In the lead-up to Nostalgias we had rain, rain, rain and more rain, all over Queensland making it an agonising decision whether to drive down, spend $800 on diesel and risk the meeting being cancelled or just stay home. We checked various weather reports and they all had conflicting results. The work load and our busy schedule leading up to this meeting was horrendous both at work and in the shed, most of the team worked in the shed until midnight most nights. I can’t thank Ashley Bolt enough; he worked right through Thursday night and into Friday morning, I stayed up with him until 4.30am Friday morning but the sandpaper in my eyes was just too much so I had a few hours sleep before getting up at 9.30am and heading off to work.

Friday morning after ringing and checking on the weather we decided; win lose or draw we were going. The forecast at that stage was – rain predicted at 3am Saturday morning and midday then fine for the rest of the weekend, being pretty much how things ended up. Nathan drove the whole way with Raquel keeping him awake and we ended up arriving at 2am, set the genset up and went to bed. When we woke Saturday morning the weather looked fine with a few intermittent showers but at the end of the day they got away with the meeting, which was great. Rain is the curse of the drag racer and an even bigger curse for the drag racing promoter. Johnno and Chrissi put their heart, soul and money into this Nostalgia’s and a rainout would have cost them dearly. The advertising costs to promote an event like this and set up the meetings are phenomenal and along with the appearance of Norm Longfield driving the Nostalgia Nitro F.E.D there was a lot riding on this show.

It ended up being a strenuous and stress filled morning by the time we finished putting our two cars together, we then had to borrow a starter dog off Peter Leahy’s Front Engine Dragsters, get it straight back to him and borrow another one off the “Junk Yard Dog”. Steven Ham’s Dad then bought out a replacement one for us.

Good old - Australia Post, Maurice Fabbetti posted us a starter from Sydney in an overnight express satchel on Wednesday and we got it Monday – what a joke.

End of the day we are eternally grateful to Brisbane based Steve & Jim Reed, they just happened to be wandering around when they came across us and gave us a hand in setting up the barrel valve on Zac’s Penguin F.E.D. Thank God they came along and had nothing better to do, it saved us. We had a ball with the F.E.D, Zach ran 180mph for the first time ever beating Peter Duffy, which I will take the opportunity to gloat, skite and rub salt into Duffy for years to come because he is very good at dishing it out and is equally a good sport at taking it.

Nathan’s Hot Rod on the other hand was nothing but trouble but the “Brains Trust” and the Austin coil of our team “Crofty along with Nathan, Avenell and everyone else pitched in and got the car sorted enough for Nathan to put in a very cautious first qualifier. We did have a small water leak so we soon solved that by pulling out the plug and dropping all the water out as we ran out of time to find the leak. We were fortunate to win the first round with the Hot Rod as the other lane broke out. The next one we won was a red light, making it an easy win and then I would say our opposition suffered a transbrake problem which dragged him through causing a red light halfway down the tree in the 3rd round. As they say “you take them when you can get them”.

Nathan ended up winning Nostalgia Outlaws as the final was rained out and by that stage it was about 11.30pm. The Piranha Racing Team has lost an Australian No.1 Rocket All Stars title by a .399 red light and we won this meeting by two other people having red lights and a breakout. You can only take them as they are dealt and I would have traded a million other races for that .399 red light but that is now done and dusted. We will get that Australian No.1 because we will never give up.

Now onto the F.E.D - the young fellow did a pretty good job under Nathan’s tuition, he had a bye in the first round and the car beside him in the next round was shut down but come the third round, he was next to a great drag racer in Peter Duffy in the Andrew’s Mowing car. Duffy got him at the lights and lifted because he thought he had him but it was our first ever 180mph pass in the Lexus F.E.D. Now whilst the engines aren’t absolutely true Nostalgia, both the cars are and put on a great burn out and a great show which the fans loved.

The Lexus Toyota Chooks – apparently Toyota have stopped making these but we still have people approach us at the drags with the chooks that they have been hanging onto for 2years just to have them signed. We think this is great and it adds a bit of fun and frivolity to the meeting as well as being great recognition for Toyota. I have always said that drag racers have to be involved with the fans as they pay the money to get through the gate. Drag Racing is an entertaining sport, we don’t need it on the same level as wrestling but we do need to be conscious that we are involving everyone for the benefit of all people involved. Meaning the promoter, track owner and organisers all have to make enough money to be there for the next meeting and we all know the racers don’t race for the money. Winning is just one way for a drag racing team to pay a little money, compared to a lot. For me the highlight of a meeting is at the trophy presentation when you hear children acknowledge the support they receive from family and friends, especially when they are your own, even at 1o’clock in the morning it means everything – you can’t buy that at Woolworths.

Next round, Ironbark Raceway at Roma. We have never been there before and I hope it is a great weekend as I absolutely love Nostalgia Racing.

Peter A. "The Legend - The Cheque Book" Peirano.
Piranha Insurance Brokers P/L
"LEXUS PIRANHA SUPERCHARGED OUTLAWS HOT ROD"

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