Solid Race Debut For The Castrol Edge Monaro

[SpoolMan]

After running one of the quickest Top Doorslammer passes ever during the first test of the Team Bray's new Castrol Edge Holden Monaro CV8Z (6.08sec/244.5mph [393.4kmh]) - Ben Bray was hoping to replicate that speed on the car's race debut at the fourth round of the Australian Top Doorslammer Championship at Western Sydney International Dragway.
Despite strong runs in qualifying, indicating the blistering potential of the gold coupe, the Monaro was knocked out of competition in the first round of eliminations in a split-second loss. Prior to the event, reigning champion Ben said he would have been happy just to qualify at WSID, but the conditions and a lack of set-up data on the brand-new Monaro meant that beating Australia's best in the ultra-competitive category would be a tall order.
The weekend started badly for Brisbane-based Team Bray when a chassis rail broke on the team's transporter as it was leaving the workshop and had to be repaired. As a result, the team were 12 hours late leaving Brisbane, arriving in Sydney at 3AM on qualifying day. Nevertheless, Team Bray was rapt in the performance of the Monaro, a major drawcard at the Sydney venue, and knows that there is much more to come.
"We were behind schedule from the moment we arrived in the Sydney but we're not complaining, "Ben said. "Before we could qualify, ANDRA made us to do a performance run (to prove the car was 'safe') and we were happy to do that, because it gave us a solo run to help learn the car, and we ran 6.386sec/222mph (365.3kmh). "The next time out, we repeated that ET to within around one thousandth of a second (6.385sec/233.12mph [375.1kmh]), but we weren't happy, we were trying to go faster. By the last round of qualifying were only ninth quickest and not in the field.
So the pressure was on and we fought our way up into fourth." "The main problem was we had too much power and were trying to use it.
Because we'd gone 6.08sec at Willowbank, we were going after the track, but the track didn't give us what we needed to replicate that time.
The track was very greasy, so the car was all over the shop on the runs." Team owner and six-times Doorslammer champion, Victor, said that despite the conditions, the team wouldn't have done anything different.
"This racetrack has held a five-second Doorslammer pass before, and the conditions on our third pass were almost as good as when that five-second ET was run, and we could have done low 6.00s.
But we weren't ready for it and we had to make the field and had to err on the side of conservatism. Brand new cars take up to a year to get sorted, but we really only had three days of testing to prepare for out first race.
"The beauty of drag racing is the racetracks and weather conditions dictate how fast you can go; it's got nothing to do with your tune-up or how your car is set up.
It's how quickly and accurately you can change the suspension, clutch, fuel system, and the driver's reactions to suit the track. We were very happy to run 6.119sec/237.38mph (382kmh) to get into the field; we would have accepted a 6.31sec on that run.
This Monaro is brand new and has some revolutionary thinking in the suspension and we need to get on top of that." Despite a quicker and faster pass than Brett Stevens in the first round of eliminations - 6.148sec/237.09 (381.5kmh) versus Steven's 6.156sec/230.21mph (370.3kmh) - a slow reaction time on the start line cost Ben victory in an extremely close race. "It was kind of a bad news day for a driver," Ben smiled, wryly.
"The team did their job to get the car to the eliminations and it was running perfectly but I cut a bad (start) light and it cost me the race.
It only had to be one ten-thousandth better and I probably could have won, but that's racing. We'll get 'em next time."
Victor was just as philosophical and said that things will be different at the next round of the championship in West Australia.
"Last season Ben and I won every single round, so that just goes to show you how tough drag racing is," he said. "Ben won 24 consecutive rounds last year and all that did was stir up the opposition and they've come back hard this season; they've all stepped and they're gunning for Benny.
"Extraordinary performances have been seen at Kwinana racetrack in Perth and we need to a year's development in three weeks and try and win the double-points Western Nationals. Someone needs to stop (championship leader) John Zappia, at his home track and it's going to be us."


Story from NMD thankyou

[JG3282]

Gotta love being on WSID's mailing list :

[302donk]

its better being there!!!

[JG3282]

Don't you start :

[302donk]

willowbanks good too but i carnt wait to get over to perth next week to see the quit motorplex

[JG3282]

Aaahh yes I spent many of my youthful years watching John Zappia tear up the Ravenswood strip and have been keen as mustard to get over to Quit since it opened

[ricthewheelie]

don't like holdens but Zapp's a legend of the sport. (besides, they've all got hemi's in them anyway) . It'll be good to se him win on his home track, I'll be up there on the western mound both nights.