RealTime Racing’s founder and racecar driver Peter Cunningham put on a masterclass of driving, setting a new production car record on the Long Beach street circuit.
When you become the title sponsor for a race, you better your behind you’re going to milk that circuit for what it’s worth. Acura did just that as per their press release put out earlier this week (Apr. 14, 2019) enlisting the help of one Peter Cunningham to manhandle the new Acura NSX to a production car lap record at the Long Beach Circuit. Peter Cunningham is the founder of RealTime Racing, a mainly Honda and Acura race team with over thirty years of experience and largely responsible for putting Honda racing on the map.
Check out the lap for yourself below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlNVeQ_PVmE
Just a little less than two miles long with six major corners, the Long Beach Street Racing Circuit is known for being a tight-cornered race track that leaves little room for error. With not as much run-off space as traditional tracks, when you get it wrong here, results can be disastrous.
And, since it’s a tight cornered course, cars that aren’t tuned specifically for close street battles probably won’t fare well come race day. Fortunately for Peter Cunningham, the NSX has those three electric motors and a battery pack that not only makes for rocket-like acceleration out of slow corners but torque vectoring to make those tight turns that much more negotiable.
In the capable hands of SCCA Hall-of-Famer and long-time Acura racing partner, Peter Cunningham, the 2019 NSX established a new production car lap record of 1:35.663. The record setting run was made with an unmodified NSX, fitted with road-legal tires.
Keen eyes will notice Cunningham just touching 140 MPH before he has to scrub those triple digit speeds through what Acura calls their “Super Sports Brakes.” Basically, Acura combines its regen braking with those massive six-pot Brembo’s up front and the four-pot Brembo’s in the rear to deliver a consistent brake feel at all speeds.
Frankly, it’s a bit of a cheeky move to set a production lap record on what’s essentially a temporary circuit. Acura’s NSX is guaranteed that, for at least a year, they’ll keep the title until, invariably, some other car manufacturer wants to show up.
Nonetheless, with 573 HP, an ace driver that’s literally been wheeling behind Acuras since 1987, and a home circuit advantage, the NSX has laid down a time that’ll be hard to beat.
What car do you think will end up challenging the NSX’s Long Beach record? Let me know in the comments below!
Source: Acura News
