Time Attack is a type of car racing in which drivers compete to cover a distance for the best time. To win the race, drivers need to spend the least amount of time on the lap. Before making a combat circle, riders get acquainted with the track during the preliminary races. After the "acquaintance" pilots are required to show the best time when passing the final test lap. Then it remains to go through the "cooling" - non-scoring circle.
Competitions in "Time Attack" are held in two formats - "Attack of time" and "Tests". Racing in this type of motorsport are carried out according to various rules, which may differ in the number of laps, tests, etc. Unlike related auto racing disciplines, Time Attack provides for fixing the test lap immediately after the warm-up lap. These auto races usually feature modified road cars on standard road tires. The most famous world-class teams participating in Time Attack competitions are:
- Stone Brothers Racing
- Dick Johnson Racing
- Britek Racing
- HKS HIPERMAX
- Pulse Racing Evo 8
ORIGIN OF TIME ATTACK
Time Attack first appeared in Japan in the 80s. At that time, this auto racing series was also known as "Superlap". Auto racing initially originated as a proving ground for tuned cars from Japan's leading tuning companies. But races of this format quickly became popular, as a result of which special racing cars for "Time Attack" began to be developed in Japan.
In a short period of time, "time attack" has become popular all over the world. Already in the 2000s, national competitions in this type of motorsport began to be held in the USA, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand. At the beginning of a new decade, Australian driver Ian Baker saw the prospects for the international racing in this format. And already in 2010, the international competition "World Time Attack Challenge" was held at the Sydney Motorsport Park. The strongest racers from all over the world participated in this race for the first time. Participants: PanSpeed, CyberEvo, R-Magic, Cusco, Hi Octane Racing and Sierra.
The reaction of riders, spectators and media representatives exceeded expectations. Everyone unanimously noted the spectacularity and unpredictability of this format of racing. At the end of 2010, the race at the Sydney circuit became the winner of the "Event of the Year" award according to the popular site SpeedHunters.
GENERAL REGULATIONS
Time Attack drivers enter the track in order of starting numbers. The car is started from a place with the engine running. During the battle circle, the judges give the pilots various signals with flags:
- green (start, restart, end of danger zone)
- yellow (approaching a danger zone or a vehicle in front)
- red (race stop)
- yellow-red (deterioration of adhesion to the track due to the appearance of debris or oil on it)
- blue (approaching a faster car)
- checkered (finish of the race)
It should be noted that in the "attack on time" races, any modifications to the body and chassis of the car must be agreed with the organizer of the competition, which controls compliance with the requirements of a certain class of car.
TECHNIQUE
General requirements for cars participating in competitions provide for the mandatory presence of original seat belts, a helmet, a fire extinguisher, mirrors and front seats. Races of this format provide for the possibility of modifying the engine, cooling system, exhaust and fuel systems, transmission, original optics and dashboard.
WORLD TIME ATTACK
The most famous competition in this discipline of motorsport is the World Time Attack Challenge. The popularity of this race is due to the fact that riders and their teams have the opportunity to use many strategies, decisions and tricks that will allow them to win hundredths of a second over competitors. The popularity is also facilitated by the fact that the rules in Time Attack are limited only to security aspects. Thanks to this, teams have almost no restrictions on car modifications.
Historically, the WTAC always starts on Thursday by official practice. On this day, riders without spectators test cars and get acquainted with the track. Exactly on Thursday teams can realize the true potential of their car and make final adjustments to its settings. Before Friday races, all cars must be checked for compliance with a certain class. Trained technicians also check that all necessary security components are present.
Races in WTAC are held in 4 classes:
- Clubprint
- Open
- ProAm
- Pro
During one competition day, each class receives 3 racing sessions. Thus, during the entire race weekend, pilots will have 6 sessions. The five fastest cars in each class get a chance to take part in the "Superlap Shootout" bonus round. During this round, as a rule, the best results are recorded. This is facilitated by the optimal temperature of the track and the lack of traffic. The result of the WTAC is the determination of the fastest team within two days of competition in each of the classes. The winner is determined by the fastest lap. The official winner of this race is the team that won the Pro class.
TA IN JAPAN
It is Japan that is considered the birthplace of auto racing discipline. The history of this motorsport began in Ibaraki Prefecture in the northeastern part of the Kanto region. Here, on the local track "Tsukuba Circuit", the first "attack on time" took place. Today, Japan is also one of the trendsetters in Time Attack. With the exception of Australia, only this country hosts races within the WTAC.
TA in the USA
There are a number of regional Time Attack competitions in the USA. American racing is based on a time trial format with modified rules. All Time Attack competitions in the USA are held under the auspices of the "NASA Time Trial". In North America, many other competitions are held on a similar principle. These competitions do not have general regulations, and therefore the rules of the races vary significantly. Both everyday city cars and tuned and even racing cars can participate in the races. In the USA, a seasonal TA championship is also organized in various classes. The champion of this competition is determined by the total number of points scored during the season.
TA IN GERMANY
In Germany, competitions in this type of motorsport have been held since 2013. The national German TA championship is called "Timeattack Masters". Initially, only Japanese cars participated in the races, but in 2016, cars of all brands began to be allowed to compete. From 2013 to 2017, the German championship consisted of 4 stages. In 2018, a new, fifth stage appeared in this championship. Time Attack races are held on the world famous German tracks - Nurburgring, Hockenheimring and EuroSpeedway Lausitz. In addition, the Dutch national championship "Dutch Time Attack Masters" is held at the German Assen race track.
