Super Lap (2008)

In April 2007 New Zealand’s modified import performance car scene turned a new corner when the first-ever NZPC Super Lap was run at Taupo Motorsport Park. The Wynn’s Racing Super Lap is an event specially formulated to be a total test of import street car performance. One by one competitors will be timed over a single flying lap of the track, and by the end of the day, the car that made the fastest lap will win and the Super Lap ‘time to beat’ will have been laid down.

Where is it?

The first Wynn’s Racing Super Lap event for 2008 was held at Pukekohe Park Raceway, April 6.

The next Super Lap event will be held on 1 November at Taupo.

The race day will be split into two parts. The morning will be made up of multi-car practice sessions where competitors will have a chance to get to grips with their cars. In the afternoon it’s down to business with the single car runs. Competitors will perform an ‘Out Lap’ where they emerge from pit lane and make one warm-up lap of the track. Once the start/finish line is crossed the clocks start and the vehicle is timed over one complete lap (the ‘Super Lap’) of the circuit. After the timed lap is completed competitors make one final ‘In Lap’ before driving back into pit lane.  Dependant on competitor numbers, each driver should be able to make at least two Super Lap attempts. The top 10 quickest cars of the day will then shoot-out one more time in an effort to go even faster.

New Unlimited Class

The main thrusts behind the event are that all competing vehicles are of Japanese origin, and that all hold a current Warrant of Fitness, Registration and LVV certification for modifications. With our new Unlimited Class, even hard-tuned Japanese race cars are eligible to give it a go.

The Wynn’s Racing Super Lap offers the perfect place for owners of tuned Japanese performance cars to get out on the circuit and really put their cars, and driving talent to the test. With New Zealand’s reputation for having some of the best race car engineers, we’re sure we’ll be seeing many competitors pushing the legal limits of street car performance.

Unlike other forms of motorsport, it’s not all about sheer grunt. To do well a competing vehicle requires the right balance of power and weight, handing, grip and braking. Of course, driver ability plays a big part in the equation too.

Three Racing Classes

The Wynn’s Racing Super Lap will be split into three distinct categories – Unlimited, Professional (PRO) and Private (PVT). The PRO class will cater for cars fitted with full Motorsport New Zealand-spec roll cages. The PVT class for general private entries – the NZPC reader with a modified Japanese car and a penchant for going fast in a legal, controlled environment. Unlimited Class is for non-street-legal racing cars.

Although no other classes will be run on the day, lap times will be ranked according to make/model etc… after the event to find the fastest cars in a number of virtual sub-classes.

More Events To Come

There is already another Wynn’s Racing Super Lap event scheduled for 2008, with a full championship series planned for 2009. Keep checking back for more updates.

Wynn’s is the name behind some of the finest performance fuel and lubrication additives on the market. The Wynn’s catalogue includes a vast array of proven products including Spitfire Injector Cleaner, Spitfire Petrol Treatment, Supreme oil and transmission additives, and our favourite – the 500ml Race Formula Octane Boost. This stuff is awesome for performance and modified Japanese machines and is formulated to increase engine power by increasing octane RON ratings by up to five units! Check out the full Wynn’s product line-up at www.wynns.co.nz and then pick some up wherever good automotive accessories are sold.

For many years now New Zealand Performance Car has been the country’s #1 selling automotive magazine – and in 2008 it continues to reign supreme. For features on New Zealand’s fastest, lowest and loudest import performance cars as well as up-to-date event coverage and the inside word from the industry don’t forget to pick up your copy every month from all good supermarkets, service stations and bookstores.

Scott Kreyl has done it again! At the Wynn’s Racing Super Lap Tuner Battle at Pukekohe Park Raceway on Sunday April 6, the Paraparaumu driver pointed his hard-tuned Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII EVO88U to a second Super Lap win. This time last year, Kreyl and secondary driver Jono Lester did the business at Taupo Motorsport Park, blitzing the field to take out the inaugural Super Lap event. With further modifications to his street-legal, 400kW+ Evo (including a move in to the Street Pro class) it was a case of history repeating in ‘08 for the Paraparaumu driver.

Second place getter, and first in the Street class was Auckland driver Garry Sutton. Sutton’s Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R had looked quick all day, and going in to the Top 10 Shoot-Out he trailed Kreyl by just over half a second. But it was a disaster run, as Sutton punted his GT-R in to the wall coming on to the back straight. Still, his earlier best lap time of 1.02.83 stuck, and he took out second place from Harry Dodson, who claimed third with a 1.04.63 in his Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R. The surprise drive, however, came from Barry Manon in his AE92 Toyota Levin. Normally seen ripping up the quarter mile in 10-seconds, Manon bought his big-boosting Toyota out to play at Pukekohe, and was duly reward with a four overall spot after running a best lap of 1.04.80. Grant Hohaia rounded out the Top 5 in his 3S-GTE-powered AE86 with a 1.05.06 lap time in the first session, before retiring with tuning issues.

Plans are already afoot for the next Wynn’s Racing Super Lap event, which will go down before the year is out. New street classes, and an Unlimited class are just two of the initiatives that are set to take NZ time attack racing to an all-new level when this event rolls around.

In the meantime, look out for a Wynn’s Racing Pukekohe Super Lap rundown in the next issue of NZ Performance Car magazine, and a full event report in the following issue. Jim Beam Performance Car TV will also be running coverage of the event over the coming weeks, so keep an eye on the box. Screening times coming soon!

Thanks to all the competitors, teams, and spectators who came out and supported this event. Special thanks also to Wynn’s Racing for stepping up and getting behind Super Lap in 2008, and hopefully beyond!

TOP 10 OVERALL

TOP 5 STREET PRO CLASS

TOP 10 STREET CLASS

RUNS

SUPERLAP 2008

Class: Street Pro (S/P)

Class: Street (S)

TOP 10 SHOOTOUT

Class: Overall

This Saturday November 2, on the cold and unforgiving asphalt of Taupo Motorsport Park’s Track 2, Toyota Levin driver Barry Manon pulled off what many thought was impossible – winning a Wynn’s Racing Super Lap round in a front wheel drive vehicle. Super Lap is a time-attack style event in which competitors push street legal cars of Japanese-only origins to the absolute limit for a single flying lap. After a full day of practice sessions, racers get two attempts at the Super Lap run and their best is time logged. Piloting his turbocharged 1800cc street-legal Levin on the cold, grip-less surface, Barry managed to cut a blisteringly quick 1.16.93 lap time, which not only put him in first place for the Street Car class, but also edged out every competitor in the theoretically faster Street Pro class, which allows for street legal, caged race cars like those seen in the Targa. This class was won by experienced Super-Lapper Ian Campbell and his well set up Street-Pro Mitsubishi Evolution VI, with a 1.17.10.

For the first time in Super Lap history, the day also included an “Unlimited” class, which made room for all-out, non-street legal race cars. This class could only compete amongst themselves, as the Super Lap time attack days are first and foremost, a street car competition. 3SGTE-powered Toyota AE85 driver Grant Hohaia took out this class with the fastest time of the day – a 1.15.45.

Noticeably absent from the list of front-runners is previously undefeated Super Lap champion, Scott Kreyl. Scott and co-driver Jono Lester only managed one practice session in the early morning before technical problems forced them to retire. Before the mishap, the pair looked set to once again clean up, running a second quicker, according to their transponder, than any else managed all day long. Used to competing in the Porsche Cup, experienced driver Jono was determined to carry on, and managed to get himself a drive in a high powered Toyota Supra with which he then proceeded to cut the second fastest time of the day. Congratulations to everybody involved – Another successful Wynn’s Racing Super Lap for 2008.

Results: Top 10 Shootout

Results: Run Sheet

What’s all this Super Lap thing about then?

In April 2007 New Zealand’s modified import performance car scene turned a new corner when the first-ever NZPC Super Lap was run at Taupo Motorsport Park. The Wynn’s Racing Super Lap is an event specially formulated to be a total test of import street car performance. One by one competitors will be timed over a single flying lap of the track, and by the end of the day, the car that made the fastest lap will win and the Super Lap ‘time to beat’ will have been laid down.

Super Lap is broken down into individual classes: Street Pro (PRO), Street Private (PVT) and a new Unlimited class (ULM).

Street Pro consisting of caged warranted, registered and certified cars while Street Private will sport uncaged and legal cars. The new Unlimited class allows those with full competition cars – those which are not road-registered yet are clearly up to a race-ready standard – to compete should they wish.

While they will contest the solo flying lap, their individual times do not go towards the overall title contested by the street-registered vehicles. Those wishing to compete in the Unlimited class must contact us to discuss their vehicles prior to entering. The main two classes will be broken down into sub-classes (4WD, RWD and FWD) so that drivers have something more to strive for on the day.