John and Brodie Zappia, racing under the banner of Zappia Racing, recently competed in the 50th Goldenstates, NDRC Top Doorslammer Championship – Round 2, at the Perth Motorplex. This event marked a significant milestone for the team as they welcomed Summit Racing Equipment as a major sponsor for both race cars.
“It was our first meeting with Summit onboard as a major sponsor for both race cars,” said John Zappia.
Unfortunately, the event was marred by an unexpected setback. During the first qualifying run, a unique incident occurred.
“I backed up from the burnout and noticed that Shane Catalano was stuck in the top end still on the track, and a tow vehicle was approaching to remove him. As I pulled up at the start line, I thought I was told to shut down, so I shut the motor off thinking we were waiting for Shane to be towed off,” explained John.
When the race was restarted, a crucial oversight led to further complications. Zappia had not reset the auto shift, so when the car launched, it only had first gear and went straight to the rev limiter and he ‘got off it’
In the second qualifier, the Dananni Hotshots/FUCHS Monaro launched hard, clocking a blistering 3.72 seconds to the 1/8 mile at 203mph. Unfortunately, a supercharger backfire curtailed the run, resulting in a 6.04-second pass and a fourth-place qualifying position.
“I raced against Maurice Brennan in the first round on Saturday, and the car launched well and ran 5.73 seconds for the win,” said John Zappia.
The second round proved to be more challenging.
“I raced Maurice Brennan again, and the car launched hard, but the converter locked up, lifting the front wheels at the top of first gear. It came down on the second gear change and then got up on the back tyres again. I got to the 1/8 mile in 3.76 seconds, but another supercharger backfire forced me to coast to a 6.19-second win.”
Due to the performance-based points system, both John and Brodie Zappia finished with equal points. However, Brodie’s quicker elapsed time of 5.90 seconds secured him a spot in the A Final against Russell Taylor, while John advanced to the B Final against Andrew Cole.
The B Final proved to be a heart-stopping affair.
“The Monaro launched with a best-of-the-weekend 0.953 60-foot and 2.49-second 330-foot times and was on a mission when, just before the 1/8 mile, the supercharger backfired and erupted in a fireball, forcing me to coast to a 6.34. This allowed Cole to drive around me with a 6.02, and that’s when it got interesting,” said John Zappia.
Unfortunately, Cole pulled the parachutes, causing the car to turn right in front of Zappia and crash into the wall, flipping onto its roof. With flames engulfing the supercharger and slowing the car, Zappia had to navigate through debris scattered across the braking area.
Zappia managed to stop 100 meters away from Cole’s wrecked car. Believing that emergency crews were attending to Cole, he activated his onboard fire system, which unfortunately failed to extinguish the fire. Quickly exiting the car, he witnessed the Motorplex fire crew arrive to put out the fire and attend to Cole, who was thankfully out of the car and being assessed by paramedics.
A thorough inspection of the Dananni Hotshots/FUCHS Monaro revealed the root cause of the fire. A fuel line had come loose, leading to a lean condition in cylinder six. This resulted in the melting of an NGK spark plug, triggering a supercharger backfire and igniting fuel around the intake manifold.
It was a tough weekend for the ‘Crusher’ crew due to engine damage and a cut Hoosier rear tire from driving over shrapnel – however, the team were incredibly proud of Brodie’s performance. In his first Top Doorslammer event, he advanced to the A Final and finished as runner-up with a 5.84-second pass against Russell Taylor. The car showed immense potential and has plenty more performance to unleash.
“We were thrilled to have Craig Pedley and Nicole Talbot from MAX Plant there to see Brodie get into the A Final with the MAX Plant Zaps Rat Monaro at his first ever NDRC Event,” said John Zappia on behalf of his team.
Watch Brodie Zappia’s interview about the event on the NDRC Deepend Podcast.
The Zappia Racing team, working diligently on both race cars, faced significant pressure but successfully met all requirements. Despite the setbacks, the team remains determined and optimistic about future events.
“It was great to see a lot of our sponsors including Danelle and Ross from Dananni Haulage (Hotshots) and Dennis from High Speed Engineering at the racetrack, supporting us and bringing their families to participate. It was also amazing to see old crew and track friends roll up their sleeves and help us get back on track in time for the next round,” continued Zappia.
“The team was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and camaraderie from the racing community. We also celebrated birthdays, major milestones, and big achievements that weekend in the pits. It was an incredible feeling of togetherness”
The team’s ability to balance intense competition with moments of celebration highlights the strong bonds within the Zappia Racing family.
“The Crusher showed potential for low 5.60-second runs, but due to backfiring at the start of third gear, it wasn’t meant to be,” said John Zappia. “Right now, in the workshop, we’re concentrating on rebuilding the motor, the Ty-Drive, B&J transmission, diff, and installing a new front windscreen.”
The team is determined to have the car ready for the upcoming event at the Motorplex on December 7th. They are confident that with the necessary repairs and modifications, the Crusher will be even more competitive in future races.
Read more about the Direct Mining & Industrial Top Doorslammer Championship here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BUkyDmCCC/
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