Brodie Zappia's latest NDRC Series outing was a rollercoaster of emotions. In the first qualifier, his MAX Plant Top Doorslammer roared down the track, a 5.84-second blast that matched his personal best. But the victory was bittersweet as he popped the blower and broke all the blower studs. "Despite not causing major damage it left the team scratching their heads as there was no visible reason for this to happen”, said Brodie.
The second drag racing qualifier resulted in a melted piston and required an engine teardown between rounds to replace a piston, rod and gudgeon pin.
Back on the track, Zappia faced a solo run after his opponent, Frank Taylor, couldn't make the race. He clocked a respectable 5.91 seconds with a safe tune to make sure there was no further damage to the engine.
The second round saw him matched up against Maurice Brennan. Both cars launched well, but Brennan's Commodore proved quicker crossing the finish line with a 5.837 seconds ahead of Brodie's 5.875 to win by 0.047 seconds. The close race, however, was overshadowed by a nerve-wracking moment – a single parachute deployed and Brodie was required to skilfully wrestle the car under control before the sand trap.
Snapping the blower belt on the hit in the B Final against Daniel Gregorini ended up being a lucky escape. “Back at the pits we found a blocked oil hole with a piece of piston obstructing a crank journal, causing a loss of oil pressure”, said Brodie. Had the belt remained intact, catastrophic engine failure would have occurred.
This week, Brodie and his team are rebuilding the engine with fresh components. “The goal is to recapture the momentum from the previous round and continue pushing the car's limits”. A six-week break provides a valuable opportunity to refine the car's setup and address the lingering steering issue. While the car still tends to pull right, it's significantly improved, allowing Brodie to confidently apply more power.
This Saturday, the excitement returns as Brodie and John both compete in the USA Nitro Max event at Perth Motorplex, in the Blown Alcohol Allstars class.
"Last race meet at the Motorplex, I qualified with a 5.80, but the car spluttered a bit at the start, said John, “…running on seven cylinders for a couple of seconds before recovering to eight. That cost us a shot at qualifying into the 5.70s in the Dananni Hotshots/FUCHS Monaro”.
In the first round, John ran a 5.73, so things were looking good. He bumped up the tune for the second round and got a great .059 light against Lisa Gregorini. Unfortunately, the gearbox broke, sending the car into neutral and over-revving the engine. He coasted down the track for an 11-second pass, losing valuable points and knocking him out of the A Final.
“That put me in the C Final against Lisa. Sadly, I red-lit by just -0 .003 seconds and ran a great 5.70” straight down the middle of the track.
This week, “…we're completely rebuilding the engine and performing all the necessary maintenance. We're also experimenting with some new ideas to further improve the car's performance”, said John.
“Our primary focus this weekend is reliability. The car is already incredibly fast, capable of running in the 5.70s and the 5.60s, but we need to ensure it can consistently make it down the track without any mechanical failures. We're hoping we have found a reliable combination for this race weekend and we'll be able to gather some valuable data before the Westernationals".
“…We are looking forward to seeing many of our sponsors and supporters coming down to the pits to say hello to both teams”, said John.
Zappia Racing will have Brodie’s new sub shirts for sale in the merchandise tent and they are available online at https://www.zappiaracing.com/category/all-products
Website: www.zappiaracing.com
Facebook: Zappia Racing
YouTube: www.YouTube.com/@zappiaracing
NAMING RIGHTS SPONSORS BOTH DRIVERS
MAJOR SPONSORS BOTH DRIVERS
SUPPORTING SPONSORS BOTH DRIVERS