Nine 11,000hp/500kmh+ Top Fuel and XPRO Nitro Funny Car racing machines headlined a huge day of NDRC New Year Nitro qualifying action at Willowbank Raceway Saturday, with the stage now set for an epic nitro party to celebrate Australia Day at Queensland’s premier drag racing facility Sunday (26 January).
A packed crowd were treated to no end of exciting performances from Top Fuel, XPRO Nitro Funny Car and the Aeroflow Sportsman Championship across Saturday and with another big crowd expected for race day Sunday, fans are advised to secure their tickets online at bit.ly/NEWYEARNITRO now to make sure they can secure their seat trackside.
At the close of Saturday’s action, it was Damien Harris (Top Fuel) and Justin Walshe (XPRO Nitro Funny Car) who claimed the top qualifying honours in the group one ranks.
Harris claimed the top spot with a 3.99/390.12kph pass in Q1 (which he followed with a 4.738/249.75kph in Q2), while Phil Read took the second spot after improving his Q1 time (4.177/466.91kph – the top KPH for Top Fuel today), to a 4.005/378.43kph result in Q2.
Third quickest for the day was Harris’ team-mate Wayne Newby with the time he set in Q1 (4.103/444.29kph). Unfortunately for the Rapisarda Autosport International team, Newby’s Q1 effort ended with a large fireball which saw the team working through Q2 and into the night to be ready to return for race day Sunday. Peter Xiberras was fourth quickest with a Q2 4.514/273.76kph effort following his Q1 5.043/226.28kph pass, while Steve Read (8.712/109.30kph) rounds out the field after struggling to get down the track.
“I was honestly surprised to get the number one qualifier – we have put a new pump on the car and we have just been progressing our way down the track, so I was surprised to be number one but also rapt for the Rapisarda family and Atlantic Oil,” Harris said.
“Unfortunately, in Q1 Wayne destroyed his motor from top to bottom and damaged his canopy car, so the team are in the process of getting it turned around ready for tomorrow.
“From my side, number one gives me a bye in the first round which will be handy, and it will be all about points recovery for us after our similar dramas at round one to what our team-mate has had today.”
Like Harris, Walshe held the top spot from Q1, where he laid down a 4.453/319.16kph pass; but unlike the reigning Top Fuel champ, the current Nitro Funny Car title holder improved his result in Q2, firing down the track to the delight of the packed crowd in 4.133 seconds at 468.93kph to well and truly cement his number one.
Morice McMillin was second quickest thanks to his Q2 effort of 4.237/397.54ph (following 5.042/247.91kph in Q1), while his team-mate Josh Leahy was third on the ladder (4.585/299.25kph). Leahy was another to improve in Q2, bettering his Q1 time of 5.033/239.51kph. Closing out the XPRO Nitro Funny Car ranks was Chris Stipanovich with a 6.911/163.42kph effort set in Q1.
“It was very, very tricky conditions with the heat, and also one of the biggest factors we tune by is what they call water grains, which is another form of humidity but more accurate, and it was at 114 which basically means we are trying to burn water! So, to get an engine to run like that in those conditions is very tricky, so the tuners did an excellent job!” Walshe said.
“They did awesome, and to out-run the Top Fuel dragsters in a Funny Car is not normally what happens so that was cool.
“Tomorrow it is going to be a tuner’s race, so whoever tunes it the best and hits the spot will be the one to win it.”
In the Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship ranks, there was no shortage of impressive performances with the following racers ultimately securing the NDRC Top Qualifier Medallions for their respective brackets ahead of racing tomorrow: Ray Ross (Super Street), Paul Neilsen (Real Street), Marcus Macdonald (Junior Drag Bike), James Barlow (Junior Dragster), Matthew Barron (Super Sedan), Johnny Lewis (Modified Bike), Daniel Carranza (Modified), Neil Maxwell (Top Sportsman), Nathan Neilson (Extreme Bike), Edge Mallis (Performance Bike), Cheyne Phillips (Supercharged Outlaws) and Peter Pisalidis (SuperComp).
The New Year Nitro action concludes on Sunday January 26 at Willowbank Raceway. Gates open 10.30am with on-track action from 1.00pm, including the all-run format racing for Top Fuel and XPRO Nitro Funny Car at 4.00pm, 6.30pm and 9.00pm. For full event information and tickets, visit https://nationaldragracing.com.au/event/new-year-nitro/
