I push my engine to the limit, but Renegade E85 provides the protection!

What was the car that got you into motorsport? For Steve Giles it was his Dad’s Subaru Forrester SG5. When it came up for sale, he knew he could do something special with it – and get back into the sport he had loved years earlier. Alongside giving his eldest son some help fixing up an MX5 which showed him he had what it takes to complete all the work himself, the time was right to see what was possible for this Subaru beast!

Steve’s the next of our featured driver interviews and we are grateful to him for sharing his race story!

Tell us about the Subaru!

I played with it a bit at first in Run What Your Brung and a trip to Germany, but it was at Santa Pod where the bug bit! There’s a big following for Subarus and I saw a lot of potential. 

First off it’s the original bottom end of the engine which has done 87k miles; I’ve strengthened it and modified it to keep it going. I’ve added STI parts and a front-mounted intercooler with a bigger turbo. I’ve replaced the fuel system and moved to E85. 

Funny story about the E85 – I was trying to convince my boss during a drunken Christmas do that DHL (I’m an aircraft engineer) should sponsor my car. I didn’t think he’d take it seriously at all, but he said that if I could go green and run E85 then they’d do it! Look at my car decals – the rest is history!

You’ve done everything yourself haven’t you?

Yes, my son helps when he can and I picked up a great tuner (Duncan Graham, Subaru specialist near Farnborough) but I’ve done the build myself. I’ve stripped the car and it’s completely gutted, so it is amazingly light – just 1100kg (they come out of the factory weighing 1700kg). There is no glass from the B pillar back – it’s not road legal! It has a 8.5 second Roll Cage fitted but it’s still 4-wheel drive. I’ve kept the standard 5 speed gearbox which is a known weak link but we know how to play with it right to work with it! I’m also running the Syvecs 6 ECU. 

What’s your race series?

I’m in the Sportsman ET class which is the starter class in the drag racing world. My son has been my pit crew for the last 3 years but this year he’s racing against me in his mark 1 MX5!

To qualify you must be faster than 30 seconds, but you can’t go faster than 12 or you break out of the class. I’m not that competitive enough yet – the next class is incredibly close! In the last meeting of the season, I was fastest in class - crossing the line at 116-117mph!

The Sportsman ET class has had a massive growth spurt, as have all the lower Sportsman levels. When I started 3 years ago, entry was at about 20 – I could definitely qualify and get through, no problems. The last meeting was 34 so it has grown a lot and is a lot more competitive now!  

Can you explain a bit about No Prep Racing?

We’ve just started doing No Prep Racing at the Manston Raceway Park in Kent. No Prep means you launch on concrete and it goes to tarmac; it’s currently at 1/8 mile but is being extended to the ¼ mile. Because I can get the power down due to the 4 wheel drive, I managed to get the runner up last time and surprised a few people! 

We want to squeeze in No Prep Racing alongside the 6 meetings in the Sportsman ET series so that we can support the guys – it’s a brilliant event. 

Who joins you on a race weekend?

As well as racing with (or against!) my son, my partner Dawn is a brilliant support in all our shenanigans! She loves the community that comes with the racing and the deal is we have a big holiday when there’s a break in the racing!

How did you find Renegade and Birch Performance?

I started chatting to someone about Renegade on the track at Melbourne and found Birch Performance later on Google. People rate Renegade over other named brands and I agree - when I bought an alternative in an emergency, the price was a shock! 

I did a winter project to replace the fuel system and went from 5650cc to 1200cc injectors and now get 6 to the gallon so I’m burning a lot of Ethanol! I get 450 BHP – I could get more wild than that but I’m focused on protecting the gearbox and engine. Renegade E85 provides a lot of protection and I know I’m getting the best out of the car even though I push it to the limit. 

What do you have planned for the car and the 2025 season?

At some point, I know I’ll need to replace the gearbox and engine but I still want to beat people with a manual car! I’m just trying to nip into 11 seconds – the best I’ve achieved is 12.07! If we can get 11 seconds, we can edge into the next series which would be good for the sponsors!

We wish Steve all the best for the season! Keep up with his progress as follows…

Check out Manston Raceway Park on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2920826091451125/

Santa Pod Raceway at https://www.facebook.com/santapodraceway

And Sportsman ET UK at https://www.facebook.com/groups/658838877523056/