Just to brainstorm, Josh: which front tires at what pressure, how sticky are they, which wheels, which chip/tuning and rev limit settings (stock?)? Can you afford to get an xcal2 and get a custom dyno tune to run on race gas? If you use slightly undersized front tires, you're raising your effective gear ratio just a hair, which raises the torque to the ground a little bit, IF you have enough traction to use it, and you'll be into 4th gear sooner near the end of a run (counterpoint is 3L/turbo guys going to the Zetec final ratio, but they have torque to spare). Do you have a heatshield? I see you already mentioned a test pipe (does your present cat pinch down to 2.25" anywhere?) and the stock accordion tube (maybe the stock accordion tube, BAT pipe and CTA pipe are all different inside diameters). Is there any point to overinflating your rear tires and putting the rear struts (if you have adjustables) on full hard? Any way to cut 60 lbs? And I've never researched, but are 3L valves in 2.5L heads to use on a 2.5L too expensive for too little difference or don't fit or don't work?

Originally posted by PDXSVT:

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which front tires at what pressure, how sticky are they, which wheels

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Tires are 215/45/17 Nankangs that came with the 17â�?� x 7â�?� REVs Iâ�?��?�m running. Theyâ�?��?�re OK tires but donâ�?��?�t offer the best of grip, no better than my firestone 205/55/15 I ran last time. The wheels are just as light as my 15â�?� alloys.

Originally posted by PDXSVT:

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which chip/tuning and rev limit settings (stock?)? Can you afford to get an xcal2 and get a custom dyno tune to run on race gas?

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Stock PCM, and I���?�m not planning on any kind of tune until next year, I���?�ld like to see how far stock can get me before I start playing. I may hold off on the 3L for one more year and see what I can get this 2.5 to do...

Originally posted by PDXSVT:

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If you use slightly undersized front tires, you're raising your effective gear ratio just a hair, which raises the torque to the ground a little bit, IF you have enough traction to use it, and you'll be into 4th gear sooner near the end of a run.

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I don���?�t have the traction to use it.....yet

Originally posted by PDXSVT:

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Do you have a heat shield?

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Working on it

Originally posted by PDXSVT:

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I see you already mentioned a test pipe (does your present cat pinch down to 2.25" anywhere?)

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Nope. 2.5 all the way from the PRT optimized y-pipe back to a 2.5 to 2 x 2â�?� Y at the rear.

Originally posted by PDXSVT:

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and the stock accordion tube (maybe the stock accordion tube, BAT pipe and CTA pipe are all different inside diameters).

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I���?�m going to be making an intake pipe when I do my heat shield and hood modifications.

Originally posted by PDXSVT:

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Is there any point to over inflating your rear tires and putting the rear struts (if you have adjustable) on full hard?

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Struts are on full hard with the GCs, rear weight transfer is at a minimum

Originally posted by PDXSVT:

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Any way to cut 60 lbs?

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I could have run 3 or 4 fewer gallons of gas, removed the spare and jack and taken out the rest of the seats.....but it was a last minute decision to go, so it didn���?�t happen.

Originally posted by PDXSVT:

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And I've never researched, but are 3L valves in 2.5L heads to use on a 2.5L too expensive for too little difference or don't fit or don't work?

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Too expensive, I wonâ�?��?�t get into heavy head work like that and not go oval 3L. Iâ�?��?�m actually considering doing some light port work on the heads this winter as the 2.5 may come out again for some more â�?��?detailingâ�?� anyway, got a title to defend at SZ07 .

What I���?�m looking for are simple things I can do to lower ET���?�s.....such as the test pipe, weight reduction, intake pipe, and heat shield.....just don���?�t know if there���?�s anything else I can do that I���?�m not thinking of.