With just two Top Fuel Motorcycles at the event it would be a duel between two potential five second quarter mile challengers.
Chris Matheson needs no introduction, the Nitro Voodoo machine has been the benchmark for many a season now, but outside of sporadic appearance from Jay Upton no one has threatened the ET king until now. The emergence of John Zahra from North Queensland on his homebuilt crotch rocket has Matheson looking over his shoulder, and with incrementals becoming of five second passes, Zahra could just be the one to create history in five seconds.
Zahra showed that potential in round one with a screaming 3.96 to half track well on route for a five before the drive belt looked like it shredded and he cruised to a 6.58/160MPH, Matheson in the other lane headed for the wall and clicked it rolling through for the lose on a non-representative nine second pass.
Expectations were high in the next round in the cooler and tighter track conditions, Matheson took the lead at the green before Zahra run him down, but both bikes ended up off the power before half track, Zahra taking another win with a rolling 7.50.
The third round was for the event win and both bikes left with header flames high in the night sky, Matheson had the jump and again had to get on and off the power after the sixty as Zahra rounded him up before half track, but unfortunately for Zahra his bike was heading for the centreline and cleaned up the half track reflectors gifting the event win and another Gold Christmas Tree to the Matheson collection.
Stay tuned for the Pro Slammer report next.
