• January 8, 2022

• Story by

  Mark Masker

The past year has been lousy for a lot of things, but pilot battles were not one of them. Both on the drag strip and the race track we pitted some pretty cool cars against each other in a fun and different way. Or rather, you did. Driver Battles head-to-head races are run by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts, who all step out from behind a keyboard and perform what they bring where it counts: the real world. If you want to participate in the action, go to our registration form and fill it out. But before we do that, here’s a breakdown of our favorite Pilot Battles of 2021.

While we really enjoyed all of the pilot battles of the past year, these top three stood out as some of our favorites because of how close they were or how much we enjoyed hosting them.

3. Honda S2000 vs. McLaren 720S

Three tenths of a second. That’s how well that Driver Battles: Drag Edition duel was back in January.

Or, as it was described at the time, “Of all the quarter-mile drag races we’ve had at the Texas Motorplex, this is by far the most intense. Kenny Tran’s daily rider is a 2018 McLaren 720S which took on Stuart Leiby’s heavily modified 2001 Honda S2000. Relive the excitement here.

2.BMW E46 M3 vs. Nissan 370Z

Allison Leung and Michael Hillo’s Driver Battle at Willow Springs was so close that the two best times were less than a second apart.

Both drivers spent time on this track, both vehicles were fairly balanced. Allison rode a 2001 BMX E46 M3 against Michael’s 2015 Nissan 370Z. Oh, and did we mention that the contestants were also a couple, with the loser having dinner? Watch these lovers’ asphalt tiff on YouTube and see who’s been fed.

1. Honda S2000 vs. Toyota Supra

Agility and experience collided with greater power in this attack against time in Willow Springs.

It was the first time for 2020 Toyota Supra rider Hana Burton on the track with her slightly modified ride (mostly aero gears and shock springs) and she didn’t disappoint. For her first time, she really impressed us and competitor Matt Rojana. His heavier car was more powerful than his Honda S2000, but with many track sessions under his belt (and that of his car) and the benefits that a lighter car brings, this edition of Driver Battles was surprisingly close.

Honorable mentions

While the duels below weren’t in the top three for various reasons, they were still a lot of fun.

BMW E36 M3 vs. NC Mazda Miata

You all talk about a good game in the comments, then Driver Battles lets you play that game where it counts: on the track. Just like in this time trial clash at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway between Frankie Ho’s NC Mazda Miata and Bailey Woods’ BMW E36 M3.

While this looks like an unbalanced duel, factors such as power-to-weight ratio, tire size, aero versus non-aero, and the pilots themselves create a much more level playing field, as you can imagine. will see in the results when you see the video.

650 hp Corvette Z06 vs. 400 hp Mitsubishi Evo X

This duel was both fast AND furious. Christian Hudnell pitted his 2019 Corvette Z06 against Paul Aquino’s 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X. Both pilots loved their Nitto NT01 tires and you can read Christian’s review about them here.

The two cars are separated by a 250 horsepower deficit, but Aquino’s greater familiarity with the Willow Springs circuit definitely made the difference, but was it enough to overcome Hudnell’s American wheeled missile? Look and see.

Supra Supremacy Showdown 2020

Most often we pit two very different cars against each other for driver battles but what makes this race different is that we had two of the same model but with different modifications.

Owners Vinh Trieu and Trevon Messina both raced the 2020 Toyota Supras in February, with a 70 horsepower difference between them. The biggest difference is due to operator error, as you will see in the video.

As great as the 2021 Pilot Battles have been, we really can’t wait to bring you more here in 2022. So go to this form and fill it out!