Giving It Everything

Watkins Glen is one of North America's most iconic road courses, with a rich motorsports history and some of the fastest, most technical corners on the Gridlife calendar. After leaving Midwest Fest, where we struggled to unlock the pace we knew the car had, we were eager for another opportunity to fight at the front.

The biggest challenge heading into the weekend wasn't simply the added rewards weight—it was adapting the car's setup around it. A heavier car isn't necessarily more difficult to drive, but every suspension setup is developed around a specific vehicle weight. Add over a hundred pounds, and the balance changes dramatically, requiring a fresh approach to regain the confidence and consistency needed to push at the limit.

We arrived on Thursday ready to maximize the official test day. Those sessions are invaluable, giving us time to evaluate setup changes while allowing Eric to get comfortable with the track conditions, surface grip, and curbing before competition officially begins.

Across five test sessions, the car showed flashes of speed, but we still weren't where we wanted to be. The lap times were encouraging, yet the balance wasn't inspiring confidence. Eric continued to battle instability on corner entry, explaining that the moment he lifted off the throttle and transitioned into braking, the rear of the car would snap sideways. That instability forced him to give up corner entry speed and ultimately cost valuable time throughout the lap.

We made adjustments after every session, working to get the car into a place where Eric felt more comfortable pushing it to the limit. Testing continued to show promise, with Eric setting a best lap of 2:08.0—right where we needed to be to contend for the front of the field. Friday morning practice, however, pointed us in the opposite direction. Grip levels dropped, the car felt worse, and we found ourselves chasing the balance once again. Fortunately, we still had two fresh sets of tires available, so we knew there was additional pace left in the car once we bolted on new rubber.

Qualifying didn't go as planned. Eric's best lap was only good enough for fifth on the grid. We completed eight laps, even making a ride height adjustment in pit lane in an attempt to improve the rear stability issue. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. Our quickest lap was also compromised by traffic, preventing Eric from improving on the 2:08.2 he set early in the session. It was a frustrating result and one that ultimately set the tone for the weekend as we continued searching for speed in the No. 82 Super Touring Civic.

Race 1

Starting fifth, Eric lost a position heading into Turn 1 but immediately began working his way back forward. An early mechanical failure for one of the cars ahead opened the door, and Eric capitalized with a crucial pass to move from sixth to fourth. While we still lacked the outright pace to challenge for the win, limiting the points lost to our championship rival—who would go on to win the race—was an important result.

Race 2

We lined up fourth for Race 2 behind Andy Smedegard and alongside Michael Hilo in the Eibach Nissan 350Z. It was another hard-fought race that required Eric to extract everything possible from the Super Touring Civic. By the end of the opening lap, Matt Waldbaum had worked his way past both Eric and Hilo, dropping us back before the race settled into its rhythm. Despite continuing to fight the balance of the car, Eric managed to work his way back to third by the checkered flag, gaining one position and collecting valuable championship points.

Saturday Evening

It became increasingly clear that our straight-line speed simply wasn't where it needed to be. Looking back, we realized we had taken our aerodynamic setup in the wrong direction. Saturday evening, the team made several significant changes, removing the front splitter, increasing rear wing height, and redistributing ballast in an effort to improve the sectors where we were losing the most time. It was a calculated gamble, but we believed it would put us in a much better position for Sunday's races.

Sunday

Race 3

Under the GLTC format, the Race 3 starting grid is determined by each driver's fastest lap from Race 2. That placed Eric sixth on the grid, once again buried in an incredibly competitive lead pack.

The opening lap was chaotic. Contact at Turn 1 resulted in broken suspension for Andy Smedegard, ending his race immediately and promoting us one position. The second car involved in the incident suffered suspension damage farther around the circuit, leading to another collision and bringing out a full-course yellow.

With only about four minutes remaining, the race restarted and quickly turned into a battle between Eric and James Houghton. The two raced nose-to-tail for several laps before an unfortunate missed shift cost Eric valuable momentum, allowing Houghton to slip past. Eric crossed the finish line in third after another hard-fought race.

Race 4

The random invert for Race 4 once again put us deeper in the field, with Eric starting seventh. James Houghton and Magnussen lined up immediately behind in eighth and ninth, making the opening laps even more critical.

From the start, Morrison's V6-powered Honda S2000 gave Eric a helpful push down the straight, allowing both cars to surge forward. By Lap 2, Eric had climbed into fourth and immediately began chasing the leaders. A full-course yellow erased the gaps and gave everyone one final opportunity to fight for the win.

On the restart, Eric launched perfectly. Another well-timed push from Morrison helped propel the No. 82 from fourth all the way to the race lead by the opening corners. Eric held the lead for the next two laps, but Morrison's straight-line speed ultimately proved too much. He made the pass and went on to win the race, while Eric crossed the line in a hard-earned second place.

Looking Ahead

Overall, Watkins Glen felt very similar to Midwest Fest. Rather than focusing on maximizing outright speed, much of the weekend was spent chasing the balance of the car and trying to get it back into the operating window where Eric could consistently attack. We knew the added weight would create challenges, and much like Gingerman, reliability, smart strategy, and clean racing allowed us to maximize the result despite not having the fastest package.

When the weekend was over, we finished second overall in the event standings. While we've surrendered the lead in the championship, we're confident about what's ahead. The final two rounds of the season should play much more to the strengths of our Super Touring Civic, and our focus now shifts entirely to finishing the championship as strongly as possible.