DOBSON AND PHILLIPS TRIUMPH AS SANTO’S SUPER 3 EXTREME GETS READY TO DO IT ALL AGAIN SATURDAY
19 April 2014
Day one (April 18) of the Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race presented by Uplift Cranes and Titan Cranes has delivered an emotional win for the Rapisarda International Autosport team with driver Allan Dobson claiming the Top Fuel A Final win in the event that pays special homage to the late son of his Team Principal Santo Rapisarda.
The event action continues Saturday (19 April) with further competition for all brackets on track from 5.00pm, including a second ANDRA championship round for Top Fuel and Titan Cranes Top Alcohol.
After delivering an exciting side-by-side run earlier in qualifying, Allan Dobson and local Steve ‘The Pom’ Read (of Raceview) faced off against each other in the A Final after each punched out consistently strong passes across the evening, with Dobson taking the win courtesy of a 4.677 second pass at 312.42mph.
“It was a terrific night, the crew and the crew chief Santino, they really got the tune up going well and their workmanship was fantastic, and they are really A Class this meeting, I am very proud of them and I hope they are very proud of themselves,” said West Australian Dobson, who has raced for the Rapisarda team for many years.
The Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race Event hosts not only two rounds of ANDRA championship racing for Top Fuel and Titan Cranes Top Alcohol, but also the battle for the Louie Rapisarda Top Fuel Trophy in honour of Top Fuel racer Louie Rapisarda – son of Santo Rapisarda – who passed away in 1990. The trophy will be awarded to the Top Fuel racer who accumulates the most points over the two days of competition.
“The car went flawlessly, because it is such an emotional race meeting for me being Louie’s memorial and for me wanting to try and win it for Santo I was very conscious of not over-doing it and mucking up, so I just let the love and the passion work for me,” said Dobson.
“It was an honour to take the trophy for Santo’s beautiful son Louie who passed in 1990. I just really want to thank Santo for supporting the sport and allowing me to drive that great race car in such an important race meeting that means so much to him.”
The Top Fuel B Final saw Damien Harris take to the track for the win while he was joined on-track by Phil Lamattina on an exhibition pass when there was no fourth quickest winner from the field. Also in Top Fuel, Peter Xiberras will join the field for Saturday’s day two after completing his licensing requirements today with a 4.808 second effort at 285.23 miles per hour.
In Titan Cranes Top Alcohol, local racers Debbie O’Rourke (Joyner) and Gary Phillips (Hillcrest) faced off in the A Final, with both racers overcoming issues throughout the evening. 17-time national champion Phillips lived up to his reputation, blazing down the quarter-mile with a 5.619 second pass at 239.91mph to take the win while O’Rourke spun the tyres off the start to abort her run early.
“On the first run I hit the centre line after picking the front wheels up, but before that it was so close to having a great run so we left the set-up for the second run and headed into that one knowing it was a ‘must win’ as John (Cannuli) can run well – we went out there and ran our own race and it responded just as it should,” said Phillips.
“It was then on to the final and it all worked out well – it didn’t hurt anything and I was able to keep that engine alive, which is what Lucas Oils pays me for!” laughed Phillips. “The team and I are now looking forward to tomorrow, there will be more of the same and some great action, so everyone should come out to Willowbank Raceway!”
In the Titan Cranes Top Alcohol B Final Steve Reed took on Steven Ham, with Ham taking the win courtesy of a blistering 5.525 second pass at an amazing 263.31 miles per hour (approx. 423 km/h)
Also on track today at Willowbank Raceway were racers from Pro Street, Super 8, Super 7 and Super 6 with all brackets completing qualifying ahead of racing Saturday as well as exhibition passes from Top Doorslammer and Top Fuel Motorcycle. Top Qualifying were Stuart Henry (Pro Street), Glen Finegan (Super 8), Phil Bellert (Super 7) and Tony Bellert (Super 6).
Full results from today’s action at Willowbank Raceway are available here.
The action for the Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race, presented by Uplift Cranes and Titan Cranes, continues on Saturday 19 April 2014 with another ANDRA championship round to be run and won for Top Fuel and Titan Cranes Top Alcohol.
From 5.00pm to 9.30pm (approximately) these national show-stoppers will be supported by a fast-paced and action-packed program of entertainment including Top Fuel Motorcycles, Top Doorslammers, Pro Street and three closely-matched categories amid a flurry of on-track light and audio-visual theatrics. For information on the race formats, please see the ‘event information’ further in this release or click here.
Spectator tickets for the Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race presented by Uplift Cranes and Titan Cranes are available at the gate at just $35.00 for adults and $30.00 for students/concession card holders with ID, while children aged 13 and under gain free admission. For more information, go to www.willowbankraceway.com.au
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 SUPER 3 EXTREME DRAG RACE, PRESENTED BY UPLIFT CRANES AND TITAN CRANES – 18 and 19 April, 2014
Featuring racing from: Top Fuel, Titan Cranes Top Alcohol, Pro Street, Super 8, Super 7 and Super 6, plus demonstration racing from Top Fuel Motorcycles and Top Doorslammers
For more information, full race schedules or to purchase tickets please visit www.willowbankraceway.com.au
Spectator entry -Please note: Concession = age and disability pension holders only
Easter Saturday – 19 April 2014
- General Admission (Adult) - $35.00
- General Admission (Student/Concession) - $30.00 – must show ID
Schedule
Saturday 19 April 2014 (All times approximate and subject to change):
- Gates open to public – 3.00pm
- On track action from 5.00pm until approximately 9.30pm each day
Race format
Top Fuel and Titan Cranes 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 ‘B Final while the two quickest winners battle it out in ‘A Final’, as per the Special 3 Round Format ratified by ANDRA in 2013. 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 support categories will complete three qualifying passes on Friday 18 April, before Saturday 19 April sees all support 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.
The Louie Rapisarda Top Fuel Trophy Race
The Louie Rapisarda Top Fuel Trophy Race is open to all Top Fuel competitors at the Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race event and is in honour of Top Fuel driver Louie Rapisarda, son of Santo Rapisarda, who passed away in 1990. The special commemorative trophy will be awarded to the Top Fuel driver who at the end of Saturday’s racing has the highest accumulative points across Friday and Saturday’s proceedings. If there is a tie, the Trophy will go to the driver in the tie with the lowest elapsed time of the event. In 2013, the Louie Rapisarda Top Fuel Trophy was awarded to local Top Fuel veteran Steve Read of Raceview, who also emerged victorious on both the Friday and Saturday of the event’s ANDRA championship rounds.