BATTLE OF THE SEXES, BRANDS FOR PRO STREET GLORY THIS WEEKEND

17 March 2014

When Willowbank Raceway plays host to the Australian Pro Street Association’s Pro Street Shootout this Saturday 22 March 2014, local racers Janelle Scott and Tony O’Connor will be going head to head in a battle for the title of Australia’s fastest True Street racer.

This weekend’s Pro Street Shootout comes hot on the heels of the second round of Willowbank Raceway’s QLD Drag Racing Championship held on Saturday 15 March, which included the debut of the new Donnelly Blasting Services QDRC Outlaws bracket – for full results from that event, please see further in this press release or click here. 

Three-time and defending APSA True Street Champion Scott became the fastest True Street racer in the country and the first into the ‘eights’ when she laid down a 8.98 second pass and then a 8.96 second result aboard her 1977 Chev-powered LX Torana Hatch at Sydney Dragway in May 2013.

However it wasn’t long before the Stockleigh resident saw the accolade snatched away, when developing True Street star O’Connor of Springwood officially set down an 8.80 second pass aboard his Ford XD Falcon at Sydney’s Pro Street Grand Finale in November.

Each racer is sure they can do it again, setting the stage for a thrilling on-track battle of not only the sexes but also ‘the brands’ as the Pro Street Championship enjoys its first outing for 2014 at Willowbank Raceway this weekend.

“Going into the eights in Sydney not once but twice was a mind-blowing milestone. It was a goal we had really been aiming for and to achieve it was just awesome and since then I have been able to run eights at each track I have raced at including my home track of Willowbank Raceway,” said 49 year old Scott, a car parts sales representative with All Carbitz who is supported on track by her husband Colin and Janelle Scott Racing crew member Brett Reilly.

“When Tony went faster to take the record it was certainly expected and I hope it to be a fun challenge with him this weekend at Willowbank – it is home turf for both of us and it is obvious that he is a very tough competitor with a lot of power in a very purpose built car.

“The competition in this class is definitely on the increase - winning three championships hasn’t been easy, each and every year has become more difficult and in 2014 the competition is going to be even more fierce.

“At the moment we are playing the 2014 Pro Street season by ear as we seek to lock in some sponsorship to allow us to go to all of the rounds, but I can say for sure that we will be shooting to take back that record as a start! If we can be there for the whole season we will be – this sport is an absolute addiction, my Torana has more bonnets than I do shoes!”

For O’Connor – an engine builder for his own business Toca Performance - Janelle is a respected opponent and one he will be very mindful of as he hits the track this Saturday.

“Janelle and her team are awesome racers and are definitely a big threat on-track, as three-time champions they know what it takes and she is a great driver, they are very passionate and I really respect that - I know they won’t take me snatching the record away lying down so I am expecting some great competition this weekend,” said 51 year old O’Connor, who is supported on track by his son and crew chief Nathan as well as sponsors Toca Performance, Precise Automatics, Wizard Fabrications, Race Car Engineering, Pat’s Pro Restos, Newstar Service Centre, Wishart and ACT Diff Dr.

“It is the classic Ford versus Chevy battle, I work with all kinds of engines in my business Toca Performance but I have a real passion for Fords, so I am glad to be able to fly the flag for the Ford camp in my own way.

“Heading to Willowbank Raceway for the Pro Street Shootout I will be looking to re-set the record and I am pretty confident we can do it – before I set the 8.80 second pass in Sydney I ran a 8.70 second result in private testing at Willowbank – hopefully we can duplicate those results and at the same time, get our championship chase off to a good start.

“We will certainly have a target on our back this weekend as the record holders – the competition is extreme in this class and the level of performance across the board is continually stepping up, I think in a couple of years you will be looking at 8.30 second results for those who have the budget, the potential is already here in the field.”

Joining Scott, O’Connor and their fellow True Street racers on track this Saturday will be more than 100 racers across the Outlaw 10.5, Outlaw Extreme, Pro Street Blown, Pro Street Unblown, Mod Street Blown, Mod Street Unblown, Radial Outlaw, X275, Pro Street Bike and DYO brackets. The on-track action will kick off from 10.00am with qualifying, with racing getting underway from 2.30pm.  Spectator tickets are available at the gate for $25 for adults and $20 for students with ID, while children aged 13 and under gain free entry.  For full event information, please visit www.willowbankraceway.com.au
 
This weekend’s pro street festivities follow hot on the heels of the second round of the Queensland Drag Racing Championship held at the Raceway on Saturday 15 March. During that event more than 140 racers took to the track, with Tony Bellert (QDRC SuperComp), Chris Van't Hof (Donnelly Blasting Services QDRC Outlaws), Kellie Kidd (Kniff Earthmoving Modified), Allan Grimsey (Powercruise Super Sedan), Rob Price (Prime Signs/Speed Elec Super Street), Peter Jones (Modified Bike), Tim Barron (Junior Dragster) and Dave Gauldie (Super Gas) taking victory. For full event results, please click here.

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

UPCOMING EVENT INFORMATION: PRO STREET SHOOTOUT – SATURDAY 22 MARCH 2014
Featuring racing from: Outlaw 10.5, Outlaw Extreme, Pro Street Blown, Pro Street Unblown, Mod Street Blown, Mod Street Unblown, Radial Outlaw, X275, True Street, Pro Street Bike, DYO

Schedule:

• Gates Open 7.00am
• Qualifying from 10.00am
• Racing from 2.30pm

Admission:

• Adults: $25.00
• Students with ID: $20.00
• Children 13 and under gain free entry

What to expect:

• True Street Cars: ‘full steel’ cars which are mostly street registered and must be driven back to the pits (rather than towed) after completing their pass. Most of these cars run the quarter-mile in the nine second bracket.
• X275 and Radial Outlaw: Over-powered street configured cars running huge power with no wheelie bars and running on street tyres only.
• Pro Street Bike: Street configured bikes pushing the limits with gorgeous paint, chrome, extended swing arms, fat tyres and incredible power, using highly modified production engines and power adders such as nitrous, superchargers and turbos.
• Modified Street Cars: This class boasts standard chassis and standard suspension cars but with enormous horsepower, running in the low seven second range over the quarter mile at close to 300kph. Ever wondered how far you can push a production configured car? Mod Street is all about testing those limits.
• Pro Street Cars: Gorgeous ‘tubbed’ 2500HP three quarter chassis monsters. Big tyres, gorgeous paint work and awesome launches.
• 10.5 Outlaw Cars: No rules ‘Outlaws’, these mad men want to put as much horsepower as possible through a 10.5 inch tyred animal, many boast more than 3000 horsepower and run into the six second bracket.
• Outlaw Extreme: this new exhibition class is a ‘no bars held’ class with minimal rules being swinging doors and no Nitro fuel, including blown doorslammers, turbo pro mods and anything else with swinging doors