Rob Cassar will make his competitive return at the Fuchs Spring Nationals this week after recovering from a high-speed fall at Sydney Dragway earlier this year.
Competing in Top Fuel Motorcycle at the X-Champs in May, Cassar experienced an ugly fall at speed when his bike wildly shook side to side as he crossed the finish line on a routine pass.
Taken to hospital and observed overnight, Cassar was released the next day returning to Melbourne to begin his recovery and decide on his Drag Racing future.
“Directly after the incident I didn’t think I wanted to ever compete again,” he explains.
“It certainly gave me a shake up. I immediately started work on fixing the bike however and my wife Katie and I took the view that I didn’t need to make that decision straight away – I think that took the pressure off.
“We’re Drag Racing junkies and find it difficult to walk away so the best thing to do was repair the bike and decide later.”
Cassar decided it was best to leave Top Fuel Motorcycle aside for the time being and regain his confidence first on his Modified Bike.
“Katie said she wouldn’t come out with me if I jumped straight back on the Top Fuel Motorcycle – we had a difference of opinion and she won.”
This past Sunday-week, Cassar literally got back in the saddle at a Calder Park test and tune running a 9.66 elapsed time at 137 mph.
“It was not good for the first time sitting on a bike but I had to do it,” he says. “I was feeling sick in my stomach with nerves and a bit stressed for the first run. I was saying to myself – do I really want to do this? But I pressed ahead.
“First run I was straight back into it with a big burnout up to stage and on the two-step and off I went. It felt good when my crew Shaun came to pick me up, the first thing I asked him is how fast did we run in true drag racer fashion. We did three more runs and now off to the Spring Nationals we go.”
Although his first time back in competition, Cassar aims to get his hands on the ANDRA Silver Christmas Tree trophy and win the Fuchs Spring Nationals for the first time since 2000.
“I certainly am going there to win – you always go to do that. The Kawasaki Mod Bike is a naturally aspirated bike that generally runs in the mid 9s and is pretty consistent so we don’t need to push.
“My sponsors have continued to support us and I am very grateful for their support – Lucas Oil Australia, Power Plus Race Fuel, Denso spark plugs and Ballistic Performance Parts. And of course my wife Katie and my family.”
For now the focus will remain in Modified Bike but the desire to return to Top Fuel Motorcycle sometime in the future still burns bright.
“I certainly intend to return to Top Fuel Motorcycle at some stage but for right now I am going to enjoy the competition in Mod Bike. We hope to be doing some testing later this year and we will see how we go from there.
The Fuchs Spring Nationals featuring Top Fuel, Top Doorslammer, Pro Stock Motorcycle and the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship will be held this weekend October 4-5, 2014 at Adelaide International Raceway.
Image by Outlaw Images
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