With national 400 Thunder sportsman points on offer, 90 racers turned out at Willowbank Raceway for Spring Thunder on November 25, 2017.
Bracket style events aren’t huge with spectators, so Willowbank Raceway made the very admirable decision to make entry based on a donation for the family of Anita Board, the WA Junior Dragster driver who passed away following an accident at Perth Motorplex.
Combined with a moving tribute during the event where former Junior Dragster driver and now Top Fuel driver Kelly Bettes made a memorial run in a Junior Dragster, it was a fitting remembrance of a young driver taken too soon.
A small Super Comp field saw five entered Comp cars and five entered Super Stockers become seven for round one. Tony Bellert put his A/DA into the winner’s circle with a 6.93 on a 6.81 index to defeat Stew Walsh’s tyre shaking AA/API 7.89.
Reigning 400 Thunder champion Peter Puznik claimed the victory in Competition Bike, his 7.86 on an 8.00 index aboard the naturally aspirated A/AB good enough to take out Brandon Gosbell’s tyre spinning 11 second run.
The news wasn’t all bad for Gosbell, who ran Australia’s fastest no bar motorcycle pass in qualifying with a 202mph blast.
Modified came down to Kellie Kidd and Nicole Doeblien. Doeblien left little on the tree with a .011 to .073 holeshot on Kidd but took too much at the stripe with a break out 8.04 on a 8.06, leaving Doeblien’s safe 7.55 on a 7.51 the victor.
Sedan Rumble was something of a sportsman experiment where DYO sedans from the six to the nine second range combined for a three round shootout before two finalists were decided on. Sini Sveiger and Scott Dransfield would be the two foes to face off. Sveiger got the jump .035 to .069 on the tree and with an 8.36 on an 8.25 the trophy would be going home with the blown Torana.
It wasn’t all straight sailing for the team though! Check out the video below.
Paul De Roo scooted away with the win in Modified Bike, a .036-reacted 11.39 on an 11.26 dial in defeating a fast closing 8.93 on an 8.88 dial in by a fast closing Daniel Sekli, who paid the price for a .191 reaction time.
Junior Dragster came down to James Lowday and Emma Wagensveld. Lowday put seven hundredths on Wagensveld at the tree but at the top end Wagensveld snuck by with an 8.62 on an 8.60 to a 13.02 on a 12.90 in a very close race.
The 400 Thunder Sportsman Series continues at Willowbank on January 6.
Check out more photos at the gallery below thanks to the boys at dragphotos.com.au below and remember if you would like to order any for Christmas, get in now at sales@dragphotos.com.au as they have some great specials going.
