In what was a hectic six week lead-up to Sydney Dragway’s flagship event, the Fabietti piloted and powered Holden Trade Club Monaro took on and took out the country’s best ANDRA Top Doorslammer racers at the Nitro Champs.
The Fabietti team spent more than a month rebuilding their heavily damaged race car, after the Monaro crashed into the wall at Mildura on March 20, earlier this year. In fact, the extent of the damage was so severe that the rebuild and preparation process was only finished Friday afternoon, three hours before the first qualifying session at the Nitro Champs!
As the weather cooled before the first session, Fabietti confirmed he was apprehensive about his return to racing as he sat in the car ready for his run on the race track.
“I was nervous, for sure!” said the New South Wales based racer. “You’re always anxious after an accident and a cold track only added to the nerves. We were the last car in the staging lanes and watching all the other racers struggle to get the power to the ground didn’t do anything to help!”
The first qualifier did help Fabietti lose the cobwebs but the car spun the wheels early in the pass, resulting in an unrepresentative low 8-second time, amazingly however it still placed the Holden Trade Club Monaro in seventh position overall.
Saturday afternoon and qualifying session number two brought warmer conditions. The team still opted for a conservative approach with a view to ensuring the car was all functioning correctly after the rebuild. The pass was an amazing 6.07-second time at a huge 248 mph (399.12k/hr), which also happened to be good enough for second place.
Round one of racing saw Fabietti taking on one of the big names in Australian drag racing, Gary Phillips.
Phillips drew a red on the lights but Fabietti stormed to a super-quick 5.94-second pass, not only taking the win but sounding an ominous warning for the other Doorslammer contenders.
With the car handling superbly, the team upped the power to face Stuart Bishop on the start-line for a round two showdown. Fabietti took a huge hole-shot advantage on the startline and carried it through to an amazing 5.87-second pass and a showdown with arch rival, John Zappia!
The two heaviest-hitting Monaros in the country facing off against each other, Zappia, like Fabietti, had a recorded a 5.8-second pass in the semi finals.
With tricky track conditions, Fabietti took the reaction time advantage and continued to steam ahead with his 5.94-second pass at 245 mph, too good for Zappia’s 6.04 at 241mph.
An obviously elated Fabietti couldn’t hold back the emotion.
“To win this meeting, to run a 5.87 pass, to be awarded top speed of the event and to get back a fantastically handling car shows the dedication of the hardworking crew, friends and supporters of the Holden Trade Club Monaro and to them we extend our heartfelt thank you,” exclaimed Maurice.
“After the achievement at the Nitro Champs, it gives the team a renewed enthusiasm for the final round of this ANDRA Pro Series season, the Winternationals. The points chase has now tightened up making it a three-way battle for the championship.
The result moved the Holden Trade Club Monaro into third place for the ANDRA Championship as well as the Karcher Doorslammer Shootout.
“Bring on the Winternationals in Queensland – the nerves are gone and I can’t wait to get back into my race car!”
Next round of the ANDRA Pro Series
Castrol EDGE Winternationals
June 10 to 13
Willowbank Raceway, Ipswich, Queensland
Holden Trade Club Monaro Sponsors
Holden Trade Club, GM Performance Parts/Eagle Auto Spares, Holden Restoration Parts/Rare Spares.
