Top Fuel drag racer and current ANDRA championship leader Damien Harris says there is a little bit of unfinished business at Willowbank Raceway this weekend for the Fuchs Winternationals at Willowbank Raceway.
Last year’s event was rained out before the finals where Harris was meant to face Darren Morgan. It denied Harris a shot at the Fuchs Winternationals title, but foretold the story of the current season where Harris and Morgan are neck and neck in the championship, trading blows in their 8000 horsepower nitro dragsters.
Harris said not being able to run the final left him wanting the win more than ever.
“Darren and I made it to the finals last year and neither of us got to take home the trophy,” he said. “Something everyone wants is that Fuchs Winternationals trophy so hopefully we can repeat this weekend and take another shot.”
The driver of the Best Tractor Parts team dragster said he would be quite happy not to have to face Morgan in eliminations, though if the challenge arises the team will face it head on. Harris has just a two point lead in the series meaning whoever advances further in the event will take the championship.
“It would be nice to have the championship over and done with early to focus on the actual racing, it’s going to be a nervous weekend for everyone,” he said. “I’m hoping it is playing more on Darren’s mind than ours, I haven’t won a series yet but he knows what it is like to have one so I’d like to think it affects him more than me. We’ve definitely got nothing to lose.”
One thing Harris is having to battle is the flu just days out from the event. Though drag races are short affairs, they demand good physical conditioning in order to keep reaction times quick and cope with the strain of six g-forces during the pass, followed by negative six g-forces when the parachutes are released to slow the car down.
“I’m an asthmatic so sucking in air is quite hard to do at the moment, hopefully the medication will kick in and by the first qualifying session I will feel good,” he said. “When I went 514kph in Sydney recently it knocked the wind out of me, the lungs were pretty good that day too. It felt like my head nearly came off my shoulders.”
The Fuchs Winternationals takes place on June 8-11 at Willowbank Raceway near Ipswich, Queensland. The full ANDRA drag racing experience will be on show including all pro categories and the best sportsman racers in the nation taking part in the Rocket Allstars Racing Series.
