Victor Bray has enjoyed a finals appearance as three generations of the Bray family took to the Perth Motorplex over the weekend for the Westernationals event.
Victor faced long-time friend and series leader Peter Kapiris in the final of round three of ANDRA’s Top Doorslammer championship, after earlier qualifying third fastest and driving around local hero John Zappia in the semi-final.
“The qualifying and race conditions for the majority of the day were very tight, and while we endured tyre shake for the first time in 12 months during the first qualifier we were able to get things sorted for our second pass, coming so close to another ‘five second’ pass with a 6.002 second result,” said Victor Bray.
“After racing against Russ Pavey – who had qualified for his first ever ANDRA championship quarter-mile Top Doorslammer event – and Zappia; it was time to face Kapiris in the final. We had suffered some engine damage in the semi-final, so it was all hands on deck readying the car for the final hit-out.
“However while we were working frantically the track conditions improved, when we hit the track we didn’t have the set-up tuned to what itcould handle and Kapiris went on to run the quickest pass of the weekend on his way to a well-deserved win.”
For Victor’s son Ben it was a shorter day at the office on Sunday, with a thrown blower belt seeing him put out of the first round while in the lead against Zappia after a nail-biting finish to qualifying the day before.
“Despite our tyre shake issues our first qualifying pass of 6.051 seconds was good enough to see us in the field in seventh spot, but even so it was a very nervous final session – I wasn’t able to improve on my time due to the car knocking the centre timing markers, and with three cars to run I wasn’t sure if I was going to be in or out.
“Thankfully I was in the field, and set to face the reigning champion in the first round – despite him having the better start I was able to get in front of him but unfortunately just before the 1000 foot market while ahead the car threw a blower belt, meaning I was out of the race.
“While the weekend might not have gone to plan for us there are promising signs for continuing improvements ahead and that is good news.”
Victor and Ben were joined on track by Ben’s nephew and Victor’s grandson Josh McClennan in Junior Dragster, with the 16 year old youngster qualifying 14th before making it to the second round of racing in the highly subscribed bracket.
At the conclusion of the weekend’s Top Doorslammer racing, Peter Kapiris leads the championship points with Victor in second and Ben in fourth on the ladder. Team Bray Racing will now head back to Queensland, with Ben readying to take part in three events over three weekends aboard his Nissan Ultima, starting with the APSA Pro Street Shootout (23 March) and Santo’s Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race (29-30 March) events at Willowbank Raceway, before he heads to Sydney Dragway for the Jamboree on April 6.
Photo By Phil Luyer
