Gary Sinkinson’s Chevy Nova. PHOTOS/STEVE VIRTUE
MOTORSPORT
CHRIS COGDALE
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The popular Outlaw 71 class will take centre stage at the season’s first competition drag race meeting at the Masterton Motorplex this weekend.
Outlaw 71 is a relatively new race class exclusively for supercharged cars.
The cars cannot be carburetted, or alcohol powered, and there are tight time constraints around the class.
The cars must run quicker than eight seconds, but slower than 6.5 seconds for the quarter-mile.
Qualifying is based on reaction time, and the racing is Dial Your Own time format, where drivers nominate a time and try and get as close as possible to it.
It is also racer return, so all vehicles in the class come out and race in each round, win or lose.
There is extra incentive this year, with Outlaw 71 organisers Gavin Doughty and Tod Aitken putting up prize money of $1000 for the winner of each round, and $500 for the runner-up.
Points are allocated for each of the five meetings over the season, which culminates at the Masterton Motorplex’s meeting in March 2021.
Wairarapa drivers Neville Gadd, in his Nailer front engine dragster, and Steve ‘Cowboy’ Carlson in his Falcon Sprint are among the 20 drivers expected in the Outlaw 71 class.
Gary Sinkinson, in a newly-imported Chevy Nova, Mark Gapp [41 Willys Coupe], and John ‘JD’ Shepherd in the ‘Nasty Bug’ VW are others who will line up over the two days of racing.
While Outlaw 71 is a relatively new class in just its third season, the old-time drag racing fan will love it as the class is based on traditional black belt supercharged cars, typically known as the ‘71’ series of superchargers.
As well as the feature Outlaw 71 class, Wilton said there would be racing in all the other classes.
“That goes from the group one cars right down to the junior dragsters,” he said.
“It is not a national round though, but it is part of our series, and we’re probably going to have around 150 to 160 cars.”
Wilton has his fingers crossed for dry weather and hot temperatures so the drivers can post fast times and push for records on the super-fast track.
Racing starts tomorrow at 10am and Sunday at 9am.
