Super Lap Battle 2009 – Willow Springs
Called the “fastest track in the west”, Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond, CA has just nine turns and plenty of straightaway space. Cars that have lots of horsepower, stability and minimal drag often do well, with only the fastest production-based cars dipping into the 1:20s.
The Super Lap Battle (SLB) time attack series visited Willow Springs for its latest qualifier event. Run in conjunction with the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) Time Trial series, the SLB qualifier guaranteed entry into the November 2009 Finals event for the three fastest cars in each class.
Unlimited is meant for cars that you’d typically see run in Super Unlimited or regional ITE race series. This means no limits and unlimited budgets. Sequential transmission, carbon bodies, reworked suspension geometry, unlimited boost, this is the class for the big guns.
This weekend saw the entry of Chris Rado’s re-worked Scion tC, which did not run due to electrical issues, and the debut of the Bergenholtz Racing Mazda RX-8. We wish the Bergenholtz Brothers the best of luck with working out the kinks in their brand new car, which should be very fast once sorted out. The eventual class champion would be the ultra-quick BC/C-West/Design Craft Honda S2000 with a time of 1:22.288. A new Super Lap Battle record, that time puts the turbocharged and carbon fiber bodied S2000 nearly into sports racer territory. Credit should be given to driver Tyler McQuarrie as well, who has been wringing every last bit out of the Honda at recent events.
The Limited class is populated with more privateer entries than Unlimited. Running on r-compound tires such as the Nitto NT-01 and Toyo R888 instead of the Hoosier DOT near-slick level, Limited class cars are still not slouches. Often caged, gutted and heavily modified, Limited class cars, such as the Evasive Motorsports Lancer Evolution and Harman Motive Subaru Impreza WRX STi, are still very quick. JC Meynet would take the Limited class win for Harman Motive in his Cosworth-powered Subaru WRX STi with a time of 1:27.119.
The final class is the Street class, which requires the use of readily available street tires with a UTQG rating of 180 or higher. The most accessible class to privateers, the Street class is no less competitive. With full interiors, street tires and registration required, the Street class is a careful balance of optimization and modification. By far, the most number of entries came in the all-wheel drive division of the Street class, reflecting the popularity and ease of modification of such factory turbo cars as the Lancer Evolution and STI.
Our own Project Lancer Evo 9 was given a few days of careful setup and re-working with M1 Fabrication and Development and entered into the event. With ex-250cc Super-kart driver Russ Warr behind the wheel, our project car set a time of 1:34.128, a laptime that put us ahead of the two Lancer Evolution Xs and Crawford Performance WRX STI entered in the event and 1st in Street AWD. The overall Street class winner would be Danny Young and his very nicely prepared turbocharged Acura NSX, driven by Erik Messley to a time of 1:32.036.
Source
Super Lap Battle
www.superlapbattle.com
