Hydraulink Jim Read Racing is pleased to announce that legendary US crew chief and tuner, Jim ‘Jim O’ Oberhofer, will be joining the team for its next two rounds of the Burson Auto Parts Australian Top Fuel Championship.
Oberhofer will be part of the team’s assault on both Willowbank Raceway’s New Year Nitro event (January 6/7) and Sydney Dragway’s Top Fuel Slam event (January 27/28).
Jim O has been a leader in the professional drag racing world for nearly four decades, spending 31 years as Crew Chief at Kalitta Motorsports and most recently, leading the way for the Rick Ware Racing Top Fuel Dragster, which is driven by Clay Millican.
“I am very excited about coming over. I have always enjoyed heading to Australia and being around the Read family – I always say they are my Australian family, and Bruce Read is one of my dearest friends and a brother to me,” Oberhofer said.
“Bruce has just been awesome to me over the years, and I really enjoy racing with him. He was just here in the States racing with me on Clay Millican’s car and we went to Reading, Charlotte and Saint Lewis and we had so much fun, raced hard, and had a great time.
“I truly love hanging out with him and trying to help him achieve his goals on his race car, and being around the entire Read family, they have just been so awesome to me, and I can’t wait to get back down to Australia.”
This won’t be the first time that Oberhofer has raced with the team.
“It has been a while, the last time I was there was January of 2020 and then everything changed in the world with COVID, so I am definitely looking forward to getting back down there and helping Bruce and Jim and Phil put that car in the winner’s circle!” he said.
Oberhofer and Read have big plans for his time in Australia, which coincides with the season break for NHRA.
“I will arrive right before the Willowbank Raceway event and we will be putting some new parts on that Bruce has been getting, so we will have those on the car at Willowbank and then we are hoping to make some bigger changes with how we approach the car before Sydney, and do some testing as well if we can,” Oberhofer said.
“I know Bruce will always keep me busy doing something! We always do some cool stuff, and I am sure this time will be no different. I am also looking forward to seeing all the other teams, the Rapisardas, the Lamattinas, Peter Xiberras and the rest, they have all really become my friends over the years.”
Oberhofer says to take a win with his Australian racing family would be very special indeed.
“I have been very fortunate in my racing career to have been a part of a lot of wins and championships over my time. One that was particularly special was winning the Scott Kalitta Memorial Trophy that Jim Read put together in Sydney with Hillary Will following Scott’s passing. After that, it was 10 years before we made it back down there again.
“I like winning, and it doesn’t matter what country you are in or who you are racing, a win is a win, and to be able to come down there to Australia and race the competition that you have down there is going to be great.
“The Rapisarda team is so strong and the Lamattinas and Xiberras, these guys are so strong, and they have so much talent and great equipment behind them, so to me it is going to be like butting heads with some bad boys down there in Australia – they are really, really strong and that is what you want! You want to be able to race people like that who are bringing their A game to the starting line every time and that is what we are going to try and do.
“Between Bruce and I we are going to do the best job we can to give Phil the best race car we can and the guys working on the car are going to do a great job putting it together. If everything works out, I think we can have a couple of great races and boy, if we could win, that would be a great way to start off 2023, that is for sure!
“Any win is good, but to win with family like Bruce and Phil and Jim, that would be really cool and that is what I want to do.”
Jim Read Racing is excited to have Oberhofer once again joining the team.
“Jim O and I met back when he was with Kalitta Motorsports and dad bought a car from him, and we just hit it off from day one and have been friends ever since, for nearly twenty years now. He is like a brother to me, and he has also been one of mentors alongside dad and Russell Jones during that time also,” Hydraulink Jim Read Racing Crew Chief, Bruce Read, said.
“I only recently came back from racing with him for three weeks at the end of their NHRA season over there, and it will be great to have him over here again to assist us with the tuning of the car. He has raced with us before and each time we have improved, so hopefully we can celebrate a win together on this trip!
“Technically he is on vacation, so it is great that he wanted to come over and it is always great to have a second set of eyes for some extra polish to what we are doing at the team and to assist with the racing program.
“I am sure we will keep him very busy while he is here!” grinned Read.
Willowbank Raceway’s New Year Nitro event will be held across January 6 and 7. For event information, go to www.topfuelchampionship.com.au or www.willowbankraceway.com.au
Hydraulink Jim Read Racing is supported on track by Hydraulink, McDonalds, Valvoline, FXD Workwear, PremiAir Hire, Odyssey Batteries, PMP Motorsport Products, Kalitta Motorsports USA, Diamond Pistons, Trend Performance Wrist Pins, Oasis Aquatics, Speed Gas, Spa Electric Pool Lighting and Pacific Pools. To learn more about Hydraulink Jim Read Racing, visit https://www.facebook.com/JimReadRacing
