Tony Marsh’s ‘Maverick’ Doorslammer at Masterton Motorplex’s March meeting. PHOTOS/GRAHAM MEIKLEJOHN
MOTORSPORT
CHRIS COGDALE
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Petrolheads are in for an adrenaline-filled finish to the drag racing season at Masterton Motorplex.
At least six crowd-pleasing Doorslammers, the country’s leading top alcohol cars, and more than 150 cars and bikes will line up for the two-day meeting this weekend, which doubles as the grand final of the joint national series.
That’s great news for Masterton Motorplex president Bob Wilton, who said that having the national finals was a bonus after a season disrupted by covid-19 restrictions.
“It was meant to be the last meeting, but we had to put a cap on entrants at 150, so the governing body didn’t like that idea, and they came back to us and said do you want to run it at this meeting, and we jumped at it,” Wilton said.
One hundred and forty cars have entered so far, including six of the thrilling top Doorslammers.
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“Considering it’s been a higgledy-piggledy season, that’s outstanding and we might end up with more entries.
“I’m really happy with that because all those cars are doing way over 200mph.”
Wilton said the Doorslammers run in the six-second range, and Barry Plumpton’s “The Bullet” was capable of hitting the five-seconds barrier.
New Zealand drag racing legend Tony Marsh in his “Maverick”, Nigel Dixon’s Ford Falcon, Gavin Green from Featherston in his Pontiac Firebird, and Masterton’s Steve Carlsen, who bettered 200mph for the first time at the January meeting, are others lining up in the top Doorslammers.
Kapiti’s Tamara Silk, who became New Zealand’s fastest woman over the quarter-mile at the March meeting, and Simon Fowke in his 1957 Chev funny car will head the top alcohol field.
Wilton hopes for up to 160 cars across the classes, including supercharged outlaw, modified, super sedan, super street, junior dragster, and competition and modified bikes.
The first cars will hit the track for qualifying at 10am tomorrow, with Sunday’s racing starting at 10am.
