JUST FOUR SLEEPS UNTIL NEW 3 ROUND FORMAT HITS QLD’S PREMIER DRAG RACING FACILITY
25 March 2013
Just four sleeps remain until the revolutionary new Santo’s Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race event gets started at Queensland’s premier drag racing facility, Willowbank Raceway, this Easter.
The Good Friday, Easter Saturday (29-30 March) represents a new approach to the sport of drag racing in Australia, with a tight schedule forcing a focus on action-packed entertainment centred around a high-stakes racing program which demands the best from its racers.
Each day, the gates will open at 3.00pm, with the first on-track action at 4.00pm and the Top Fuel and Top Alcohol brackets making their first appearances of the day at 5.00pm. Racing will then be frantic, with the finals each night expected to run at 9.00pm.
16 Australian racers will be joined on-track by US drag racing royalty Larry Dixon – the second most successful driver in NHRA Top Fuel history – for no less than two rounds of the ANDRA Top Fuel and Top Alcohol championships in just two days.
Willowbank Raceway Managing Director Steve Bettes said the excitement had kicked up a notch since the arrival of Dixon in Australia on Friday.
“With Dixon touching down on Friday morning following the arrival of the rest of the US team including his celebrated NHRA crew chief Lee Beard on Thursday, there is a real feeling of building anticipation around the Raceway at the moment,” said Bettes.
“Everyone is watching this event to see how it pans out, our race format will demand the best of the racers and the tight schedule will promise a action-packed and frantic race schedule for the fans.
“Much like the Twenty20 format revolutionised cricket, we hope this new approach will provide something different for the Australian drag racing fraternity and its devoted public, and make for a special Easter celebration indeed!”
The Santo’s Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race event will also feature the inaugural Louie Rapisarda Top Fuel Trophy Race, in memory of event sponsor and Rapisarda International Autosport principal Santo Rapisarda’s son and Top Fuel racer Louie, who passed away in 1990.
“While all eyes are on the new format, there will also be a keen following across the weekend on the Louie Rapisarda Top Fuel Trophy,” said Bettes.
“This trophy will be awarded to the most successful Top Fuel racer across both days, in memory and honour of Louie Rapisarda – the son of event sponsor Santo Rapisarda – who passed away as a young Top Fuel racer back in 1990.
“Louie has never been forgotten by Australia’s drag racing community and so we are honoured to be able to host this special challenge as part of our Easter festivities here at Willowbank Raceway.”
Announced at the end of 2012, the Santo’s Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race concept, featuring the Louie Rapisarda Top Fuel Trophy Race will see professional drag racing return to the Easter timeslot (29-30 March 2013) at Queensland’s premier drag racing facility for the first time in years.
The concept will operate on the idea of two individual championship rounds in one event for the Top Fuel and Top Alcohol categories, with a winner to be crowned on both the Friday and the Saturday of the event.
Seventeen competitors boasting 29 major season championships between them will take to the track across the Top Fuel and Top Alcohol brackets – including US Top Fuel star Larry Dixon, the second most successful Top Fuel driver in NHRA Top Fuel history, who will be joined at Willowbank Raceway by his celebrated NHRA crew chief Lee Beard in the Rapisarda Autosport International team.
Racing will begin with the first pass for all Top Fuel and Top Alcohol cars at approximately 5.00pm followed by an elimination round for all cars later in the evening. From this round, the third and fourth quickest winners will proceed to the ‘Preliminary Final’ while the two quickest winners battle it out in ‘The Final’, as per the Special 3 Round Format ratified this season in the ANDRA rulebook.
Once the winner is crowned on Friday, the full field for each bracket will get ready to do it all over again on Saturday, while the winner for the Louie Rapisarda Top Fuel Trophy will be decided at the conclusion of racing on day two using the combined points from both Friday and Saturday.
Joining the Top Fuel and Top Alcohol racers on-track will be an array of sportsman competitors across the Outlaw 10.5, Pro/Modified Street Blown and a range of fixed index, heads-up pro start categories; who will complete three qualifying sessions on Friday 29 March before racing in a Chicago Shootout plus final format on Saturday 30 March.
Willowbank Raceway is Queensland’s premier drag racing facility, located 45 minutes from Brisbane or just a short drive from Ipswich, offering a year-round program of events for the entire family. For more information including a full event calendar, please visit www.willowbankraceway.com.au
EVENT INFORMATION: Santo’s Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race – 29 and 30 March 2013
For more information, full race schedules or to purchase tickets please visit www.willowbankraceway.com.au
Feature racing from: Top Fuel, Top Alcohol
Racing also from: Outlaw 10.5, Pro/Modified Street Blown and the following fixed index, heads-up pro start categories: 6.90, 7.90, 8.90 and 9.50.
Ticket and grandstand seating prices:
Please note: Concession = age and disability pension holders only
Friday 29 March 2013
- General Admission (Adult) - $35.00
- General Admission (Student/Concession) - $30.00 – must show ID
Saturday 30 March 2013
- General Admission (Adult) - $35.00
- General Admission (Student/Concession) - $30.00 – must show ID
Two day passes (available for pre-purchase via www.willowbankraceway.com.au only)
- General Admission (Adult) 2 day pass - $60.00
- General Admission (Student/Concession) 2 day pass - $50.00 – must show ID
Race format
Top Fuel and Top Alcohol
The Super 3 Extreme Drag Race concept will operate on the idea of two individual championship rounds in one event, with a winner to be crowned on both the Friday and the Saturday of the event. Racing will begin with the first pass for all cars at approximately 5.00pm followed by an elimination round for all cars later in the evening. From this round, the third and fourth quickest winners will proceed to the ‘Preliminary Final’ while the two quickest winners battle it out in ‘The Final’, as per the Special 3 Round Format ratified this season in the ANDRA rulebook. Once the winner is crowned on Friday, the full field for each bracket will get ready to do it all over again on Saturday.
All other categories
All sportsman categories will complete three qualifying passes on Friday 29 March, before Saturday 30 March sees all sportsman brackets run a Chicago Shootout format with all competitors to race three rounds with the two best performing racers to make it into the final. At the completion of the bracket rounds, a count back will be made to establish the finalists.
Schedule
Friday and Saturday 29 and 30 March 2013 (All times approximate and subject to change):
- Gates open to public – 3.00pm
- On track action from 4.00pm
- Top Fuel and Top Alcohol ‘qualifying round’ – from 5.00pm
- Top Fuel and Top Alcohol ‘elimination round’ – from 7.00pm
- All finals from 9.00pm