After 14 years away from the driver’s seat, Dave Newcombe is set to make his return to Pro Stock competition at the Pro Stock Nationals at Willowbank Raceway on September 11 and 12.
Newcombe is no stranger to the category, having spent decades competing at the highest level of Australian Pro Stock racing and coming agonisingly close to championship success during his career.
After stepping away from racing to focus on family and business, Newcombe had seemingly closed the door on his time behind the wheel.
That changed when his eldest son was involved in a serious incident on the bike track which forced him to step away from racing.
Newcombe encouraged his son to give drag racing a try, hoping the sport could provide a new direction, and the move eventually reignited Dave’s own interest in getting back to the track.
A call from long-time friend John Barbagallo was the catalyst.
Barbagallo asked Newcombe to come out and help crew, and it wasn’t long before the former Pro Stock racer found himself wanting to do more than just watch from the sidelines.
“It’s been a long time out of the seat, but it’s like riding a bike,” Newcombe said. “I’m coming back to give it everything I’ve got.”
Now, Newcombe will return to competition at Willowbank for the Pro Stock Nationals, joining a field of Australia’s leading Pro Stock teams for a dedicated two-day event.
The comeback also gives Newcombe another opportunity to chase the one major achievement that has remained out of reach throughout his Pro Stock career, a championship.
“Pro Stock is a driver’s class and there are some very talented drivers out there. With John helping me, I’m confident we can get to the top,” he said.
With Barbagallo and the team alongside him, Newcombe will have plenty of experience around him as he gets back up to speed in a class where reaction times, consistency and the smallest margins can make the difference between going home early and fighting for the win.
The Pro Stock Nationals will be Newcombe’s first major opportunity to measure himself against the current generation of Pro Stock racers, but after spending years away from the seat, simply getting back to where he belongs is an achievement in itself.
Come September, the familiar Pro Stock car will once again roll through the Willowbank staging lanes with Dave Newcombe behind the wheel.
