Champions Reign Supreme after
Qualifying
for AC Delco East Coast Thunder
Current 400
Thunder Series Champions Wayne Newby,
Chris Matheson and Aaron Tremayne will
lead their respective classes into
elimination after qualifying was
abbreviated by rain with only the final
session of Top Fuel left to run.
Wayne Newby will lead into the 100ft
era, qualifying #1 with a 3.918 second
pass, slightly in front of his teammate
Damien Harris 3.939. Peter Xiberras site
#3 with a 3.944 and currently hold top
speed of the event with a 503.37 kmh
blast.
With Darren Morgan having already been
shut down due to a brief rain
interruption and electing to skip the
second session, history repeated itself
as the multi-time Australian Champ was
unable to fire due to a weather
interruption whilst he was in the
starters box. He eventually finished 4th
in the qualifying order.
For the first time, Top Fuel had 3 women
competing at the upper echelon of Drag
Racing with Kelly Bettes #5. Rachelle
Splatt making the best showing of her
comeback in #6 and US visitor Ashley
Sanford in 7th
Brothers-in-law Phil Read and Terry
Sainty were battling it out for the
final position on the order. Sainty was
robbed of the chance of a fairytale
debut of their new car due to the rain
after the passing of his father only two
weeks before the event.
Top Bike saw reigning champion Chris
Matheson lead the way with an early shut
off 6.31. Pro Stock saw the current
National #1 Aaron Tremayne race to a
7.001 to take pole position for face
day.
Pro Slammer was
at it's drama filled best, with Scott
Maclean taking a maiden #1 qualifying
spot for the racer from the NT. Former
Champ John Zappia was second with
championship favourite Paul Mouhayet
slotting into the #3 position. American
Frankie Taylor was in good form taking
the final spot in the top half of the
field and he will race Michelle Davies
in round one.
Davies was not without problems after
tagging the wall in the final qualifying
session but intion reports were that is
was superficial damage and would be
repaired for the first round of racing
on Saturday.
Cory Buttigeig sits atop Pro Bike with a
near-national-record 7.08, but reigning
champion Brad Lemberg is breathing down
his neck with a 7.14.
Pro Alcohol stalwart Steve Reed will
lead the field into battle after a
stellar 5.48 paced the rest of the field
by over a tenth of a second. Sydney
local Russell Mills sits second with a
5.59, and Victorian Rob Ambruosi locked
in a last gap 5.72 to snatch third in
the list.
