The car performed flawlessly (except some higher EGT’s which I’ll talk of later), I was happy with the performance of the Dunlop Z1 Star Specs as they were the only thing on the car I was worried weren’t going to be up for the heavy track sessions in the Sebring heat.

Quick review on my setup for the track day.

Suspension
TiC AST SST’s Coilovers with 9k/8k Swift Springs
Vorshlag Camber Plates Front and Rear
Whiteline Plus Bushings (Lateral Link, Rear Trailing Arm, Front Control Arm)
Whiteline Offset Caster Bushing
STi Pink Trailing Arms
Custom Wales Garage/Penguin Garage Alignment
-3.8 front camber, -2.2 rear camber, ZERO toe

Wheels/Brakes
17×10 +38mm Enkei RPF1
245/40/17 Dunlop Z1 Star Spec
ARP Wheel Studs
Project Mu Lug Nuts
Hawk DTC-70′s
DBA 4000′s

Engine
APS 3″ TBE
Cobb AP v1
Pro Tune by Jarrad
Koyo Radiator
Samco Radiator hoses
Greddy Oil Cooler

The Suspension setup was amazing, even with the very bumpy nature of Sebring International Raceway the TiC AST SST’s did amazing. The car absorbed all of the bumps and the car always felt stable. There was only a few “clean laps” where I wasn’t held up by traffic. Being in the Novice group I did run into alot of traffic, it wasn’t a terrible thing as this allowed me to focus on my driving line and less about going full throttle or late braking.

With the addition of the Koyo Radiator my water temp never budged, my Greddy Oil Cooler kept my oil temps in check even with the searing Sebring heat. My EGT gauge was showing some rather high EGT temps so I wasn’t pushing it 100% on the straights, only about 50% throttle on both straightaways. They peaked at 980c or about 1800f if I remember correctly. I’m tempted to get a new tune, as it’s been a few years, just to make sure the car isn’t running too hot. Any thoughts on the high EGT temps don’t hesitate to comment.

I can’t wait to go out to the next Sebring event, I hope to be down for the Redline event in August to see Turn In Concepts tear it up in the Florida heat.

Enough with the chat, on to more photos! Huge thanks to a fellow WRX driver and owner of Colour Tech South Motorsports Photography, LLC. Henry.

17x9.5 +44mm Enkei NT03+M 245/45/17

This STi was recently bought when Ben traded in Batscubie #4 aka. the Wraith. Ben had these 17×9.5 +44mm Enkei NT03+M’s on Batscubie #4 (08 STi) with some 275s. Ben wanted to compete in STU with the 2006 STI so he kept the 9.5 Enkei’s and bought some 245′s.

Ben Wales Batscubie #5 9.5 Enkeis 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI

Batscubie #5 is one of the luckiest GD Imprezas out there. Two days after picking it up from the dealership Ben had mounted up his new wheel/tire combo. Brand new 245/45/17 Bridgestone RE760 Sports mounted on to the 17×9.5 +44mm Enkei NT03+M’s. Batscubie #5 was rocking a set of Enkei NT03+M’s in 17×9.5 +44mm offset on a stock suspension STI!? You may ask, 245′s on a 9.5″ wheel? Well the answer to that question is simple, SCCA Solo2 STU requires a 245 tire max. 2nd question is why not RE-11′s? Well the answer to that question is simple too, Ben Wales from Wales Garage in Ft. Lauderdale loves any excuse to push Bridgestone’s best tires to the test. RE-11′s are coming later this year….errr. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to let that part out. Sorry Ben, secrets out.

2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI GD 17x9.5 Stock Suspension

Ben’s Batscubie #5 is a 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI with Stock STI Springs, Stock STI Struts, Stock STI Front and Rear Sway Bars, and Stock un-Molested Rear Fenders. You read that right, un-Molested Rear Fenders. The reason he isn’t rubbing in the rear is simple, +44mm offset and 245/45/17 tire. This combination allows the wide wheel/tire setup to stay clear of the rear fenders (even while autoxing).

245/45/17 Bridgestone RE760 9.5 Enkei STU STI

I’m not going to lie, the stock suspension’s height (aka. 4×4 status) does the Batscubie #5 a favor. With a lower suspension and still stock fenders this 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi would rub.

The is not alot of room inboard with this 17×9.5 +44mm and 245/45/17 setup. This is the same wheel seen on Jaimie’s Car (Seen Here). The offset requires careful calculation with inboard clearances, as there can be rubbing if the coilover is wider than the factory strut bodies, or too much camber is dialed in via camber bolts.

Ben Wales 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi 17x9.5 Stock Suspension

There you have it, 9.5″ wheels with a proper offset are capable of fitting on a 100% stock suspension when running a 245 tire. Any offset lower than a +40mm will most likely rub on the rear fenders, going any higher than +45mm will cause rubbing inboard.

Ben’s 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi has alot instore for the up coming months, I can’t let everything out of the bag just yet so here’s the current mod-list.

Wheels/Tires:
Enkei NT03+M 17×9.5 +44mm
Bridgestone RE760 Sport 245/45/17

Suspension:
100% Stock

Power:
APS 3″ Turbo Back
Cobb AP

Interior:
Defi Amber BF Boost Gauge
Schroth Harness for Autox’s

Exterior:
Wingless WRX Trunk

Keep your eyes peeled for future Batscubie articles, and as always any questions/comments feel free to post or email.