What: Sway bars (not pictured): OEM Integra GSR front, 22mm Comptech rear
Why: Sway bars limit the independent suspension travel of wheels sharing a common axis; thus taming body roll. The OE GSR sway bar is a great piece for race-prepped Civics, but the added girth of Comptech's rear sway bar was needed to help the car's rear end rotate on command.
What: Camber-adjustable T1R upper control arms, and custom rear camber adjustment
Why: Wheels oriented perpendicularly to the driving surface provide maximum traction. Under cornering load, the orientation of a wheel to the driving surface changes, and camber adjustment is necessary to bring the relationship back to ideal. Tage runs anywhere from 21/2 degrees to 3 degrees negative camber up front, and 11/2 degrees to 2 degrees in the rear of his Civic, depending on how tight the track is, and adds slight toe-out to the rear wheels, depending on how much rotation is needed.
Dedication
What: Owner/driver/builder/fabricator/investorWhy: Tage would be that last to admit it, but the sole reason behind his Civic's success over the years is that he's been behind, in front of, or underneath it every step of the way. No one could ever drive it or wrench on it better than he. The hard fact of any challenging endeavor is: Things go wrong far more often than they go right. Unless you approach building a car with steadfast dedication and a genuine willingness to learn from your mistakes-to find your way in the work-all the mods in the world won't make much difference.
Words: "New racers: Be patient, and learn everything about what you're doing. Wrench on your own car, or stay closely involved with its build. Get involved with groups like the NASA and SCCA to learn how to drive properly on a racetrack-I promise you, there's a lot you don't know. It's not enough to build a fast car; the car and driver must both be in tune in order to create a winning package."