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Motorsport Australia investigating 327km/h+ Skyline

THE incredible top speed of a Nissan Skyline competing at the Bathurst 12 Hour has sounded alarm bells at Motorsport Australia.

Tasmanian engine tuning specialist Bradley Sherriff’s R32 GTS-T stole the show in the Combined Sedans support category, before crashing out at Reid Park while leading Race 3.

Powered by a turbocharged RB26 engine reportedly producing 1170bhp, the rear-wheel-drive Sports Sedan was clocked on official timing as doing 327km/h on Conrod Straight.

However, it’s understood it reached as high as 337km/h between that measuring point and the braking area for the Chase and has the potential to go even faster.

Having grown concerned by the speeds across the weekend, Motorsport Australia is now looking into making rule changes based on safety grounds.

Sherriff plans to contest the Australian Sports Sedan Series events with the Skyline later this year, which includes a round at the Bathurst 1000.

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Following a call from Motorsport Australia, Sherriff said he’d rather keep the car as a display piece once it’s repaired rather than run it in a restricted form.

It holds Sports Sedan lap records at Tasmanian circuits Symmons Plains and Baskerville but was restricted to a 2:09.0s benchmark at Bathurst under the Combined Sedans rules.

“It comes as no surprise to have just been contacted by someone from Motorsport Australia that I have much respect for with concerns in regard to our car’s straight line handling and its engine’s power output,” read a post on Sherriff’s Racetech Performance Facebook page.

“I can assure you that this week’s priority at MA will mean that the car will be repaired and become a display piece in the shop.

“I understand the concerns with safety and complications with the speeds but when you are running a car based on a stock Nissan driven by a very ordinary driver trying to compete with space frame cars weighing much less against much more talented operators, it’s a game that becomes unattractive to me.”

Sherriff leads early in Race 3. Pic: Ross Gibb

Motorsport Australia confirmed to V8 Sleuth it is looking into the matter but says no regulation changes have been made as yet.

“At this stage, there have been no changes made to Sports Sedans’ regulations regarding vehicle eligibility,” it read.

“Motorsport Australia may consider changes to ensure all vehicles can run safely at Australian circuits.”

If any rule changes are made, they’d likely be aimed at limiting power outputs of cars in the category, rather than banning a specific vehicle.

Should the Skyline be parked by Sherriff following its Bathurst blast, it’ll only add to the legend of the R32.

The GT-R version of the R32 Skyline dominated Australian touring car racing during the early 1990s, before effectively being banned when the Holden versus Ford V8 formula was introduced in 1993.

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