| Tin Tops with a twist - 16 cars! |
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| Written by Willowbank Raceway | |
| Monday, 10 March 2008 | |
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With April’s Tin Top Titles at Willowbank Raceway fast approaching, headline acts Top Doorslammer and Pro Stock are now readying themselves to head to Queensland for the penultimate rounds of their respective ANDRA championships – albeit with a twist.
With so many championship contenders in the two Group One categories, the news that Willowbank Raceway will entertain 16 qualifying spots for both fields rather than the usual eight at next month’s Tin Tops will come as a pleasant surprise to those on the hunt for more points. Willowbank Raceway Managing Director Steve Bettes said that a spectacle such as what is on the cards for April has never been seen before in Australian Drag Racing history. “Willowbank Raceway is really excited to be able to announce that the Pro Stock and Top Doorslammer categories will be at Willowbank in April bigger than ever before,” said Bettes. “For the first time ever in Australia, a 16 car Top Doorslammer Field and for only the second time ever in Australia a 16 Car Pro Stock field will be hitting the track at Willowbank Raceway for the 2008 Tin Top Titles. "It will also be the first time for Queenslanders to see so many Pro Stockers up against each other. “In a usual event, fans would see eight competitors line up against each other for the first round eliminations, but at the Tin Tops they will get to see the top 16 competitors in two of Australian Drag Racing’s powerhouse Group One categories duke it out for the win – effectively giving them twice the amount of racing than ever before. “To accommodate the massive program, the first elimination rounds of the Top Doorslammer and Pro Stock categories will commence at the earlier time of 4.00pm on Saturday 19th April. “We are confident that the competitors in both the Top Doorslammer and Pro Stock Championship categories will respond to this great opportunity and by the time entries close on April 4th, we expect both categories to be oversubscribed and chock full of all the superstars from all over Australia. “With more Doorslammers than ever before, more Pro Stockers than ever before, Supercharged Outlaws, Pro Street and Pro Compact and Turbo categories plus huge fireworks displays…it’s a bigger bang for your dollar all round this year at the Tin Top Titles.” Fresh from their latest hit-out at the Perth Westernationals at the weekend, the Top Doorslammer field will head to Willowbank with the chase for the championship still alive and kicking heading into the two final rounds. Perth’s action ensured the championship was kept alive when Brisbane’s Ben Bray defeated series leader and West Australia local John Zappia in the semi-final to keep several racers in with a mathematical change of winning the series, including Brisbane’s Brett Stevens and Sydney’s Steve Stanic. In a ‘Clash of the Titans’ finale, Bray and Stevens faced off for the Top Doorslammer honours with both competitors desperate to claim the points on offer to close the Championship gap. With both having a good start it was close to call at the beginning with Bray appearing to have the win at the 330 foot mark before car movement forced him to abort with a 9.38 second pass which was no match for Steven’s 6.10 second effort. The Top Doorslammer field now heads to Willowbank with John Zappia, Brett Stevens, Ben Bray, Steve Stanic and Gary Phillips making up the top five in the championship chase. While the Doorslammers are set to scintillate with the championship still on the line, the Pro Stocks are also set to have the fans on their feet, with five of the top six in the points standings hailing from Queensland. Bundaberg brothers Aaron and Tyrone Tremayne currently lead the ANDRA Championship chase, followed by fellow North Queenslanders John Barbagallo and Scott Porter in third and fourth, with David Newcombe behind New South Welshman Jason Grima in sixth. The brothers will certainly be ones to watch, with the top qualifying pair lining up against each other in the final of their last hit-out in Sydney in February, with Aaron taking the win from a red-lighting Tyronne who, although losing out on the race, set a new National Elapsed Time record with a 7.125s run in a field of 15. The April program will feature the penultimate round of Group One activity in Top Doorslammer and Pro Stock categories as drivers enjoy one final hit out prior to the season-ending Castrol EDGE Winternationals at Willowbank Raceway on June 5-8. Four wheels and a roof to boot will be standard for most entries in this quarter mile extravaganza, which brings together many traditional drag racing categories coupled with a selection of unique race cars that enjoy cult following among their loyal fans. |
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