The Lamattina Top Fuel Racing team was left bitterly disappointed as the team struggled during round five of the Burson Auto Parts Australian Top Fuel Championship at the 52nd MAC Track Westernationals in Perth. LTFR will be regrouping, testing, and bringing the fight to the rest of the teams for the remainder of the championship.
A dejected Phil Lamattina – Team Principal, and driver of the FUCHS Lubricants Top Fuel Dragster – was brutally honest that the results in Perth are not acceptable and is intent on turning the season around.
“This is not who we are or how we represent our fans and sponsors, and we need to be better at what we do,” said Lamattina.
“Yes, we are in a rebuilding phase, but that shouldn’t be an excuse for our performances. We will go back out there and work hard, we will do some testing and put on a better showing at the next event in Sydney. Make no allusions though, we are not giving up for the season and just going out there to test, we will be going after it at every round.”
Despite the limited experience of the two LTFR crew chiefs; Luke Marsden who is now in his second season of tuning nitro engines, and Dean Rossiter, a long-time crew member who has stepped up to the role on the Burson Auto Parts car, Lamattina has full confidence in their abilities to resurrect the team’s performances.
“I know they’re better than this, and we may have been just too conservative with things, we need to just get after it,” said Lamattina.
Qualifying left the FUCHS Lubricants team behind the eight-ball when Lamattina was let down by another timing system malfunction in Q1 – the fifth occurrence this season. As a result, the team missed making a lap after electing not to restart the already stressed nitro motor and risk a major failure. With no data to go on for Q2, the Crew Chief Luke Marsden took a shot at the track with Lamattina driving through tyre smoke to qualify 7th.
For Shane Olive, the Burson Auto Parts car underpowered the track in Q1, resulting in early tyre shake, and Q2 ended with tyre smoke early into the run, leaving Olive qualified in 6th.
On race day, the track conditions were tricky and despite the great air conditions, the track surface was slightly greasy. Compounding the challenges already faced during this event, the 1000ft timers were not working, so winners would have to be decided by video replay, and the teams would be without finishing line timing data.
In round one, Lamattina had to pedal the FUCHS Lubricants machine again, and just fell short of the win against Damien Harris by a nose. Olive was side by side with defending champion Peter Xiberras early in the run, but the Burson Auto Parts dragster struck tyre smoke at 300ft.
Round two was the most positive moment of the event for Lamattina. The FUCHS Lubricants car ran straight and clean, but just wasn’t quick enough to stay in front of Wayne Newby at the stripe. Unfortunately, a problem with the magnetos during the warm up procedure for the Burson Auto Parts dragster that wasn’t rectified in time left Olive a bystander for the round.
Ending the night in the C-Final, Lamattina was forced to pedal through tyre smoke again, going down to Kyle Putland. Olive was in the D-Final on a solo, and looking to drop a good run, but the Burson’s dragster broke a blower belt at 300ft.
Regrouping ahead of the Nitro Champs in May, the team will test at Sydney Dragway, to gather data on new componentry and setup, including moving to a 6-disc clutch.
The absolute highlight of the Westernationals was son of a gun, Ross Lamattina winning the Australian Championship in Junior Dragster. Son of Phil and Sarah Lamattina, Ross came into the event 10 points behind the championship leader and clinched the title after round two of racing in an emotional moment for the family and LTFR team. Ross went on to finish runner-up at the event.
“Wow! What a weekend, Junior Dragster Australian Champion,” beamed Ross Lamattina.
“First of all, I would like to thank Jake Berias for everything you have done for me over the past four years, without you I don’t know where I would be. Thanks for teaching me everything I know today, and for always being there for me. This championship is just as much yours as it is mine.
“Thanks to the Wagners, Jodie and Todd, for carting my trailer around for me, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be able to do this. I would also like to thank Lance Larcombe for his support and guidance over this season of racing and making me believe in myself. To my family, especially Mum and Dad for all the support and letting me go all around the countryside, if it wasn’t for you two, I wouldn’t be where I am today, so thank you.
Proud mum, Sarah Lamattina echoed the sentiments, “A big thank you must go to Jake Berias for taking Ross under your wing and helping him to claim the championship, he could never have done it without you. You two are a great team, and give us lots of grey hairs, but you totally get each other. and the results have shown,” she said.
“Ross’ Junior run has now come to an end, so we will have to sit back and wait and see what comes next for him – watch this space.”
Round six of the Burson Auto Parts Australian Top Fuel Championship will be held at Sydney Dragway’s Nitro Champs event on May 5 & 6.
