Engine rebuild to be filmed for educational video

Engine rebuild to be filmed for educational video

Building a new engine for their Toyota 86 for the South Island Endurance Series has a dual purpose for a Queenstown-based team. 

Ben Silcock and Andre Simon are cofounders of the High Performance Academy, which provides online training solutions for the aftermarket tuning industry and co-drivers in the three-round endurance series’ one-hour class. 

Not only will the later version Lexus V8, 4.3-litre engine they are installing give them more grunt, the procedure will provide material for their business. They are stripping down the second-hand engine and plan to ‘‘document it and use it in a training video’’, Silcock said. 

After a steep learning curve in their debut season last year where they processed ‘‘all the things that go into racing around acircuit’’ and their original engine ‘‘let go pretty spectacularly’’, they have entered their refurbished Toyota in Class C for 3501cc and over cars, Silcock said. 

While a relative newcomer to circuit racing, Simon has plenty of experience, albeit in a straightline and with a whole lot more horsepower, having owned one of the quickest Mitsubishi Evo drag cars globally and held the fastest and quickest Mitsubishi 4WD EVO in the world title for five years. 

The teammates have some time to complete their engine rebuild, as the endurance series starts at Teretonga Park on September 12, then moves to Mike Pero Motorsport Park, in Christchurch, on October 3. The final round is at Levels Raceway on October 17. 

The 2020New Zealand Endurance Championship will be held at Highlands Motorsport Park on November 7 for drivers who have competed in the 2020 North or South Island Endurance Series. The winner-takes-all race will decide the onehour and three-hour Motorsport New Zealand Championship titles. 

South Island series secretary Cate Paddon said the one-hour series is already at capacity, with 40 entries and a waiting list is now in place. Twenty teams have signed up for the three-hour category and there is still room on the grid for the entries in the five classes.

‘‘With the world changing in response to Covid-19, our series is pleased to boast we are business as usual,’’ Paddon said. 

‘‘With all the South Island circuits having been closed under lockdown for the last couple of months, and winter being a traditionally quiet period anyway, we are looking forward to bringing them some big fields of exciting cars and close action racing to help get them back on track.’’

 - Catherine Pattison

Photo: Euan Cameron

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