7 September 2011

Holden Trade Club Top Doorslammer ace Maurice Fabietti believes the reign of archrival, four-time champion John Zappia is over as the 2011/12 ANDRA Pro Series kicks off with this weekend's Fuchs Australian Nationals at Sydney Dragway.

Having finished third in 2010/11 points, Fabietti begins the new, eight-round season full of confidence with GM Holden earlier this week announcing an extension to his sponsorship agreement, while a major mechanical change to his Holden Trade Club Monaro has produced positive results in testing over the short off-season.

“John Zappia has been the Top Doorslammer benchmark for the past four years, but the competition has stepped up and we’re ready to take the fight up to him,” Fabietti said.

“John’s a great champion, he’s fast – very fast – but he’s also had some great luck and that’s helped him win his championships.

“He can blow a motor one run, but when others in a similar situation will be pushed to be ready for the next round, somehow for him there’ll be an oil-down that will give him the extra 10 minutes he needs to get back out there,” he said.

“That sort of luck can’t last forever and certainly not with the competition there is this season.

“Peter Kapiris has won a championship before and he’s stepping up again, Mark Belleri is strong, Robin Judd will be back on his game, the Brays, Gary Phillips, and our own Holden Trade Club team … there’s a lot more guys fighting for the championship, so I don’t believe Zap will get the trophy at the end of the season.”

Fabietti’s Holden Trade Club Monaro has undergone a major setup change since the season-ending Castrol EDGE Winternationals in June, the 3,500hp, supercharged Doorslammer now fitted with a Lencodrive transmission utilising a torque converter rather than a clutch.

“The Lencodrive is unique to Top Doorslammer in Australia and so far in testing it has produced very positive results for us,” Fabietti said.

“The Holden Trade Club Monaro has been more consistent, smoother and a lot easier to drive. The maintenance between rounds is also easier.

“I’m confident that it means we have a better all-round race package.”

Fabietti finished runner-up at last year’s Fuchs Australian Nationals said he was keen to add to his only Nationals crown which he won in Super Stock at Heathcote Park Raceway in country Victoria in 1989.

“A Fuchs Australian Nationals win and the gold ANDRA Christmas Tree trophy that comes with it means a lot to drag racers,” Fabietti said.

“The Nationals is also now held at our home track, so it’s a very important event for our team with so many of our families, sponsors and fans watching on.

“I’ve been lucky enough to win it once and we came close last year. That’s only made me the more determined for the Holden Trade Club team to win this weekend.”

The Fuchs Australian Nationals at Sydney Dragway begins this Friday, with one round of ANDRA Pro Series qualifying scheduled to begin at 3.00pm.

Another two rounds of qualifying are scheduled for Saturday (ANDRA Pro Series categories at 2.00 and 6.00pm), with the event opening ceremony set for 11.00am Sunday, and followed by final eliminations.