Anthony Begley has been a busy drag racer across the new year period, with the Home Group WA Nitro Slam to mark his third event in three weekends and his third different type of Funny Car.
Begley will be back at the wheel of ‘Chemical Warfare’, a ‘big show’ Nitro Funny Car owned by Queensland’s Rod Bailey that he still rates as the most exciting drive of the lot.
“It’s definitely bad, with the speed of it there is a lot more to do to keep it in the groove, they are a lot more of a handful than the alcohol car or the outlaws car,” he said.
Begley first competed in his Top Alcohol Funny Car at the first running of Jet Car Max, before hightailing it to Portland where he raced Graeme Cowin’s ‘Stormtrooper’ as part of the Aeroflow Outlaws Nitro Funny Car Series.
Now he is back at Perth Motorplex for Home Group WA Nitro Slam and he believes the team stands a better chance of running into the four second zone than ever before – and downing match race opponent Mark Sheehan in the process.
“It should go alright this weekend, everybody is hopeful that it will see at least one four,” he said. “It would be nice if they were all fours but everything needs to align for that. It’s definitely achievable. Having a good talk with Rod and the boys it is closer now with the gear that we have got than it ever has been. But everything has to be right on the day.”
Begley said the momentum is on his side when it comes to taking on Sheehan, who has been waiting since November for another shot.
“The good thing is I have been doing a lot of driving in the different cars and so it shouldn’t be much adjustment,” he said. “Normally if you haven’t driven for six months the first pass is a buzz and you don’t know what has gone on. It takes the first pass to get used to it again.”
In a couple of months at Washpod Nitro Max, Begley will get to drive yet another car at Perth Motorplex when the team’s Top Fuel dragster arrives.
“The dragster will leave in a few weeks to come over. The Funny Car will stay here so any of the gear we need out of that can be used,” he said.
Begley will take on Sheehan in four match races across Home Group WA Nitro Slam – two on Friday night and two on Saturday.
Add 16 Top Doorslammers and 13 Top Fuel Motorcycles in the opening round of the ANDRA championship series and round five of the WA state championship for sportsman racers and you have a recipe for two intense nights of drag racing not to be missed.
{fcomment}
