Rapisarda Autosport dominated the opening night of the Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race presented by Uplift Cranes & Titan Cranes on Good Friday at Willowbank Raceway.
Dobson had his car on a rail all night running 4.704 at 290.51 mph to top qualify. Everyone’s favourite firefighter then accounted for John Lamattina during eliminations on a 4.659 at 309.49 mph from a tyre smoking 6.874.
Steve ‘Pommie’ Read joined Dobson in the A Final thanks to a pair of 4.8s however Team Rapisarda turned Good Friday into a Great Friday winning the A Final on a 4.677 from Read’s 5.35 simultaneously taking night one of the Santo’s Super 3 and Round 5 of the ANDRA Drag Racing Series.
Dobson said his three runs were picture perfect and congratulated the team for their efforts.
“I’m very proud for the maturity shown by Santino (Rapisarda) and the race team to be able to display their talent and put three runs together with no fires and no rods coming out of it.”
“We had one broken oil line fitting, that was the only mishap we had all night. Otherwise it was just a beautiful thing.”
“For me to win this first half of the meeting for Santo and take the trophy back to him, I call it God’s blessing. The racing Gods allowed me to have a win tonight and it doesn’t matter how hard you try in this sport it can always go wrong for you.”
“I feel I was very lucky to have got through and nothing go wrong.”
The B Final belonged to Damien Harris who posted a 9.661 on a troubled solo pass alongside an exhibitioning Phil Lamattina. That gave Rapisarda Autosport first and third on the night and a commanding position in the overall points for the Louie Rapisarda Top Fuel Trophy.
Deb O’Rourke set Top Alcohol alight early on securing her first ever pole position over the quarter mile. That earned the IT consultant a solo pass in the uneven field running a 5.750 at 233.58 mph before tagging the wall once the parachutes deployed.
The team thrashed to get the car out for the A Final against Gary Phillips who did not register a time in qualifying, taking out the timing blocks when a shake and a pedal lifted the front end.
He recovered during eliminations in an early shut off despite not plugging in the shift light in what he described as a “seat of the pants run” to beat John Cannuli on a 5.606 at 245.76 mph from 5.654 at 252.66 mph.
In the A Final O’Rourke went up in smoke allowing Phillips, who took his time staging, to take the win on a 5.619 at 239.91 mph.
“We were a little bit worried about the dew (coming into the final) because the visor and the screen began to fog,” said Phillips.
“It was a touchy thing, we never had time to put a clutch in it so it was one of those things where we just run and see what happens.”
“The car is there. We’ve got some new stuff we’re going to try real soon and it’s doing the job, it’s not hurting anything and that’s why Lucas Oil are paying me the money.”
The B Final resulted in a win for Steven Ham with a 5.52 at 263.31 mph from Steven Reed’s 7.565.
Night two of the Santo’s Super 3 continues at Willowbank Raceway on Easter Saturday with Round 6 of ANDRA Drag Racing Series for Top Fuel and Round 3 of the championship chase for Top Alcohol.
Images by Dragphotos & Fred Dwyer
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