Patrick C. Dupuis didn't know it when he bought his first car, a black 1991 Acura Integra RS, but that day in 1995 would change his life, leading him to a never-ending passion for Honda, a love for motorsport and even a life in Japan.
Raised in Canada, being on four wheels always seemed to click for Dupuis. He became heavily interested in motorsport, especially rallying. However, it wasn't long before Honda and the company's motorsport legacy captivated Dupuis. He began taking his then mildly tuned Integra to local circuits, where he ran it enthusiastically through the corners. Any free time was devoted to reading up on engines, aerodynamics and chassis technology.
Frustrated with the local scene, which at the time always seemed to be more about show than go, Dupuis knew he had to make a change. "If I really wanted to learn about Honda," he recalls, "I had to go where it all started." At the end of 2000, Dupuis left Canada for a new life in Japan. He got a job writing and illustrating Honda's English-language technical service manuals for such models as the Jazz/Fit, EP Civic/Civic Hybrid, CL Accord and DC5 Integra, and designed training programs for overseas Honda technicians. Mugen had its headquarters just down the street and everything was right with the world.
In 2004, Dupuis moved Stateside, to manage the American office of Japan-based Axis Engineering. To this day, Dupuis continues to follow his passion. Except now he's sitting behind the wheel of what some might consider the most distinct DA-chassis Integras to ever hit the circuits of Beikoku.
Although a big seller in America, the DA was never popular in its homeland. Few are driven daily, fewer still are tuned, and hardly any are raced. In Japan, there are only a handful of DA enthusiasts.
When the DA launched in Japan, it couldn't compete with the low price and incredible potential of the Nissan Silvia, a more powerful and sportier car, and the already effective EF Civic. Therefore, the DA Integra didn't receive much aftermarket support. However, Dupuis knew his DA had the potential to become a truly competitive racer, and his plans crystallized. Dupuis decided to rebuild his DA into a time attack machine to rival one of Honda's most stellar performers-the later-generation DC2 Integra.
"I've always respected the amount of research and development Honda put into the DC2," says Dupuis, "but I was still stuck on the DA's unique Showasha styling. The DA has a lot of personality and I wanted to build on that." Dupuis also knew such a project would entail designing, fabricating, and adapting a lot of parts-things that, luckily, he is fanatical about.