As the buzz from the East Coast Thunder continues to generate plenty of discussion, Sydney Dragway would like to thank all who contributed to make the event an unbridled success.
Despite exceptionally warm conditions for the month of November, the Sydney Dragway track surface held up extremely well to the tough conditions, racing in front of large crowds on both Friday and Saturday, thanks to several weeks of hard work by the track staff and officials.
World Class performances were seen across the board, with highlights including –
• One of the tightest Top Fuel Qualifying Fields in Australian History, punctuated by Larry Dixon racing to the Number one Spot with a 4.74 in 30 + degree temperatures.
• The unofficial record for the worlds quickest Front Engine Dragster at 5.521 by Russell Mills
• Near Australian record setting runs by Brad Lemberg and Corey Buttigeig in Pro Bike
• Personal best runs by many racers across the weekend
• Sensational racing in all of the 400 Thunder Sportsman Categories
In addition to the on-track activities, the 400 Thunder Series raised the bar again by taking crowd interaction with the racers to a new level. Over 15 Drivers and Riders participated in the AEG Powertools Hour of Power Autograph Session on Friday night, allowing kids (and big kids alike) to get up close and personal with the men and women who wrestle these fire breathing beasts down the racetrack. This was the immediate pre-cursor to the AEG Powertools Hour of Power final qualifying session, which saw the racing fields set for Saturday’s elimination racing.
Sydney Dragway General Manager, Peter Beaumont, said today “The 400 Thunder Drag Racing Series is moving forward with the full support of the Pro-Series racer group. Together we are delivering a contemporary product that presents as a fully professional motorsport series. We are working directly with our teams to introduce new sponsors and programs to develop our sport. It is a great feeling to look forward to the future and not backwards whilst working on a series like 400 Thunder”.
The 400 Thunder Drag Racing Series is one part of a comprehensive business building program for Sydney Dragway. The entire venue has been reshaped and restructured to introduce new business to the venue, ensuring the long term viability and profitability to benefit the long term health of Drag Racing, and guaranteeing that Sydney Dragway remains one of the best Drag Racing venues in the world.
The series now shifts to Queensland and Willowbank Raceway for the New Years series on January 7, before moving back to Sydney Dragway two weeks later for the Santo’s Summer Thunder on January 21.
-Sydney Dragway media release
