LR UO BB ROITCI ACNS T S
LIVING A
DREAM IN OPEN
WHEEL SPEED
MACHINE
As a teenager, Gary Rush
dreamed of driving in
New Zealand’s ‘Formula
Atlantic open wheel
racing cars. Now, a generation later,
he has realised his dream - driving
with the same energy and drive that
he puts into his business.
“Driving these ground-effect cars
takes a lot of learning. Driving saloon
cars, you know when you have
reached the limit of mechanical grip,
because the car is sliding – there
isn’t anywhere to go from there.”
“In these open wheelers, you could
be doing, say, 80-90kph through
the tight turn three at the Hampton
circuit and when it starts to slide,
you have to keep your foot hard
down. As you generate more speed,
you generate more aero effect, and
the car starts sticking harder to the
ground the faster you go. So, it is
pushing past the limit of mechanical
grip, which is one of the hardest
things to get your head around.”
The Motul products supplied by
Hydraulink also get a thorough
workout when Mr Rush is chasing
lap times – “The engine is a lovely
little unit, which you are meant to
keep to 9500rpm – which I don’t –
but it completed more than 3000km
of racing with top reliability, which
is wonderful. A big thank you to
Hydraulink for support with Motul
products, which are the best in the
world.”
Motul is one of the leading global
brands distributed by hydraulic
service specialist Hydraulink, which
supplies hydraulic hoses, fittings,
adaptors and accessories through
more than 400 service points
throughout Australasia.
in, and winning - the top single
seater-award of the Matos Formula
Libre Series.
Gary Rush won the Ultimate Echo
Cup for finishing top in a field of
up to 30 cars. The racing season,
culminating late April – was
enthusiastically supported by
Hydraulink through sponsorship
that also included Motul high
performance lubrication products.
Hydraulink is the exclusive NZ and
Pacific distributor of the prestigious
Motul range of heavy duty diesel
oils and hydraulics and the brand
is a highly respected name in many
forms of racing.
“When I was in my later teens, I
desperately wanted to drive Formula
Atlantic cars, but we didn’t have
the money. So now, with the help of
sponsors like Hydraulink, I am living
the dream and loving every moment,
thinking how lucky I am,” says Mr
Rush, who races a Toyota-engined
Swift DB4 Formula Atlantic car.
Although 30 years old, the Swift
DB4 is a really fast car – “They are
still one of the fastest cars on a race
tracks and would be capable of
being within two seconds of outright
lap records on most race tracks
anywhere,” he says.
“Being a ground-effect car, the side
pods generate a lot of downforce,
which, combined with large tyres,
gives the car very high cornering
speeds. At only 498kg total weight,
with a very highly tuned modified
1600cc engine, they are also very
quick in a straight line.
Mr Rush – whose regular job is in the
building and construction industry
– has invested in his racing pursuits
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REN324
48 June 2019