Ballarat’s Matt Forbes will begin a dual campaign for supremacy when he lines up in both Modified and Super Gas at the South Coast 660 at Fuchs South Coast Raceway in Portland, Victoria this weekend (November 14-15).
Having already competed in Modified at Alice Springs’ Desert Nationals in July, Forbes’ Lucas Oil team will now begin a run of events racing both the TNT Supercars Dragster and ‘57 Corvette Roadster.
The event in Portland this weekend will double as Round 3 of the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series before the next five rounds of a 10 round Series at Warwick Dragway in Queensland, Mildura Sunset Strip and Calder Park Raceway followed by return trips to Portland and Calder in the New Year.
“There is nothing better than being busy at the track and I will certainly be applying some of what I learned in the USA,” said Forbes who recently experienced NHRA championship racing abroad.
“We have some new programs and procedures to use so we hope that helps us in our points chase this season.
“To be able to race both cars at these events really came down to a good friend offering to transport the Corvette while his car is not ready to race. We are competitors and I believe in what we do and how we go about it, if I do what I am meant to on race day I believe we have a realistic shot at winning races and if we do that enough times Championships follow on from that.
“I am new to racing a dragster, we have only had it out three times and have been to two semi finals and one runner up so I hope we can improve on that and get a win soon!”
Forbes says his experience in the dragster is better than he ever thought and credits TNT Supercars for helping to make improvements heading into the busy schedule these next few months.
“After speaking with Dillon (at TNT Supercars) – he knows my car very well – he gave some advice on what he thought would make it even better. As far as I am concerned TNT build one of the nicest and most competitive bracket dragsters around so I am listening to his advice.”
The two-time Super Gas champion will also apply the experience and knowledge picked up on his recent trip the USA where he made his national NHRA debut in a Super Gas Corvette Roadster owned by Buddy and Karen Wood.
He competed first at an NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Divisional event at Thunder Valley Raceway Park in Noble, Oklahoma and the following week a National event at the Texas Motorplex in Dallas.
“The experience was just fantastic, I was invited into Tommy Phillips team for the duration of both events and nothing was off limits. Whatever I required it was there at my disposal.
To learn from one of the very best in the business is incredible and his team are just the most wonderful people. The racing there is incredibly close, the staff and racers very friendly and the programs are very efficient.
“My host Tommy won Super Gas at the Dallas event so it was very special to be a part of the winners circle celebrations and watching Aussie Richie Crampton winning in his Lucas Oil Top Fuel car was magic.”
Forbes also spent time at his sponsor Lucas Oil in Corona, California with Tom Bogner, a true gear head.
“He lives and breathes motorsport and lubricants. Tom is as enthusiastic as ever and his passion is contagious. Tom and I stay in regular contact and he is really proud of the way the Lucas Oil race teams in Australia operate.”
The Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series at Fuchs South Coast Raceway in Portland, Victoria commences with qualifying from 11am on Saturday November 14 with eliminations scheduled from 10am on Sunday November 15.
For more information about the South Coast 660 please visit www.southcoastraceway.com
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