Well Team Capricorn headed off on Friday morning with the kind help of Ian Weigh Motors we used a borrowed V8 Toyota Landcruiser to towed the Lexus Piranha trailer and the Black Mariah tow the tri-axle with Team Capricorns A/MD Dragster of Dave Ferricks, Noel Smith and Piranha Insurance Brokers.

We had a good trip up to Mackay and set up camp. The Mackay club kindly put on a test and tune for Friday night and the first run in the Lexus Piranha Nathan eased it off the line and gave it a big boot full, broke traction and started to twitch it sideways, got a bit out of shape and shut it off.

Second run was a bit more eventful, again not a lot of traction on a Friday night, eased if off the line, got out of it real early and ran a 9.589 at only 78.58 MPH. Hind site is a lovely thing and it was a petty we did not have it as it would have been nice to kick the boot in then. It was the first time at night on the short track with the breaking area being about 200 metres shorter than Willowbank and the track regulations ask you to drop your parachute at the first timing light other wise you end up on the grass.

All in all, Friday night was certainly well appreciated and we were looking forward to Saturdays qualifying. Saturday was a pretty hot track temperature and the first run we were one of the very first of the Supercharged Outlaws trying to qualify for the 8.30 second cut off and ran a stellar 8.477 at 155.87 MPH - very pleased. We had taken about 200 HP out of the engine from Friday night and put it back in and came out for another qualifier and got into the field at number 5 with an 8.221 second at 163.36 MPH - our best MPH so far.

We came out later on for another qualifier, had a little bit of a problem and shut it down after the burn out. Our new water system had worked fine discharging the excess water into the catch can and we put it back in and we were looking forward to the first round against Ken Lowe in his blown dragster. Unfortunately for Ken he red lighted and broke out, Nathan saw the red light as we both dialed in at 7.95 seconds and he shut down early for our first round win.

Later on in the night we were with the top qualifier - Russell Schafer and nathan left pretty well - .591 reaction time against Schafers .56, had him until about third track and then unfortunately we split the radiator tank from side to side at the bottom, obviously aborting the run and for a few horrifying seconds when the announcer said there was oil on the track I was mortified. When it only turned out to be water I was wounded but not dead.For the record Russel Schaffer won the $10,000 cash final & Daniel Reed was runner up collecting $2,000, we came third & collected zip, but that's racing.

We have some other changes to make and Paul Weel is making a new radiator and we will try and bleed some of the pressure off on the other side of the engine. If we can get on top of the water, we would really love to keep the water inside.

In Mackay Go-Mac dropped the bearings off, dropped the sump off and had a look at the main bearings and they are very good. The plan is put a new radiator in, fix the oil cooler, race the Gold Coast Indy and then leave the car behind at Dave Coles Race Centre Oxenford workshop and Go Mac will come up from Sydney and strip the engine, put cooper rings in it which is a gas filled ring which expands with heat between the heads and the block, try and contain the pressure and the water, put a new set of mains in it and be ready for the Nationals.

Thanks for all who helped out, especially to Go Mac who we flew up from Sydney - Dave and Jeff from Brisbane and everyone else in team Capricorn and our two sons Nathan and Zachary. The parties after the racing on Friday and Saturday night were also excellent but you can tell you are getting old when you go to bed a long time before the your sons do.