As the Sydney Dragway competition season edges ever closer the off season testing phase continues with another Full Throttle Friday and some closed session testing thrown in too.
The Rapisarda team are trialling some new clutch components with Wayne Newby as test pilot, the team did not complete a full pass on their two attempts at the track.
A closed test session on St Valentine’s Day had those Outlaw Nitro Funny Cars on track before they head to Adelaide at Easter.
Rick Gauci was the quickest with a cranking 5.69 from Nitro Express.
Let’s Boogie was damaged in Portland after a collision with the catch net, the Mustang has been repaired and was out for a shakedown along with Supa Charger.
The muggy Sydney weather was causing some angry skies with thunderstorms affecting most of the Sydney region and keeping a number of entered competitors from showing. However Sydney Dragway for once dodged the thunder and lightning with no more than a few drops falling as photographer Joe Maday so expertly captured.
As a result testing was a pretty casual affair, fortunately no incidents but the world was not rocked either. We did see the debut of the Cathis Racing RX7 driven by Shane Flaiban, the car is the ex Rotormaster machine and performed a few launches, the team also has a ‘Cuda Top Doorslammer that Frank Mamone will pilot.
Quickest of the sportsman racers was Johnny Briscas with his twin turbo Corvette and made a few tyre rattling passes resulting in low seven second passes.
We are hoping to see 13B six second passes real soon from Andrew “The Dentist” Maratos, a 7.17 182mph has the RX3 back on a barrier breaking track.
Pro Street racer Adam Smolders was back in black, the nitrous snorting Capri was scuffed up recently after a brush with the concrete. A 7.83 from the 427ci SBC should make the team happy.
Wheelstand of the event goes to Rob Tarabay with his RX3.
This Torana creation took on the American’s at their famed Drag Week, packing a turbocharged Toyota 2JZ the Torrie suffered boost issues off the line and recorded a 11 second pass at a mere 168mph.
Eight seconds out of a FWD CRX, yep not a problem for Luki Soldatic, 8.79 at 179mph in fact.
Turbo’s are certainly the weapon of choice now days to go fast, Jason Hill debuted his turbo LSX motivated VN to a 9.52 at 137mph.
But not everyone needs a turbo, Charlie Constanzo is doing just fine smashing out nine second passes with an aspirated 13B powered Dato.
Images by http://www.cacklingpipes.com and Joe Maday
