ADVAN Neova Cup Competitor’s profile: James

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Name: James Hodge

What you do for a living: Owner of a smartphone software development company.


What’s the story behind your car: Many years ago I had a meeting in Rushcutters Bay (Sydney) and on my way to catch a cab back to the airport happened to walk past the Lamborghini showroom. With some time to kill I wandered in, and then spent the best part of an hour being shown through the cars they had in the showroom. When the salesman fired up a Gallardo and I heard that V10 for the first time I knew that would have to be my next car - the noise alone sold me even before actually taking one for a drive.


Why did you choose the Advan Neova tyre , what do you like about them most: When I bought the car I knew it wasn't going to be a regular track attendee and I deliberately wanted to avoid modding it into a 'track car', but I ran a couple of days on the OEM Pirelli road tyres and got a little frustrated at how quickly they lost grip after a few laps. I decided to look for a tyre that provided a better track experience without losing everyday (ie cold & wet weather) drivability, and the AD08s were recommended by my usual tyre fitter.

I've since driven a few track days on the Neovas in both wet and dry conditions and have been impressed by their grip regardless of the weather. I had bought a second set of wheels with the intention of fitting the Neovas only for track outings and returning to the OEM tyres for normal road driving, but I've ended up just running the Neovas full time.


Current car mods: None - other than a second set of OEM wheels painted black the car is completely stock.


Future mods: None - I don't want to ruin my enjoyment of the car for the 95% of the time it spends away from a racetrack just to gain a few tenths here and there on the circuit. If I want to run faster times in this car it'll have to be as a result of learning to be a better driver.


Current PB time: Wakefield Park - 1:08.29


Target time: I believe one of the local car mags ran a Gallardo around Wakefield in sub 1:05, so that sounds like a reasonable goal to have.


What do you think the secret is to getting a good lap time: Consistency, smoothness and confidence in the car and a willingness to learn from those who know the track better than you do.


To Log your fastest times click here: www.advanneovacup.com
Remember you don’t need a race car and you don’t need a race suit, all you need is a set of Advan Neova Tires and a street registered car.