Opak Racing/Spoon Sports US - Test Day, Race #1

There, the president of the US headquarters, Edmun, gave us a peek into the paddock where they kept the Fit, and Integra Type-R (unfortunately, the Type-R had some wreckage, so it's currently without a motor; also, there is talk about possibly an engine swap for the Fit?!). Down below at the track, Spoon/Opak had the new Civic Type-R and Accord Euro-R ready to run, however, they were only using the Euro-R, due to rainy weather.

The Civic Type-R looking pretty

Accord Euro-R - The flagship enduro car

Other than the cars, we were able to meet the new drivers for Spoon USA, Gaby dela Merced from the Philippines, and Veronica Peyon from Peru. Both girls are highly talented race car drivers, having several podiums and top finishes in road racing and even F3 in their respective countries. Being able to meet and speak to them was of course a great honor. Although they are considered celebrities in their home countries, Gaby and Veronica are down-to-earth and very modest, easygoing people. Anybody would love hanging out with them!

Gaby & Veronica relaxing before the race

A month down the road, we were again invited to come down to Buttonwillow Raceway in Southern California, to hang out and help out Spoon/Opak for Gaby and Veronica's first race. The girls are currently competing with the Euro-R in NASA's Western Endurance Racing Challenge (WERC), a 5-event series, which will conclude with the infamous 25 Hrs of Thunderhill Enduro. At Buttonwillow, we were hustled in as crewmen and aided the team whenever they needed something done. "Stepping stones" is the proper expression to describe our work there, as I started out washing and detailing the car, to now helping uninstall/install the Euro-R's coilover suspension, as well as various other tasks at the shop (which is currently still under construction, and at an undisclosed location!)

Making final preparations

The powerplant

Ready to roll!

The first race of the season was a mindblowing experience, not only because we were able to help out with a great race team, but because so much went wrong! A dead battery prevented us from starting at the green flag, electrical problems caused power steering problems for the driver, and an unexpected corded tire called for an emergency tire change. To top it off, we were nudged off the track 5 minutes before the end of the 3-hour enduro, and electrical problems prevented the car from starting. We did a lot, we learned a lot, and most importantly, we've progressed as we help out and attend more and more races.

On grid

Mental prep

Almost time...

This coming Saturday we will be attending WESC Round 2, at Thunderhill Raceway. We hope the girls can race hard and the Euro-R will survive another 4 hours of hell! In addition, I am looking forward to putting the Fit through HPDE-1, so I will hopefully have some pictures and GoPro vid to share with you guys.