Street Racing Made Safe’s 2nd Autocross event at AMR Motorplex in Homestead, Miami is exposing drivers to a whole new world of obsession.
Street Racing Made Safe’s (SRMS) second Autocross event hosted at the AMR Motorplex in Homestead, Miami, Florida, right outside the legendary Homestead Speedway, was a something of a culture shift. South Florida has always been a great place for auto enthusiasts. Probably why a private company is investing millions of dollars into a high-end driver’s club next to Opalocka airport. Year round sun, no snow, and very friendly emissions laws allow us to enjoy our machines day in and out. But for the most part, it’s always been about drag racing. Can’t blame anyone, it’s probably the easiest event to host.
Autocross has always been a niche kind of thing. Turnouts at parking lot hosted events generally have good turnouts. However, they are so few and far between, growing the event in terms of exposure was going to tough. When SRMS first teamed up with AMR and sold out all their tickets, I was impressed. It was new, and people trusted the SRMS name. It rained (or poured) that day, so it was hard to get a good read on what people really thought.
When they did it a second time under blue skies, I really took notice. Roughly 1/3 of their attendees were brand new. These weren’t the same hooligans from a month ago. All of a sudden the staging grounds turned into a hundred mini-pits with drivers jacking up their cars, rotating tires, comparing times, set-ups and exchanging tips. Tent’s and canopies were all over the place as families were settling in to spend the day. Autocross in Homestead isn’t fade, nor is it fly by night event. It’s growing and maturing into its own animal. There is officially more to Miami than just drag racing.
https://streetracingmadesafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ccrsrmscover.png315828Phillip Pratthttps://streetracingmadesafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SRMS-Logo.pngPhillip Pratt2018-10-23 19:35:382018-10-23 19:35:38Street Racing Illustrated | SRMS: Cars, Coffee, and Racing 10.14.18
Street Racing Illustrated | Mattia Conte’s 2005 Subaru STI
A large percentage of our genetic makeup comes from our grandparents. They say on average about twenty-five percent from each. Height, moles, complexion, eye and hair color can skip an entire generation and land smack-dab on an unsuspecting grandchild. Sometimes you get dealt a crown of raven-colored hair in a family of sandy-blondes. Maybe end up being a 6’5” giant with two 5-foot-something parents. Other times it’s not physical at all, and you get something completely different. Like a love of cars and racing. That is exactly what 19-year old, third-generation, automobile enthusiast, Mattia Conte, was gifted with. Something his 2005 Subaru STI exemplifies from the front bumper to the rear.
Street Racing Illustrated | Mattia Conte’s 2005 Subaru STI
A resident of Miami Beach, Florida, Mattia, grew up surrounded by great role models. Other than having a mother that’s into cars herself, Mattia’s grandfather, Massimo, (a former Formula 1 driver, Rallycross vet and owner of a 2.5L STI swapped 98’ GC) kept the future Blob-eye driver steeped in the horsepower lifestyle. “I grew up watching him race…” Mattia remembers. “I rode in almost all of his cars, but the [Subaru] was my favorite, so eventually, I wanted to have one for myself.” After saving up, Mattia successfully sourced his dream-ride from a Craigslist ad. Over the next couple of years, he meticulously gathered a who’s who-list of trusted Subaru aftermarket part manufacturers. This resulted in a Blob-eye STI that was as far away from stock as it could be.
Street Racing Illustrated | Mattia Conte’s 2005 Subaru STI
The first thing you’ll notice about the STI is the color. Wrapped in battleship-gray it manages to both stand out among a row of cars and blend into the gray-asphalt below it. The color can be kind of low-key, so to break up any possible monotony, Mattia, installed AeroFlow V2 canards, a V-Limited front lip, C-Speed side-skirts, an Invictus Aero rear diffuser, Perrin wing-stabilizers and topped it all off with a 2007 WRX STI roof spoiler. The sheer amount of added aerodynamics might turn some tuners off but fret not. This isn’t an ‘all-show’-type of an Impreza.
Street Racing Illustrated | Mattia Conte’s 2005 Subaru STI
After suffering some unfortunate (but Subaru-typical) engine failure back in February, Matter decided to turn it up a few notches. With help from well-renowned tuners/builders, the WRXperts, he replaced his stock engine with an IAG Stage-3 closed-deck block, built out with Manley pistons and Toda rods. It was then matted to 2007 STI V25B heads. Assisting with the rise and fall of the Ferret valves, are springs and a set of Kelford Stage-2 272 camshafts.
Street Racing Illustrated | Mattia Conte’s 2005 Subaru STI
If you can get past all that sweet-sweet music, you’ll pick up on the whistle of the legendarily-consistent Blouch 3.0XT-R Dominator turbo. Making all that charged air more palatable for combustion, while not sacrificing response time, is a Grimmspeed top-mount intercooler. None of these fine pieces’ matter if the engine management isn’t on point. Luckily, that’s not an issue. Highly recommended tuner, Mike Botti, of Fat Botti Tuning, massaged Mattia’s built EJ25 to safely belt out more than 400 notes of horsepower utilizing the tried and true Cobb Accessport.
Street Racing Illustrated | Mattia Conte’s 2005 Subaru STI
Attaching all this fine all-wheel-drive power to the ground are a set of 17×8 Enkei RPF1 racing wheels, wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza RE070 225/45 rubber. Raceland Ultimo coilovers help the Subaru flow over the pavement, while the factory provided Brembo calipers are lovingly stuffed with Hawk pads and are paired with a set of DBA drilled rotors, all the way around. The real beneficiary of Mattia’s excellent lineage is obviously his impressive Blob-eye. The end results of his build are definitely not reflective of his age. Sadly, these days many kids these days in the same position would be satisfied with an atmospheric blow-off valve, spiked lug nuts, and an obnoxious wrap-job. While Mattia admits to drawing inspiration from social media- it’s refreshing to see a tuner of this new-generation go down the right path.
Street Racing Illustrated | Mattia Conte’s 2005 Subaru STI
“Auto-Xing actually becomes more fun when it’s raining!”- Mario Ojito
Story | Phillip Pratt
Street Racing Made Safe’s inaugural Car, Coffee, and Racing was everything that SRMS President, Mario Ojito, said it would be. Even a massive speed trap on the turnpike and forty-five-minute downpour couldn’t stop the meet and races. Despite the wetter circumstances of the end of the day, the beginning was effing flawless. The racers were blessed with sunny, clear, skies as prep began and walks of the track were allowed. This isn’t a go-kart track with a tiny lane and nearly unreasonable amounts of hair-pins. AMR Motorplex supplied racers with lots of stretches to open those throttles up and get some speed going. The rain that arrived halfway through the event slowed down the meet-section, but unlike on a drag-strip, water just makes the racing more engaging. It was easy to tell the first time Auto-Xers from the seasoned vets, but as this event grows, I expect to see skills and car engineering do the same. Auto-Xing times can be viewed here. Next event will be held on September 9th, 2018 at AMR Motorplex.
Mario Ojito showing racers how to tear up the track!
https://streetracingmadesafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_9132.jpg17282592Phillip Pratthttps://streetracingmadesafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SRMS-Logo.pngPhillip Pratt2018-08-14 12:15:532018-08-15 16:07:37Street Racing Illustrated | Cars, Coffee, and Racing 08/12/2018
SRMS is back like they never left with their Car Meet & Auto-Xing Event; Cars, Coffee, and Racing.
Story | Phillip Pratt
Interviewer | Clifton Hernandez
Nice S2K Auto-Xing at PBIR Karting track
Like a phoenix rising from the proverbial ashes, sometimes you have to let something die to build it back up stronger. Street Racing Made Safe came onto the South Florida racing scene like a tidal wave. Starting small at the now-defunct County-line Raceway, the non-profit organization eventually found its footing when it became a fixture at Palm Beach International Raceway (or PBIR). After some turbulent times, things have come full circle for SRMS president and founder, Mario Ojito. He took the time recently to sit down with SRI and layout plans for his new projects, most notably, what we can expect with his new crossing-promoting endeavor: Cars, Coffee, and Racing.
Street Racing Illustrated: Tell us, what does the timeline look like? What came first? Cars and Coffee or Auto-X?
Mario Ojito: Auto-X came first. I’ve always been passionate about Auto-Xing. It’s been something that I’ve always enjoyed. It definitely lasts longer [in terms of racing] than a quarter-mile. Right there, that’s the selling point [for me]. It’s a bit more technical. I actually did another Auto-X back when we did County-line [Raceway]. We used the other side of the property. I set up a bunch of cones. It wasn’t anything big. Then in 2017, before the “corporate take-over” happened, we did an Auto-X over at PBIR, but then it all stopped after that.
SRI: How long did it take for Auto-X to get incorporated into SRMS’ portfolio officially?
Mario: We started SRMS in 2011 and we did Auto-X two-years later in 2013.
SRI: Is there something else you working towards? I mean between Cars and Coffee and now Auto-X, is there any other cross-promotions you have your eye on?
Mario: Oh, yeah. We’re working on something close to downtown Miami. It’s going to have everything. It’s going to be like culture-overload for the car enthusiast market. Essentially what I’m trying to do now is similar to what we did back in 2011. Something that has never been done before. Why? Because Roll-Racing is everywhere. It’s copied by everyone. So now I’m reinventing the wheel.
SRI: Do you plan on having a list for Auto-X, similar to the SRMS Top-10 List?
Mario: No, because Auto-X has multiple classes. You see, you have SRMS classing and SCC classing. SRMS classing is designed and created for the novice types that don’t want to go through the 125+ classes and standard SCC rulebook. That’s why we created the classing differences. If I were to create a Top-10 List for that, there would have to be a Top-10 List for each class. That’d be impossible. In SRMS, there are already 9 individual classes using the three different drive types (FWD, RWD, and AWD).
Mazda Miata eating a turn
SRI: Where did the idea of Cars, Coffee, and Racing come from?
Mario: Ok, I’ve wanted to do Cars and Coffee event for some time now and we were able to do that with our partners, CLRDHOT. That’s where Cars and Coffee Key Biscayne came from. They’d been doing it for a while before we came along. I had already been working on the Homestead deal, so that’s where the “Racing” came into play. After that, I made sure our new dates didn’t conflict with the pre-existing Cars and Coffee Key Biscayne dates.
SRI: Cars and Coffee meets are more informal. People park and sit around. Very much a culture-thing. How do you want to this particular event grow? More of a relaxed meet-up or more like an SRMS racing event?
Mario: Ideally, it’d be more of a mixture of both… So it’d be a mix of the racing crowd with a focus on the purpose-built vehicles and less of the streetcar flying down the track trying to get to end. This allows for a much more diverse market. Not just regular Mustang GT guys with full bolts, but people trying to build all-around vehicles coming together.
SRI: You’re looking to get more than just the Test-N-Tune crowd then?
Mario: Well the cool factor about Cars, Coffee, and Racing is the fact that the racing is happening just 10 to 15-feet away from where you’re at. So, you’re right there. There will also be a VIP lounge, and VIP stage, so you can go up 20-feet in the air and literally look over the whole track, which is pretty cool. The other cool aspect is… people drive an hour and a half to go to Cars, and Coffee Palm Beach. Instead, for a large part of South Florida, this is only 35 to 45-minutes away. There’s definitely more parking with the 3000 spaces, and then you have the racing. Of course, with a new event, to start off we don’t expect the pack the house, but we’re hoping for the best. Doesn’t really matter, to be honest, we’re going to be there, and what counts the most is consistency. We’re consistent. After January when we hammer everything out, we’ll be moving over to the Speedway, while still holding the [Auto-X] event. We’ll be holding bigger festivals and Homestead Speedway come 2019.
AMR Motorplex layout for the upcoming Cars, Coffee, and Racing event
SRI: What can the non-racing attendee, the person just coming to come, expect to see at Cars, Coffee, and Racing?
Mario: We’re going to have multiple vendors, we’re going to have food trucks, go-kart rentals at a discounted price, the racing around the track. There’s also going to be a VIP area which will have the VIP cars and stuff like that, not to mention the regular dope cars that come out for South Florida meets.
SRI: Is there anything that like a long-term goal? I know you mentioned the coming Downtown Miami event, but what about this one in particular?
Mario: I guess, what I’d like to see happen is for this to become a monthly enthusiast festival. You know; kids play areas, different forms of entertainment. But that’s essentially what I’d like to see. Of course, I’d like to see that place completely packed! I’d love to see 3000 cars there but I want to emphasize the racing aspect because it gives people so much more. We’re just trying to make it different than anything else that’s ever been done. The layout of the parking, the way the racing is happening. Everything.
“We pioneered Rolling-Racing, and now everybody does it. It’s cool, but now it’s like we’re doing it again…”
SRI: So what’s your personal favorite part of the event?
Mario: Racing obviously. I’m a racing guy! I love everything that has to do with racing.
SRI: Yeah, I remember you jumping into your ST while emceeing the Auto-X event up at PBIR!
Mario: Oh, man, I can’t tell you how much I enjoy that! Our first logo was simply “I Love Street Racing”. It’s just something that’s not hidden with me. Though when I drive on the street, I have to set an example. I haven’t street raced since 2009 before I put in an application to become a nonprofit. Going on 9-years now. People have lined up next to me a million times since then, but I’ll never race them.
The “ILoveStreetRacing” sticker on display at a Cars and Coffee Key Biscayne event.
SRI: Is there a car at an Auto-X event that you haven’t seen yet that you want to show up?
Mario: Sure, the new NSX. Electric motors, twin-turbo, well-balanced, very lightweight… I’d love to see Joker_NSX come out.
SRI: Besides the Auto-Xing, what else are you looking forward to with this event?
Mario: The spectator-factor. Usually at a Cars, and Coffee event, what gets people hyped up and breaking necks is people just revving their motors, or someone rolling in with a high-end car. When you show up at a [drag racing] track and don’t run, no one really cars. But in this type of event, you can have fun without worrying about breaking anything. Your high-end car should perform perfectly fine.
SRI: Now it comes down to driver skill…
Mario: Exactly. Which is why I love Auto-Xing even more. It’s not really about what you drive at this point, but how you drive it.
SRI: Do you plan on branching out anymore? Outside of South Florida?
Mario: Not sure… we did that in 2017 and really all that ended up happening was us sharing facilities and those track managers turning around running with the concept. Kind of just happy with Florida, right now.
A GR Subi making rounds at PBIR Karting track
SRI: As far as the weather at this event. This is Florida, after all…
Mario: This is a rain or shine event. We do not stop Auto-Xing. Of course, it’ll have an effect on people coming out to spectate. We expect the main amount of people coming out will be from 8 AM to 2 PM and then after that, the only people left will be the ones still racing. The only time we have to stop the event is if there’s lightning. If not, we keep running. Auto-Xing actually becomes more fun when it’s raining!
SRI: You did something with Auto-Xing up at the BB&T Center parking lot once, considering taking this North?
Mario: That wasn’t an SRMS’ event, really. Just something we participated in, but insurance is ridiculous when using sites not regulated for racing. Besides that, I’m focusing on the Miami market, and the Homestead Speedway location and just capitalizing on that. Killing the game there. Everyone else can play catch-up after that.
SRI: SRMS is about getting people on the track and off the street. Going back to when The Fast and The Furious premiered and the industry really took off; do you foresee this format of racing doing something similar as you move forward?
Mario: No, not like that. I do see an uprising in the market because we’ll be putting it in front of people and changing the perception of it. Giving them a way to see it and giving them a way to enjoy it. I see us one day maxing out and not being able to [facilitate] any more racers, just because we won’t be able to. We’re capped at 120 cars in 4 running groups. We’re trying to offer a minimum of 5 runs a day. But because we’ll be running from 8 AM to 6 PM at night, I think most people will be getting 10 or more runs to start out, which is a lot for $55.00. Compare that to a Test-N-Tune where you’d be lucky if you got 5 runs.
It really isn’t about what you drive.
SRI: So you want people to come out early and get as many runs as possible?
Mario: Well, it’s mandatory. Registration will open at 8 AM, the drivers meeting will be at 9:30 AM and the track goes hot at 10 AM. From there we call the run groups accordingly.
SRI: That’s cool. Man, I’m getting this old feeling I used to have when I was a kid. Getting all excited about driving up to PBIR (then, named Moroso) and running my car. I can see this turning into that for people.
Mario: It’s an exciting time! We pioneered Rolling-Racing, and now everybody does it. It’s cool, but now it’s like we’re doing it again [with Auto-Xing and our other projects], and I’m getting that same emotion I had, where I’m excited. We’re pushing this beyond the boundary that other people had and I’m going to keep doing it. I’m not going to stop and there’s nobody that can stop me. We’re going to change the face of racing (again). What we’re doing in Miami, what we’re doing at AMR and what we’re going to do Homestead Speedway. I will continue to push the envelope in directions no one has.
Cars, Coffee, and Racing inaugural event kicks off 8 AM, August 12th, 2018 at AMR Motorplex in Homestead, Florida. For more information email:info@streetracingmadesafe.com
https://streetracingmadesafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/0W3A6640.jpg26244816Phillip Pratthttps://streetracingmadesafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SRMS-Logo.pngPhillip Pratt2018-08-08 15:00:212018-08-08 08:31:13Street Racing Illustrated | Behind the Wheel - Mario Ojito; Cars, Coffee, and Racing
Miami is known worldwide for its amazing beaches. When you take this aspect and apply to it something like a car meet, it becomes a potent mixture that’s hard to top. Because of this, CLRDHOT/ Street Racing Made Safe’ Cars and Coffee Key Biscayne rarely disappoints. However, there is a downside to being so close to the beach. The weather. Luckily, it held up long enough for the event to thrive while keeping the blazing Miami sun at bay. The event brought in a vastly diverse crowd of Domestics, Europeans, Japanese (both legal… not so much), Classics, Exotics, Rat-rods, and bikes. This is due to the crowds drawn in by both the likes of CLRDHOT Motorsports and Street Racing Made Safe. There really is nothing like spending a couple hours appreciating some fine automobiles and then heading into the city for lunch with the same breathtaking waterfront views… even when the storm finally rolls in and nature behaves as if the world is about to end.
Cars and Coffee Key Biscayne 07.29.2018
Cars and Coffee Key Biscayne 07.29.2018
Cars and Coffee Key Biscayne 07.29.2018
Cars and Coffee Key Biscayne 07.29.2018
Cars and Coffee Key Biscayne 07.29.2018
Cars and Coffee Key Biscayne 07.29.2018
Cars and Coffee Key Biscayne 07.29.2018
Cars and Coffee Key Biscayne 07.29.2018
Cars and Coffee Key Biscayne 07.29.2018
Cars and Coffee Key Biscayne 07.29.2018
Cars and Coffee Key Biscayne 07.29.2018
Cars and Coffee Key Biscayne 07.29.2018
https://streetracingmadesafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/43714908441_8bf633c7a4_o.jpg34565184Phillip Pratthttps://streetracingmadesafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SRMS-Logo.pngPhillip Pratt2018-07-30 14:30:002018-07-30 19:23:28Street Racing Illustrated | Car and Coffee Key Biscayne 07.29.2018
The Pagani Zonda R in Pablo Perez Companc’s Miami Condo Instagram page: @pperezc
Yeah, someone installed a Pagani Zonda R into their 8-million dollar, 4200 sq-ft, Miami condo and that someone is Pablo Perez Companc (pperezc). This isn’t a home and garden page so we won’t go much further than that, but we will admit putting up the Zonda R is quite the statement piece. Probably because only 15 of these beasts were ever made, so putting one up on a wall is really saying… something. To be clear, the car isn’t actually “up on a wall”. It took some truly ingenious engineering not to just get it up into the ocean-front property (they used a crane) but to then safely and securely fit it into place; that is hovering between the ceiling and floor smack dab into the middle of the open concept dividing it into two workable spaces (sorry, too much HGTV…). While on the concrete these things are blessed with 740HP, 6.0L V12, Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR engines. While in Mr. Companc’s living room, it’s dropping jaws and confusing people. Beats my vinyl Ryu Pop! figure.
The Pagani Zonda R in Pablo Perez Companc’s Miami Condo Instagram page: @pperezc
https://streetracingmadesafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018-04-25-PHOTO-00004847.jpg5661140Phillip Pratthttps://streetracingmadesafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SRMS-Logo.pngPhillip Pratt2018-07-27 12:25:102018-07-26 23:25:51Street Racing Illustrated | Pagani Zonda R as a room divider
Rodrigo and Juan of the WRXperts turn adversity into opportunity.
Story & Photos | Phillip Pratt
The WRXperts
There’s an old saying about ‘opportunity’, well there are several dozen, but two stick out the most to me; the first being “When Opportunity knocks, you’d better answer it” and the next “Opportunity knocks but once”. While I unequivocally agree with the first, the second isn’t always true. Sometimes opportunity doesn’t just show up once and then walk away. Like a Jehovah Witness on a Saturday, it can be persistent and either bang on the door until someone answers, or just keep coming back. Both of these proverbs describe the journey of South Florida’s WRXperts, Subaru Specialists, to the proverbial “tee”.
The WRXperts | JC of The WRXperts
Individually, the two halves of the WRXperts, Rodrigo Ruiz, and Juan Cardentey, were already accomplished mechanics before they decided to work together. It wasn’t until Rodrigo needed a job done, using a particular set of tools he didn’t possess, did the two meet through a mutual acquaintance. After the work was completed, Juan and Rod found themselves continuously running into each other on the street. Turned out they lived within just five minutes of each other. After fate pushed them together on several occasions, they finally exchanged numbers at a local supermarket, of all places. A little while later, Rod injured his hand and was unable to complete a job he’d begun. During a couple of all-nighters, Rod and Juan decided to join forces and pool their talents to create what would later be called WRXperts… I say “later” because for the briefest of moments they were going by the hilarious moniker “FAH Q Motorsports”, a holdover from Rodrigo’s solo days.
The WRXperts | Rodrigo Ruiz and Juan Cardentey
After being a mostly mobile service, and when necessary doing work out of Rod’s Pembroke Pines home (which was becoming a hassle with HOA and the City applying pressure for them to “cease and desist”), in late 2013 the two were able to secure a space in a body shop in Miami called Perfection Paint & Body. “We were busy. Every day of the week, and then the weekends. It got so busy I ended up quitting my job of fifteen years” Juan recalled, “We needed somewhere to wrench”. The workload was consistent enough that Rod too left his employment. Eventually, they even brought on other mechanics, JC and then Andy. With just enough space to squeeze in two lifts and their tools, they made it work for over four years. A tribute to their reliable and fast work, the WRXperts built-up a steady clientele, despite not being in the most convenient of locations. The best route to their shop was via a multi-lane, perpetually under-construction highway named the “Palmetto”. A notoriously slow-moving route during the day, aka business hours. “We’d get photos sent to us from customers stuck in traffic, but they’d still make the trip, and we’re grateful for the loyalty.”
The WRXperts | Multi-generational knowledge base
For those not familiar with the layout of South Florida; the area the WRXperts relocated to after leaving Rod’s house in Pembroke Pines is roughly twenty-three miles South, in the heart of Miami. Twenty-three miles may not seem like a big deal, but once morning traffic kicks in, a customer could easily be in for a forty-five minute to an hour of driving, and then some! And that’s assuming they were coming from the South Broward area. There are customers that routinely made the trip from as far north as West Palm Beach. Now that’s loyalty.
The WRXperts | The WRXperts and friends moving out of their starter home in Miami
Even with a steady stream of Subies coming in and a rock-solid rep, the WRXperts were bound to hit some tumultuous weather. The owner of the shop they occupied sold the building to a land developer who had plans to level it. With only nine-days’ notice, they had to move out whilst in the middle of projects ranging from oil changes to full engine builds. “Even with offering mobile services and finishing builds at customer residences, we lost a lot of business in the transition…” Rod lamented “probably around four to five [thousand dollars] of work.”
The WRXperts | WRXpert Andy doing some in-home service during their transition
After searching many of the industrial areas of South Florida from Bird Road all the way up to Opalocka, Juan finally came across an online listing for a shop in West Park, a city just north of Miami-Dade County. He was unfamiliar with the area despite the fact it neighbored his city of residence, Miramar “I didn’t know where the hell West Park was! I never heard of it” Juan remarked with a laugh “It was right off Miramar Pkwy and 441! I was like, ‘sweet, its close by!’” Sweet indeed. The shop is in between all the major highways, a few blocks South of a Subaru dealer, and even has an auto parts store immediately next door.
The WRXperts | All four lifts getting some love in the WRXperts new home
Opportunity didn’t just knock on these guy’s door; it kicked it down and ground its muddy platforms on their white couch. With help from friend/customer/Realtor, Michael Liming, the guys jumped on it and struck a deal. With more room than they ever thought they’d have, the WRXperts have five lifts at their disposal with space to spare, including a room dedicated exclusively to engine builds and get this… a waiting room. With chairs! Only loyal customers will under the ramifications of that. With a new centrally located, larger space and a base of faithful customers at their backs, there is only room to grow for the guys. As far as their relationship with good old opportunity, well, I doubt that this will be the last visit.
The WRXperts | (left to right) Juan, JC, Rodrigo and Andy
The WRXperts
The WRXperts
The WRXperts
The WRXperts
The WRXperts
The WRXperts
Instagram: @wrxperts
Phone: 786-985-6094
Address: 5642 SW 25th Street, West Park, FL 33023
https://streetracingmadesafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/IMG_2176-e1520882921150.jpg27305940Phillip Pratthttps://streetracingmadesafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SRMS-Logo.pngPhillip Pratt2018-03-14 15:00:262018-03-14 17:26:12Street Racing Illustrated | The WRXperts
Fr8train’s journey from contender to king and back.
Story | Phillip Pratt
Photos | Phillip Pratt / Gerry Burke
Carlos’ Firebird “Fr8train” | Home at C&S Transmissions in Miramar, Florida
When the word “evolution” is mentioned, at least in the circles we run in any way, most immediately relate it to other words like “Mitsubishi”, “Lancer”, the engine code “4G63”, or, if you’re a die-hard Subie driver, “@#$% you!”. But to the rest of the sane world, the word “evolution”, derived from the word “evolve”, is the gradual development of something, especially from a simple form to a more complex one. It’s typically a slow process that begins to help an organism survive in whatever ecosystem it lives within, as the environment or other organisms around it change. Some develop rock-hard shells or the ability to change their color, maybe even to secrete venomous slim from their skin; it’s all done to better their chances in a world that’s out to kill and probably consume them.
Carlos’ Firebird “Fr8train” | Original Twin-Turbo Set-Up, utilizing the stock ECU
Carlos, owner of the Trans Am named “Fr8train”, and the former king of the SRMS (Street Racing Made Safe) Top 10 List down in South Florida, knows this process all too well. Anyone familiar with the SRMS program in SoFlo knows his tenuous rise the top of the pack. The low-profile Firebird went from contender to top dog defeating every challenger put in its way. Having anywhere between 700 to 850-wheel horsepower, provided by a twin-turbo LS powerplant would generally make this a reality. That power combined with a rock-solid transmission built to necessity, in-house, by C&S (Carlos’ transmission shop) in Miramar, led to several run-ins with the ever-popular Danny “Frustrate” Rodriguez and his then B-Series powered, EG Civic. Losing to Frustrate during that friendly rivalry was enough to trigger Fr8train’s growth, but it most definitely wouldn’t be the last.
Carlos’ Firebird “Fr8train” | Party’s Over Indeed
The car wasn’t purchased as we see it. It was acquired by Carlos’ father as a mere shell. From there, they decided to drop in the 5.7L LS V8 that’d you’d typically find in a WS6 but built it out with forged internals stroking it out to a healthy 393. Instead of going down the familiar avenue of a bottle nitrous (something they were used to) and calling it a day, they decided to go turbo. And not just a single snail either, two big boys. Utilizing the stock ECU (yes, the stock computer) and manual boost controller, they tuned it out to a ripe 711-wheel horsepower on only 3lbs of boost! That was enough to get him into the top five, and on the way, set up dances with several impressive contenders including a couple ridiculous Fox Body Mustangs, big power Supras and a wicked Evo or two. By the time Carlos was ready to challenge for a top-three spot, he’d turned up Trans Am to about 8lbs making more than 900-wheel horsepower. Finally, he was set to face-off with his target; Frustrate, and his boosted EG, who much like him had fought his way up the list over the last few months and wasn’t interested in letting go his crown. It was a close race, but Frustrate held on and did so for several months and just as many races. It forced Carlos to take his Firebird back into the lab.
Carlos’ Firebird “Fr8train”
The next time we saw Carlos, a couple things had changed. At a Super Chevy show, he snapped the timing chain on the Trans Am cz-lekarna.com://https. It turned out to be a blessing-in-disguise as it led him to switch from a hydraulic to a solid roller which allowed the car to shift at higher RPMs and make a little more than 150 extra horsepower. This pushed the Trans Am well into the 1k+ club. That, combined with some needed track testing, was enough to dethrone the “People’s Champ”, Frustrate, at the next event and hold onto the #1 spot for quite some time. He even took the show on the road with a trip to Orlando Speed World. After some heated back-and-forths and the changing of the day (the race happened several minutes past midnight, in front of a handful of people), Carlos and Fr8train walked a local LS-powered Fox-body, with no more than two wheels on the ground for half of the 1320.
Carlos’ Firebird “Fr8train” | Facing off against “The People’s Champ”, Daniel “Frustrate” Rodriguez
Carlos’ success didn’t go noticed, however. There were several groups from around the area that wanted a shot at him. Even Frustrate returned with a new set-up. This time utilizing a fully-built turbo-charged K-series motor. He was most certainly faster than before, but it still wasn’t enough to dethrone Carlos, who since their last meeting, had pushed the Trans Am to hold more than 1200 horsepower, converted to an automatic tranny and by then was consistently popping up on two wheels… and still had A/C. It wasn’t until weeks later, when Miami Performance Inc. and Fabshop Miami (no relation) showed up with their frighteningly fast GTRs, was anybody able to contend for Carlos’ crown. Ultimately, the younger, more advanced cars proved too much for the Trans Am and both, at one time or another, bested Carlos, controversy on roll-speeds and jumps notwithstanding, mind you.
Carlos’ Firebird “Fr8train” | Warming up the tires on a cold night in Orlando
With all that behind them, the boys at C&S are looking forward. They hadn’t originally built the Trans Am to be a “world-beater”. It was a passion project. Something to play around with on the weekends. Even after the big pressure contests, he endured against his friend Frustrate, it was just always just about fun at the end of the day. Now it’s a little different. During Carlos’ bouts against the MPI (Miami Performance Inc.) GTR there were a couple of dust-ups between the two crews. Ok, maybe more than a couple. Just about every time these guys got near each other there were most certainly words and always the chance of an altercation or two. I don’t want to claim it’s “personal” but I’m also not going to assume it’s just about going fast anymore.
Carlos’ Firebird “Fr8train”
With the intention of making a comeback, C&S have completely torn down the Trans Am; A stiffened-up chassis, a completely new rear-end, and a more advanced, substantially larger engine that will put out more than 2000-wheel horsepower (shhh…). The only thing that will remain from the previous power/drivetrain is the tranny because you know… C&S is a tranny shop. Carlos doesn’t plan to be present at the beginning of the new season of races in West Palm Beach. However, he does plan to be offer takers both rolls and digs, and promises “When I do come, they’ll know.”
Carlos’ Firebird “Fr8train”
https://streetracingmadesafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_2464.jpg34565184Phillip Pratthttps://streetracingmadesafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SRMS-Logo.pngPhillip Pratt2018-01-17 15:00:362018-01-17 18:42:09Street Racing Illustrated | Evolution of the Beast
