Learning to walk before you run is a phrase we’ve all heard countless amounts of times. Although the expression consists of only six simple words, applying this eight syllable sentence in practice can sometimes prove difficult. When it comes to circuit racing, learning to walk before you can run is a crucial philosophy. When applied appropriately, those who practice this mindset can become faster drivers overtime without relying exclusively on regular or costly upgrades to get them there.
At the end of the day, everyone is entitled to enjoy their car however they wish but when it comes to circuit racing, the following scenario is one that is commonly observed time and again. A punter completes their first ever track day with an almost expected uninspirational time. Although an expected (and very acceptable) outcome for a first timer, these drivers then become fixated on becoming the fastest individuals at their next track day that they go to town on as many modifications and upgrades as possible before their next outing. They attend their second ever track day with their vehicle built and setup completely different to their original outing and despite aspects such as power being doubled or even tripled, they beat their PB by maybe 1 or 2 seconds. The situation repeats for their next track outing and then they hit a modification or upgrade plateau; they can’t add more practical power or mechanical grip.
These drivers are then dazzled when they notice punters like Peter Nguyen annihilate their lap times in cars that are heavier and have less power than their own vehicles. This is a classic example of walking before you run in practice.
Peter’s adventures with his Honda S2000 is an inspirational journey about one man’s quest to become a fast driver. Despite previously owning numerous H-badge vehicles, it wasn’t until February 2014 that he acquired one of his dream cars – a well-kept, low millage and stock standard New Formula Red S2000. The front-engine/rear-drive Honda was purchased from a private seller in Adelaide and when Peter got the car to his home in Melbourne, he’d already booked his first track day at Winton Raceway in eight weeks time – all in the spirit of getting accustomed to a new car and establishing baseline metrics.
The next three years (up until November 2017) saw Peter attack race circuits within his hometown of Victoria. PBs were set as well as beaten at circuits such as Winton Raceway (1:33.3) and Phillip Island (1:48.2). Peter’s even driven over to New South Wales on a few occasions to race against the clock at Wakefield Park; achieving a PB of 1:07.9. He was able to accomplish these times in what was essentially a stock S2000 as throughout this period, the only upgrades which made their way onto the red Honda were a set of Tein Monoflex coilovers 12kg/10kg, Cusco Type RS 1.5 way LSD and other suspension and insurance upgrades, in addition to driver feedback updates – mainly a Recaro RS-G ASM bucket seat and Momo Monte Carlo steering wheel. While the exterior did see additions of an Amuse R1 style front bumper, Carbon Plus side diffusers, Craft Square wing mirrors and a Voltex Type 2 1700mm rear wing, Peter purposely restricted power modifications on his S2000; with the only exception being a Spoon N1 cat-back exhaust (which was later replaced by a J’s Racing C304-70RR setup).
Seat time, leveling up as a driver and strict routine servicing to ensure reliability are the key attributes in Peter’s philosophy to improving as a driver. Modifications were only performed once he felt he’d reached the limits of a particular component or setup. During this time, Peter also experimented with different combinations of perishable items – mainly brake pads and tyres – to find out which setup best suited his driving style. Over time, the red Honda has worn various wheels, including a set of silver Enkei RPF1 in 17×9 +45 and bronze Volk TE37 measuring 17×9.5 +41; but presently, Peter’s S2000 sits on a set of Titanium Silver Volk CE28N rims (17×10 +44 front and 17×10 +45 rear) wrapped in Dunlop Direzza DZ03G M5 semi-slick tyres.
Despite the amazing accomplishments Peter’s achieved with his S2000, he maintains that the roadster will always remain a street car in spirit and nature. So despite the incredible lap times Peter’s able to consistently set, his S2000 must always be street-registered and available for him to hop in for a drive; whether that’s a Sunday morning cruise through Healesville’s winding roads or to the local Coles to pick up a bottle of milk.
Mid 2017 saw Peter arrive at a cross path with his S2000. At this point Peter had been actively racing his red Honda against the clock for close to 3 years and felt he’d reached the limit of the car’s set up – which consisted of handling and tyre upgrades centred around near stock power. Option A was to retire the car from official PB duties and enjoy it as a weekender with the odd track day, while Option B constituted adding power so that more PBs could be obtained.
With the turn of 2017, Peter decided he wanted to continue racing his S2000 to achieve further PBs and so a HKS GT GTS7040 Supercharger kit was ordered. Over the next few months, he’d acquire all the supporting mods (including but not limited to ID 1050cc injectors, Walbro 460 fuel pump, AEM fuel rail and pressure regulator, Haltech Elite 1500 ECU, Racepak IQ3 dash, Haltech multi-function CAN Art gauge, ACT pressure plate/OEM AP2 clutch disk, and Stoptech ST-40 4pot/328mm big brake kit) required for his S2000 to fearlessly breathe through forced inducted air and eventually in June 2018 – the now supercharged S2000 rolled into CMS Performance for its first proper tune.
It’s important to note that Peter is also an avid DIY’er. He’s installed all of the modifications found on the S2000 with his own two hands – with the process of mating the HKS blower to his S2000’s F20C engine another item ticked under his comprehensive completed DIY list. Although there was some head scratching between Peter and his tuner – Shane from CMS Performance – thanks to VTEC not engaging causing inaccurate boost readings during the S2000’s date on CMS’s dyno, the end result once everything was sorted saw Peter’s supercharged S2000 generate 235.8kW at the rear wheels on 11.4psi when drinking 98 octane fuel. After a couple of shakedown track days, Peter has since applied a flex-tune setup to his supercharged S2000, with present power realised as 273.5kW at the wheels on E85 – a significant leap from the S2000’s original 130rwkW when it was naturally aspirated.
With the S2000 now on its second chapter of PB chasing, the assistance of forced induction has allowed Peter to break through previous personal best ceilings. He’s been able to shave off 4.7 seconds from his previous PB at Winton Raceway with a current new PB of 1:28.7, while 1:47.2 is his current PB at Phillip Island – one whole second quicker than his previous personal best. Peter’s previous PB at Wakefield Park was also smashed, as the HKS blower has enabled him to subtract 4 seconds from his previous best with a current PB of 1:03.9. This is only a taste of things to come as these times are sure to tumble once Peter further grows and learns the limit of his newly supercharged-S2000.
In December 2018, Peter decided to give his S2000 a run at The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia – which is where these photos were captured. Despite the combined 12 hour return commute, as well as a full day of racing at speeds – Peter’s S2000 flawlessly attacked the 4.9km International Circuit at The Bend without burning a single drop of oil. Although all of his sessions contained traffic, Peter left the Tailem Bend-based circuit with a PB of 2:16.6; an impressive time for his first outing at an unfamiliar circuit. Note: at a recent Phillip Island track day, Peter’s rear bumper loosened up and kissed his scorching exhaust which melted sections of his rear bar. The white rear bumper pictured was donated to him by a friend to keep Peter racing, and has since been colour matched red. Also seen below is the stainless steel Cleib 70mm exhaust (which replaced the vocal J’s Racing 70RR unit) Peter installed to reduce his S2000’s decibel output in order to comply with some race track’s strict noise policy.
Although the car enjoyed a mostly successful run up until this point, tragedy struck Peter and his S2000 in April of this year. While full throttle coming onto the main straight of New South Wale’s Wakefield Park at speeds, a loud bang followed by metal knocking was heard under the S2000’s bonnet. Not a sound combination anybody wants to hear, Peter promptly pulled his beloved S2000 to a safe spot off the main straight and switched the motor off. At this point root cause and assessment of damage had not been carried out and with the car stranded at Wakefield Park, Peter was forced to board a stressful one way flight from Sydney to Melbourne, drive 6 hours back to Wakefield Park with a tow vehicle and then complete another 6 hour commute home to Melbourne with his lifeless S2000 in the rear view mirror. Fortunately, diagnosis of the aftermath revealed the aforementioned bang to be a single spark plug/coil pack ejecting from the F20C’s head as forced induction is susceptible to causing more vibration within Honda engines. New coil packs and spark plugs were immediately installed and the S2000 lives on to fight another day. Peter always knew that with the stresses he puts his Honda through, the S2000’s heart was prone to the inevitable. He’d already planned for contingency with a back-up F20C already acquired prior to this ordeal. Touch wood as that spare F20C has yet to be installed into his S2000’s engine bay.
Peter’s time attack journey with his street-registered S2000 is an inspirational tale of how to become a faster driver without relying solely on heavy modifications or go-fast-bits. Once a certain state is maxed out or a plateau reached – typically realised as stagnated lap times after multiple visits to the same track – only then will he install an upgrade to break through such ceiling. His S2000 is a pocket rocket thanks to not just the way he’s set it up but due to his continued growth and levelling up as a circuit driver. With the car now breathing compressed air thanks to the HKS supercharger, Peter is set up to re-write his list of PBs around tracks he’s previously plateaued at as he continues to further develop his S2000. A perfect example of walking before you run – Peter’s approach to driving and modifying his S2000 should serve as a lesson to those looking to get involved in circuit racing, as it’s the perfect textbook example.
