Civic and MR-S Race Wheel-to-Wheel Against Each Other for the First Time!

Thanks to Advance Auto Parts for giving us a chance to do all this racin'. Use code: GEARSANDGASOLINE to get 15% off on your Advance orders, good for the rest of 2023! #advanceautoparts #advancefleet
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Music from Soundstripe and Artlist:
“Highlands” - Matt Wigton - TXLIK0HMTTYZBQGB
“Outer Rim” - Cody Martin - LE41TQTJTWDGAI08
“Close to Life” - sero
“Playing Games” - Cody Martin - ZIP3WHQX5QDNBD89
“Bad Friends” - Tamuz Dekel
“Ripples” - Tamuz Dekel
“Can’t Turn Back” - Matthew Magenta
“Call Me Back” - Enrique LLoreda - UQ0FLXMPEFX61PWJ
00:00 - lawd we back again
00:35 - snap, they got the Advance sponsor on this joint?
01:37 - Hans Zimmer style percussion on this track
02:14 - Hans Shimmer on this shiny-a** beat
03:51 - Mark is basically Ben's personal mechanic at this point
04:42 - bad case of the dyno runs
06:07 - my usual pickup line
07:30 - lemme brag on Josh real quick
07:30 - he's Luke's replacement, films and edits
08:00 - knocked it out of the park with tonal control
08:30 - editing monster. very proud of him.
10:10 - actually 1:48.7 so I rescind those compliments, Josh
11:26 - Kutil moneyshifted, RIP
12:30 - okay, Josh, I see you
13:38 - good job, Ben, blah blah
14:52 - heckin' race
15:49- this track whips a**, good find, Josh
17:48 - Mr. 17th
18:34 - Ben got that gap behind him
19:00 - this shot makes you want to race GLTC

[@TorqueTestChannel]

Going from the Evo to an MR-S is like restarting the game, and scrolling all the way down past Hard Mode and selecting PAIN. Then going "Alright, this should be fun"

[@eris-cs]

Then you found out that it isn't fun.

[@AndorRadnai]

It’s essentially „oh story mode has become boring, let’s give myself a challenge“

[@dylanandersen9318]

Never expected to see you here! Turns out one of my favorite channels is run by car enthusiasts!

[@TorqueTestChannel]

@@dylanandersen9318 Haha, was there ever any doubt we live and breath cars?

[@dylanandersen9318]

@TorqueTestChannel can never really tell with the tool/tech guys. To some it's just a career, some only care about fixing things, but some of us live and breathe cars.

[@jasond126]

Keep going tall Ben. The whole MR2 community is rooting for you!

[@rogerlee2771]

That's a fact

[@couchguy707]

Man I know it's probably really stressful and at times it seems like everything is fighting against you. But I'll tell you what, you guys are very lucky. Even if you're in last place, it's your job to race wheel to wheel in your homebrew creations. Try to enjoy the ride, and the rest will come.

[@dinnwix]

he’s likely very aware of how lucky he is to create content for a living, he’s simply competitive and expects more from himself, nothing wrong with that.

[@xRockee]

yeah its so important to zoom out when in doubt

[@WarriorsPhoto]

Good moral boost. I would appreciate said comments after a weekend like this one. 😊

[@PH03N1X_83]

Lin, this video was one of your best edits by far! Good stuff, buddy. Also, the MR-S can only get better from here.

[@GearsandGasoline]

Josh Quigg edited it, all glory to Josh

[@zerohikari2685]

@@GearsandGasoline Excited to see the finale of the MRS build next week :)

[@sooyster4033]

@@GearsandGasoline Josh is really coming into his own

[@sethbgale1]

Hawk Integra here, completely appreciate this video. It captures the insanity that is GLTC and getting started in it, perfectly. I remember my first qualifying, and having the same feelings of frustration as Ben Lin. Keep going! its gets better, you get more comfortable and it becomes the most fun you've ever had. This was a lot of fun to watch! Looking forward to trying to catch that MR-S in the near future!

[@NaxRydan]

The only bad day on a race track is one you cant walk away from, everything else is just an expensive learning experience. Looks like a ton of fun, and stress!

[@MajorAddiction]

Wise words!

[@Jack2421992]

words to live by

[@easygoingdude9990]

You know we all love a good underdog story

[@ExpatonTwoWheels]

I know it's stressful to race wheel to wheel and 17th and 30th may not seem exciting, but for me, wheel to wheel racing is so much more fun to watch than the gridlife content. Not that the old stuff was bad, it's just harder to get excited about lap times. You got some great shots of cars flying off track. Keep up the good work.

[@anthonyarmstrong5012]

Honestly you have to use the MR2 to it’s advantages. Super light and very very nimble. You have to carry your speed wisely. The big motor cars will pull you on the straights of course… but in the corners you can go faster then them… brake later, accelerate out the apex quicker. But if the suspension set up or tires etc etc are not dialed AND including your confidence in the vehicle will all play a factor.

[@TheRealThanhNgo]

Problem was he was catching too much air and his handling in the corners wasn’t stiff enough on his old lighter set up. So increasing the weight seemed to be good for his handling this race but the down on power thing was such a surprise. I bet if he had that extra 30 hp he was missing then he woulda been fine

[@BigStreams_]

Some of this was tough to watch, but including the difficulties and frustrations probably keeps things grounded and real. I feel like this is setting up for a glorious comeback once they find that missing hp. Crossing my fingers for that at least

[@gregtudanca.]

So happy and proud to see how Mark came so far with G&G and now feels like a legit head mechanic to G&G.

[@dylanfoxall2763]

Seeing the improvement just from testing to race on the mr2 and ben was incredible!!

[@OwnersAgony]

Tall Ben, of course the car needs work. But, it appears you need some seat time with momentum cars - shaving 7 sec off is wild. Get that practice in - you’ll do so much better next time !

[@GearsandGasoline]

Bear in mind the 1:50 was practice session where I didn't even get the front tires up to temp due to all the point bys. Not actually representative. Race pace went from 1:45 to 1:43 by the last race.

[@TunaFox]

19:48 "my MR-2 is at least reliable" *has brake light out*

[@Shrrby]

This is one of my favourite G&G videos. I love thsi series. The grassroots motorsports, the positive mindsets, the struggle, the redemption; its all beautiful. Also having both Marks there just doing what they do best and keeping the bens cool was just great.

[@willrogers5713]

keep hammering away at that MR-S, watching your trial and tribulations is an absolute inspiration to all us grass root enthusiasts who are struggling to make things work. lots of love guys

[@Nates-Race]

Man that spin was sooo close for the Miata and me! Also that spin ended my weekend bending both control arm ball joints.

[@KenColton]

As a Miata brethren I was clenched just watching on YT. Glad no collision but sucks that it ended your weekend :/

[@RetroMotiveAdventures]

The MRS will evolve! Going from an evo which you can compensate for cornering in the straights is like going from a broadsword to a katana, the MR2 is a balanced scalpel of a car and did well in its day on the circuits. Give it time and more fine tuning and it will be a beast!!! The mr2 community is cheering for you ben.

[@cornpop21]

ben missing his Evo right now

[@wurstcrewchief2798]

#rebuild the evo!!!

[@cornpop21]

@@wurstcrewchief2798 #rebuild

[@mostlyuselessgarage]

Watching your driver development from that first race 3 years ago to now is a night and day difference. So awesome following your love for motorsport! Keep pushing!

[@thejohnnybob]

Hey 7 seconds of improvement in one weekend with a car that's 30+ horsetorques down is a major win in my book. Especially since you're used to an AWD class record setting car and you've switched to the MRS.

[@user-zf3ww5om5c]

Tall Ben, I must say you did great! You didn't crash, you didn't spin, you catch your car great, none crashed into you, you safely made it home - good job man! You even made more places than the other Ben! You are a good driver, you'll make progress, keep going!

[@Treacherous_One]

as the owner of a SCCA Solo prepped Spyder, this is really frustrating to see. I know that car is capable of a lot more with less. your build and my build are vastly different in strategy. you went heavier with more power, I went minimalistic on everything to stay within the rules. Maybe that is where the key lies. I hope you and Mark can get the spyder sorted. I'm rooting for you.

[@RetroMotiveAdventures]

Heck even the techno pro spirit MRS was only around 180 HP initially and was beating up cars way higher horsepower than it. I think the widebody and overall build intent may be a bit awkward with lins Spyder concerning the class he's going for. If anything it may have made more sense for a K swap and go for a class up with higher HP considering he came from an Evo.

[@jorgebouza6344]

yeah, I think is killing the strenghts of the car,... there are a lot of fast MRS, and all go for the same way. Go Light, go handling, go aero.... if you plain go for other way you should chose other car.

[@vltruane]

That's absolutely true. You have to go lighter on this chassis, not heavier. It upsets everything including the handling. Its about 80% similiar to an Lotus Elise.

[@gundamzaku214]

dude, super proud of you and your mr2, I know you have expectations but maybe you're too hard on yourself. 7 seconds on lap time improvement is huge! keep up the great work, I'm sure you'll be better next race when you and your mechanic have fixed the issue of power loss.

[@asdowo111]

Gears and Gasoline, Overtake! and MFGhost are my favorite racing anime every weekend. 😂

[@TheRealThanhNgo]

Overtake looks awesome, wasn’t expecting it

[@cornpop21]

16:08 the high reving engine throttles sound so sick

[@estewar03]

After watching for the 2nd time, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank you. It's been so long since I've done anything like this, it's refreshing to see how popular it is again & living vicariously through this channel has been great. The only thing I would critique is the length of the uploads, I know most people's attention spans are just too short to justify long episodes, BUT there are some of us out here that could easily watch 30-90-minute episodes & be very happy with them, the other people can just put it on 1.5 times playback speed. And I am not just talking about the races, I mean all episodes, including just wrenching on the cars, helps keep me motivated while I'm at work.

[@greysonkeanu]

This was SUCH A GOOD video! I loved everything about the pacing and switching back between Lin and Thorn and their vastly different situations, mixed together with the right picks of music, and edited perfectly between your footage and the GL footage❤ Just a masterpiece.

[@typedrew]

2zz, stripped out, stock body and biggest tires you can fit. This is exactly what happens when you over complicate it. I really want to see the MR competitive but it’s got too many cooks making the same meal.

[@Treacherous_One]

this is basically what I did for SCCA Solo. I also have found the stock 5spd box to work better than the 6speed version having better ratios. people often don't think about rotating mass but minimalizing the mass of all the spinny parts makes a HUGE difference in the cars performance.

[@zerohikari2685]

2AR was the moment this build took a turn for the worse. He's been trying to fix the car ever since.

[@typedrew]

@@zerohikari2685 it’s a cool idea. And theoretically it could work great. But why over complicate it when there are recipes that just work. Especially on a car you just want seat time in

[@zerohikari2685]

@@typedrew I don't think theoretically it could. It's heavy and the head has zero development into it. You will very quickly hit a point where you run out of flow and have nowhere to go. The only thing it has going for it is displacement.

[@Treacherous_One]

@@zerohikari2685 the problem is he over powered the car and the rest of it wasn't set up correctly to balance out the power upgrade (which was over a 75% increase from stock). they just assume MR2 parts are all the same without taking into account the weight changed, the balance changed, the width of the car, and there for the leverage on the suspension changed, tire sizes changes which can effect gearing and will increase the rotational mass which effect steering feedback, cornering and braking... he changed everything. mean while, March car stayed fairly stock chassis configuration wise and the same engine and trans has been great for him and a bunch of other people. His issues didnt start with the engine, they car has always had issues since he got it. his issue is the way he built it.

[@jonathanolsen3809]

Seeing you guys at mid ohio, and taking bens picture in the civic when he scraped his splitter in the paddock saturday night was absolutely the highlight of my year. You guys are the best

[@garrettxowens]

Would love to see a video breaking down the costs of building a car to race and then the cost of racing in GLTC. Well done on this video, very neat

[@jonat_gabl]

Lin, your job isn't to win despite the fact that you want to, your job is to enjoy tinkering with the MRS and talk about the experience. So enjoy the fact that you get to go out with Thorn and Mark and spend time enjoying the track day - and not worrying about the fact that you're in the back (at least as long as you're staying safe).

[@justinturner4850]

Seat time at a circuit like that is a dream for most of us. I live in Maui and we don’t have a circuit here. I know it’s frustrating but Ty to just enjoy the seat time. Try to be proud of all the work you’ve done and how far you’ve come.

[@Swermie]

Man, CRAZY vibes in this video. I am loving the GLTC commentary and the heavy focus on the racing. It really takes me back to your old time attack videos.

[@josephmatuszak3855]

MR2 has a ways to go to find that speed and stability, but at least it didn't pop. GLTC is awesome.

[@djsonicc]

who remembers when Ben L. said the Mr2 was just going to be a cheap lap turner? :D It's crazy how far it has come along now. Can't wait to see it dialed in and sorted out.

[@ASEM-1123]

I also remember when Ben T. bought that wannabe type r civic for that roadtrip. What a car it has become.

[@typedrew]

It would be better off if he stuck to that idea

[@Treacherous_One]

we all said that when we first got them. I know I did. 7 years and 3x what I actually paid for the car later....

[@jooter8214]

Ks the way.

[@vitalig.3025]

Thank you very much guys for your content!

[@twbones99]

I love pitting the Bens together, great stuff

[@shawnfenton3128]

Reaalllly reallly good edit! I can see why I have to wait so long between these! Love this series.

[@BSon-sj9uc]

fuck this is so dope. no other channel is doing what you guys do. you went from street cars, to casual local time attacks to full on gridlife. love it. keep it going guys.

[@evoson5229]

You guys had great weather down there! Love the videos and editing too!

[@chuckcomeau9179]

Great video! Might be my new favorite, keep them coming and keep pushing Bens!

[@weswest8666]

Another great video boys!

[@marcoferreira3832]

Ben Thorn's consistency tho 😂

[@LenaRacing]

So great racing with the two of you in GLTC! Love the video

[@F4celessArt]

Man, it's a special feeling to watch vids like this as the wind-down of doing the iRacing Petit LeMans in a GTP (ended up p13). Were so many things different I'd be running in some domestic series all summer instead of pretending in a foldable chair with a plastic wheel attached.

[@kaelathossantoran3961]

That shot really did make me wanna race GLTC...

[@xxKURTMANxx]

Love all the GLTC related content. Keep it coming.

[@piotrmarek1982]

Great editing and the soundtrack from 17:00 fits perfectly to the race 🏎️💨🏁

[@notjohnedgell]

The Civic just has so many more years in development into making a competitive car in general compared to the MR-S it can only go up from here. But you're also dealing with a whole new type of racing and car with completely different driving styles. I want to see this unique little Toyota get there, it'll be great to see its journey over time.

[@Sepulvedas787]

Amazing video guys !!!!!

[@thezoexperience1]

16:08 this shot was soo satisfying.

[@TheTrenya]

Amazing video bro!!!.. really good edits and fun to watch.. yea the MR-S is not fast now, but sure it reliable.. Camry quality there..😄😄👍👍

[@ayske1]

Very emotional for the MRS! These productions are amazing!

[@davidlapointe1146]

It was such a awesome weekend I remember it like it was yesterday !!

[@SHWELL11]

I believe you will all be better from this experience. Watching all of this is inspiring..

[@JacobHalfman]

Cool to see the audio deployment and mix I worked on for the broadcast make it into your videos as someone who went from just a fan of gridlife from watching your videos a few years ago to working on the show. Won't be making it out to Laguna but hope it made it difference to folks at home catching the races at Gingerman , mid Ohio, and lime rock.

[@michaelscholten9753]

It’s about getting better- enjoy the process!

[@rccrazer]

Lin, you're having to perfect racecraft, this isn't something that's easy and you've picked one of the hardest cars to master, the mr2 is a well noted handful at full tilt and you've got everyone rooting for you. It hurts to see you down, but we're looking forward to your climb to success and will be following you the whole way.

[@magnusandreasson2383]

Keep up the good work 💪👍 regards from Sweden

[@MrThewetsheep]

Watching Lin and the Mr-s battle through the adversity is really really good

[@spyderzetta3391]

@Gears and Gasoline You should watch the KZbin video of the Spirit MR-S. The guy that built that legendary car spills all the details. Car is light as it can be, using a lot of Titanium braces, roll cage, etc. 80 Liter full cell in front. 2zzge+tranny. Brake controller with ABS delete. Stagger wheel setup, etc etc etc. VERY informative and FREE INFO. I think just having a very light 2zzge car with perfect balance would have been better than 230whp akinston with weight ballasts etc. Give it a watch!

[@blairo15]

I've done sprint meetings in Australia for 30 years and had so much fun and I've seen a lot of mates take the step up in to racing and then they hate their hobby.

[@KG_BM]

it says alot when you know this channel brings enough income that you could probably just say screw it and buy whatever, build it and race it. but instead you guys keep renovating what you have and pushing it to the limits. last place or first place. the effort to get here alone is winning

[@deadsaylordesigns8871]

Awesome video guys

[@DREWlanning]

Good going Thorn!

[@bigk13]

These videos are such a bonus while I sit at work on Saturday mornings! I actually met the 4 of you while at this event (with my G&G t-shirt on of course). You guys are all great and have the best stuff on YT. The Bens and the Marc(k)s put up with all my dumb questions and it was really nice to meet you guys face-to-face. Will always be a day I remember. Thanks G&G team!

[@38tech]

Good jobs bens. Tall Ben, I'm pulling for ya. Keep ya head up!!!

[@shadow105720]

Tall Ben dont get discouraged. The car is pretty much brand new and you're out there turning laps instead of spinning in every corner like just a few months ago. And you're getting passes on people going off track or breaking down by not going off track or breaking down. Thats a major win.

[@hamsterbrigade]

I feel like the MRS suspension is too stiff. There seems to be some pogo sticking in the front from time to time. Also, that front end looks like it needs constant correction, however that might just be the editing.

[@Treacherous_One]

I have been commenting about suspension and alignment set up since he got this car. there is a ton of info out there on set ups for the spyder. event at 180hp, that car should be doing much more than it is.

[@MrZyLeXx]

It is set up for like 300-500 extra lbs inside the car so ofcourse its going to be stiffer than it needs to be without the weight

[@hamsterbrigade]

​​@@MrZyLeXxit doesn't matter how much weight you have in a car, it shouldn't be pogo'ing around like that. The #1 job of suspension is to keep the tires on the track not constantly loading and unloading an axle with pogo'ing. That's a recipe for an extremely inconsistent car.

[@MrZyLeXx]

no but what i was saying is if you set up car that is suppose to weigh 3000lbs and then take 500lbs out of it, the suspension will be much too stiff for it and pogo'ing around will happen, im not saying you're wrong@@hamsterbrigade

[@hamsterbrigade]

@@MrZyLeXx Ahh..my bad, I understand what you're saying. I don't have any order based on the editing magic but in the order of the video, it looks like it was doing it before he took the weight out. However, you never know based on edit order. btw. Thanks for taking the time to explain.

[@grippgoat]

I dunno if I'd be able to put ky little temper tantrum on the internet in front a million subs. Props for keeping it real, and reminding us all that the hard part of racing isn't just car breakdowns. As ManKandy from GarageFab would say... "Keep moving forward".

[@TheRealThanhNgo]

Love the long gridlife videos

[@seethruhead7119]

was watching the recent Engineering Explained video about the dark horse out braking everything. And how tires are not the limiting factor for G forces. It makes sense I guess that the heavier the car the more horsepower and tire they can run. With how good tires are they are still able to brake/accel as well as a lighter car. Putting light cars at a significant disadvantage. Honestly it doesn't seem like a very fun ruleset to be competing in because of that.

[@rccrazer]

Thorn, well done. You're not at the top yet, but you're keeping it up and clean and staying in perspective. Keep up that attitude and drive and you'll be on top in no time.

[@ahamedkhan232]

Good stuff boiz

[@justinturner4850]

I REALLY wanna see the MR2 in one color 🤞🤞🙏🏼

[@arlowelee]

Its crazy that a little old civic DX back in 1997 or so would be racing on track today. Amazing.

[@HeinousinAppearance]

Living the life boys, every kid like us dreamed of what you guys are doing - including being pissed at yourselves for being slow. Can't wait to see more.

[@seanmabey1609]

Great video. Even if your last your still racing.

[@priztucker]

30 Years later and that EG Civic still looks so damn good!

[@pandakattt]

Theres something about the MR2 making me rewatch the whole playlist 5 times LMAFO, I cant wait for the comeback since i also watch that Mr.Marc's video about the MR2 and why it was underperforming

[@jaybee6280]

good heavens thats a lot of cars on track

[@kevine8736]

looks really fun out there ..... I enjoy playing my race games forza motorsports and it's always fun for me at least .... I want to build a little Miata I think

[@Cantthinkofanusername777]

Lawd they back at it again

[@geoffwatches]

Keep at it lin, the drama makes for good youtube, thank you! 😂 Great work Ben

[@NerdOsiris]

That Yellow NC was clean!

[@-PLAYER0NE-]

That must be wild to go from a fully built evo 9 to an mr2 haha. I’m still struggling to fully understand the rules here. You’re running a 180hp mrs against a sea of s2k’s and c5’s? Even if it’s based on power to weight ratio you’re never going to beat the low down grunt of an LS on the straights. Kinda confusing. Regardless, great job bens! Lol love your guys’ content!!

[@RetroMotiveAdventures]

Yeah the class requirements seem to favor the C5s by far.

[@JETZcorp]

"Another career best finish!" B R U T A L

[@aldisdzerve2264]

Love these videos. Also cool to see so many S2000, MX5 and MRS on track. In Latvia there is this pesky rule saying that convertibles are not allowed to race in any events. Even with hardtops and full welded roll cages. Would love to take my MRS out as well but yeah

[@Hahnck750i]

bummed that it is down on power. hope you can get the power back up. i understand that you are pushing the no aero route but i still feel that having a wing will be beneficial. It will get better! you will get better! go get it Ben Lin!

[@Lewuaptedama]

Nice episodes! The mr2 needs an interior!

[@Leonardo-xd8yc]

Boys keep the wheel to wheel racing in i like this very much haha

[@z3dz]

So many s2ks 😍

[@droid1008]

MARK IS BACK LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@Naps_Super_Sports]

The reality is that there will always be someone faster than you, but you are faster than the people who don't race and those who are keyboard warriors. Keep up the effort, continual review and improvement.

[@goosesayshonk9781]

I felt heartbreak like ben did. Id feel so bad just to know that you cannot be competitive. Keep going! All my hopes are on the MRS

[@jmegetkrunk]

Great video, any other youtube channels fo this type of racing

[@paololaguerta]

I feel bad for Lin. You can hear the rage and disappointment. Still a good job for both!

[@ajhartmanaero]

When I started W2w racing I used to get lapped by the front runners. You’ll get there.

[@nathanielbarbeau4821]

This video was great. It really goes to show that although slow…and dangerous behind the wheel…Asian Ben can serve a purpose. 🤣🤣