Pro Am Champion Returns To Defend Title At Wtac 2014  

There is no question things have moved very quickly since the first Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge in 2010. Records have tumbled in every class year after year and it looks like 2014 will be no different. Along with the falling lap times, the calibre of the top end cars in nearly every class has also moved considerably. Where once we have seen road cars simply modified for track, we now see purpose built, all-out race cars that would compare to any top tier race series anywhere in the world.



2012 saw Mick compete in Open Class with his best lap time being 1:35.77

Many of these cars are professionally built, often with top level aerodynamicists involved in the design, master fabricators doing the construction, composite engineers building the bodies and a bevy of talented engineers and race mechanics putting together amazing vehicles with one single goal in mind: to run the single fastest lap on road tyres.



Seriously upgraded for 2013, Mick’s Evo moved up to the Pro Am Class winning it comfortably with an impressive lap time of 1:30:95. That’s a full five seconds faster than the year before!

One guy that has been around since the very beginning is Queensland-based mining contractor Mick Sigsworth. When we heard he was doing a full rebuild after winning the Garrett Pro Am Class in 2013 we were excited to see what the result would be, but nothing prepared us for the masterpiece he has created.



The attention to detail and the quality of the finish would have anyone believe this car came straight out of a factory-backed works race team but in fact nothing could be further from the truth. This car is simply the result of one man’s vision and a small team of dedicated Queenslanders. We caught up with Mick to have a little chat about the car he calls the “ PMQ EVO M”.

WTAC: Hi Mick. It certainly looks like you guys have been hard at work. It is remarkable that you have still managed to keep this car recognizable as an Evo!

Mick Sigsworth: That was the idea. My main goal was to do my own thing while trying to maintain the standard look and design of the car where possible.

WTAC: You already had a competitive car that is the current Pro Am class champion, what inspired you to take this build to yet another level?

MS: Every year we see some amazing improvements in performances from all classes and as our sport gains momentum it’s important to keep striving to remain competitive and keep raising the bar. This is important not only as a competitor of the sport but also for the spectators and fans who take the time to come, watch and offer their support.



WTAC: Was Barry Lock involved in the whole build process of the car?

MS: That is correct, without Barry this build wouldn’t have been possible.

WTAC: Looks like the engine is from the JHH racing stable?

MS: Wil from JHH Racing has built me two engines for this year. These amazing engines wouldn’t have been possible without the support from our main sponsor Nitto Performance Engineering (Andrew McIntosh) with their 2.2L stroker kit. We only made some small changes to internal parts. Dave Lenthall from GT Auto Garage looks after the tuning and we have seen some really good numbers. I feel we have enough power.



WTAC: The drivetrain looks equally impressive…

MS: We use only the best parts. Maktrak in the UK (John McIntosh) has looked after me with two MaktrakSeq gearboxes and bell housings, front transfer case and rear differential both mechanical. The rear differential requires a custom rear sub frame and custom drive shafts and tail shaft.

The reason behind the big change in all areas was the fact that we broke the front transfer case centre on the Monday before last year’s WTAC. We couldn’t fix it before the event meaning we had a lot of drivetrain issues between the front and rear.



WTAC: The carbon fibre work is an absolute work of art. Who was responsible for all that?

MS: I think when people see this up close they will understand why there is only a few people in Australia that are this good. The master is Brad Cawthorne from Cawthorne Composites.

Our goal is to go faster than last year,I believe we can get into high 1:20s

WTAC: We understand you still play a huge hands-on role in this build yourself?

MS: My mechanical engineering background and my desire to see Evo ‘M’ become a reality meant that a hands-on approach was the best option to see the project through to completion. I also wanted to have an intimate knowledge of the car from the wheels up.



WTAC: Where did the name Evo M come from?

MS: The M stands for Mandy, my wife. Last year after the event on Saturday we were having diner and Mandy asked Barry how we could make the car faster and that’s when Evo M was born. As you would be aware, Barry Lock still does all his designs on a drawing board and from the very first drawing Barry did after our win in 2013 he called them Evo M.

WTAC: As part of our master plan we had always anticipated the Pro Am class would be a huge growth area for this sport and this car has certainly proven that. What are your plans for this car outside WTAC ?

MS: Obviously the plan is to compete as much as possible in local and interstate events as we have such huge potential to grow the sport and gain the media exposure that it deserves. If the situation arises we would love to take the car overseas and compete at an international level.



WTAC: Dare we ask the question what is your lap time goal for WTAC 2014?

MS: The main goal is to be quicker than last year. I believe we can get into the high 1:20s.



WTAC: Well, the eyes of the time attack world will be on this car in October as you have certainly stolen the show in 2014. We can’t wait to see it in action!

MS: We are looking forward to testing and competing at WTAC 2014. A big thanks to Ian and his amazing team for making the event better every year. See you in October!


LINKS:
www.yokohama.com.au
www.worldtimeattack.com


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