This is the Build Thread for itsnicktime's 2018 Lightning Blue GT350 - HPDE build. Reply below.

I currently drive with NASA AZ in HPDE4. I plan to stick with HPDE and not move into TT, but time will tell. I run about 5 weekends a year around the Phoenix area.

Current best lap times:
AMP CW - 1:49.976
AMP CCW - 1:48.622
WHP East - 1:01.13
WHP West CW - 1:10.167
WHP West CCW - 1:09.788
Inde CW Config 4 - 1:43.792
Inde CW Config 5 - 1:58.583
Chuckwalla CW - 1:58.926
Chuckwalla CCW - 1:58.459

Current list of mods (4/1/2026):

Suspension:
Ford Performance springs and sway bars
Vorshlag camber plates - -1.95 F and -.9 rear (need more camber)

Brakes:
Cobalt Friction XR1/XR3
Castrol SRF brake fluid
Caliperfexion stud kit
Verus Engineering Brake Cooling Duct Kit

Wheels and Tires:
Apex SM-10 19x11 et52 square
OPMustang extended studs
OPMustang 25mm spacers
Falken RT660 - 305/30/19

Engine:
Lethal Performance resonator delete

Interior/Safety:
Schroth Quick Fit Pro
Schroth SHR Flex

Future plans:
Start to build into a time trial car.

Hey Nick,
Was wondering about your square setup.... I am focusing on HPDE events as well and want to go to run 305's all the way around, switching wheels and tires for track days. I have seen several people running 11" wheels all the way around but having to use spacers and longer studs on the front. You were able to put 305's on the stock front wheel size ok?

concretevol said:

Hey Nick,
Was wondering about your square setup.... I am focusing on HPDE events as well and want to go to run 305's all the way around, switching wheels and tires for track days. I have seen several people running 11" wheels all the way around but having to use spacers and longer studs on the front. You were able to put 305's on the stock front wheel size ok?

Click to expand...

Yes, for now I am running 305/30/19 on all 4 corners of my stock gt350 wheels. I have no problems with this even though I was initially worried with how wide the Supercar 3's are. The 305's are quite a bit wider than the stock PSS 305's and they looked massive compared to the 295 PSS's. But they fit without a problem and I have done a track weekend on them. They performed great and I plan on leaving them and continuing to run a square setup on my stock wheels even after I get the Apex wheels.

concretevol said:

Hey Nick,
Was wondering about your square setup.... I am focusing on HPDE events as well and want to go to run 305's all the way around, switching wheels and tires for track days. I have seen several people running 11" wheels all the way around but having to use spacers and longer studs on the front. You were able to put 305's on the stock front wheel size ok?

Click to expand...

I have Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3 - 305/30/19 square on apex 19x11.5’s sm-10 et56 and they look perfect on them. I have a 31mm spacer up front and need the gt4 studs from opmustang

Added a few new mods recently

Apex SM-10s in a square 19x11 et52 paired with OPMustang hubs/extended studs/25mm spacer.



Verus Engineering Brake Cooling duct kit

Schroth Quick Fit Pro

It’s been a while but I’ve gotten back on the track after about 3 years.

First year it was down as the oil pressure sensor backed out and needed a new engine. Then about 400 miles later driving home from work engine went again and this time a valve spring decided to make its way through the engine. Ford replaced both under warranty.

Between that and work it basically sat for the majority of 3 years. Well I changed jobs so I could get back to doing more than working and started the journey back to being a regular at the track.

Car is mostly the same as it was before. Just a new gen 2 with about 1200 on it since replacement. My 8 year extended warranty is about to expire so it’s time it becomes a dedicated track car.

I picked up a 2023 Intech Lite trailer and upgraded my 2022 F150 Tremor to a 2025 F250 Tremor with the 6.7 HO diesel. Didn’t need this much truck but found a decent deal. Night and day difference towing with this


Since all this I’ve been out to Podium Club and Chuckwalla with ProAutoSports. I normally ran with NASAAZ but schedules didn’t work.

First time with Pro so I had to start out in the red group but moved to the orange the next session. Stayed there for the weekend as Green was a massive grid. Didn’t get any clean laps either day so was disappointed. Still had fun being back out there after almost 3 years.





I ordered a set of quickjacks to make working on it easier in between track weekends. I like them a lot.


Next up I was at Chuckwalla with ProAuto but signed up for Green group and HotLap. Classed in HL1 with running the 200 TW RT660s and finished 2nd both days.

Ran 1:58s both CW and CCW. Last time there my day was cut short so happy with those times even though neither was my greatest lap. Had mid 1:57 optimal on the Garmin both days. It was also 100 degrees there this weekend which was rough.

I ended up P2 both days in a field of 5 I think. Was quite fun to be back out there.

Some pics of the weekend.




Schedule doesn’t work for the next event, but hoping to be at INDE Motorsports Ranch at the end of May if it’s not too hot.

I’m at a cross roads. Do I build this or build another dedicated track car. Not sure but leaning building the GT350 into a full time track car.

Glad to see you went with the studs and wheels as the ability to rotate is one of the best way to reduce tire costs. The studs, which so many hesitate on, are a safety benefit regardless of whether one needs a spacer or not. So many of us have broken standard studs over the years and I follow my rules as I have them on my current track car which needs no spacers.

Welcome to the sickness , there is no cure, but it is a divine illness that causes feelings of giddiness, elevated epinephrine levels, scintillating g forces and euphoria. Enjoy the feelings and know there are others out there who share this disease and the only real pain is not getting to pound the asphalt on a constant basis!

Thanks I recently upgraded the rears with extended lugs as well from OP Mustang. Needed to change the rear rotors out anyway.