What a perfect way to end a season. Although there are several other track events and days still left before the actual year ends. Global Time Attack’s Super Lap Battle is the finale for me. Through all the years from a spectator, to a visitor, then a photographer, and pretty soon a competitor. The Super Lap Battle 2-day event is the icing on the cake for a lot of drivers and teams. Including myself, and I can go on and on, on how great this event is. But I don’t want to bore you with that. Lol. Coming from all over the USA, including Canada, and sometimes from other countries, it is the Time Attack Championship Finals, this is Super Lap Battle!
As each year goes, the cars just keep going faster, and quicker. More records fell again this year, but not the overall which still stands at a 1:38.967 by Jeff Westphal in the GST Motorsports Subaru. This Super Lap Battle was definitely for the FF platforms, as William Au-Yeung of PZ Tuning made his trek all the way down from Canada again to chase what everyone wants, the record. He brought his newly Vibrant Performance Honda Civic to an amazing 1:43.365! Followed right behind him in the same Unlimited FWD Class was James Houghton also from Canada in his K-Tuned Acura Integra who came very close with a 1:43.559! Then the Legendary Dai Yoshihara 2015’s GTA FWD Lap Record Holder, piloting the center seated Spoon Sports USA Honda Civic topped off the podium with a 1:45.802 which I’m sure is not anywhere close to what more that car can do. But that’s for next year to find out and see. As for the 4th place spot, was our RCO #003 Mike Hatten and his always fast moving Acura Integra clocking in at a 1:54.904 which is quite far from the 3 others, but for a car with hardly any aero, and engine mods galore is still pretty impressive to me.
For the Track King Trophy, which is given to whoever sets the fastest overall lap of the Super Lap Battle. It came down so close to a battle between a Super Trofeo Lamborghini Hurracan and a Subaru STI. Yes, that’s right, 2 differently priced cars in stock form, but in full race suit it’s anyone’s game. Most uneducated people without looking at the breakdown of both vehicles would clearly give the Lambo the win, and if it was a stock car vs. stock car battle, we all know the Lambo would have eaten that Subaru for sure. But this is Time Attack, and where you build a car based not only on the rules and classes, but on creating your own technical, engineered marvel for that one purpose, getting that record is surely anyone’s game. As the addiction gets worse, some dare to go further and take on the Unlimited Classes, or in this Lambos case the Pro-Comp Class which is a special class for Race Production or Specialty Cars. Driven by the upcoming racing star Steven Aghakani of Steven Racing/US Racetronics at only now 13 years old, who has been the talk of Motorsports social media. Taking on every day and chance he gets, practicing, practicing and more practicing. He has truly dedicated himself to the sport of racing, and will undoubtedly go far. But on this day, Steven and his Hurracan did their best at a 1:41.612, which was surely fast, and looked to be the best time of the day. Only to get inched off by Mark Jager RCO #004 with his Jager Racing/Yimi Sport Subaru STI who came out on top with a 1:41.309. That right there proves that regardless of car, make, or equipment, and even driver. Time Attack results from the combination of everything and everyone involved.
As I would love to continue on from my point of view of Super Lap Battle, we can thank other great media outlets for also covering this event. I am a one man army and I wish I had 5 more of me. lol. But viewed from all angles, you can read up more about the Global Time Attack x Super Lap Battle from our friend Justin Banner and his feature on Super Street Online. For the rest of this story, you can let the pictures below tell you more.. Thank you Time Attackers! -Rommel Estrada #teamgta #gtaslb2016
