 |
|
| Home | Features | Records | Online Store | Media | Careers | Contact Us |
Back to July 2011 Motorsports News Archive
| 20-07-2011 at 07:00: New Support for WTAC | |
|
Hankook Tyre Australia has announced they will be the Open Class sponsor for the WTAC round at Eastern Creek International Raceway on August 5-6. The class will now be known as the Hankook Competition Open Class. WTAC will see many of Australia’s top aftermarket-tuning workshops and teams face-off in a two-day competition to set the fastest lap time on treaded tyres. Now in its fourth year, WTAC has attracted a record 130 entries, including teams from Japan, the US and New Zealand. “Time attack is growing by attracting a new kind of competitor to motorsport,” says event promoter Ian Baker. “Tighter vehicle registration rules mean enthusiasts of the modified street car scene are increasingly looking to take their cars to the race track.” The Hankook Competition Open Class sits one rung below the almost-anything goes Pro Class in terms of allowable modification and, with more than 60 entries, is shaping up as the most popular category at this year’s event. WTAC rules state Hankook Competition Open Class cars must retain the vehicle’s original factory suspension points, glass windscreens and standard body profiles. Vehicles must also use street-legal semi-slick R-compound tyres, such as Hankook’s Ventus TD (Z221). For the third tier of competition – the Clubsprint Class – vehicles are only permitted to use fully-treaded street tyres. Here, many competitors are opting for the Hankook Ventus R-S3. Hankook Tyre Australia marketing manager Jose Angeles says that the strong relationship to street cars maintained by Hankook Competition Open Class machines is the key to their growing popularity. “While aftermarket bodywork is allowed, the Hankook Competition Open Class cars are vehicles that spectators will easily recognise,” says Mr Angeles. “They would not look out of place on public roads, and in fact many of them are actually street registered!” Two of the favourites in the Hankook Competition Open Class – Sydney’s Nik Kalis in his Mitsubishi Evo IX and Adelaide’s Brad Trenwith driving an FD-series Mazda RX-7 – have chosen the Ventus TD. Both drivers are currently leading their respective state competitions. Additionally, Hankook will award $2500 worth of Competition tyres to the fastest non-sponsored competitors using Hankook tyres in the Hankook Competition Open and Clubsprint classes. “Getting involved in one of the newest and fastest-growing forms of grassroots motorsport makes perfect sense for us,” said Mr Angeles. “Time attack encourages car enthusiasts to indulge their passion within the safe confines of a race circuit. “And because they are competing on treaded tyres, the feedback we get from this competition will help the development of our next generation of road tyres.” Hankook has been involved in all levels of motorsport for many years – from being the official sponsor of Formula DRIFT to recently securing the exclusive tyre contract to the German-based DTM touring car series. “We believe time attack has a big future and it will play an important role in motorsport for Hankook,” said Mr Angeles. |
The world of motor sport is always changing and with Australian’s taking to the World Time Attack Challenge (WTAC), the growing form of racing has received a boost.^ Back to top ^
|
Login
 Forgot my password! |
|
Copyright © All Vic Pty. Ltd. 2007-2024 |
Terms of Use | Home | Features | Records | Online Store | Media | Careers | Contact Us |