The Dust Settles At WTAC: </br> Tilton Reigns Supreme

Garth Walden’s record-decimating 1:24.8550 lap set on Friday remained unbeaten when the checkered flag fell on the 2013 Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge on Saturday evening Australia time.

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After a testing time at Tsukuba Circuit in Japan earlier in the year, the Australian team bounced back with aggressive new downforce-inducing body work courtesy of Voltex, and an unrivaled determination to be standing on the top step of the WTAC podium at the end of the event. With a buffer of almost three seconds to the next quickest car, they achieved that and so much more.

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The unfinished business at Tsukuba is now the focus, and the team and car will be headed back to Japan before the year is out in another attempt to reset the outright time attack lap record there too.

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As for Nemo, the cooling issues that hampered its performance earlier in the event couldn’t be remedied for Saturday; although as token gesture the wild Lancer did appear out on the track in the final session running a couple of slow laps.

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With the WTAC 2012 champion out of the picture, Earl Bamber pushed hard in the MCA Suspension S13 Silvia to slip into second spot with a 1:27.3670 lap.

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He tried hard, but Japanese driver Under Suzuki ultimately ended his event in the same place he did last year – fourth. He was quicker though, running a one and a half second faster lap time than in 2012 with a 1:27.950. Nob Taniguchi rounded out the top five spots with a 1:28.8660 in the Top Fuel Honda S2000.

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With the time attack component of the event completed, attention then turned to the Tectaloy International Drift Challenge where Speedhunters’ own Mad Mike Whiddett made it all the way through the Top 16 to face-off with multiple world champion Daigo Saito.

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The two battled hard, but the ever-cool, calm and collected Saito emerged victorious.

That’s it for now, but stay tuned as we’ve got a bunch more stories from the Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge headed your way soon!

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1

2 tenths isn't decimating a record, and it should be fast with the $80k dropped on the new kit alone

2

Awesome event! Wish i was there!

3

Got any pictures of the Griffin Games NSX?

4

In time attack two tenths is light years, considering how much nemo would have had spent on it tiltin just brought their car up to spec and conquered!!

5

Mean 15 with the advantage of still looking like an Evo, unlike nemo..

6

Mean 15 I would say, confidently so, that the Tilton car would have had more money spent on it than Nemo. I don't get the Nemo hate really, It complied with every rule when it was initially built, and complies with the new rules that were changed because they had gaping loopholes in them to start off with.
2 tenths, if Nemo's proper engine hadn't committed harakiri during testing and was actually used last year, they would still be chasing two seconds

7
MyFWDcanbeatyourRWD

I'm not sure I understand how Under Suzuki couldn't set a fast lap here, but has the record at Tsukuba--a much shorter and slower track.

8

Dino does Eiji Yamada brought his CNG Evo ?

9

Mr. Suzuki has 1000 of hours under his belt at Tsukuba.
You can't compare the two circuits. He has little knowledge on this Australian track in comparison, which means car setting has to be adjusted.

10

That S13 is looking a bit sorry for itself!

11

JDMized also just a thought, is anyone else really pushing for the outright tsukuba lap record aside from Suzuki? It is a track that largely favours awd cars, unlike eastern creek where the advantage isn't as great and a well balanced 2wd is just as potent. 
It may be that the scorch s15 is just a one trick pony

12

Err read the last line of the article again?

13

Am I missing something, but whats up with the front left wing extension on the MCA S13 ?
Secret anti-dive / weight transfer aero package maybe.........?

14
Nick_Suruga_Performance

I wish I could have gone there too. Good writing, great photos! Thanks!

15

ModGuy agree. Looks like some active front wing??

16

wheatgod  RodChong 
Yea, that only made you look slightly dumb.
Brilliant.

17

777 JDMized These days? Not that I know. Yes there are shops that tests their stuff regularly, but not as much as Suzuki.
Tsukuba, just by looking at the layout, and the banked turns, does favor AWD cars. It's also much slower/technical with the main straight being at the end before the big sweeper before the finish line.
Sidney Motorsport Park has 5 fairly long straights. The circuit is much faster than Tsukuba. 
The fact that Suzuki's S15 is RWD and gutted to shit also helps in the weight department. (if you look at the intricacy of the roll-cage of Tilton or Nemo, you can see where the weight comes from).

18

Ask the people who were in the crowd at the drift challenge about how much of a farce the judging was!! I was there and on all three of Mad Mikes competition battles he came to a complete stop.  Mike is a legend but the judges obviously had a thing for him. Anyone else would've got zero points and lost their battle.

19

JDMized 777 the weights shouldn't be that different really especially this year as there were minimum weights brought in for each vehicle (Nemo effect).
I get that there are more and longer straights on EC, but that "should" help Suzuki as his car would be faster on those than the others, it has more power and one would hope less drag because it certainly doesn't have the downforce levels of the EVOs.
As I elluded to earlier, it is cool that it has the record and all, but, if no one else is trying for it, it's not such a big deal.
Wouldn't put a forty-something second lap past Tilton or Nemo, Suzuki's tsukuba sector times have apparently all been faster now than when he did his 52.x and he was 3 seconds off the pace here

20

I like the third photo.

21

Top work by the Tilton guys. Go the Evos. :)

22

ModGuy Simply broken.

24

777 JDMized 
Wasn't the big deal about Under's record at Tsukuba the fact that he set on radial tires, though? I don't doubt that he'd find substantial time of slicks. Not arguing either of your points, more of a question/ statement.

25

@Oliver 777 JDMized all laps are done on stree1t legal semi-slick tyres, the big deal was he's a "privateer" chemist

26

SuzyWallace EWW its still an evo. ha

27

@Boost junkie  I read a comment on facebook that redbull were obviously lining someones pockets haha. But seriously when a person that shouldn't be getting through is, it just makes the competition a complete joke and I have heard nothing good about the drift comp at all.

28

Big thanks to the Speedhunters crew for attending and covering the event. Looking forward to seeing you again next year:)

29

And to answer all those "could have Nemo gone faster" questions - maybe it could have. But it ididn't. And that's racing. It's not decided on paper or in the realm of hypothetical possibilities. It's decided on the day, on that one hot lap. And this year it was Tilton who pulled it all together at the right time and came out triumphant. They are true and well-deserving champions.

30

777 Mean 15 
Tilton would of put more money into the car over the course of developing a time attack car over the 4-6 years?
Unlike Nemo who went straight to a tube chassis to claim a record and not pay their bills.

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