Global Time Attack Round 2: Buttonwillow Raceway Park
Global Time Attack returns to Buttonwillow Raceway Park to challenge the legendary 3.1 mile road coarse for GTA’s Pro Am Speed District round 2 event. With the weather predicted to hover around a beautiful mid 70 degrees throughout the race day, drivers arrive ready to attack the clock, reset records, and set a new standard of performance in their respective classes.
From completely stock Ford Mustangs and lightly modified Subaru BRZs, to the heavily modified unlimited class where one could stumble upon a J35A1 swapped Honda Civic Coupe built specifically for the circuit, a plethora of different types of cars can be found at any Global Time Attack event. Yes, you read it correctly, a stout V6 Honda Odyssey motor- in a Civic! This is the series where not only the world’s fastest and most dedicated drivers come to play, but a series where an enthusiast can find some of the most creative tuners in the industry. With this in mind, welcome to Global Time Attack! Let’s get started.
Drivers begin to wake around 6 AM with the smell of hot coffee and the echo of impact guns cracking through the thick, cold air in Buttonwillow. It’s Saturday, D-Day for round 2, and drivers begin preparations while waiting anxiously for their first hot lap of the day.
First place finisher at GTA’s Boostfest 2017, Markos Mylonas’ street class WRX of Snail Performance is stripped down in the early hours before the drivers meeting. Unfortunately, Markos retired the day early due to catastrophic engine failure during the first session.
A beautiful Ford Shelby GT350 owned by Travis Barnes and representing Snail Performance in the Limited RWD class. Barnes lapped a 2:01.726 in the first session and was able to pull in fourth place by running two tenths faster during the fourth session with a solid 2:01.517. Sub two is definitely within reach for this V8 monster!
The Snail team consistently has some of the cleanest time attack cars within GTA, and Number 51 Unleashed Racing / Snail Performance Subaru STI, owned by Jaime Jacquez, is no exception.
As a FF platform enthusiast and Honda Civic time attack driver myself, I was pleasantly surprised to see Justin Wesseling’s time attack EG Civic. Being a combatant in the unlimited FWD class, one would expect a B or K Series motor swap, but here sits a different type of animal. Wesseling opted for an all motor, J-Series swapped out from an Odyssey, and I was definitely impressed with its performance at Buttonwillow.
