Acura Integra’s are usually associated in the racing world as a “ricer,” but Myles Kerr of English Racing has taken that stereotype and blown it to pieces. Myles Integra, or better known as “Gringotegra-The Integra That Could”, has been making quite the name for itself over the past few years. It pretty normal to see him line up with insanely fast GT-R’s or Audi R8’s and take them down one by one, surprising the unexpecting crowd with each pass. Even though this isn’t your high-school Honda project, the now 900-plus wheel horsepower Gringotegra started off bone stock many years ago.
When Myles Kerr purchased his Acura Integra back in August of 2006, he had no idea it would lead him on a rollercoaster of ups and downs and ultimately put him on a quest to hit 200 miles per hour in the 1/2 mile. “I chose the Integra only because it was my first car in the Dominican Republic,” Says Kerr. “I had learned a lot about the Integra platform and the parts that went with it so I picked one up and started to slowly modify it.”
Like most people, Kerr began from the very basics with the car. The first modification was a cold air intake that he installed himself, and ever since then, it has been an on-going project. “Next thing I did was lower the car and over the next year and a half, I installed a header, exhaust, intake manifold and Apexi V-AFC Fuel/Vtec controller,” Says Kerr. “I had just moved to the Northwest so I did the only thing I knew how to do, go Drag Racing. Over the 2007 yea, I put over 350 1/4 mile passes on the car and to this date, I still have a shoebox full of time slips.”
Towards the end of 2007, a couple thieves took off with the Integra and luckily for Myles, it was recovered two days later with most of the parts intact, including the engine. “The insurance obviously totaled it out, being a theft recovery, but the car was still in good condition so I bought it back and then decide to pick up a turbo kit for it. This is when I first went to English Racing and the real fun started.” Says Kerr.
With the new turbo kit installed on the stock motor, it was time to hit the rollers. The Integra made 287 wheel horsepower on a low boost setting. A few months went by and Myles wanted to make more power. “We turned up the boost and I ended up making 440 wheel horsepower on a stock GSR motor. I took it out to the track and ended up running an 11.3 at 126 miles per hour on slicks,” Kerr continued. “Soon after that, I lent the car to a girl to race, she 3-2 shifted it and blew the motor. I ended up buying a motor from a friend and did a new turbo setup. The car made 537 wheel horsepower and we ended up going 10.6 at 137 miles per hour on slicks.”
Myles lasted about another year on that setup before he decided it was time to take it up another notch. He bought a motor from another friend, this time it was sleeved and made for more power. He jumped up to 649 wheel horsepower with the new setup. In 2013, he decided to try something different than his typical night at the drag strip and attend a 1/2 mile event. “I had never been to a 1/2 mile event before and it was definitely a learning experience. Ever since my first pass, I was hooked. The motor spun a bearing at that event, but I knew I had to rebuild and get faster. I rebuilt the motor for the Fall event and ended up going 182 miles per hour. 2014 rolls around and I battle to get the car faster and faster by adding more parts to help with the aerodynamics. It’s been a learning curve and towards the end of 2014 I ended up going 187 miles per hour.”
Going 187 miles per hour in a front wheel drive car is beyond impressive, maybe even a little borderline crazy. If you know Myles personally, you know he wasn’t going to stop there. In 2015, he ended up swapping out the turbo for a Precision 6466 and that enabled him to run his first ever 9-second quarter mile pass, a 9.8 at 158 miles per hour to be exact. In the same year, he ended up reaching the 190 miles per hour mark in the 1/2 mile at the Shift S3ctor Pikes Peak Airstrip Attack in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Being so close, yet so far from the 200 miles per hour mark, he knew that he had to go for it. In early 2016, he made some major changes to the Integra. He swapped in a new ECU, Motec M130 with a John Reed Racing package, a Graf 5 Speed DOG box, and a new Precision 6870 turbo setup. This once stock 4 cylinder Integra now puts down over 1000 horsepower to the ground and it’s downright terrifying.
This past September at the Oregon 1/2 mile, Myles came within just 2 miles per hour of his goal at the Shift S3ctor Oregon 1/2 mile. After blowing a head gasket on day 1, he brought the car back to the shop, fixed it and drove it back for day two of the event. On one of his first passes, Myles blew through the traps at a blistering 198.23 miles per hour. Later in the day, another blown head gasket and torched head ended the race season for Myles. ” We were so close to hitting my goal that day. Every 1/2 mile event I go to, I set a goal that I will stop at nothing to achieve,” Says Kerr. “First it was 170, then 180, then 190 and now we are headed towards the 200 miles per hour mark. To me, the 200 miles per hour goal has been a very very special one due to the fact that no front wheel drive “street” car has ever done 200mph in the 1/2 or 1/4 mile, with the exception of Speed Factory’s Drag Hatch that I believe has gone 202 miles per hour. We were so close to hitting our goal in Oregon, I knew we had to rebuild and get ready for 2017. We made some pretty big changes again. We now have a 100% new engine, new turbo setup, new head and it makes 994 wheel horsepower at 41-pounds of boost that carries out the power to 10,000RPMS, which is pretty insane. I have a feeling this will be the year.”
“I would have to say the most rewarding part of building this car, is truly seeing what each modification does when I install it,” Says Kerr, “Knowing that 90-percent of this car was built with my bare hands makes it feel really cool at the end of the day, especially since I bought the car 100% stock. I want to be able to say, yeah I did 200 miles per hour in a 1/2 mile, that will be very rewarding beyond belief. When you look at all the rear wheel drive cars that go over 200 miles per hour you think to yourself, that’s just insane. Then to see a car like mine come out and do it, it will surprise a lot of people. I know I have not done it yet, but I am trying very hard to do so and with the new setup all figured out and the new Aero modifications we have done, we are going to take a shot at it next month at the Shift S3ctor Pikes Peak Airstrip Attack in Colorado Springs, Colorado so cross your fingers!”
Follow Myles on his Quest for 200mph on his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/gringotegra
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