The dust may have settled at Sydney Motorsport Park after last weekend’s Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge, but given the closeness of competition throughout the ranks, you can bet that teams will already be strategising for their return in 2015. But close doesn’t even begin to describe how the battle for the podium played out in the top-tier Pro Class, with everything coming down to the Superlap Shootout session on Saturday evening. Thanks to MotiveDVD and SVG, there’s great in-car vision to be able to relive those epic final moments…
1st: Garth Walden / Tilton Interiors Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX – 1:24.8412
Garth Walden successfully defended Tilton Interiors’ record-smashing 2013 WTAC title (and set a new tin-top record around Sydney Motorsport Park in the process), but only by the slightest of margins and on his very last lap. Can this Evo be beaten?
2nd: Under Suzuki / Scorch Racing Nissan Silvia S15 – 1:24.8800
I don’t think anyone wants the WTAC title more than Japan’s Under Suzuki, and he came so close to realising that long-time dream when he ran his quickest ever lap around the 4.5km circuit on his last attempt. The final margin between the Tilton Evo and Suzuki-san’s Scorch Racing Silvia – just 0.038 seconds!
3rd: Shane Van Gisbergen / MCA Suspension Nissan Silvia S13 – 1:25.7090
V8 Supercar driver Shane Van Gisbergen took up the drive of MCA Suspension’s ‘Hammerhead’ Silvia this year, and pushed Suzuki-san right to the end. In fact, before the Scorch Racing car ran its final 1:24.8800 lap, Van Gisbergen was holding down second place – albeit with just a 0.01 second buffer.
It does not get any closer than this! The 2015 World Time Attack Challenge is going to be very interesting indeed…
Brad Lord
brad@speedhunters.com
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