When Mitsubishi released the first of their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo’s in 1992, they produced one of, if not the best driver’s car of all time, and when you consider the two litre turbocharged engines and four wheel drive pocket rockets were never really intended for marketing outside of Japan it is a bonus we have them.
This weekend Goulburn and Wakefield Park will play host to the seventh edition of the Evo Nationals with 70 entrants coming from all Eastern States and South Australia.
The 2012 V-Sport EvolutionOz Nationals are being conducted by www.EvolutionOz.net, with organising committee member Greg Stoneham explaining a little about the event.
“This is the seventh occasion the Nationals have been held. We have had them in Goulburn, Canberra, Shepparton, Winton, Sydney, Wollongong and Brisbane at various times,” Stoneham said.
“There are four events for 2012. A Wakefield Park Track Day, Wakefield Park Super Special Stage, Goulburn Airport 700m Speed Run and Goulburn Airport Hi-Speed Motorkhana.’
2012 V-Sport EvolutionOz Nationals will see each car assigned to one of six classes depending on car type and modifications. There are winners for each event per class and a Grand Champion for each class across all four events.
“We also have a Driving Medal where drivers must match their previous fastest time of the day in a flying single lap across three events (not the Speed Run).
“The driver with the closest percentage difference in total across the events wins the EvoNats Grand Champion Driving Medal,” said Stoneham.
For the first time ever, the Sunday stage at Wakefield Park will use will use the circuit in reverse and incorporate all its off roads and the hill climb, creating a wonderful Super Special Stage that will test and thrill competitors and spectators.
A number of the top competitors are multiple past winners at Superlap, and it is believed as many as six cars will be very close to the 60 seconds mark around Wakefield Park this year, and that is a very competitive time.
Among quicker competitors are sure to be Martin Notaras, an acclaimed circuit racer in a range of cars and driver of a Time Attack Evo.
Barrie Smith is another, as a very experienced rally driver who sets very fast stage times and is almost always found at the pointy end of an event.
The big drawcard among the drivers competing is Ross Dunkerton driving a TMR Australia Evo X.
Dunkerton is one of the best performed Australian rally drivers of all time, having won the Australian Rally Championship on 5 occasions, and the International Asian Pacific Championship twice.
There is a big social side to the event as well, with the Annual Dinner being conducted on Saturday night at the Goulburn Soldiers Club when they will have a very special guest speaker in Ross Dunkerton.
V-Sport EvolutionOz Nationals have a well known motor racing name on board as major sponsor, Alan Heaphy at TMR Australia.
Heaphy’s TMR team have been multiple winners at the Bathurst 12 Hour race, and in Australian Production Car Championships.
The City of Goulburn has got right behind the V-Sport EvolutionOz Nationals with many local business houses among Gold Sponsors.
The full list of Gold Sponsors are;
