The Corolla hit the course first. All day, the guys from Falken had been waiting around patiently. But just hearing the sound as Aono did his warm-up made the wait worth it. Unlike the mellow tone of the Z or the roar of the angry pirate, the little naturally aspirated 1.6-liter absolutely screamed as it bounced off its 11,000rpm limiter.
He executed classic form. The spin turn was a perfect donut, with the front bumper practically touching the cone. A reverse-lock drift carried him through the figure eight with a seamless transition at the crossover. But for a 1900-pound car with 230 wheel-hp, it really didn't come flying out of the corners the way we expected. Aono later admitted that the car was set up for a much tighter course. The rear shocks had almost no droop travel to keep the car sliding in transitions. It was also running narrow 205/40/16 Falken RT615s stretched out on nine-inch rims. These made it even harder to put the power down. He would have been much better off with autocross shocks and wider tires for this particular course.
Block took to the tarmac like nobody's business. I got the impression that the road course competition was work and this was play. He ripped through the spin turn with all four tires blazing. Then he surprised everyone by sailing through the eight without sliding. The Crawford motor wasted no time pulling him from one end of the course to the other, clocking a time two seconds faster than Aono's high 56.
This was one of the coolest shootouts we've hosted. The cars were absolutely top-notch and the people were super laid back. Even with our data acquisition meltdown, Block was all smiles. Most other competitors would not have handled it that well. If you see this guy at a gymkhana or rally event, know that he's there to have fun, but don't be surprised if he smokes you. As for us, we're going to find a new challenger to pick on.
| Sector | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Total |
| M-Workz Nissan 350Z | 7.100 | 6.335 | 1.739 | 8.854 | 4.284 | 13.819 | 8.467 | 6.557 | 4.935 | 9.058 | 7.107 | 4.726 | 1:22.854 |
| Block Subaru STI | 7.346 | 6.635 | 1.972 | 9.398 | 4.268 | 14.054 | 8.415 | 6.667 | 4.925 | 9.571 | 7.537 | 4.613 | 1:25.279 |
Falken Tire AE86 Corolla
Engine
Engine Code: Hasselgren 4AGE Formula Atlantic
Type: 1600cc in-line four, DOHC, iron block, aluminum head
Internal Modifications: Classified
External Modifications: Classified/Technosquare exhaust, Griffen radiator
Claimed Wheel HP: 230
Claimed Wheel Torque (lb-ft): 160
Drivetrain
Layout: Longitudinal front engine, rear-wheel drive
Drivertrain Modifications: FC3S-RX7 transmission w/OS Giken close-ratio gear set, twin-plate clutch, flywheel, and clutch-type rear LSD, diff cooler
Suspension
Front: Tokico HTS dampers, Swift 9 kg/mm springs, anti-roll bar, Battle Version tie-rods
Rear: Tokico HTS dampers, Swift 7 kg/mm springs, anti-roll bar, Battle Version arms
Brakes
Front: Stock, Wilwood pads
Rear: 1980 Toyota Supra rotors/calipers w/Wilwood E-Brake caliper
External
Wheels: RE Watanabe R-Type 16x9 -13
Tires: Falken RT 615 205/40/16
Body: J-Blood bumpers, side skirts, hood, fenders, doors, rear hatch, and wing, Speedglass windows, Technosquare air scoop
Interior: Technosquare roll cage, Sparco Corsa seat, harness, and steering wheel, AIM dash unit, Works Bell quick release