewer | Clifton Hernandez

Photos | Ralph Gabaldon

 

Carlos’ B-series powered EG Hatch

 

There are two types of racers out there. You’re either lucky enough to be born into it, or like some of the best things in life, you get turned-out by your friends. In either instance, once velocity and competition burrow their way in, there’s little chance of getting it out. We aren’t talking about pansy emotions like love. Time, distance, and radio talk-show hosts aren’t enough to sate this itch, there is no escape. So just give in to it. Kind of like Carlos Recinos did a few years ago. The Driver of the ‘Hulk Civic’ of the Street Racing Made Safe Top 10 List met up with us for a talk about his car and his passion for competition.

 

Street Racing Illustrated: When did you find out about SRMS (Street Racing Made Safe)

Carlos: Man, I’ve been doing Street Racing Made Safe from when it started. The top ten thing, I didn’t start until later on. I did the first couple of events, then I let it off for a while because I didn’t really enjoy it. It was mixed, race whoever. Then they started with the [list]. That’s when Frustrate started. I tried to get into it after, but I was having, ya know, little problems with the car. It wasn’t getting set up right. If it wasn’t the computer it was something else, the little hiccups started popping up. So, I had a couple of events where I couldn’t get anywhere

 

SRI: What would you say was your first car, not necessarily a full race car, but the very first thing you started playing with?

Carlos: The first car that I had, I had in high school, it was a Nissan Maxima. And the Maxima… I did nitrous and exhaust. It was the whole thing after school ‘yo lets go race in the corner’. Mario (from SRMS) went to school with us, so he was there, he experienced that.

 

5th Gen Honda Civic Hatchback

 

SRI: So, in high school, you were those kids?

Carlos: Yeah, we were those kids! The ones that would go off and race after school!

 

SRI: So how did you end up with the Civic?

Carlos: The Civic came a while back… I started with the Mustangs, then after that, I got on bikes. I had a brother that was building a Civic. Back in 07’ he was involved in an accident and passed away. So, I continued the project. I finished his car. You know, back in 07’ 400HP was the thing then. It was like the most you could have on the street. We built the hatch, and I fell in love with it.

 

SRI: How did you get away from Mustangs because normally, Mustang guys typically stay with them?

 Carlos: I had a coupe, a nitrous car and… man, I just got into the Hondas! The technology started to advance with every new car, and now you can have a streetable Honda that makes a 1000HP. Back then [when we were just starting out] you couldn’t even see that!

 

SRI: As far as racing goes what do you prefer, rolls, digs…?

Carlos: Man… I’ll do anything! I’ll do rolls, I’ll do digs. We just need the right surface and the right conditions to do a dig with a high horsepower car. Like when I raced Mayhem, when we set it up at [West Palm Beach Raceway], it was, more or less, the first dig I did with the Civic. It did pretty good… at low boost, it was pretty good.

 

“The Hulk” at Palm Beach International Raceway in West Palm Beach Florida

 

SRI: Then, your preference is from a roll?

Carlos: I’d like to do both… they’re both exciting. Roll racing started up in Texas with high horsepower cars… but I’m a car enthusiast and of racing! I’ll roll, I’ll dig, for me, it’s whichever way you wanna do it. Some people would rather dig, some criticize the roll, but I’ll do both.

 

SRI: As far as the SRMS top ten list goes, is that something you’re interested in climbing further?

Carlos: I got hyped up and ended up making it all the way up to four, but the cars are getting faster and faster. Right now, I’m maxed out… My whole set up, my turbo’s maxed out! I can’t get any more out of it, so to get up higher on the list or to compete with these big guys’ I gotta make at least another two or three hundred more horsepower than what I have now. Got to have around 1300.

 

SRI: You going to start shooting for that?

Carlos: Don’t know man! I need sponsors! [laughs] I think now, that’s when things start getting really expensive. Just the turbo alone is going to cost like four grand!

 

5th Gen Honda Civic Hatchback

 

SRI: Which would you say was your favorite car you owned out of your Civic, Mustang, and Maxima?

Carlos: Honestly? I liked the Mustang, man… Because back then we used to do a lot of digs so we go down south. Everybody would show up, and it was fun. Yo, I like digs but it’s hard for a lot of reasons.

 

SRI: Yeah, like when you start breaking stuff!

Carlos: Yeah! Matter of fact, I broke my diff. At an event. I was hurtin’, bro.

 

SRI: What’s the favorite thing about your Civic?

Carlos: My Civic? The Honda’s are fun man, they pack a lot of power, they’re lightweight… Little bit difficult to set up, because you know, the front wheel drive. They tend to overpower the tires. But I like how my car is, I like how it drives, how it handles. It handles pretty good in the turns! You’d think it don’t, but it does.

 

5th Gen Honda Civic Hatchback | Javitune is one of the most trusted tuners in South Florida

 

SRI: Miami is a tough place to be with a car that attracts as much attention as yours does. Honda’s are popular targets for thieves. I know a few guys who rent out whole storage units and space in warehouses to keep theirs safe. They don’t even want to bring it home. Has the popularity of your Civic ever given you cause for concern?

Carlos: Yep, Miami’s known for hot boys and all that. I’m well known around, so you got to take care of yourself, yah’ know? I go out with the car. It’s here with me now! I keep tabs on it at all times. I don’t go to the mall and leave it in the parking lot. My car is safe where I store it and if anybody tries to mess with it, they are going to get into some situation [laughs]. But that’s the problem with the Honda’s man. People are going to steal them. They are universal, you can use a lot of the parts on other Hondas. If you’re going to have a car like that, you’re going to have to do what I do. Go out with it and stay within twenty or thirty feet of it.

 

SRI: Does the noise your car produces disturb the people around you?

Carlos: Nah… I have a lot of people that stop or wave me down, ask me what my car has. I’ve even had the mailman pull up to me and tell me it’s nice’. You attract a lot of attention. It feels good. You don’t see cars like that all time, especially in the street. But it’s enjoyable to take the car out.

 

5th Gen Honda Civic Hatchback

 

SRI: How’s it with having a family and needing to go out with the car?

Carlos: Well the Civic is a racecar. I can take one passenger and that’s it, man.

 

SRI: What does your family think about your racing and the car?

Carlos: I’m not gonna lie to you. When you meet a girl, they are like “OMG I love the racecar!” But with time they start to realize you like the car so much, and then they start to hate it! Right now, they like it, because they know it’s what I love but… it’s not their favorite. But it’s what I love so they have to deal with it, ya know?

 

Carlos Recinos

 

SRI: Is there a specific car you enjoy racing and beating?

Carlos: I’m not going to lie, I enjoy beating whoever. Just want high horsepower, but the 2Js… they are the ones that get butt-hurt. I actually beat two of them at the last event! Everybody started hating on me, saying “those cars didn’t make a 1000HP, they were making 700…” So, the 2Js are one of the biggest butt-hurt ones, the GTR guys, the Chevy guys. Yeah them…

 

SRI: That’s funny, growing up going to PBIR, the 2Js and Rotaries were always going at it. There was a guy in the section we sat in that had a bullhorn. He’d be at every event screaming “It’s Rotary baby! Not a 2JZ or some little mixed up Honda!” Lot of fond memories of those rivalries, so for you to say, “I like beating 2Js because it’s always fun”-

Carlos: They take it personal! They take it really personal. Even the other guys that own 2Js and have nothing to do with the car, they’ll get involved. It was always hard for a Honda to beat a 2J but when it finally happens-

 

5th Gen Honda Civic Hatchback

 

SRI: The excuses come out! It’s that whole mob mentality. The Toyota guys always stick together, the Honda guys, Nissan and so on. If you were to build another racecar, what would you build?

Carlos: I’d like to build another Honda, but this time I’d like to build, uh… rear wheel drive set-up? Probably in a S2000. Or maybe even jump into a 2J. Build it out and drop it into a lighter car?

 

SRI: Oh, really, like what?

Carlos: I love the Supra body, I really do, or maybe a 240? I like it, it’s a lighter car as well…  Another option I’ve thought about it trying to put my motor into an MR-2, the third gen. That would be another interesting build.

 

SRI: There’s a taboo that exists in some circles. They think 2Js should stay in Toyota’s and RBs and in Nissan’s etc. but you seem to take a more racecar approach like you just want to put the most efficient motor in the best body available.

Carlos: It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as you put it together and it works. That’s your creation, that’s your set up. Yeah if I had a 2J I could put it into a Supra, but everybody does that.

 

5th Gen Honda Civic Hatchback | Weld Racing 768-30815

 

SRI: As far as aesthetics, are you happy with it, if you could start over, is there anything you’d do differently?

Carlos: For drag racing? I’m happy with it. The color, I picked it out when we painted. I called the car the ‘Hulk’, little did I know there were other people doing the same on the car with the name and color but it’s an eye-catcher! The haters talk bad about it, they call it the ‘Booger’.

 

SRI: What was your first race like, not at the track, but your very first race? Do you remember it?

Carlos: My first race was probably with my Maxima. All my friends had different types of cars, but one of them had a 4.6 Mustang, a 95’, so I lined up with him. When we raced, I saw that my Maxima was neck-to-neck with him. I was like “man, a V6 sedan against a V8 coupe?!” From there I added nitrous to the car and started building it up. But as far as the track, the first time I went was back when [Palm International Raceway] was stilled named Moroso and they had things like ‘Battle of the Imports’ and stuff like that with the races and car shows and stuff, about 00’-01’. I paid my $25 or $30 and raced with my Maxima on nitrous. I think my best time was like a 14 [seconds in the ¼ mile]. For me back then, it was like flying!

 

SRI: I remember those days. They used to bring out semis with jet engines and just make everyone lose their s@#%.

Carlos: Yeah, I believe those things used to run like 11s back then. It’s amazing how far we’ve come with technology. We’ve got little Honda Civics with a 1000HP, streetable and still reliable with that much power.

 

SRI: You used to ride bikes, right? Do you still ride?

Carlos: Not any more… I used to race bikes in the street, in certain areas, but I had a couple accidents and slowed down on it, so I started doing cars. In 02’ I had an accident where I lost three of my toes, the chain cut them off, so I’ve had a few close calls already. I still have a few friends of mine from the old school that are into it, they still race, but I don’t really want to get into the bike scene anymore. My brother got into an accident and passed away on one. It’s a little too much tension for my family. I already have their heart beating with the car. Don’t really want to put my mom through too much. I had the chance to get back into it a couple times, but I’m done with that.

 

5th Gen Honda Civic Hatchback

 

SRI: You’re a truck driver by trade, is there anything else you’d rather be doing?

Carlos: My dream would be traveling all over in an RV with my team racing. I have the team, the tuner, the builder. I think we’d do damage. We’re already killing it and we’re just mediocre. It’s just the funds. We could be top guys…

 

SRI: That tuner is Javituned. He’s a pretty well-known guy around South Florida and other parts. He’s also Frustrate’s tuner. If you’re planning on climbing that SRMS Top Ten List, you’re probably going to have to lock horns at some point. What’s the relationship like between you two?

Carlos: Met Frustrate about a year, or a year and a half ago, and we became good friends. He’s helped me, I’ve helped him. Even at the track. There’s never a [rivalry] between us, but if we have to race each other, we will. There’s no grudge there. We’re a pretty good team between all of us. On Facebook, there’s always talk about ‘who’s faster, the 36 Boys, or Frustrate or you’, we’re all friends. But we’ll try to race to see who’s faster as friendly runs, why not? The cars are there. We’d rather race against other people, other Hondas, other cars to see who’s fastest.

 

5th Gen Honda Civic Hatchback

 

SRI: You got into this in High School, have been steady into it the whole time, since then?

Carlos: I gave it a break with the car and bikes for like three years. I started saying ‘maybe it’s not me’ but I got that itch, it bothered me. In time, I got back into the car, and I know inside now, that’s where I want be. I live, eat, breathe the racing, man.

 

SRI: Up in Orlando, I understand it was hard to get a race at the SRMS event there?

 Carlos: Yeah man, I had some well-known guy named Sponge call me, said he wanted to race. I didn’t even know the guy. The night of, he tells me he’s on his way but he didn’t show up until five minutes after the track was closed and nobody else wanted to race.

 

SRI: There was a race a little while back where someone threw the hazards on you halfway down the track and you ended up winning…

Carlos: That one! It was a beautiful R34 GTR, man. They were having issues starting it and Frustrate made a joke about Honda’s being able to start. I guess the GTR driver heard him because he turned around and pointed at my car and said, “Watch what I do to that Honda!” Now, this was a fully built R34. We lined up, and he jumps me by like three cars [lengths]. I ended up catching up to him but he threw the hazards up on me while I’m switching into 3rd! I’m like ‘look at this guy…’ By time I got to 4th, I was right next to him. I yanked him and he hit the brakes thinking it was over. He had no idea I was right next to him! I passed him and was like “too soon, junior!” But that car was stupid fast. His builder got on my Instagram the next day talking. He was pretty mad. That was a qualifying race for the top ten list. One of my favorite races.

 

SRI: Thanks for taking the time to sit with us Carlos, any parting words you’d like to end with?

Carlos: I would like to give a shout out my tuner Javitune, and my builder, Duany, from DNA performance! Also, my close friends, who are part of my team!

 

Street Racing Illustrated would like to thank Carlos for chatting with us!