Rapisarda Autosport International is in 19th place after day two of qualifying at the 61st Annual Chevrolet Performance US Nationals in Indianapolis.
The all Aussie team, like many of their peers, found the track conditions a challenge with the temperature hovering around the 117F mark.
Wayne Newby’s opening pass ended in a cloud of tyre smoke around the 330 foot mark.
“We weren’t the only car not to get down the track,” explained Newby. “There were probably only four or five cars who did decent runs. I was under orders to not pedal it or do anything silly. We got the car back to the pits, stripped the engine and there were no damaged parts.
“On the second run we were fast to 60 feet, really marching, when something broke in the engine. Tomorrow will be tough but I think we are up to the challenge.”
Later the team confirmed that the car suffered a broken pistone and torched a head gasket around 1.8 seconds into the run.
The US Nationals runs through until Monday.
Image by John Doig
{fcomment}
