Perth-based Allan Dobson will be looking to win his second Nitro Champs title when the Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) Pro Series Top Fuel championship returns to Sydney Dragway (SD), Eastern Creek, this weekend, Friday to Sunday, April 30-May 1.
Since joining the Rapisarda Racing team in January 2007, Dobson has been to two Nitro Champs finals. He won the 2007 event and was runner-up last year (2009) and also reached the semi final in 2008.
In all, Dobson has reached six finals, also winning the East Coast Nationals at SD in 2007 and the Spring Top Fuel event at Willowbank, Qld, in 2008.
He was also runner-up at Willowbank in January 2007 and the Winternationals, Willowbank, in 2009.
But it has been slim pickings so far this year, losing in the first round at Perth in January and Willowbank two weeks ago. The Summernationals at Sydney in February was rained-out.
“Sydney is the (Rapisarda) team’s home track and the Nitro Champs has been my event in the past so if we were not in the finals, I would be very surprised,” Dobson said.
“I like racing at Sydney at this time of the year. The track temperature is always user-friendly for Top Fuel. We are away from the hot slippery tracks of the summer months and have not quite got to the cold tracks of winter. For me, May seems to be the best user-friendly month for Top Fuel.
“Having said that, we are still sorting out this (team’s recently imported US) David Baca Motorsport Dragster.
“We are making inroads since the car arrived in Australia and with (US crew chief) Glenn Mikres staying on in Australia between the Willowbank event and the Nitro Champs will certainly give the team an advantage and confidence going into the Nitros.
“Glenn will have good quality time to reassess event data and change some of the operating systems.
“Our basic goal at the moment is to have continuous improvement with the car and that is being accomplished. We are making forward progress; we have finally got a bit of control on the animal (car).
“I really believe we can go to the final at this year’s Nitro Champs and I really want to get to the final because we have had a pretty ordinary year to-date,” Dobson said.
