For ‘The Pom’ Steve Read, it was one of those weekends that started off cautiously, and with a little bit of luck and a good run when it counted, the privateer Top Fuel team from Ipswich, Qld, would find themselves in the final round against hot favourite, Darren Morgan at Willowbank Raceway, Qld last Saturday, March 26th.
While the final round elapsed time would be non-representative due to a glitch in the clutch management system, Read and the team could hold their heads high for achieving a runner-up finish at their home-town race, gaining valuable data and playing the role of ‘spoiler’ in a field that included title contending teams and past champions.
“It is always easy to be wise afterwards” Read said.
“We had some issues on the hit of the throttle and it went into tyre smoke. I saw Darren break with his problems, but I made the decision not to pedal the car and chase after him, as I didn’t want to run the risk of hurting another engine. It was Darren’s event – he was the best all weekend and it was his to win, that’s just how it goes”.
For Steve and the Read Speed team, being a privateer operation carries a sense of achievement knowing they are competitive with the more seasoned teams, but the desire to chase the championship series purely comes down to budget.
“We’re offering an exciting opportunity for a marketing partner which would allow us the chance to compete at the next ANDRA Pro Series Top Fuel round in Sydney April 29 – May 1, before the big season finale at our home track for the Winternationals at Willowbank in June”, Read said.
With a runner-up finish and the season finale only two events away, Read is looking to capitalise on his recent form and reward his loyal fans by going one step further and securing a win.
