The Adrenaline Hot Laps Driver Auditions kicked off in August and Australia’s two biggest motoring websites, Car Sales and Car Advice sent their motoring journalists to check it out.
Sam Charlwood, the Motoring journalist at Carsales and TenMotorsport fronted up at Sydney Motorsport Park and Paul Miric from CarAdvice auditioned and did some hot laps with John Bowe at Sandown Raceway.
If you think you’ve got what it takes to join our team as a Hot Laps Driver apply now.
Regardless of your skill level, you need a bucket load of money to make it as a professional racer nowadays.
And the sad reality is that the dreams of many drivers are shot down before they truly reach their potential.
But I may have found a paid gig that may just be the next best thing.
Imagine being pad to drive Australia’s best race circuits behind the wheel of a V8.
Well today, I’m auditioning for that very role.
Now funnily enough, this is being advertised as Australia’s fastest job, and that’s probably not a huge stretch of the truth, aside from some aviation roles.
This is the car that I’m driving. It started out life as a VE Holden SS Commodore, but it’s got some obvious modifications.
Wheels, brakes and tyres, lifted from the V8 Supercars, as well as a roll cage, stripped down interior and an open exhaust.
This should be a lot of fun.
During the audition, candidates get a 10-lap practice session to learn the ropes, followed by a further 10-lap judge session.
Here, experts assess each individual based on their decision-making skills, driving style and smoothness, racing lines, control inputs and attitude, using in-car and video feedback.
All told, the experience is highly visceral, exceeding speeds of 200 kilometres an hour, and taking in the sounds and smells of an old-school push-rod V8.
The top 10 points scorers from around the country get to attend a race driver seminar and final interview.
From there, they get to put together three hot laps. And the fastest wins the 12-month contract.
Irrespective of the result, you’ve gotta say, this is a pretty fun day out.
All told, the experience is highly visceral, exceeding speeds of 200 kilometres an hour, and taking in the sounds and smells of an old-school push-rod V8.
The top 10 points scorers from around the country get to attend a race driver seminar and final interview.
From there, they get to put together three hot laps. And the fastest wins the 12-month contract.
Irrespective of the result, you’ve gotta say, this is a pretty fun day out.
Learn more about the Adrenaline Hot Laps Driver auditions and throw your hat into the ring today!
Content courtesy of Carsales.com.au, by Sam Charlwood. Read Sam’s full review on the carsales.com.au website.
Do you ever sit at home watching a car race wishing you could hammer a race car around a track and be paid for it?
The audition process looks pretty straightforward, but it’s nerve wracking to say the least! It begins with donning a race suit and helmet, signing a few forms and getting buckled up in a race car complete with roll cage and communication equipment.
From there you have constant one-on-one training with your driver trainer who guides you through 10 laps of the race track. During the session you’ll learn about throttle control, apexes, being smooth, shifting fast and what they call ‘cockpit style’ – an issue for me, given how little style I normally have.
Following on from the 10-lap training session, we hit the track once more, but this time around the driver trainer stays silent and takes notes. Talk about pressure! In the actual audition, the top 10 drivers from around the country will then be shortlisted and win accommodation and transport to Sandown Raceway where they’ll be timed with the fastest driver winning the instructor’s job.
What this experience has shown me is that driving a car around a race track consistently and quickly is hard. Imagine then adding another 20 cars into the mix and a requirement to communicate with a team and manage fuel, tyre wear and keeping the car in shape. Being a race driver is much harder than it looks.
I had an incredible time and it was topped off by a few hot laps with racing legend John Bowe – that bloke knows how to steer!
If you think you have what it takes, or simply want to have a crack in a V8 race car, keep us posted if you make the cut!
Learn more about the Adrenaline Hot Laps Driver auditions and throw your hat into the ring today! Or treat yourself or someone you know to a ride with the legendary John Bowe!
Content courtesy of Caradvice.com.au, by Paul Miric. Read Paul’s full review on the caradvice.com.au website.
