Amidst a long list of exciting championship battles set to go down at the EGT ANDRA Grand Finals at the Perth Motorplex (April 8-9), the Australian Drag Racing Championship (ADRC) Top Doorslammer finale is one of the most hotly anticipated.
Top Doorslammer ‘young gun’ Daniel Gregorini leads the field from a strong position with a 48-point advantage, yet with drag racing’s reputation for last minute upsets, it would be highly unwise to count out veteran and ten-time national ANDRA champion John Zappia just yet.
“We are feeling pretty confident heading into the final,” Gregorini shared.
“We have had a good season so far and have been pretty consistent, securing most of the MPH points along the way, but we need to treat this weekend like a normal meeting – every race day is different, so we will approach the event like we will just go out there and try and win and see what happens from there.
“To take out the inaugural Australian Drag Racing Championship title for Top Doorslammer would be an absolute dream come true.
“As much as John and I have our rivalry and are out there to beat each other, growing up John Zappia was everyone’s hero and to compete with him and now be beating him is a goal that every kid dreams of.
“I have been racing for 13 years in Top Doorslammer and we have slowly worked our way up to this point where we can now actually contend for the national title and travel and be consistent.
“We have got our act together and are in the ultimate spot I guess, and hopefully we can make the most of it,” he said, while thanking his crew, the Perth Motorplex, ANDRA, and his sponsors Scratch and Match Autocolour, Kerb Doctor, Westcoast Siteworks, Kendall Oils, S & S Industries, Dalisa Estate Winery, Signbiz WA, PT Promotions, Go Print, Dirty Detailing, Final Drive Engineering, Gforce Race Cars, Resolution Racing Services, DMPE and Applied Automotive.
Ten-time champ John Zappia is staying positive ahead of the big finale.
“Obviously we are not in as good of a position as I would like to be at this point, we are coming in a fair way behind and it is going to take perfection on our part to get it done,” Zappia said.
“It is Daniel’s championship to lose at this point, but having said that, I haven’t counted us out.
“We are still keeping positive, and we are going to get the Dannani Hot Shots/Tony’s Auto Wreckers Monaro to run as best we can to put the pressure on everyone else to try and keep up!” Zappia added, while thanking his valued supporters Dannani Hot Shots, Tony’s Auto Wreckers, WA Suspensions, Noonan Ultimate Race Engineering, Fuchs Lubricants, Striker Crusher and Screening, Crow Cams, and Motec, amongst others.
The event will also feature the final for the WA-based Direct Mining International Summer Slam Series, in which Zappia leads Gregorini by 25 points.
“It is a double whammy for us at this event with the WA Championship as well as the Australian title on the line, we are working around the clock to fine tune the car and make sure we are ready,” Zappia said.
“We have had some minor mistakes across the season, but it will all come down to the Grand Final which we are really pleased is being hosted at the Perth Motorplex, it should be a great event.”
“The turnout at the Grand Finals should be great, especially with having Top Fuel back in Perth for the first time in a couple of years – hopefully it is a sell out and we can put on a great event in sunny weather for a great crowd,” Gregorini added.
The ANDRA Grand Finals at the Perth Motorplex will be held across April 8 and 9. It will feature not only the final rounds for the Australian Drag Racing Championship Top Doorslammer and Top Fuel Motorcycle brackets, but also for the 2021/2022 Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series and the local WA Drag Racing Championships, as well as round three of the Burson Auto Parts Australian Top Fuel Championship.
For event information, visit www.motorplex.com.au
For more from ANDRA, visit www.andra.com.au