After cleaning up at the AC Delco race for the third year in a row with five second times John Zappia came into the Nationals as a firm favourite. Ben Bray spoiled his weekend when a 6.03 top qualified in front of his 6.06. In eliminations a 6.03 was too much for a 6.10 by Victor Bray while a 6.04 was more than enough for a late leaving Stuart Bishop’s 6.08 to put him in the final against Steve Stanic. This time Zappia was the late leaver and a fast closing pass was aborted by a blower explosion meaning his 6.09 at only 205 was not enough to reel in Stanic’s 6.07/239.75.
Despite the growing number of racers (like Gary Phillips) who have switched from dragsters to funny cars in ANDRA Top Alcohol, Wayne Newby has stuck with his blown alcohol dragster combo. Newby was the only digger driver who qualified for the eight car field and put him up against Damien Harris in the first frame which he took easily - 5.71 to 5.82. In the semis he got by a late firing Brett Stevens who just idled off the line with a problem giving Newby’s 5.82 the nod. In the other semi Aaron Lynch cranked a sub-record 5.63/253.81 to snuff out Steve Reed’s Nationals title aspirations but in doing so damaged a piston. This was a carbon copy of the final that occurred in the semis two weeks earlier and it told on the money run when a sub par 21.51 fell to Newby’s squirelly 6.14. Going into the next round Lynch and Newby are now tied on 160 points.
After top qualifying in Top Doorslammer and easily making the Top Alcohol field everything looked tip top for Ben Bray. In the first round of the doored class he went into instant tyre shake off the line, enough to open his door so he button off.
The answer was the same for his newly painted Armour All flopper which banged itself off the line and ended his day prematurely.
