TRACK PICTURES

Taken at Pista Aceleración Tlalnepantla in Colonia San Jerónimo Tepetlacalco in the city of Tlalnepantla, Estado de México (State of Mexico and not to be confused with Mexico City) north of Mexico City. Many of these shots were taken by my father, my cousin Rodrigo and my great friend Mario, whose family through Grillos Racing handles track operations. As of January 2008, the track offers dyno testing through a Dynocom machine. You will find photos and videos of the track and the vehicles that race there on that site. The official altitude at the starting line is 7,411 feet (2,258 meters). I have raced in Toluca and at the famous Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City on occasion, but Tlalnepantla is where you will find me about every Friday and Saturday night usually when we open at 9 p.m. I usually race in the first hour or so when the conditions are at optimum (less crowds and track traffic). An interesting thing for American racers south of the border is facing off against new vehicles not seen in the United States: Alfa Romeo, Fiat, MG, Peugeot, Renault (Clio Sport and Megane Sport are very tough customers), Rover, Seat (Ibiza Cupra and Leon Cupra are very mean) and Smart (see picture below). In addition, there are many models of common car makers in the U.S. that offer European models here. Some of the better or more common competitors include the older Audi A3 & S3, Chevy Astra, Chevy (looks like a Chevette but when you ram a turbo into it or have the C2 model:), Ford Ka, Nissan Tsuru and tons of VW models not seen in the U.S. Although Toyota exists, Lexus will be arriving within the next 2 years, though Acura (not with the complete U.S. range) and Infiniti (not with the complete U.S. range, just the Q45 for the moment) are already here.

To date, not a single Lexus other than mine has shown up at the track, though we have had Toyotas show up. The only Lexus vehicles seen in Mexico City belong to diplomats, tourists or other expatriates and a few, but rare, Mexican-plated LS400s from the early 90s. I have seen the following vehicles down here: RX300, SC430, LS400, ES300, ES330, LX470, GX470, IS350. If you live in the Mexico City area and have a Lexus send me a personal message here on Car Domain or preferably at Club Lexus

I knew someone here with an ES300 (before I started racing in 2004) and a husband and wife with 2 Toyota Harriers they brought over across the Pacific, since their next assignments were also going to be in Latin America. A rare sight that was, but have known of at least one case where someone brought over their right-hand drive RX300 from Europe to New York, so not as strange as it might seem). The RX300 was sold in Brazil and in certain countries in Central America.

Keep in mind that at this altitude, the vehicles run much slower than at sea level. This can be a major shock to many, but it is part of life UP here.

If you ask someone about me at the track you will learn my 3 trademarks: fastest reaction times, best consistency in overall times and highest speed in the return lane. I should probably add a fourth, no lights due to my disabling the DRLs (for performance reasons since it uses a little electricity, too).

 

This Smart did 21.096 with two people and ran slightly more than 62 mph at the line.

 

 

My RX300 with my cousin's Golf parked behind. These are the pits we have at the track, which is basically a partially closed street.

 

 

 

I arrive at the track early to get the RX cooled down. I now use 4, 1 liter bottles of water and that radiator really gets quenched. Noticed the water underneath and off to the right. The daytime shot is before bracket racing (seen later on this page).

 

 

In line waiting to race against a Honda Civic VTEC. I won this race due to the other driver pulling a red light. Not all VTECs are faster and many just sport aerodynamic features with some minor intake and exhaust modifications.

 

 

Just before the waterbox (which I do not need to use with AWD).

 

 

Nice picture taken by Mario. This is just before the waterbox in the other lane and before I raced the Dart in the upcoming pictures. Helmets are obligatory for all racers and you can rent them, but I bought my own, a Grex for $80.

 

 

Just before the waterbox (where you see the slight depression in front of the RX) and the control tower on the right. I sometimes help in handing out the tickets and help take track pictures when it is a heavy night.

 

 

At the waterbox.

 

 

What I see from that position near the waterbox

 

 

Just after the waterbox and waiting to stage. Some from Club Lexus will recognize this photo below as the one in my avatar.

 

 

Staging

 

 

 

Almost the same position but as seen from the passenger side by my friend Mario during the day.

 

 

My first run is usually always a solo run. These runs are always slower than competitive runs as the ECM needs 1-2 runs at the most to get set. In addition, I need to get the tires warmed up so they do not sag and thus give me the best traction possible. There is also a psychological aspect that gives me better launches running against someone. Solo runs, in my case, are .3 slower than competitive runs. If you run 1/8 instead of a 1/4 tank of gas, you can lower your 60 foot times about .1 second. From my observations, there is a proportional effect to adding more gas. Sometimes, I could run slow times, but if I have a passenger, I might run the same time. Sometimes, that passenger weight helps the balance and keeps the tires flush with the track.

 

An old Golf. I remember winning this race pretty soundly though he kept up with me for almost half the race and then I blew it open after my second gear kicked in (around the 40 mph range). I remember he was trying to get under 19 seconds, but wound up with only a 19.0. This was not bad for hitting 19.8s or so for most of the night and competition helps your times.

 

 

This V8 modified truck and my RX are great friends. In this particular race I had an 18.459 versus his 18.570 and also won on reaction (.568 versus his .674) for a win by .217 seconds. However, his personal best is a 17.840. On this night, we had a lot of track traffic and a huge crowd so times usually die down .5 to .7 seconds. We were both upset at our slower times, but there is not much you can do. I have only lost to two SUVs, a Ford EcoSport (think of a lightweight Ford Escape) and a Toyota 4Runner. It is key to keep in mind power-to-weight ratios. A 99 RX AWD weighs roughly 3,900 pounds and most SUVs I face off against are well over 4,500+ pounds.

 

 

This is immediately at the start as you will see the green and notice one of the staging lights on. I cannot remember what VW (Caribe or VR6 Golf) I was racing against, but I remember I lost.

 

 

Another shot with both of my tires have cleared the staging lights and I am still within the first 3 seconds of the race. This was also against a VW as I remember when Mario took these pictures.

 

 

My family used to own a Dart when we lived in Venezuela. Do not laugh as Al Bundy was not driving this one. It soundly killed me after about 150 meters with a final time of 17.542 versus my 18.557, but again this was a very difficult night with the track traffic. My reaction was .562 versus his .684, but he won by .893 seconds. The race against the truck and Dart was the night after my 17.931 record. It is best to run early before the crowd and track traffic arrives, which will suck that precious and powerful oxygen right out of the air.

 

 

This race was against a VW Caribe (same as an early 80s Golf) that false started big time as you can see on the Christmas tree. Some of my track buddies comment that more racers false start against me than anyone they know due to my quick reaction times. On my solo runs, I false start from time to time trying to improve my edge. Personally, I have choked in bracket competition on occasion due to the red light. I even get racers who clock much faster than I do, but choose to run against me just to practice reaction times. I always welcome that. My 17.931 came in such a run. I also probably have won more races, according to track friends, where I had the slower time but got to the line first due to my reaction times. There are about 5 or so racers who can get consistent reaction times in the .500s at Tlalnepantla. I have gotten a few .501s and some .499s and three perfect .500s. Yet that first perfect .500 is the only mark of perfection one ever needs. A major reason for my times is due to the fact that I use my left foot for the brake pedal and of course my right foot for the accelerator, while most people will use the right foot for both.

 

 

Talk about an acid trip. This was about half way down the track.

 

 

Another shot down the track.

 

 

Right near the finish line. The first light in the middle marks the velocity trap and the second is the actual finish line. The return lane is on my left and you will notice the headlights of a returning car in the distance in the upper left part of the picture. You need to follow through after the finish line and not let off the gas (psychological in order to get the best times). Stopping the RX feels literally like when you are in a jet airplane...land...and then that sudden reverse thrust and braking. My passengers who come along for the ride on solo runs describe just that.

 

 

Acid trip photo near the finish line.

 

 

This is coming back down the return lane. I sometimes hit 70+ mph in the return lane:) Crowd loves this as they do not think it is possible given my RX is wider than most of the cars that race. Scares my passengers but I aim to give a thrill ride.

 

 

Another return lane shot. The photos in the RX were taken by me (it ain't easy but takes practice).

 

 

This is after the race with the Civic in one of the pictures above. That little tower is the control center and also where I just picked up my race ticket.

 

 

Heading back on Periferico Sur just inside Estado de Mexico and about to enter Distrito Federal. We went for tacos in Polanco with my cousins after this. This is about 1:30 a.m. You can hit very high speeds out here this late at night. The police have clocked someone on the stationary radar used in Distrito Federal doing 270 km/h or a little bit over 167 mph, actually it is a guy with an Audi S4 who has come to our track. One of the videos on the link at the bottom shows just what you can do in terms of speed. The area where that took place was in the Estado de Mexico.

 

 

At the bracket racing competition held every last Sunday of the month at Tlalnepantla for the Mexico City metro area. You don't have to be the fastest car/suv out there, just keep your times the same and get off the light quick along with having good brakes, good alignment and tire pressure equal. With the alignment make sure they not only align the front wheels, but also the rear ones, as this is extremely important for having good acceleration. Most important, keep the RX300 straight down the track. I have won these competitions numerous times, with the key often simply having among the fastest reaction times on the day of the competition. If you are in the Mexico City area, we have this competition (weather permitting) the last Sunday of every month, 4 p.m., at Tlalnepantla.

 

 

Practice run against my friend Alan with his Ford Ka.

 

 

Another shot of the Ka and my RX300 from the other side. Alan is one of the top 3 racers in our speed division.

 

 

Against a Chevrolet Astra in the first round. An easy win where I passed him and hit the brakes so as not to run faster than my set time.

 

 

Finalist run against a 1929 Ford modernized with V8 power. The pilot, Carlos, is one of the best bracket racers in Mexico and regularly wins our division. I have only beaten him once and can usually win if he doesn't show up for some of our weekly bracket racing competitions on Friday/Saturday nights. Mario and his father are seen speaking to me on both sides of my RX300.

 

 

I lost this race by .041 seconds, which is a little less than half a car length. I rarely lose by more than .1 second when I do lose, and it is a testament to both driver and our Lexus vehicles having been engineered with great precision.

 

 

I do not always win in bracket racing, but I do win more often than I like. Here I am with my RX300 and some of the track staff.

 

 

Another look at one of my trophies. All of them go straight home to my family in the United States.

 

How does the RX300 compare in times to other cars at the track in Tlalnepantla?

This is a list of the fastest times I have personally observed for the respective vehicles (or other people I know well have seen...since some nights I am at another track or had other event):

Vehicles in Mexico ARE A LOT more expensive than they are in the United States, and for that reason we do not get to see a lot of vehicles you might get to see at a U.S. track. This also includes SUVs of various types.

I update this weekly depending on if there is a record:

1980 Chevy Malibu with Blower + NOS: 10.2 (owned by track part owner Mauricio)
Chevrolet Chevelle: 10.2
Turbocharged 1956 VW Beetle: 10.3 (Check out Grillos Racing if you want more information on these beautiful vehicles)
Turbocharged 1973 VW Beetle: 11.2 (another wonder from Grillos Racing and Beetles in Mexico are known as Vochos)
Dodge Neon SRT-4 Stage 3: 12.1
Chevy Pop Turbo: 12.2 (think of a modern day Chevette turbocharged)
VW Golf MKII turbo: 12.3 (driven by my friend Alvaro, and I race this vehicle in one of my videos)
My buddy Michael's modified 400 hp Mazda RX-7: 13.4
Dodge Neon SRT-4 Stage 2: 12.6 (I do not think this guy could drive)
Dodge Neon SRT-4 stock: 13.7
2004 Ford Mustang w/procharger: 14.0 (good friend of mine and a lot my videos are of this incredible vehicle)
Chrysler Shadow Turbo: 14.0 (normally they run in the 15s)
Seat Leon Cupra: 14.1 (this was a very modified Cupra)
Porsche Carrera Turbo: 14.4
BMW 335i: 14.4 (and this had two people in it!)
VW Golf VR6 Turbo: 14.5 (my friend Gabriel who owns the taco stand at the track seen in the background of some of my photos, his is a 1997)
Pontiac Firehawk: 14.5 (very rare not just for Mexico but anywhere, but one did show up one day)
Dodge Stratus Turbo: 14.6
VW Golf VR6 Supercharged: 14.7 (VF Engineering kit)
Mercedes ML63 AMG: 14.8
Ford Ka Turbo: 14.8
Ford Focus ST: 14.8 (this is a version that does not appear in U.S. markets, it is turbocharged)
BMW 550i: 14.9
New Ford Mustang GT V8 stock: 14.9
Volvo C30 Turbo: 15.2
Chevrolet Vectra Turbo: 15.3
Audi S3: 15.5
New Mitsubishi Eclipse: 15.6
New Ford Mustang V6: 15.7
BMW X5 4.8 L: 15.7
Nissan 350Z: 15.7
Acura RSX with turbo: 16.0 (had two people in it, though it should hit 15s at least, this vehicle is not sold in Mexico but was a welcome sight from the state of Illinois)
Renault Clio Sport: 16.1 (ran against me and he had an amazing 2.1 60 foot time, something normally my friend Michael has with his RX-7 or the Turbocharged VW Beetles)
Eagle Talon Turbo: 16.2
My cousin's VW Golf VR6: 16.523 (He is going to be faster next time we run as we are doing a whole bunch of performance mods at the moment along with new new styling)
Chevy C2: 16.6 (A very fast modernized Chevette)
Nissan Pathfinder Armada (with Stillen Supercharger): 16.7
Honda Civic VTEC: 16.8 (there are some turbo ones, but I have not seen one correctly driven to post a time)
Toyota 4Runner V8: 16.9 (This actually beat me but could not get under 17.0 until I took a turn driving and tweaking it a bit, a sales friend at a local Toyota dealership was using the track to make a sale since one of their storage lots is nearby for convenience...he made the sale:). The V8 torque and weight (not too far off from my RX) makes this a very good competitor against other, higher hp models that get dragged down on weight. Really proud of Toyota on this one.
Nissan Maxima (current generation): 17.0
Toyota Camry 2007 V6: 17.0 (with the Maxima and Camry, this absolutely does not make sense, but I feel that the V6 loses a lot more in terms of power than the V8 engines).
Audi A3- 16.9 (this is the last edition before the current one in the U.S.)
Chevrolet (Opel) Astra: 17.0 (coming to the U.S. as a Saturn)
Dodge Ram 2500 Hemi: 17.0 (I have seen two different vehicles get this same time).
Stock VW Golf VR6: 17.2
Ford EcoSport: 17.5 (looks like a small Ford Escape, one of 2 SUVs that have beaten me, and this time was run by a friend of mine who works in Mexican Customs...dumped all of his weight and kept the gas low, I get a lot of flack when I lose to this vehicle but people in the stands forget weight differences are big, just ask why so many people get beaten by lightweight turbocharged VW Beetles;)
Nissan Pathfinder Armada (stock): 17.6
Jeep Liberty 4x2: 17.7 (one of my 'students' and she finally went past my V6 record, however she still spins too much on the line killing her 60 foot times and to an extent her reaction times) The Libertys are pretty swift with 3.7 liters, but I am not sure if they would hold up a corresponding gain down to sea level, such as running under 16 seconds.
Ford Ka: 17.8
My Lexus RX300: 17.931 (note that a stock FWD RX300 will be .2 faster than a stock AWD)
Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7L V8: 17.945 (this is the previous model, not the new one. Last time I saw one of these run it was an 18.5, I ran this time on it against an Audi A3, but the fastest someone else could do was about 18.2 a few times, it was bad launching on their part).
Ford Explorer V8: 18.2
Ford Escape: 18.2
Infiniti I30: 18.3 (definitely not driven as well as it could be, but the only one I have seen)
Honda Pilot: 18.3 (I have respect for this guy as he listened to everything I told him, even if he could not get a faster time for the rest of the night).
Acura MDX: 18.3 (this is a land barge with lots of weight and we tried very hard to get it to go faster...quite sad when you look at the Pilot)
Porsche Cayenne V6: 18.3 (another land barge, note that this is not the turbocharged or V8 version)
Toyota Hilux 2.7 L: 18.5
Dodge Nitro 3.7 L: 18.7
Jeep Compass: 18.9
Mazda CX-7 FWD: 19.1 (lag monster...even if I had AWD I could not get this thing down out of the high 18s).

How do you drag race an RX300? (read this thoroughly as a lot has to do with launching even with keeping it in D for the race)

First, if you have a 99-00 RX...all the better since you have traction control with the PWR/SNOW button, but with VSC you can still do it except for the PWR issue. Follow these steps:

1) Pull the EFI fuse (in the engine fusebox and they have a diagram underneath the cover (it is a yellow fuse) (with the engine off and the key out of the ignition) for about 10 seconds. (Great for resetting check engine lights) and take off both battery cables for at least minutes. Then put EFI fuse back in and reattach cables. This will reset your radio stations and clock along with seat settings, however the purpose of this is to reset the adaptive transmission patterns in the ECM (vehicle computers) and gets any juice out of the capacitors that may still keep some of those adaptive transmission settings active.
2) How do you drive the RX to the track? Let it warm up for 13 minutes to get all fluids fully warmed up. Do not floor it but take a gentle normal drive, whether it is the highway or the streets. I studied variations of how to do this and after noticing opening runs, record times, etc., and this is the conclusion I came to. If you run it high speed all the way to the track, you will find that low end power will be lacking (you will be quite slow off the line) and even the higher rpms will not kick into until the switch between 2nd and 3rd gears, about 75% down the track.
3) Gas needs to be 1/4 tank or less on Premium (do not use octane boosters or 100+ octane gas (I have)...they do not work unless you want to advance the timing and that is not recommended.
4) Remove all trash from car, floor mats, headrests, owner's manual, spare tire and jack and the plastic covers by the spare tire.
5) Bring a water bottle to spray down the radiator area. At sea level, 2 liters of water is sufficient, but I use more up here. While waiting to race or parked keep hood open whenever possible, oil and transmission fluid dipsticks should be kept open until race time along with opening the engine oil cap in order to remove heat (15-20 minutes and then you are ready).
6) Remove air filter and wrap duct tape around the middle part of the air box (hot air sneaks in no matter how tight the clamps are shut)
7) Clean off red diode on the MAF sensor located after the airbox (use electrical contact cleaner or computer keyboard cleaner...Radio Shack should have both in the U.S.). There is another resistor inside the MAF...you need to look up the hole from the bottom of the MAF and spray in there. This can make a big difference in your times as it helps read the incoming air rate more effectively.
8) Make sure you have a fully functioning PCV Valve (located on left rear side of engine near the where the rear spark plugs are and it connects from a hose to the engine block) and make sure when you shake it you can hear it move. This is an inexpensive piece that will hurt you on drag races if not clean.
9) Clean the IACV Valve.
10) Nitrogen in your tires. If you have 235-70-16 Cross Terrains, 39 psi Front and Rear (inflated when tires are cold, my max pressure is 44 psi). Though locally I get my nitrogen at Hangar-1 , Costco (even in Mexico) has nitrogen .
11) If you have traction control (models 1999-2000) hit the PWR button by the shifter and turn off overdrive (on the shifter handle itself) prior to race (leave on through entire race). If your RX300 (models 2001-2003) only has SNOW mode, just turn off overdrive. I have tried many variations to come to this conclusion. Also turn off the radio and a/c, keep lights off (DRLs should be sufficient enough lights unless track rules state otherwise), fold in outside mirrors, push the switch on the rearview mirror, turn recirculate off on the air, turn the brightness controls down on the blue panel and the gauges (MPH, Cooling, Etc.) In addition fold down the rear passenger seats and you lower your driver's seat as far as it can go for a lower center of gravity.
12) At the starting line...put foot on brake and lightly push the accelerator going to 1,000 RPM, no more and no less. When you see the 3rd light (last before green) immediately (I am talking like Superman speed) take your foot off the brake and mash the accelerator to the floor. This will get you no worse than .700 reaction times and you will hit .600s in no time with practice. Shallow stage as much as possible (where your tires barely activate the two staging lights). If you are on one of the professional trees (where all the yellows light at once and then there is the green), you need to deep stage and may need to indicate this on your window or they will initiate the lights before you have adequately deep staged (going as far possible on the starting line but still keeping both staging lights on). Under this scenario you need to smash your pedal to the floor (but do hold for 1,000 RPM while waiting for the tree to light) right when you see the yellow lights flash...you will not false start. This takes some practice. In one of the videos on the link I have later at the bottom of the page I display some driver views where I perform this balance with the rpms and staging lights.
13) The rest is just holding the pedal down and keeping as straight down the track as possible.
14) After you cross the finish line, ease off the accelerator and do not do it sharply. Your transmission will thank you.
15) If your times are not good one night, check the air pressure (good high), humidity (good low) and air temperature (good low) as they have a big effect on your times. A big crowd and/or a lot of track traffic will also hurt. Your first run, even when solo, is almost always going to be slow. You will get much better times if you run against competition. Call it psychological but it works. Even running slightly more gas than I mentioned will kill your times.

On Club Lexus in the RX300 forum , we have talked about several of the things I suggested above. Feel free to stop by and send me a private message there or here on Car Domain and I will be happy to point you in the right direction.

Here are some more hints:

Hint: After hitting the throttle on the launch move your body slightly toward the center of the vehicle. I like to lean my right hand on to the shifter to accomplish this to help the vehicle track straighter with better weight distribution.

Hint: Do not run the battery down with the engine off while waiting to race. I have done a few tests and now I just sit in silence in the parking lot or before we open the gates at the track.

Hint: The following may not be possible as vehicles at tracks generally run in certain brackets, but if you can run against a car slightly faster than you, you will find that they will create a plow through the air. Most of us at Tlalnepantla found they got most of their record times when this occurred.

You should find that the RX300 is one of the most consistent vehicles running at the track and this makes for great bracket racing (take it from someone who knows and has .500 to .600 reaction times). One tip I can offer with bracket racing and the RX300 is to gently tap your accelerator while waiting in line to bracket race or when you have a lot of traffic at your track. This will get some of that hot air out and not sitting around in your engine bay allowing slightly cooler air to enter and thus ensuring slightly faster times than had you not done this. Otherwise, you will find yourself going much slower than your bracket time. You want to make sure you have as much power as possible, as you can slow down if you have to later. This tap is very gentle about the same as pushing a button on a phone. Do this as you are waiting in line about once every 15 seconds.

Do not rev the engine to show off while you are in line. Too many reasons for this.

Another good idea before going racing is to get an alignment. I do it at least once a month down here (Mexico City streets are the pits).

Second, get your engine compartment washed out thus removing the dirt and the excess heat. I even wash the underside of my RX.

 

Many of you may have heard about the 112 mph stock limit for an RX300. I have been able to rip off 120.9 according to my GPS going downhill, even with the fuel cutoff, due to the fact that the car will still have forward inertia. This particular run was done on a toll road on the way up to Tlalnepantla. One of the videos in the link below shows hitting the 112 mph limit.

Track Videos

I have also added videos that I have taken of various vehicles that race at Tlalnepantla at: Other Track Videos

The following page includes some recommendations and information on modifications.