time attack – Gripshiftslide

Nugget Nationals :: Round 2 – Winton Raceway

Grant — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 11:32:55 +0000

Nugget Nationals from grip shift slide on Vimeo.

Nugget Nationals is all about competitive fun racing!
The video was shot at (Round 2) Winton Raceway. This is just a sample of some of the action that took place on the day.

The rules!
To compete in the points based rounds, you must purchase/borrow/share a car that comes in at under $3000 and has a naturally aspirated engine with a capacity of no more than 1500cc.
facebook.com/pages/Nugget-Nationals
nuggetnationals.wordpress.com/

Top Gear :: Ultimate Speed Showdown

Grant — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 07:43:56 +0000

Sydney will once again play host to one of the greatest motoring events for fans of all things internal combustion, speed and Jeremy Clarkson. That’s right Top Gear Festival is back for 2014!!
The festival is set to top last year’s excitement 6 times over with their latest challenge dubbed, “6 Degrees of Acceleration”. The Ultimate Speed Showdown will see 6 iconic racing machines from 6 completely different disciplines of motorsport scrambling for 1st place over just 5 laps…

Piloting these thoroughbred racing machines are some of the world’s greatest racers.
Behind the wheel of the Red Bull F1 will be Daniel Riccardo, hanging on for dear life on the Ducati is Troy Bayliss, Will Davison and Lee Holdsworth will share duties between the V8 super car and GT3 car, Neal Bates will be driving blind without a co-pilot in the WRC rally car, and finally, Garth Walden will be pushing the laws of physics in the Tilton Time Attack Evo.

So the question on our minds, which team will win? The Red Bull F1, Ducati Superbike, V8 super car, WRC rally car, Time Attack Evo or the GT3 race car?

To catch this monumental race and all the usual Top Gear shenanigans head to http://www.topgearfestivalsydney.com.au

Hankook :: NSW Time Attack 2013

Grant — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 06:12:41 +0000

It seems Australia is fast becoming the time attack capital of the world with so many ground breaking builds, passionate people and of course some truly great businesses supporting the scene.

The most recent race was the second leg of the Hankook Tyre Time Attack series, teams from all over Australia made their way to Wakefield Park Raceway, NSW for two days of flat out, foot to the floor racing against the clock!

Some of the countries highest profile cars were out to set some blisteringly low lap times, the BYP DC Integra is proof that knowledge is greater than money.
The BYP boys have built one of the most reliable and quickest cars around and it took out the number 1 spot at the last round of this series in Victoria!

Another serious Honda build also from Sydney is the newly completed JDM Yard DC5, this is an all out no expense spared build with strong focus on simple additions to the motor and plenty of aero mods.
The car still retains a naturally aspirated engine and is everything a die hard Honda fan would come to expect from a workshop such as JDM Yard!

After the odd Honda, Skyline or Subaru the rest of the field was of course littered with Mitsubishi Evo’s!!
The mighty AWD sedan is still one of the most potent packages to come out of the land of the rising sun, out of the Evo’s competing. Over 10 years separated the oldest from the newest model!
Proving they got it right back then and haven’t messed with it’s success since!!

Performance doesn’t come cheap, every car was packed full of the latest and best tech and gadgets. Check out the Haltech dash!!

Friends of GSS and all round cool guys, the Road Track Rally crew made the drive up from Vic with their very well put together street class Evo.

The team has been fine tuning and tweaking their Evo in preparation for the upcoming World Time Attack in October, Entering again in the club sprint class we hope to see the boys finish on the podium once again.

Now this was an interesting sight, a bright yellow Evo 6… We were in love!

Hiding behind the number plate was this very sneaky Billion cold air intake!! Also you can just see the edge of an oil cooler in a very snazzy anodized blue to keep the colour scheme going.

Out on track the little yellow Evo almost lifted a rear wheel flying flat out through the corner!!

As the BYP Integra was heading out you could see the determination in Benny’s eyes as he prepared himself for maximum attack, with cold conditions and wet weather setting in the early sessions were the ones to make count before things got wet!

After the first session the boys ran a respectable 1:02.7, still a few seconds shy off their best time around Wakefield there was still plenty of room for improvement. Weather permitting of course!!

JDM Yard were off to a good start with at least four turbocharged Evo’s still a few seconds behind them, their N/A Integra was well under the 1:10 mark and was consistently getting quicker!

Behind the wheel of the JDM Yard DC5 was of course Adam Casmiri who has helped pilot the car through some very quick lap times this year, the car is set to go under the knife again before WTAC.
No time attack car is ever really complete or finished, it seems even over just the course of a race day each cars goes through significant changes. Just as a golfer changes his clubs time attack cars go through different size tyres, damper settings and even minor aero adjustments.

It’s amazing how quickly the aero game has stepped up in Australia over the last two years, the Integrity signs Evo 7 has a setup that would have been consider over the top and very extreme just a few years ago.
Now nearly every car has had a wing/fin added to pretty much every panel to help lower those lap times, to the untrained eye it might look like a case of ‘more means quicker times” but each individual piece of aero has been painstakingly tested to ensure it is making a difference and improving the handling of the car at high speeds.

Chasing down the Evo’s was one very well put together Skyline from Victoria, John “Richo” Richardson has been taking his love of speed to the track for years!

His once very standard GTS-T R33 has taken on a heap of enhancements which have helped propel John to some super quick lap times, his Skyline is definitely not to be underestimated.
The heavy AWD system on a GT-R isn’t needed to drop those lap times, John constantly proves that with the right driver a nice RWD setup can do very, very well.

Between all the Evo’s we did enjoy the occasional fly by from Kieran and his 350Z, while not the most popular car to be using at a time attack event the car held it’s own with a very respectable 1:09.1!!

The only Mitsubishi out on track with only two wheels pulling it along, this tiny 1.5L FWD Ralliart Colt managed some very quick times amongst it’s peers. Nearly breaking into the 1:10 mark and below!!
It certainly made for a great show lifting it’s leg like a small dog about to do some business!

After two sessions it was time for many cars to come back in for a quick check up, oil change…

… And even some fresh tyres, this 350Z made full use of it’s sticky Hankook Ventus R-S3’s.

Showing the Evo’s that Subaru still has some pretty quick chassis was of course the big green hulk… The Autotech Engineering WRX.

Armed with some seriously wide tyres, huge Project Mu breaks and one massive wing, we were excited to see Bruce Banner transform into the angry hulk and SMASH those lap times!

Jason Naidoo proved that expensive aero and big budget builds will never be a replacement for an experienced driver…

Jason steered the subtler looking Xtreme Motorsports Evo 8 through a stupid quick time of 1:03.8!!

Hamish’s Ev0 8 was probably the most ‘streetable’ car in the club sprint class, despite the cars stock standard appearance it’s still good for a flat 1:08 lap time.
We wouldn’t mind driving something that quick to the shops for some milk in the morning!

The oldest car competing during the weekend was Owen’s 1977 Toyota Celica, after a long weekend the car smashed out a 1:10.5!!

The fastest Subaru on track, The Ultimate Tunes 99′ WRX. Jason wrestled with the pro class car all weekend and so close to cracking the sub one minute mark!!
The team finished on a lap of just 1:00.2!!!!!!

Even in factory form any Lotus is a force to be reckoned with out on the track, after Southern Motor Works tinkered with this Exige the volume had certainly been turned up to 11!!
Driver John secured 3rd in the open class with speedy lap of just 1:01.8!

Even though drivers were racing against the clock and not each other, there was plenty of overtaking happening given the short layout of Wakefield.

So how did the Hulk go? Jason scored 2nd place in open class just .2 of a second in front of the bright orange Lotus, the final lap was a not too shabby 1:01.6!

Adam and the JDM Yard Integra missed out on a podium finish, landing them in 6th place with a lap of 1:04.2.
With WTAC in the team’s sights the car has already been pulled down after this event in preparation, we can’t wait to see how this N/A Honda goes against the worlds best!

We’re happy to report that Darrin and the RTR Evo X finished in 3rd in the club sprint class with a 1:04.7!

The number one car for the weekend was Rick Bates in the Vsport/GoPro Evo X, Rick was the only driver who managed to break the one minute barrier… Not once, but twice!!
The final lap that scored him the win overall and for the pro class was an astonishing 59.9790!!

We’re wrapped that more and more is happening each year on the Australia time attack calendar, with support from companies like Hankook the future is very bright for all time attack racing enthusiasts.
Bring on WTAC and then bring on 2014!!
For the full results check out the Wakefield website.
http://www.wakefieldpark.com.au/bates-blistering-59-second-lap-win-nsw-time-attack.html
Thanks for reading,
Gwyn.
All photos courtesy of Robert Mocchetti | Full Motion Photography

EXE CREW :: Track Day Winton

Grant — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:47:14 +0000

Last weekend, Melbourne car club ‘EXE Crew’ held a full weekend of track day fun!
Running over two days at Winton Raceway, day one was an invite only day with some of Victoria’s best time attack cars and drivers heading out to better some personal bests!
Day two was an open day for EXE Crew regulars and friends, the field of cars was varied to say the least!
We managed to get up early enough to catch most of the day two action.

The track was dry and the weather was warm, so conditions were absolutely perfect!

Where else can you see a Honda S2000, a Levin Corolla and a Ford Escort run together flat out?

Honda’s seemed to be a popular choice over the weekend with around ten Civic’s, four S2000’s, four Integra’s and even a Honda Beat!!

20V goodness, this AE86 was a treat for the ears.

There were plenty of Euro’s, with several VW Golf’s, a couple of BMW’s, Porche’s and this very tough little Mini Cooper S.

The cars started to peel out onto the track after the morning drivers briefing.

Tyrepower’s Nissan 370Z is not just a daily driver, it’s also a track monster with a custom twin turbo set up,
running a 1.44.92.
The battle was on between the 370Z and Tung’s 350Z, with an incredibly close time of 1:44.68.

Vu’s S15 changing gears, with a bit of smoke and even a bit of flame!

After attending so many drift days at the Winton track, it was crazy to see the speeds cars were doing down the straight, easily 180kph+ down here!

One of the most unlikely cars to expect at a track day like this… a V8 Porsche!

As the times got quicker, the brakes got hotter and pretty soon a few cars were losing traction going into the hairpin.

This WRX was fighting with it’s tyres all day, screeching through the corners and finally losing the battle at the end of the straight section.

Luckily Nam was quick to act and he saved the car from going too far off the track.

However, Ben was not as lucky in his white S2000…

Coming in far too hot into the hairpin, Ben came off the track and ended up way out in the field at one point!

One of the most exciting cars to watch was this little red Nissan Micra, the little car that could!
Check out the rear tyre lifting off the ground!

It was driven by Thomas and driven hard!

Thanh was finding the ropes in his rather factory looking S15, but there was more than meets the eye here.
Hiding behind the wheels was a massive set of Brembo calipers up front, along with a host of other goodies.

Team Agentz representative, Henry, in his spotless white Evo! He managed a 1:38.0010
This is staggeringly quick for a comfortable four door car that can be daily driven to and from work!

Manu and his Monte Carlo Blue S2000 was consistently quick all day, his poor roof put up with the battering all day without incident!

Looking at the track you could be forgiven for thinking this was the latest driving simulation from Japan.
With so many cars from different manufactures, factory standard models mixing it up with all-out track monsters, this would be a sight some have only seen on a Playstation before.

EXE Crew are strictly a not for profit club, all track days are run on a shoe string budget with members volunteering their time to serve as race officials and safety crews.

Back in the pits there was always a sizable crowd huddled around the state of the art CRT monitor, displaying results in real time!

Despite not being an actual race day, drivers raced against the clock and the other cars as they scrambled for every inch of the tarmac.
Overtaking was a common occurrence, most drivers were very courteous and pulled to the side to allow others to pass.

This was easily the best bunch of guys and girls I’ve witnessed on a track together, everyone was having a blast and everybody got along both on and off the track.
The EXE Crew are actually a very social group, they get together for a monthly carwash meet and even a regular dinner meet back in Melbourne.

Looking at the list of cars entering, I was extremely excited to see Phoung’s beautiful hardtop S2000 on the list.
This is a car I had caught a glimpse of on the internet and couldn’t believe a car of this quality was here in Melbourne, let alone belting around our local track!

Sunday’s fastest car by far… Jimmy’s EG Civic! It hammered around Winton all day long, achieving a massive 1:30.1280!!!
An impressive lap time and an ear piercingly loud exhaust!

There were a few interesting cars battling it out against the clock, like Nick’s supercharged VY Commodore. Getting his time down to an impressive 1:45.0280!

Ying’s driving style is aggressive while being fast at the same time!

Aside from power and the obvious suspension upgrades, most cars had some impressive brakes to help deal with the extra heat and demanding nature of pushing a car to it’s limits.

Vu’s brand new S15 was sporting a heap of track ready goodies such as Project Mu calipers and discs, helping this cream coloured beauty stop when it needs to.

Factory fitted Brembos on this 350Z.

Ben hitting warp speed!!

Clint in his drift spec 180SX chasing down Duy in his JDM Integra DC2.
Clint nearly beat Duy’s time by a full second! Not bad considering his 180SX is set up for drifting and in dire need of a wheel alignment!

This Evo X sounded exactly like a jet when it hit boost, a slow roar followed by a light grey mist from the exhaust and then it was gone!

I often felt like I was on the wrong side of the lens, watching the EXE Crew have fun out there was the first time I wasn’t happy just being behind the camera.

Nearing the end of the day we decided to head back in and do a few sweeps of the pits before leaving.

Kam left his 350Z to cool down in the shade after a blistering 1:38.5290 lap!

Mr Phil Mak’s new car, I am a fan!! Although it doesn’t have the same amount of character as his white S13 did.
I am very keen to see what happens with this S14 in the future though!

Vu’s cars’ always seems to become internet sensations and this cream S15 will be no exception I’m sure.

Only the best for this car! Every time you modify a new car you learn something from your previous attempts. Going from Vu’s last car, this S15 will be pulling out all the stops! On his very first track day with the car Vu managed 1:39.2750!
Well done!

The interior won’t be winning any beauty competitions, this is a no show car!
Form > Function!

Seeing this little red Civic on the track as a red blur screaming past you, it was hard to appreciate the amount of aero modifications and fine tuning that have been done to make this little grocery getter extremely competitive.

This is pure track racing.

Phoung’s S2k was way too clean after a day thumping around the track, I think I might spray my next car grey.

Titanium Go Tuning Exhaust poking out from behind the rear diffuser.

While checking out some of the cars I found this perfect white FD RX-7 sitting on a set of my favorite wheels, Work SP 1’s in black with a polished lip!
I was told it was for sale but I’m afraid I couldn’t afford this beauty…

All in all it was a fantastic day and we have the highest amount of respect for the boys and girls from the EXE-Crew, they ran one of the smoothest running track days we have ever attended.
Add this to the fact the days cost drivers practically nothing compared to other organizations, this is a real drivers club.
We are looking forward to attending the next EXE Crew day from behind the wheel and not the lens!
Don’t forget to check out the club’s facebook page, www.facebook.com/EXECrew
Full results :
Saturday
Sunday
Thanks for reading,
– Gwyn.
Photos : Grant & Gwyn.

Track Battle :: Time Attack – Calder Round1

Grant — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:05:31 +0000

A good selection of cars turned up for the first Time Attack Track battle at Calder park. One that looked rather smooth and composed was the tech sport evo team.

This car sounded like it had the goods to win the day, a stroked 2 litre kept this evo howling around the velodrome.

Chasers engineer’s toy has come along way, they showed good speed the whole weekend

When i first saw this car i was a little unsure whether it was competing in drift or time attack.

A clean entry by HPF, this car was on track at every opportunity.

The large angled corners of the thunderdome made the time attack cars look tiny.

A nissan bluebird is a strange platform for a time attack car, i was surprised to see it on the track, you do not see many of these on the streets anymore.

later on the Saturday the wheeltech bluebird looked to be having trouble with the angle of the track that seemed to cause the Left hand rear tyre to rub on the guard.

lancers where everywhere and they seemed to be dominating.

Redbus, actually have a red bus believe it or not!, their R33 was pushing it too keep up with the big boys!

The Import Monster R32 driven by Russell Cunningham managed a 54.62, this video shows how cut up the track is.

Adam newton kept this car on track and running good consistent times all weekend.

Robert Turner’s s15 ended up with no rear bar by the end of Sunday, but on the saturday it looked like it had just rolled off the showroom floor.

This nice looking RX7 didn’t see as much track action as some of the other cars.

when the car was out on the track it was siting high on the corners and taking a slightly different line to some of the other cars.

The street class were running rich and producing some nice flames.

This VE ss commodore sounded great around the tunderdome and was by far the most exciting to watch, it would often get sideways through the small water barrier corners

The Tunner class overall winner was the Tech Sport Evo of Adam Newton with a 53.68. Adam put all his targa experience to use on the thunderdome and showed the field how it was done. Unfortunately this event was overshadowed by the Drift GP and it was hard to cover both we apologize for the lack of photos of the field.
It was great to see this track used for time attack, i just wish they designed the layout to use more of the velodrome.
We here at Gripshiftslide hope that time attack events like these continue to build popularity and become part of a more permanent race calendar. See the Time attack results/times HERE
-Grant