Hope you tore the side panels open and used the absorbent side of the cardboard

 

Owning an S series Saturn ain't bad but face it, they are 20+ years old and out of production for quite a while. Parts are not exactly lined up on the shelves for them. I would be happy to install KYB struts if I needed them and could find them. In some cases I am just happy to find that a part is available.
The strut acts like a shock abosorber and likc a shock, does not support the weight of the car, the spring does that, the strut lets the wheels turn. That is the basics of a strut type front suspensionson. The strut also takes care of the rebound rate of the spring. Gas filled struts do in fact help support the weight but a small percentage of it.
Once installed drive for a while before drawing conclusions as to the effectivity of things.
As to racing aStaturn? 'It depends what you are racing against, as for mine? If I could find (and afford) new cams for it I would appreciate another 15 HP but that is not going to happen too soon, so I will do as I have done, just enjoy it for what it is, a terribly nice car that GM just flat forgot about.