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Drag Racing Stories

Sep 20, 2005
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John Zappia Smashes Into the Fives in Top Doorslammer

By David Cook

Perth, Australia drag racer John Zappia set a world record in winning the Top Doorslammer category at the ACDelco East Coast Nationals, run over the weekend of September 16-18 at Western Sydney International Dragway (WSID).

Zappia, driving his HQ Holden Monaro with a Whipple-blown 513 WAR engine, came from behind in the final against Queenslander Gary Phillips, to finish with an elapsed time of 5.967 seconds, the first time such a car has run under 6.00 seconds anywhere in the world.

The barrier has been under challenge around the world for the past four years, but nobody had been able to break the barrier on methanol, despite numerous close calls, until this event.

Zappia’s achievement, which came with a finish line speed of 241.97 mph, bettered a whole bunch of 6.0-second times on the freshly ground WSID surface.

The race itself was a fitting climax to a great bracket, with Phillips laying on a 0.096 to .210 holeshot and storming to his own 6.098/234.25 but being rounded up on the finish line by Zappia’s top end charge for a margin of victory of 0.174 sec, barely half a bonnet length.

Zappia’s increments were 1.029 for the 60ft, 2.655 at the 330ft, 3.939 and 193.95mph at the 660ft, and 5.038 at the 1000ft. He had earlier run times of 6.08/237, 6.017/239 and 6.02/240, with the national record being reset by that final round 5.967.

The quietly spoken Zappia received a cheque for $10,000 from fellow Top Doorslammer racer Dennis Brijeski for the accomplishment. Brijeski had earlier run a 6.05 in his own Murray Anderson-built Camaro.

The ACDelco East Coast Nationals, officially launched by NSW state Premier Morris Iemma, was the first round of the 2005-2006 Australian Drag Racing Series, and was contested by racers from across Australia and New Zealand.

 

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