The celestial beings smiled upon us, unleashing perfect weather for the epic showdown. The drivers emerged with a fiery determination, pushing their vehicles to the brink. And lo and behold, records crumbled beneath their awe-inspiring performances.

After a two-year hiatus, the World Time Attack Challenge finally returned, igniting the fervor of teams from all corners of Australia. Over the course of Friday and Saturday, these fearless competitors battled relentlessly, all vying for their own slice of WTAC history.

In the lead-up to this eagerly anticipated event, an army of dedicated engineers and enthusiasts toiled tirelessly, pouring their heart and soul into crafting automotive marvels that defied conventional limits. With each passing day, the excitement mounted, fueled by the belief that these magnificent machines were poised to shatter records and redefine the boundaries of speed and precision. One record, in particular, had proven elusive to the ingenious minds at PRTech since 2019, intensifying the air of anticipation that hung thick in the atmosphere.

The drifting action kicked off with Friday’s practice and qualifying sessions at WTAC, allowing the drifters to experience the full-throttle layout for the first time. Despite the absence of rain, the track proved to be a formidable challenge, unforgiving to those who pushed a little too hard.

Notable drivers like Matt Mingay, who pulled double duty by competing in the drift competition while entertaining spectators with his Hot Wheels Stunt Team, showcased their skills alongside Eugene Arendson and Jason Ferron, who brought their unique drift machines, adding excitement to the mix of Silvias, Skylines, and 86s.

The Haltech Clubsprint class began as a grand clash of street cars from every corner of the globe, in all shapes and sizes imaginable. However, it soon transformed into a classic duel between the age-old rivals, Mitsubishi and Subaru.

In a jaw-dropping feat, Jamal ‘Jimmy’ Assaad, behind the wheel of the Evolution Racing Spares Lancer Evo VI, obliterated the five-year Clubsprint record. His blistering lap of 1:33.7 slashed more than two precious seconds off the previous benchmark.

Yet, as the whimsical nature of motorsport often dictates, plans seldom unfold according to script. In addition to the nerve-racking race against the clock on the treacherous track, the intrepid teams encountered unexpected off-track challenges that tested their mettle throughout the grueling two-day competition.

Drifter Matty Hill did not take top spot unfortunately he was beaten by Levi Clarke emerging as the top qualifier, closely followed by Matt Harvey and Brodie Maher in their respective S13s. Spectators were treated to a thrilling display of close battles throughout Saturday

The Melbournian maverick, Idin Ahangar, maneuvered his Subaru Impreza WRX STI to a dramatic performance during the Final Shootout, securing second place with a sensational lap time of 1:35.228 after an intense battle throughout the event.

The Tilton Evo and RP968, icons of mechanical ingenuity, were not spared from the cruel twists of fate. Both endured the misfortune of tire delamination, an affliction that not only shattered the front aerodynamic prowess of the Tilton Evo but also forced the team to retire their valiant contender. Meanwhile, the RP968, plagued by prior transmission woes and nursing the scars of accumulated damage from the preceding session, heartbreakingly withdrew from the relentless pursuit of victory mere moments before the climactic final shootout.

Many of the esteemed Pro teams encountered untimely tribulations amidst the heated battle, compelling several of them to concede defeat before the climactic final shootout on that eventful Saturday night. The revered MCA Hammerhead, a two-time WTAC champion, tragically succumbed to an engine failure on the fateful Friday, dashing their hopes of securing another triumph.

However, amidst the trials and tribulations that marred these two arduous days, RP Technology, Barton Mower, and their revolutionary Porsche 968 emerged as resilient victors, seizing their third consecutive WTAC title with a resounding time of 1:20.1. Furthermore, the formidable team at GotItRex demonstrated remarkable prowess by securing a commendable third place in the final shootout, inching ever so close to claiming the illustrious Subaru lap record at Sydney Motorsport Park—an astonishing achievement for their maiden voyage into the realm of WTAC.

Notable among the thrills and spills of this gripping competition was the astounding feat accomplished by Tim Slade, whose blistering lap behind the wheel of the Xtreme GTR shattered the existing Open Class record, registering an extraordinary time of 1:27.379.

However, fate dealt a cruel hand to the indomitable team as mechanical gremlins crept into their machine, relegating them to an anxious ten-hour wait, their hopes hanging precariously in the balance. In an electrifying climax to the final shootout, the event reached its zenith when Nathan Morcom, skillfully piloting the Insight Motorsports Mitsubishi Evo, snatched the record away with an awe-inspiring time of 1:27.247—an unforgettable moment etched in time attack history.

The Final Shootout on Saturday evening, illuminated by the vibrant lights of Sydney Motorsport Park, served as the stage for intense battles and heart-stopping drama. The competition for class victories unfolded with nail-biting suspense, with triumph hanging in the balance until the very last seconds.

In the end, as the dust settled on another captivating edition of WTAC, one thing became abundantly clear: the magic of Time Attack lies not only in the awe-inspiring machines and the records they shatter but also in the humorous and cheeky moments that unfold, reminding us that amidst the pursuit of speed and glory, a little laughter and a touch of irreverence can elevate the entire experience to new heights of enjoyment.

The Heasman steering girls were all smiles despite the blistering sun beating down against the concrete.

We said each year Ian and the team step it up – this year they had a half pipe with BMX demos all day long.

This sort of entertainment can easily go unnoticed at such a large motorsport event, I remember stopping and watching for a good 15 minutes. These guys had talent!!

One more standout from the crowded show was this striking bright yellow widebody RX7, the RE-super G bodykit is one of the wildest looking kits for the FD RX-7. So aggressive!!

This tubular framed beauty is very serious Nissan Stanza built for the sports sedan series and was part of the Turbo Legends segment were power houses of yesteryear get to prove they still have what it takes to put down a quick lap time.

Back near the pits we hunted around for some of the most impressive builds we could find. This RX8 looks to be a future competitor but for now it was just a static display. If you think the aero looked great the engine bay alone has had more money and time spent the some cars see for their entire build.

The Evolution Custom Industries Porsche was literally the black sheep of the field. One of the only European based cars it had a massive cult following going into the event.
The car is a work of art and seriously fast, the team didn’t get to show their best with a turbo failure ending their chances early.

We thought it would be nice to include this picture of Agges’ 180SX of Insane Drifters fame, some 8 months and many, many events after WTAC the mighty red 180SX finally had it’s last collision at an event here in Melbourne.
Drift cars receive quite a beating and when you’re as competitive as Agges it’s bound to happen sooner or later and sadly this 180SX won’t be seeing the track again.

Melbourne based workshop and tuning specialist Road Track Rally had been achieving great wins with their Evo X. Sadly the Evo lost control at high speeds and collided with a concrete wall.
The team has been busy repairing and will be back for 2014!

All eyes were on the reigning champion Nemo Racing Evo, this engineering marvel had taking the rule book and thrown it out the window and really forced the Australian and Japanese time attack community to go back to the drawing board of what’s possible.

What goes up must come down and in a strange turn of events the team behind this magnificent car crumbled during the weekend sending rumors flying. The car only managed a couple of ‘safe’ laps before being retired back to the pits without a chance to hold onto it’s winning trophy from the previous years WTAC.

With so many classes competing at WTAC you really get a great comparison for times against so many makes, models and platforms. How does a tuned FWD Mitsubishi Colt perform against an street trim Nissan GTR? You’ll find out at WTAC.

Many Japanese teams have started to really to take to series, this year saw some very big hitters from Japanese tuning culture attend.

Top Fuel returned their super agile S2000 to Sydney to once again take on the worlds best, the previous year the car was relatively untested and effectively “out of the box”.

However driver Nobuteru Taniguchi still found the car too challenging to achieve it’s goal, the car performed a lot better but we think Nob will be back to prove he and the car have what it takes.

The Esprit NSX was easily one of the most anticipated international cars this year and with Tarzan Yamada behind the wheel it was a hopeful podium finisher too, after a few hairy spins and a small engine fire the mighty NSX did not get it’s time to shine.

One of the most eye pleasing cars was the RE Amemiya Hurricane RX7, this car was originally built as an Autosalon demo car. This just proves that the Japanese do not do things half-arsed at all, this car is not just a show piece and can really strut it’s stuff in the Time Attack arena!

Back to Australia and the Queensland based Mighty Mouse CRX, This David vs Goliath honda was determined to hold onto it’s NA FWD record from the previous year, Rob and the team did just that. Now with pressure on for a third year the team has since converted the car to left hand drive for better weight distribution… Yep, they’re determined to win again in 2014.

A rare sight outside of the original Fast & The Furious movie here in Australia, The Mitsubishi Eclipse is not something we’re used to seeing racing let alone driving on the street. This FWD racer is owned by aero extraordinaire Andrew Brilliant.
The car originally raced in the America and had many victories under it’s hat, at one point it was the number 1 car out of 50 high powered RWD and AWD cars. A true testament to Andrew’s skills aerodynamic skills.

After three long days of racing the last cars rolled back into the pits, most came back under their own power, some returned to the pits on tow trucks. WTAC is not for the faint hearted and you have to be willing to put it all on the line to win.

After all the action stops the show is packed up and we begin counting down the days till next year, thankfully as we post this we’re less than two months away from the 2014 World Time Attack Challenge!
Don’t miss out on the biggest event on the calendar and book tickets, time off work and accommodation now!!
Check out all the details here www.worldtimeattack.com
We hope you’ve enjoyed this nostalgic glance at our favorite event, it took two rolls of film and nearly a year to get it developed but we love holding a real photo in our hands!
Thanks for reading,
– Gwyn.

World Time Attack Challenge 2013 from grip shift slide on Vimeo.

World Time Attack Challenge is the biggest event on our calendar and also the event that inspired this website. Please enjoy our quick round up of all the action of the World Time Attack Challenge 2013.