After a solid campaign by S&M Racing at Calder Park last month the Territory based Top Doorslammer teams of Matt Abel and Scott MacLean ventured to Portal Victoria on the weekend where they competed at the Slamfest for Wishes event.
Rain affected proceedings on Saturday and racing was rescheduled to Sunday, but it did not faze the teams as they went about their preparation.
“For 6 months of the year its raining in Darwin, its just not this cold” said Matt Abel. “It does make it impossible to race in a sport that relies on traction but luck was on Portland’s side and the weather cleared enough to let us put down some passes for the crowd on Sunday.”
Both Abel and MacLean were again at the top end of the qualifying order with MacLean in fourth position with a 4.657 over the 1/8th mile, closely followed by Abel in fifth position with a 4.819.
Ben Bray’s Holden Monaro top qualified with a 4.380 at 156.79mph.
Running an abbreviated format, the fastest two winners from the elimination round would go through to the finals.
MacLean recorded a 4.238 to make his first ever finals berth against Peter Blake, running a 4.222 which was enough to reset the quickest ET record.
Abel finished in 4th position behind Blake, MacLean and Ben Bray. His final pass of 4.343 seconds at 176.47mph was the fastest pass ever to be recorded at Portland’s Southcoast Raceway.
Photo: Matt Abel on his way to setting the fastest track record
After having mechanical problems, MacLean was rushed to make the finals. Blake got the better reaction as the lights turned green, while MacLean lost traction at half track, brushing the wall near the finish line. Blake took out the win with a 4.255 at 171.76mph while MacLean finished with a 4.429 at 131.96mph.
“We hurt the motor in the last pass and we were flat out replacing the bearings and getting it back out to the start line” said Scott MacLean.
“We didn’t get a chance to adjust the clutch before our final pass and I smoked the tyres from half track.”
“Luckily the brush with the wall was only superficial damage but we’ll take the car back to Darwin now and give it a tidy up before we look towards running at Hidden Valley in May.”
After the second round of the 1/8th mile Slamfest Series, MacLean sits in fifth place on the leader board, only 10 points behind equal third place holders Ben Bray and Maurice Fabietti. Abel is in seventh position ahead of Deano Brijeski and Victor Bray.
Abel now travels to Perth where he will compete in the ANDRA Pro Series Top Doorslammer bracket at the 40th annual Westernationals.
