Johnny Roso turned some heads last week at the 2014 X-Champs qualifying eighth to make the field on his ANDRA Drag Racing Series Top Doorslamemr debut.
Roso says the goal was always to step up to Doorslammer and after running Competition AA/APA for season 2013 and taking out the NSW Top Comp Track Championship, the decision was made to step it up a notch.
“We made the required changes and then went 6.29 at the first meeting,” he said. “We were over the moon. So we made that decision to run Top Doorslammer in December last year. The car has the foundation to be competitive in TD.”
At his first National Championship round, Roso says the nerves set in but the team’s goal was simply to run a personal best and get some track time under the belt.
As it turned out, he qualified in eighth and set up a meeting with Stuart Bishop in round one. Although Roso had the better reaction time, Bishop would go on to win on a 6.12 at 236.75 mph from Roso’s 6.39 at 234.66 mph.
“We are still smiling about it. It’s an unbelievable feeling. Just to be racing in Top Doorslammer among the legends of our sport is unbelievable but to make the field is just something special.”
“My mind was going 300 mph! Big crowd, nerves and racing the top qualifier. The heat was on.”
For now Roso will skip the FUCHS Winternationals but you can see the Top Doorslammer rookie competing locally in the NSW Track Championship throughout the year and the Australian Nationals at Sydney Dragway, October 31 – November 2, 2014.
Image courtesy: Fred Dwyer