Gavin Spann could be the spanner in the works for reigning champion Chris Matheson this weekend at Sydney Dragway with a duel of nitro motorcycles in the works.
The rider known as the “Spannerman” is a past national champion himself and has raced in both Pro Stock Motorcycle and Top Bike.
Spann stepped out of the sport for 11 years but decided he wanted to get back on to the world’s quickest motorcycles and have another crack at it.
But the learning curve was a steep one and proved harder than first anticipated, but it also took a lot longer than expected. Spann admits his Noodle Box-supported motorcycle struggled.
He is hoping the 2012 Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway this coming weekend will mark a turn around.
“We decided that we had to go back into the workshop and take a good look at what we were doing,” he said. “These machines are very temperamental at the best of times and for us to become competitive we needed to find out what was holding us back. So we put the fuel system onto a flow bench to see what was happening in real time.
“We then took the bike to a test session at Willowbank Raceway in Easter and made a few runs. The result was very encouraging with the increments showing we are on the right direction. The bike felt the best it had for two years and gave us an indication that it will hammer. It carried the front wheel and had all four cylinders lit.”
The Nitro Champs take place at Sydney Dragway on May 4-6 and feature the full ANDRA drag racing experience including Top Fuel, Top Doorslammer, Pro Stock, Top Alcohol, Top Bike and Pro Stock Motorcycle.
