"I love the thing."
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Braydon Wilmington's response after his first drive in the new S5000 single-seater V8 was telling.
Touted as the fastest car in Australia, it was designed by Garry Rogers Motorsport, and released three months ago.
Described by Braydon's father, Garry Wilmington, as "one step below" the cars used in Formula One, its creation has spurred the inception of a new series: the Australian S5000 Championship.
It is in this series which Braydon intends to compete. After an extended and successful period racing on dirt in the speedcars, the former Goulburn local was drawn back to tar by the allure of the S5000.
"It's really good. It's very fast, it really opens your eyes and throws your head back in the seat when you put your foot down," Braydon said.
The 21-year-old's first drive in the S5000 took place at Wakefield Park on Wednesday, October 16.
After that brief warm-up, he intends to race the S5000 at The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia from November 15-17, the second race in the championship.
"It is totally different to everything else I've done, but I feel that by the end of the day we'll be fast," Braydon said.
The word 'fast' in this instance may be an understatement. During his preliminary drives, Braydon reached speeds of roughly 230kph on the relatively short Wakefield Park straight, and his father believes that some of the longer straights in Australia could see the S5000 get up to 320kph.
The Wilmingtons were among the first in Australia to get a good look at the S5000.
Both Braydon and Garry went to Sandown last month for the S5000's inaugural race, where they had first-hand experience working on it.
"Me and Braydon both went down and worked on two of these cars at Sandown for the first event, and then we've been flat out since then trying to organise our own car," Garry said.
Braydon could hardly hope for a better mentor to have on his team than his father. Garry was a long-established privateer touring car driver in the 1980s and 90s, and has since made a name for himself mentoring young up-and-coming drivers at the Marulan Driver Training Centre, which he sold recently.
With over 40 years of motorsport experience, Garry will ensure that his son is immaculately prepared for his return to the tar.
After The Bend, the Wilmingtons will aim for the Australian Grand Prix, to be held in Melbourne in March next year, where the S5000 will kick-start 2020.
The advent of the S5000s is groundbreaking in the eyes of many in the Australian motorsport industry.
As it stands, Australian drivers usually have to compete overseas from a young age and work their way through a number of levels to even have a chance of competing in Formula One.
Now, the S5000s will hopefully provide a new and less convoluted pathway for Australian youngsters.
While you're with us...
Did you know the Goulburn Post is now offering breaking news alerts and a weekly email newsletter? Keep up-to-date with all the local news: sign up here.