“When you’re going that fast, you don’t feel it.”
Reaching speeds of more than 280kph. Turning sharp corners at speeds not much slower.
Excerting incredible physical and mental strength.
With his level of expertise and control, you would be forgiven for thinking Lincoln Evans has been driving cars most of his life.
In reality, the 17-year-old racecar driver only passed his provisional driving test last month.
But having raced a Porsche 911 GT3 on the national stage and trained at the prestigious Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy – all before graduating high school – the Cornubia local’s skills behind the wheel were never in question.
Still, the driving test jitters got to him.
“[There was] more pressure to pass my P’s than racing,” Ms Evans said.
“I had to drive like an old person. I didn’t tell them I raced cars. Mum said, ‘it would be embarrassing if you failed’, and I agreed.
“Lucky I got it first time.”
While he believes driving through the streets of Logan is more challenging than the race track, it is clear the motorsport is no mean feat.
And it can be incredibly dangerous.
“You have really got to have your eyes open and know what is around you,” Mr Evans said.
“The more you you know and the more you’re comfortable with, the better you you do.”
He said the physical act of driving was mostly muscle memory. However, the sport requires so much more.
“Your mind is thinking: how you can save the tyre, what are the pressures doing. And then also trying to close the gap to the car in front, trying to overtake them and trying to figure out what their weaknesses are.
“You have really got to study everything while you’re driving.”
His latest event was at Phillip Island, where he placed tenth overall – putting him in good stead for the end-of-year championship.
“Philip Island is probably the fastest track on the calendar this year, and it was the first track we raced at so I was a bit nervous going into it,” Mr Evans said.
“But it was good. I hit 276kph down the straight without a tailwind and then in race two we had a strong tailwind and I think I hit about 285-286kph.”
He said traveling at those speeds was a weird sensation.
“When you’re going that fast, you don’t feel it.”
At the first turn on the Phillip Island track, you’re moving at about 205km/h.
“You don’t really feel how fast you’re going until you kind of turn into turn one.
“It is a pretty crazy track.”
Next on Mr Evan’s calendar is a competition at Eastern Creek in Sydney.
“The goal for the next one is just be well inside that top 10,” he said.
“Just trying to do better than what we did last weekend, which was still solid for the first round.
“But you always want to keep improving.”
