By Jehran Naidoo for Auto Rush
From the dusty streets of Phoenix, north of Durban, Donovan “VTEC Donny” Govender has evolved into one of South Africa’s top Honda race car builders.
The JE Motorsport maestro recently posted his new personal best during the FWD Shootout at Dezzi Raceway with a 10.6 second quarter mile pass @ 227 km/h in a 1.6L sedan.

Donny’s been building and racing his 4-door Ballade nicknamed “Outlaw B16” for just under a decade, and has put it through several transformations during this period.
Ranging from an all motor B16, to a B16 with nitrous and then a B16 bolt-on turbo, this would-be family vehicle has been the canvas on which Donny painted his masterpiece.
He bought the 5th generation Ballade EG in 2004 with a 150i carbureted engine which was thrown out for the B16b. “It was the second car I ever bought,” he said.
But before the Ballade could become the “B16 outlaw” we know today, Donny used to be a ‘sound guy’ and had the nerve to install 8×12 inch subwoofers in the car.
Why does a young man need eight subwoofers you may ask?
“I was looking for a wife,” Donny said.

The Fast and The Furious influence
The tides of change came in 2001, when Rob Cohen, David Ayer, Erik Bergquist and Gary Scott Thompson’s cinematic adaptation of “Racer X” by Ken Li, gave birth to a global culture.
That cinematic adaptation was named The Fast and The Furious.
It took the opening scene alone, where Toretto and his team are driving a fleet of black Honda VTECs with neon lights looking for “Rodger’s on the side of a truck”, to win Donny over.
“After I watched The Fast and The Furious, just that opening part where they drive the Honda’s. I think something ticked in me and that’s when I started getting into racing. The car was mostly used for sound when I first got it but then I watched that movie and wanted the speed.

“The first time I took it out racing we had the B16 naturally aspirated in it. The car went 14.1 seconds. We used to get it at first. Then we went B16 with nitrous for a while and eventually I put a bolt on the turbo,” Donny said.
The bolt on turbo modification set-up was run on stock internals until Donny got more serious in the sport of Drag racing.
Self-taught through experimenting at home, Donny slowly learned the ropes set out by the Japanese and eventually became a skilled VTEC composer.
Out with the old, in with the new

“All of the unwanted accessories inside the car were tossed aside but nothing was cut. So all the seats, door pads, boot set-up, everything was taken out and we put the full cage in. It is still the original body.
“I did everything at home, from the engine swap to the new gearbox and the suspension install. The car has a shopping list of suspension parts, which I think add a great deal to its success. Because it’s a 1.6 litre engine, it only makes around 650 nm torque but that works perfectly with the weight and suspension. The Ballade chassis and suspension are bulletproof if you ask me,” Donny explained.
Wilwood staging brakes are fitted at the back while a set of coilovers have been installed.

The stock motor was finally spruced up, as Donny threw in rods from Mr Turbo and 81.5mm Wiseco pistons. A Garret GT35 ball bearing turbo boosts the engine while skunk 2 cams, throttle bodies and an intake were installed.
Four 240lbs/2520cc FuelTech injectors and 2 Bosch 220 pumps with FTF lines help feed the B16 Outlaw.
The car still runs a standard VTEC stroke and has a Pfitzner Performance Gearbox (PPG).
Darton Sleeves were fitted to reinforce the block as both the VTEC and turbo kick-in simultaneously and feels “a bit scary”, Donny said.
The car runs on a FuelTech engine management system, which is a forte of JE Motorsport’s services, and makes around 510kw when on the coast and 479kw at altitude. Marius Oosthuisen from Fuulboost tunes the VTEC and has been instrumental in its performance.

Where to next?
With the current set-up, a 10.2 second pass would be hopeful but plans to ascend into the 9-second club are already afoot.
“It’s been the same motor now for six years that I have just been working around. It’s been running on entry level parts for some time and I have been waiting to buy new parts. Bigger pistons, rods and a Honda T1 long shifter is what I will be fitting into the car soon.
“I would be really happy if it then goes into the 9 second bracket. Even if it’s 9.9 seconds, I’ll take it,” Donny said.

Auto Rush