The construction of a brand-new drag racing facility in his home state was just the motivation long time Pro Stock racer Gerry Parente needed to pull the covers off his stunning Camaro once again and head to the black top.
The lack of having a local track to test at made it unviable for Parente Motorsports team to race, but now there are no excuses with Dragway At The Bend sitting virtually on his doorstep.
“Having a world class facility on our doorstep will mean that we can run consistently on a great surface and develop a package capable of competing with the best in Pro Stock,” said Parente.
It had been six years since the Parente Motorsports team have turned a wheel, and even up until then have only made sporadic appearances over the last couple of decades when racing briefly arrived at Adelaide International Raceway.
With the Riverbend Nationals this weekend, and the first time Pro Stock has been at the venue, Parente tested recently to shake out the six years of frustration from the Camaro, unfortunately an electrical issue hindered their progress on the day, but that’s what test days are for.
“Our first test session was a challenging day, which was to be expected after so long away. But as a team, we made great positive progress. Gerry did a great job behind the wheel, getting reacquainted with the Camaro,” the team posted on their Facebook page.
Having now sorted the electrical issue, the team and car are ready to go when Pro Stock rolls into the lanes for the Riverbend Nationals. Not expecting to rotate the Earth just yet, the event is a perfect opportunity for the team to gain more data on the car, as well as get a handle on its tune up.
“Our goal for the upcoming Riverbend Nationals is to continue to work towards building a consistent package.” Said Parente. “So much on the car has changed since we last raced, we know it will take time to be competitive in Pro Stock once again, but we aim to put on a good show for our local sponsors and supporters!”
The team are looking forward to South Australia’s first taste of Pro Stock in 6 years at the Riverbend Nationals, with that in mind their longer-term plan is to continue to test and creep up on the setup and potentially travel in the not-too-distant future.
The Parente Motorsports team will feature in a field of 12 if the country’s best factory hot rods this weekend at the Riverbend Nationals. It will be a double championship round for some competitors who competed at the washed-out Australia Day Nationals, with Sunday being an all-in fight for the NDRC Gold Christmas Tree.
