Greetings from Sydney, Australia! As our regular readers will know, the World Time Attack Challenge is on this Friday and Saturday, and we've sent a four man crew Down Under to ensure you get comprehensive coverage of this big event. I flew in earlier this week and joining me are Casey Dhnaram who arrived from Queensland, Matt Malcolm from Auckland NZ and Dino Dalle Carbonare touched down from Japan at 6am yesterday. We haven't wasted any time as we've been driving around Sydney Speedhunting from the moment we landed. Indeed, I've just rushed back to the hotel to get these posts live, while Dino, Matt and Casey continue to shoot the late night work the teams are doing on their cars.
The first thing on the agenda was to see this year's international combatants arrive at the battlefield. Both time attack and drift cars have been arriving steadily from Japan, New Zealand and the United States, which no doubt posed a logistical nightmare for the organisers.
The Kiwi cars arrived in Cartainers, which are modified containers that maximise every inch possible. The two levels allow for more cars and equipment to squeeze into the shipping containers.
Mad Mike's newly revised Team Need for Speed RX-7 arrived safe and sound from New Zealand. Even at first glimpse, the FD's new livery looks very tough.
See what I mean? This is the first time Mad Mike has brought his RX-7 to Australia, and I'm not sure if Sydneysiders are ready for the deafening sound of its quad rotor! The last time I heard Mike's RX-7 was in the D1GP All-Star World Championships, so I can't wait to hear it come to life again. I spoke to Mike's wife Toni today, who advised the crew arrived a few hours ago. There are some small things to be done and then they'll be ready for the competition.
The RX-7 was crammed full of tools of spares.
Also making its Australian debut is one of the most famous time attack cars in the world: HKS' CT230R Evo.
The Evo will only be used for display purposes, as it's been retired from active competition.
One of the fastest TA cars in the United States is the Sierra-Sierra Enterprise Evo.
In terms of the Japanese contenders, a familiar face in the form of the Pan Speed FD returns, this time sporting some new improvements. More on that in a future post.
One of the crowd favourites (in fact aren't they all crowd favourites?) will be the Scorch Racing S15, which has recently been rebuilt. What makes this car so special is that it's built by a privateer with very little sponsor support. Definitely keep an eye out for this all-carbon S15; Dino's seen it in action at Tsukuba and says it is very, very competitive.
Shipping race cars in containers isn't a straight forward affair, as many things need to be done to ensure they arrive in one piece at the other end. If you've ever seen containers being transported, you'll know how much they swing around. Prior to its journey from Japan, Scorch covered the extremities and taped up all of the vents and louvres.
A handsome gentleman decided to lend a helping hand as the Hankook Revolution RX-7 was unstrapped.
Wow. Nuff said.
Besides some masking tape, raised ride height and some aero removed, the Revolution RX-7 looked the least 'transport spec' out of the Japanese cars.
Last year's reigning champ, the Cyber Evo, has returned to defend its crown. Don't let its stock wheels and ride height fool you though; although its 'retired' the team have done major aero changes in addition to a new motor. The floor beneath the Evo has to be seen to be believed. So we'll show you it shortly.
Time attack racing is taken very seriously, with the teams bringing their own tool chests, tyres and equipment.
Every single nook and cranny is filled with racks, jacks, wheels, tyres, spare motors and transmissions.
Cyber Evo's rims shared container space with Panspeed's.
All of the containers had to go through customs and quarantine inspections before the teams were allowed to unload the vehicles.
This would have to be a rotary fans ultimate garage no?
These two people have done a monumental amount of work behind the scenes. Ian Baker, who runs WTAC, and Greg Selsby, who handled the shipping logistics. I'm sure they're admiring their handy work before heading to the pub for a much earned beverage!
- Charles Kha
Photos by Casey Dhnaram
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
It's going to be legendery!
VERY awesome, more coverage soon please!!!
Yamada will win in Cyber EVO if it doesnt go bang.........forgone conclusion I'm afraid.
Whats needed is a 'real' World TA event and not one promoted like it is - because this certainly isnt, It was such a shame that the NFS Live event at Brands Hatch in Europe was canned/postponed as this would have been a platinum TA event worth going to, the track layout is perfect for TA and the central location would serve well for the huge European market as well as the other territories, bring it back online please and make the concept a reality.
Good luck to all TA competitors and teams at this weeks event by the way
Go Baker San
Large amounts of WIN everywhere in this article but is anyone ever going to bring a euro machine to rule them all?
Maybe a euro monster like that Dahlback Golf? =)
This is going to be AWESOME!! Wish there was an FF car though
Those men deserve a XXXX
This. will. be. EPIC.
That's going to be a amazing racing. Such impressive cars and gr8 looking too
I thought the HKS car was just a REPLICA built for HKS NZ not the real time attack car that got all the recored
WTA this is the most exciting thing that has happend to the Aus motorsport for along time ! Love it !!!
I'm so jealous of these, I can't wait to see how everyone does.
we can haz live stream time attack plz??
I was looking forward to seeing if the HKS' CT230R Evo has aged well in its dormant tech state against these newer cars. I hope it gets to set even an unofficial time.
This event will indeed be filled with ridiculous levels of WIN. I'm truly looking forward to it, and I really hope there will be good video coverage (or dare I say a live stream?) available. However, I agree wholeheartedly w/ TA luva on the this not being a real "WORLD" time attack. The competitors are awesome enough no doubt, but are extremely limited to a huge field of Japanese cars, a lot of which are nearing 15 years old, and a few Australian ones. The location of the track doesn't so much concern me as long as its a good track. But Where are the Porsches, Corvettes, BMWs, Kias, (yeah I said it, Kias), Renaults, VWs (and all there associated brands) Mercedes, Peugots, Fords, Citroens, etc. Where are all the non Japanese tuners tuning non Japanese cars? 50 Japanese cars, 5 Australian race cars (that wouldn't even be there if the event wasn't in Australia) and 1 or 2 Elise (in all their awesomeness I admit) is not even close to a good representation of a "WORLD" time attack, because it ignores most of the WORLD. Time attack has been around and popular for decades, and was not invented, discovered, or made popular by the Japanese like drifting was. I love Japanese cars and Japanese performance, and I've only ever owned Japanese sports cars that I've modded close to ridiculousness and then actually gone to the track with them. Hell, I even work for The largest Japanese car company there is. But I do not for a minute discount the performance of cars from other parts of the world besides Japan. I really look forward to this event, but I even more so look forward to a real "WORLD" time attack event. Maybe next year...
xD
This is going to be awesome. But...
"which no doubt posed a logistical nightmare for the organisers" if it did maybe they should get out of the game.....
Wouldn't it be great if the people who couldn't make it there could watch it on TV? Sadly, that's something this Melbournian can only dream of.
All the bitter ueros should chill out...
It's not australias fault we've got the best time attack event in the world.
It's going to be rad!
Wow. All the haters. Nothing stopping you (or someone from your country) from organising a similar event. But they haven't. So until that time, I think the organisers can justifiably call it World Time Attack.
They have sourced some of the fastest (if not THE fastest) time attack cars out there. WHilst there might be a bigger field, the result would probably be no different. After all, if the SSE is the fastest TA car in the US, and the Cyber Evo is the same for Japan, then that makes a pretty good base for a "World Final".
Does anyone know if a live stream will be available for Friday, as I am stuck in school and absolutely itching to view some of the action!
QUOTE - "This would have to be a rotary fans ultimate garage no?" there is an S14 inside there amongst the rotaries so.... NO. lol
xD, very interesting points, if this event is advertised (as it clearly is) as a World TA Event then those new to TA my well take away the wrong impression of what TA is all about, other classes and marques are out there which would by far have a much more broader 'Worldwide' appeal than simply to the Japanese car owners, TA is a fantastic sport enjoted by many and I believe organisers/promoters have a responsibility when holding an event with a tag like 'World' to ensure it is communicated correctly to ensure maximum interest and take the time to ensure it as a globally attended event, this event needs taking into account the various marques and more importantly classes that are out there and ensuring these fans are catered for. It's not as if the cars, drivers and teams arent out there as they are!
There are many TA cars now built, and competing, that are non Japanese marques and these are not being represented which I feel is a failure and I feel an important oportunity may be being missed here. Of course I understand that logistically to cover all marques and classes would be possibly a 'logistical/operational nightmare' but surely that is the responsibility of a World TA organiser/promoter to adapt and overcome if they want to stand high with an event with a profile of the word 'World' tagged to it. .
Of course this event is in its second year and is somewhat of a landmark for TA so of course myself, and others, are somewhat pleased it is here but what is realy needed is a real deal World TA event and not something that to me, and others, is unfortunately looking like a misrepresentation.
I appreciate the event requires time to grow but you would have thought that year 2 would have expanded with other territories, marques and classes with drivers and teams falling over themselves to compete at this event..........they have not which begs the question why not?
Yes this event will be great for Australia and those there for sure....you lucky people
6330, certainly not bitter...........just being realistic my friend
take a look at the the drifting crash video,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoEnaqWh-18