Perth Top Doorslammer drag racer, Robin Judd, is optimistic that this weekend’s 41st annual Westernationals at Perth Motorplex, Kwinana Beach, will be his Australian championship game-breaker.
Judd, who was runner-up in three (Australian National Drag Racing Association) ANDRA Top Doorslammer championship series – 1999-2000, 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 – and fourth last season (2010-2011), concedes he must reach the final at this weekend’s event to keep his 2011-2012 championship aspiration alive.
With the Westernationals, West Australia’s largest and prestigious drag race event, carrying 50 percent bonus points to entice interstate teams to travel to Perth for ANDRA Pro Series championship rounds, Judd is also mindful that 10 of the past 12 Westernationals winners have gone on to win the Australian Top Doorslammer championship series.
While Judd has competed in the past 14 Westernationals, reaching the final on three occasions – 1999, 2006 and 2010 – and last year’s semi-final, the Westernationals has proved to be the weak link in his championship chase.
“You could say that this weekend’s Westernationals is our championship round. It has certainly been our Achilles heel in the past. However, history has shown that, in most cases, the Westernationals’ winner has gone on to win the championship.
“Zap (John Zappia) went into the past two Westernationals in fourth place on the (championship) points standing, won event and then the last two (ANDRA Pro Series) championships. It can be done and we are not out of the championship race just yet,” Judd said.
Judd reached his third-straight Australian Nationals final at Sydney Dragway in September, the season-opening ANDRA championship event, after being the first Australian Top Doorslammer racer to run into 5.7-second zone – a 5.779sec at SD the week prior to the Nationals.
He then reached the Goldenstates semi-final at Perth Motorplex in November.
“We went to the Nationals final, but missed a great opportunity to move higher on the points table at the Goldenstates (championship) bonus points round.
“We have done extensive testing at Perth Motorplex over the past few months. Our Aeroflow/William Buck Studebaker has the capability to win. We are a great team that can perform well under pressure. The Westernationals is a pressure event and I believe we will come through,” Judd said.
