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GLTC 2020 Champion Eric Kutil and his EG Civic
Born and raised in NYC Queens, Eric Kutil had an interest in racing at a young age starting with roots in RC cars and absorbing any automotive content he could find.
“I was specifically drawn to Hondas as a child because we had family friends that used to race Integra’s and Prelude’s in SpeedVision Touring Cars. I remember going to Lime Rock at the age of 10 and knowing from that day on, this is what I wanted to do!”
After a move to Ohio in 2015, the racing itch got ever more real – “I was really close to converting my Type R in 2016 … to a full-blown wheel to wheel racecar, but I couldn’t sacrifice a perfectly good running car to the road racing abuse.”
Luckily, Eric found a bargain in an EG Honda Civic. “It was a basic build for NASA H4, so most of the parts got thrown out but the cage and shell were very clean. I slowly started optimizing the car with updated suspension, aero and stole the B18 out of my own Integra Type R.”
The Civic stayed like that for two seasons before culminating into the K24 powered monster you see today. “The biggest obstacle is dealing with a worn-out chassis… the car has the most power it has ever had with the K24, absurd amount of grip with significant aero and huge Hoosier tires.”
The result of a 15-year racing career, this EG has seen a lot of intense on-track abuse. Bundled onto the fact that in 1992, Honda engineers never designed the simple commuter car to withstand the loads it sees today.
“The car has undergone numerous significant stages in life; the most recent stage with the K24 swap has elevated the car to new heights.”
Eric says his favourite part about the car is its primary focus on function with just a few personal touches that make it stand out from the crowd.
The 2020 Gridlife Touring Cup was extremely competitive, but Eric played it cool and earned the title of “Mr Consistency” With 18 race podiums and 7 event wins, Eric and his wicked quick Civic claimed the 2020 GLTC season championship.
“I love the class, the level of competition has stepped up massively for the past two seasons. It’s honestly, in my opinion, one of the most competitive classes in the U.S. right now.”
The Car
What started life as a 1992 Honda Civic, this EG chassis has undergone many upgrades and changes.
With the goal of a low center of gravity, Eric extended the shock towers to allow for more upper control arm swing. Working with an Australian company to correct the suspension geometry by utilizing adjustable tie rods, and allowing for adjustable rear height and roll center. This allows Eric to fine-tune his Civic to suit each racetrack as needed.
“Putting the K-Series in here has been a real challenge because the engine’s significantly taller than the B-Series. The oil pan is essentially sitting on top of the splitter, and the splitter is maybe an inch and half off of the ground.”
Eric installed a billet oil pan to withstand the abuse, saying it takes quite a beating when you straddle a curb, but is confident it will last another few seasons.
For engine management, the Civic relies on a Haltech Elite 1500 with the K-series adapter harness. Tied in with a Wideband oxygen sensor kit and an iC-7 display.
“The GLTC class is essentially power to weight, so they use your peak power and determine how much your car has to weigh… there’s other factors that go into it like if you have a flat horsepower curve.”
The K24 unrestricted made 225 horsepower, but utilizing the Haltech Elite 1500 ECU, Eric managed to limit the car to 180 with a flat power curve from 5500 to its 8000 redline.
“We did that all with cam timing, pulling fuel and kind of manipulating the map… it’s a perfectly flat horsepower curve with a really wide mid-range.”
Fast Facts
Vehicle: 1992 Honda Civic Si
Engine: K24A (JDM Import) 2.4L 4 Cylinder. Stock block, RSX-S Oil Pump, and Unit2Fab elite oil pan. Brian Crower Camshaft, Springs. RBC Intake Manifold, RSX-S cable TB and 41mm throttle body restrictor.
Haltech Elite 1500 w/ K-Series Adapter Harness.
Wideband Oxygen Sensor Adapter.
Power: 180HP Restricted (225HP Unrestricted)
Fuel System: Walbro 255LPH Fuel Pump, 93 Octane Fuel
Transmission: K20A2 RSX-S with 4.30 Final Drive
Differential: OE Clutch Differential
Suspension/Brakes: Koni 3011 Double Adjustable shocks, Kingpin Spherical Control Arms, Honed Developments Geometry Correction Kit. Brakes are a custom stoptech 300mm kit designed by Fastbrakes.com
Wheels: Konig Dekagrams, 15×9 +35 with 225/45/15 Hoosier R7 tires
Interior: iC-7 Display
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