The days of building your own race car and entering a top level of motorsport have been over for most disciplines for years but Queenslander Russell Pavey, the driver of the United Tools Corvette Top Doorslammer, has always done things a little differently.
His previous ride was a Morris Minor with a supercharged V8 under the bonnet, a unique combination that won plenty of popularity with fans but eventually could no longer handle the power.
Pavey was no stranger to the idea of do-it-yourself, having put together the Morris and his own Super Sedan. He began looking for a home brew solution for a 3000 horsepower, 400kph Top Doorslammer and found a chassis producer from the USA who was willing to send out the bare essentials as a kit.
“It was the same set up as what they used in the shop. It was just like a big Meccano set, really affordable and a fraction of the cost because it was a bunch of parts,” he said. “I spoke with them and loved the idea of it. At that point they had turned out a number of five second cars, so they definitely knew their stuff in terms of engine location and where stuff should go.”
The process took some time with Pavey bringing in help as needed to finish off the Corvette before he was finally able to hit his home track, Willowbank Raceway, to do some testing.
“It had a great feel and plenty of room. That’s when the bug bit more than ever before,” he said.
Pavey has since competed up and down the east coast with the bright machine, striking some competitive times as quick as 6.0sec for the quarter mile. He is looking forward to having the Corvette back at Willowbank Raceway for the 2012 Fuchs Winternationals where he will compete against 15 other Top Doorslammer teams.
“We really found our stripes before the (2011) Winternationals but we didn’t really get a chance to show it due to the weather,” he said. “We found a fast reliable tune up, so we had something that would go down a competitive track.
“We’re excited about the 2012 Fuchs Winternationals because we feel like we have come of age and know what the car needs.”
