Robin Judd leads the (Australian National Drag Racing Association) ANDRA Pro Series Top Doorslammer championship series after winning last month’s 45th annual Fuchs Australian Nationals titles at Sydney Dragway.
Judd set up his second Top Doorslammer Nationals win after top qualifying with a 5.860-second at 244.43mph pass, recorded during the first qualifying session, which also saw Judd and Gary Phillips (5.939/245.81) run Australia’s sixth quickest and fastest side-by-side Top Doorslammer pass.
While Judd aborted his second qualifier with clutch problems, he ran 6.033sec at 201.73mph in the third and final qualifying sessions.
With many drivers finding the track difficult to master, Judd’s first session time (5.860sec) was not bettered by any of the other 17 competitors vying for the eight-car field, including arch-rival and defending Australian Top Doorslammer champion, John Zappia, who failed to qualify handing an immediate point’s advantage to Judd.
Judd was happy with the 5.860sec top qualifier, but disappointed the William Buck team had problems and could not better that time in either of the other two qualifying sessions.
“The track conditions changed from the Friday evening (first) qualifying session to the Saturday afternoon (second) session. With more warmth on the track, we thought it would be tighter, but it wasn’t. In fact the (track) surface was quite slippery.
“In the third (Saturday evening) qualifier, we ran quicker to half-track then in the first session, however, an ignition problem forced me to abort the pass at about 1000 feet. The car was certainly on a better number on that pass,” Judd said.
In round one of eliminations, Judd (6.481/239.65) had a solo pass after eighth qualifier, Stephen Dupond, could not start his car.
Then in the semi final, Judd (6.008/244.78) recorded an easy win over fifth qualifier, Mark Belleri (9.025/101.14), who broke the transmission early in the run.
The final saw Judd (5.931/244.65) run another solo pass. His opponent, second qualifier Maurice Fabietti, was a no show after his semi final win. On that run, Fabietti had an engine failure, which resulted in an oil fire. Oil also spilled under the rear tyres, causing the car to get out of control and hitting the safety wall in braking area.
Judd left Sydney with 113 point after picking up the maximum eight points for top qualifying, five points for the quickest time and 100-points for winning the event. Fabietti is in second place with 87 points.
Judd said while he was happy to leave Sydney leading the championship and winning back-to-back Nationals titles, he would have preferred to have raced Fabietti in the final.
“Winning back-to-back Nationals was fantastic and we have a good points lead going into the next round (in Perth), particularly with some of the other front runners being so far behind (in the points). I would have preferred to have raced Maurice (Fabietti), but like they say, a win is a win and we’ll take it.”
Judd said he was also a little disappointed at his inconsistent passes at the event.
“We still haven’t quite got as good a handle on the Sydney track as we’d like, but we are getting better. We also had some unexpected gremlins to contend with, the most serious being an ignition problem in the last qualifier. It upset the motor to the point that we broke a con rod as I buttoned off in the semi (final). It (the car) shook a bit in that run too and I had to pedal.
“Having to change the motor for a solo pass in the final was annoying, but the guys had it done in about 45 minutes. My crew is the best.
“We did what we needed to at the Nationals, that was top qualify and win the event, which gave us almost maximum points and that’s what we need to do at all events from here on in, starting with a back-to-back Goldenstate titles.”
Judd will defend his Goldenstate title, round two of the ANDRA Pro Series Top Doorslammer championship, at the Perth Motorplex, Friday and Saturday, December 3-4.
Judd will also compete at the Perth Motorplex season-opening event, Friday and Saturday, October 29-30.
