The Sports GT category has received a further boost with Auckland’s Nick Chester confirming he will contest the full 2011-12 season in his heavily modified Holden Commodore VZ V8 Supercar.
The Sports GT class is new this season and its an “anything goes” affair – basically the fastest saloon cars in NZ will come out to play, creating great variety on the track plus of course, fantastic racing. Nick’s VZ Commodore will fit right in here, battling it out with ex-TraNZams, Carl Hansen’s TVR Tuscon (which we featured in Race News a few weeks ago) and many more top saloon cars.
Nick, who manages the family business, Chesters Plumbing and Bathroom, came up with the idea of running a Supercar around three years ago. He flew to the South Australian headquarters of Team Dynamik to check out a VZ shell which was originally destined for the Supercar series. Nick cut a deal to purchase the car and Team Dynamik was charged with the task of completing the build. But this wasn’t going to be a V8 Supercar, which in itself is an extremely fast racing machine - Team Dynamik were instructed to make it as fast on track as possible.
Many modifications were made to the brakes, wheels, suspension and aerodynamics of the vehicle. The rear guards were widened and replaced with carbon fibre moulds to allow for a nine-inch based diff plus the guards were widened to allow for 18 inch rims and slicks.
The Supercar bodykit had to be seriously widened as well, and as with the front guards the whole kit is made out of carbon fibre which is super strong and super light. Add on the Lamborghini rear wing which measures two metres wide and you’ve got an impressive looking race machine.
The Commodore has an impressive engine under the bonnet plus the boot hides a diff cooler, fuel system, dry sump tank and roll centre adjustment for the rear diff. Because the cabin gets seriously hot whilst racing, inside you’ll find an air filter system which plugs directly into Nick’s helmet to allow for fresh, cool air and a separate cooling system which pumps cool air into his race suit.
If you get a chance to take a wander in the pits during one of the race championship events this season you absolutely have to check out Nick’s Commodore and all its other features we just don’t have room to talk about here! We can’t wait to see Nick out on the track, its sure to be impressive.
