Surgical precision describes an action that leaves very little room for error. When one considers the booming sport of time-attack racing, thoughts of high-speed surgical precision come to mind. Executing perfect lines and shaving fractions of a second from lap times can make the difference between winning and losing.

In order to give a driver the best opportunity to execute that perfect line, the vehicle has to be properly built. None know this better than Charlie Huynh, the owner of MFQ Motorsports in Burbank, CA. A former US Marine, this Lance Corporal served for four years from the sands of Iraq to Okinawa, Japan. It is in Japan that he fell in love with the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. The near-infinite traction of all-wheel drive as well as the tack-sharp handling of the EVO led him to purchase this 2004 Evolution VIII when he returned from his final tour. Having a little fun at the track with his EVO became infectious. What originally started as a hobby turned into a full-blown tuning shop and racing campaign.

Hybrid 4G63 Power

With several years of racing under his belt, Charlie was no stranger to failure and success. He's built, raced and blown up plenty of engines. These experiences have paved the way to the engine that now powers his Evolution. While Charlie could have easily purchased a built longblock from AMS, Buschur Racing or Cosworth, he wanted the edification of building the block himself.

Since the 4G63 engine features an iron block with cylinder bores that can handle incredible cylinder pressures, Charlie had the block bored and honed 0.5mm over before installing the Slowboy Racing balance-shaft delete kit. The concept behind removing the balance shaft is to reduce the parasitic drag on the rotating assembly to free up horsepower. Once the block had been prepped, attention shifted to the rotating assembly. To increase the stroke, a factory 4G64 crankshaft replaced the 4G63 piece. The 4G64 crankshaft features a 12mm-longer stroke, increasing the overall displacement to 2,297cc. Custom 8.5:1 JE pistons and Cosworth connecting rods make the connection to the 4G64 crankshaft. The assembly has been high-speed balanced to ensure reliable performance in the absence of the balance shafts. Once the rotating assembly was in position, a set of ARP L19 main studs secured the crankshaft into place.

With the shortblock prepared, the build focused on to the cylinder head. Charlie decked the head to ensure that the mating surface was perfectly flat. Charlie also ported and polished the head to optimize the airflow in and out of the cylinders. Once prepared, the head received a set of Ferrea valves along with Supertech valve springs and titanium retainers. A set of 270° PROCAMs from TOMEI POWERED actuate the valvetrain and further facilitate airflow in and out of the cylinders. A factory head gasket ensures a positive seal while ARP L19 head studs clamp the cylinder head to the shortblock.

Athlete In Training

In order to generate useable horsepower for time-attack competition, a properly matched turbocharger is a must. A Garrett GT3582R ball-bearing turbocharger receives boost-generating exhaust gases by way of an ETS equal-length stainless-steel exhaust manifold. After spinning the turbine, spent gases exit the turbine housing through an ETS downpipe and MFQ Motorsports custom 3-inch exhaust to the rear of the chassis.

On the cold side, Road Race Engineering's intake system filters ambient air before it enters the GT35's compressor housing. From the compressor outlet, custom piping directs the compressed air charge to the Buschur Racing front-mount intercooler. Once chilled, the air flows through the MIL.SPEC 65mm throttle body before it's directed into the cylinders by a Magnus Motorsports intake manifold.

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