When you're doing something no-one else has done before, as Audi of New Zealand motorsport partner International Motorsport is with the company's Audi S3 Sportback programme, there are always going to be challenges. It's in meeting - and beating them - however, that the ultimate reward lies.
Nick Williamson is the General Manager of Auckland-based International Motorsport, the company - currently celebrating it's 50th anniversary - set up by his father, Lyall Williamson. And this week he and members of his 17-strong team have been preparing for the third round of the 2010/11 New Zealand Production Racing championship at Invercargill's Teretonga Park circuit this weekend.
As the man now responsible for the day to day running of the team, Williamson has been involved in the programme to prepare and run an S3 Sportback in the New Zealand Production Racing championship from the very start. And he is first to admit that it would have been easier to use a race-ready limited production model.
Without the challenge, though, where - he asks - is the reward?
"Sure it would have been easier, if you like, to pluck a race-ready car off the shelf, fill it with petrol and go racing, but ultimately that's not going to be good for the class. And that's why I think Audi should be congratulated for putting together the S3 Sportback programme, particularly when they knew that we would be doing much of the development work here."
Since it's debut run at the opening round of the 2010/11 New Zealand Production Racing championship at Pukekohe in November last year Williamson and his team of specialists at International Motorsport have been fine-tuning the S3 Sportback's engine and the chassis to optimize the car for New Zealand track conditions.
In the capable hands of it's driver, reigning New Zealand Production Racing champion Simon Sceats, the S3 Sportback has proved a welcome addition to the field. And though Williamson says the team are still looking for a little bit more speed Sceats is very happy with the handling and the brakes.
The only main teething issue, in fact, has been with the car's electronics - under certain extreme conditions on the track the engine's ECU has defaulted into 'limp-home' mode.
"To give you an idea, " Williamson says, " there are 23 sensors alone in the engine and something like 16 or 17 controller boxes in the car itself and without someone to guide you, to tell you 'replace this with that' if you like, you've just got to work through every little issue as it crops up."
This is what the members of the International Motorsport team have been doing since Pukekohe. That and working through 101 other smaller but still important issues which in the crucible that is competition raise their head.
The upside of this is that the team is developing its own 'body of knowledge,' one which Williamson is adamant will pay dividends in the future.
"Like it or not, this car and cars like it are the future and one of our main aims with this project with Audi is to get ahead of the game so that we can optimize the electronics as much for the track as the factory has for the road."
After two of the six rounds Simon Sceats and the Audi of New Zealand S3 Sportback lie 12th overall in the series points with standings currently being led by John Liston from Grant Aitken and John Rongen.
