The largest field of Top Doorslammers ever seen at Melbourne’s Calder Park Raceway are lining up to contest the Australian Eighth Mile Doorslammer Championships on January 22 and 23.
Already 18 competitors are confirmed for the event including six times Champion Victor Bray. “I won the first Australian Quarter Mile Top Doorslammer Championship back in the 90’s so you can bet I’ll be trying my heart out to win the first Eighth Mile Championship too. We raced at Calder in November for the first time in about ten years and it was fantastic. The crowd was huge and really enthusiastic. It’s not surprising that more and more of the Doorslammer racers want to be part of the action this month.,” commented Victor Bray.
The Australian Eighth Mile Doorslammer Championships will also form Round One of the 2011 Slamfest Series with all racing conducted on a unique, multi round format. On Saturday the Doorslammer racers will have one test session followed by a seeding round which all competitors take part in to determine their qualifying position for Sunday’s racing. On Sunday all 18 or more cars race in the elimination round to determine the semi-finalists. The four winners with the quickest elapsed time then race off fighting for a spot in the final. 
Winner of Calder Park’s November Slamfest event, Peter Kapiris is extremely keen to repeat that performance on his home track.
“To win in Melbourne in front of a lot of my family and friends after so long was unbelievable. It was so good I want to do it again this month. This eighth mile racing is even harder on the driver. Instead trying to hit two gear changes exactly at the right rpm in five seconds now we have to do it in three. If you’re a fraction late at the start you’ve got almost no chance to catch it up. It’s tough but you’ve got to love it.”
On his way to winning the November event Kapiris set the Calder Park Raceway Eighth Mile Doorslammer Track Record for elapsed time to 4.07 seconds while the runner up, Gary Phillips set the high speed mark at 289.99kph (180.89mph).
In addition to Bray and Kapiris other confirmed entrants at the Australian Eighth Mile Doorslammer Championships include Mat Abel NT, Ray Barnard QLD, Peter Blake NSW, Ben Bray QLD, Deno Brijeski NSW, Tony Defelice VIC, Steve Dupond NSW, Maurice Fabietti NSW, Brett Gillespie NSW, Phil Glendenning NSW, Frank Mamone NSW, Peter Lovering NSW, Scott McLean NT, Reece Melenewycz NSW, Sean Misfud NSW and Andrew Sutton NT.
Round 2 of the 2011 Slamfest series is set for February 5 with the South Coast Slamfest for Wishes at Portland Victoria in support of the Make a Wish Foundation.
