Called Out. It activates the "fight or flight" instinct in everyone. In the world of motorsports, this sort of banter exists between friendly and not-so-friendly rivals, on and off the track. When a challenge is issued, it's time to step up or step aside. In the case of time attack, track records call out competitors, challenging them to beat the clock.

Competitor and sportsman Trent Choi has always had an interest in racing and his competitive spirit drives his will to win. A relative newcomer to imports, he sought a platform that would give him a balance of performance
and reliability. His friend Tym Switzer of Switzer Performance & Innovation (SPI) offered SPI’s Mitsubishi EVO VIII test car, a low mileage chassis that Trent couldn’t resist. In a lightly-modified state, the EVO practically begged Trent to start the modifications.

Get The Party Started

Within the first month, the EVO had a built 2-liter engine with a larger turbocharger. Although it was originally prepped as a drag car, it actually handled pretty well, turning Trent onto road racing. He made changes to the
suspension in preparation for Redline Time Attack. He competed at Chicago, Nashville and Pahrump in the modified class, learning volumes from the seat time and Redline’s family of racers. The camaraderie, hints and tips that many shared opened Trent’s eyes to the possibilities, sending him back to the garage to take the EVO to a higher level.

Applied Knowledge

Trent got on the fast track to learning the strengths and weaknesses of his setup, establishing a relationship with TFWorks (Touge Factory’s race shop) to prepare for the 2010 season. To start, the body was stripped down and a 12-point cage was welded into the cabin. The custom-mounted Racetech seat, Tilton pedal set, shift linkage and Personal steering wheel with an RUFast Racing hub extension position the driver further back for improved weight distribution. On the passenger floorboard, an AEM EMS, M&W ignition amplifier, battery, fire suppression tank and Accusump oil accumulator were neatly arranged for ease of serviceability.

Power To Play

The 2.0 -liter 4G63 was swapped out with a built 4G64, bumping the displacement of the EVO to 2.3-liters. The cylinder head received a complete rebuild including SPI port work, full valvetrain and custom camshafts. To keep the head from lifting under high-boost, ARP L19 head studs secure the longblock assembly together. SPI also fabricated the exhaust manifold that directs exhaust gasses into the turbine housing of the Precision Turbo & Engine GT3582R turbocharger. On the induction side, the compressed air charge flows through a SPI custom intercooler en route to a Magnus V5 manifold. As the incoming air flows toward the intake ports, Injector Dynamics injectors spray a custom ethanol blend into the airstream for combustion. With an AEM EMS commanding fuel delivery and ignition timing, the EVO put down 735 horsepower and 641 lb-ft torque to the rollers of a Dynojet AWD dynamometer.