What
I love about drag racing
Welcome to my first ADRMOnline column and the opportunity to introduce
Group Three side of drag racing.
I plan to present some interesting stories with a bit of a grizzle and
grumble and hopefully some answers to the grizzle and grumble.
The Tin Tops has just been completed. More about that event in my next
column.
Unfortunately, due to business commitments, the Real Deal Motor Sports
Insurance team will not be at the coming Nitro Champs at WSID, which we
are a bit disappointed with considering the event is now a Rocket
AllStars round after the rained-out Summernationals.
The last time we ventured south to Sydney was for the Summernationals in
February and before that the Fuchs Australian Nationals last September,
which was called-off after qualifying was completed, also due to rain.
WSID have had bad luck with the weather over recent months, so let’s
hope the Nitro Champs will be rain free and everyone has a great event.
Speaking of the Nationals, from Hero to Zero or the Penthouse to the
Outhouse is the best way to describe that event for us.
With the Lexus Piranha Genuine Parts Real Deal Motor Sports Insurance
Hot Rod running a career best, 7.42sec at 178mph qualifier, we were in
one of the best positions of our racing career and were as keen as
mustard to attempt to win our second elusive ANDRA Gold Christmas Tree.
And equal our close friend Wardy (John Ward), who had the indecency to
beat us in the second round at last year’s Winternationals at
Willowbank and then went on to win two Gold Christmas Trees and deny us
of our first Australian title.
This is what I love about drag racing, the fact that your best friend
can be your toughest competitor.
Whether it is Supercharged Outlaw or any of the other Sportsman
brackets, we have forged tremendous friendships all over Australia.
I have lost count of the number of competitors who have been in and out
of our trailer, which has a considerable amount of spares, over the
years. That's what you do; you help out your competitors, as you want to
beat them on the track not in the pits.
We are currently in third in the championship and with any luck; we will
still be in third place after the Nitro Champs. Then it will come down
to the Winternationals and Piranha Genuine Parts Real Deal Motor Sports
Insurance team will have another chance at winning our first Australian
title and get our hands on one of those elusive ANDRA Gold Christmas
Trees.
Now for the Grizzle and Grumble.
Pleaseeeee.... Jim R (Read) and Tony B (Buek), how about investing in a
gas continuous hot water system for the shower block, similar to what
they use in motels and caravan parks.
Those cold showers really wreck your day and don't cool down your
temper. It is magnificent having the shower block, but when you can only
manage one hot shower all weekend it doesn't make you want to come back.
Surely there is some money in the budget to rectify this. The racers who
provide the entertainment would thank you eternally for a warm shower in
winter.
There are many thankless jobs drag racing volunteers endure, both on
race day and prior to the event starting.
One of those jobs happens to be the allocation of pit bays.
I have never been good with rules, especially when the rules don't suit
the situation and have strict guidelines in place with no room to
accommodate different competitor needs.
If you turn up and use the same tow car for both your racecar and
trailer, then you can get by with three pit bays.
But in our case, after travelling 24 hours in a 19 metre long heavy
transport combination, and upon finally arriving in Sydney we have to
beg, buy or borrow a tow car, it is just impossible to fit our rig and
race car tow car in the standard allocated three bays.
I realise that there is not enough room available for everyone to be
allocated four sites, but surely some consideration has to be given to
teams who have semi-trailer operations only, there is no other
alternative.
I know track officials do a great job and are under a lot of pressure,
but surely it must be possible to introduce a system where competitors
can submit a case as to why they may require further sites, either by
providing photos or a layout of their entourage justifying why they
require further sites.
This, I believe, would alleviate complications in the future and ease
disgruntled competitors nerves.
To be continued.
Peter Peirano