WEST COAST WONDER

Words and photos by Jon Van Daal

While the east coast of Australia has been battered with everything from cyclones to floods and heavy rain over the past three months, the left coast  has seen brush fires and scorching heat. The west’s biggest race, the Westernationals was held at the the Perth Motorplex on the seaside at Kwinana Beach and it was one hell of an event.

If I told you that the distance between Sydney and Perth was around the same as that from New York to Los Angeles, then it would give you an idea of how far away it is. When you consider that Perth is the world’s most remote landlocked city (Honalulu being the most remote island city), then you might understand why it has taken me five years to go back but I can tell you the Westernationals was a ripper of a race.

Following a month of oppressive 100+ degree heat, Perth had a cold change swing through on the Saturday morning of the race and this gave the event truly outstanding weather. Being right at sea level, the times run at the ‘Plex have always been record breaking and this was reflected in the thirteen new ANDRA records that were set, and the bump spot for the headlining Top Doorslammer bracket required a 6.06 to make the eight car field.

Some nineteen Top Doorslammers had three amazing sessions that saw cars first make it into the field only to get pushed out again – qualifying was an excellent show on its own. In the end some of the more fancied vehicles like the two Bray cars, Stuart Bishop and Peter Kapiris were on the outside looking in.

(Left) Maurice Fabietti and his GTO cum Monaro (near lane) have been opponent John Zappia’s nemesis, having never been beaten in finals together. This time though, that was to change as Fabietti was having gearbox troubles at this point. He shut the car down and had to watch Zappia streak to a win with a 5.82 over a 11.96. With additional points for low ET (5.807) and top speed (247.93) Zappia went into a five point  lead in the Australian championship just heading his semi-final victim, Mark Bellerie.

No one was surprised to see local yokel John Zappia gain the top qualifying spot after a second 5.82 run. He went out later to try and "run a seventy,” but had to short shift in first when the tyres started to rattle and ended up with “only” a 5.95, as Zappia reflected. “After winning three straight championships we started this season on a sour note when we didn’t qualify at the opening Nationals event in Sydney. Basically we didn’t change our title winning combination from June’s Winternationals and with different conditions at Sydney Dragway in September we wasted our first couple of runs and broke on our last qualifying pass. We have to do better this weekend to try and regain the points lead,” Zap told me after the end of qualifying. He did, and at the same time ran close to his best ET, a 5.807 and his best ever speed - 247.93. “Not bad for a car with the aerodynamics of this HQ Holden,” he beamed.