Event Gallery: Cars and Coffee Round One

Well, definitely not circuit related, but we're not going to pass on freshly-roasted beans, massive turbochargers, and low-slung high-performance Japanese imports now, are we? We decided to take our project Subaru WRX STi along to a Cars and Coffee event, hosted by Platinum Wheels just north of Auckland at Albany's Hooton reserve. We were delighted to see such a variety of vehicles, including some American muscle, tucked up against a range of low-down Euros. Check out the gallery, see if you can spot our Subaru, and soak in the atmosphere. Enjoy!

TimeattackR: Hans Ruiterman’s 708hp SR22VET S-chassis

“With the recent announcement that Hans Ruiterman will be contesting the Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge in 2018, we thought this was the best time to take a look at the car that got him there — his 708hp SR22VET weapon”

In New Zealand, there’s so much motorsport going on you’d be a fool not to give multiple disciplines a crack. Hans Ruiterman, a Pukekohe local, brothers with Carl Ruiterman, is one of those Kiwis who’s given several things a good nudge and continues to do so to this day. The best thing is, it has been in his extremely trusty E&H Motors Nissan Silvia S14. Now, when we first met Hans, it was at Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park around 2008.

His extremely capable S14 at the time had been taking part in some time attacking racing held at the circuit that weekend, but that didn’t stop him throwing on an old pair onto the rear, grabbing a willing passenger and heading out to take part in some drifting. Fast forward a few years though, and it was grip racing that tickled Hans’s fancy with the tall Dutchman taking part in GTRNZ and New Zealand’s only time attack series; the Prowear NZ Superlap Series.

This fancy tickling was in part due to the development the Silvia has undergone over the years. We’ve seen it in every incarnation, with splitters added, heat-reducing methods installed, a stroker engine fitted, and finally, much larger wheels, tyres, and wings. What this meant for the drifting fan inside of Hans, is that it would now only compete in grip.

What you have before you now though, is an extremely potent package proven in both GTRNZ and the Prowear NZ Superlap Series. Sometimes, Hans competes in two race series throughout the same weekend. This seems backwards to those who are preserving tyres, fuel, and breakages, but Hans likes to get as much seat time as possible.

The final engine setup found in the E&H Motors Nissan Silvia S14 is one that Hans has been developing for some time. Utilising an SR20DET block, a Nitto 2.2-litre stroker kit has been installed for a boost in midrange boogie. Thankfully though, early on Hans made the switch to an SR20VE head from a Nissan Primera P11. This means, besides the mechanical strength benefits of the head itself, top-end power is on a new level thanks to the extra flow the SR20VE head is capable of. As Nissan buffs will know, the best SR20VE camshaft to use with a turbocharged setup is the Primera P12 setup as they provide the most lift/duration from factory.

With a higher flowing head and the extra capacity thanks to the Nitto stroker kit, it meant that it made choosing a turbo an easy task — a BorgWarner EFR8374 although big, would have no troubles at all being spooled up by this engine package. The EFR8374 is a big unit, but things are certainly helped by the twin-scroll Sinco manifold, dual TiAL 38mm external wastegates and a few acts of Link G4 Xtreme sorcery on the dyno Hans has available to him at his workplace in Pukekohe. On its highest boost setting of 30psi, the little four-cylinder produced a stonking 528kW at the wheels. For reliable circuit work though, Hans has the boost pressure set a modest 20psi resulting in 420kW at the wheels.

Now backing the feisty SR22VET engine package is no longer an S-chassis gearbox, but rather a TTi sequential dog box, that apart from one NZ Superlap round last season has been bulletproof. Power is transmitted brutally through a Xtreme twin-plate ceramic clutch and flywheel setup, finally making its way through the KAAZ LSD diff and 295/35R18 Yokohama A050 tyres.

Han’s S14 has to be one of the lowest time attack cars we’ve seen running here in New Zealand, thanks to the custom suspension modifications that have been taken part underneath the Silvia to improve on the factory geometry. These upgrades, combined with the Tein Circuit Master coilovers, custom front and rear aero means it handles extremely well in both high and low-speed corners with both aero and mechanical grip.

In the most recent NZ Superlap Series, Hans took out second place outright in open class with respectable times at every round attended. This aside, Hans just recently announced he’ll be taking part in the Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge, which is huge news for the E&H Motors team. “We’ve started work on a new World Time Attack Challenge shell — this one will be a Nissan Silvia S15. There’s going to be plenty of interesting and high tech stuff going in with this car, so we’ll keep you posted,” Hans told us the last time we spoke.

With an almost identical platform to an S14 Silvia, Hans will no doubt be applying the lessons learned over the years to the new S15 chassis. We’ll be covering this build as it progresses too, so we’ll keep you updated in the build section of timeattackR.com. So, what’s in store for the mighty S14? According to Hans, it might get sold to fund the next build. If it does, the new owner – whoever it may be – is getting one hell of a sorted package to take part in New Zealand’s thriving motorsport scene — oh, and to kick some ass in!

A special mention must be made for Hans and his talented pit crew on behalf of the TimeattackR.com team — they're the nicest bunch of people in New Zealand motorsport and welcome us whenever we're around; thanks, team!

Engine: SR20DET block, P11 SR20VE head, E&H Motors modified block, Nitto 2.2-stroker kit, oversized valves, P12 SR20VE camshafts, E&H Motors porting, E&H Motors race valve springs, custom retainers, E&H Motors custom twin-chamber plenum, custom intake runners, 70mm throttle body, BorgWarner EFR8374 twin-scroll turbo, twin water-cooled TiAL 38mm external wastegates, TiAL 50mm blow-off valve, E&H in-tank twin fuel pump setup, four 2000cc injectors, Evo III coil packs, Eagle leads, NGK plugs, Sinco turbo manifold, E&H Motors 3.5-inch side-exit exhaust system, alloy radiator, Primera cooling fans, Link G4 Xtreme ECU, GReddy sump, E&H Motors trigger kit, E&H Motors catch can
Driveline: TTi six-speed sequential dog box, Xtreme twin-plate ceramic clutch, Xtreme flywheel, R200 differential with KAAZ two-way LSD
Braking: AP Racing six-piston front calipers with Endless pads, four-piston rear calipers with Hawk pads, Brembo floating front brake rotors, Znoelli rear rotors, Tilton brake bias adjuster
Suspension: Tein Circuit Master coilovers, Tein springs, E&H Motors geometry modifications (roll centre change, bump, toe, and camber adjustments, anti-dive adjustments)
Wheels and Tyres: 18x10.5-inch Wedsport TC105N, 295/35R18 Yokohama A050
Body: Onehunga Panel & Paint 2K red/black paint job, E&H Motors custom made front splitter and single element rear wing
Interior: Racetech seats, Momo steering wheel, Race technology Dash2 race dash, E&H Motors eight-point roll cage
Performance: 528kW (708hp) at the wheels on 30psi of boost, 420kW (563hp) at the wheels on 20psi for circuit racing
Lap times: Hampton Downs Raceway: 1:06.5, Pukekohe Park Raceway: 1:07.1, Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park: 1:32.5, Manfeild: 1:10.1
Driver/owner: Hans Ruiterman
Age: 34
Location: Pukekohe:
Build time: 7 years
Length of ownership: 9 years
Thanks: The team at E&H Motors, Gull Sports/Gull NZ, Motul NZ, Pukekohe Auto Spares, Onehunga Panel and Paint, TTi GTO racing gearboxes, Enduro Fit, Alicia Ruiterman, Theresa Knight, Claire Robinson, Carl Ruiterman, Scott Withers, Shaun Judd, Alex Lean, Nigel Lucas, Hayden Roose Butcher, Wayne Cowley

StreetattackR: Barry Manon’s MRP Performance 450kW 9A-GTE monster

“With a build history longer than most, it’s a real treat for TimeattackR.com to look into one of the most heavily modified Toyota Levins in the world. After conquering drag racing, it was time for Barry to set his targets on time attack racing.”

There aren’t many of us out there who early on, began a bond with a certain manufacturer right from the outset, never venturing from their chosen brand, or in this particular case, a certain chassis code within a brand. For Barry Manon of MRP Performance Ltd, the Toyota Levin AE92 is that chosen chassis, which back in the early 2000s were extremely potent packages thanks to their low weight, and powerful, easily upgraded 4A-GZE engines. Barry’s third and current example didn’t stay 1600cc for long though, as in 2006 he upgraded the engine using a 7A block bringing the engine capacity up to 1800cc.

The new-found capacity worked extremely well with a large frame turbo, and in no time at all the Levin was producing a staggering for the time 330kW at the wheels. “At this power, it was used as a daily driver to get to uni,” Barry went on to tell us, “We then took it to the drags and on its first outing it ran an 11.7-second quarter mile. From there we modified a few things to get the car to hook up better and we ran a 10.8-second pass.”

What you might not know about Barry, is that as long as there have been cars on the roads, Barry’s family has been racing them on the circuit. Barry’s grandfather Shack Manon used to race Mini Coopers back in the ‘60s, competing with Kiwi greats such as Jim Richards. At one point Shack even teamed up with the legendary Kenny Smith in an endurance race. This passion flowed on, hurtling Barry’s father Bruce into a world of motorsport and in no time at all, he began racing and tinkering.

It was during the ‘70s and the ‘80s that Bruce really got into motor racing, taking on the infamous TransAm class New Zealand had on offer at the time. With hardly any restrictions, much like the NZ Superlap Series and the current GTRNZ series, Bruce began to stray from the norm by building a turbocharged Ford Escort which according to Barry, was quite the eye-opener back in the day.

Growing up around hardcore racing and modifying it was only natural for Barry to progress and grow in a similar manner. After completing a bachelor in engineering mechatronics, Barry founded his very own business MRP Performance Ltd to produce high-performance components for Levins and the 4AGE series of engines.

This need to push the envelope steered Barry toward time attack style racing which didn’t exist in New Zealand until 2007. After competing in the very first Superlap event at Pukekohe, Barry was hooked and ever since then the Levin has been a dedicated street time attack machine, driving to 99-percent of rounds.

In 2008 Barry won Superlap outright after driving to and from the circuit, four hours from his home at the now-named Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park. “Then from 2014 we decided more power, better suspension and aero was needed in order to keep up with the current trend of racing. So a heap of mods were done so we could enter and compete at the top of its class in the Superlap events,” Barry explained. With stiff competition, it would take a couple of seasons for Barry to once again dominate the pack, but only because horsepower numbers began to climb dramatically. Enter the billet ages…

In its current guise, Barry’s Levin features more billet components than anything we’ve ever seen. And, it has been a process of eliminating weak components as they break during testing. Still using a 7A block, the Levin now runs a custom MRP Ltd ‘9AGTE’ stroker kit, bringing capacity a touch lower than 2000cc. To strengthen the bottom end a billet MRP crank girdle has been used, alongside a Toda oil pump, and an MRP baffled race sump.

Up top, the factory 16-valve head is no longer. In its place is a 20V blacktop head that has been CNC-ported, with custom MRP cams that make the most of the variable cam-timing. The upgraded head, cams, and bottom end now spool a hefty Turbonetics turbo which is managed by twin 38mm TiAL external wastegates. After deciding to switch to E85 (as many have) Barry made the move to twin Bosch 044 fuel pumps, 1650cc Xspurt injectors, and an AEM E85 lift pump to handle the 28psi of boost pressure the Turbonetics pumps out on its highest boost setting. The result? On high boost; 450kW at the wheels.

“Reliability plus better design to allow for high HP numbers is the reason I chose billet components. If we want to keep up with the Evos and Skylines we have to make reliable power. Since there is no one else in the world making billet stroker components for our engine type we decided to design this and make it available worldwide,” Barry told us, after we queried the numerous billet components.

So, how does one get 450kW to the ground through a front-wheel-drive Toyota gearbox? Why billet components of course — the factory E52 gearbox is no longer factory after breaking several components with the power increase. A Tilton twin-plate clutch and MRP billet steel flywheel take care of clamping pressure and custom billet driveshafts get dealt the full 450kW thanks to the Kaaz LSD.

To keep this hyper Levin on the ground, a combination of Fortune Auto 510 series coilovers matched with Swift springs were used with gigantic 18x10-inch Enkei RPF1s up front and 17x9-inch RPF1s on the rear. Not able to skimp on tyres with this much power, the 10-inch fronts are paired with 295/30R18 Hankook Z221 front tyres and the rears are shod in 255/40R17s. At the final round of Superlap, Barry struggled to get heat into the rears which are a common problem in front-wheel drive cars. With a bit more wing angle, Barry managed to get more heat into them and ran a personal best at Hampton Downs Raceway with a 1:08.8.

The braking package on the MRP Levin is more than up to the task of attacking New Zealand’s wide range of circuits. Afco four-piston Superlite calipers have been installed up front paired with 330mm Nashin two-piece floating race rotors. And Hawk DTC60 pads.

“Getting the tune right has been the hardest thing for us lately. E85 with our engine type takes a bit of time to tune correctly. It's something we have to outsource for others to do for us so it's hard for me to have any control over it. Everything else mechanical wise I look after so I know what's going on and how I want these parts to work,” Barry continues, “If I had to start again with this build, I probably would have stripped the body right down, lighten everything and had a full cage done at the beginning.” We can’t wait to see what Barry brings us next season. Knowing him, it’ll be faster than ever, and it’ll have even more billet components than ever before. With the pace he’s now travelling at, we hope he comes back with a full roll cage too!

Engine: 1900cc 9AGTE, 7AGE block, MRP stroker kit, MRP billet crank girdle, Toda oil pump, MRP Baffled race sump, 20-valve ‘Blacktop’ CNC ported head, Kelford cams, custom MRP two-piece intake plenum, 20-valve ITBs, Turbonetics turbo (62mm compressor, 62mm turbine wheel and twin-scroll housing), twin 38mm TiAL external wastegates, 50mm TiAL BOV, twin Bosch 044 fuel pumps, AEM E85 lift pump, custom surge tank, M&W CDI, Magnecor leads, Denso spark plugs, Evo wasted spark coils, 3.5-inch stainless steel exhaust system, HDI GT2 intercooler, 2.5-inch intercooler pipes, Setrab oil cooler, Audi radiator with swirl pot, Autronic SMC ECU, Peterson external oil pressure relief valve
Driveline: E52 five-speed Levin gearbox, Tilton twin-plate clutch, MRP billet steel flywheel, Kaaz LSD, custom billet driveshafts
Suspension: Fortune Auto 510 series coilovers, Swift springs, MRP roll centre adjusters
Braking: Afco four-piston Superlite calipers, 330mm Nashin two-piece floating rotors, Hawk DTC60 pads, braided brake lines
Wheels and Tyres: (F) 18x10-inch Enkei RPF1, 295/30R18 Hankook Z221 (R) 17x9-inch Enkei RPF1, 255/40R17 Hankook Z221
Body: Metallic blue paint job, custom carbon fibre front splitter, custom side skirts, APR carbon fibre GT250 rear wing, 75mm and 50mm flares
Interior: Border bucket seat, deep dish 350mm steering wheel, Autometer gauges, half cage
Performance: 450kW at the wheels on high boost
Thanks: Fortune Auto, ST Hitec, M-Spec, Edgell Automotive, Millers Oils, Manon Butler Motors, Carl Robertson, Chris Burrett, and my wife & kids

StreetattackR Project: why I sold the Honda and bought a turbocharged Subaru

“Uh-oh! I’ve done it again; but this time, it’s for the better. A brand new TimeattackR.com project, but this time with BOOST!”

If you’re a follower of mine on social media, you’ll know that late last year I purchased a 2000 Honda Accord Euro R (CL1). This Accord was it, the project to end all projects. That was until I felt a lust for boost pressure, gorilla-like grip, and something with opposing cylinders. To be fair, I was in the market for a Nissan Skyline GT-R R33, but they’ve reached astronomical prices lately and they’re getting pinched faster than I see them for sale. I didn’t want to purchase my dream car only to have it stolen months, weeks, or even days later — maybe it is best to never meet my childhood hero? Who knows. All I know is, the Subaru WRX STi (GRB) for 10–15-thousand dollars less a GT-R was fantastic value for money. Oh, and I can fit the doggo in the back — win-win!

So, what exactly did I purchase? The Subaru I now own is a 2008 Subaru WRX STI (GRB chassis). From the factory, the two-litre variant (JDM model) boasts 228kW and 422Nm of torque — that’s as much as a 2JZ-GTE! With equal-length factory headers, a twin-scroll VF43 turbocharger and more boost than the New Zealand new model, it’s a rocket ship waiting to take off, and it doesn’t sound as though it’s from the Subaru family.

This particular example will be a combination of my track day/touge monster and weekend cruiser that my wife can drive. It came with a few cheeky upgrades too, which was one of the main reasons I purchased it. It had been built properly down in Christchurch by James Marshall Motorsport. James Marshall is well known in racing circles all around the country, and this particular example was built for his wife to drive.

Handling wise, the WRX features Blitz coilovers which are platform height and damper adjustable. Engine wise, the EJ20 has been tickled with a reflash and now runs 1.5-bar of boost (around 20psi), has a turbo-back HKS exhaust system, which includes front pipe, mid-section, and rear mufflers. On the intake side, the factory intercooler remains, but the turbo now breathes much better thanks to the HKS Kansai carbon fibre air box and intake kit.

A few aesthetic enhancements have been made to it too; a set of 18x9.5-inch (+30) Work Emotion Kiwami wheels were fitted by the previous owner, and an electronic Defi boost gauge with a controller was fitted. Wanting to create my own look for the car, I have on order a set of 18x9.5-inch (+30) Work 11R wheels in gloss black on order from Work Wheels in Japan which are due to arrive in the next week or so. Currently, the WRX is rolling on 245/40R18 Neuton tyres which are absolute garbage as I found out on Taupo’s Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park at a Club Sub track day, as are the factory brake pads and fluid.

To remedy this, I have sitting on my desk at work a set of Project Mu B-spec high-temp pads for the factory Brembo calipers, braided Hel brake lines all round, and DBA T2 slotted rotors, which once fitted, should pull the WRX up time and time again out on the circuit. To combat the rubbish tyre issue, I have ordered a set of 235/40R18 Zestino 07R semi-slick tyres, which will be fitted once the Work 11Rs arrive.

It’s been all go since I purchased ‘Rex’, but it has been nice to have a car I am passionate about spending oodles of time and money on again. Once the Possum Bourne baffled sump goes in, the tyres are fitted, and the brakes installed, it’s ready for the circuit. I can’t wait!

Next time: I have the tyres fitted to the Work 11R wheels!

Event Report: Prowear NZ Superlap Series final showdown!

The final round of the Prowear NZ Superlap Series in association with Endless Brakes began under a thick blanket of fog. Delays at Hampton Downs while waiting for the fog to lift meant plenty of time for the drivers to check out the cars, many of which had gone through a fair bit of surgery following round 4 at Taupo's Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, to chase those extra seconds. Once the weather decided to play ball the first session out were blessed with cool air with a warm sticky track. That first session saw times tumbling, which would continue to be a theme for this record-setting round. Saturday’s midday session was a bit warmer and many competitors were hoping for another good set of lap times in the late afternoon session as the sun started to go down.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be, and troubles on track in the class prior to Superlap, along with the track hours permit meant the final session was canned (that golden sunset still made for some stunning photos though, so not all was lost). Sunday morning saw a repeat of near perfect track conditions (and no fog). By the end of the weekend, 32 of the 38 drivers had set a new personal best, and the remaining six were within half a second of their existing best times. What a way to wrap up the season!

The Pro Open field was led start to finish by the Team RevolutioNZ Evo again, putting down a 1:06 straight off the trailer and eventually dropping down to a 1:04.988 — putting driver Tony Satherly within half a second of the Superlap track record set by Garth Walden in the same car at the start of the season. With only a few drives of the car under his belt, Tony is doing superb things behind the wheel and we look forward to seeing more from this partnership. Hans Ruiterman’s Nissan Silvia cut consistently fast laps all weekend with a best effort of 1:06.553, comfortably faster than his previous best which was set on full slicks (all Superlap classes are limited to DOT type tyres).

Shortty Racing Team’s Subaru WRX picked up the third spot, with driver Jason Shortt pulling a 1:11.793 out of the hat before running into some engine troubles and putting the car back on the trailer running on only two cylinders, which will no doubt keep him busy in the off season. Greg Hirst was looking to improve on his round one time (high 18’s) and smashed it in his Toyota MR2 by a good 3 seconds to finish on 1:15.952 wearing a smile from ear to ear.

David Brew’s drift machine 200sxGTR had turbo troubles in the very first session, causing him to have to make the sensible decision to load back on the trailer and save risking further damage to the turbo or engine – his first session time of 1:19.412 was enough to secure 5th place. Rounding out the Pro Open field was Maneesh Naidu in the 555 Motorsport Integra pushing just a little quicker each session and finishing the weekend on a very respectable 1:23.969.

The 2016–17 Pro Open season winner was, of course, Team RevolutioNZ. The Evo, owned by Scott Kreyl, was really humming this season and putting down consistent and reliable laps; including resetting the lap records for Pro Open at all three tracks visited. A clean sweep of the board with a win at all 5 rounds (the only car to achieve a perfect score this season) gave them the championship by an easy margin.

Hans Ruiterman made use of the new ‘best 4 of 5’ rule and opted not to run at the Manfeild round, which put a bit more pressure on him to post a good score at the final round but he did it comfortably and took out the second spot for the season. Jason Shortt came home in third after a mixed season of occasional breakages but consistent results on track.

Pro Street All Wheel Drive’s GT-R battle was just as exciting as ever. ST Hitec owner Iain Clegg decided to focus on some driver training in the absolutely mental 1450hp R35, while Andy Brooking’s R32 GT-R went under the knife for a single turbo conversion, utilizing a BorgWarner EFR9180 (more on that soon). Iain set a ridiculous 1:07.828 for the win, which is the fastest R35 GT-R to ever lap Hampton Downs in New Zealand on a DOT rated tyre — with a working stereo too! Iain has run a previous best on a full slick tyre of a 1:07-flat — just crazy for a road car, and another national record.

Remember that this class is all road legal cars and these times show the real commitment of the drivers to attacking their goals and making dreams happen. Andy joined the single digits club with very impressive 1:09.670 while keeping his signature low-key approach in the pits. Jason Xu had silver bullet back out of the stable to join the GT-R hangout, and after trying to convince us all that he wasn’t going to go fast he busted out a 1:12.200 in the shootout.

Following the GT-Rs were the three Evos in the class. Jaxon Sharp shaved three seconds off his PB to pick up 1:12.730 even with some fueling issues meaning he wasn’t able to quite get a clean lap.

Kat Benson had to do overnight repairs on a blown gasket and cracked exhaust manifold, only to run into trouble on Sunday and find herself getting some practice in practical application of fire extinguishers — Kat and the car were ok, and their Saturday morning lap time of 1:13.152 was enough to secure 5th spot for the day.

Steve Vodanovich clocked a 1:15.688 after a weekend in the 16s. Morris Mustchin’s bug eye Subaru WRX saw some last minute repairs but got to the track on schedule and laid down a 1:17.131. Rounding out the Pro Street AWD class was Shail Bhopal’s MPS with a best time of 1:21.624.

Pro Street Two Wheel Drive was headed by another single digit club member, Barry Manon in his immaculate Corolla – after being absent this season, Barry came along for the final round and set a scorching 1:08.852. Mark Collier’s super consistent MX5 looked like it might be cutting the weekend short when it went home on the trailer on Saturday, but he was back fighting fit on Sunday to run a 1:13.023. John Stewart’s Integra ran reliable 17s all weekend until the last session where he pushed hard and dropped to a 1:16.471. Brian Schofield shaved off more than 3 seconds from his round 1 time for a best of 1:16.914 in the Commodore. Jason Morris’ MPS had some brake issues but was still running a solid 1:18.252, with MacMorris Racing teammate Khan Mackesy in his MPS not far behind on 1:18.571.

Jamie Ross’ turbocharged Corolla was popular in the pits with spectators for it’s sleeper-styling, and on track it ran a 1:20.822 with upgraded brakes waiting at home to be installed after the weekend. Barend Bootha tried some landscaping in the MX5 but found better lap times down to 1:20.925 when he wasn’t off-roading. Cory Coburn stepped out from behind the camera to get behind the wheel of his s-chassis to set a 1:21.293. Bradley Haines also had his Silvia running great for a 1:23.408, while his dad made a bunch of new friends in the pits. Aaron Krinkel sat just a tenth behind on 1:23.524 to round out the ProStreet 2WD entries.

The overall season results for Pro Street saw the win go to Iain Clegg quite convincingly. Andy Brooking took out the round 2 win, but for the rest of the season couldn’t quite catch him (though it made for some fantastic rivalry and was amazing to watch both cars and drivers improve in leaps and bounds every event). The third spot for the season went to Kat Benson Racing in the Burgerfuel Evo – Kat, like Hans, opted to skip the Manfeild round and her consistent results throughout the rest of the season ensured she stayed in a podium spot.

Street All Wheel Drive was lacking for entries after a couple of Evos had their seasons cut short, leaving just two competitors on the grid this round. Simon Turner’s Evokits Evo was aiming for a 12 but on the day had to be happy with a 1:13.132 for the class win. Michael Nealis put down a 1:22.663 for the second place spot after missing a few laps due to transponder issues.

Street Two Wheel Drive belonged to Matt Gray’s Supra. Like Simon, he was aiming for a 12 and made it easily with a 1:12.269 with room for more to come. Darren McDonald’s Calais dropped down into the 15s for a 1:15.671, and his usual flair-filled driving style being a crowd favourite. Joe Ardagh enjoyed a weekend where most things went to plan and his Civic brought home a 1:19.176. Peach Ardagh was hot on his heels with a 1:19.355 (a whopping 10-seconds off her PB from the final round last season in her previous car). Adam Ostermeyer struggled with handling in his MX5 but was still able to break the 1:20 barrier for a best of 1:19.757. Jakke Haag’s Clio made its presence known on the track and recorded a 1:19.883. Texas Delaney had his MX5 back to the track for an improvement over his round 1 time to finish on 1:21.486. Matt Carter dipped his Civic’s toes into the Superlap pool and clocked a 1:22.420. Aaron Soole’s Civic smashed out a 1:24.054. Jake Ingledew had his new Integra out for a play and came home with a 1:25.956, while DTR teammate Jordan Williams piloted his MX5 to a 1:34.277.

The overall Street King title was the most hotly contested trophy for the season. Coming into the final round it could have been taken out by any of three cars: an Evo, a Calais, or a Supra. All three drivers needed to bring their A-game, and it seemed that all of the spectators and other drivers got behind the competition and had their own favourites to cheer for. Matt Gray’s new superlap track record proved too hard to beat and left the others in the dust for him to take home the trophy by a margin of a single point. Simon Turner’s Evokits Evo sat in second place, and Darren McDonald’s Calais taking the third podium spot. Such a variety of cars in the top spots really does show that, while some platforms may be more popular than others, great results can come from anywhere. Drive what you’ve got!

The end of season prizegiving isn’t just a time to reward those placegetters in their classes, but also an opportunity to recognise some special achievements outside of those classes, by way of the ‘off track’ awards.

Best Engineered Racecar (sponsored by Llama Engineering) was awarded to Mark Collier’s MX5, it’s a clean and reliable build with aero improvements that are showing real tangible results on the track.
Most Reliable Racecar (sponsored by Llama Engineering) went to Team Engineered to Feel. Joe has driven his car to and from each round this season, while Peach’s car has been consistent all season even if it’s a bit of a trailer queen.
Best Presented Racecar (sponsored by TimeAttackR.com) also went to a team, this time Team MacMorris Racing. Over the season the team campaigned four different cars, always presented in matching livery and polished up ready for the photographers.
Most Improved Driver (sponsored by Llama Engineering) was awarded to Brian Schofield not only for the improvements in his driving but also the work on developing his car for the series.
Most Fully Rekt (sponsored by The Lab) is a special ‘evolving’ trophy for a car that has experienced significant breakages – this year it’s gone back to its creator, Glenn Hodges.
Most Tenacious Driver (sponsored by Fobo Tyre NZ) went to Bradley Haines for his efforts in rebuilding to his signature show car presentation in a tight two-week timeframe after a tyre wall impact at Manfeild before the next round at Taupo – then getting out there to smash out a new personal best.
Best Sportsmanship (sponsored by Motul NZ) recognises the efforts of a driver to support others, with help in the pits, or general encouragement. Iain Clegg and the ST Hitec crew were an easy choice for this award.
Superlap Ambassador (sponsored by Fobo Tyre NZ) went to Jason Shortt for his work in promoting Superlap, including making himself available for the commentary box during events, flying the superlap flag (literally) at other events, and actively getting word about Superlap out there on social media platforms.

Huge thanks to HRC for hosting the event, and all of the officials and volunteers who make these days run, also to 4&Rotary and V Energy for their long-standing support of the series. And last but most certainly not least, to the drivers for investing the time and money to bring their pride and joy out of the garage to take part in the series – it’s been an amazing season and we can’t wait to see updates as off-season upgrades get under way.

Images brought to you by ST Hitec Ltd courtesy of René Vermeer/Glen Mcnamara

StreetattackR: Andy Brooking’s street driven 750HP R32 GT-R

“With a 750HP Tomei 2.8-litre under the bonnet, Andy Brooking’s R32 GT-R is one serious track car. And yes, it’s street legal! ”

We all know street cars don’t come much tougher than an R32 GT-R. Throw some extra boost down their throats, some wide wheels and tyres, and some lower shocks and springs, and you’ve got a staunch, yet extremely capable street car. Add forged, stroked internals though, and you’ve got an R32 GT-R that can pick up the milk on the weekend dairy run, and scare the big players in our New Zealand’s local time attack series, NZ Superlap.

We’ve known Andy for a wee while now, but we’ve never had the time to crawl over his R32 GT-R, as to be honest, it’s just too busy cutting laps around the numerous circuits we’ve spotted it at. Whether it be Pukekohe Park Race, Hampton Downs Raceway, The Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, or Manfeild, Andy’s R32 is right at home and driven to each one on it’s own power. With a strong love for GT-Rs since Andy was 16 years old, one of his own was always on the cards, however, it wasn’t just the legendary status of the successful platform that drew him in, he explains, “ The technology of their day, looks, and performance drew me in, but mostly the sound.”

After first purchasing this particular GT-R a few whiskers past the turn of the millennium, Andy started modifying it how most of us would; an exhaust, intercooler kit, and en ECU reflash by good friend of Andy’s, Robin at Torque Performance, netted decent figures for the time, however in 2003 the engine broke it’s oil pump. “Soichi Tate of ST Hitec sourced the parts needed for a forged 2.6-litre engine, and with the help of Joe Kyle of Joe’s Mechanical, we built the motor which Soichi then tuned on an A’PEXi Power FC ECU,” Andy tells us.

With a car just over a decade old, Andy was soon turning heads, and the aforementioned upgrades and tuned netted a massive 378kW at the hubs, propelling the GT-R down the quarter mile in 11.1-seconds. However, as adrenalin pumping as drag racing is, Andy soon became bored of drag racing, he says, “I became bored of drag racing primarily due to the stopages from weather and oil downs. I was also ejected from Meremere Dragway before running a 10-second pass. I did however return in 2016 with Soichi, and run a 10.9-second pass at 213kph which was with a more power 450kW tune.”

Having raced several different performance vehicles in the late ‘90s, including a few Hondas and a Nissan Silvia, Andy has always had a love affair with the twists and turns of New Zealand’s circuits. After being invited to a track day in 2004 at the longer 1.3km Taupo circuit, Andy was hooked. So much so, that Andy began hiring his favourite circuit annually for GT-R and Supra owners, which is a highlight of the year for numerous enthusiasts around the country.

“I was an admirer of Scott Kreyl’s Mitsubishi Evolution and Barry Manon’s AE92 Levin at the first Superlap competitions, but I knew my car was not capable of doing that well, so I never intended to compete,” Andy continues, “In 2016 several friends were in the current competition, enjoying great comradery, and I entered the final round at Hampton Downs Raceway. I really enjoyed the event and testing the car, while putting myself under the microscope. Since then, I have taken part in this 2016/2017 series and enjoyed trying to foot it with the best in the local scene with a car that despite its many years of development, is one of the oldest competing and running at what I would call road car ride height and alignment settings with a manual transmission. It’s challenging to get these times from an old car, even with 750hp+ — it still needs to go around corners and stop!”

Currently, Andy’s R32 is at a happy medium, now running a Tomei 2.8-litre stroker kit and twin HKS 2530 Kai turbos outputting 530kW, however there’re some plans on the cards to improve response and performance. A single turbo kit is the plan from this point, but Andy is currently toying with the idea of building something circuit specific. With a passion for touring, putting on tamer tyres and spoilers to enjoy the open road, we think that might be a good idea before things get wildly out of hand.

Whatever Andy decides, with a love for Japanese performance products, high-powered RBs, and the race track, it’ll no doubt be entertaining. All the best Andy, we’ll see you at the NZ Superlap Final round!

Engine: RB26DETT, Tomei 2.8-litre stroker kit, N1 86.5mm bore, Nismo bearings, head ported to Group A specs, Naprec valves, Tomei Pro Cams, lifters, springs, guides and Ti retainers, Nismo GT intake manifold, Trust 115mm twin entry intercooler, HKS/Blitz induction kit, Slater fabrication piping, twin HKS 2530 Kai turbos, HKS internal wastegates, ARC BOVs x2, 1400cc injectors, HKS fuel rail, twin Aeromotive 340lph main pumps, Sard surge tank, Nismo lift pump, HKS DLi, Splitfire coils, NGK Iridium race plugs, twin HPI 70mm dump pipes, RS*R 70x2 - 85mm ex-mag front pipe, Tomei 90mm Ti exhaust, Tabata 45mm radiator, Auto Staff frost plug delete kit, Sard swirl pot, Nismo thermostat, Trust oil cooler, Link G4+, Dtech Motorsport trigger kit, Continental Flex fuel sensor, Dtech Motorsport boost controller, Trust sump, ATi race damper
Driveline: BNR34 Getrag six-speed gearbox, Nismo G-Max II twin-plate clutch, Nismo chromoly flywheel, Nismo GT Pro TT rear diff, Nismo GT LSD front 1.5-way diff, BNR32 4.11 final-drive
Suspension: HKS Racing remote reservoir coilovers, HKS racing springs, Fujimura Ti strut brace, NAMS camber arms and castor. Cusco front sway bar
Braking: Brembo F50 front calipers, Biot 370mm front rotors, PMU 999 pads, APP lines, V36 330mm rear rotors, PMU 999 pads, Auto Select master cylinder
Wheels and Tyres: Rays TE37 SL 18x11 (+15) Advan A050 295/30R18 Medium Compound
Body: KH2 Gunmetal paint, Trust front bumper, First rear diffuser, custom front diffuser, Nismo Group A side skirts, Trust end caps, Sard Fuji GT wing, Do Luck bonnet duct
Interior: Bride Brix driver's seat, Superior Auto seat covers, OMP Steering wheel, OEM 300kph Speedo, Omori oil temp, pressure and voltage gauges, Blitz boost gauge, Blitz fuel pressure, Cage Fx half cage
Performance: 525kw at the hubs (1.75bar of boost with an E35 mix)
Thanks: Soichi Tate, Joe Kyle, Taylor Automotive, Tony Satherley, Dave Heerdegen, my wife Michelle and friends who have helped along the way

Event Report: Prowear NZ Superlap Series RD4

“Round 4 - Barry Algie Memorial: Taupo International Circuit - Images brought to you by ST Hitec Ltd”

April 2017 marks the celebration of a decade of Superlap in New Zealand. A lot has changed since the inaugural NZ Performance Car Superlap competition, but it’s even more special to see that so many faces from the first few years are still active in motorsport and time attack racing. The ProWear NZ Superlap Series in association with newest series sponsor, Endless Brakes, returned to the Taupo International Circuit for round four of the 2016–17 season. Riding on the tail of Cyclone Debbie it was hard to get a measure on what track conditions to prepare for, but the weather stepped up for a weekend of sunshine and a dry track both days.

The Pro Open battle was close, with only a few hundredths of a second between the top two cars in the shootout, but the weekend belonged to Scott Kreyl and Team RevolutioNZ. Kreyl won the first Superlap competition back in 2007 with the very same Evo 8 he still campaigns today – although it’s no longer road legal and has been through a heap of development and sports much crazier aero.

Kreyl put up the original trophy for grabs for the fastest lap of the weekend – but it wasn’t a total surprise to anyone to see it go right back to him with a time of 1:31.976.

Second place went to Hans Ruiterman after smashing a gearbox dog ring on Saturday in his Silvia and having to find a replacement part overnight and rebuild the gearbox trackside on Sunday morning instead of having a relaxing breakfast – all worth it though, as he pulled out a 1:32.524 in the shootout.

Third spot on the podium was the Shortty Racing Team Spec C WRX, also sporting a fresh gearbox rebuild from earlier in the week and running well to bring home a new PB of 1:39.665.

Greg Hirst had a fantastic weekend, knocking a couple of seconds off his target time of a 46 to achieve a 1:44.309 in his V6 MR2 racecar. David Brew was still chasing engine troubles and ended up heading home on Saturday but not before setting a 1:51.004 which was good enough for 5th. Kerri Mareeba took the SRT WRX to stretch it’s legs around the track on the Saturday morning session for 1:54.513, Maneesh Naidu returned with the 555 Racing Integra to smash out some fun laps and get down to 1:55.801. Rounding out the Pro Open field was newcomer, Nicholas Willis setting a 1:56.703 in his Corolla.

Pro Street AWD continued to be the realm of GT-R Skylines. The win and a new NZ Superlap Taupo International track record went to Iain Clegg’s 1450hp Nissan GT-R R35 monster with 1:34.472. If you’ve never heard this machine out on a circuit, you’re missing out. It sounds like a jet taking off, and then you realise there’s a man inside trying to tame it.

Andy Brooking’s Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 was just a few seconds off pace, but still putting down consistent fast laps and a best of 1:37.913. Next up was Kat Benson’s eye-catching Mitsubishi Evo — clutch issues meant limited hot laps for Kat and a fastest of 1:39.923 which is a good few seconds away from per PB on this track. Not wanting to damage the Evo any further, Kat retired for the afternoon to get the Evo back to Auckland for a check over.

Jaxon Sharp was able to break into the 40s with 1:40.683 while hot on his tail was Jason Xu’s R35 Skyline ‘silverbullet’ recording a 1:40.755 with William Yu at the wheel. Steve Vodanovich returned to Superlap after getting some good results at the Jamboree round — he was setting consistent 45s all weekend but the late morning Sunday session finally saw him dip down to a 1:44.931.

Morris Mustchin decided that his WRX no longer required 3rd gear on Sunday morning – cutting his opportunity for some fast laps and finishing on a 1:45.962 — Morris had headed back to the garage to make sure the WRX is fighting fit for the final round.

Pro Street 2WD honours went to Mark Collier’s MX5 after only completing Saturday’s sessions and posting 1:41.211 — then Mark was back on the road to race in a different series on Sunday - double duty for the little car. Jason Morris’ MacMorris Racing MPS made the jump up to second and 1:47.067 after spending most of the season picking up third placings.

John Stewart’s ITR integra nudged into third spot with his time of 1:48.197 set in the very first session of the weekend. Brian Schofield ran a 1:49.177 but had an otherwise dubious weekend; a flat tyre on the tow up and brake issues. We heard a rumour that he’s just going to drive the race car from Wellington to Auckland next time he needs to race, which may provide even more colourful travel stories.

Barend Bootha’s Mazda MX-5 pulled out a best lap of 1:50.184, while Aaron Krinkel has his sights set on the prize for entering the most different classes over a single season, this time back in his MPS but with different tyres, though he couldn’t quite match his time from earlier in the year and had to settle for a 1:53.419. Sahil Bhopal made a flying visit down on Sunday and almost missed the first session after leaving his transponder at home, but got it all sorted and made it to grid on time and ran a 1:55.256.

Bradley Haines had a very busy few weeks repairing the Savage Performance S14 after his wall-kiss at Jamboree, but he got it done and beat any shaky nerves to get back on the track and smash out a new PB of 1:56.395. Khan Macksey had to leave the MPS in the shed after some issues but came down as MacMorris racing support in his Mazda 6 daily – I’m sure nobody was surprised to see him fit up a fire extinguisher, slap on some track wheels and head out onto the circuit on Sunday for a bit of fun north of 2-minutes.

Street All Wheel Drive is looking like a hospital ward for Evos at this end of the season – some great close contenders at the start of the season being out for a variety of different reasons. The last Evo standing is Simon Turner’s Evokits racecar. Simon came close to the car’s existing record but fell a few tenths short, he will still be happy with a 1:41.457, but less happy to encounter more issues over the weekend — back to the garage before the final round we suspect. Second spot after completing just one session on the new engine was the Subaru Legacy GT-B wagon driven by Michael Nealis, opting not to head back on track after noticing a fluid leak issue and deciding to play it safe and bank the 1:55.192.

Street 2WD was shaping up to be another close battle between the Supra and the Calais, but Matt Gray’s Supra was really humming and took out the class by almost 3 seconds with a 1:41.210 — an incredible time using street-legal Westlake Sport RS tyres.

Darren McDonald piloted the 555 Racing Calais around in 1:43.922 and, more importantly, showed his great driving skill and car control to narrowly avoid what could have been a very unpleasant collision after the Evokits car spun at turn one. There were plenty of gasps from spectators watching that one.

Peach Ardagh took home third and a new PB of 1:48.147, while husband Joe came within a breath of catching her and posted a 1:48.754 after battling car troubles throughout the day. Adam Ostermeyer joined the series for his first superlap event, pulling out a 1:49.906 and some very consistently fast laps. Jakke Haag set his best time of the weekend in the first session, clocking 1:50.037 then staying in the 50s but not quite able to squeeze more out of the car. Aaron Soole shaved 4 seconds off his January time and got a 1:54.863 out of the Civic.

Iain Clegg’s crew member, Leo, took out his daily for a play and managed to push it under the 2 minute barrier for a best of 1:58.997, while the MacMorris Racing Mini with Raewyn Morris couldn’t break the 2 minute barrier but set some very consistent laps the entire weekend.

Thanks to the drivers, crews, supporters, officials, volunteers and marshals who come together to make these rounds happen. It’s not long now until the final round on the Hampton National track on May 6–7, and the season prizegiving.

Plenty of drivers are pushing not just for good series results, but also hoping to set new PBs and track records at Hampton, so we can’t wait to see the outcome of all the developments that are happening in sheds right now. We’ll see ya there!

TimeattackR: Affinis Motor Sports Silvia S14 — USA

Oh how we love it when a plan comes together. When North Carolina-based Affinis Motorsport owner John Markadakis sent the TimeattackR.com team through images of his gorgeous RB-powered Nissan Silvia S14 facelift, we had to know more. A few in-depth emails later, and John had sent through the required specs, images, and information for your viewing pleasure.

It’s funny; if you told us you had an RB-powered Nissan Silvia here at home in New Zealand, we would have told you to get in line. The drool-worthy swap is done on a regular basis in the land of the long white cloud, but not so much in the United States of America. We love it when international enthusiasts reach out to us, and John Markadakis is a hardcore Japanese performance car enthusiast with his very own performance parts business in North Carolina, named Affinis Motorsport.

Originally starting out his modifying days in Texas, it was Hondas that first drew John into the modifying realm. After modifying a Honda Prelude Type SH for some time, John’s ‘90s Nissan obsession was starting to create an annoying itch — the only problem, though, was that it was a Skyline that he was after. And, if you’ve heard about the excessively strict import laws with the most-wanted tuning platform, you’ll know that was never going to happen. The natural progression was to an S-chassis, and with 240SXs in a strong abundance John managed to find an already RB-swapped Silvia S14 facelift. With the graceful, highly tunable chassis of the S14 paired with the beating heart of John’s dream car, it was all was coming together, or so he thought…

Purchased with known problems – all fixable in John’s eyes – he set to work ordering performance parts for the build, however, it was all extremely short-lived, as the discovered internals of the RB25DET NEO engine John had inherited would soon rain on the parade. No, RB26 pistons and crank are not compatible with the NEO head, which unfortunately for John, meant completely replacing the motor.

Not a bad thing though, as what was learned from this experience was that if this build was going to stand the test of time, time must be the sacrifice. As John’s business developed, and several cars came and went, the project sat dormant, waiting for when the influxes of the highest level components arrived. “I always had this magic number of 500WHP in mind. I went though several turbo setups, using what I could afford at the time. I ran into turbo reliability problems with Precision, and Holset, and had bad boost creep due to cheaper manifolds I was using. I eventually learned the hard way that good parts are worth saving and waiting for,” John told us.

As the engine sits now, it’s a 372kW (500hp) R34 RB25DET engine, force fed by a BorgWarner EFR 8374, which is internally gated and sits on top of a billet twin-scroll EFR manifold. After binning the A’PEXi Power FC that came with the build, the swift switch was made to an AEM Infinity unit which harmoniously tunes the Injector Dynamics ID1000 injectors with the onslaught of boost pressure the RB now handles.

Backing the RB engine is an R34 five-speed gearbox, Nismo G-Max twin-plate clutch paired with a Nismo G-Max flywheel. As no factory diff was going to provide any sort of traction or reliability, a KAAZ Super Pro two-way clutch-type was installed. Once the mechanical differential outputs the power, the final deliverance makes its way to the tarmac via 18x11-inch Rays TE37SL wheels shod in 315/30R18 Falken RT615K track tyres. Front end grip comes via an array of braces, arms, FEAL coilovers, and 18x10.5-inch Rays TE37SL wheels with 265/40R18 Falken RT615K tyres.

So, we now know how this highly-tuned S-chassis makes, and gets the power down, but as you all know that’s only the beginning with a time attack vehicle as the aero is one of the most vital components. John’s S14 now runs a wide range of GP Sports best gear, including the front bumper cover, side skirts, and rear bumper cover. A Yashio Factory hood protects and vents heat from the engine bay, while the Chargespeed 20mm front and 50mm rear overfenders allow the much needed tyre space. Instead of opting for a common Voltex wing, John decided upon the Sard GT 1700mm unit that tie in beautifully with the RIZE Japan carbon fibre canards. Front-end downforce has been taken care of with a Anointed Aero carbon fibre front splitter.

“The biggest challenge to date was hunting down someone who could take care of the body work the right way. The car sat for a year with its aero kit unpainted because I kept running into body shop hiccups. I’m grateful that Eastern Wake Collision in NC took care of the project and did the job extremely well,” John explained to us.

John plans on running the Silvia in basic HPDE events so he can further develop and get a feel for the car. With the current build quality as it sits, John’s passion for the time attack racing scene, and a drive to build a highly competitive well-sorted race car, this is one build we will definitely be following in the future.

“The car has been great to me and has definitely taught me everything I know today about building cars. We’ve been through a lot — she’s on motor number four now, has had four turbo setups on it, and two different engine management setups. I love the evolution and constant change as the car gets better and I’m glad I can finally get to enjoy it,” John tells us, concluding his story.

A HUGE thanks to Final Form USA for the imagery!

Vehicle: Nissan Silvia 240SX (S14)
Engine: R34 RB25DET Neo 6 Turbo, four-inch Carbon inlet w/AEM Dryflow filter, BorgWarner EFR 8374 w/internal wastegate (.92AR) T4 Divided turbine housing, Raw Brokerage Billet twin-scroll EFR turbo manifold, Turbosmart twin-port wastegate actuator, Turbosmart BOV cover for EFR, Injector Dynamics ID1000 injectors, AEM fuel pressure regulator, Walbro 485 in-tank fuel pump, Radium fuel rail, -8AN / -6AN Aeroquip lines, Custom three-inch downpipe with flex elbow, three-inch custom exhaust system with Reinhard Ti Muffler, Griffin Radiator, Nismo thermostat, Flex-A-Lite dual 12-inch pusher fans. Setrab Oil Cooler, Grex cooling adapter, AEM Infinity 6, Wiring Specialties pro harness customized to include; oil pressure, oil temp, air temp, wideband, boost control, fuel pressure, CAN bus for Race Capture Pro MKII data logger/telemetry with android tablet for dash display/lap time, HKS timing belt, R33 front subframe, Syko Performance mount kit
Driveline: R34 RB25DET Neo five-speed gearbox, Nismo G-Max twin-plate clutch (pull type R34 GT-R), Nismo G-Max flywheel, KAAZ super pro 2-way clutch type, Driveshaft shop aluminum driveshaft, stainless steel braided clutch line, brake lines, billet differential bushings, Energy Suspension; subframe/steering rack bushes, Peak Performance poly transmission mount
Suspension: FEAL Suspension/Megan Racing race coilovers, Voodoo13 billet front tension rods, Voodoo13 billet rear upper control arms, Voodoo13 rear toe links, Voodoo13 billet rear traction rods, Peak Performance inner tie rod, GKTECH outer tie rods, SIKKY RB-swap front sway bar
Braking: Project MU front brakes, Z32 two-piston rear brakes, Z32 master cylinder
Interior: Recaro SPG seats, Momo MOD70 steering wheel, Autosport Labs Race Capture Pro MKII , Nexus 7 Tablet, BadFish Performance rollcage, BadFish Performance rear fender mini-tubs, BadFish Performance sheet metal Interior panels, Pride Motorsports/Robot Racing dry carbon dash, Takata six-point Profi harnesses , Street Faction front & rear bash bars w/tow strap mount, Street Faction heel-up plates, Cusco steering wheel hub, carbon radiator cooling panel, Aerocatch Hood & Trunk Latches, K-Sport air jack system
Body: GP Sports G-Four front bumper cover, GP Sports G-Four side skirts, GP Sports rear bumper cover, JDM OEM S14 Kouki headlamps, URAS Type 1 grille, URAS bonnet/hood spoiler, Ganador powered side mirrors, Yashio Factory carbon hood, ChargeSpeed front wide fenders (+20mm), ChargeSpeed rear wide over fenders (+50mm), CAR SHOP GLOW Hand Made LED tail lights, SARD GT 1700mm Wing, Anointed Aero carbon fiber front splitter, RIZE JAPAN carbon fiber canards
Wheels and Tyres: (F) Rays TE37SL (18x10.5-inch +15), (R) Rays TE37SL (18x11-inch +18), (F) Falken AZENIS RT615K (265/40/18), (R) Falken AZENIS RT615K (315/30/18)

Event Gallery: Prowear NZ Superlap RD1 through the eyes of Glen McNamara

When you're in a pickle, it's those who help you out that are the true legends out there. One of those legends who helped TimeattackR.com out, was Glen McNamara, as we were short a photographer for the first round of the Prowear NZ Superlap Series starting at the end of 2016. We asked Glen to shoot for us on the regular if possible, so here's a bit of a background on the lad. Enjoy the album from Sunday of the first round, brought to you by Glen. Over to you Glen!

Glen McNamara
Ever since I was young I have had an obsession with taking photos and a love for cars. I was always eager for Dad to bring his camera out so I could use it. I have a massive interest in the automotive scene, previously owning a worked Subaru Legacy B4 RSK and a Toyota AE86.

I got my first DSLR kit set in 2013 and that's where the addiction really took off — I have upgraded my gear a lot since then to a more professional setup. I've shot numerous large motorsport events in New Zealand including the official photos for D1NZ and V 4&Rotary Nationals. Other major events I have photographed include Hampton Downs 101 and the NZ Festival of Motor Racing. My brand is Omegah Photography, and I've also photographed for Speed Nation, and now, TimeattackR.com. Enjoy the album guys and gals!

StreetattackR: Logan Foster's gravel-munching streeter

Sometimes it's refreshing looking at a super clean factory vehicle. It can be a bone stock high-performance Euro, or in this case, Logan Foster's 2012 Mitsubishi Evo X. A tough street car capable of extraordinary things, Logan wanted an Evo X to stand out from the rest of the V–IXs out there. With a 221kW 4B11T engine from the factory, they're no slouch and paired with a tough five-speed gearbox, you have a reliable package capable of quick lap times, or just a few cheeky street pulls. Our favourite addition to Logan's Evo are the wheels.

The 18x9.5-inch Volk Rays ZE40 wheels are wrapped in drool-worthy (for the street anyway) Dunlop Z1 tyres measuring a bull-dog-like 265/35R18. Instead of the usual on-circuit photo shoot, or pit arena shoot, we opted to photograph Logan's Evo on the gravel (sorry for getting it dusty mate!).

We've just been told Logan has purchased an Exedy Hyper Single clutch, so perhaps there are some engine upgrades on the horizon! What's your favourite generation Evo? Old-school, or the newer more modern equivalents?

Event Report: Prowear NZ Superlap RD2 through the eyes of Team RevolutioNZ

During a race series, such as the Prowear NZ Superlap Series, it’s easy to make assumptions. From the outside, it might appear that a team has things under control, or their driver can’t drive, or that’s just simply how well, or how poorly their vehicle performs. This happened plenty last season, mainly with the Team RevolutioNZ monster Mitsubishi Evolution. From the outside, times weren’t what they should be, and many out there didn’t know any better. At the end of last season, Team RevolutioNZ reached out to us and told us of their troubles with the Evo. A cracked block had been the stem of most of the issues last season, so this season we asked if we could be updated after each round so you all know what is going on with the fastest time attack car in New Zealand. After all, we all have much to learn from Team RevolutioNZ. Alright, enough from us, over to you Team RevolutioNZ.

Team RevolutioNZ.

We struggled at the second round of the Prowear NZ Superlap Series, mainly with setup issues. This resulted in Garth driving around issues, such as ‘hop’, with our data showing a 30kph discrepancy between the front left and right wheels.

Another issue this season has been the Schedule A aero rule, which we think in total has cost us 1.4-seconds around Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park. Pushing hard to overcome this, we also torched a brand new set of Advan A050s without any noticeable improvement in times over an older, used set.

As a comparison, the Tilton Evo gains two seconds per lap on a set of green tyres around Eastern Creek. Basically, Schedule A is seriously limiting our lap times. Alongside these issues, our data showed we were experiencing clutch slip under power, but even after softening the power delivery, we lost 0.3-seconds.

Another issue we had at this round was heat. Despite making up an intercooler sprayer which emptied five litres of ice cold water during just one lap, temperatures peaked at 78-degrees celsius by mid-lap causing a power loss of 140hp at the wheels by the top hairpin.

Although times have improved since Taupo last season (which we knew they would) it was only by 1.5-seconds. This was a bit disappointing considering we ran the earlier event on a five-year-old set of tyres and had a massive boost leak, but had our big aero. Problems aside and with the big front splitter, we should see times in the 1:26-range. The current data from the weekend had the car at a lap time of 1:27.4 if we joined our best sector times into one lap.

Because of the intake temp issue, the car is having a turbo and intercooler upgrade prior to the Manfeild round (RD3). We will be installing a BorgWarner EFR 9180 and a custom Hypertune-built aero-tube intercooler. We will miss the Mad Mike Summer Bash round due to this upgrade but are planning to attack the final round at the international track in an attempt to beat whatever time is set under the current NZ Superlap governing rules.

Until then,

Team RevolutioNZ.

Event Report: Prowear NZ Superlap Series RD2 2017

Photos: René Vermeer

The Prowear NZ Superlap series kicked off the new year with a weekend at Taupo’s Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park’s international circuit. The rain stayed away, and although the track got a little slippery later in the weekend it was still good enough to smash the current NZ Superlap track records in all three classes — yes all three!

The Pro Open field was missing Andy Duffin’s 3 Rotor Racing RX-7 this weekend, so some might have expected the Team RevolutioNZ Evo 8 to take it easy — however, this wasn’t the case at all. Scott Kreyl is finally starting to see some real results from this car, running extremely consistent and out on track all weekend.

With three-time World Time Attack Championship winning driver Garth Walden behind the wheel, every lap posted was at least a second quicker than the previous track record that the team had set last season. Their best time of the weekend, easily taking out the class was a 1:28.487 — Garth is an absolute animal!

Second place went to Hans Ruiterman’s Nissan Silvia S14. After doing some early testing laps on slicks, Hans switched over to an older set of semis to put down a 1:33.918 before heading home early to try and beat the holiday traffic.

This result also puts Hans into second spot on the series leaderboard. All of this with minor head gasket issues!

Rounding out the podium was Jason Shortt of Shortty Racing’s Subaru WRX STI, looking much sharper after getting some paintwork sorted over the holiday period. Jason started the weekend well with a 1:41.171 but fell off a ripple strip in the second session resulting in a buckled wheel. Overnight repairs (read: large hammer and friendly Taupo garage) saw Kerri Mareeba take the wheel on Sunday morning for a slow test lap somewhere over the wrong side of 2 minutes, but enough to decide the car was safe enough to send Jason out again for some hot laps, however he wasn’t able to beat his Saturday time.

Fourth place in the Open class went to David Brew, who spent a chunk of the weekend trying to coax his Hybrid Nissan 200SX GT-R into going straight rather than sideways, which can be an effort at the best of times on the twisty Taupo track, let alone when you’re driving a car that has been setup for drifting. David teamed up with David van der Haas (of Dave Science) to play with tyre pressures and other extraordinary wizardry cut times down to a solid 1:49.826.

Pro Street All Wheel Drive was a return of everyone’s favourite battle of NZ’s fastest street-driven GT-Rs. Andy Brooking’s first session on track in his R32 was a 1:37.230 (beating the Pro Street record held by Barry Manon’s mental Toyota Levin AE92, by 0.3 seconds).

Iain Clegg was a second behind in his R35 but kept pushing through the weekend to get down to a 1:37.511 on Sunday morning. Iain’s GPS laptimer was on the blink and showing quicker times, so Iain came out in the afternoon on slicks — using up his daily tyre change before realizing his official times hadn’t quite matched Andy.

Gutting for the ST HiTec team, but they still had a lot of fun in the shootout on full slicks for a new personal unofficial best.

Third place went to Katherine Benson in the Burgerfuel Mitsubishi Evo VII. Kat missed out on the Taupo rounds last season, so took a few laps to get back in the zone before punching back hard with a 1:38.208 as her best time of the weekend.

Morris Mustchin made the most of the top 10 shootout late on Sunday to do his best lap of 1:46.714 in his Subaru WRX STI V7. You know you’ve got a versatile car when you can drive it to the track, race it, sleep in it, race it again, then drive it all the way back home without missing a beat. Sahil Bhopal didn’t run on Saturday, so just had a few laps on Sunday to get his Mazda down to a 1:58.517.

The Pro Street 2 Wheel drive class had a shake up with the appearance of Dion Clerke we’ve seen Dion in Superlap before with his Nissan Skyline R32 GTS-T, but this weekend he had his Honda Integra at the track and was pushing it hard against Mark Collier’s ‘WEE 1’ turbo MX5. There wasn’t much in it, but Dion was able to take the class win with 1:46.857 while Mark slid into second spot on 1:47.082.

Brian Matchett spent the weekend chasing, but wasn’t able to better his first session time of 1:47.832. Team MacMorris Racing were up next, Jason in the black #333 Mazda MPS with a 1:47.912 (pulling double duty after coming directly from a holiday road trip) and Khan Mackesy in the red #77 Mazda MPS on 1:49.560.

Brian Schofield’s Commodore ran all weekend, including Friday for practice and driver training, without missing a beat for a best time of 1:51.257.

David van der Haas was another competitor who had taken the race car out for a holiday road trip vehicle followed by a side step to the track complete with all camping gear packed into the back of his 3SGE Beams-powered Toyota Carina. David laid down a 1:51.661 in between taking photos and doing research on car setup for about half the field. Barend Bootha had his first Superlap outing in his immaculately presented MX-5, for a 1:52.314 before alternator issues cut his weekend short.

Rounding out the 2WD field was Bradley Haines in his Savage Performance Nissan Silvia S14, smashing out a new pb of 1:57.877 for the Taupo International circuit — not bad for an SR20DE!

Street All Wheel Drive was a small field, made even smaller by a ripple strip drop-off in the first session for Luke Wellacott’s Evo X, cracking two rims and putting an end to racing for him before even getting to post a laptime.

The class win went to Team Evokits owned by Simon Turner. With Hans Ruiterman behind the wheel they set a new Street class record of 1:41.023 (beating out the previous record of 1:42.175 set by Glenn Hodges’ 300zx in the two-wheel drive class last season).

The Evokits Evo then saw regular driver Simon Turner step back in and get behind the wheel for a 1:42.465. Second place went to Luke Parker, who was also spotted in Taupo making use of the services of the friendly tyre guy at the ‘Wheel Addiction’ garage. Luke managed to get down from the mid 1:50’s to a 1:46.379 over the course of the weekend. Michael Nealis had the Subaru wagon out for it’s last run on the current engine, putting down a 1:53.080 to take out the final podium position.

Our final class, Street two-wheel drive was taken out by Darren McDonald again, carefully sliding the big family car around the track for a 1:43.694. Matt Gray tried everything to keep up, including taking off the big wing from his Supra (and quickly putting it straight back on after noting it was three-seconds slower and a lot more sketchy without the aero assistance).

Matt also had some dramas with his heater hose going for a walk, but was able to sort that out quickly and ended the weekend with a 1:44.242.

The Engineered to Feel husband and wife team took out third and fourth. Peach Ardagh in her black ‘Coke Zero’ K24-powered EK9 Civic Type R managed a 1:49.193, while Joe Ardagh followed closely behind in the maroon B18CR-powered EK3 Civic with a new pb of 1:50.318.

Joe appeared to have a few mechanical issues but was able to get them all fixed trackside and not miss out on any racing.

Just three points separate Joe and Peach on the season leaderboard at this stage.

Jakke Haag’s unlikely racer, a Renault Clio is deceptively quick and came home with a 1:50.848. Aaron Krinkel’s MPS was consistent all weekend and set a best of 1:52.238 on Sunday morning. Texas Delaney’s MX5 ran 1:53s for most of the weekend but was able to pull out a 1:52.973 early Sunday. Greg Hirst was back behind the wheel of his red MR2 (affectionately known as ‘gutless’) while his blue Pro Open MR2 is still out of action. ‘Gutless’ put up a good fight and came home with a respectable 1:56.403. Aaron Soole was on the wrong side of 2 minutes, achingly close to breaking the barrier until the very last session where he smashed it hard and ducked under for a great 1:58.979.

Series Coordinator Kaz Kostiuk Warren took the BMW E30 for a kick around and will have been happy with a 2:02.169 and a working car to get him home safely at the end of the weekend (next time out we hope to see his new car debut).

As always, a huge thanks to the event hosts, HRC and all of the officials, volunteers and marshals who are out there all weekend in the heat and the wind making sure we can have fun on the track – don’t forget to give these folks a wave and a smile when you see them around. It’s a long hiatus till our next points round, 25th & 26th March at Manfeild Park (combined with the V 4&Rotary Jamboree). If you can’t wait that long to see some of these Superlap cars in action, check out the Super Rounds: Mad Mike’s Summer Bash at Hampton Downs Raceway Feb 18, and the South Island Super Round at Highlands Motorsport Park in late February.

Until next time!

Event Gallery: NZ Superlap RD1 through the eyes of Maria Panova

When I received the unfortunate news that I couldn't make the trip to the first round of the current Prowear NZ Superlap series, I was gutted. Who would cover one of the coolest racing series in New Zealand? As soon as I realised I needed a photographer, there was one name who sprung to mind; Maria Panova. She's got some serious skills behind the camera and when she told me she was available that weekend, I was over the moon! Enjoy the complete photo set from the event and we'll see you at the second round, January 7–8, at the Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park!

Images: Maria Panova

StreetattackR project: JP's soon-to-be turbo Euro R

Throughout life, you stumble upon people that make an impact — whether good or bad, they're embedded in your memory for a lifetime. Jon-Pual Ferguson (JP) is one of those guys for me, as I met him over a decade ago. He was always into Hondas, and after straying towards RB-powered vehicles for a couple of years and getting in trouble with the law, he made the switch back to Hondas. After owning DC2 Integras, EG Civics, and more, JP decided to pursue his love for four-door tin-tops and purchased an off-the-yard Honda Accord CL1 Euro R for a cool $18,000.

Pearl white in colour and with a factory H22A red-top engine with close-ratio gearbox, it was modified soon after purchasing. Unfortunately, though, the car was stolen and recovered, so for JP it was never the same. This prompted a change in direction toward the circuit, a new paint scheme, and some more upgrades.

JP's idea for the CL1 was to be a simple, reliable, and well-rounded track day car. The factory brakes were binned in favour of some AP1 S2000 rotors, which are clamped down by Integra DC5 Brembo four-piston calipers. For pads, JP opted for Endless and picked them up pretty cheap during a recent trip to Japan.

After running a trick set of HKS Hipermax coilovers for a few years with great success, JP managed to score a set of Aragosta coilovers. He snapped them up in no time at all and tells us they were an impressive upgrade over the HKS units. For rigidity, JP installed CL7 Accord sway bars which suit his driving style and allow the pitch and roll he likes on the circuit. JP crafted his own splitter up front and produced some moulds for the carbon fibre canards (yes I'll be pinching the moulds!). Ultra Racing strut bracing front and rear reduces strut tower flex and as the car sits, JP is happy with handling and braking.

What JP isn't happy with though is the engine setup. With plans to take on the Prowear NZ Superlap Series JP wants a heap more power, and that power will come in the form of a single turbocharger. With a goal to hit 260kW on a moderate boost setting for reliability, JP has opted to ditch the H22A engine and utilise an F20B engine from the Accord SiR. As they're an affordable unit, the F20B will be built with custom forged K20A pistons to handle the boost pressure JP soon to come its way.

"The F20B purely exists for motorsport reasons, " JP continues; "Honda needed a competitive two-litre engine for touring car racing, so the H22A was de-stroked. Having a shorter stroke it can handle revs much better than the H22A, and with boost, I won't notice the smaller capacity." The best thing about using the F20B is you can pick them up online for a couple of hundred dollars!

This is a build we're excited to see completed as JP is a serious Japanese time attack and racing enthusiast, and with a day job at Convert Motorsport, he knows how to build cars right. As the build progresses we'll keep you updated!

Event Report: Prowear NZ Superlap Series RD1 2016

The Prowear NZ Superlap Series season kicked off at Hampton Downs Raceway with the largest field it’s ever seen. It was great to see so many of last season’s drivers returning and a lot of new faces welcomed into the fold.

Track conditions were great for the weekend, but the summer heat posed a few challenges for keeping running temperatures within optimal range (Scott Kreyl was seen running with bags of ice a few times, while Jake Ingledew appeared to be looking for a cooling setting on his pink hairdryer to get his car back on track).

When it came down to the final shootout on Sunday afternoon the top cars were giving it everything they had and almost all of them shaved time off to record their best lap of the weekend. It was an absolute pleasure to walk down the grid lineup and see three cars who have represented New Zealand multiple times at Ian Baker’s Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge at Sydney Motorsport Park, in Australia.

Pro Open had Andy Duffin’s 3 Rotor Racing Mazda RX-7 chasing down Garth Walden piloting Scott Kreyl’s Team RevolutioNZ Mitsubishi Evolution all weekend. Both cars were running Yokohama Advan A050 semi-slick tyres, to comply with the changes to tyre regulations in the series, but the times certainly did not suffer from a lack of full slicks.

Garth took the win with a new Hampton Downs National Circuit superlap record of 1:04.487 while Andy was on his tail with 1:05.797.

Hans Ruiterman’s circuit racer S14 Silvia clocked a swift 1:07.487 for the third spot. Jason Shortt’s Shortty Racing Team Subaru Impreza dropped seconds all day Sunday but not quite enough to match their previous PB, however, they were happy to take home a 1:13.536 and a working car – word is they will be running a fresh livery in the new year so keep an eye out for that.

Greg Hirst battled mechanical issues in his MR2 but managed to drop a second off his times from last year for a 1:18.840. Newcomer to the series, David Brew, had done some handling modifications to his drift 200SX GTR to try his hand at grip racing and put down a 1:19.599.

Glenn Hodges’ unique Nissan March build made its debut with a 1:20.454 before an incident on the track on Saturday afternoon, we all wish Glenn a speedy recovery and look forward to what he has up his sleeve next.Rounding out the Pro Open field, Kerri Mareeba put down her clipboard for long enough to sneak in a cheeky lap in the borrowed Shotty Racing Team Impreza, at a leisurely 1:31.525.

Pro Street All Wheel Drive was the battle of the GTRs, with Iain Clegg’s R35 and Andy Brooking’s R32 neck and neck for most of the weekend. Andy headed home on Sunday after putting down a 1:10.623 and feeling like he couldn’t get any more out of the car without some adjustments, and this left the door wide open for Iain to pull out all the stops and keep pushing until he could not only take the class win, but also drop down to single figures and a new PB of 1:09.910.

Kat Benson’s Burgerfuel Evolution was super consistent over the weekend, chipping away at the times to also see a PB for her into the twelves at 1:12.936.

Morris Mustchin stayed up till the wee hours of the morning to make it to the track, fitting a replacement gearbox and just couldn’t get the car down to his target lap times so had to make do with a 1:21.255.

Sahil Bhopal’s Mazda MPS managed to complete the most flying laps of anyone over the weekend and finished with a best of 1:22.233.

Pro Street 2 Wheel Drive was taken out with a scorching 1:14.707 from Mark Collier’s little Japanese Classics series MX5. Second place went to Brian Matchett in his HSV GTS who dropped a solid four seconds off his best time last season to get down to 1:16.067.

Third and Fourth went to the MacMorris Racing team, Jason Morris on 1:18.221 very closely followed by Khan Mackesy with 1:18.748. Brian Schofield made the long drive up from Wellington towing his Holden Commodore for his superlap debut, setting a respectable 1:20.511 before running into fueling issues.

David van der Haas struggled with mechanical gremlins but still managed to get a couple of sessions in the Toyota Carina for a 1:24.962. Bradley Haines made the step up to Pro Street this season after taking out the third spot in Street RWD last season. His S14 now sports a number of aero and safety improvements, and a new PB of 1:27.325. Barry Manon’s absence was certainly felt, but we look forward to seeing him at a few rounds this season to throw a spanner amongst the 2WD results.

Street All Wheel Drive was a trifecta of beautifully presented Mitsubishi Evolutions. The win went to Simon Turner with a 1:14.197, second to Luke Wellacott on 1:16.654, after Leon Scott took the wheel for a few testing laps on Saturday to help get the car set up, and third to Luke Parker with 1:16.957. Ali Park was doing his first superlap round and logged a 1:19.444 while Michael Nealis’ Subaru Legacy wagon knocked off a second from last season to finish with 1:23.433.

Street 2 Wheel Drive was the largest field for us this weekend, with 13 entries. Darren Mc Donald was seeing great results from the new aero on his Commodore dropping him down into the fifteens for 1:15.744 and the class win. Matt Gray was only around for Saturday but that was enough for him to easily hold down second on 1:16.077 in the Supra.

Johnny Lam’s Silvia steadily improved over the weekend to end on 1:18.165.

Team Engineered to Feel had Joe Ardagh’s Civic down to 1:20.534 for fourth place, while his teammate and wife, Peach, pushed her Civic around in 1:21.692 for sixth place (she might have even gotten closer to catching him if she hadn’t left the transponders in the toolbox on Sunday morning!).

Fifth went to Texas Delaney in his MX5 with 1:21.607. Jakke Haag surprised people with his unusual choice of superlap vehicle, a Renault Clio and set a time of 1:22.510. Aaron Krinkel’s MPS recorded 1:23.311, while Jake Ingledew’s new turbo setup in the MX5 smashed 18 seconds off his previous PB for 1:27.386. Aaron Soole’s Civic ran a 1:29.310, followed by Jamie Frew’s RX7 on 1:32 flat. Newcomer Jordan Williams got down to 1:34.015 just ahead of Doneel Moran who had mechanical issues with his WRX and returned to the track with a last minute replacement Civic from his sponsors, Enhanced Motors, to throw it around a bit for a 1:34.161.

Huge thanks to HRC for hosting the event, and all of the officials and volunteers who make these days run. Round 2 takes us to Bruce Mclaren Motorsport Park in Taupo, on January 7–8, 2017 — we hope you all have a great summer break and we’ll see you back on track in the New Year.

Keep your eyes peeled for a MASSIVE photo gallery tomorrow!

Words by Kerri Mareeba, Photos Maria Panova

Event Gallery: Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge show

Unfortunately, we aren't the biggest 'show car' enthusiasts here at TimeattackR.com. We do however appreciate a lot of the builds we spotted at the 2016 Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge. JDM, Euro, and even the odd American-muscle build thrown in — there was plenty to take in if you could brave the intense sunshine.

Check out the gallery below and let us know what your favourite car was in the show.

Poll: what's your favourite time attack platform?

When people mention different horses for different courses, they don't think about time attack. Us time attack folk are crazy and we'll modify almost anything, so we wrangled together the most common platforms to pit them against each other! Take the poll and see which platform comes out on top...

Poll: Who was your favourite WTAC driving superstar?

We've all got our favourite drivers, and at the Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge the event was literally bursting at the seams with international talent. Who was your favourite though? Take the poll below and let us know. If your favourite driver isn't on the list, let us know in the comments section!

Event Blog: Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge top moments!

The 2016 Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge was off the charts. The Festival of Awesome gets better every year, and as we witnessed with our own two eyes, is the best motorsport event on this side of the world. Lucky too, as we were handy in Sydney at the time, so we certainly made the most of it. We're going to walk through some of our favourite moments as a team of photojournalists covering WTAC — get ready, there were plenty!

One of the best moments at WTAC was hanging in the pits with Under Suzuki. The man's a total legend in time attack circles for obvious reasons, and it was great to see how his talented team operates. Noodles for lunch, breakfast, and dinner kept the team on form and we witnessed Under Suzuki attack as hard as he could all weekend in his SR22VET-powered Nissan Silvia S15. With a finished lap time of 1:23.1, Under was on fire.

Witnessing his fastest lap was intense. Our small media team stopped shooting, and listened for the radio as the lap time came through. A sense of joy for the team was felt by all, as we know how hard they'd been pushing for this. They weren't in the top spot for long though, but it was awesome to see nonetheless.

Without a doubt one of the biggest highlights at WTAC was seeing the Kiwis do some damage. Andy Duffin of 3 Rotor Racing freighted over his absolutely mental nitrous-fed 20B Mazda RX-7 FD. Andy has always been a NA rotory fan, so when it was decided a little more power was needed it was a no-brainer.

It's usually difficult to get a good flame shot, but not with Andy's machine. Every corner entry results in a metre-long flame, which is why the rear muffler is so long! Andy was on fire (pun intended) all weekend and finished the event with an impressive 1:30.4. We're excited to see which direction Andy takes for next year's event.

Kat Benson of Kat Benson Racing is one helluva cool Kiwi chick. Being the only female entrant must've been daunting, but that didn't get to Kat the slightest. With partner Andrew Redward close by and NZ Prowear Superlap regular Hans Ruiterman heading the mechanics, Kat had a fantastic support system.

To say Kat had a frustrating time would be an understatement. Most runs were flagged for a wide range of reasons (thanks to other drivers etc), which meant that only a couple of good solid laps were run. Kat's quickest time of the weekend was a 1:39.759, around three seconds quicker than last year. It was an awesome moment seeing Kat take on the world, and we can't wait to see what she brings for the Prowear NZ Superlap Series.

Another one of our favourite moments was when Tim Slade, driving the MCA Suspension Nissan Silvia S13 'Hammerhead', took out last year's record set by Garth Walden in the Tilton Interiors Evo. We were right there, in the pits the moment it happened and boy what a feeling.

When you're strolling through the pits the one thing you don't expect to happen is spot Keiichi Tsuchiya sitting in the JDMYard Honda Civic EG. It turns out the DK was a huge fan of the Civic, and wanted to drive it, motioning for the owners to move the seat forward for him, which was unfortunately bolted to the floor. That must have been a humbling moment for the team and we were glad we could catch it.

After all the hype from previous years and seeing the Tilton Interiors Mitsubishi Evo destroy lap after lap, it certainly had been built up something crazy. Seeing it in the flesh, though, confirmed that this machine is extremely serious and deserves every single shred of hype that it has been given. It's 1.2-metres wider than a stock Evo, packs nearly 1000hp and sounds EXTREMELY angry at full noise. We were graced with a few laps at this year's event, and it was a sight to behold.

Daigo Saito!! One of the world's absolute drift LEGENDS attended WTAC this year in his cool looking Lamborghini. We've been hanging out for months to see this thing in action and it did not dissapoint, nor did Daigo's crazy driving style.

Ok, if there was one car in the entire WTAC field that we could take home and keep forever, it would hands down be the Sutton Brothers Racing Nissan Silvia S15. It's simply a work of art and to top things off, it was driven by...

... Nobuteru Taniguchi! Not only was it a dream for the TimeattackR team to lay eyes on this very individual, we got to hang with him too! Nob' spotted the SBR S15 a few yars back, liked what he saw and asked if he could one day drive it. The SBR team obliged and Nob' wanted to get the S15 below the 1:30 barrier, which he did by the end of the event with a 1:28.45! Please SBR team, keep the S15 looking like it does now. It's simply perfect.

Another one of our proud Kiwi moments was when Nico Reid showed the Aussies how to drift. The aggressive style of Nico always has us entertained and it was no different at WTAC this year. The RB25-powered S15 always looks good, and the amount of lock this thing has is insane!

We'll be back with plenty more action and coverage from the event, so stay tuned!

If you're after any shots from TimeattackR.com, flick us an email to timeattackr@gmail.com

Event News: Kat Benson welcomes Turbosmart and upgrades Evo leading up to WTAC

BurgerFuel Racing pilot Katherine Benson has secured further support for her 2016 Yokohama World Time Attack campaign, announcing that her Evo VII time attack machine will be receiving a number of finely engineered improvements as she officially joins Team Turbosmart as a brand ambassador.

Turbosmart marketing manager Richard Shumack met Kat during her debut at the 2015 event and said, “Kat is a fantastic athlete who has done great things both in and for the motorsport world in New Zealand, and with her coming back for a second time to represent on a global stage at World Time Attack, she seemed a perfect candidate to represent Turbosmart. As a global brand, New Zealand is a very significant market for us, so supporting local New Zealand racers and the Kiwi racing scene is something that we see as an incredibly important activity. “

Kat and her team are incredibly thankful to have secured this partnership and are excited about the opportunities in front of them both internationally and on the domestic scene with their Prowear NZ Superlap endeavours.

The eagle-eyed will spot a set of MCA suspension has made its way underneath the Evo and a new set of Evo X Brembos will provide much greater stopping power, all fitted under the watchful eyes of NZ GT champion Hans Ruiterman, who will travel as crew chief and spotter.

The number of upgrades ensures the 2016 campaign is something well worth keeping your eyes and stopwatches on, and as the only female entrant this year, Kat is proud to be flying the girl power flag.

For further updates follow Kat via Facebook, Instagram, and keep your eyes peeled here as we'll keep you updated as the vehicle is closer to completion leading up to the event.

https://www.facebook.com/katbracing/?fref=ts