With the Grand Opening event for the Perth season just two days away, riders and drivers got one last shot to shake out the cobwebs before Friday.
The track was quite cold and a blustery wind made things tricky to get down the track. A recent rubber scrape meant the track is still coming around as well.
A lot of racers had issues getting off the line or spinning up further down track, with most used to the moderate temperatures the Motorplex provides as standard.
It’s now full steam ahead for the Grand Opening this Friday and Saturday, read on for some of the gossip from today.
Greg Byrne was able to make a full track pass with a 7.16 coming up on the boards for this wild looking Corvette Funny Car.
Damion Le-Cocq was licensing in this Modified dragster for the first time. The Junior Dragster graduate managed a best time of 8.72, exceeding the earlier, quite accurate prediction of an 8.8!
Paul Bosnjak has returned with the ex-Peter Ferguson Camaro that was famed for a spectacular paint job and equally spectacular roll over at the now defunct Ravenswood. Paul struggled on the day, putting down oil on the first pass and having to deal with an angry motor as they get the chassis sorted.
Russell Ladbrook licensed with a 6.90 pass in his Supercharged Outlaws Funny Car. It still sounded like it was short of full throttle, so a lot of potential there.
Marty Dack had another hard day in the now Auto One-liveried Top Doorslammer. Dack confessed he is still sorting out his own driving in the car as he gets used to the step up in horsepower.
George Blacklock was one of a number of Junior Dragster racers playing on the day,
Moreno Gullotto was doing driving duties in the family Camira, a new combo which Sam Gullotto will drive. The car sounded good right from the start and apart from an issue with the line lock staying on during one pass, the team was happy.
Colin Mortimore knocked out a couple of 8.5 passes, and got a little squirelly in this burnout.
Maurice Brennan made on pass, another racer with a new luck as K-Trans joins the team. He got loose and hit the 660 ft timers and aborted the run.
Pro Stock driver Allen Puglia was busy looking after two of his sons’ Junior Dragsters, especially in this race where they lined up each other.
Brett Allen had a new shift light he was playing with on his low 10 second Yamaha.
John Zappia made one pass, just lighting up the tyres on the cold start line.
Robin Judd had similar struggles to John Zappia, but the team said they did gain some information after some changes were made since the Nationals.
Michael Lannigan had his ex-US chassis Modified car out for more licensing. The team has a gremlin that is limiting the car to very low RPM, they said if they didn’t solve it at this event they would look into the wiring…
Greg Carter had his new Chev Cobalt out on track for the first time. Built by Jerry Bickel with a Steve Schmidt motor up front, it handled as straight as you like, black tracking the first half track pass, then coming back for a 7.38 on its first full pull. Certainly one that will put the wind up Super Sedan!
Shane Weston was the quickest racer on the day, belting out a best of a 5.84, along with a 5.87.
Report and pictures by Luke Nieuwhof.
