Matt Treasure has been having a rough time coming to terms with his new car, with a parachute failure seeing his 2000 horsepower machine end up in the sand trap at the end of the braking area.

Treasure had just completed a pass at over 350kmh when the parachutes did not release and while the brakes slowed the car to an extent, it still went it at enough speed to bend back the front nose cone and put a lot of sand into the supercharger and motor.

“Fortunately we haven't bent the chassis,” Treasure said. “There's not enough damage to stop us from making the first event.”

It followed an incident in testing a couple of weeks ago for Treasure where his K-Trans Altered nicked the wall in a burnout.

Aside from the excursion into the sand, Treasure was pleased with the progress they were making with the car, which is expected to run in the 5sec. zone.

“Using the pedal clutch now makes it a lot easier to bring into stage (on the start line) and to have the right revs,” he said.

“We learnt a lot with the set up of the car and think we have got a bit of a handle on it. It's still only using the small motor and it's 204kg over legal weight for the class so there is a lot more in it yet.”

Treasurer's car will compete in the Top Comp category at the opening event on November 1.

Bascombe's bike

Brian Bascombe debuted his new ride at the test and tune event on the weekend, a nitro-fuelled Top Bike.

Bascombe, a former Pro Stock Motorcycle rider, said he turned 50 and wanted a bit of excitement in his life, so chose a machine that does 310kmh in just over seven seconds to do the job.

Bar a new Glenway Signs paint scheme, the bike has not been changed since it was formerly owned by Mark Ashelford.

“We will leave it as is until I get used to riding it,” Bascombe said.

“There's a lot of learning to do. But the way I see it, if you don't crash it's a bonus.”

Bascombe went through a few new bike blues with a part in the head blowing out, resulting in lost compression for one cylinder, while a backfire in the pits also caused some issues.

Record debut

New team mates Shane Kosteszyn and Frank Salvo emerged very pleased from the test and tune event on the weekend following a 7.42sec. pass from their Super Comp Camaro, almost two tenths of a second under the national record.

The team was amazed by the time, recorded by the Statewide Oil-supported car on its first full pass. Kosteszyn was at the wheel for the run while Salvo watched from the start line.

“We didn't want to do anything stupid, we just wanted it to run straight and get down the track,” Salvo said.

“Shane did a great job setting up the chassis and the clutch. We know there is plenty left in it as well, it was hitting the rev limiter as it was crossing the finish line.”

More machinery on track

The growth of new drag racing machines in Western Australia has been very strong in recent times and one of the latest examples of this is a new hot rod belonging to Brenton Baxter.

Baxter built the car himself over two and a half years, partially using a Sun Coast Race Cars chassis kit but also developing a lot of his own customisation along the way.

The car is destined for Super Comp duties, but will be first run in Modified as Baxter gets a handle on the massive 632 cubic inch (10.3 litre) V8 race motor, three speed transmission and chassis set up.

The car is unique in WA, where there is a very limited number of hot rod-style race cars.

“I don't like to follow the leader and wanted something different,” Baxter said.

“This appealed to me and the set up is like a sedan, just with a different body. It's not that much different to tune.”

Baxter's last car was a Torana he raced in the Super Sedan category, but this new beast is expected to be almost two seconds quicker down the quarter mile, with low 7sec. times eventually expected at speeds well over 300kmh.

Baxter licensed the car at a recent test and tune event at Perth Motorplex, where the only problem was a misbehaving rev limiter.

“We ran an 8.22 and this was with it on and off the rev limiter the whole way down the track,” he said.

“It shows the potential it has got. I just need to spend some time on the track to get it right now, it needs another half a dozen launches or so to sort out the suspension and wheelie bars.”

The car will be on display at the WA Hot Rod and Street Machine Show this weekend.

Imported power

Modified will see another car in its ranks this season with Steve Jessett to debut his new Altered in the category this season.

The car, to be imported from the US, will be running a 509 cubic inch (8.3 litre) Merlin V8 as the power plant, ensuring there will be plenty of horsepower getting to the ground.

“I've raced in Super Sedan and Super Street for 15 years so it was time to step up,” Jessett said.

“We want to have the car ready for licensing and testing by late December, the car is leaving California now.”

The other side

Modified champion Krystal Ecclestone had her dragster racing at the recent test and tune event at Perth Motorplex, but it wasn't her in the seat.

In fact it was yours truly, Luke Nieuwhof, stepping into a dragster for the first time as Ecclestone takes a season off.

Licensing was successfully signed off on, a case of performing a half track run followed by two full track runs releasing the parachutes.

Running 11.7sec. times, the dragster was a bit off its normal pace due to a new tune up being needed following a switch to methanol fuel, but the team is going to reduce the amount of fuel going into the motor for the next event so that the power will return and some 9sec. times can hopefully be recorded.