HARNESSING HORSES
Getting the goods to the ground efficiently became the next focus of the build. A Competition Clutch triple disc clutch and flywheel mounted to the crankshaft transferred power to the input shaft of a four-speed Albins gear set housed within a Liberty billet aluminum transmission case. MFactory supplied a prototype differential, which was designed to work with the Driveshaft Shop’s Pro Level axles to turn the M&H slicks. To keep the slicks planted, Skunk2 adjustable dampers with custom valving suspend the chassis.
EIGHTS RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE
At the Civic’s first trip to the drag strip, Conley managed his expectations since he hadn’t raced in several years and the chassis had yet to be fully dialed in. Yet he ran an 8.80 second e.t. at 147 mph, even though he lifted at the 900 ft mark. At his first event appearance, Conley ran his personal best pass of 8.58 seconds at 182.35 mph, then backed that pass with two more passes in the 8.65 second range. At his first IDRC race, the 2014 Sin City Nationals in Las Vegas, Conley was the top qualifier with a 9.08-second pass at 174 mph. He went on to win in his class with a 9.13@175 mph time slip. Conley remarked, “The car has been running really well considering how infrequently I’ve been able to make it to the track this year. It has outperformed any of my previous builds, and much of that can be attributed to planning, along with the extensive experience of Speed Factory and the support of MFactory. We’re planning to make some more suspension tweaks, and there is always the possibility of changing up a few more things to keep up with the game and raise the bar. For 2015, we’re planning a nationwide racing campaign. This build has exceeded my expectations, and it has really helped me personally. I hadn’t realized how much it helped me grow as a person, while bringing me happiness with each trip down the 1320.” There’s no better place to be than the driver’s seat, and Conley plans to show that to the nation next season.
Steven Conley would I would like to thank Stephen from MFactory for his motivation to get back into the game, for all his support and for being like a brother all these years and through the tough times. He would also like to thank SpeedFactory for the passion and perfection they put into building, fabricating and tuning the Civic, along with the priceless advice. Thanks also go out to Skunk2, Vibrant Performance, Jarom from Element Racing, Joe from Addit2 your toy, Luke from 4 Piston Racing, Mark from MC Machining, and Madd Hatty at myvaping.com for supporting his racing efforts.
