Robin Judd will be looking to lose the ‘bridesmaid’ tag when he competes at the Castrol EDGE Winternationals over June 10-13 at Willowbank Raceway.
Judd, in search of his maiden Top Doorslammer title after two runner-up positions, leads reigning Champ John Zappia by nine points into the season-ending event.
“It is going to be a real dogfight, but like any other race meeting we have to first qualify and then take it one round at a time,” said Judd.
“We have had enough of the bridesmaid tag, and we will be trying our best to get the William Buck K & B Exclusive Studebaker into the top spot – I expect some tough competition so we will have to be on our game. Needless to say, the team and I will be trying our best to put on a great show.
“The racing in Doorslammer can be very unpredictable at times and anything can happen, it should be a massive weekend – preparation will be the key, my engine builder/chief mechanic Andrew Fowler and crew chief/tuner Stuart Rowland head up what I think is one of the best drilled crews in drag racing and all of us will be giving it our best shot.”
Defending Champion John Zappia will be for the first time running his new Striker Crushing and Screening Monaro – otherwise known as ”the Crusher” – at the Queensland facility, and expects great conditions for the event.
“We are leading the Karcher shoot-out by 20 points and we intend to stay in front there, and we are only nine points adrift in the championship chase so there is plenty on the line at the Winters,” said Zappia.
“If the conditions are right and they usually are pretty on the money at Willowbank in June, it is possible for 5.7 second runs to come up – we have run 5.81s and 5.82s so it’s right on the edge, so hopefully we can break through that barrier.”
While it is most likely these two will fight for the title, third placed Maurice Fabietti is just 35 points behind and cannot be discounted either.
“We are really looking forward to the event – we are going to throw absolutely everything we have at it,” said Fabietti.
“We proved at the last meeting, where we had a pretty horrific crash six weeks before and we rebuilt the Holden Trade Club Monaro and went in with an unknown combination and proved we had a very fast car taking the top speed of the event and the win.
“We proved that we are not ‘also rans’, we are one of the major players and I can assure you that we are not going to lay down – the championship is a long shot but it is a shot and we are going to crank the car up to where it has never been before tune up wise and really go for it.”
The Castrol EDGE Winternationals is the largest drag racing event outside of North America and will host in excess of 480 at the season-ending event.
The Thursday June 10 to Sunday June 13 event will host the championship ANDRA Pro Series final rounds for Top Fuel, Top Alcohol, Top Doorslammer, Pro Stock, Morgan & Wacker Top Bike and Morgan & Wacker Pro Stock Bike as well as final championship rounds for all of the sportsman brackets. For more information, schedules or to purchase tickets, please visit www.willowbankraceway.com.au
Photo by – www.cacklingpipes.com
