I knew WTAC was huge before I first went in 2014. There was just no avoiding it on social media, but nothing could prepare me for its sheer scale. Since then, it has gotten bigger and better every year. 2019 was the 10th year so you could say they know a thing or two about putting on a show.
There’s something to see every second of the day. So to find out when and where to go, I grab myself an event program as soon as I arrive, I swear by it. Planning from the start will maximise your experience and prevent you missing out.
Over the next few stories I’m going to share my experience from various parts of WTAC and how I photograph them. This is the appetiser, let’s get into the bonus events of WTAC.
Midday Mayhem provides some high powered entertainment during the hottest part of the day while the time attack car are being prepped for the cooler afternoon temperatures
First up is the Flying 500 where cars take off from the bottom of the main straight to reach their top speed. For the best view, I recommend going to the grandstand where you can see the whole straight while seated under cover. The roof of the pit garage can be good to watch from also but if you’re swinging a camera around to capture some sweet panning shots, you’re going to be limited by the tight crowd around you. On the other hand if you’re looking to get a bit creative, the crowd can also play to your advantage if you pan through the gaps.
In 2019 I was so grateful to have been given a media pass so I tried a couple locations during MM. On Friday the best spot I could manage was from the stair which leads up to the pit lane roof. Not exactly ideal but it made for some interesting shots that I’ve never tried before. You always learn from experimenting.
The following entertainment involves a bit of smoke, it would be unAustralian if it didn’t right?? With burnout cars on the main straight and drift cars whipping back ends out around the track every corner gets its fair share of smoke not to mention the clouds in the sky left by Red Bull Air Race Champion Matt Hall who took off from the the main straight!
If you’re a WTAC fan, there’s a 99.999% chance that you’re a JDM fanboy or fangirl. It was only fitting to have the Drift King Keiichi Tsuchiya battle it out with Under Suzuki Touge Style. Here two mechanically identical A90 Supras with two iconic liveries were used to see if any of the drivers could extend a lead from each other.
Back in the day The Sydney Motorshow was an event I visited every 2-3 years. In my opinion there just weren’t enough exciting new cars to see each year to warrant going. It’s no surprise the event failed when it did (and that was before social media). At each WTAC I’ve been to, there are several exciting cars to see and not just in a fancy display booth but tearing around the track such as the Bragham BT62. Man that thing can move and is a beautiful machine. I’ll never forget the sights and sounds of the 767B in 2016.
Other than the bonus track action there’s a huge range of cars, displays and stalls to see around the place, not to mention the gems one finds when walking through the car parks. I guess what I’m trying to say is there is something going on in every corner at every moment at this event.
WTAC 2022 will bring even more excitement with the new format for racing at night thanks to Sydney Motorsport Park installing new lights! Now the Time Attack cars can go even faster racing and lower temps.
Thanks for stopping by. More WTAC stories coming soon.
Domenic Ciccio