The Hunger For More (Part 2)
Breaking the 9-sec barrier at over
2,600 pounds
It goes without saying that speed is the
motivating force behind many an automotive hobbyist. The euphoria that it
produces is unmatched and like just about anything good, it keeps you coming
back for more. Once you experience that high, you find yourself addicted. The
good thing about speed is that you can always go faster, depending, of course,
on how much you're willing to do in order to achieve it. You're really only
limited by the restrictions presented by your chassis (which you can continue
to alter), the depths of one's pockets, and the willingness to put everything
at risk for the sake of speed.
You're
really only limited by the restrictions presented by your chassis (which you
can continue to alter), the depths of one's pockets, and the willingness to put
everything at risk for the sake of speed.
Drag racing has, and continues to be, a
staple in our community. For every car show and meet that you encounter, there
are just as many import drag racing events occurring throughout the nation.
It continues to evolve because going fast
simply never goes out of style. Another great thing about being fast is that
not every run-of-the-mill schmuck can do it; it requires hard work and
dedication. Fortune favors the brave and some reach heights that none before
them could muster. The beauty of competitive (and sanctioned) drag racing is
that it offers a numerical value in the form of time that then creates a
precedent for racers to strive toward. These times then turn into goals for
many and records for the select few. They say that records are meant to be
broken and this fuels the spirit of competition.
JR Hurley knows a thing or two about going
fast. In fact, he might own the fastest (complete) DC5 chassis anywhere in the
world. Though his “record” is unofficial and met with a bit of controversy, JR
stands alone as the first RSX street car to break into the 9s. Some would
question if this particular RSX is truly a “street car,” but it does indeed
fulfill all of the requirements to classify it as a full-bodied street vehicle.
The 9-second pass isn't a fluke by any means either. It's documented on video
and JR has made multiple, consistent passes in this car.
“This is a street car that meets all the
rules to classify it as that,” JR says. “My RSX is registered, insured, and
driven on the street with all the original body panels intact. Every other RSX
that has run 9s is basically just a shell with tube-frame chassis, one-piece
fiberglass front ends, and one-off suspension components. They are ‘Pro Stock'
vehicles, mine is a true street car.”
Every
other RSX that has run 9s is basically just a shell with tube-frame chassis,
one-piece fiberglass front ends, and one-off suspension components. They are
‘Pro Stock' vehicles, mine is a true street car.”
Though technological advances have produced
some incredible quarter-mile times in the Honda community, JR still faced many
obstacles on his way to running a personal best of 9.76. High horsepower,
heavily modded Civics and Integras breaking into 9-second territory are pretty
common these days, but an RSX with full interior that weighs in at
approximately 2,650 pounds? Not so much. Never mind that, how often do you even
see a DC5 drag car at all? All things considered, JR's accomplishments with
this heavy, unpopular drag chassis are incredible to say the least.
All
things considered, JR's accomplishments with this heavy, unpopular drag chassis
are incredible to say the least.
