A lap record is a nice thing. A sweet lolly of affirmation that says ‘this driver knows their stuff, and they are seriously fast”.
For the traditionalist, lap records are only ever set in the cut-and-thrust of actual racing. A clear lap in practice or quali might be a creditable achievement and a statement of intent, but really that’s a world away from doing the same thing in battle.
So will the TRS drivers have a peek at the Hampton Downs race lap record this weekend?
The TRS cars run on the ‘national’ circuit, unable to use the extension that creates the longer international circuit because of the ‘step’ back onto the regular national circuit.
Going into what may be their first full-sun weekend of the championship, the championship first-timers and rookies might be looking at lap records and driving sims to prepare for this faster, trickier circuit that goes up and down and well as round and round.
But when they hit the track they might also wonder why it hard to even get close to lap record pace.
After ten years of faithful service, the Tatuus FT40 cars of TRS were retired in favour of the update, the FT50. Thus 2015 marked a second decade-long commitment by Toyota New Zealand to premier level motor racing in New Zealand.
Retaining the proven 2ZZGE engine – who needs more than 215 bhp in a well-balanced F3-level single-seater after all – these cars were much faster than the FT40, assisted by a new dual-shock front end, new aero from updated wings and a ride height that went as low as the category managers dared – and sometimes lower.
The result? The cars were blindingly fast, setting new records at almost all the circuits TRS visits. The drivers were all ear to ear grins. Worryingly, the cars could also bottom out in the fast midfield right hand turns of Taupo, for example, spitting a cloud of carbon fibre shards and metal sparks.
Since that year it has become harder and harder to crack those record times. The reason? It’s not that the drivers are slower, nor is it any sleight of hand by teams to calm the farm in the heat of racing.
The cars were reset higher off the track, changing roll centres and turn-in and handling. And the bottoming stopped (pretty much). Life went on.
The lap records
It’s quite a to-do finding accurate lap record information for New Zealand’s premier circuits. A simple question to The Google is not enough, you have to dig. Circuit websites, Wikipedia, driverdb.com, category websites – we aren’t good at recording our history. In the case of TRS, I have used the data on the website itself.
Highlands Motorsport Park
In the FT40s, Jann Mardenborough set the record on the only previous visit by TRS: a 1:30.8. This year Liam Lawson set the new mark: 1:28.910 on a dry and cool track.
Teretonga
Lucas Auer, racing in the FT40s in 2013, set fastest time of 54.28 seconds. In 2015 the mark was set by Lance Stroll in an FT50: 53.109. Almost a second faster. With only one wet and windy race in which to set a record this year, nobody came close.
Hampton Downs
Andrew Tang and Martin Rump tied for fastest FT40 lap, both recording 1:00.816 in 2014.
It took until 2017 for that mark to be beaten by an FT50. Enaam Ahmed took it down under the minute with 59.636 seconds in January 2017.
Taupo
The FT40 race lap record was set by British driver Jordan King in 2012: 1:24.444 seconds.
In 2015 Brandon Maisano set the fastest-ever TRS lap of the 3.5 km ‘international’ circuit at Taupo as the new cars made their debut: 59:119 in a qualifying session. He was not able to replicate that pace in a race. Maisano was here as ‘wing man’ to Lance Stroll, who won the championship and has of course gone on to F3 and now F1.
Leave it a year and the record is set by Jehan Daruvala with a 1:23.357 second lap, February 2016
Manfeild
New Zealand Grand Prix weekend. The circuit is 3.033 km, seven turns to glory. On his way to the 2014 title, Singaporean Andrew Tang set the FT40 lap record 1:03.276.
Brandon Maisano (pictured in 2015) pops up again here, posting the best race lap and new FT50 record of FT-50 1:02.653. So the Manfeild race lap record stands from 2015 until present.
Records will stand
Because the FT40 is no longer in use in New Zealand racing, all the FT40 records will stand in perpetuity. When the FT50 is superseded by a ‘halo’ car its records will also become permanent.
Only two categories have been consistently faster than TRS in New Zealand – the mighty F5000s and at Taupo the A1GP cars.
The 2019 FT50 – cooler, easier to launch
Modifications to the FT50 –like the FT40 before it – have been evolutionary, and are hard to follow through any kind of timeline.
The ride height change has contributed measurably to the longevity of tubs and suspension components and the rear diffuser.
This season, the bottom three ratios in the Sadev transaxle have been altered and scuttlebutt down pit lane is that this delivers a car that is much easier to get off the line.
That’s easier on the clutches, easier on the transmissions too.
Modifications around the engine cover improve airflow, helping overheated air exit the car and hopefully minimising a repeat of the 2018 Grand Prix where the cars were held slow on a safety car restart and several went into ‘safe’ mode.
The engine is the carry-through from FT40 to FT50. Used in the last Celica and one iteration of the Corolla, the 1.8-litre 2ZZGE hasn’t been a high volume product for Toyota but it has adapted spectacularly well to motor racing.
It sports a custom-designed composite intake plenum and manifold and for the FT50 a new cast cradle that fits over the top of the engine, completing the ‘box’ that creates a fully stressed ‘member’ of the drivetrain.
Dyno-checked on each rebuild, the quality of the engine is such that outputs are plus or minus 1-1.5 horsepower across the 20-plus engines build each year.
A production-based engine that produces F3-style levels of power and torque, handles the punishment meted out by five weeks and 3,000 high speed kilometres of practice, qualifying and racing and bounces back with a post season strip and check and basic freshen is a credit to its builder and to the source manufacturer.
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