Birthday boy Ben Bray takes on John Zappia in round one.

WINNING BIRTHDAY FOR CASTROL’S BEN BRAY

Ben Bray gave himself a great 19^th birthday present tonight at the Quit Motorplex in Perth when he drove his Castrol ’57 Chevy to victory at the Marlow’s Westernationals over defending Champion Peter Kapiris. Bray’s win also moved him into the lead of the Australian Top Doorslammer Championship series.

Ben had qualified 2^nd  with a best of 6.13 seconds at 232.5 mph (374.0kph) just ahead of his father and team mate Victor’s 6.18 seconds at 237.4 mph (381.9 kph). He defeated Perth’s John  Zappia in the first round of racing 6.135 to 7.254. In the semi final the two Castrol cars faced off with Ben running a new personal best of 6.095 for the win as Victor fell to mechanical ills.

The final against Kapiris produced the quickest side by side Top Doorslammer race in history as Bray’s quicker start line reactions carried him to the win despite both he and Kapiris recording identical 6.120 second elapsed times.

Following the spectacular race a delighted Ben Bray joked, “After I beat Dad in the semi he told me I better win the meeting and he’s the boss. The final was fun but I’m glad my reaction time saved me again. Peter was right there on my door all the way down the track and I was just hanging on and hoping. Before the meeting we said it didn’t matter what happened as long as we stayed first and second in the championship and that’s where we still are but just the other way around now.”

The victory was Ben Bray’s second in a row after winning the iTEL Australian Nationals at Willowbank in Queensland in January. He now has the opportunity of scoring a hat trick when the series returns to Willowbank for the Australian Tin Top Titles on April 25-26.

Australian Top Doorslammer Championship points after four rounds