hile 16-car fields are the norm in American competition, outside of the States it is a different story. Australia has a population that is only one 15th the size of America and as such doesn’t have an endless number of competitors to call from. Despite this the recent Tin Top Titles at Willowbank Raceway saw the first 16-car Top Doorslammer field and only the second running of a 16-car Pro Stock bracket.
The Tin Tops has been Australia’s best known pure sedan event and despite unseasonable cold night conditions the race was hailed as a rousing success.
Overall ANDRA Pro Stock (using smaller 400 cube small block engines) has at best been uncertain. In the past the bracket was lucky to attract three cars let alone 16, but since the opening of Western Sydney International Dragway the fields have been growing and are now bigger than ever. Ditto for the Pro Modified-inspired Top Doorslammer bracket that, like the local version of Pro Stock, has proved to be a runaway success.
Prior to the event, speculation was rife that in excess of 20 competitors would enter each bracket but in the end only 16 cars qualified for the blown bracket with one extra doing licensing. Seventeen cars were received in the Pro Stock bracket as well and with ANDRA points were up for grabs in the penultimate round of the two championships. As it turned out by the end of eliminations on Saturday night two new Australian champs were to be crowned.
Qualifying in Top Doorslammer was a bit of a hit and miss affair mainly due to the colder than normal weather that saw deteriorating track conditions. Gary Phillips’ Lucas Oils Studebaker was one of only a handful of drivers that actually made it to the end of the quarter in the first round of qualifying, and his 6.13/238 mph pass was the quickest at that stage.
 Once again Sean Misfud flew Camp Stanley out to assist with the tune up of his Mike Janis motored Willys. His input paid dividends as the Sydney driver took the biggest win of his career over 15 other doorslammers. |
 This match up between Brett Steven’s Falcon (far lane) and Stuart Bishop’s Camaro was more than a loss for Stevens as it handed the 2008 Top Doorslammer championship to John Zappia. |
The second qualifying session saw John Zappia, in the Striker Crushing Monaro, step up and his 6.15/234 went to No. 2 with Sean Misfud’s Willys on a 6.190. The gorgeous Chevy Nomad of Ray Bernard was fourth with a 6.196. Due to a slick track the final qualifying session was held over to 1 pm on race day.
As can be seen from the blower thrown to one side, Aaron Lynch’s last qualifier came at the cost, but his 6.15 on this run put him solidly into the show.
Castrol driver Victor Bray did so much clutch and gearbox damage here on his final qualifying pass that he could not return for his first round race with eventual runner Maurice Fabietti.
Zappia was to go to the top of the class thanks to a no-nonsense 6.03/241 mph daytime blast. Phillips was happy with his previous 6.13 while Brett Stevens in the Jack Daniels Falcon cranked out a third best 6.151. A blower-throwing 6.153 from Aaron Lynch’s B&L Steel Corvette was to be good enough for fourth. Misfud and Bernard could not better their previous times while Castrol legend Victor Bray used an input shaft-breaking 6.202 for seventh with Peter Kapris’ Studebaker rounding out the top eight with a 6.29.