Adelaide based driver Daniel Day will return to Mount Gambier this weekend for the 27th running of the Trident Tyre Centre Legend of the Lakes Hill Climb eager to defend his 2021 title and make it seven wins in a row at the iconic motorsport race.
Day has spent the last 12 months competing in events and preparing his striking blue Subaru WRX with his sights set firmly on a seventh-straight Legend of the Lakes crown.
The talented driver recently competed in the World Time Attack Challenge at Sydney Motorsport Park, which puts the best of the best drivers from across the world against each other in search of the quickest lap time.
With Supercars drivers Shane van Gisbergen and Tim Slade just of the names to contest the time attack challenge in the past, Day pushed the SJ1000 entry around the circuit in a blistering 1:33.4430 to claim eighth position in the GCG Turbos Open Class, as well as competing in the SubiNats also held in Sydney earlier this year.
Since then, his vehicle has undergone some fine-tuning to further improve its performance for this weekend’s event.
Day is planning a big weekend in Mount Gambier and will kick it off on Saturday looking to push the limits of last year’s times.
“Every year I aim to go faster than we have gone before, so I would love to drop back into the 49s and reset the record and see what is possible,” he said.
With a potential heavy rainfall forecast for Saturday, the runners may find it tricky to get back to recording these times up the mountain, however if there is a sniff of sunshine to help grip up the circuit, Day will be pushing his Subaru to its limits in search of the course record.
“Our records are in the 49 second bracket back in 2017 and you know that every year is different, but this year we will be pushing harder than ever to get back to those times.”
Speaking with The SE Voice, Day said his car is capable of reaching speeds of 190kph up the straights of the 1.6 kilometre climb.
“Driving a car like this you must be right on it straight away, because it does not (have much give) at that sort of power,” he said.
Day is looking forward to the weekend and with his nearest rival Kevin Mackrell hot on his heels will have to pull out all the stops to retain his legend status in 2022.
The Legend of the Lakes Hill Climb winner will be presented with the Lionel Stingers Memorial Trophy as a reward for the best run up the picturesque Valley Lake course over the Saturday and Sunday competition.
There have only been three competitors to receive the coveted “Legends” trophy in Kevin Mackrell, Peter Gazzard and Dan Day – with only Mackrell and Day taking on the hill this year.
The climb started as a one-off event, with local car enthusiast Lionel Stingers determined to defy the doubters and stage a race at the iconic Valley Lakes precinct.
It proved to be an overwhelming success for both Stingers and the South Eastern Automobile Club, with rave reviews received from competitors quickly leading to it becoming a staple of the region’s motorsport calendar, with this years event organised by a small dedicated committee led by Kevin Raedel.
The track has been reportedly been ranked as one of the best in the Australian Hill Climbs by the participants, with the race now live-streamed for those who cannot make it trackside.
