
The Baddest SW20 Toyota MR2 Custom Built Time Attack Car
Drivers Spotlight #11: Mike Reed and His Toyota MR2 Time Attack Car
Drivers Spotlight: Mike Reed (Apex Attack Toyota MR2)
One thing every driver and car owner fears most is one four-letter word. Fire. Unfortunately, no matter how well-prepared a car is, fire can always occur. It came unexpectedly for Time Attack driver Mike Reed and his MR2, and he had limited fire suppression systems and devices handy. We will dive into that here in a bit. Before we do, let's tell you more about Mike and his awesome '93 MR2 Time Attack build.
Mike tells us that he's always loved the romance of racing. "From LeMans to Monaco, Spa, Daytona, they all hold a special place with me. Growing up, I never thought driving a race car on track was a possibility for me, so I'm just happy to be out there every time I get to," says Mike.
Why choose the Toyota MR2 was our first question to Mike. "Honestly, it was totally random. I had a little pocket money and wanted a project. My first MR2 was about the cheapest JDM project car I could find. I spent 3-4 years swapping turbo engines and building that into a great street car until I got bit by the track bug. I, unfortunately, crashed that car on a wet track day. I couldn't find a cheap platform with as much potential when I went to replace it...so I got another SW20." The concept and chassis are unique and offer plenty of performance perks. It's fun having an off-the-wall chassis at track days surrounded by 911s, S2000s, and Vettes."
His 1993 Toyota MR2 is a relatively highly modified example. "I've modified about 90% of the car in some way; it's a never-ending project," says Mike. As with most highly modded cars, the original engine is rarely present. "The motor is a 2gr-fe out of a Toyota Sienna, 3.5l V6 with Monkeywrench racing stage 1 cams. It revs to 8000 rpm and is quite peppy."
The suspension is well sorted with 808 Inverted coil-overs, spherical bushings, a Wilhelm Raceworks geometry kit, a big brake kit, and complete exhaust. "It's also hot boy spec with huge rear flares I fitted from a 240sx, and widebody front fenders, big splitter, and 9Lives wing." We dig the look.
So what happened to the original turbo factory 2.0 liter? "I spent years trying to make it work. $15 parts were costing me $300 track days. I finally bit the bullet and swapped in the V6. The simple, pedestrian V6 really wakes up with bolt-ons. Being reliable has been the key to actually going faster because.... seat time. You can learn so much when you don't have to worry the engine will fail every lap." Peace of mind that your equipment will stay underneath you is a very underrated component of improving as a driver. If you constantly have to be mechanically sympathetic, as Mike was alluding to, it tends to affect your driving performance.
In May of 2022, Mike was competing at the OnGrid shootout at Portland International Raceway. In his first session out just getting everything shaken down, he was on the back straight, coming into the turn ten brake zone, when he noticed something was amiss. "I lost all power and immediately saw flames in my rearview mirror. I didn't want to pull off on the grass and have the fire spread, so I found an access road near turn 12 and pulled off."
We will let the video tell most of the story. Watch HERE
Catastrophic engine failure on the 2gr put a hole in the block, sending oil all over the exhaust, essentially igniting the fire. Mike is highly thankful to Dustin in the M3 and the Portland emergency crew for extinguishing the fire immediately upon arrival.
When we asked Mike what his message was for others, he had some candid advice. "Take fire safety seriously! I was caught with my dinky 3lb fire bottle that did nothing to extinguish a growing oil fire in my car. I stood there panicking as my sizable time and money investment went up in flames. If you're on the track at all, have a legitimate AFF extinguisher. If you're serious enough to wear a harness and HANS, you should also have a fire suppression system. While I was physically safe from the fire, I almost lost my build. I can't imagine if I was also hurt."
Mike has taken his experience and invested in some new fire equipment. "I now run a full fire suppression system in the car from Lifeline and have another AFF extinguisher. This way, I am covered in the event of a crash/fire to save myself. I have the extra bottle in case I need to help a fellow racer... or if I have mechanical and have to pull off onto dry grass and potentially start a fire that way." Although it's extra weight, Mike feels it's 100% worth it, just like a roll bar or roll cage would be for your safety.
Fortunately, cars can be rebuilt, and we're glad Mike was just fine. He spent the next 12 weeks rebuilding the car. "Luckily, it was salvageable; the chassis was not compromised. I mostly just replaced, like for like, a little touch-up paint, and I was back on track to finish the season strong." Engine, wiring, and accessories had to be replaced, but most of the car's core was rebuildable.
Over the winter, he took it all back apart and started fresh again. "I decided it was time to really ramp this car into a full-time race car with race car safety standards. A full cage, extreme weight reduction with carbon fiber doors, better aero, and improved suspension geometry. I probably bit off more than I can chew, but in the end, I hope to have a much faster car with the same power level." Moving forward, he has a lap time goal he's striving for. "I call The Ridge my home track. There's just a handful of cars with real VIN numbers that have recorded a sub 1:40 lap time there. My final goal is to join that exclusive club.... but without adding boost to my powerplant. My current personal best is a 1:45.8. Is it possible? I'm not entirely sure, but I'm going to try. It will take a very well setup car, perfect conditions, and a VERY good lap from me, the driver." Maybe Mike has read our LapMeta Track Guide on the Ridge which would provide an answer for why he's so quick.
For 2023 he hopes to try out some other PNW tracks, explore some California tracks, and dip his toes into some hill climbs. "I'd like to build another car closer to a ruleset for wheel-to-wheel racing. I race with a team in Lucky Dog (Autosport Lab SW20), which is incredibly fun when we're not broken. I want to learn and grow as a driver as much as possible, which comes from trying new events and expanding my skill sets."
Although the competition aspect of time attack events is great, Mike loves the surrounding community. "I've racked up quite a few podiums and a win with Ongrid, but in reality, my favorite part of doing all this is meeting others at the track and immediately becoming friends. The Seattle area Time Attack community are all buddies, and we're all getting faster every year, which is really neat to watch happen."
We can't wait to watch the continued evolution of the MR2 and follow along with Mike's future driving & racing plans. Best of luck to Mike, and happy 1:40 hunting!
Learn more about Mike's car HERE