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Supercars driver Tim Slade has been confirmed for the 2023 Yokohama World Time Attack at Sydney Motorsport Park in September.
The PremiAir Racing Camaro driver will again compete in the Nissan S13 Silvia-based Tanuki (formerly known as Hammerhead) which he tested at Queensland Raceway on Tuesday, which has previously been raced at WTA by fellow Supercars competitors Andre Heimgartner and 2022 Repco Supercars Champion, Shane van Gisbergen.
Slade will be aiming to reclaim the title that he and the car claimed in 2016 and 2017 before Bart Mawer won three in a row, albeit interrupted by two years of COVID cancellations. Slade also expects time to be faster than ever now the fastest unrestricted Pro entries can run on slick tyres rather the R-specs.
Given good weather and track conditions, the 1:19.277s record time of Mawer in the Rod Pobestek owned and built Porsche 928 will be beaten. That time was 0.14s off the outright lap record set in 2007 by Nico Hulkenburg in the A1GP Lola Zytek.
“I am excited,” Slade said. “Ian Baker and his crew from World Time Attack do an awesome job on putting on the event. It is completely different from any other motor racing event, different crowd and feel. It’s the fastest car I have ever driven – massive amounts of downforce and grip. For what it is, it is stupid fast!
“I was meant to drive it last year, but it blew up before we had a chance to do any sort of solid running in it.”
It was then owned by Murray Coote and was sold to Wayne Lee in November last year, and since has undergone a complete rebuild.
Upgrades include an engine change to a 3.8-litre Nissan V6 (VR38) running an HKS turbocharger, producing 745kilowatts (1000hp) and 1000Nm of torque. It also features a paddle-shift sequential gear change, ABS carbon brakes and slight changes to the aerodynamics.
“It has a new owner, and they are going through it all properly. It is a fun car to drive,” Slade said after the hit out at QR.
“It feels like how I sort of remember it. “I haven’t driven the car here since 2016 or 17 so it is a little hard to compare.”
Using low boost, the day went well and was spent doing data acquisition. “I wasn’t just cruising around either. It won’t be until I do a more proper test down at Sydney Motorsport Park in a couple of months’ time, where I can get a decent back-to-back from the last time I drove it there.”
