PERFECT PROWSE WINS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

A near capacity crowd packed into Willowbank Raceway today (Sunday 10 th June) for the largest Drag Racing event outside North America, the Winternationals, to witness the finale of the 2006/2007 Australian Drag Racing Championship.

Fans were not disappointed either when Drag Racing rookie Dion Prowse from the Brett Stevens Racing team created history by completing a perfect season with 5 wins from 5 events in the professional Pro Stock Motorcycle bracket.

Riding his S&S Powered Pro Stock Buell and needing only to qualify for the Elimination Rounds to win the National Championship in his debut year, Prowse didn't stop there as he went on to win the Winternationals crown to cap off his perfect season.

“To win just one Group One Drag Racing event is a great achievement for any racer, so to go through my very first season undefeated is just amazing,” Prowse said.

“I can't thank Brett Stevens and the S&S team enough for giving me the opportunity to race such a superb machine and their efforts in getting me where I am today.”

“It has been an incredible year from start to finish and I am just glad I have been able to reward everyone's faith in me with the Championship trophy.”

“I would also like to thank my crew chief Hoody (Mark Hood) and also Charlie (Hadayia) from S&S for their invaluable support and knowledge throughout the year and hope I can keep it up in the new season when it starts in September.”

Team owner and Drag Racing legend Brett ‘The Boss' Stevens also capped off another successful year for the seasoned racer finishing runner up in the Australian Top Alcohol Championship in his Kitten Car Care Products Funny Car.

Coming into the event Stevens was trailing Sydney's Wayne Newby but has been the form competitor in the back half of the season and closed the gap to just 35 points. The pair then faced off for what would result in the Championship with Newby edging Stevens out by a mere 76 thousandths of a second.

Despite not being able to take Top Alcohol Title, Stevens was the man to beat all weekend in Top Bike after Top Qualifying his Jack Daniel's Racing Nitro Harley, and followed this effort up with a win over team mate Troy McLean in the all Jack Daniel's Racing Final.

“First off I would like to congratulate Dion (Prowse) and all of my S&S Racing Pro Stock Motorcycle team for their fantastic unbeaten debut season,” Stevens said.

“I would also like to thank my Kitten Car Care Products Funny Car team for their tireless work putting in a sensational effort to get me this close to taking the Top Alcohol Championship.”

“Unfortunately we fell just short but well done to Wayne (Newby) and his team for taking the Title with a great fight.”

“To finish the Winternationals though with an all Jack Daniel's Racing Final in Top Bike with myself just taking the honours from Troy (McLean) has just about made up for it.”

“This also meant that Troy finished runner up in the National Championship, well done mate for a great consistent effort all year, and to all my crews on both my cars and bikes for their invaluable support, I really appreciate your efforts and wouldn't be able to do what I do without you.”

Despite the team's success in the other racing brackets, the teams Top Doorslammers struggled to get the right setup for the cold track conditions, overpowering the track all weekend in their 3000 horsepower Falcons.

The first full season for the all new Australian designed and built Brett Stevens Racing Falcon Doorslammers was however a resounding success with Stevens finishing the season in his Jack Daniel's Racing car in 4 th position, Steve Packman with his all new SP Racing livery finishing his debut season inside the Top 10 and as the leading rookie, and Kath Stevens in the second Jack Daniels Racing Falcon just behind in 11 th position.

At the opening round of the 2005/2006 Championship season in September 2005, Brett once again re-set the Australian Harley Davidson Speed Record when he powered to a 215 mph (347 kph) pass.

At the Australia Day Ceremony in January 2006 Stevens was honoured with an Australia Day Award for Sports Person of the Year for the Caboolture Shire.

In February 2006 Brett again set a World standard when he became the only person to ever make three Finals in three separate Drag Racing brackets at the same event. The end result was Brett winning Top Bike and Top Doorslammer, and was runner up in Top Alcohol.

May 2006 saw Brett re-set the Australian Top Alcohol Funny Car record to 5.60 seconds.

At the season ending 2006 Winternationals in June, Brett won both the Top Bike and Top Alcohol brackets (his fifth ‘double win' of his career), and re-set the Australian Harley Davidson Record at 6.50 seconds. This result also placed him Runner Up in both the Top Bike and Top Alcohol National Championships.

Stevens also divot's a lot of his time and resources to charity involvement's including the Kids with Cancer Foundation, Variety Club, Victoria's operation Drag Safe, Queensland's Blue Light Drag and the Northern Territories Beat The Heat. In June 2005 he accomplished a personal challenge of raising $100,000 for the Kids With Cancer Foundation in his ‘Help Brett Help the Kids' campaign. As a result he cut off what was then the most recognised hairstyle in Australian motorsport, his lifelong ponytail, during the Finals of the largest Drag Racing event outside North America , Willowbank Raceway's Winternationals.