HSV racers for India

HSV has developed two race-ready ClubSport R8s for a potential one-make motorsport series in India.

Developed with the help of sister company Walkinshaw Racing, the two Commodore-based racecars will be shipped to India for a demonstration day in December.

HSV Managing Director said the project would target wealthy businessmen in India and could also be extended to include two other Asian markets.

“We have identified an untapped market for the design, development and engineering of race-spec cars for the Indian market,” he said.

“There is an affluent business community in India which is passionate about high-performance cars and the potential to race them.

“The beauty of the vehicle we have developed is that the initial set-up costs, as well as operating costs, are significantly below other vehicles of similar performance, so if you are running a one-make race series, the economics look pretty good,” said Mr Harding.

HSV’s surprise racecar foray kicked off in May and the first two cars have already undergone extensive testing at Winton Motor Raceway at the hands of HRT’s three-times Bathurst champion, Garth Tander.

“Testing surpassed my expectations, to be honest,” he said. “We achieved a fastest lap time of 1:32 for the 3km circuit even without pushing them to their limits.

While the team tested at Winton most recently on October 12, more testing to improve chassis balance is expected to reap lap times of less than 1:30.

HSV Chief Engineer Joel Stoddart said a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) could be added to the next ClubSport circuit prototype, in order to offer a ‘push-to-pass’ function or simply to improve fuel economy.

“We have the parts and a supplier excited to work with us on this technology”, said Mr Stoddart.

HSV’s first racecars feature V8 Supercar-styled front and rear bumpers, a reinforced deck lid with race rear wing, lightweight polycarbonate side windows, lightened doors and bonnet, an FIA-approved six-point rollcage, FIA-approved fire bomb system, race bucket seats with six-point harness system and a V8 Supercar-style cockpit with custom centre console and switch panel.

Under the pinned-down bonnet lurks a race-prepared 400kW version of HSV’s 6.2-litre LS3 V8 featuring forged H-Beam connecting rods, JE lightweight aluminium alloy forged pistons, an upgraded double-row cam chain, high-output roller Comp Cam, roller rockers with strengthened collets and retainers, dual valve springs with roller followers, a high-flow cold air intake, high-flow oil pump with a baffled sump plumbed to a race inspired, front mounted engine oil-cooler.

 Completing the engine upgrades is a high-flow four-into-one 2.5-inch exhaust system with side outlet, while transmission duties are handles by a NZ Touring Car-spec Quaife six-speed close-ratio sequential gearbox, custom oversize PWR aluminium radiator with internal gearbox cooler, nine-inch twin-plate ceramic clutch and full spool differential with independent 12-volt pump and cooling system.

The standard ClubSport chassis also came in for radical reworking, including 18x9.0-inch race wheels wrapped in 265-section full racing slicks, DMS Racing shock absorbers and springs, full ducted front V8 Supercar-style AP Racing calipers and 365mm discs with ducting, HSV rear callipers with 350mm discs and a Tilton floor-mounted 600 Series adjustable-bias pedal box.

Extra electrical equipment includes a large digital gear position display, gear shift light and rain lights.

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