Tuesday, 26 November 2013
After an eight year absence, the Pac Performance team returned to Adelaide for the much anticipated return of a major Sport Compact racing event to AIR; all geared up for the 2013 4, 6, Rotary & Turbo Nationals.
Spear-headed by Rino D'Alfonso and his team, the event was set to re-ignite the fire and passion for the sport in the south and with a reported 150+ cars entered and thousands of spectators filling the stands it certainly looks like Sport Compact drag racing in Adelaide is back and here to stay!
Right from the get-go the boys were keen-as-mustard to get to the track and check it out. After years of neglect it was first thought that the track surface may have seen better days but thanks to some serious prep work by the track officials for 3 days prior to the event it was brought up to par and the boys were happy to give it a crack.
Only 2 days to go before the event we were without a truck driver to get the car to the track. That was until Adam, seen here on the left put his hand up and flew all the way from Queensland to take on the job. Even after a gruelling 15 hour drive Adam was as pumped as the rest of us and wasted no time getting in on the action and helping out the crew as much as he could on race day.
Rolling the Mazda6 SP out for its first shakedown pass we were given a warm welcome from the AIR crowd and fellow racers as everyone was keen to hear the angry 20B fire to life.
And what a crowd it was. Although the spectator areas may not have been to the same standard we're used to seeing in Sydney and Queensland, the punters certainly didn't mind as they packed the stands left and right, from top to bottom for the majority of the day and into the night. Even though we had moments of light rain it still didn't deter the fans.
On the track it was hit and miss for the team, battling to get the car down the track for a full pass throughout the day. Through the sixty-foot the track was able to provide some decent grip with the car putting down a decent 1.02 sixty on the first pass and similar thereafter however, past that, shifting into third gear and onwards there was just not enough bite and although changes were made to clutch settings and power delivery it just wouldn't work for us.
On the one full quarter mile pass completed late in the afternoon, the cars was all over the track, George on and off the throttle the entire time and driving through tyre shake before backing off before1000ft and rolling through for a lazy 7.8 second run. Hardly anything to celebrate but in saying that the excitable crowd still loved it!
This event was more than just about the racing for us though, it was about helping to promote the Sport Compact scene, drag racing in Adelaide and getting out there for our fans. The feedback we received on the weekend and the days after the event has been outstanding and nothing but positive which certainly adds to the post event high we're all still feeling.
Over the course of the day we met a whole heap of new faces and made a heap of new fans and by the end of the event George and Rocky felt like superstars after all the signature signing and photos, both stating that the Adelaide fans definitely know how to make a race team feel welcome!
With the Maatouk Racing and Micks Motorsport crews also attending the event there was never a dull moment in the pits, the boys G'ing each other up at every chance they got...
The entire day our pit area was abuzz with excitement, with the crew working on the car between runs and excited groups of spectators gathering 'round at all times watching it all go down. It wasn't just the adults either, the kids got in on the action as well, chatting with the crew and posing for photos with the car.
Some were even lucky enough to sit in the driver’s seat, much to their amazement! A gesture that could well and truly ignite a spark to inspire a future drag racer...
Pac Performance merchandise was flying off the shelf all day with Adelaide fans keen to update their dated gear purchased on our last visit all those years ago. With plenty of bargains to be had by the end of the day it seemed as though every second person at the event was wearing some form of Pac gear!
The boys from Garrett were also kept busy answering questions and queries on their range of turbochargers
With some of the latest goodies on show including a selection of new GTX turbos and the recently-released V-Band exhaust housings it was a great chance for people to get up close and touchy-feely with these awesome products.
After an awesome event and a great weekend away we must thank all of those who made it possible, Rino D'Alfonso and his team for organising the event and doing his bit to bring drag racing back to Adelaide, the track officials and safety crew for their hard work on the day, Adam Cox our truckie that saved our behinds and did a bang-up job on getting the Mazda6 SP to the track and back home again in one piece, our sponsors
Garrett Turbos,
Haltech,
Mainline Dynos,
Mazda Aus,
Turbosmart, Castrol, Juice Polishes, Custom Bodyworks, Impact Race Wear & VP Race Fuels for their continued support and of course our fans and followers!
For those of you who couldn't make it to the event or if you just want to re-cap on how the team went, check out this quick clip we put together of our day;
