RACE
REPORTS:
Supercharged Invitational Benaraby Drag Strip
Saturday 25th March 2006
Having only returned to Rockhampton Tuesday before the meeting, we had a rough preparation to put on a show at Benaraby.
The Junk Yard Dog team had three cars in attendance with Peter Duffy driving a new blown Camaro. To say we had fun with the Junk Yard Dog team would be an understatement. You have to commend them - what a patron John is, having four cars in total with three at Benaraby, he certainly puts his heart, soul and cheque book into the drag racing community, especially the nostalgia events.
Whilst we were getting a quick feed at a snack shop, Peter Duffy was displaying the blown Camaro and it was nice to have a bit of fun with them. I teased them about the fact that they did not have shoo roo's on the Camaro and that at Benaraby at night time in the breaking area you need a shoo roo to get the roo's off the race track. Continually teasing was the vain of the event as the little 240 cubic inch four litre Jap crap Lexus Piranha Real Deal Hot Rod was no doubt the star of the meet with four wins out of four.
First taking on Wayne (Giggles) Hargreaves in the blown commodore with an easy win there over a red lighting. Giggles then had a good race with Peter Duffy. At one stage we thought we were not going to catch him as the Lexus overpowered the track and got fairly out of shape before Nathan punched it into top early and rounded him up on the bottom end.
We had a lucky bye in the third round before we took on Garth MacIntyre in the TFX Monaro from Mackay. Garth was having trouble hooking up on the tricky surface.
The race track is typical of your regional tracks but we all race on the same bit of bitumen and the committee are to be commended for trying to improve the Benaraby Raceway as they have put some shade up and they have put their heart and soul into it and they even have volunteer officials drive down from Rockhampton to help them out and drive home that night.
Don't be afraid of visiting regional tracks as you will be made most welcome. The after parties are always sensational although the drive down was a little bit scary when a gear linkage fell off the new power plant in the Black Mariah. At the end of the night there was a bit of carnage amongst the blown cars with all three Junk Yard Dog cars in the scrap heap, two blown power glides and a head gasket and Russell Mackay unfortunately chewed up some gears in the front of the Sainty after putting on the quickest and fastest passes of the night in the All Hours Glass/Arnolds Advanced Tyres Corvette. The Sainty powered rocket ship certainly got down the track.
The club had an interesting benefit to the blown competitors, offering a $100 burnout bonus and I think most competitors achieved the bonus on each and every pass.
Racers need to remember when you are doing Chicago Shootout round robin type of events at regional tracks you are there to put on a show for the crowd. There are no sheep stations to be won but we have to entertain the crowd or they will not come back.
The meeting saw the debut of two new members of Piranha Team Capricorn - our next door neighbour Alan Croft (who is forever using his lathe to manufacture thing for the Lexus Piranha Real Deal Hot Rod) and employee Andrew (Albert) Thackeray debuted in mod bike. Alan has a 600 Suzuki and he also has a Hayabusa at home waiting in the wings and both of them will travel with us in the new team tag along stacker trailer.
Also competing was fellow team Capricorn members Melissa Mackay in the Camaro where she had the benefit of two byes but unfortunately she red lighted and this put her out of contention for her final. Noel Smith had the XY GT Falcon going very well with the exception of breaking out and Lisa Ferricks (daughter of Dave the Fireman and modified eliminator multiple champion) had two wins out of three in a junior dragster.
It was interesting for all our racing team as the youngest Piranha - Zac, borrowed Nathan's turbo XR6 Falcon Ute to compete in the street section along with Melissa Mackay, It has been a long time since I watched street, mod bike and also campaigned a supercharged outlaws hotrod.
It is certainly great to introduce new members into our terrific sport. Next meeting for us is the Tip Tops where hopefully we are pitted beside the Zaps Rat team and that event will also see the return of Alan Ebdon in his blown Monaro after a bit of a lay off recovering from some unfortunate illness.
The old sarcastic humour is back, so we look forward to catching up with him at Willowbank.
It was interesting from our computer records, even on the regional track with the PSI the Hot Rod really cranking with quarter mile ET of 8.145 at 167.9 MPH backing off, 8.437 at 164 backing off at 6.5 seconds, 8.227 at 167.91backing off at 6.6 seconds and 8.4 at 147 backing off at 7.6 seconds. Even with the hired lighting, at night time it is still a little bit dark at the bottom end of Benaraby but the club will have more lighting from permanent light towers at the next major meeting and once again they are to be congratulated.
Regards
PETER PEIRANO
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