Transplanted Englishman, Bazz Young has made America home but didn’t mind an Aussie side trip when original driver slated to drive the “Shack Attack” Chevy Camaro, Clint Thompson was stuck down with a stroke. He faced Aaron Hambridge, in the ‘Bandit” Trans Am in the first round and was on the receiving end of low ET of the race – a 5.705/259.41 to his 6.422/234.98. The second round saw him face last year’s winner, Rick Gauci but this time Young was on his game – both leaving on his opponent and then trouncing him with a 5.876/238.89 to a 6.210. The fun wasn’t over thought as the clutch started emitting sparks so much so that Young set off the fire bottles, despite this the car couldn’t be readied in time for the third round.

Aaron Hambridge is a former Top Alcohol participant and of late has been the crew chief for current ANDRA Top Fuel champ, Phil Lamattina. When the chance came up to drive “The Bandit” Pontiac Trans Am he jumped at it and pretty much acquitted himself at the “Night of Fire” event. This saw him run low ET / Top MPH of the race in the first frame with a 5.705/259.51 to turn back Bazz Young in the “Shack Attack” Camaro. The tables turned in the second stanza when, despite grabbing five hundredths off the line, his 8.84 was swamped by Anthony Begley’s 5.779/255.53 from the “Stormtrooper” Mustang. He took a solo in the third round and acquitted himself with a 5.796 at a slowing 203.12 mph.