The atmosphere was electric at Mildura’s Sunset Strip, with many of the big crowd experiencing Top Fuel for the first time. Conditions though were challenging for crew chiefs, and there will be some late night head scratching to come up with a tuning combination to battle the unique Mildura track on race day at round two of the Burson Auto Parts Australian Top Fuel Championship.
Racing over the 660ft half track distance for the first time was a spectacular sight, but while drivers must be sharp on the lights, the tricky conditions may mean their ability to pedal a 12000hp animal will be tested too. Constant dust in the atmosphere at Mildura makes it tough for track staff to keep on top of the track conditions, and even tougher for crew chiefs to deal with the quickly changing conditions, and qualifying was a wild ride for teams.
There was not much to report after the first session, most teams likely taking their best guess at a tune up, as it did result in plenty of tyre smoke. Peter Xiberras tyre smoked the PremiAir dragster to the stripe with a 4.19 against Wayne Newby who bagged the tyres on the hit, and the run would hold up as quickest for the session as the other teams struggled to find traction. Phil Read in the Hydraulink Jim Read Racing machine was the only other car to pedal to the finish line for a 4.51.
With a few more cars going down track, conditions were improving moving into the second qualifier, and with the sun off the track it was tightening up. Unfortunately electrical gremlins struck first pair Xiberras and Phil Lamattina, The FUCHS dragster of Lamattina barely moved before the engine popped and spat the chutes out, while Xiberras made it to 60ft before replicating what happened in the other lane. Read though had the crowd on its feet rocking a track record 3.19/247mph next and will go into race day favourites. The opposite lane had Newby again smoking the slicks hard on the hit. The final pairing, and Damien Harris – back in the seat for RAI after COVID rules locked him away in WA – sent it for a 3.95 to qualify second. Top Fuel rookie Shane Olive in the other lane is in need to some good fortune, fuel pressure issue ruined his first qualifier, and after laying down what looked like a decent lap in Q2, just to have the timing fail.
Racing kicks off at 3.45pm local time on Sunday, where Top Fuel will compete over three rounds in what will be intense competition on a tricky track and just a eighth mile distance – hang on. Catch it live on Top Fuel Australia’s Facebook page or streaming on 7+.
Results are a bit hard to confirm for other classes at the moment, but in Top Bike Chris Matheson wowed the crowd with a 4.19, ahead of a consistent Rob Cassar who ran back to back 4.52s.
