BRETT STEVENS RACING 'PERFECT 10' DEBUTS AT RAIN AFFECTED AUSTRALIAN NATIONALS
The world's largest Drag Racing team Brett Stevens Racing debuted on track for the
first time over the weekend (12th-14th September) at the Australian Nationals with
it's full compliment of 10 professional race vehicles at the Western Sydney
International Dragway.
Launched in the lead up to the 2008/2009 ANDRA Championship Drag Racing series
opening event, 'The Perfect 10' consists of a Jack Daniel's Racing Top Doorslammer
(Brett Stevens) and Top Bike (Brett Stevens), a Kitten Car Care Products Funny Car
(Brett Stevens) and Pro Stock Buell (Luke Crowley), an SP Racing Top Doorslammer
(Steve Packman) and Top Bike (Troy McLean), a Mack Trucks Top Doorslammer (Todd
Waddell) and Top Bike (Kim Stevens), and a Makita Top Doorslammer (Kym Usher) and
Top Bike (Alex Borg).
Despite inclement weather causing the Nationals to be postponed to a future date
after just 3 of 4 Qualifiers being completed, BSR still took many positives away
from the event including a dominating display by Brett 'The Boss' Stevens in Top
Alcohol where he piloted the Kitten Car Care Products Funny Car to the number 1
position with a 5.59 second pass at over 260 mph (418 kph).
Adding to this was a great showing in Top Bike by the team with the charge lead by
reigning Champion Troy McLean who reset the National Harley record and qualified in
the number 2 position with a 6.43 seconds pass aboard the SP Racing Nitro Harley.
'The Boss' himself was also in fine form on the Jack Daniel's Racing Top Bike in 4th
spot, with Kim Stevens for Mack Racing in 6th and Alex Bog for Makita rounding out
the top10.
Team newcomer Luke Crowley overcame some early nerves on the highly successful
Kitten Car Care Products S&S Buell in Pro Stock Bike to nail down the number 2
position and also set a personal best speed of 181.35 mph (291.85 kph).
The team's 4 Top Doorslammers had mixed results in the rain shorten Qualifying with
the highlight being Todd Waddell's impressive debut in the Mack Truck's entry,
stopping the clocks at 6.31 seconds for the number 11 position.
Kym Usher in the Makita Doorslammer also had a solid start to the year in 12th spot
despite ending in the sand on his final pass, with Stevens and Steve Packman
struggling over the weekend with over powering the race track.
QUOTES
Brett Stevens - Jack Daniel's Racing Top Doorslammer and Top Bike/Kitten Car Care
Products Funny Car
"I am really proud of what the Brett Stevens Racing team has accomplished by
becoming the largest Drag Racing team in the world, but this is not what we will be
resting our laurels on, we are here to win," Stevens said.
"Last year we ended the ANDRA Championship Drag Racing series with 3 Titles and a
runner up out of the 4 Group One brackets we compete in and while it would be an
incredible effort to improve on that, this is what we will be aiming for in
2008/2009."
"The Nationals was set to be a fantastic event with great crowds out for Friday and
Saturday Qualifying, but unfortunately the weather got the better of us on Finals
day on Sunday."
"With a lot of new programs and crew in place at BSR over the weekend not everything
went exactly to plan, but there were definitely some positives for us to take away
from the event including my Top Qualifying time in the Kitten Funny Car, young gun
Todd Waddell's first up performance in Top Doorslammer, and our Top Bikes, in
particular Troy McLean."
Troy McLean - SP Racing Top Bike
"This year is going to be one of the toughest Australian Top Bike Championships in
history and I think that 6 second qualifying fields will become a certainty," McLean
said.
"It was great to win last year's Championship but now the focus is on the 2008/2009
series and making sure we can keep an edge on the competition."
"The 6.43 (second pass) was great, we know our bikes are capable of running these
numbers and now we are starting to get there consistently which is what is needed to
win back to back Titles."
Todd Waddell - Mack Trucks Top Doorslammer
"I am quite happy with my debut for Mack Trucks and the Brett Stevens Racing team as
well as running my first 240 mph hour pass," Waddell said.
"As a team not everything went to plan with the Doorslammers this weekend, but
personally I have given myself a good platform to build on for the next Championship
round back in my home town of Perth."
"This opportunity to drive for Brett Stevens Racing is not something that I expected
to come to me at such a young age so I really want to grab it with both hands and
show Brett (Stevens) that he has made the right decision."
Alex Borg - Makita Top Bike
"After running a couple of 6.8 second passes in licensing and testing I was really
excited about competing at the Nationals on the Makita Top Bike," Borg said.
"But things didn't get off to a good start when we blew an engine on a routine
fire-up prior to our Qualifying runs on Friday."
"This was quite unusual, especially for the Brett Stevens Racing team, but Nitro is
a very unforgiving fuel when things aren't exactly 100% correct."
"We managed to get another engine for Saturday Qualifying and I got into the top 10
before the rain came and the event was postponed."
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