Part 2 Quick Draw
Siguel Racing RX-7...
The World's QUICKEST Pro Class RacerTo many of us racing is just a hobby. We buy performance parts, install them on our cars and maybe test them out at the local race track. But to Jose Torres of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico it is a livelihood. Before Jose even purchases a performance component from his local parts supplier he is conceptualizing how the product will work and how much time it will shave off his e.t. After the product is installed he will check it two, three, maybe four- times over to make sure it is working properly. Finally he will take his race car to the track, making sure nothing else was changed, and test the car over and over and over again to see if the product provides the expected improvement. If it does it stays on, if it doesn't it goes in the trash bin. It is that kind of dedication that has enabled Jose to capture the world's quickest import racer title with his Siguel Racing RX-7 (7.33 @ 179 mph). As a native Puerto Rican it is no surprise that racing is in Jose's blood. In geographical size Puerto Rico is smaller than the state of Maine and barely has a population of 4 million. However the country caters two impressive race tracks that are open four days of the week year round both within a 100 miles of each other. The fact is Puerto Rico produces more Pro Class cars per capita than any other country in the world.
In Puerto Rico there are two types of racers. You're either a piston head or rotary head. You are never both. The fan base in PR is also impressive and drawn in camps of rotary followers and piston lovers. These are die hard fans that will wear a rotor around their necks with a chain and bring pistons on rods to the track to pay homage to their heroes. As a rotary head it was obvious that Jose's Pro Class racer would retain the sleek silhouette of a third-generation RX-7. The Siguel Racing RX-7 first started its way to stardom in fiberglass form as the Mazda body mold was sent to Tim Mcamis Race Cars in St. Louis, Missouri. The chassis is basically a Pro Stock chassis that was modified to work underneath the RX-7 bodylines. The rolling chassis consists of Strange Engineering struts on the four corners combined with Strange double adjustable shocks in front and Koni double adjustable shocks out back. To slow the "7" down from its 170-plus mph blasts, a drag chute is on call with the aide of four disc brakes to bring the racer to a complete halt.
One thing about being on top you do not really want anybody else to copy your combination. So on our tech sheet that Jose filled out he wrote top secret for over half the information boxes and we were not allowed to photograph the engine. What he did fill out is that the powerplant consists of a 20B rotary engine that was ported, balanced and assembled by himself at his Siguel Racing Shop. Along with the fully built powerplant Jose modified the oil pump for more pressure and modified a Moroso aluminum oil pan to fit on the 20B engine. Currently Jose's RX-7 is the leader of the pack and there are many who would like to knock him off the pedestal. W also know the turbo system incorporates a custom-fabricated stainless-steel turbo manifold that utilizes 2-inch primaries and a Burns stainless-steel collector. Although Jose did not specify if the RX-7 is using a single, twin or triple turbo set-up, our guess is a huge single turbo unit. The intake manifold has also been custom fabricated from scratch but we do not know the specifications since it has been rated classified and there are no photos of the engine. Jose did give us information that a Microtech engine management controls the 20B engine. A total of three MSD 7AL-3 ignition boxes are used to make sure that maximum power is being generated for the combustion of methanol and pressurized air.
A Tilton dual-disc clutch and Jerico five-speed air-shifted transmission handle transferring of the power from the flywheel to the Mark Williams rear end. Weld Racing Aluma Star wheels wrapped with Goodyear gumballs provide the necessary traction needed to run the quarter in a touch over seven seconds at speeds of nearly 180 mph.
Carefully crafted tin-work dominates the entire interior. Although the ride only last seven seconds providing the necessary engine vitals is very important and mounted on the custom dash incorporating a very unrace like wood grain trim is a battery of Auto Meter electronics. The driver is secured tightly in an aluminum race seat by a Simpson five-point harness system.
As this story goes to the presses, the Siguel Racing RX-7 holds the world's quickest title but the margin of retaining the title is rather slim. The hard-charging Hoyos Focus has already claimed the world's fastest title and is out for Siguel's world's quickest championship belt. The next time these two Titans clash there will be bloodshed. This rivalry is definitely one of the more exciting in all of import drag racing.