This Saturday (22 August) the latest round of the Queensland Drag Racing Championships will hit Willowbank Raceway, hosting more than 100 local heroes of all ages.
Making his debut on the race track this weekend is eight year old Rustie Willshire – son of prominent drag racing identity and Jamboree co-owner Collin Willshire – with the grade three, Calvary Christian College student set to join his 13.5 year old brother Jett in the Junior Dragster bracket for the first time.
His team – Jett Racing – have been hard at work for weeks getting his Junior Dragster up to speed, and now Rustie can’t wait to hit the track.
“I’m really excited about racing. I’m so ready to give it a go!,” said Rustie, whose efforts this weekend will be supported by team sponsors Lucky Bling, Turbo by Garrett, Motul, JE Pistons, Definition Motorsport Pty Ltd and Performance Wholesale Australia.
“I think it’s so cool that I get to be like Daddy and Jett and start racing too. It’ll be fun!”
“My friends at school think that driving a race car is BOSS and I love all my new race gear!”
Proving once and for all that drag racing is for anyone despite their age, joining Rustie on the entry list this weekend will be soon-to-be 80 year old George Wegener – who recently took out his second consecutive Nostalgias event win at the venue.
“The (nostalgia event) went really smooth for me to be quite honest, I had quite a bit of luck. I cut fantastic lights at the right time including a perfect .000 and a .006, and when I didn’t cut good lights the other blokes red-lighted – I think I must have frightened them!” said Wegener, driver of the 1968 Corrolla dubbed ‘Little Sprinter’.
“I will be 80 in October, so I reckon that was a pretty damn good effort!”
As part of an entry list of more than 100, these racers will be part of an action-packed day at Willowbank Raceway on Saturday 22 August, with gates opening at 7.00am, qualifying from 9.00am to 1.00pm, and racing from 1.00pm.