Perth-based drag racer, Robin Judd, is determined to take an early lead in the Top Doorslammer championship when the 2009/2010 ANDRA Pro Series starts at Willowbank Raceway near Ipswich, Qld, on August 8 and 9.

Judd, who was runner-up in the championship series last season, is keen to win the opening Doorslammer round at the Blown Alcohol Championship at Willowbank to deny defending and back-to-back champion John Zappia from winning a record seven consecutive Doorslammer championship series events.

Perth-based drag racer, Robin Judd, is determined to take an early lead in the Top Doorslammer championship when the 2009/2010 ANDRA Pro Series starts at Willowbank Raceway near Ipswich, Qld, on August 8 and 9.

Judd, who was runner-up in the championship series last season, is keen to win the opening Doorslammer round at the Blown Alcohol Championship at Willowbank to deny defending and back-to-back champion John Zappia from winning a record seven consecutive Doorslammer championship series events.

After a season-long battle with Zappia, Judd, who reached four finals last season in his William Buck/K & B Exclusive ’59 Studebaker only to come runner-up in each to nemesis Zappia, knows he has to take an early championship points lead.    

“It is a new season and we are all starting with a clean sheet of paper,” Judd said.

“After we challenged him early last season, Zap (Zappia) lifted the bar, winning all six finals and taking the national elapse time record back off us. It is clear to me that to win the championship, we have to not only go to finals, but win them.    

“Zap will be wearing a target this season, my William Buck/K & B Exclusive team will be going after him, as will other teams who have looked at what Zap did last season and want to close the gap.

“We know we will have to be on our game right from the first event. Going to the final and winning the event is the start we will be looking for.”    

But first Judd and indeed Zappia must qualify in the eight-car Doorslammer field in order to leave Willowbank with a win and maximum championship points.

With 16 cars entered for the event, Judd, who was the first Australian Doorslammer racer to run a 5.8-second pass (at Perth Motorplex in November last year) believes qualifying will be tight and could see the first 5.7-second Doorslammer pass.

At Willowbank last season, Zappia won all three championship events, while Judd was runner-up at all three. Judd’s quickest-ever pass at Willowbank is 5.907sec, while Zappia’s is 5.858sec. Judd has run 11 five-second passes at Willowbank and Zappia 14.

“After breaking into the zone, Zap consistently ran 5.8-seconds last season, we have done likewise, but we have to be more consistent. Ben Bray ran a 5.8-second pass while testing at Willowbank recently and Maurice (Fabietti) showed he wasn’t far away at the Winternationals, running low 5.9sec passes.

“With Ben and Maurice now running quick, I hope they can help me combat Zap as we have been on our own trying to do it. With that comes more challenges for us, but we look forward to it.

“This season is going to be tight and any team that wins events and ultimately the championship will have to consistently run five-second passes, even low 5.8-seconds and perhaps even dipping into the 5.7sec zone,” Judd said.   

Judd and Zappia have recorded the only two side-by-side five-second and quickest-ever side-by-side passes in Australia at Willowbank when Zappia ran a 5.858sec and Judd a 5.946sec at the Tin Top Titles final in April and when Zappia (5.909) and Judd (5.943) met in the Winternationals final in June.

The Tin Top pass earned the pair a Willowbank Raceway ‘Best Paired Run’ award.  

Judd (240.77mph) and Fabietti (248.07mph) also ran the country’s second fastest side-by-side pass at the Tin Tops.

 

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