There is no accolade John Zappia has not earned in drag racing, from championships to world records. But the Spearwood-based driver doesn’t see any reason to slow down yet as a new season beckons at Perth Motorplex.
The Dananni Hotshots/Tony’s Auto Wreckers Monaro Top Doorslammer has been freshened up for the Summer Slam season, which begins this Saturday, November 6, following several events in the Northern Territory.
“After coming back from a great road trip to Hidden Valley Drag Strip and Alice Springs Inland Dragway, we gave the whole car some love so we could be as prepared as possible for the Summer Slam,” Zappia said. “Given the uncertain interstate traveling situation right now, Summer Slam is going to be our primary focus for the season ahead.”
Seven cars have entered for the first event of the season, with Zappia set to contend with Mathew Abel, Steve Aldridge, Daniel Gregorini, Kelvin Lyle, Stuart Moresby and Frank Taylor at the opening event.
Zappia had the opportunity to do some testing at the Shannons Powerpalooza, where he scrubbed in some new Hoosier tyres and clocked a pair of five-second runs.
“We changed tyres between runs, so each pass had a fresh set of rubber,” he explained. “We shook the tyres on our first run and pedalled for a 5.94, while the second pass got out of the groove, so that was also a pedal job on a 5.87.”
“We find that our tune up works best with tyres that have been scrubbed in, and the best way to do that is with big burnouts and full runs! So that’s what Powerpalooza was all about for us.”
“We would also welcome back our long time Sponsors, Fuchs Lubricants, WA Suspensions, Crow Cams, Noonan Race Engineering, Hoosier Tyres, Muscle Car Warehouse, Shacks Automotive Paints, Motec, Speedflow, Taylor Tyres, Striker Crushing and Screening, K Craft Bullbars, CP-Carrillo, Applied Automotive, B&J Racing Transmissions, Avtrac, Total Seal Piston Rings, and Final Drive Engineering.”
As well as giving the Dananni Hotshots/Tony’s Auto Wreckers Monaro Top Doorslammer a shakedown, Zappia Racing also had Rae Lockwood driving Zap’s Holden VP ute on track at Powerpalooza,.
Zappia said his fiancé, “Rae did really well, and after a tyre spinning 10.00 @ 136mph, on the first pass, we pulled some timing off the line and she won the B Final with a 9.89 on her 9.89 dial-in.”
“This is a 92 ute that we were getting ready for Street Machine Drag Challenge in Victoria, but with that event being postponed we are going to have some fun at the Motorplex too,” Zappia said, “That’s pretty good in a naturally aspirated street car!”
This weekend’s season opener features not just the Summer Slam, but also Jet Dragsters and a full round of the WA Drag Racing Championship. The feature program begins at 5.30pm.
