PG Track Session

After the disappointment over the set-up of the R during the Life Style MotorSports Inaugural Track Day on the 31 March, I spent hours wondering if I had matched the damping to the 5mm increased stroke, would the R had performed as I wanted it to.

With the next available track day at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) being too long later for me to answer that burning question inside, I decided to take it to the Johore Circuit (commonly know as Pasir Gudang).



The Johor Circuit (commonly know as Pasir Gudang or "PG" for short due to its location) is just like the playground at our backyard. Situated just a mere 40 minutes drive from the Tuas Checkpoint, PG is the only motorsport race track in the state of Johor, Malaysia. Best known being a circuit for motorcycles, the circuit hosted a round of the Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix back in 1998, as well as two races of the Superbike World Championship in 1992 and 1993. In recent years, the circuit had hosted a series of other events for motorcars such as the Megalap in 2012, SMSA S'pore Touring Car Championship in 2011.


On a personal note, PG is the place I grew to love tracking my car. From back then when I was driving my Honda Jazz sliding into each corners, to bringing the R there to conquer each corner effortlessly. I knew it was the place I could rely on to test out the R's setup before she hits SIC again.



Prepping the car for track was fairly easy without the need of the race team from the garage around as what I had wanted to test was mainly the set-up which the mechanics had set for me prior to going down to PG. But adjusting to the right tyre pressure for track was important.


And what I love most about owning a FD2R was the idea of it being a daily-driven and a track-ready car at whim.



All you needed to do was to remove the backseat and hook on the racing harness for safety!

Not to forget the FIA approved racing helmet and balaclava, and racing gloves. 




The track session was a rather short, but fruitful, due to the sudden rain. The R was able to perform again after the adjustments made to the setup and I was able to clock my usual timing despite the used street tyre and the wet track.



The only disappointment that I face now is not having the R pull out of the last bend of PG fast enough for me to be in the range of 01:40s.