Event Report: NZ Superlap Series RD2 2019 wrap up

“There is no better way to kick off a fresh new year than a weekend of racing in the sunshine, so that’s exactly what we did for round 2 of the Prowear NZ Superlap Series at Bruce Mclaren Motorsport Park in Taupo.”

There is no better way to kick off a fresh new year than a weekend of racing in the sunshine, so that’s exactly what we did for round 2 of the Prowear NZ Superlap Series at Bruce Mclaren Motorsport Park in Taupo.

The Pro Open field was dominated by Tony Satherley in the 666 Evo; he went out first thing Saturday and set the best time of the weekend, leaving everyone else to try and play catch-up. Tony’s 1:31.080 wasn’t enough to rattle the lap record set by Garth Walden in the same car back in 2017 (a blistering 1:28.487).

Hans Ruiterman’s Silvia was only seven-tenths behind the 666 Evo, which made for some great entertainment on track as they followed each other out.

Murray Bell’s Honda-powered FD RX-7 came to grief at a GTRNZ meet prior to Christmas, so Murray took the only sensible option – buying a replacement racecar and having his first drive of it at the track. The ex-V8 TL Ford Falcon is a completely different animal to what we usually see Murray driving, but you couldn’t wipe the smile off his face, his best of 1:41.313 was a very respectable effort too.

Dave Brew couldn’t make round 1, so Taupo was our first time seeing him in action this season – making huge improvements to his times, right up until both his diff and gearbox gave up the ghost, putting him on the trailer with a time of 1:41.792 (enough for 3rd in the 2WD Pro Open class).

Barend Bootha’s Garage Racers MX-5 strolled home with a 1:44.654, while Greg Hirst spent most of the weekend underneath his MR2 instead of in the driver’s seat. Suspension and brakes issues meant that Greg’s time of 1:45.768 was far from what we’ve seen out of this car in the past. Stuart Hill’s Honda Civic pulled a 1:48.727 with some fuel pump problems, but was sounding and looking like a little beast on the track. Mark Greaney set a 1:49.803 in his BMW 328, and we hear he’s got some big plans for the car this season which should see times drop.

ProStreet was taken out very convincingly by Brady Wild in his stunning black-on-black Subaru WRX. It was Brady’s first time at the Taupo track and his 1:35.533 puts him within reach of Iain Clegg’s April 2017 ProStreet lap record of 1:34.472 with the ST Hitec R35 GTR.

Next up was Kat Benson with the Burgerfuel Evo, who repeated her bad luck from round 1 with another diff failure. Kat and her team aren’t the type to give up easy, so overnight they were able to diagnose the issue and replace the diff, getting her back out on the track on Sunday to lay down a 1:38.230.

Shane Blucher was pushing hard with his Subaru, even staying right till the end of the weekend to have an attempt at the shootout, but it wasn’t meant to be and Shane had to make do with a 1:41.713 set on Sunday morning before the heat set in.

Eric Yamashita’s ‘phoenix’ R33 GT-R arose from the ashes of last season at round 1 for some quiet laps, and this weekend Eric was ready to push harder, recording a 1:42.685 before his turbo decided it was time to cut the weekend short.

The fastest of the 2WD ProStreet entrants, Brian Matchett’s black beauty Commodore wasn’t immune to mechanical gremlins, but he was able to acquire and fit a new radiator overnight to keep him in the game with a 1:46.616.

Jason Morris in the #333 MacMorris Racing MPS was only a tenth behind with 1:46.733.

2k Cup regular, Rachel Norris, made her Superlap debut with a 1:52.251 in the Peugeot 206 that will eventually be sacrificed for re-powering her usual steed. Another of the MacMorris team, Ben Bishop, broke the 2-minute marker to set a best of 1:57.046. Hot on Ben’s heels was Sean Thompson in the Ford Focus coming home in 1:57.270. Sean’s teammate, Dmitrey Carruthers, chipped away at his times and making good improvements over the weekend to settle with a 2:00.211 with his VW Golf. It’s great to see such a variety of cars entering Superlap this season.

The Street classes are always good for a battle and this round was no exception to that. Luke Parker in his PS Automotive Evo was the winner on the day, taking out not only Street 4WD but also re-setting the Taupo Street class lap record (previously held by Matt Gray) with a 1:38.864. Andy Brooking was giving Luke a good chase to lay down a 1:39.516 at what will be the last round for his R32 GTR before it’s shipped off for some mid-season surgery.

Rounding out the Street top 3 was Matt Gray’s current Street King titleholder Supra on 1:40.536.

Jeremy Smith continues to impress with his WRX STi hatch, finishing up with a 1:41.727. Darren McDonald gave spectators a treat with his usual mix of speed and slide for a 1:45.020.

Josh TeBrake’s Mark3 Supra also struggled to find grip or brakes, but still set a 1:46.098, right behind him waving the rotary flag was Darryl Curran’s FD RX-7 on 1:46.738.

Adam Ostermeyer had a nightmare of a round, wrecking both gearbox and engine in the space of 3 days, but he did get to take home a new PB of 1:47.401 (along with a very broken car).

Avichal Kumar’s Evo X was on song all weekend for a 1:49.335, and Simon Ransfield had his mint example of an early Evo out on track for a 1:50.572. Michael Nealis’ Swagon set 1:51.514 but didn’t wanna play after the first Sunday session.

Jiwon Park’s clean 350z did a best of 1:53.230, while Brian Schofield’s tow car daily Audi hauled around the track in 1:54.658.

A few of the stand-out moments from the weekend would have to be:

Darren McDonald running out of tyre before the last session, only to have fellow Commodore driver, Brian Matchett, offer him a spare set of wheels and tyres. Watching the two cars, driven so differently on track but with such close times, knowing that Darren was there to enjoy it due to the kindness of a fellow driver, it was awesome.

Adam Ostermeyer’s unfortunate weekend did one good thing, and that was to highlight the generosity of the Superlap family. After blowing the gearbox in Friday’s practice, Adam located a replacement in Auckland – fellow Superlap regular Elliot Carleton making the long journey down to drop the gearbox to the track that night. Meanwhile long time Superlapper, Morris Mustchin, who had dropped in just to say Hi ended up spending Friday afternoon dropping the broken gearbox along with Barend Bootha, then unexpectedly staying the night, and fitting up the new gearbox trackside in the morning all in time for Adam to not even miss a single session.

Multiple officials mentioning, again, how impressed they are with the Superlap drivers and their ability to follow instructions and be respectful and kind to the volunteers and officials. Without all those people giving of their time, there would be no motorsport for us to all enjoy.

Taupo is a great holiday destination, so many of the drivers make the most of the tourist hot spots and adventures that the area has to offer – but it’s not all smiles all the time, this round was tough on gear, and has sent several of the drivers back to their workshops to repair damage before the next round. Catch them at Round 3, Manfeild: Circuit Chris Amon, alongside the 4&Rotary Jamboree.

Event Report: Kat Benson Racing nails down 2nd Pro-Street

“Not again!” Kat told us after smashing another rear diff in her 500kW-plus Mitsubishi Evo. This wouldn’t spell the end for her weekend though, thanks to a Te Puke local and a talented team.”

….”Um, Kat,” was the exact message I sent to Kat Redward of Kat Benson Racing, as I watched her Mitsubishi Evo park itself within the numerous infield curves of Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, during the first session out on Saturday morning. After the long trip to get down to the circuit, and all the hype that goes with it, I was devastated at the smokey sight. I shouldn’t have been though. If it’s one thing I have learned about Kat over the years, its that there’s nothing that can kill her spirit. Problem? Yep — solve it.

“Just like that our rush was over and done like a bungee jump; all the build-up then the realisation it’s over and you’re at the bottom. But, you know the best thing about the Taupo bungee? You can walk back to the top and do it all over again!”

With most of the weekend left, Kat and her dedicated team began scouring the depths of every Mitsubishi parts page on the internet, leaving no stone unturned in their quest for what was diagnosed as a very unhappy diff — holes and all, Kat explains, “the rear pinion let go, smashing the diff to pieces.”

After a four hour drive, Andrew was back with a replacement diff, from a fellow Mitsubishi owner based in Te Puke. After a diff rebuild, some new fluid and re-installation Kat was ready for action yet again, for Sunday morning’s first session. A huge thanks must go to Tony Satherley for the diff contact and fluids.

“We’ve finally set the flat-shifting up,” Kat told us. After being a bit soft on the gear Sunday morning Kat got told by her team to put the hammer down. With an improved and practiced shifting technique, Kat managed to lap an impressive 1:38.2-second lap time, netting her second place in Pro-Street and fourth place overall for the weekend.

“We know the trip down to Taupo well, being a regular on the schedule, it’s always a good couple of days away racing; the journey can get long and repetitive, but well worth it not just for the track, but all Taupo has to offer. The team went down a day early and spent our time swimming in the river by Taupo Bungy.

The following evening, we had dinner with the team at Burger Fuel Taupo on the waterfront and watched the sunset across the lake. Thanks to my team and sponsors, we’re ready to attack Leadfoot Festival hill climb February 2–3.

Live, dream, discover — KBR XO”

We’ll be bringing you the action from the third NZ Superlap series round, held at Manfeild Autocourse, March 24.

Event Gallery: People of Pitlane — Taupo edition

“Team TimeattackR go mug-hunting at the second round of the NZ Superlap Series 2019”

Motorsport enthusiasts are never the best looking rigs on the planet. With money better spent on new tyres, race boots, or fuel instead of grooming or putting any sort of effort into a false vanity. Would we have it any other way? Hell no! I’m an ugly, horribly-dressed rig and I’m proud; black car related T-shirt, jeans and all! To celebrate this, I thought I would throw together a couple of mug shots from the most recent NZ Superlap round; RD2 2019. Some, so ugly, they could only be featured with helmets on. Enjoy, or, don’t.

Event Report: Hans Ruiterman — Taupo times beaten!

“Fun in the sun — Hans Ruiterman takes on the second round of the NZ Superlap Series and manages to pull out a new personal best around Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park”

For Hans Ruiterman and his loyal crew, the Taupo-based Bruce McLaren Motorsport NZ Superlap round is by far their favourite. The atmosphere Taupo brings is relaxed, and steamy race sessions are closely followed by refreshing dips in one of the circuit’s nearby free-flowing rivers or lakes — made better by a test day on Friday, where Hans was able to scare and excite willing and unwilling souls in a casual environment.

During the test day, however, Hans, Daniel and Zee made some important changes and tweaks to the Silvia, with a new wheel alignment, shock, and sway-bar settings all adjusted in the hope that come race day, the powerful rear-wheel drive would manage through Taupo’s twisty infield.

“The first session on Saturday we ran our test tyres to dial in a base time and get a feel for the suspension changes,” Hans continues, “We knew we were heading in the right direction as we were already as fast as our personal best around the circuit. The second session track temps were too high and grip suffered, so for the third session we put a set of slicks on so we could stay out for the whole session and just cut some laps.”

Standing on the sidelines, blurry-eyed on Sunday morning, we waited for Hans to make his way out onto the cool black-top. Pit talk rumour dictated that the first session come Sunday morning would be where everyone would turn up the boost, in hope of some seriously fast times.

Hans and the Yokohama A050 tyres did not disappoint, managing to cut 0.8-seconds off his previous best time — finishing with a 1:31.76 lap time. “The sessions after this were again too hot and the car developed a slight misfire, so we packed up and went to the river for a swim to cool off before the long trip home,” Hans told us.

“Our highs for the weekend would be bettering our lap time from last season, but not enough to get first overall for the round!”

Unfortunately, Hans won’t be making the third round of the NZ Superlap Series in March but is chomping at the bit to show how well he knows Pukekohe Park Raceway, he tells us, “I think it may be a close one; I don’t have the aero for the fast circuit, but I have plenty of experience racing here which may make up for it and we should hopefully have our new rubber by then. We will have to wait and see!”

We’re excited to see what Hans is capable of with a fresh set of Yokohama A050s, instead of the three-year-old set he has been using for the past few seasons. More from us and Hans then!

Event Report: Caffeine & Gasoline 2018 December

“I have been itching to get Rodney out to the track for months, so, when I heard Caffeine & Gasoline were allowing their attendees out onto the circuit for a few laps of fun I was straight there!”

Ever since I last got Rodney out onto the circuit a few months back, I have been itching at the chance to get out yet again. However, with a trip to Japan just recently booked, priorities have changed to make sure I can make that happen. However, Caffeine & Gasoline announced that alongside their car meet at Hampton Downs Raceway, they would be letting folk out onto the skid pan and circuit for a bit of fun. The best part? It was CHEAP!

Rodney hanging out in a turbocharged sandwich.

Some friends from work and I made the incredibly straight-forward cruise down to Hampton Downs Raceway to arrive with enough time to hang around before the proposed 11 am track cruising session. This gave me plenty of time to wander around, with the camera in hand, to snap a few photos of the park up. What a turnout!

Keegan, a workmate of mine, was also itching to get his Altezza out for a burn. Now powered by a 380hp 2JZ-GTE engine, it’s got a fair bit more poke than Rodney. It’s got a lot more aero, and suspension mods too. It’s a serious track day weapon when it’s unleashed.

Keegan is collecting parts for his Garrett TO4Z conversion, which should see the under-stressed 2JZ make north of 400kW. It will also feature a Turbosmart wastegate and 6Boost manifold and eventually be tuned by the Link ECU.

Another weapon in the convoy is Nick’s, what I would call, a sleeper. Although it appears fairly factory on the outside, it packs a recently-built PPRE studded, doweled and bridgeported 13B. When Nick purchased it, it was packing a Master Power turbo and made just over 300kW on wastegate pressure. With the newly-built engine, Nick decided to level up with a 6Boost manifold, Borgwarner S366 turbo and Turbosmart GenV Progate to control boost pressure. We aren’t going to go too much into the details though, as when the final tune is done, we’ll be featuring it on timeattackR.com. Lets just say it’s going to make a fair bit more than it used too…

It was good to see Ethan Lowe of Hi-Power Performance out in attendance in a customer’s car to showcase what the shop is capable of. This R32 packs a fully-built motor and outputs over 600kW at the wheels. It has been known to upset much more powerful cars on the regular. Hearing this machine on song was an experience I will never forget! Click HERE to watch the in-car pull.

Thankfully for me, there was an incredibly diverse range of vehicles parked up. Alfa Romeos sitting next to Nissan Skyline R33 GT-Rs. Where else do you get this kind of Pick ‘n’ Mix?

I’m not a huge motorbike fan to be honest, but, I can appreciate the engineering behind some of the more impressive models out there. (I’m not even sure what model this is? But I liked it!)

On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed this custom ‘bike’, whatever it is. How crazy are those exhausts! It must take a lot to keep it that polished.

Another thing that was awesome to see was the amount of kids at the show. From what I have read/heard online/TV, is that younger kids these days aren’t falling in love with cars and bikes in the same way the generation before them has. Who can blame them? Hybrids? Stricter laws? Older licence age? I was ripping donuts in an old Audi around a paddock when I was 14, itching for the day I could legally get onto the road. I even saved up and purchased a ‘big bore’ exhaust when I was 13, which was the start of my passion for modifying.

If you know me, I have a serious soft spot for wagons. I currently own two wagons, which should probably say it all, with one being an SiR Accord wagon, powered by an H23A DOHC VTEC engine, and a Subaru Legacy BP5 GT which packs a turbocharged boxer engine. So, when I stumble upon other high-powered rare long-roof machines, I need to take photos. It’s not even a want anymore. I just need them.

The Nissan Stagea 260RS is by far one of my favourite wagons of all time. The Audi RS2 is at the top, followed by the Stagea 260RS, followed by the Audi RS6 of all generations. Packing an RB26DETT engine found in the GT-R and a five-speed manual pinched from the R33 GT-R, they’re a serious wolf in sheep’s clothing. I have owned two RS Stageas in my time, both packing the slightly less desirable, yet potential-packing RB25DET engine. Oh, what I would do to get my hands on a 260RS!

Another hyper-wagon in attendance was this Evo wagon. Packing the same chassis, engine and driveline as your regular Evos, these are probably one of the fastest, most brutal long-roofs around. This one most definitely has had a fair bit of tickling, as it sounded incredibly angry on the skid pan. Driven well, too!

Life itself wouldn’t be complete without spotting my second all-time favourite car; the Mitsubishi GTO. Not the older, less tech-savvy rear-wheel drive model, but rather the incredibly expensive to own, hard to find parts for, tech-bursting, twin-turbo-packing 1991 model. This particular model was a turbo model, pre-facelift AND red — it doesn’t get better than this! Maybe this year I will get another one?

I am incredibly thankful us Aucklanders and Waikato folk have this facility to use in its entirety once a month. It blew me away with it’s affordability, diversity, and relaxed atmosphere. If you don’t lock this in your calendar once a month, you’re simply out of your mind. I have never experienced a cooler car realm to hang out with mates before. Wanna do skids? Cool! Want to hit the track? Done! Want to park up and watch people drool? That’s catered for too. I managed to get Rodney out to both track sessions, which were ‘cruising’ focused, but still, we definitely got to push our cars to the limit among friends. For $50? amazing!

We need to get behind this event as car enthusiasts in New Zealand. There’s no reason it can’t be a Chrome-style event once a month. There’s no excuse, see you at the next one!

Event Report: Hans Ruiterman Racing — just you wait, all-wheel drives!

“I’m sick of being the bridesmaid!” — Hans ready for fresh Yokohama semis and more boost for upcoming NZ Superlap Series season”

Last season, we extensively covered Hans Ruiterman’s NZ Superlap Series campaign. With a 707hp SR22D/VET (yes, VCT and Neo!)-powered Nissan Silvia S14.5, Hans has contested NZ Superlap for some time now, with numerous round wins under his belt, alongside a competitive campaign in New Zealand’s GTRNZ series.

During the off-season, Hans has been extremely busy building an S-chassis for time attack. Not the one you see before you though, no; this red rocket has been sitting, collecting dust since last season, with the addition of a new front splitter, some vents in the side skirts, and a new section between the headlights. The engine remains much the same, besides a fresh tune on Gull Force Pro fuel but now sports a few extra kW, should high-boost be required or able to be used — weather dependent.

“Our tyres are still the same set we brought back from Australia when I helped out Kat Benson at WTAC, 2016. They are now two seasons old and well past it, so the most significant mod for this season will be a fresh set of Yokohama A050 semi-slicks that should be due to arrive around January or February.”

When we asked Hans at the end of last season whether or not he’d be back racing in the upcoming season, there was no plan too, but rather he’d compete in GTRNZ. However, with the news that there is to be another young Ruiterman on the way, due around March, Hans opted for the more affordable series, with the ability to drop a round in March. However, “the decision to switch was made a bit late, I missed the boat to get the A050 tyres in the country before round one,” Hans explained.

After recovering from hip impingement surgery, Hans strapped himself into the freshened up Silvia for round one at Hampton Downs Raceway. With no testing, Hans managed to pull off an incredible 1:07.01 in less than ideal condition; rain, wind, and sun — you name it! This is just half a second off Hans’ personal best, which gives great confidence in the current setup.

“Our highs for round one would have to be holding our own against the 4WD cars in both wet and dry conditions. During the weekend, we had the quickest time in both wet and dry, until the shootout on Sunday afternoon where I got knocked off the top by less than 0.03-seconds. We definitely don’t want this happening for round two!”

“Our lows for the round would have to be some post-surgical pain from my tight bucket seat, so we are fitting a wider seat before the next event to solve this. I would like to thank my supporters E&H Motors, Gull NZ, Motul, Devise, TT Industries, Onehunga Panel and Paint — without them this wouldn’t be possible!”

Hans is incredibly fast at Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, where the second round will be held. With dry conditions, he’ll be extremely hard to beat. As the season progresses, we will keep you updated.

Image: Damian Smuts — **Image:** Damian Smuts

Event Report: KBR Burger Fuel Evo pushing the limits

“With an extremely successful Superlap campaign last season, it was time to turn up the boost and push the limits of the Burger Fuel Evo’s setup. How would it pan out? Read on...”

Images: Damian Smuts

We’ve been eagerly awaiting this moment; boost, and more of it, inside the highly-strung, fully-built 4G63 that resides between the strut towers of Kat’s Evo VII. Last season was a tease, but now with more power in the mix, it’s a season we’ve been looking forward too. As always, the Evo looks fantastic out on track, with an instantly recognisable livery and a pace that can’t be missed. As with any build though, there are the risks involved with increasing power to new heights. Last season, a dog-engagement gear-set was installed in preparation for the brutal power it now packs, but unfortunately, a smaller driveline issue would spell the end to round one for Kat. It’s always nicer hearing it directly from the driver in question, so over to you Kat!

Last season, our team made a ton of changes to the Burger Fuel Mitsubishi Evo VII. With a new engine, turbo, ECU, and gearbox package, the goal was to get used to the car and push myself as a driver to consistently run the fastest times capable at the power and grip levels available to us.

Now that I was comfortable in the seat, we decided to let the engine breathe for the 2018/19 NZ Superlap Series. To do this, we’ve introduced some extra boost which the engine welcomed returning a healthy 506kW at the wheels. The E&H built, PPM Racing, Link Ecu, Sinco Customs and BorgWarner EFR8374 combo just wants to keep making power but we erred on the side of caution and dialed the power back to 480kW until we are able to make further modifications to the head to prevent any lifting issues.

A weather forecast for thunderstorms at round one of the series opener at Hampton Downs was putting a “dampener” (punny right) on our anticipation for the first time on track in months. But with the new found power and recently rebuilt gearbox, I still couldn’t wait to get out there and smash some laps.

The first morning session was on a fully wet track, and we were struggling with some issues over-rotating on corner entry, but still managed to battle through them and get in some recon laps.

The weather was kind to us and gave a break to the rain for our next session of the day, and I was eager to get back out and really push the Evo to its limits. With a drying track and new semi-slick tyres, I was able to cut down considerably on times from the previous session, but couldn’t quite catch a flying Brady Wild who set the fastest time of the session in Pro Street.

Still battling oversteer issues we wrapped up the day and came back to the pits to make a plan for the second day. Back in the pits we had a quick check over the vehicle and couldn’t find any issues with the setup, but the GPS logging was showing all of our corner speeds were way down on previous data.

Alignment was still fine and the only thing we found was a small leak from the rear diff which we thought at the time was due to overfilling. The next morning we arrived and straight away realised that the small leak was more than just that, with a pool of AYC fluid and gear oil under the car. The rear differential casing had multiple cracks and was seeping fluid. With no replacement available, we were forced to retire early. A new diff is already on its’ way, and we will have the BurgerFuel Evo VII back up and running within the week, ready to really push the limits at Taupo for round two. Thanks again to my sponsors and crew for all your help and support - Mega Love KBR XO

If you want to follow Kat’s time attack journey, you can do so here.

With only a few small upgrades and repairs needed before round two, we’re excited to see what times the Evo and Kat can pull off in Taupo!

TimeattackR: Nascar-powered ‘Vette — a peep into the world of Trans-Am racing

“How much power from a naturally-aspirated carbureted V8? Crikey! Maybe I should take a closer look into the world of Trans-Am racing here in New Zealand. Thankfully, good friend Alastair Wootten drives one”

You’re probably a little confused at this point. You’ve clicked into this article wondering, what has this got to do with time attack racing? When you learn that these Trans-Am machines that hail from the United States of America are faster than our fastest time attack cars in New Zealand, you’d be curious to find out why, too.

Alastair Wootten, my best man, an incredibly talented driver with a motorsport history dating back to his childhood, has found himself with the ultimate in father and son projects in the form of this here Corvette — an SB2 Nascar-powered machine with over 800hp. That’s right, there’s no form of forced induction here, nor is there a trick ECU to run the engine. Instead, a carburettor and a steady screwdriver-wielding hand to make fine adjustments — a foreign concept in modern time attack racing.

The tyres? Yep, they’re full-slicks and they’re gigantic. Not only in their track width but in their profile. You’d easily mistake them for drag racing slicks if you weren’t in the know. A quick-change differential, huge slicks and a four-speed dog-box ensure the brutal onslaught of horsepower makes its way to the tarmac. Other cars in the Trans-Am field are now running much lighter five and six-speed sequential gearboxes to give them an edge.

Based on a tube-frame chassis, the lightweight Corvette body panels are simply bolted in place. Alastair’s Kirky race seat is quite a fair distance from the front of the Corvette and is the only seat in the vehicle, tightly squeezed between the behemoth gearbox tunnel, must-have dry-sump system and essential gauges.

Rev-limiters depending on racing conditions are simply increased with ‘rev chips’ or, ‘little USB looking things’ as Alastair puts it. The SB2 punches out an ear-piercing 9000RPM at full song.

There’s an incredibly limited amount of aero on a Trans-Am race car. There’s a rear element, yes, but it’s a similar size to what you’d see on most club level time attack race cars. The front end is void of any splitters or canards, adhering to the local Trans-Am rulebook.

Yes, you’re right in thinking that these machines rely solely on their mechanical grip and engine horsepower to lap the times they do, which in full qualifying mode, can dip into the 1:04’s around Hampton Downs Raceway — what is essentially now New Zealand’s benchmark time attack circuit for enthusiasts. The most impressive part? It’ll do those lap times all day long. Not just one hot lap like in time attack, it’ll run those times happily for more than 20 laps.

“They’re an animal to drive,” Alastair told us, “It’s like driving a drag car that can turn. The steering is heavy and the power comes on hard. We’re topping out near 280kph along Hampton Down’s front straight.”

Better still, Trans-Am's are incredibly entertaining to watch do battle. Their size, noise, and pace make them an exciting spectacle. Alastair managed to take out this weekend’s racing, which is the first round of many for the season. We may take a closer look into some of the other machines during the season, as they cross over with the NZ Superlap Series.

StreetattackR: Project Rodney hits the circuit!

“Yes, it has been some time in the build, but I can finally say Project Rodney has had his first track battle. Over 300kms were completed on Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park”

Images: Damian Smuts

WOOHOOO! Finally, Project Rodney made its circuit debut. Held on September 28, I attended a casual track day held by a few close friends of mine, at Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park. For eight months or more with the help of numerous semi-eager people, I have been building Rodney up from what was essentially a rolling, stinking, cobweb-covered shell. To say I was excited for this day would be a serious understatement. The low-cost accommodation was booked, leave was grudgingly accepted by my superiors, and the track day was paid for.

We made our way down to New Zealand’s beautiful Taupo region the day before the track day to settle in and get a decent night’s sleep. Early the next morning, I was cleaning the Altezza before it hit the circuit, then we made our way out for briefing. Thankfully, we had the use of a pit bay, so my tools were unloaded, ready for action.

After driver’s briefing, we all made our way onto the circuit for an orientation session — for those not familiar with the circuit, it was a great time to learn the lines with experienced drivers on board. I went out with my dad, and good friends Damian Smuts and Alastair Wootten. Alastair is an incredibly talanted driver, having competed locally in our Toyota Race Series (single-seaters), Midget racing, Formula Fords, and most recently Trans Am in a 800hp Nascar-powered Corvette.

During the three-lap orientation session, the lines learned from Alastair were invaluable. But, the true knowledge would come through with just himself and me in the car during our first ‘hot’ session. With him behind the wheel to show me the ropes, I was blown away at the pace in which this shed-built car could go. No, it didn’t have great straight-line speed, but the braking and cornering were incredible. Having a seasoned racer behind the wheel that is used to far greater horsepower figures, I was waiting for the comments of how slow it was. Instead, Alastair complimented just how tight the car felt.

Alright, my turn! The rev-happy 3SGE engine propelled me out of the pit area and into the action. If I’m honest, I was actually a little nervous heading out with both an experienced driver in the passenger seat next to me and out on the circuit in other cars. Everyone gave me plenty of room to learn though, which I appreciated and Alastair helped as my eyes and ears as I concentrated on my lines, which calmed my nerves — there is a reason this lad was my best man; full trust!

With every lap, I gained serious time on the last. I have driven Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park before in my Subaru WRX, but this was a completely new experience. No longer could I rely on computer assists, all-wheel drive, and 22psi of boost pressure to haul me around the circuit in a decent time. This experience was the reason I sold the Subaru.

With so much track time on offer, Alastair and I switch drives throughout the day. The day ran as an open pit, so if you wanted to be out for an hour or more, that was up to you. Alastair and I were seriously impressed with the Zestino semi-slicks. With pressures set to 24psi in the pits, they would build to 24.5psi every time we came in. We found this to be the optimum for this tyre and they wouldn’t peak over 24.5psi. We couldn’t believe how consistent they were. Being a soft compound tyre, I was worried about having driven on them every day for three months prior to this event and the amount of track time I was getting, I wouldn’t have any tread left to get home. However, the wear was extremely good — I still have another track day in them at least!

Throughout the day, we made changes to the coilover damper. Initially, we started on the softest shock setting, slowly feeling our way through the day with how the car was responding. The Wilwood brake kit performed exceptionally. During one of the final sessions, I was out there for around 35-40 minutes with zero brake fade and a great deal of confidence. During that final session, I did notice the brakes not pulling up as well as the start of the day, which was frustrating. After closer inspection after leaving the event, I noticed I had used an entire set of rear Znoelli pads! They were brand new the night before the event… The Hawk pads up front? Still mint!

With the Altezza, I built the car basically all at once, so I didn’t get to feel each and every modification. Before the track day, I was basically set up, with Cusco coilovers, a Cusco rear sway bar, strut braces front and rear, the brake kit, wheels and semi-slicks. I was blown away with the handling on the street, but there was one addition I made to it before the event blew my mind so hard there was a serious clean up on aisle three; the front Cusco sway bar. Never in my life have I felt a vehicle handle so so flat through a corner. By far the best bang for buck mod to date.

I could talk about this track day forever, so I will leave it at that. I was very happy with the performance and reliability of the Altezza and it just goes to show if you choose the right mix of genuine components you’ll be out there for as long as you want. The Altezza completed just over 300kms on the circuit, which nearly 100 laps. I would like to thank Alastair for teaching me the lines and general track day things you need to know. It was great to get my dad out in the car too, and my good friend Damian, who I need to thank for photographing the day for us all.

What’s next for the Altezza? Well, it’s far too slow down the straights. I think it was probably the slowest car on the straights, but one of the fastest through the infield on the day. Either a turbo or something similar will be added next. Alastair managed a 1:49.2 around Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, which is a whole heap quicker than I was going!

Event Report: record-tumbling RP968 in-car footage

“Want to see the RP968 Porsche smash the time attack record from the driver’s seat? Here it is!”

RP968 sets lap record at WTAC 2018 1:19.8250 with cool down and pit entry

Event Report: RP968 Porsche destroys WTAC record

“THE RECORD HAS BEEN BROKEN! RP968 Porsche goes 1:19.8”

The team knew it had the potential. The organisers knew, and the fans knew too. However, getting the RP968 Porsche under the 1:20 has eluded them — until now. The billet-blocked, semi-slicked Porsche has finally done it with a 1:19.825 lap time. Watching this near 1500hp aero-clad weapon has been an experience we’ll never forget!

Event Report: Fire Ando hangs up overalls and hands keys to Under Suzuki

“In a surprise move, Fire Ando of Team Escort Racing hangs up his overalls and hands over his keys to fellow Japanese driver, Under Suzuki! ”

We’ve felt extremely bad for Under Suzuki. He has worked his rear-end off all year long, only to miss out on competing in the 2018 Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge by a whisker. Fire Ando of Team Escort Racing Service must’ve felt the same way too, as he hung up his overalls and threw to the keys to Under.

The Mitsubishi Evo was prepped for Under’s session, and Fire Ando gave him the rundown of how to handle the billet-block monster.

Under made his way out onto Sydney Motorsport Park for the first time this year. He looked comfortable in the Evo; used to horsepower such as this. The track conditions were clear, until a lap in.

Yet again, the Sydney rain gods wanted to up the excitement for the crowd — and they delivered. Soon after, Under was sliding the 1000-plus horsepower Evo through a number of turns.

With what has had to be the second most exciting part of Saturday’s competition, we can’t thank Fire Ando enough for letting us see Under drive — especially in one of our personal favourite cars!

TimeattackR: Turbosmart HQ tour; house of boost

“We’ve been a fan of their products for years, but today was the day we got the walkthrough of the Turbosmart HQ, based in Sydney, Australia, in the lead up to the Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge”

Images: René Vermeer & Damian Smuts

We just had to get the stars to align this year. We’ve been wanting to check out the Turbosmart headquarters for some time now, but every year we attend the Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge, we’re flat off out and never get the chance. It’s also always an awkward time for them too, being the day before World Time Attack.

This year was it though; we locked it in! I sell Turbosmart product through my day job at North Shore Toyota Parts, as we’re the New Zealand distributor for the product, so we teed it up with the team to take us through this expansive facility.

After touching down on Australian soil, we collected our rental car, jumped in, and made our way to the Turbosmart HQ, stopping off on the way to taste Australia’s finest cuisine; Red Rooster. After being thoroughly disappointed in the budget KFC wannabe meal, we pulled in the Turbosmart gates, met the crew, and made our way into the workshop.

The team and I were instantly taken aback by the scale of this workshop. Nothing even comes close in little old New Zealand. First, we made our way to the raw material section, where Brendan would go through each and every material and its uses within the product range.

While this was going on, it was a good time to peep through into the boxes of stock, where half-machined components were carefully placed ready for assembly and anodizing.

Now the exciting part… The heavy machinery! The Turbosmart building is covered in solar panels, which on a good sunny month, means that up to 90% of the power is paid for. This makes running heavy machinery such as this much, much cheaper.

One thing we noticed about the Turbosmart assembly line, is that it’s immaculate. Every workbench was impeccable, with each and every worker taking incredible pride in their respective jobs.

Another great find was the original Turbosmart time attack Mazda RX-7 FC. Powered by a PAC Performance 13B-rotary engine with a GTX4088R turbo, it’s no slouch but hasn’t been raced since 2011/12 — in World Time Attack Challenge no less.

Sporting the wild engine setup, it also needs the stopping power to match, which the team handled with ginormous Project Mu calipers — front and rear. It was great running into this machine. In its day, it would have been competitive. In today’s competition, probably not so much.

Turbosmart head honcho Stewart Mahony took over the tour reins and decided to walk us through some of the assembly himself, of the latest Gen V external wastegate range.

It’s incredibly interesting how simple these components are to put together. But, the design and attention to detail are flawless. From the shape of the valves to the heights of the diaphragm, to the materials used — it’s all of the highest quality.

Turbosmart has added a ‘Motorsport’ range to their existing lineup. These feature a longer valve, with a diaphragm that is much higher off the wastegate. In their destructive testing, they were literally unable to destroy and overheat it. We were told these units have so far, been unbreakable. How many manufacturers can say that? Not many!

The ‘Motorsport’ wastegate range is great for applications in which the wastegate itself has little to no airflow to keep it cool. For example, an R35 GT-R with a twin turbo aftermarket setup more than likely has the external wastegates sitting atop the bellhousing. There’s no airflow there, and wastegates commonly get hot in these applications.

A new feature to the Gen V range of wastegates is the water-cooling. When we asked why you would water cool a wastegate when they have the ‘Motorsport’ model available, we got a very good answer. Stewart told us the water-cooled wastegate is for applications where the wastegate itself is causing excessive heat in the engine bay, which is damaging other components around it. Whereas the ‘Motorsport’ wastegate has been designed to improve the life of the wastegate itself.

Finally, we made our way into the blow-off valve and boost controller area. Staff were kind enough to show us how they are put together after giving us a demonstration on how to properly test a blow-off valve.

You can’t leave the Turbosmart HQ without getting a shot of their GIANT wastegate and blow-off valve! These things are way cooler in person than you’d think.

All in all, an incredible day with the Turbosmart and North Shore Toyota Parts team. We gained so much knowledge and a much greater respect for all of the components involved to make a reliable turbocharger system. We’ll be back for sure, and we’ll get some photos of the Turbosmart stand at World Time Attack.

StreetattackR: project Rodney gets a new wing TOCA style!

“I have wanted to build a BTCC/JTCC touring-style car for some time now, and the latest addition to project Rodney was the icing on the cake!”

Ever since I was a wee boy, I have loved touring car racing. There’s something about the ultra-fast, uber-slammed hyper-sedans that get me going — big NA grunt, centre-lock wheels, and those gorgeous rear wing elements. Which, brings me to this article. Yes, finally, my BTCC/JTCC-style wing has landed, has been painted, and fitted.

I searched all around New Zealand for a wing like this, and it was evident that it was not something I was going to find. After broadening my search overseas, I found a business in Australia who specialises in fibreglass aero and wings. I could have purchased a more exotic carbon-fibre piece out of Europe somewhere, but hey, Project Rodney is meant to be a budget project after all…

After a few emails back and forward, I placed my order for the fibreglass unit you see before you now. It arrived from Australia in a matter of days, so I sent it off to my local painter to be colour-matched to the Altezza paint code and waited a week before I could install it.

Surprisingly, it was really easy to install onto the Altezza boot. The Fibreglass Factory installed steel plates into the wing stays with tapped M8 bolt holes. I simply drilled holes in my boot, installed some soft black foam tape for it to sit on, and bolted it down. Instantly, the look of the car changed dramatically. However, it was evident the rear end ride height was way too high to pull the look off.

After 30 minutes with the C-spanners, the Cusco coilovers were lowered down 15mm in the rear, giving a much more even look. Wowee, I was excited. So excited, that I grabbed the camera, a pal, and a lens so I could take some finished shots.

This Altezza has been an incredibly satisfying project. It has been easy, parts have been a breeze to find, and best of all; it’s fun! Last week I managed to score an HKS F-Con ECU too, so it may have a few more kW within the next year. The question though; turbo or naturally aspirated? I am in two minds. I do miss boost.

The noises, the torque, and the driveability on the street. I have, however, had dreams of ITBs and ginormous headers with an angry cam setup. Unfortunately, this is not the ideal setup for the street. And, currently, it’s my daily driver. Comment your thoughts below, if you have some — I would love another opinion.

Come September 28, I will be fanging my way around Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park at the North Shore Toyota Parts annual track day. Before then I need to change the fluids, install my Cusco front sway bar, Laile Beatrush shifter bush, and fit my Laile Beatrush aluminium undertray. More updates then!

StreetattackReview: S2000 review; modified vs stock!

“When given the chance to pedal a near-on factory S2000 and a modified example, you’re damn right we’re grabbing the keys! Welcome to TimeattackR’s first ever car review”

I always find it funny how the world works. Take this review you’re about to read for example; yesterday, I was scrolling the never-ending depths of Facebook, where I found myself gazing upon a clean Honda S2000 posted by a friend of mine, Jon-Paul. Alongside the image, was a caption, which read, “If you haven't driven an S2000 yet..... WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!?” Well, I had never driven an S2000, so simply replied, “Me, let's do this!” A cheeky Facebook message later, and we’re organising the time I would be collected from home to be driven to Auckland’s eastern suburbs where there would be not one, but two Honda S2000s waiting to be driven.

JP’s friend owns a business named MRN Wholesalers and it just so happened that he personally owns an S2000 which has been tastefully modified and currently has for sale a near-on factory example. It would prove to be the perfect comparison for a first-time S2000 experience.

Upon arriving, JP and I were greeted by the blue modified S2000, which features external reservoir Bilstein coilovers, Volk CE28n wheels, Dunlop Z1 semi-slicks, ASM headers, high-flow intake, bracing, and wide-body front guards. Not overly modified, but would prove to be a good comparison against the silver example, which featured a factory drivetrain and Tein Super Street suspension.

Lurking in the MRN Wholesaler’s garage was an FD2 Civic Type R in black and a K20AR-swapped DC2 Integra Type R which produces 165kW at the front wheels and features a Spoon gearbox. To say I was in Honda heaven would be an understatement. Anyway, time was getting on and I was itching to get behind the wheel.

To start off the right way, I would be driving the stock example first before progressing to the modified platform. Our destination would be Hunua Falls, some 45-minutes from our current destination which would feature a wide variety of touge-worthy roads, long country straights, and beaches.

After shoehorning my camera bag onto the passenger seat, we were off. Initial thoughts were that the steering wheel felt incredibly low and without adjustment, I thought would be in the way during the drive. The clutch – somewhat different to my Exedy Hyper Single race clutch in my car – took some getting used to, with an incredibly short throw compared to other cars I have driven. The gearbox shifter throw was incredibly short and direct, but classic to Honda, was incredibly satisfying.

To my surprise, the Honda’s F20C engine provided ample mid-range grunt to get around town and in no time at all, we were out of the suburbs and into the action going toe-to-toe, slowly working into the platform. As speed increased, it felt as though the steering feel became heavier with an incredibly connected feel to what the front and rear wheels were doing.

The perfectly-balanced chassis had exceptional turn-in, mid-corner grip, and predictable oversteer when pushed harder than the tyres allowed. Then, as if hit in the head with a bees nest, the F20C buzzed angrily as the RPMs exceed 6000 and propelled at an exponential rate towards the 9000RPM rev-limit, then again and again as I worked my way through the gears. So, this is why people buy these — these angry little fuc*$rs!

Soon after, we switched cars. After becoming somewhat attached to ‘my’ S2000, I was reluctant to give the modified example a decent shot — how could you beat what I just experienced? As I soon found out, an angrier exhaust tone, gnarlier induction noises, stiffer shocks, much gripper tyres, and race-brakes would prove a far superior combination, in some ways.

Without effort, the modified blue example would be on the tail of the silver factory example. The upgrades, although subtle, transform the chassis into a nimble, grip-heavy machine that soaks up speed leaving you somewhat senseless, wanting more — more than the laws of New Zealand’s roads allow. In the silver machine, however, the limit was found much earlier, giving you a greater sensation of, well, badassery — leaving you feeling like the son of Ricky Bobby.

One thing I forgot about and I am sure you have too, is the steering wheel height; what I thought was going to be a problem wasn’t. Honda knows best, apparently. Another important thing to note was the serious lack of fuel we used. We weren’t beating on these Hondas too hard, but it was nearly two hours of spirited driving and we both used around a quarter of a tank of 98-octane. An extremely important factor to consider with fuel prices being where they are in New Zealand.

After pulling in the drive to the MRN Wholesalers HQ, I had myself seriously pondering which one I would prefer. The conclusion, I think at least, would be the near-factory example. It did need better tyres, however, the predictable handling, the smooth ride, and just-loud-enough engine provided ample entertainment and even more so than the modified example on the street. Get them side-by-side on the circuit though, and I would be jumping into the modified example for sure.

StreetattackR: project Rodney gets new seats and brakes!

“Finally, some serious progress! Project Rodney gets new brakes and preparation for certification”

I had a very clear vision of what I wanted this build to be when it was first purchased last December. I wanted an affordable street legal track hack, that I could beat on all day without any issues arising. For this to happen, I knew a few things would need to be over-engineered, and that the engine would remain as factory as possible. I also wanted the upgrades to be genuine parts, or OEM wherever possible. This led to the decision to run OEM Mitsubishi Evo X Enkei wheels, and the hunt then began for factory-released Recaro seats from the late '90s and early '00s.

One of the first things on the list to do before the new seats were installed was replacing the disgusting carpet. The previous owner was a heavy smoker, and I have never seen so much durry droppings! There was no hope of cleaning it up, so I found a fresh carpet out of a wreck.

Having the carpet out meant we could tidy a few things up and install the seat belt buckle mounts for the certification. Although my new seat rails have seat belt mounting points, LVVTA certification requires them to be mounted to the tunnel of the vehicle.

Seats! I love a good seat, however, my budget was starting to look a bit grim for anything decent. A Racetech or Bride seat supplied through work was the original plan, but I figured I would start looking for a second hand Recaro SR3 driver's seat instead to keep costs down. I managed to find the Recaro on the left-hand side of this image for $215, and then just before certification, I picked up the seat on the right for $200. They don't match, but I couldn't pass them up!

Then, once that was all done, my flatmate Damian and I installed the front lip to tidy the front-end up a bit. I'm keeping all these photos fairly vague mind you, as I will be doing a proper photo shoot in due course!

Alright, time for seriously cool shit. At the start of the project, I would have everyone on at work that I would be installing our off-the-shelf Wilwood SXE10 brake kit. The kit consists of JZA80 Supra 323mm discs, Wilwood Superlite four-piston calipers, stainless brake lines, and MRP Ltd caliper mounting brackets. I wasn't joking, I had been eyeing this fine piece of kit up since the get-go... Install time! Thankfully, I roped one of the Toyota technicians at work to give me a hand.

Wheels off, discs removed, and brake lines clamped. Now to check out what comes with the kit and remove the original caliper.

In the photo above you can see the new caliper sitting next to the cast-iron OEM units. Boy, the stock ones are HEAVY! Both new Wilwoods wouldn't weigh as much as one single OEM one. Even if they had the same braking power, the un-sprung mass difference would be worth it alone. Also, they don't look rubbish.

Before we could proceed though, the MRP Ltd caliper mounts needed to be installed. This bolts up to the existing caliper mounting points and spaces out the Wilwood caliper to the right location for the new 323mm disc. Fitting hardware is included, so it's extremely straight forward.

A quick dummy-fit of the new disc shows how much bigger the new disc is... The excitement at this point is, ah, like a lot.

Before I could mount the calipers, I had to read the instructions. RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING IN BOLD RED WRITING, it states that the 10mm caliper mounting holes need drilling out to 12mm. Believe it or not, this took me some time to figure out... I really should read the instructions first before assembling things. Believe it or not, not one technician at work had a 12mm drill bit, so off I went to the hardware store to pick one up.

Oh baby, they're gorgeous. The Wilwoods are mounted and looking better than I expected. Now time to rip into the rest of the conversion. The kit included Hawk Performance pads, which should be great for my application.

With everything else laid out ready to go in an unorganised chaos, we reached for the brake lines. These required a little bit of fiddling around to ensure the S-bend was the same as the factory line, so they didn't foul on any suspension components.

All fitted up, the Hel brake lines looked nice and should improve braking feel a great deal.

The final step in the oh-so-easy process is the brake bleed with new TRD race fluid. This is made incredibly easy by a vacuum-bleeder. Top 'er up with fluid, and hit the go button! The calipers did require a manual bleed at the end to get them over the line, but damn his makes life easy.

All done! The Wilwood calipers had oodles of clearance behind the Evo X wheels, which have a Brembo behind them from the factory. Initial test-drives indicate a massive improvement in both feel and force, but the true test will be on the track. It's all coming along, and I can't wait to get this thing out on track in the coming months. The next time you see this car on here, it'll be a much closer look at everything.

Event Report: Kat Benson finishes NZ Superlap season

“With a freshly built race car and series-long full of highs and lows, Kat Benson Racing finishes off the Prowear NZ Superlap Series on a high and positive note”

If we could choose a favourite race team to follow and photograph, it would be Kat’s — she is the sole reason we are back covering the Prowear NZ Superlap Series this season. She’s always positive, and I think it’s one of the reasons her team is so well loved and followed in the series. Before we get into Kat’s round report, we would just like to extend our thanks to the team’s hospitality and positivity.

Racing! And, there’s been plenty of it this season for Kat Benson Racing completing each and every round around the North Island of New Zealand besides the first. Starting off with a newly-developed package is no easy feat, but Kat got into the groove without hassle for the first time at Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park.

Part of the new package was the engine, which is now a Pure Performance 2.3-litre stroker engine with a BorgWarner EFR8374 turbo with an array of Turbosmart goodies to keep things under control. Kat’s new package scored her an easy personal best at Bruce McLaren Motorsport, which was a great start to the season.

Round three of the Prowear NZ Superlap Series was held at Manfeild Autocourse in conjunction with the 4&Rotary North Island Jamboree and Kat was excited to let the new package loose on a circuit she doesn’t usually drive. Thankfully, the BurgerFuel Evo ran flawlessly and with only one day’s racing, Kat managed yet another personal best, ending the weekend with a rapid 1:15.4-second lap time.

For round four, Kat made her way back to Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park to do battle once again. With plenty of experience on this circuit and a growing familiarity with the new setup, Kat didn’t hold back one bit and smashed another second off her personal best, finishing the weekend on a high with a 1:37.6-second lap time. Unfortunately, though, it wasn’t all good news. The dog-box had issues, and parts weren’t available for the final round of racing.

“This season has gone by so fast; it’s hard to believe the series is over. It feels like we were just putting the new motor in and fixing the big fire damage from last season’s final round,” Kat told us after finishing the final on a high, she continues, “The only thing I can put it down to is that every event was so much fun, with super-tough competition and some of the fastest lap times we’ve ever done across the country. A massive thanks to Kaz, Kerri and the organisers for another well-run NZ Superlap Series.”

Painfully, the factory gearbox has to be reinstalled before the final round if Kat were to have any chance of setting her wheels down on the black-top. “This was a hurdle but didn’t hold me back. I pushed the car to its limits, battling the failing OEM synchros and nearly ripping the selector out the top of the gearbox and bruising my hand, just to get it to shift and put down some good times,” Kat explains.

We get the feeling that once Kat brings the new engine package off of wastegate pressure, there’s going to be a new Pro-Street queen. “When all was said and done, I was ecstatic to come away with second overall in the Pro-Street category to an on-form Andy Brooking — a pleasure to drive with you all year buddy!”

“Now that the season is done, we don’t stop — we never slow down! The car has already started getting stripped back down as we want to get this gearbox rebuilt, address the diffs, beef up the aero, improve the cooling, and finally turn up the wick on the PPM-Racing 2.3-litre engine! Events planned are definitely Superlap, and the others you’ll have to wait and see, but fair to say we won’t have a single free weekend come summer.”

“To all those involved over this past year, sponsors/friends/racers thank you for your support and encouragement; without it, we would be lost. It truly is a pleasure dealing with every awesome person and business in this crazy scene and we can’t wait to see you all soon! “

Special thanks must go out to all the peeps behind the scene:
BurgerFuel, Ilabb, Nitto Tire NZ, Enkei Wheels, E&H Motors Pukekohe, Turbosmart, Link ECU, Timeattackr.com, Etnies NZ, Sinco, NZAD and of course my epic crew Andrew and Tristan. I am so blessed to have your support and could not grip this crazy ride without you all.

Mega Love,
Kat Benson Racing XO

Event Report: The Lab Limited Nissan March pedalled by Steve Millen and more!

“It’s been quite an eventful season for The Lab Limited’s Glenn Hodges, with plenty of upgrades and a season finale with Stillen owner and motorsport legend Steve Millen behind the wheel to support Leukemia & Blood Cancer NZ”

You’ve read the feature on Glenn Hodges’ absolutely bonkers Nissan March after round four of the Prowear NZ Superlap Series, but now you’re wondering how this mad creation from The Lab Ltd. feared in New Zealand’s only time attack race series. With a car of this nature, it’s not an easy beast to tame. Packing 440kW-plus of pure shed-built twin-turbo V6 muscle in a custom-built car isn’t always going to be the easiest to get a handle on, especially when every suspension and aero component has been handmade.

The fourth round of the Prowear NZ Superlap series was held at Bruce McLaren Motorsport park, and, with decent weather for the most part, it were to be perfect track conditions for testing. With known heat-soaking issues thanks to an inefficient intercooler and cooling system, Glenn used this track time to gain some vital information.

With no change to intake air temps, Glenn moved onto pushing the little March to find its limitations, Glenn explains, “the last session of the round four at Taupo I was trying to progressively find the upper limits for corner speed. On a couple of the safer corners, I stepped over that limit by just a touch and then reacted poorly resulting in an excursion onto the grass.”

Unfortunately, the splitter dug in hard during this excursion and resulted in a spin. This would ultimately end the weekend for Glenn, with a car full of grass and sand. After getting the March home for a much-needed clean, Glenn began the planned modifications before the final round, held at Hampton Downs Raceway.

“After extensive discussions with PWR in Australia on how to improve the intercooler system and coming to the realisation the current budget simply was not going to meet the requirements for the good gear, it was time to get the welder out — again!”

Straight away, Glenn purchased a new, much-thicker aluminium radiator, which he then cut up and modified to suit. The original radiator was then reused and cut up to become the new low-temp radiator for the intercooler system. The intercooler itself was then cut up and modified to enhance the efficiency. The air intakes received your classic case of Kiwi ingenuity, with a couple of four-litre paint tins, with stickers removed to act as cold-air intakes — awesome!

After the cooling upgrades were completed, Glenn turned his direction to the front-splitter, which besides being full of grass, needed a good reworking. A couple of extra brackets were installed, and it was raised an overall 25-millimetres off the ground, then it was off to the dyno, Glenn explains, “the whole car was given a nut and bolt check, then taken to D Tech for a tune and test of the intercooler and cooling system changes. While not perfect, there were significant improvements in the cooling systems and the car netted 447kW (599hp) at the rear hubs, so slightly up on what we had way back at the start in the old chassis.”

For the final round of the Prowear NZ Superlap Series, Glenn had a serious surprise in store for us all; Steve Millen, international motorsport hero, Kiwi legend, and owner of Stillen was to drive the little March during the lunchtime sessions with a passenger. This wasn’t for no reason though, as Glenn had been asked if he wanted to be involved in rides for charity for Leukemia & Blood Cancer NZ.

After a voluntary MSNZ audit, Glenn was ready for Saturday to hand over the keys to Steve. To give Steve a chance to come to grips with the little March, he was given the first session of the day to get comfortable. “It’s good!” Steve exclaimed.

Steve and the charity winner made there way out in the lunchtime cruise session for a couple of hot laps, and it’s safe to say Steve had an absolute blast behind the wheel the March and provided some solid feedback for Glenn. One is that it seriously needs a dead pedal, so Glenn can feel what the car is doing.

After a quick refuel, Glenn made his way out onto the grid for the final session of day one. “I headed out aiming to slowly get the pace improved as laps went by, however, the car and track were terrible. Moderate braking locked the front wheels, the car understeered, then would snap oversteer — this was not the car I had been driving all season!” Glen told us.

At a moderate pace, the March locked up and it was into the sand once again. Upon closer inspection after returning to the puts Glenn noticed the front splitter was loose, resulting in a very pronounced high-speed shudder, upsetting the front-end balance of the March. Back to the shed that night to get it finished by Sunday! “It was just after dark and the improvements had been made!”

With improved track conditions after midday, Glenn pulled the March off the trailer to take on the competition. After a couple of sighting laps, Glenn was pumped, “the track was so much cleaner and drier than Saturday,” he continues, “Fortunately I had the forethought to check the front shock settings. Oddly, they were set to full stiff — a recipe for the disaster of a session we’d had on the Saturday afternoon.”

After Eric’s unfortunate fire and being held in the pits, Glenn was ready to get the session underway, after finding out nobody was injured. “Superlap group three to your cars now please!” The session was about to begin.

“And we’re off! I’m lucky enough to be at the front, so clear of the traffic. The car feels amazing and it’s back to what I knew from the rounds before, only this time I’ve nailed it and the front aero is rock solid and I have a little more power.”

After two moderately paced laps, Glenn started to feed into a little harder to try and take on a few competitors in the series. After making a small mistake on corner exit of turn four, Glenn slid over the ripple strips sideways, but still managed to keep the pace going. It was all looking extremely good, until the lap was red-flagged, ending the fun. During the day, Glenn managed an extremely respectable 1:14.9-second lap time and upon entering the pits, he was welcomed with congratulations from the other competitors, showing just how warm the NZ Superlap family truly are.

Glenn and the humble Nissan March netted a third place in Pro Open for the season and a trophy for reliability — “both genuinely a great surprise!” Glenn told us.

Event Gallery: Prowear NZ Superlap Series RD5 2018 part two

Welcome back! We've got the second gallery from the Prowear NZ Superlap final uploaded. To view the first gallery, click here.

Event Report: Hans Ruiterman Racing Prowear NZ Superlap finale

“Hans Ruiterman Racing nabs a second-place finish in Prowear NZ Superlap Series in SR22VDET-powered Nissan Silvia!”

After dropping the fourth round of the Prowear NZ Superlap Series due to a few mid-season upgrades, Hans Ruiterman was back in the hot-seat ready for action in the fifth and final round held at New Zealand’s benchmark time attack circuit; Hampton Downs Raceway. Hans has been constantly improving the Silvia throughout and before the season with a unique VCT/NEO VVL SR22 engine — the first of its kind in the world.

The changes didn’t stop there though, as Hans has been developing a stroked VQ35HR-powered S15 Silvia that will be taking on the Yokohama World Time Attack in 2019. During the development of the S15, Hans made some improvements to the suspension geometry, he explains, “from all the suspension research and design work we have been doing on our S15 project, it became apparent that there was an issue with the rear roll-centre height in relation to the front in our S14.5.”

Hans continues, “During the weeks leading up the event, we decided to build the subframe for the S15 and put this into our current Silvia to test. The new subframe has the ability for geometry adjustments and still fits around the stock fuel tank and unmodified chassis rails — making it a bolt-in item.”

“As the current car had previously been well dialled in and now with the geometry adjusted, the balance had changed so there was work to be done. During the event, we changed the front and rear sway bar settings, shock settings and wheel alignment to achieve a perfect balance between understeer and oversteer to suit my driving style. The car now has less of a natural tendency to take weight off the inner wheels under high cornering loads and we are able to soften it up to gain more grip without inducing too much body roll.”

Unfortunately, Hans’ team weren’t blessed with track time at the final with rain and sessions that were cut short, which meant they were unable to utilise and maximise the potential from the new layout. During the event we were supplying Hans with images from various corners, so he could check just how low the splitter was getting to the tarmac and braking and cornering.

Hans is confident the next time the S14.5 is out on track it’ll knock down his previous personal best of 1:06.5-seconds set last year. Hans finished the weekend, and the final with a 1:07.03-seconds, which seems off the pace but is staggeringly quick considering the massive change weeks prior to the event. We’ll keep you up to date during the off-season with any modifications Hans completes, and we’ll no doubt checking out his mental WTAC project.

Hans would like to thank all of his sponsors for their support this season, including; 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, Devise, Alicia Ruiterman, Theresa Knight, Claire Robinson, Carl Ruiterman, Shaun Judd, Alex Lean, Jedd Mormon, Daniel Burrows, Wayne Cowley, Jason Liefting and David Higgins