With tickets flying out the door and racer entries maxed out, this Friday and Saturday’s Atlantic Oils Top Fuel Slam is set to be an epic celebration of the best of Australian drag racing.
Racers from all across the country are coming together to race in honour of Sam Fenech, with all the stops being pulled out by event organisers to ensure this event is a fitting celebration of the best of the sport he loved so dearly.
Seven 11,000 horsepower Top Fuel Dragsters will headline an incredible line-up including ADRC Top Doorslammer, Top Alcohol and Pro Mod, Australia’s best sportsman racers, burnouts, and fireworks.
Spectator tickets are still available but are selling fast as online prices have been slashed to make this special celebration as accessible as possible.
Pro Mod racer Jeremy Callaghan will be fielding the Tyreplus Canberra Chev Camaro this weekend and is hopeful he will be able to lift a winner’s trophy come Saturday night.
“We finished the car at the end of 2021 in the middle of COVID, so it has taken a while to get the opportunity to race the car and so we have only been out in the car for just over a year, but already we have had good results with some wins and top qualifiers,” the 45-year-old mechanic from Canberra explained.
“This weekend is going to be a really good chance to not only get some more laps in while trying to refine that 5.85 index, but also hopefully to get a win!
“We always aim to win, but in Pro Mod it is hard work because everyone is pretty close in the field and it is anyone’s game.
“Having said that, if I can get my part right when it comes to the driving, and my crew do a brilliant job as they always do, there is no reason we can’t be in for a win.
“it is going to be a great event regardless, it is good to see so many entries and to be able to race in Sam’s honour and celebrate the sport he was passionate about with such big numbers – hopefully we will see a lot of people at the track this weekend,” he concluded, while thanking Typreplus Canberra, his crew and family, and Moits Racing.
In Super Gas, Renee Cockerill is travelling from South Australia to field her Performance Automotive 1994 GT 500 Ford Mustang at the event.
“We haven’t been to Sydney Dragway for around seven years. We have wanted to get back to Sydney for a long time and the Atlantic Oils Top Fuel Slam seemed like a really good opportunity to do so,” Cockerill said.
“As much as you try to win every time, a big draw for us this weekend is to get back to Sydney and see all of our friends again and race with them all again as it has been so long.
“And as we continue to chase the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series any extra seat time is valuable as I work on getting better reaction times and just getting the car out there and running better – but it would of course be a huge bonus and very special if we can take a win.
“This whole event is really about coming together. I have always loved the Top Fuelers, it is a category I have always been interested in and love to watch, but obviously it is also going to be a special event as we honour Sam Fenech.
“I think there will be a lot of memories made and cherished for racers, officials and spectators this weekend – it is going to be a really good meeting,” she concluded, while thanking her husband Steve and daughter Tayla, family and friends for their support.
John Willard is another racer sure to be turning heads with his Atlantic Oils/Craig’s Automatic Ford Anglia – reportedly the fastest of its type in the world – in the Supercharged Outlaws category.
“The Ford Anglia is a 1940s type English car and it has a huge following over there,” explained the 59-year-old chassis builder, who operates Flat Out Services in Minto in the south west of Sydney.
“They run a class for them in England which regularly gets 40 plus cars turn up – we will actually be putting the car in a container and shipping it over to the UK after this event to race against those guys which is exciting, that is our big plan and has been since day one with this car.
“But before we do that, we will be doing our best to bring home a win at the Atlantic Oils Top Fuel Slam and we are excited to be running in a large field this weekend.
“It would absolutely mean a lot to us if we can have that success this weekend, with the event not only sponsored by our sponsor, Atlantic Oils, but also being held in honour of Sam Fenech.
“The car is only fairly new, we have been running it since December of 2020 but it only has around 12 runs on it – we have done quite well with it in that time and it has run some good times – in fact we are currently the fastest in the world when it comes to this type of car.
“Taking a win is the next step for us and it would be really great if we can do that at the Atlantic Oils Top Fuel Slam,” Willard concluded, while thanking Suzanne and Steve at Atlantic Oils, Craig’s Automatics, Concept Paints, Dominator Racing Converters, Torque Calibration Services, Peter Mitcherson Engineering and Banshee Racing as well as his wife Margaret and his crew – Brett Gillespie, Doug Willard, Stephen Busch and Neil Webb – for their support.
Tickets are available online now from $25 for adults and $60 for a family of four (2 x adults and 2 x 11-16yo), while entry for kids aged 10 years and under are free. Go to www.topfuelchampionship.com.au for the full details.
