Daily Driven, HKS Supercharged Scion FR-S Autocross and Track Car

by Frank Ewald

Simon Chan's Scion FR-S attracts attention. Just sitting in a parking lot or driving by on the street, you will take a second look. We certainly did – and then contacted Simon and asked if he was interested in doing an article for MotoIQ. He was and so a meeting was set up at River's Edge Road Course, part of Mission Raceway Park in Mission, B.C. where he would be participating in a track day. A nice balancing point from the Autocross event that first brought this FR-S to our attention. The weather was initially overcast with some light rain on the way to the track, however, by early afternoon the sun was drying off the track and, by mid-afternoon, was out in full force. This was certainly a more balanced day than the early spring autocross event which blew us away with snow in the first few hours before the sun also came out to stay.

Our introduction to Simon and his FR-S happened during a mini-snow storm that occurred during VCMC's Autocross warm-up. There was nothing held back while this red beast was navigating the course. It looked great and sounded awesome – we had to find out more about it!

When first spotted in the paddock while waiting for the early April VCMC Autocross Warm-Up to begin, first thoughts were that this was a show car with body cladding yet probably little or no substance. Those thoughts proved to be inaccurate and they were quickly erased as the car was thrown around the snowy autocross course with skill and obvious passion. This FR-S is a work horse that is quite at home on a track. Period. It is not a show car – although it certainly plays the part – but it is a daily driver that sees the perils of winter driving (snow, sleet, sand, and salt) and has made multiple trips through the Rocky Mountains for work, school, and simply life. Beyond being a daily driver, this car regularly sees track time, some autocross, and the setup reflects that. The result, a car that is incredibly well-balanced and well rounded. Simply put, this Scion FR-S is a lot of fun, and Simon utilizes it to the limits of its potential.

Our second opportunity to see the car took place at River's Edge – a 2.25 kilometre long road course that is part of the Mission Raceway Park complex. Located on the banks of the Fraser River with what looks like old growth forest right up to the edge of the track in places, it was a great place for photos.

Simon built this car in his garage- his home garage. Since he put the wide body on his car, he has done five more wide body cars for his friends. They are a range of car brands for a group of guys who enjoy cars, video, and photography. With his own car, Simon was going for a look that was unique and in order to pull that off he went to different manufacturers for parts that he then melded together. And just like his car is an eclectic mix of parts that work well together, Simon himself has a very wide range of experiences under his belt. He has completed all of the required coursework of a four year apprentice mechanic but changed course prior to finishing the mandated work hours necessary to obtain a Red Seal. He completed an engineering degree and worked in various parts of the praries and western Canada. Currently he is doing graphic design and web development. With this diverse work background it becomes clear why this home built car has such clean lines and how it handles the road course so effectively. Then Simon shares that he spent a summer at the Bridgestone Racing Academy based at Mosport Raceway in Ontario – there is no question left that this is a driver's car!

This Scion is very well sorted out. Nicely planted throughout corners combined with the steady power curve of the HKS supercharger, the car would simply go where directed.

Even after multiple laps in rain and sun, an hour plus drive to get to the track (this car is not a trailer queen), the car looks fantastic in photos. One headlight caught a massive stone during the day – just part of the challenge and expectation of a track outing.

Simon tracks the FR-S a couple of times a month during track season. He knows the car well as he purchased it new in April of 2013 and has been working on it from that point. This event at River's Edge in Mission was hosted by Speed-Fanatics. This group has a focus upon getting drivers onto the track and developing them into amateur racers. Following the guidelines and rules of the CACC (Confederation of Autosport Car Clubs), Speed-Fanatics is a making solid focus upon providing an opportunity for drivers to enjoy exploring the limits of their vehicles on a race course. Mission Raceway Park is best known for it's dragstrip but the road course has been present since 1992 – unfortunately only one sport can take place at a time. The braking zone for the quarter mile track is part of the road course.