Hello and welcome to my first (and hopefully not last) blog on Wangan Warriors. Some may know me as Stijn van Beek, seen my photos on Lifestyle-INC or know me as a red-headed boy driving a Honda CRX. I’m not going to bother you guys with boring stuff about myself so let’s talk about something you don’t see everyday. All the way from Finland, the Valtonen Motorsport FD3S RX-7.
With the RX-7 loaded in the trailer and the pit crew ready they went on the journey to the Netherlands, driving 2000 km to Circuit Park Zandvoort to compete in the Euro Time Attack Challenge. The driver of this outstanding car is 18 year old Joonas Lappalainen, an upcoming racing talent who is also competing in the Audi Sport TT Cup.
The European Time Attack Challenge was held at the Automaxx Streetpower event. Hosting an event in the Netherlands in April can be risky, the weather can be temperamental and cold but mother Nature was on our side. It was a sunny day and with the temperature being 14 degrees celsius it wasn’t cold at all. A great day to watch some Time Attack cars go round!
After seeing this outrageous RX-7 you probably think that i’m going to tell you about the epic sound the rotary engine makes while blasting around Circuit Park Zandvoort. Well, I have to disappoint you because this car is equipped with a Nissan SR20VET engine. Does it sound bad? No, not at all and with almost 700HP, there is no shortage of power either.
It all started as a drifting project but the plans were changed and the RX-7 got some serious upgrades. 280 & 320 width slicks, a full carbon body and some serious aero upgrades make this is a real track machine. Gear shifts are lightning fast because of the RD90 sequential gearbox and with a time of 1:44 at Zandvoort, they left the competition miles behind. The runner up was 10 seconds slower!
The huge fully adjustable rear wing is a real eyecatcher but there are more visual adjustments. One of my favorite parts are the ventilated front fenders. Not only do they look cool but are very useful as well. The whole package makes it one hell of a fast and grippy car!
Besides the aero upgrades the livery of the car is also something very special, it makes the car look like it is a development car from some big car manufacturer. When on track this car is quite hard to shoot because of its high speed and catchy design. Before the livery was put on, all of the carbon parts were visible and made the car look completely different.
Despite the lack of a rotary engine, this is one hell of a track car. You might expect this kind of chassis and aero development from a high-end racing team, not a private racing team from Finland, but the guys at Valtonen Motorsport raised the bar when it comes to Time Attack in Europe.
With the 18 year old Joonas at the wheel of the Valtonen RX-7 they have got a lot of potential to win some big events! I´m looking forward to see what future plans the guys at Valtonen Motorsport have with this car and I hope to see them back again in the Netherlands.
– Stijn van Beek
Bonus images after the Spec list!
Engine:
Nissan SR20VET
Pulsar GTI-R crankshaft
custom CP pistons
custom connecting rods and billet crankshaft girdle
ACL Race Series engine bearings
modified Pulsar oil pump
Accusump oil accumulator
modified oiling passages
ARP head studs
Power Enterprise head gasket
Kelford Cams camshafts
Tomei adjustable camshaft gears
Supertech Performance oversized valves, valvesprings, and liners
custom titanium retainers
modified rocker arms
modified timing chain tensioner
ATI engine damper
custom intake manifold
custom 70mm throttle body
Holset HX series turbocharger
TiAL 60mm wastegate
Garrett intercooler
custom end tanks and piping
custom exhaust manifold
custom 4.5-inch exhaust and muffler
custom overflow tanks
four Bosch Motorsport fuel pumps
Injector Dynamics 2,300 cc/min fuel injectors
BMW ignition coils
Denso Iridium spark plugs
Haltech Platinum Sport 2000 engine management system
Drivetrain:
Tractive RD90 sequential transmission, custom chrome-moly flywheel
Alcon triple-disc clutch, custom bellhousing, driveshafts
BMW 210mm differential
Carbonetic limited-slip differential
Suspension/Chassis:
Nitron Racing shocks
left-hand-drive conversion
custom front control arms
modified front uprights and rear suspension
Brakes:
Alcon six-piston calipers and rotors
Carbonetic pads
Tilton pedal assembly
HELL S.S. brake lines
