A veteran Queensland drag racing dynasty have enjoyed solid results for the 2017/18 400 Thunder season, with Shaun Doeblien and father Paul achieving runner ups in Super Street and Super Sedan respectively, while sister Nicole claimed sixth nationally in Modified.
Shaun, 20, said the team enjoyed plenty of successful events across the season, despite making an engine change in his own car midway through.
“I decided half into the season that we would move to a new 408 cubic inch Cleveland motor using methanol fuel,” he explained. “The car ran well right from the start and once the driver, me, got used to it, it was great.
“By the time we got to Sydney Dragway for Gulf Western Oil Nitro Thunder last month everything was sorted and I got the job done in Super Street while Dad got a runner up in Super Sedan. That was an awesome event for the team.”
That left just the Gulf Western Oil Winternationals at Willowbank Raceway, where Shaun and Paul needed to take on the best drivers from around the nation to win the championship.
“Sadly the Winternationals did not go to plan,” Shaun said. “I went out in the first round and lost fair and square to Dave McGlinn, the driver who would go on to win the championships. Coming second to him I can’t complain, especially as this was my first full season of racing.”
Paul had an agonising wait for his championship result after losing in the second round. Super Sedan rival John Kapiris (South Australia) would win the title if he could win the event, and that was exactly how the racing transpired – to Paul’s dismay.
The gold trophies may not have finished in the hands of the Doeblien family, but for Shaun just being out there alongside his father and sister is enough to leave him smiling.
“My Dad is my racing idol, I look up to him as the best. At that’s not just because he is my Dad, he is legitimately one of the best out there. I have been watching him race since I was three months old. With my sister racing her dragster too it makes for a big family deal and it is a lot of fun.”
While 2017/18 may be in the books, Shaun said he would love to take a crack at a national championship again next season. “I think I’m going to stay with Super Street for now but I’m also slowly building up a Super Sedan car as a long term project,” he said.
The Doeblien family will be just some of the racers back at Willowbank Raceway for the resumption of the Queensland Drag Racing Championships on July 7.
