Local father and son team Laurie and Garth Fitzgerald will be just two racers of many expected to front up this weekend at Ironbark Raceway.
As the Roma eighth mile gets set to host round two of the Nitro Magazine South Queensland Eighth Mile Drag Racing series on Saturday May 15.
After a successful round one at Warwick Dragway with over 140 racers taking part, the Fitzgeralds along with event organisers hope round two will see the sportsman racers continue to get behind the new format, which is made up of three rounds plus a final.
The patriach of the Westland Engineering and Hydraulics pair said he couldn’t be more ‘rapt’ with the concept after seeing the turnout at round one, especially since he bought his car some five years ago with exactly this series in mind.
“To be totally honest with you, I bought my car five years ago because I had heard that something like this was going to happen, and I really do think it’s the greatest thing to happen to sportsman racing and for the regional tracks,” said the 60 year old Modified racer.
“Both Garth and I are just so happy with it and to see the turnout at round one, so I really hope that all the racers continue to get behind it and make it even better – the competition was fantastic at round one and I truly think its only going to get bigger and better.
“As far as our round one result went, I had the spare transmission in the car and it played up pretty well on us, but even with that we still finished second in the points with two wins and one loss, and with the original transmission back in the car and going well we will be looking at going one better at our home track next weekend.
“Garth had some struggles in Super Sedan, blowing a head gasket at the end of qualifying so he wasn’t able to compete, but with that issue now fixed he is raring to go and make amends on his home soil and get some points back on the board.”
Following May’s racing at Ironbark Raceway, the third round will get underway at Willowbank Raceway on the 3rd of July. The Grand Final round will then be run at Benaraby Dragway on the 25th of September 2010. The Grand Final will be hosted by each track on a rotational basis year by year.
Special Winner and Runner-Up trophies will be available for each bracket at each round, with the Grand Finals to see a special Winner trophy plus $750 prize money awarded to the highest point scorer of each bracket, and a special Runner-Up trophy and $250 go to the second highest point scorer of each bracket.
For more information on the Nitro Street and Strip Magazine South Queensland Eighth Mile Drag Racing Series, including details on how to enter and race rules, please visit www.willowbankraceway.com.au
NITRO STREET AND STRIP SOUTH QUEENSLAND EIGHTH MILE DRAG RACING SERIES DATES:
ROUND 1. WARWICK DRAGWAY 13th MARCH 2010
ROUND 2. IRONBARK RACEWAY 15th MAY 2010
ROUND 3. WILLOWBANK RACEWAY 3rd JULY 2010
GRAND FINAL. BENARABY DRAGWAY 25th SEPTEMBER 2010
