David Carroll is confident his engine problems are behind him allowing the Victorian to take his place in the Modified Bike field at the Desert Nationals this weekend in Alice Springs.
Following a semi final appearance in May at the X-Champs in Sydney, Carroll was forced to skip the biggest event of the year, the Fuchs Winternationals at Willowbank Raceway.
Following a repair job, he will make his first ever appearance in Alice Springs at the Desert Nationals in what is expected to be a hotly contested Modified Bike field.
“I’m not sure what to expect but I’m really looking forward to the journey to Alice Springs,” he said.
“We have a good contingent of Victorian riders heading to the event, so it should be good fun. They’re a very competitive bunch; we get along great in the pits and do everything we can to make sure everyone gets to the track. However all friendships end at the start line.”
Despite those fighting words Carroll enters the event with a degree of trepidation as the current ASID track distance is set at 660 feet as opposed to the usual 1320 feet quarter mile.
“My bike is well sorted and ready for the Desert Nationals, however I am not entering the event with a lot of confidence.
“I don’t have a lot of experience at eighth mile (660 feet) racing. My bike is a stock wheelbase, street registered bike that runs mid nine seconds over the quarter mile.
“However the short wheelbase makes it very unpredictable over the first 60 feet.”
Currently occupying fourth place in the Championship standings, Carroll sees this as an ideal opportunity to further his aim of reaching the 300 points cap giving him the best shot possible at taking home the Championship trophy in his first season on the travelling road show.
“Having a good number of points on the board, I am fairly confident of making 300 points prior to the Grand Final at the end of the year,” he said.
“And like most people if I could get just one of those pretty ANDRA Gold Christmas Trees before the end of the year, it would be a very successful year.”
The Desert Nationals at Alice Springs Inland Dragway will feature 83 competitors from across Australia for Round 8 of the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship. Qualifying begins at 10:30am on Saturday July 19. Eliminations commence from 11am Sunday July 20.
