The Queensland designed and manufactured Skelta G-Force sports car has received wide-ranging acclaim from industry insiders and enthusiasts alike during the recent Autosport International Motorshow held in Birmingham, England.
Upon returning home to Toowoomba following his month-long overseas sojourn, Skelta Managing Director Ray Vandersee was upbeat about the future prospects of his performance motor vehicle, particularly the brand new RST V8 version which was featured at the UK exhibition.
“In terms of a concentration of potential customers and suppliers to the motorsport industry you couldn’t go to a better show. Without doubt this was something we had to be involved in so as to enable us to make those initial contacts within the industry on a World-wide scale, †confirmed Vandersee.
“Through the Autosport show we had open access to potential supply channels of specialist components which we may be able to utilise in the future.
“Obviously with such a large volume of people at the show there are now a number of sales prospects we’re also now following up.
“It’ll be our priority in the short term to get these people behind the wheel of the Skelta RST V8 as soon as possible.
“There was also a major performance car magazine keen to do an appraisal of the car for inclusion in a ‘track day car of the year’ feature later in the year.
“As we’ve maintained all along, the track day market is one we’re particularly keen to break into with the Skelta RST V8. We see it as an ideal cross-over vehicle which can be both road and competition carâ€
Vandersee’s enthusiasm was further heightened by a first-ever driving stint behind the wheel of the Skelta RST V8.
Inclement weather conditions shortened the experience to just a day-long circuit exercise at a track in Wales, coupled with a wet weather session at the North Weald airport strip in Sussex.
“The weather was very frustrating and meant I had to stay in the UK a little longer than first anticipated, but the time spent behind the wheel was very exciting. Without a doubt, the combination of the lightweight Skelta and the powerful RST V8, delivers acceleration which is phenomenal; at a level I have never experienced before, †added an enthusiastic Vandersee.
“I always felt the Skelta chassis had the potential to cope with more power and performance and despite an additional 140 horsepower, which equates to 108 kilowatts, the car passed in every aspect with flying colours.
“Of course we’re only talking about subjective testing, fine tuning all the adjustments provided for in the Skelta suspension. With just a few tweaks, the RST V8 engined car proved a very drivable and well behaved vehicle.
“We would have loved more time on-track at a greater number of circuits throughout the UK where we could have really benchmarked ourselves against other manufacturers.
“But other than that we’re all very happy with how things are progressing and are looking forward to an exciting year for Skelta Sports Cars both at home in Australia and further abroad. â€
Once again Vandersee and his small Darling Downs based Skelta G-Force team are honing in on a tarmac rally assault of the Internationally acclaimed Targa Tasmania event.
Targa Tasmania will be held from 17th to 21st April with competitors covering 450 competition kilometres over 43 stages conducted over five days.
The overall goal from participation in 2007 will be to deliver on the performance potential shown by a gutsy initiation last year, where the Skelta was on track for a first up podium in Tasmania before encountering dramas with just two stages remaining.
That experience, coupled with a second outright placing at Targa New Zealand plus competition at various other hillclimb and sprint events, means Vandersee is in a much stronger position, boasting many more miles behind the wheel of his self designed creation.
Phase one of the new season assignment will be a local affair when the Skelta G-Force is featured at the Gatton Street Sprints in Queensland’s Lockyer Valley region on March 16-18.
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