John Zappia and his Striker Crushing and Screening Monaro suffered a cruel blow in the first elimination final of Round 2 of the Australian Top Doorslammer Championship at Willowbank International Raceway, with officials shutting him down as he prepared to stage.
"A section of the composite front clip debonded after suffering damage during our second qualifying run the day before, and started flapping due to the exhaust gas flow and sonic pressures", said a disappointed Zap, "crew member Lumpy actually got it tucked in nice and tight behind the dzuz panel after several attempts of securing 100mph speed tape failed to hold it, but it was too late for the officials".
"It was a get out of jail card for my opponent Phillips, who ended up blowing off the tyres on the run. All the final runs ending up way off our usual times as well. Congratulations to my old mate Victor for his win, he really knows his home track well, and I look forward to going head to head with him this year."
"We adopted our standard first qualifier pass on the Friday night - a little fat and soft - just to get in the field. A 6.148 got us third in the list behind favorite Victor, and Kapiris. After a rain interrupted Saturday, we put a tune up in the car that would get us number one qualifying position. All that was about to change due to local conditions that prevailed."
"I took off hard in first and second, hit third - then at about 1,000 feet the car turned violently left. The Striker Monaro glanced the wall fairly hard, despite my efforts to correct the direction. On returning to the pits, we discovered the header pipes were almost destroyed on that side, but the panel damage did not appear that bad."
"I studied the Motec data later, and can confirm the car was on a 5.99 pass up to the point it lost traction. A 6.052 was achieved at only 217mph, as I had got off the wood. That ended up the quickest pass for the meeting, but because we glanced the wall - the run was disqualified."
An all night thrash to rebuild the headers at Gonzo Mufflers had the car ready for the first elimination final, but hidden primary damage in the front clip could not hold up against 3,000 horsepower of blown alcohol exhaust shock waves. Anybody who has stood in the pits while the Zappia Racing team starts up and revs the Hemi, will attest to the strange phenomena of all the sand and dust all around the car rising in the air due to the sonic pressures emitted.
"We have studied video footage, and the Willowbank track around the area the car got loose (including video of Grant O'Rourke on the pass prior to ours who did the same), and data from the Motec computer. Rain obviously affected the track in a repaired area with moisture rising to the surface, and the large drop-off in the track had affected downforce at that point". Zappia admits each track in Australia has a different setup, and Willowbank has taken longer than expected to get it right. "The tune-up is now right, we just have to get the aero package tuned in" said Zap.
"Like in any Group 1 professional class team, we learn from each incident so we can get all the one percent things right for each track, in a national series. It's one thing to know your home track really well, but to have combo's for each track and weather condition takes time."
"We also are constantly looking for higher technology for improvement, as automotive standards are often not up to the rigors of racing. We are turning to aerospace technology for our aero package and composite production, and forming partnerships between sponsors for this. A lot of our new parts that have arrived have substantial engineering improvements - like our new crank is splined and fully supported - a flow on from US Top Fuel technology."
Zappia Racing will compete in the opening meeting of their home Perth Motorplex track on 21st October, before Zap heads to the US to spent time with Pro Mod racers at the NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas Nevada, and the NHRA Finals in Pomona California.
Another local meeting on the 18th November will give the team a chance to further test new combinations, before Round 3 of the Top Doorslammer Championship on 2nd and 3rd December at the Goldenstates Championship
