The 2011 RallyCar series kicked off in Atlanta, MI with the frigid Sno*Drift Rally and held quite a few surprises. More than living up to its name, Sno*Drift Rally is the only winter rally on the RallyCar calendar and sees ambient temperatures as low as 0-degrees during night stages. This meant that competitors drove the entire race on ice and snow, sliding sideways and churning powdered clouds of ice dust when blasting through every corner. If there’s one way for any driver to improve his or her car control and technique, it has to involve ice and sliding – there’s a reason why Finland is able to mass produce so many great rally drivers.

Temps reached as low as 0-deg at night

The majority of the stages took place in the frost-covered forests of northern Michigan, almost four-hours north of Detroit. Aside from a couple of more spectator-friendly Super Special stages held on the second day of competition, rally racers were faced with high snowbanks, slight hills, and quick, tree-lined forest roads. Add in the complete darkness of night stages and you’ll quickly realize how the Sno*Drift Rally event separated the different levels of driving talent.

Early bets were on that the large, sponsor-backed teams were going to dominate the rally. Powerful, fully-prepped Open Class cars, multiple crew members, and reputable driving talent led many spectators to expect a battle between Rockstar Energy Rally Team’s Antoine L’Estage/Nathalie Richard (Lancer Evo X) and Subaru Rally Team USA’s David Higgins/Craig Drew and Dave Mirra/Marshall Clarke (Subaru WRX STI).

Beyond the RVs and large, covered pit areas, the Open Class leaders also featured impressive driving resumes. L’Estage and co-driver Richard are the 2010 Rally America Champions, Higgins was the 2002 SCCA ProRally Champion, and BMX rider Mirra was the 2008 Rally America Rookie of the Year.

Showing just how tough rally racing really is, and how even the best fortunes can turn in racing, L’Estage’s Rockstar Evo X overheated on the first day during Stage 4. We know how it sounds but yes; it’s possible to overheat when racing in the cold, even when daytime temperatures don’t peak over 20-degrees. Subaru Rally Team USA then looked to capitalize on the podium until Stage 6, when Higgins and Drew were taken out by a mechanical failure.

2WD Sparco Scion xD

This then left the door open for many of the Super Production competitors, who drove minimally modified, all-wheel drive, turbocharged machines with responsive torque curves and solid traction.

Travis Hanson and Terry Hanson would eventually claw their way to the overall rally victory in their Super Production Subaru WRX STI, edging out Dave Mirra and Joseph Burke’s Open Class cars. As privateers, Hanson Motorsports pulled off an early season upset, showing how important driver/co-driver talent is in rough conditions.

Sno*Drift Rally also held a special category called the Sno*Attack, a sort of “rally within a rally” for two-wheel drive competitors. The 2WD’ers included 2010 2WD National Champions Chris Duplessis/Catherine Woods (Scion xD), 2009 2WD National Champions Dillon Van Way/Jake Blattner (Ford Fiesta), Wyatt Knox/Verena Mei (Mazdaspeed3), and Chris Greenhouse/Phil Marsh (Plymouth Neon).

With the field filled with the usual WRX STI and Evo racecars, many of the relatable 2WD rally cars became instant fan favorites. Hondas, VWs, and the all-new Scion xD drove against the turbocharged Mazdaspeed3 and 2011 Ford Fiesta. There was even a Ford Aspire and boxy Volvo 242 mixing it up on the snow.

Duplessis and the Sparco Rally xD team took the early lead, despite having brought out an all-new, untested car which previously was used mostly at auto shows. A flat tire and fuel shortage put Duplessis behind at the end of the first day and despite attempting to make the most of the xD’s nearly stock engine setup, the Scion would finish in second place behind Van Way’s Ford Fiesta. Greenhouse/Marsh’s Neon would finish out the 2WD podium.

2011 RallyCar Sno*Drift

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As I write this, Ken Block’s Gymkhana Three video has 18,773,977 views on YouTube alone. Gymkhana Two “The Infomercial” has crossed the 20 million view mark and that’s not even counting the couple million hits from the original hooligan gymkhana video. So it goes without saying that many young, Internet savy car enthusiasts know who the hell Ken Block is now.

Tanner Foust in his rallycross Ford Fiesta

Part marketer and part rally racer, Block created and sustained the gymkhana video momentum to gain massive amounts of exposure for the sponsors that help him do what he really wants – specifically, World Rally Championship (WRC) racing. With so many people watching and salivating, gymkhana is now famous and has, as a result, grown past its digital roots.

Known as Gymkhana Grid or Gymkhana Grid: The Ken Block Invitational, the now public racing event took place at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale, California. Similar to drifting in many ways, it came as no surprise that Gymkhana Grid took place at drifting’s original home and involved a field of drivers that were almost all Formula Drift racers.

Gymkhana Grid differed from drifting in one major way – it was timed. Two competitors at a time would line up next to each other and then take off along twin mirrored courses. The first to cross back across the start/finish line would be the winner. The course was not laid out autocross-style but was rather marked with simple cones and barrels, encouraging drivers to find different lines and execute well-timed spins. There was even a 720-degree donut turn at the end of each course.

"Spin box" in the gymkhana course

Although fully drifting the course would lead to a slower time, drivers were encouraged to keep the tail out around certain corners and had to execute precision donuts and spin turns at times. Cars that displayed any understeer or lack of power were at a clear disadvantage.

With the course requiring a definite knowledge of oversteer, tire smoke, and rear end control, it came as no surprise that the field was composed of rally racers and drift drivers.

The all-wheel drive class was led by Ken Block’s Gymkhana 3 Ford Fiesta and Tanner Foust’s X-Games/Rallycross Ford Fiesta. Drift racer Stephan Verdier converted his tired drift Subaru STI back into AWD for this competition while Crawford Performance brought out their orange STI with skateboarder Bucky Lasek at the wheel. After the car broke a transmission and then suffered from severe understeer with no e-brake, Lasek was unable to put on any kind of show.

The rest of the field was made up of Lancer Evolution and WRX STI competitors, the most popular AWD offerings in the US. Thomas Smith drove the Zenkai Motorsports Subaru STI but seemed to be having trouble getting the car to turn the way he wanted. Rally driver Wolfgang Hoeck didn’t have any problems getting his Lancer Evolution racecar to spin and pirouette but seemed to be down on power and car compared to the competition.

The two-wheel drive class was composed almost completely of Formula Drift racers and the usual drift machine choices. The two standout cars included Kevin Abbring’s very competitive bio-methanol Nissan 350Z and Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s borrowed (from Ken Block) 1978 Ford Escort Mk2. A successful J-WRC Dutch rally racer, Abbring was driving in the US for the first time and his rally-prepped 350Z had a nearly stock engine setup. He would finish 3rd in 2WD. Look here at OR for future coverage on Abbring and his Z.

Because his name was the one up in lights and it was his event, Block would be in the final run of the night. This meant that the two-wheel drive class finished up first, going run after run until the field was cleared out. Dai Yoshihara would take the eventual class win in his V8-powered Nissan 240SX Formula D machine, ahead of John Rusakoff’s Toyota Corolla and Abbring’s flex-fuel 350Z.

The AWD class was filled with fewer surprises. Once Stephan Verdier advanced into the third spot, it all came down to the battle that everyone knew was going to happen – Foust versus Block. The two fastest and most professionally prepared cars in the field were in a league of their own during each race. Unfortunately for Block, so was Foust. The experienced rally and stunt driver showed his experience with a couple dominant runs and beat Block at his own event. Maybe, next time – the Tanner Foust Invitational?

5Zigen, known for their line-up of lightweight and low-cost wheels, exhausts, and lug nuts, recently announced the addition of a new lug nut. Called the KOMA aluminum lug nut, the new nuts are based on the same lightweight aluminum pieces that are sold for track and racing use.

The difference here is the use of a special chrome coating, which should help the lug nuts appeal to show car guys and truck owners. 5Zigen says that the nuts are made out of an A7075 aluminum alloy (5Zigen calls it Geralnium), giving the nuts low weight while retaining strength.

People obsessed with looks will appreciate the machined surface, chrome shine, and knurled ends, which make it easy to grip when taking nuts on and off to clean wheels. The nuts use a standard 19mm socket for installation.

The 5Zigen KOMA lug nuts come in packs of twenty, four of which are locks, to fit many 5-lug cars. They are available in either 12mm x 1.5 or 12mm x 1.25 fitment.

Contact
5ZIGEN USA, INC.
(310) 608-5575
www.5zigenusa.com

The invasion of the 500hp all-wheel drive rallycross cars continues in the US. Following up on an exciting run at X-Games 16, rallycross hit the New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) for the first ever RallyCar Rallycross competition.

Formerly known as Rally America, RallyCar is the organization behind much of the American rally racing scene. If it involves racing sideways on dirt, sludge, mud, or ice, RallyCar probably runs it. One of the new innovations that they are pushing this year forward is the introduction of an American RallyCross series.

Combining rally racing with wheel-to-wheel road racing, RallyCross is a spectator-friendly race that involves six cars on course and multiple surfaces. RallyCross cars face fewer restrictions than their rally counterparts, with 450-500hp engines, all-wheel drive, and extreme body work allowed.

Drivers are seeded and then see a start and finish flag just as in a standard road race, as opposed to the rally standard of timed stages. 23 drivers showed up to the inaugural event and ran the 1.3-mile Lightning Racetrack setup, who’s surface was 85% tarmac and 15% dirt.

“This is an excellent racing format and I see so many excited spectators,” said NOS Energy Drink’s Andrew Comrie-Picard, “and the cool thing is seeing so many excited drivers. You could see it when Dave Mirra and I immediately caught up with each after our Heat race to discuss what happened out there!”

Travis Pastrana acknowledged the enthusiasm the crowd’s intense enthusiasm, “I could literally hear the fans cheering from inside my car!”

Tanner Foust used his rally racing and European rallycross experience to take the win in a Ford Fiesta, repeating his success in the recent X-Games segment. Foust was challenged early on by Andrew Comrie-Picard (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9), Ramana Lagemann (Ford Fiesta) and Subaru Rally Team USA’s Dave Mirra and Travis Pastrana.

Pastrana nearly flipped his Subaru WRX STI during the main five-lap race, bringing out the red flag and causing a restart. Starting at the back, Pastrana drove a hard race to finish in second.

He was unable to catch Foust out in the front but finished ahead of teammate Mirra, who had been battling with ACP for third. In the end, two of the top three finishers were driving Subaru STIs and all three were on BFGoodrich rally tires.

“The sport is a perfect fit for US audiences and it was awesome to come out on top at the very first one,” said Foust. “Competing in the European Rallycross championship has been great preparation for US Rallycross and the X Games.”

Contact
RallyCar
www.rally-america.com

Regular readers will remember Project Evo 9 giving up the ghost at the 2009 Super Lap Battle time attack event. After winning overall at the STI vs Evo Shootout, our day was ended with a hot spot and a melted piston. Fast-forward seven months and Project Evo 9 is still down for the count, engine-wise.

Our view of Project Evo 9 from the 5Zigen booth

Our brand new 4G63 engine block (not easy to source) was just last week assembled with new 2.2-liter guts. But our Evo is far from complete. It still needs the accessories, head, turbo, and oil pan to be swapped over from our old engine. Needless to say, it didn’t drive to the Mitsubishi Owners Day 2010 show.

Project Evo 9 was on display in the 5Zigen booth and represented the neighboring booths of INGS and Carbonetic as well, both sponsors of our time attack effort.

Quick detailed (unwashed for 7 months) and ready to go

Show rookies - our time attack car was overshadowed by mint purple Evo X next door

The Evo X also had one of the most rainbow engine bays we saw all day

For any business, taking care of customers is very important. The car industry is no different. Scion holds concerts, BMW has a driving school, Mazda has a club racer parts program, and Mitsubishi has a giant annual car meet known as MOD (shameless plug! we have OR stickers available here – Ed.).

MOD stands for Mitsubishi Owners Day and the annual car meet is a giant operation that takes place across the entire Mitsubishi corporate headquarters in Cypress, California. Held as a “thank you” for owners and fans, MOD is a Mitsubishi-only car meet and show held the right way, with corporate funds and backing.

Besides being held on hallowed ground for Mitsubishi fans, at North American HQ, MOD features special presentations, raffles, vendor displays, a Vans bike/skate demo, dyno challenge, and lots of cars on display.

As far as our eyes and camera lens could tell, just about every Lancer Evolution in California was present, as well as Eclipses, Galants, and Starions.

MOD 2010 was also indicative of the slow economic recovery of the industry. With a presence more akin to 2008 than 2009, MOD 2010 featured a packed vendor area with displays from such companies as 5Zigen, INGS, Carbonetic, TEIN, Mackin Industries, Etnies, Brembo, DC Sports, Sparco, Eibach, Tanabe, Tomei, Yokohama, Cusco, and Work Wheels – some of whom sat out last year’s show.

Carbonetic even put up a carbon limited-slip differential as a raffle grand prize, a unit that doesn’t come cheap. We would know; we use it in Project Evo 9.

The fans and show attendees also came back this year stronger and deeper. With MOD scheduled to being at 9AM, we spied long lines of Mitsubishi owners sitting in their cars at 6:30AM, ready to enter the parking areas. As the cars filed in, the parking lot at Mitsubishi developed into a packed show stage, filled door-to-door with modified Evos and factory stock cars alike.

For those that aren’t near California, Mitsubishi also holds the Factory MOD and East MOD events. Held in September, Factory MOD takes place at Mitsubishi’s Normal, Illinois North American manufacturing headquarters. East MOD takes place in October 2010 for the first time ever, held at Mitsubishi’s office in Swedesboro, New Jersey.

Following up the release of their popular Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4G63 bolt-on turbocharger, Tomei has announced their SR20DET bolt-on turbochargers, both priced with a MSRP of $1,390.00.

Designed to replace the Nissan rear-wheel drive SR20DET-powered 180SX and Silvia engines’ T25/T28 turbos, the Tomei ARMS M7960 and M8270 turbos come with all the piping, gaskets, fittings, lines, and hardware necessary for a direct bolt on installation.

The unit is not a direct factory bolt on replacement for transverse SR20DET Pulsar owners, although custom plumbing could make the turbo fit.

Factory and factory replacement intercoolers, intakes, and downpipes can be used to keep costs low and stealthy engine bays intact. Like the stock turbo, the Tomei units use internal wastegates.

The smaller Tomei ARMS M7960 turbo is designed for quick response, capable of producing about 400hp with max boost around 4,000rpm. The power band for this turbo is designed around low and mid-range torque and will beat the larger M8270 turbo up until 4,500rpm.

On Tomei’s test 2.2-liter S15, equipped with cams, ECU, exhaust manifold and test pipe, the M7960 made just over 395hp (400ps) and 360 lb/ft of torque (49.9kg/m). If you’re building a usable street 240SX and will be using a stock SR20DET, this is the turbo is get.

The M8270 turbo is designed for top-end power and will push over 450hp with full boost around 4,500rpm. On Tomei’s test 2.2-liter S15, equipped with cams, ECU, exhaust manifold and test pipe, the M8270 made 453hp (460ps) and 386 lb/ft of torque (53.3kg/m).

For those that are looking for big power or have built engines, this is the turbo that will deliver 500hp without the need for custom exhaust manifolds, intercooler piping, intakes, or downpipes.

Like with all Tomei ARMS turbos, replacement parts are available from Tomei.

M8270 TURBINE KIT – PART NUMBER: 173020
M7960 TURBINE KIT – PART NUMBER: 173019
MSRP: $1,390.00 (USD)

M8270 REPLACEMENT KIT – PART NUMBER: 1741N10020
M7960 REPLACEMENT KIT – PART NUMBER: 1741N10010
MSRP $150. 00 (USD)

Contact
Tomei
(949) 855-6577
www.tomeiusa.com

Engine

* AMS 2.3 RR
* AMS CNC Race Head
* AMS/TMS Head Studs
* HKS Evo 9 Cams
* HKS Adjustable Cam Gears
* Fluidampr Crank Pulley
* HKS Dry Sump Oil System

Turbo/Exhaust

* AMS GT35R Turbo Kit
* Greddy Titanium Cat-Back

Intake/Intercooler

* AMS VSR Intake Manifold
* AMS Upgraded FMIC
* AMS LICP
* AMS UICP
* Tial BOV

Fuel/Ignition

* AMS Fuel Rail
* AMS Fuel Pressure Regulator Kit
* PTE 1000cc Injectors
* ATL C/F Fuel Cell

Cooling

* Koyo Radiator
* Mocal Oil Cooler
* Mocal Power Steering Cooler

Engine Management/Electronics/Gauges

* AEM EMS
* Autometer Gauges
* AEM Uego Wideband Gauge
* AIM Pista Dash
* AMS Custom Wiring Harness

Drivetrain

* Shepherd Racing Transmission
* TRE Transfer Case
* CTG C/F Driveshaft
* Cusco Front and Rear LSD
* Exedy Triple Carbon Clutch
* Driveshaft Shop Axels
* AMS Shifter Bushings

Suspension/Brakes

* AMS Rear Trailing Arm Bushings
* JRZ Triple Adjustable Coilovers
* DEK Front Control Arms
* Perrin Rear Sway Bars
* Brembo Monoblock GT Front & Rear Brake Kit

Wheels/Tires

* Forgeline EV3 18×9.5 Wheels
* 275-35-18 Hankook Ventus Competition Tires

Body

* Voltex Cyber EVO wide Body Kit
* AMS C/F Front Doors
* Seibon C/F Rear Doors
* AMS Rear Lexan Window Kit
* APR CF Mirrors

Interior:

* Dry Carbon Dashboard
* Custom Multipoint roll cage
* Carbon-Kevlar Recaro Race seat with 6pt harness
* SPA Fire Suppression System

* AIM Dash
* Woodward collapsible steering rack with quick release & Sparco steering wheel
* Air Jack System
*Autometer Gauges

Price is set at $125,000 For more information about the vehicle please contact Eric Gaudi at telephone number 847-709-0530 ext 2012 or by e-mail at eric at amsperformance.com

Like a good set of tires, drivetrain is an often-overlooked area of car tuning. Many obsess over blowers, exhausts and wheels but when it comes time to get that project buttoned up, the cheapest clutch kit is usually shoved in.

Or, more often than not, the stock clutch is pushed to the ragged edge and subjected to 400 lb/ft more torque than it was ever designed for.

Being cheap and getting too light of a clutch is a surefire way to shorten the life of your clutch kit and reduce the efficiency of your car. Besides having to live with poor pedal feel and the possibility that something will go wrong, meaning the transmission will have to be pulled again, using a cheap clutch can actually leave acceleration power on the table. Who wants that?

Remember, all the power in the world is a great thing but it still has to get to the pavement. To complement a high-powered engine, you’ll want a clutch kit that has more than enough holding power, good pedal feel (if driven on the street), smooth engagement and a lighter weight. With all these elements in place, a car can accelerate and decelerate faster using the same amount of power.

The key is the fact that the clutch and flywheel are solidly bolted to the engine’s crankshaft at all times. The clutch and flywheel combo will always spin around at the same RPM that your engine is reading. By pressing in the clutch pedal and moving the gear lever, you’re actually engaging and disengaging the transmission’s input into the engine.

16lbs lighter than stock

It’s simple enough to guess that a lighter clutch and flywheel is easier to spin up to a certain RPM since it weighs less. This is the reason for the massive popularity of lightweight aluminum flywheels; they can get you tenths in the quarter-mile with their reduction in weight.

And since the force required to spin a clutch depends on mass and clutch size, a smaller clutch should also aid with acceleration. It’s the same principle behind using lightweight forged wheels versus big, heavy chrome rims.

Taking rotating mass out of your drivetrain with carbon fiber driveshafts, lightweight clutches and small wheels has been done for years. But to find out how effective it really is we hit the four-wheel dyno at Tuning Technologies in Colton, California.

Alfred, Jen and the TT crew opened up their facility for us to test the SPEC Clutch Mini Twin kit on the M1 Fabrication & Development 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII. This Evo has seen some heavy track use in NASA Time Trial competition and we decided to test the stock and SPEC clutches back to back. A custom GT30R turbo kit has been fitted to the M1 Evo VIII and 420whp is available at a low boost setting of 22psi.

The SPEC Mini Twin clutch kit offered both of the elements that we were looking to test gains from, a smaller size and a lighter weight. Rated to hold 800 lb/ft of torque, the SPEC clutch kit came with an aluminum flywheel 7lbs lighter than stock (8.5 versus 15.5 lbs) and was 16lbs lighter in total than all the factory parts. This is even counting the SPEC hydraulic throwout bearing that converts the clutch from a pull-type to a push-type for more reliable operation.

With aftermarket clutches there are a few ways to increase holding power and torque capacity but each have their downsides as well. Some of the most common include different friction material (better heat resistance but minimal holding power gains), a stronger pressure plate (stiffer pedal to push down) and swapping to multiple discs (expensive and could be noisy from internal rattling).

The SPEC Mini Twin clutch uses two clutch discs with what is basically another flywheel sandwiched between them. This gives more surface area than just one clutch and thus more holding power with minimal pedal stiffness.

Pedal feel with the SPEC twin-plate clutch is noticeably light and short and the engagement is much sharper than with the factory clutch. Without as much mass on the flywheel to help launch the car, this kit is designed for road racing and track use, not for drag racing.

The clutch needs to be slipped with plenty of revs to keep going and is pretty easy to stall. You get used to it and this unit can be used in a street car but it’s not exactly street friendly with an OEM feel. This is a real racing unit. SPEC does offer more street friendly units but this racing-style clutch is the best option for us to be able to test the difference in rotational mass.

First up, we dyno the GT30R’s fury against the stock clutch setup. This combo has overheated and slipped on track at Buttonwillow Raceway, proving the low capacity of the stock parts. Next, Tuning Technologies completed an amazing 4.5-hour clutch swap. That may seem really long to some of you but remember, this isn’t a Honda Civic. An Evo clutch install is an ordeal and could easily take twice as long.

The SPEC clutch was then given a full solid day of driving for break in and then the M1 Evo was put back on the same dyno. Both dyno runs used the same exact Tuning Technologies ECU tune and boost level. We measured the same exact atmospheric conditions except for a 2-degree F increase in air temp for the SPEC testing.

Dyno testing reveals the time difference required to reach a specific torque out put. The lighter SPEC system is faster past 3,000 rpm.

The results are eye opening, with the lighter and smaller SPEC twin-disc clutch kit allowing the Evo’s engine to rev faster and easier, hitting peak boost and making power sooner. Where the stock parts allow the Evo to reach 300 lb/ft of torque in about 5.2-seconds, the SPEC clutch hits that same amount in only 4.5-seconds. We measured almost a half second difference from stock for the Evo to reach the 350whp mark and once peak boost is reached, the SPEC clutch helps free up power all the way to the top.

It took almost an entire second less for this Evo to reach the 300 lb/ft mark during a single dyno run. Think about when this car goes out for a track session. Imagine how many times the car must enter braking zones, hit apexes and then accelerate out of a corner. Multiply all that acceleration by the time gained here and you’ll see the advantages of reducing rotating weight and having a lightweight clutch.

Races are won or lost by fractions of a second, we have that here already in a single dyno run and this clutch won’t slip at all on track. Sometimes going faster isn’t just about adding power. Sometimes it’s about maximizing what you already have.

Sources
Spec Clutch
(800) 828-4379
www.specclutch.com

Tuning Technologies
(909) 783-1200
www.tuningtechnologies.com

M1 Fabrication & Development
(714) 671-0077
www.m1fd.com

When it comes time for the auto industry to relax, it hits the track. There is no greater fun for an enthusiast than to hop curbs and shave tenths, shooting for the fastest lap using just the blood and sweat poured in a longtime project car.

For those in the biz, it’s no different. Those that manufacture, prototype, market, and report on car parts are diehard car fans themselves and a track outing is always on everybody’s list.

The invite-only Industry Track Day is a casual open track event organized and volunteer staffed by members of the industry. It’s headed up by Mackin Industries (distributors of Volk Racing and Project Mu) and includes representatives from GReddy and TEIN.

Joining together members of the auto industry in a laid back and casual environment, which is one part networking and two parts driving, the day was a sold out success.

The range of companies present ran the entire gamut of the industry, with employees present from corporate giant Honda down to small racing shops.

Having already made the rounds through the racetracks of Southern California, past Industry Track Day events have taken place at Willow Springs, California Speedway, and Streets of Willow Springs. The venue this time around would be Buttonwillow Raceway, set up in the popular #13CW (clockwise) “time attack” configuration used by the Super Lap Battle.

With the chance to benchmark themselves against some of the fastest aftermarket modified cars around, drivers pushed the limit, setting fast times. The Honda S2000 is always a common sight at track days and this one proved to be no different. Buoyed by the S2000 contingent of Evasive Motorsports, who themselves are responsible for the fastest street tire-shod S2000, the field was filled with large winged, lightened, and very quick roadsters.

The fastest car of the day would also prove to be a S2000, specifically, the N1 Concepts Honda S2000. The N1 Concepts team made the trip down from Nothern California to test repairs following the S2000’s crash at the Redline Time Attack Auto Club Speedway event. Despite regularly running in the low 1:50-range, driver Andrie Hartanto felt that more time could be shaved with some front-end alignment adjustments.

Other popular cars at the event included the ubiquitous all-wheel duo – the Subaru WRX STI and the Lancer Evolution. With their turbocharged engines and computerized all-wheel drive systems, the wonder twins present were quick, although they had to deal with some fast front-drive Hondas and BMWs.

Unfortunately, our own Project Evo 9 is still dead in the water with a KIA engine and was unable to make an appearance at Industry Track Day 6. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for 7.

The 2010 World Time Attack Challenge featured an international gathering of some of the fastest time attack cars on Earth. Held at Eastern Creek Raceway, just outside of Sydney, Australia, the time attack event was divided into three classes – Pro, Open, and Clubsprint.

Photo by Duane Uyeda

While the top gun Pro Class time attack cars usually got most of the media attention and fan visits, the vast majority of local Australian tuner shops and hot shoe amateurs were in the Open Class.

Without the seemingly endless budgets of the Pro teams, the Open Class guys were the ones setting up cars themselves, track testing their own parts, and having the closest competition.

Similar in build level to our own Modified and Limited classes, the Open Class cars featured built engines, high horsepower, bolt-on aerodynamics, roll cages, and full track car qualifications.

Popular platforms in the class include the common Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, Nissan Skyline GT-R, Mazda RX-7, and rear-wheel drive track day specials such as the Nissan Silvia, Toyota MR2, and Honda S2000.

In the end, just over 1/10-second separated second and third place, with Ultimate Tunes’ Subaru Impreza WRX sedan edging out the silver Honda S2000 of Insight Motorsports.

Rally driver Steve Glenney jumped in and out of three different cars in the Open Class including a Subaru Impreza WRX, Lancer Evo 8, and Mazda RX-7. He would take the class win in the Pulse Racing Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 8 with a time of 1:36.498.

Pos Driver Team Vehicle Lap Time
1 Steve Glenney Pulse Racing Mitsubishi EVO 1:36.498
2 Jason Hart Ultimate Tunes Subaru Impreza WRX 1:39.954
3 John Boston Insight MS/Elias Auge Honda S2000 1:40.073
4 Steve Glenney GT Auto Garage Mazda RX-7 1:40.087
5 Jason Wright Autotech/Process West Subaru Impreza WRX 1:40.134
6 Wayne Sutton Wayne Sutton Nissan 180SX 1:40.256
7 Stuart Inwood Stuart Inwood Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R 1:40.389
8 John Boston Insight/MTA Plus Honda Civic 1:40.948
9 Neil McFayden Driving Solutions Toyota MR2 1:41.220
10 Benny Tran Benny Tran Honda Civic 1:41.236
11 John Bright Bright Print Group Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R 1:41.428
12 John Boston Southern Motorworks Lotus Exige 1:41.687
13 Mick Sigsworth Mick Sigsworth Mitsubishi EVO 1:41.722
14 Michael Hiscoe Sonic Interactive Mitsubishi EVO 1:41.783
15 Lachlan Granger Integrity Signs Mitsubishi EVO 1:41.990
16 Steve Glenney Pulse Racing Subaru Impreza WRX 1:42.762
17 Martin Notaras Ultimate Tunes Mitsubishi EVO 1:42.780
18 Craig Burgess Bright Print Group Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R 1:43.186
19 Ryan Brown Bilstein Racing Mazda RX-7 1:43.217
20 Phil Heafey Equitrac Mitsubishi EVO 1:43.795
21 Ben Barker Driving Solutions Datsun 1600 1:43.820
22 Tyler Mecklem Parramatta VS Subaru Impreza WRX 1:43.878
23 Stewart Mahony Turbosmart Mazda RX-7 1:44.440
24 Brad Trenwith Rama Racing Mazda RX-7 1:44.462
25 Clayton Sinclair AVO Turboworld Subaru Impreza WRX 1:44.493
26 Simon O’dell Fontana Macgregor Mechanical Mazda RX-7 1:45.923
27 Hayden Brooks Hayden Brooks Mitsubishi EVO 1:46.128
28 John sim John Sim Honda S2000 1:46.239
29 Mathew Rogers Mathew Rogers Toyota Supra 1:46.696
30 Drew Blackwell Rama Racing Mazda RX-7 1:47.189
31 Michael O’shea Signature Performance Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R 1:47.202
32 Russell Cunningham Russell Cunningham Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R 1:47.324
33 David Homer DMW Motorsport Suzuki Swift 1:47.749
34 Rodney Linder Homestead Home Builder Mitsubishi EVO 1:47.881
35 Conor Nolan Conor Nolan Subaru Impreza WRX 1:47.939
36 Steve Spada Office Installations Mitsubishi EVO 1:48.051
37 Simon Walklate Simon Walklate Subaru Impreza WRX 1:48.588
38 Shane Jones Lightning Rotors NZ Mazda RX-7 1:48.782
39 Luis Poblete Drift Garage Nissan Silvia 1:49.120
40 Luke Ryall Luke Ryall Honda Civic 1:49.649
41 Steven Godfrey Steven Godfrey Toyota MR2 1:49.768
42 Sam Stratten J’s Racing/JDM Concept Honda Integra Type R 1:50.578
43 Paul Johnstone Nomad Lighting Nissan 180SX 1:53.602
44 Saba Hanania Saba Lawyers Toyota Celica 1:54.334
45 Ben Porter Powertune Australia Mazda RX-8 N/A

In the World Time Attack Challenge, which follows the rules of the Australian Super Lap time attack series, the Pro Class is where the big dogs run. The kind of cars that are built to set FTD and showcase what a top-level tuner or shop is capable of achieving. This is the category for all-out entries; the cars built with huge power, flared bodies, GT-style aerodynamics and full crews of mechanics.

Photo by Duane Uyeda

Very little rules seem to govern the Pro Class, except for the fact that all cars had to run on treaded semi-slick racing tires. For some cars, such as the Sierra Sierra Enterprises Evo, this meant a change in tire type and compound. Nothing a little testing and setup couldn’t fix.

This tire rule helped level out the field just a touch and put things into perspective. Almost every class lap record at Eastern Creek Raceway is held by a car that has run on full racing slick tires.

The V8 Supercars lap record at Eastern Creek Raceway is a 1:31.730, the Formula 2 record a 1:29.350 and the Porsche GT3 Cup Car record a 1:36.418. Just by glancing at the fastest times of the weekend below, you can see the speed with which these time attack cars run.

The winning 700hp Cyber Evo laid down a time more than a second faster than a V8 Supercar on full slicks. Even more impressive is the rear-wheel drive Pro Class entries, which are down two drive wheels and a large amount of horsepower to the winning Lancer Evolution.

Prep’d Motorsport’s black and white Lotus Elise and Kirrapak Racing’s blue model weren’t packing big amounts of power – they didn’t even break 400hp. But what they did have was a very light curb weight, good setup and balls-out driving. We saw the Kirrapak Lotus Elise come out of turns sideways on more than one occasion and tank slappers seemed like mandatory driving exercises on almost every hot lap.

Photo by Duane Uyeda

Pan Speed’s bright yellow Mazda RX-7 was an entry that we’ve seen previously on display at the Tokyo Auto Salon show but have never seen in person. It didn’t disappoint, running in 2nd on the first day of competition and ending the weekend in 5th.

Its counterpart, the Pro Staff R-Magic Mazda RX-7, ran into some troubles early on because of its curiously dangerous passenger-side, cabin-mounted fuel cell (supposedly for weight balance) but was eventually allowed to run. It finished right ahead of the home favorite Hi-Octane Racing R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R.

As you can see in your World Time Attack Challenge video coverage, the experience behind the wheel of even the 3^rd place Pro Class Tomei/Cusco Subaru Impreza WRX STI is intense. Driver Eiji “Tarzan” Yamada looks more like a jet pilot or Jedi master than racecar driver as he manages the wheel and finds apexes before they even seem to appear out of the windshield.

Sierra Sierra Enterprises driver David Empringham reportedly practiced a few laps of Eastern Creek Raceway behind the wheel of a Radical sports racer before testing the SSE Evo. With a 1:31.884 as his fastest lap, Empringham was surely flying out there in what is, in essence, a juiced up Lancer Evo.

Rumors are already swirling in the air about a World Time Attack Challenge event in 2011, based on the successful crowd turnout of this year’s competition. We say bring it on.

Place Driver Team Vehicle Time 
1 Tarzan Yamada CyberEVO Mitsubishi EVO 1:30.5870*
2 David Empringham Sierra Sierra Mitsubishi EVO 1:31.884
3 Tarzan Yamada Tomei/Cusco Subaru Impreza WRX 1:31.090
4 Warren Luff Prep'd Motorsport Lotus Elise 1:32.273
5 K Sasaki Pan Speed Racing Mazda RX-7 1:32.454
6 Kinoshita Mitsuhiro Pro Staff R-Magic Mazda RX-7 1:33.505
7 Mark Berry Advan/Hi Octane Racing Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R 1:34.109
8 David Loftus BSM Motorsport Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R 1:35.876
9 Garth Walden Tilton Interiors Mitsubishi EVO 1:37.059
10 Peter Lucas Kirrapak Racing Lotus Elise HPE 1:37.424
11 Russell Newman Advan/Hi Octane Racing Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R 1:38.219
12 Mal Rose Mal Rose Racing Holden Commodore 1:39.323
13 Jose Fernandez Fernandez Motorsport Ford Falcon 1:40.217
14 Cameron Dyal APC Racing Mitsubishi EVO 1:42.799
15 David Hommer 999 Automotive Honda Integra Type R  1:46.014 

Fastest Lap Av.Speed Is 157kph
R=under lap record by greatest margin, r=under lap record, *=fastest lap time



Run at the former A1GP and V8 Supercars racetrack, the World Time Attack Challenge featured the appearance of the Tomei/Cusco Subaru WRX STI (JPN), Sierra Sierra Enterprises Evo 8 (USA), Panspeed Mazda RX-7 (JPN), Hi-Octane Racing R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R (AUS), R-Magic Mazda RX-7 (JPN), Cyber Evo (JPN), Mel Rose Racing V8 Supercar (AUS) and many others.

Our video takes a look at the two days of the WTAC event and features an in-car lap of Eastern Creek Raceway with Tarzan Yamada and the Tomei/Cusco Subaru WRX STI.

-Click to play and select “720p” for HD quality.

The sun has set, the dust has settled and the track has finally gone cold here in Australia. The World Time Attack Challenge is finally over and the times set by the top-level Pro Class were of an incredible pace.

After sitting out the first day completely with mechanical issues due to a snapped camshaft, the 700hp Cyber Evo put on a new cylinder head and hit the track hard. Setting a time of 1:30.899, the longtime time attack competitor re-asserted its place at the top of the sport.

To put that time into perspective, the V8 Supercars lap record at Eastern Creek Raceway is a 1:31.730, the Formula 2 record a 1:29.350 and the Porsche GT3 Cup Car record a 1:36.418.

All of those previously mentioned cars run on full racing slicks. As per World Time Attack Challenge rules, all of the entrants were limited to semi-slick treaded racing tires.

In second place were the American heavy hitters of Sierra Sierra Enterprises, who had led most of the first day of competition. Their Pro Class Evo 8 and driver David Empringham tried to answer back to Yamada but were unable to go faster than they did during the cool first morning session.

Their time of 1:31.884 put their Evo 8 in second place overall, ahead of the Tomei/Cusco Subaru Impreza WRX STI at 1:31.899.

Built by Tomei and Cusco primarily as a showcase for their off-the-shelf parts offerings, the Tomei/Cusco Subaru Impreza WRX STI was also driven by Tarzan Yamada but was forced to settle for third place. The lightweight Subaru (we hear under 2,400lbs) was near the Cyber Evo in terms of curb weight but did not have enough power to challenge the two leading Evos.

The World Time Attack Challenge also featured an expansive vendor area, car show and drifting demonstration. The final run sessions of the day for the time attack teams were preceded by the smoke and noise of the drift cars, which ran nose-to-tail and filled the air with smoke.

By the time the final sessions were beginning, it was obvious who the heavy hitters of the World Time Attack Challenge were. The Japanese and Americans came into Australia and went about a grudge match that strangely did not really involve any domestic teams.

Despite early hopes from the Hi-Octane Racing R32 & R34 Nissan Skyline GT-Rs, Mel Rose’s V8 Supercar and a few very quick Lotus Exiges and other GT-Rs, the top of the time attack leader board was always the international teams. But, by next year, it’ll be anybody’s game.

For the new 2010 season, the Redline Time Attack series decided to re-invest and go bigger. Shaking off all notions of economic instability and hard times, Redline Time Attack introduced its own stimulus package. Greeting racers and spectators alike at the season opener, held at Buttonwillow Raceway, was the re-introduction of the series as a complete lifestyle event.

Featuring live bands, a central stage, model contest, spectator area and running commentary on the day’s events, the new time attack series bears little resemblance to your average track day. Much of this is due, obviously, to the presence of monstrous machines like the World Racing Scion tC and Sierra Sierra Enterprises Lancer Evo 8 but Redline’s improved organization, grid setup and tech trailer doesn’t hurt either.

Redline’s new pricing structure and membership fees seem to have reduced attendance somewhat but we expect the numbers to grow as the economic situation clears up with time.

The big news of the weekend was Sierra Sierra Enterprises’ Lancer Evo 8, which gained a new, large DTM-inspired rear diffuser and unofficially broke HKS’ 2007 overall fastest time attack record of 1:43.527.  We say “unofficially” because Sierra Sierra set their fast time of 1:43.3 during practice but encountered mechanical problems during the actual time attack sessions, limiting them to a recorded 1:44.3.

That’s racing. We expect the team to rebound soon and go even faster shortly.

Taking second place in the Super Modified (formerly Unlimited) AWD class was the Evasive Motorsports Lancer Evolution, which ran on Yokohama slicks to a 1:47.987. 1.2-seconds ahead of the white Evo was Chris Rado’s ridiculous double-winged Scion tC, which ripped out a 1:46.736, making it the fastest front-wheel drive car ever at Buttonwillow Raceway.

Of special interest was the addition of ex-GM Performance Division head John Heinricy to Rado’s crew. Having driven in World Challenge, SCCA and time attacks, Heinricy is sure to come in handy once Rado’s AWD tC comes up to speed.

Further front-wheel drive World Challenge credential could be found in the pits of the Tri-Point Engineering team, which brought out its World Challenge Mazda3. Driven by Jason Saini to a 1:55.315 on slicks, the naturally aspirated Mazda3 will soon be raced at the Long Beach Grand Prix by movie star and racer Patrick Dempsey.

And speaking of movie star racers, one of the big stories of the paddock was Paul Walker’s debut as a time attack racer. Driving a lightly modified BMW M3 with AE Performance, Walker ended his day with a 2:08.407 in Street RWD.

The eventual winner of Street RWD would be Mike Bonanni inside the Berk Technology BMW 135i, which received a few upgrades in the off-season and set a very quick 1:58.839 on Hankook street tires. Keep an eye out here at The Octane Report for a video feature on this BMW to come soon.

With records already being broken in multiple classes, we expect the 2010 time attack season to get even faster. We can’t wait.

Source
Redline Time Attack
www.redlinetimeattack.com

Continue to Part 3 >>>

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The off-season equaled one thing for many racers – working on a car. After months of being thrashed and abused on track, cars want to be refreshed and rebuilt, made pristine again through the sweat and labor of their owners. In preparation for the new 2010 time attack season, many cars underwent transformations, upgrades and overhauls. Others still were retired in favor of new chassis or made their competition debut.

Although the actual time attack event doesn’t take place until tomorrow, we here at The Octane Report thought it our duty to sneak through the paddock and report on what awaits tomorrow’s competition. AQ Motorsports redesigned their turbocharged Honda S2000 and Subaru Impreza WRX STI, the former covered in a new widebody kit and both wearing matching white paint schemes.

N1 Concepts’ ex-J’s Racing Honda S2000 went through some engine problems during practice but was running at the end of the day and the team was eager to test out the new fender flares, wider wheels and new tires. To the delight of many fans, Hollywood star Paul Walker made his time attack competition debut this weekend with AE Performance.

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution camp held some of the newest additions and changes for the season. Robispec’s Robert Fuller debuted his latest work, a JRZ 4-way, caged, gutted, big turbo-equipped, Voltex widebody orange and white Lancer Evo creation that looks like it could do serious damage in the race ranks.

We’re now just barely a few hours away from seeing the start of the 2010 time attack season. We know that records will fall this year and memories will be made. But will Sierra Sierra’s monster Evo do the deed so early in the year? We look forward to seeing what a capable, professional team is going to be able to do once they are so determined.

Source
Redline Time Attack
www.redlinetimeattack.com

Continue to Part 2 >>>

Winter in Southern California is nice – temperate and mild. Many Angelinos complain of mid-50-degree weather but, let’s be serious, a California winter is a great summer in other areas of the world. And, when March rolls around and winter begins to lift, the weather goes from nice to race ready.

The National Auto Sport Association’s Southern California region saw rain during its first stop at Willow Springs but AAA (Auto Club) Speedway saw nothing but the sun. Having worked on their racecars during the off-season and barely two rounds into the 2010 season, NASA members made the short trip out in droves. They were greeted with clear skies, great air and one of NASCAR’s speedway stops.

Using a combination of the interior road course and part of the 2-mile banked oval, NASA’s configuration is the classic “roval” setup, where some of the cars can see in excess of 150mph+ on the high banking.

NASA’s High Performance Driving Event (HPDE) groups are made for those who wish to take their street cars or daily drivers out to the track. We spied many of the usual Mazda Miatas, Ford Mustangs and Chevy Corvettes out in the groups. This being California, we also spotted a few Nissan GT-Rs and Ferraris.

Although some are driving on track just for fun, many HPDE attendees are students who are looking to gain more experience, rise through the HPDE ladder system and tackle amateur club racing in the future.

Proving the sport’s enduring popularity, the racing groups also saw quite a few entrants. Some of the most popular groups in NASA Southern California include Spec Miata, German Touring Series (GTS), Honda Challenge, 944 Spec and Performance Touring (PT).

Watching the racecars tear around the oval and road course at full song was enjoyable but seeing them up close was the real treat. Almost every entrant with NASA is a privateer, a single owner who funds everything out of pocket and races solely for the love of racing.

As a result, every car on the grid is different and unique, representing the efforts of its owner. From the cars’ battle scars and damage to the camaraderie in the pits, the feeling is tight knit and distinctly different from an ALMS race. Sometimes, that’s a good thing.

Source
National Auto Sport Association
www.nasaproracing.com

Time attack is a simple game of car and clock. The rules are fairly open, most of the front running cars can outrun Speed World Challenge GT cars, and the fastest lap of the day counts towards competition. The sport was originally begun as a showcase for aftermarket tuning companies, allowing manufacturers the chance to prove who had the capability to go fast.

It’s for this reason that the cars are heavily modified and often driven by professional hot shoe pilots. Podium spots are separated by mere tenths and the Super Lap Battle race is still one of the biggest events in the US time attack scene.

Held once a year at Buttonwillow Raceway, Super Lap Battle sees some of the biggest names and fastest cars appear. There are classes for front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, racecars and pure street cars. At the front of the pack, everybody had only one thing on their minds – the record time of 1:43.523 set by the HKS Lancer Evolution.

Big names teams like AMS (Lancer Evolution X), FX Motorsports Development (Acura NSX), Crawford Performance (Subaru WRX STI) and Sierra Sierra Enterprises (Lancer Evolution VIII) came out with highly developed efforts in order to unseat HKS from the top spot in the record books.

In the end, they would all have to wait until next year. Sierra Sierra took the top overall spot with a 1:45.061 while AMS had to settle for 3rd place in Unlimited AWD behind Crawford Performance. FX Motorsports Development set a new record in Unlimited RWD with a 1:45.247.

Further down in the Street class, the naturally aspirated Evasive Motorsports Honda S2000 set a new record with a blisteringly fast 1:56.762.

This even beat the 1:59.789 time set by Project Evo IX, although our engine was slowly dying throughout the day and was unable to go any faster. Project 240SX also made the trip out to Buttonwillow with SR Motorcars, running a 2:08.217 despite some mechanical teething issues.

Source
Super Lap Battle
www.superlapbattle.com