Trevor Jackson
A LEGEND of the Lakes record is on the line when the iconic hill climb hits the Valley Lakes precinct this weekend.
Dan Day will look for his seventh straight win to equal Peter Gazzard’s record of victories at the same time.
He will take a bit of stopping too, with changes made to his Subaru STi to ensure it is on the pace and the course time record is also up for grabs.
Day set that record back in 2017 with a scintillating run of 49.89 seconds.
Since then he has come close to a new record, but has always fell just short.
With all those scenarios on the table, it is not surprising Day looks forward to the 2022 event.
“It doesn’t feel like too long ago when we were there the first time, when the car was brand new in 2016,” he said.
“We just keep doing another one, year after year and they all add up.
“From memory, when we set the lap record it was perfect conditions.
“Since then the weather has been touch and go.
“Each year we have tried different things on the car and each year we have been close, about .1 of a second away.
“We are as fast, just not faster.
“This year we hope to reset it because we have done a few drastic changes to the car.”
However, to make up such a small margin takes a lot of effort.
It must be a perfect run, with good weather and track conditions, with everything going right.
The driver must be in the right frame of mind and not have a lapse of concentration, or the margin has gone in the blink of an eye.
“It can be the difference between 1.5 metres braking somewhere, picking up the throttle slightly later or too early and getting too much wheel spin, or me miss-shifting out of the torque range,” Day said.
“When you are talking about that fine amount of time, it could be down to anything.”
For that reason Day said his team keeps a detailed log of each run to work out where they can go that little bit faster.
One of those logs is the top speed up the big, open sweeper, with the Subaru reaching speeds up to 188kph and more.
“We have logged 190kph up the hill which is our fastest,” he said.
“We are always around 188, depending on the run.
“If can get fifth gear in my usual spot we get that speed.
“I hope to get over 200 kph this year and I think the car will do it because of the changes.”
Those changes include a new set of development heads to allow the engine to produce more torque, with Day the first to use them.
Add to that a bigger twin-scroll turbo, different headers, bigger valves and paddle shifters which allow Day to change up or down without the clutch and it all starts to come together.
“The power cones on 1000 rpm earlier, so where I used to struggle out of corners with turbo lag, that shouldn’t be a problem any more,” he said.
“The heads have bigger valves and extra flow, but we are the guinea pigs for these, so we are nervous and excited.
“We have had it on the dyno and running in it seems happy so far.
“It makes around 50kw extra down low, but we haven’t turned the boost up yet.”
One more change is as likely to have as much effect on the final times as any other, with a Borg Warner Motorsport ABS braking system.
“It is quite an elaborate system,” Day said.
“I can brake deep into the apex without locking a wheel.
“You have shade, bits of gravel and cold tyres, so you are always braking on eggshells.
“It should be a big advantage going into the bus stop – we are in fifth gear up until that point and I am always cautious in that corner.
“Now with ABS we can really fire it in there, so it will be a big gain there.”
Despite all the changes, minimal testing means the Subaru is still somewhat of an unknown quantity.
It is capable of producing around 1000 horsepower, but Day said he will use around 840hp at the lakes course.
Any more and he risks losing control or breaking out in wheel spin and losing precious time.
Of course, pressure from other drivers also has a bearing on the pace at the pointy end, with Kevin Mackrell back this year to keep Day honest.
That is something Day said he is looking forward to.
“Kevin hasn’t been there the last couple of years and the gap back to second place has been a little bit broader,” he said.
“There is usually .1 or .2 of a second between us and that is what I live for in this type of racing.
“Who knows what he might have done to the car.
“He may have developed it further looking for a win, but that close competition is what it is all about.”
One other major factor may come into play as well.
With the changes to the car untested in anger, the Lakes will be the first time Day puts them to the test.
If they work, he should have a fast ride up the hill, in theory.
“It is all good on paper and in my head,” Day said.
“But I have to go up and do it.
“Either way, it should be a very fast car.”
The Legend of the Lakes hill climb kicks off on Friday, November 11 and runs through until Sunday, November 13.
