World Time Attack, where does one start. Ok well, I'd seen some coverage of the early Super Lap (as it was then called) through social media a few years ago. Having just become addicted to track days I had thought to myself that looked like a bit of fun.
Over the next few years the event changed venues and names and a bunch of mates and I decide to make the trek to Sydney to check it out as spectators.
BAD idea, or good idea it depends how you look at it.
What an eye opener, the aero, the sound, the cars. I was hooked.
A couple of years later, there I was competing with other club cars from around Aus.
Now in the third year the competition has change, less now are club car, more so tuning workshops with built engines and highly tuned suspension.
2014 was going to be the hardest year to date.
With limited budget, critical failures at lead up events it wasn't the best lead into the event.
We'd fitted a new turbo thanks to Hypergear mid-year and only run it a few times, with more power, torque and response it took some tuning to get things right. Chequered Tuning had done a fantastic job to bring the power in at the right time and the car was an animal to drive.
Eastern Creek, or Sydney Motorsport Park (whatever) is the most difficult track I get to drive on. With a Winton/Calder type surface (multiple surface types, low grip, bumpy, blind corners) and speed akin to that of Phillip Island, it's an intimidating place.
Having been witness to a high speed accident in 2013, as an amateur it put some doubt in your mind.
However, with no testing time we turned up to the event with brand new off the shelf suspension (a high spec than the previous), more power than before and more aero.
Thursday and Friday were spent understanding the suspension and how the car reacted to the new power. Time Attack is on the limit stuff, it induces you to push beyond the limit and over drive a lot of the time. So taking a couple of deep breaths before you embark on the one hot lap is important. I keep telling myself inside the helmet scooting around above 200kmh anyway.
Through the trials of the day we finished with the fastest RWD lap time and 5th overall in class. Which to me at least was a good effort. Considering the very limited time we had to test and the tiny budget.
Bring on 2015 and hopefully some fantastic brands to assist in attending.
