Alice Springs local Andrew Sutton doesn’t race at his home strip as much as you might think. But he can’t wait for the Desert Nationals to roll around this weekend for a rare opportunity to put the hammer down in his 1953 Chevy Corvette at Alice Springs Inland Dragway.
You’d normally find Sutton on the national circuit chasing Top Doorslammer glory in the ANDRA Drag Racing Series. This weekend however, fans in the Alice will have the opportunity to see Sutton up close competing in the amalgamated Super Comp Group Two category.
“Although the track is local, for me, I haven’t competed on it for a number of years,” he said.
“Presently, I am competing in the National rounds and my race car is kept mainly on the East Coast. This event is a great excuse for me to bring the car home, and race locally.
“ASID is a relatively new track and the local club have done a great job of developing the facilities. The safety wall has just been completed, so this is the first chance that I have had to really compete on it. The weather and track preparation will have a lot to do with how it is set for this weekend.”
As a Group 1 racer Sutton does not usually have to worry about indexes and the varying light sequences, but with a foundation in Group Two racing, he is not fazed by the prospect of having to adjust.
“I started racing on the index system, so it’s something that I am familiar with. The tree sequence will be the biggest difference that I expect to notice. Racing Super Comp is not going to cause any particular dramas; it is all about getting the best numbers that you can, regardless of the bracket you are racing in.
“The fans can expect some of the best racing they have seen at this track. The quality of competitors is outstanding and the competition should be fierce.”
The Desert Nationals will feature 83 competitors from across Australia for Round 8 of the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship. Qualifying begins at 10:30am on Saturday July 19. Eliminations commence from 11am Sunday July 20. For the full race schedule and ticketing information, please click here.
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