Journalist: The mountain racing season is in full swing. How do you assess this year’s results of the team? What are your goals for the upcoming races?
Marcin Wilusz: It is a fact that the season is in full swing, but the beginning of the season was not successful for our team. For a number of reasons, we had a lot of problems completing the new Honda. Starting from the lack of electrical installation for the 47th Bieszczady Mountain Race to the “childhood diseases” that occurred in the newly built racer at the 8th Magura Małastowska Mountain Race. Finally, after so many adversities, the Honda Civic 5 GEN had its first official debut in the race in Czarna Góra, where fate smiled on us and, apart from adjusting the suspension geometry, we did not encounter any complications. In my opinion, we came back with a good result, as we managed to win second place. As for our goals for the upcoming races, first and foremost we will focus on improving a few details on the car. This will make the values of newton metres and horsepower increase, which in turn will give us even more satisfaction in competing in Group 5, which is very strong.
Journalist: In your last race you competed in a newly built 5th Gen Honda Civic. How do you rate this car, what parameters does it have?
Marcin Wilusz: The car has great potential. Initially, as I mentioned earlier, we had a few “childhood diseases”, but fortunately our mechanics managed to deal with them and the start of the race in Czarna Góra brought us a lot of joy and fun. It’s a totally different driving experience from the previous Honda. This car drives quite differently – it’s like a go-kart. The speeds it reaches are already very high, and I hope it will get even better. The current weight is 890kg, which probably won’t change in future starts, but the horsepower and newton metres, which are 252 and 217 respectively, will certainly increase. We are in the process of waiting for the parts we have ordered from the United States. And, most certainly, We will keep you informed about the change in parameters.
Journalist: The driver and the car are only part of the success. What is the strength of the Revline Racing Team as a whole?
Marcin Wilusz: I think the strength of our team is mainly our friendship. The fact that we experience everything together, no matter if it is success or failure. We feel supported by each other and have the feeling that everyone in this team has their own important role to play, everyone is equally important and the best at what they do. We try to make sure that by being in our team everyone feels this strongly. I think that everyone who knows he or she is irreplaceable tries to give 101% of themselves. For us, Mountain Racing is not just about competing and trying to do well. Above all, it’s about having fun, lots of laughter and the joy of sharing the excitement with people closest to you. The teams strength is not only about the drivers and cars, it is also about the mechanics who put a lot of time and heart into what they do.
Journalist: The team’s title partner is the oil manufacturer Revline. But this is not the first year of cooperation?
Marcin Wilusz: That’s right. We are honoured that our team can have such a titular partner as the oil manufacturer Revline. Our cooperation has already lasted for five years and we do hope that this is just the beginning of our work together. We have a lot of ideas and plans to be implemented for the publicity of the Revline Racing Team and, and thus to the oil manufacturer. We will slowly and effectively try to implement each project, and these projects will reflect our enormous passion and love for motoring.
Journalist: In most cases in the world, when an oil manufacturer sponsors a starting or rally team, a completely different oil – often even a completely different manufacturer – is used in the engine. How is that in your case?
Marcin Wilusz: To be honest, we tested many oils. We were looking for one that would meet our expectations and be sufficient to cope with the great stresses a race car faces during climbs. The 10W60 oil from Revline performed exceptionally well, so we decided to use it. It accompanies us to every competition and we are very satisfied with its performance. It meets our requirements and we can sincerely recommend it.
Journalist: The specifics of mountain racing are completely different to other ‘flat’ races and rallies. Why is that?
Marcin Wilusz: That is true. Mountain racing and rallying are very different. The fundamental difference is that in Mountain Racing the driver is on his own – there is no pilot sitting next to him. There is also no contact with other competitors – you are alone on the course. The race routes are also much shorter and you give your 100% from the very start to the finish line, which was proved in the last uphill race in Czarna Góra, where five riders reached the finish line in the same second. The competition is very fierce. The beautiful mountainous terrain, fresh air and a unique atmosphere in which Mountain Races take place is also worth mentioning. We are definitely more keen to attend such events than rallies – also because of the huge number of fans who arrive along the rally routes, where due to the long distances involved, they do not have the opportunity to move freely and observe the cars from certain spots.
