N1 Concepts was started by Norman Tong, an enthusiast who has been in
the racing and motor sport culture since 1995. His first car was a 1995
Acura Integra GSR. The car was a great daily driver and a good platform
for a fast street car. Norman not only wanted a fast street car, but
something that would break track records. With more extensive research
in building a lighter and faster car, Norman acquired a 1992 Civic Si
hatchback along with a 1996 B18C1 GSR motor. With the help of magazine
articles and literature before the internet was readily available,
Norman had built an all motor set up in his own garage and ran
consistent 13 second runs at the season opener CMI race in Sacramento,
April 1997.
Shortly after, Norman joined Dimensional 1 Racing,
a race team consisting of 8 highly respectable fast cars. With the help
of D1 and Dave Shih (Silver Bullet 10 second CRX in 1996), the Civic
received a custom T04E/T3 turbocharger by mid summer of that year. With
a stock GSR setup and 12psi, the car ran a 12.5 second quarter mile @
110mph at the following CMI race that season. Already well respected as
a fast front wheel drive car at the time, Norman’s next challenge was
to get the car into the 11 second bracket in the same season. A new
chassis with cut doors, lexan windows, and stripped interior received
the race motor. Within 2 weeks of running 13 second, 12 second passes,
Norman achieved his goal by getting the car into the 11 second club
with a 11.58 @ 117 mph run in the same season with the help of his
teammates and friends.
In the next few years, Norman also
participated in the growing scene of import car shows including the
legendary Showoff EXC show that pioneered the import car culture and
shows. While juggling to finish his degree and building a faster car,
Norman was already focusing his efforts in building a business in the
industry. In 2003 Norman started N1 Concepts straight out of college.
N1 Concepts at the time focused on building cars from theft recovery
salvaged Hondas. At the same time, his Civic ran faster times getting
into the 10 second range. In 2006, N1 Concepts began importing Japanese
parts. N1 Concepts became your source for used Japanese Honda OEM parts
and accessories.
A new project such as the Honda Fit received a K20
(current 2.0 liter motor found in the RSX and Civic) engine that broke
records at the track and was featured on the cover of Super Street
magazine in October 2006.
In late 2007, N1 Concepts became the
North American distributor for J’s Racing Japan. N1 Concepts in
collaboration with J’s Racing imported the J’s Racing S2000 to race and
compete on the U.S. shores in time attacks and road course events.
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With the extensive background in street, drag, and track racing, N1 Concepts
will continue to grow and provide USDM and JDM parts and the best
service for the motor sport industry and culture.
N1 is here to support the scene and help those who share our passion for the industry. We're cleaning house as N1 is workin hard to provide better products and service to our customers, friends, and supporters. Stay tuned for new products, updates and features on our Blog, Facebook, and Twitter!
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