John Zappia proved once again why he’s a force in Top Doorslammer, piloting his Dananni Hotshots/FUCHS Monaro to a hard-fought B-Final victory at the NDRC Spring Nationals season opener. Celebrating his 45th year of racing, the veteran racer showed that his passion and skill are as strong as ever, fighting his way to crucial early-season points and laying down a performance that sets the stage for an intense championship run.
Rolling into Tailem Bend with a fresh setup, including a new Ty-Drive (thanks to Todd Tutterow), and no pre-event testing, the big question was: how would the Monaro perform? “We changed a lot of stuff on the car, so there were a lot of unknowns,” Zappia said. “We went out there for a test run on Saturday but that first pass was anything but smooth—overpowering the track, the Dananni Hotshots/FUCHS Monaro snapped left and nearly kissed the wall. “We looked at the data and took lots of power out off the line,” he added, and in Q1, the car responded with a solid 5.72second pass.
In Q2, the Monaro left the line on seven cylinders but still thundered through the traps at 5.718 seconds and 254.36 mph. “One cylinder was really cold and took a second and a half before it picked up,” explained Zappia. “But at 254.36 miles per hour, we knew the power was back.”
Sunday brought no shortage of high-stakes drama.
Round 1 saw Zappia matched against Mick Mahoney, and the iconic ‘71 Monaro was on a mission. With a blistering 5.693 at 252 mph, Zappia claimed the win and lane choice. “The weather was warmer, so we didn’t try to overstep the mark, but we got it from A to B, and everything looked good,” he said.
Round 2, however, delivered a sting—Zappia red-lit against Adam Tassone, ending what should’ve been a comfortable victory, wasting a 5.705second lap. “I pushed too hard and pre-empted the tree,” Zappia admitted. “It was disappointing, but that’s the pressure we’re under in Top Doorslammer competition.”
But the weekend was about to finish on a high.
In the B Final of Top Doorslammer, it was an all-Western Australian showdown against Daniel Gregorini. Zappia was ready to seal the deal, and with the tune-up in a solid window for the track conditions, he delivered—launching off the line with a razor-sharp 0.024 reaction time and powering through to a 5.656 at 253 mph, Gregorini trailing with a 5.73. “That run against Gregorini, it was game on. We pushed hard, and the car responded,” said Zappia. “That 5.65 felt great, and it showed we’re on the right track. We underestimated the track which kept improving and was very well prepared, producing some tight and record setting runs.”
The weekend was about more than just racking up wins; it was about getting the setup right for the season.
“To finish in the points above Russell Taylor was huge,” Zappia emphasized. “It sets us up for a good start.”
With valuable data now in hand, the team is fine-tuning the setup, getting the car ready for the next three championship rounds in Perth. Hopefully we can step up our performance and push for the Crow Cams top Qualifier prize money.
“We’ll analyse the data and see where the improvements can be made and change some ratios around in the B&J transmission to improve our overall performance.”
None of this would be possible without the incredible support behind the scenes. “A massive thank you to our co-naming rights sponsors – Dananni Hotshots and FUCHS Lubricants, and welcome back to Striker Crushing and Screening as a major partner. And thanks to our supporting partners for all you do to get us to the start line,” said Zappia.
The NDRC Top Doorslammer Championship now heads to Perth Motorplex for the Goldenstates on November 22-23, where Zappia Racing will look to build on their solid outing in Tailem Bend.
For more information, visit Zappia Racing’s official website and follow their social media for updates and behind-the-scenes action.
Website: www.zappiaracing.com
Facebook: Zappia Racing
YouTube: www.YouTube.com/@zappiaracing
NAMING RIGHTS SPONSORS
Dananni Haulage, FUCHS Lubricants Australasia
MAJOR SPONSORS
Striker Australia Pty Ltd, Crow Cams Australia Pty Ltd, Tony’s Auto Wreckers, W.A. Suspensions, Callies Performance Products, Hoosier Racing Tire, CP-Carrillo, High Speed Engineering, MoTeC, NGK Spark Plugs, Noonan Race Engineering.
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
Kounis Group, AVTRAC, B&J Racing Transmissions, Taylor Tyres Pty Ltd, Alky Pro, CIC Ceramics, Ty-Drive, Santhuff’s Suspension Specialties, Applied Automotive Performance Engines, Victory 1 Performance, Inc., SpeedFlow, Final Drive Engineering, Damiani Racing, Total Seal Piston Rings, Klik Creative, Impact Heavy Equipment Maintenance, Windrush Motorsport Composites, Specialty Metals, Velocity Sports Design.
