TEAM BRAY HEAD BACK TO THE SCENE OF TIME

May 02, 2012 • Leave a Comment

When the father and son duo hit the Sydney Dragway this Saturday, with their Sidchrome Hot Rods for qualifying, it will mark 6 weeks since the first ever all five second Top Doorslammer field in the history of the ANDRA Pro Series.

At that event Ben run very well and made it into the final, Victor ran consistent in qualifying with 6.06 and 6.05 and would have qualified for any other Doorslammer field except that one.

Team Bray racing have been racing for a long time and know only too well what it takes to stay on top of the developments. But for the last year and a bit has seen the team struggling. The tide appears to be turning as every pass in 2012 and TBR has been getting better and better.

The 9 times national championship team is anxious to go better again this weekend at the Nitro Champs, plus they hope to move up the ladder in ANDRA Championship points and if another all 5 second field is tabled, have both of their Sidchrome Top Doorslammers in it. The team has been working very hard back at home base to get into the 5.80’s where the front of the field is now.

New blowers are coming and it was hoped they would arrive for testing before the Nitro Champs but it was not to be. During a recent test day at Willowbank Raceway further improvements where made to the fuel system and it is hoped this will transfer to results on the weekend.

Victor Bray Sidchrome 1957 Chevy: “As a driver and a team owner, it gives me great pleasure to see the Top Doorslammer bracket getting better and better with every event. John Zappia has been the bench mark for the last few years. Before John, Benny had a couple of years when he was unbeatable and before that I had 6 years. When this current season got under way last September Peter Kapiris was taking it up to Zapp and it was starting to look like another changing of the guard was about to take place. However, at the last couple of events Zap is back pushing out the 5.80’s and now looks set to take out the championship. So I would have to say he is going to be the man to beat again this weekend.”

“I am currently 7th in the championship only 30 points behind Ben in 5th and Mark Belleri another 13 points ahead in 4th so if I can get a good run and the couple of young bucks in front of me slip up it is not out of the questions that I could come away from Sydney in 4th place.”

“Last but not least I really hope that lots of the 5 million residents of Sydney come out and put their back-side track side and see what this great sport of ours has to offer.”

Ben Bray Sidchrome Monaro: "It would be great to run a time lower than the 5.90 we ran at the last event in Sydney, but that's not entirely our goal for the weekend.”

“Dad has been spending lots of time in front of the computer, laying some of my good runs over the top of each other, looking at weather forecasts etc.”

“There are so many facets to making these cars run fast and to keep making them better, it's actually really exciting as it looks like we are heading back to the top of our game.”
“You can't get where we are without having done a lot of things right and our team is fired up and ready to go. I would really like to get to the finals again in the elimination rounds and move up a spot on the championship ladder.”

Qualifying begins Saturday, May 5th with runs scheduled at 12, 3 and 6 p.m., and continues on with eliminations scheduled to begin at 11am. Sunday, May 6th. (All times AWST.)
If you cannot make it to the Sydney Dragway this week end you can stay up to date with Team Bray at one of the following web links

Top Doorslammer results (http://www.teambrayracing.com/results/?c=1)
Facebook updates from the track (http://www.facebook.com/teambrayracing)
Google + at the track (http://gplus.to/teambrayracing)

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MATHESON HAS EYES ON THE FIVES

May 01, 2012 • Leave a Comment

MATHESON HAS EYES ON THE FIVES

With the championship decided, Matheson seeks a new challenge.

Chris Matheson could become the first ANDRA Pro Series competitor to claim a championship this season when he fronts for qualifying at the Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway this weekend.

With second placed Mark Drew not entering for the penultimate round of the season, all Matheson has to do is qualify to have enough points to end any mathematical chances the rest of his opponents have and win his third straight title.

With the championship all but decided, a new challenge is on the team’s radar – the first five second pass in Top Bike in Australia.

“The Nitro Voodoo team are starting to find their groove in the quest to improve on the current national ET record of 6.058 seconds,” Matheson said. “We are keen to up the ante a little and chase the numbers to try to break in to the five second zone.”

The points buffer gives Matheson the flexibility to tune the bike up for bigger numbers, but being closer to the edge does mean they risk falling over it.

“We have a solid points lead in the championship so we can afford to take more risk in track application to try to run a new record number,” he said. “The whole team are keen to end the season on a high and the Nitro Champs in Sydney is a great opportunity to push the limits.”

Matheson holds the current track record at Sydney at 6.111sec.

He will be taking on a field including Adelaide finalist Chris Porter and Queensland’s Gavin Spann, a former champion making the trip interstate with his nitro-fuelled machine.

The Nitro Champs take place at Sydney Dragway on May 4-6 and feature the full ANDRA drag racing experience including Top Fuel, Top Doorslammer, Pro Stock, Top Alcohol, Top Bike and Pro Stock Motorcycle.

STEVE HAM FOCUSES ON STRONG POINTS

May 01, 2012 • Leave a Comment

Steven Ham focuses on strong points.

Steven Ham says the East Coast Lubes/Mobil 1 Top Alcohol team had a very successful event at the last round of the championship in Adelaide and are looking to continue the roll as they head to Sydney for the Nitro Champs.

The Pro Series 1000 was the first ever championship event over 1000 feet in ANDRA championship competition and proved a thrilling round, with Ham’s team able to get on top of the all-asphalt track with no tyre shake or aborted passes.

Ham reached the semi finals and despite a 4.93sec, his best pass of the weekend, lost to a low ET-setting 4.89 from eventual winner John Cannuli.

Ham said the spirits of the team were not dampened despite the loss with their consistency providing a valuable asset.

“We are rapt with the cars performance over the weekend. I didn’t have to pedal the car at all over the weekend and this was great for the team and my own confidence,” he said. “We really feel that we understood what the car is doing and seem to be getting a small handle on the setup. The team is very excited for the Nitro Champs.”

The East Coast Lubes/Mobil 1 team has plenty of data on Sydney Dragway, having tested there in March and as the championship returns to the quarter mile they are looking forward to making an impact.

“If we can continue on with the consistency the car has had in Adelaide and the test session in March, we should hopefully perform well,” he said.

The Nitro Champs take place at Sydney Dragway on May 4-6 and feature the full ANDRA drag racing experience including Top Fuel, Top Doorslammer, Pro Stock, Top Alcohol, Top Bike and Pro Stock Motorcycle.

FIRST LOOK AT NEWBYS FUNNY CAR

May 01, 2012 • Leave a Comment

Following a crash in the final of the Pro Series 1000 at Adelaide just over two weeks ago in his JBS Tools dragster, Wayne Newby made the decision to bring a new car into action much earlier than planned.

The Funny Car performed testing and familiarisation runs at Sydney Dragway over the weekend and will enter competition for the first time this weekend at the Nitro Champs.

To hear Newby discuss how he went in the new car, make sure you watch Speed News Australia at 7.00pm EST tonight on Speed Channel.

Image courtesy Grant Stephens

SUPER STOCK SEATTLE SHOCK HITS SYDNEY

April 25, 2012 • Leave a Comment

Seattle-based drag racer Brandon Huhtala will be adding an international flavour to Sydney Dragway next weekend when he competes in the Super Stock division of the Rocket Allstars Racing Series.

The Series brings together the best Australian talent in sportsman drag racing, but it is rare to see overseas drivers take part.

Huhtala, 44, will be driving for Victorian James Xuereb, who has been a customer of Huhtala’s and keeps in regular contact. Xuereb has worked with Nick Xerakias, Max Craggill and Rod Clark to bring the deal together.

“About two years ago I started putting together a second engine for my car and James expressed some interest wanting to buy it from me,” Huhtala said. “All along he had been talking about having me come over.

“So we have the whole family coming, both my girls and my wife; we’re pretty excited about it.”

Huhtala has set many national records in the sportsman classes of the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) – the world’s largest drag racing organisation – and has his eyes on adding an Australian certificate to that list.

The Super Stock division uses a number of vehicle classes, which have different regulations and allowances, to index vehicles and it will be the B/Gas class Huhtala will target in Super Stock.

“As long as we go from A to B the national record should be in trouble, but these things can put your place real quick –that’s the fun part,” he said. “I love trying to analyse these things and making them work better, they can be tough. I really hope I can live up to his expectations.”

Huhtala will be facing 16 other drivers in Super Stock, part of the almost 200 sportsman teams entered for the event.

The Nitro Champs take place at Sydney Dragway on May 4-6 and features the full ANDRA drag racing experience including Top Fuel, Top Doorslammer, Pro Stock, Top Alcohol, Top Bike, Pro Stock Motorcycle and the Rocket Allstars Racing Series.

Home»Blog

TEAM BRAY HEAD BACK TO THE SCENE OF TIME

MATHESON HAS EYES ON THE FIVES

STEVE HAM FOCUSES ON STRONG POINTS

FIRST LOOK AT NEWBYS FUNNY CAR

SUPER STOCK SEATTLE SHOCK HITS SYDNEY