Damage Limitation at CMP!

We’re back racing. With strong enthusiasm surrounding our 2026 GLTC program, we were excited to hit the ground running at Carolina Motorsports Park. Arriving Thursday before the official weekend began gave us valuable time to dial in the new Fortune Auto dampers and work toward the ideal setup window.

A major difference compared to 2025 was the extreme heat. Temperatures in the mid-90s were a stark contrast to last year’s conditions. High heat impacts everything from power output to tire grip. It forces every system in the car to work harder, reducing overall efficiency and making consistency more difficult to maintain.

We completed three sessions on Thursday to gather baseline data on the new damper setup, which proved to be critical. Eric and Kody worked through a wide range of high- and low-speed compression settings, along with wing and rear sway bar adjustments. This gave us a clear understanding of how the car would behave over CMP’s large curbing. Across five total test and practice sessions, lap times showed we were right on pace to start at the front of the grid.

Qualifying

With ambient temperatures so high, tire grip was expected to play a major role in single-lap pace. Traffic was also a factor, with 38 cars on track during qualifying. The plan was to stage early on false grid to minimize traffic and run the freshest tires available.

Throughout the weekend, we tested both sets of our new Falken RT660+ tires to help refine the setup. However, this meant we used up their optimal first heat cycle. Even though our newest set only had a few laps, they were already scrubbed in, limiting peak grip on the first push lap. The result was P2 for Race 1.

Race 1

Starting on the front row, and knowing our main competitor was also on scrubbed tires, we felt confident heading into the start. Eric made an immediate move into the lead and began putting down consistent, fast laps. By lap five, he had built a gap of over five seconds.

An electrical issue ended the run early. A coil pack wire on cylinder one failed, dropping the K24 to three cylinders. Eric limped the car across the finish line and came away with a disappointing P14.

Race 2

After repairing the broken wire in the engine harness, the Super Touring Civic was back at full power, and Eric Kutil was on a mission. With a few DNFs ahead, we lined up P13 on the seventh row.

When the green flag dropped, Eric immediately began working forward through the field. Midway through the race, he had climbed from P13 to P6. After passing Matt Waldbaum for fifth, the focus shifted to the podium. On the final lap, Eric pushed into P3 and executed a last-corner pass to secure an epic P2 finish.

Kutil, a heroic effort starting 13th on the grid, steals second place!Kyle Heyer

Race 3

With grid positions set by the fastest lap from Race 2, Eric returned to the front row. A strong lap during the Race 2 charge put us in the best possible position—P1.

A tight battle through the opening corners forced Eric to defend early, but by the end of lap one he had cleared the field. From there, he stayed focused and consistent through the remainder of the race, setting fastest lap and securing our first win of the weekend.

Race 4

At the end of each race weekend, GLTC rules call for a random grid invert to set the field for Race 4. The winner of Race 3 rolls a die to determine how many positions are inverted. Eric rolled an eight, placing us deep in the field once again.

During the race, a fuel pressure issue reduced engine output. With the K24 down on power, Eric dropped from fourth to ninth by the finish.

Weekend Summary