Jamboree 2010 - Team Talk - George Rehayem
It hadn’t been smooth sailing for the Pac crew in the lead-up to the 20th running of the Jamboree but with a niggling issue finally taken care of in testing and the car in one piece, there was nothing left to do but head north to Willowbank and put on a show for rotor fans everywhere.
Full team report over the fold.
George’s first pass in the world’s quickest and fastest rotary was a good one with long-time Top Doorslammer campaigner now Pro Turbo pilot Ben Bray lined up in the other lane. Both left on clean greens but it was George who bettered the multi-time national champion on the tree cutting a .027 light to Bray’s .095. Both crossed the finish line in 6.89sec with the rotary machine running a stout 205.57mph pass.
The next qualifier saw George line up Malcolm Glassett in another of the 2JZ-powered Pro Turbo cars. While both had problems during the run, Rehayem recovered to throw down a 6.912sec lap at 206.07mph. That was it for qualifying though with George settling for fourth best behind a trio of 2JZ machinery.
Eliminations were run in a Chicago Shootout format with each racer fronting up three times to determine the best two who would eventually contest the final. The first round saw George line up the RB26/30-powered VL Commodore of Anthony Maatouk, a car that while only recently finished, had still put down some quality passes. George struggled before half track and had to pedal the Mazda causing the ‘box to drop out of gear. Forcing it back into gear only resulted in a cracked extension housing and a loss recorded on the pass.
The repair was made between rounds with George facing Joe Signorelli in his 2JZ Celica who had qualified in an uncharacteristic 10th place. Joe struggled off the line and despite George taking things easy on this pass, the Mazda took the win with a 7.251 at a slowing 191.92mph.
The third round came and George found himself on a solo. This gave him all the time he needed to prepare to throw down a good number knowing that despite automatically recording a win for the solo, a low ET could grant him lane choice in the final. The resulting 6.893 @ 200.62mph was solid and within three thousandths of his qualifying time but with Kiwi Rod Harvey throwing down 6.4’s like it was easy, lane choice wasn’t going to be likely.
And so it was that the quickest and fastest rotary drag car would face off against the quickest and fastest piston-powered sport compact car currently racing over the quarter mile anywhere on the planet for Jamboree glory.
Giving away four tenths to the massive horsepower of the 2JZ was always going to be an uphill battle so George went after it on the tree but unfortunately went red for the first time all meeting, by just nineteen thousandths of a second. It would have been a close race were it any other opponent but Harvey saved the best till last running an incredible 6.410 @ 224.21mph to George’s 6.960 @ 207.34mph.
George and the Pac Performance team would like to thank their sponsors for their continued support, Turbosmart, Garrett, Mazda Australia, Haltech, Castrol and Plazmaman
