VDBC RACE REPORT

November 2006

It was promoted as the ‘Nitro Thunder on the River’, drag boat race and it turned out to be just that! After waiting nearly 18 months to see a TFH back on the water at Melbourne’s National Water Sports Centre, the Victorian Drag Boat Club went all out on this one, with another Friday night launch which saw the new Bullet hull, the twin screw Top Fuel Hydro, presented to the capacity crowd that squeezed into the marquee at the track.  So, under bright lights and plenty of glitz, the covers came off for all to see this unbelievable piece of art work that has come from Craig Cook and Paul Madill’s stable of incredible looking boats! After retiring the original single screw TFH boat, the team went back to the States and purchased a Jim Dunn built ‘Bullet’ and shipped it and plenty of parts and hardware back to Australia and went about putting the boat together and trying to build and construct the boat on their own. With help from Jim Dunn, Ron Braaksma, Paul’s talented crew, and others, the team has built possibly the best looking TFH in the world!

The boat has been kept a huge secret from all prying eyes, (except those that could keep secrets!), and no photos were allowed until the boat was ready to launch on the Friday night. The team arrived at the track at 3.30pm and the boat was quickly unloaded and placed into the marquee, covered up of course, and waited until 9.30pm when the covers came off. MC on the night, Gary James gave another typical top class performance and interviewed Paul, Craig, Ron, Jim and the entire crew of the new boat, and the answers gave the tight packed race fans an insight into the new boat. When the covers came off you could have heard a pin drop, then in a split second those that attended burst into applause which lasted possibly 5 minutes! The room went nuts with people trying to get an up close look, and hand shaking for the entire team. There was not one person there on the night that was not looking forward to Saturday when the first maiden run of a twin screw TFH would test down the track at 4.00pm, the scheduled time.

Saturday came, a bit of wind blew across the course, however the water conditions were suitable for the ‘Bullet’ hull. At 4.30pm the sound that we have all been starved for, that undeniable sound of a Top Fuel engine, could be heard. When Paul mashed the go pedal, the boat launched into the air in typical TFH fashion, and looked like we were going to see something special. At the 200’ mark and with a bit of a bang, a flash of flame, the boat came to an unfortunate stop, pushing out the burst panel on the manifold, and hurting a valve on one cylinder head. With the boat taken back to the pits, the engine was torn down, and repairs were made ready for Sunday.

The weather was sunny, clear & hot with a slight breeze cutting across the water leaving the water conditions excellent for some great racing. Bracket boat numbers were down, which for this time of the year is typical with Christmas closing in, however with a TFH, TAH, BAD and bracket classes and throw some circle racing demonstrations, the day was set to be a big one! As people started to fill the bank an air of excitement was building. First on the rope at 10.30am, one bad looking TFH which was towed to the rope and the large crowd was surging towards the spectator barriers. With the engine alight, the sound and smell of nitro, once again filled the air. Hold your breath, wait for the countdown, 5,4,3, on the loud pedal, boat launches hard, blows itself completely out of the water, and another loud bang, burst plate again goes away, boat comes to a slow halt, the disappointed crowd breathes again, but the anticipation of what could have been, is released. When the team return to the pit area, past the 2,000 plus spectators, every one of them is applauding and waiting for the boat to return to the water, after repairs. But, as the TFH god was not on their side today, that would be the last we would see of the boat today. Tuner Ron Braaksma had worked out the problem and it would not be resolved at the track, the boat will have to return to the workshop for some redesigning of the fuel system.

But, as one boat is withdrawn from competition, another emerges from the pits. Paul then jumped into the TAH, ‘Thunder Down Under’, owner Craig Cook’s ‘favourite’, and went to the rope to give something for the race fans. And disappoint he didn’t! With an unbelievable pass of 226.49mph and a 6.28 ET, the crowd went completely insane. This was the fastest pass the boat has ever run, the fastest TAH pass in Australian history, beating the old mark that Scott Price ran back in the year 2000, with a 222.03mph pass! To say the race was over would be an understatement. As both parachutes deployed, the boat made a nasty move and headed for the bank, which at the Water Sport Centre, is only 80 metres or about 100’ from the bank. The ‘Thunder Down Under’, was heading for the bank and mounted the grassy area, minus the rudder. As serious as it was, Paul then hoped out of the capsule, onto the grass, and waved to the crowed, to indicate he was ok. When the boat returned to the pit along the return road, the fans gave Paul a huge round of applause, for what he had just been through.

On inspection of the boat, the rudder and all bolts were torn from the clam shell that holds it and the common belief is that the boat hit one of the rowing cables that run horizontally down the track. Under the water is a series of cables that run parallel down the entire course, these hold the rowing buoys when the Centre holds rowing regattas. The VDBC use the centre line to connect the course buoys of the drag boat course, but at every 1000’ mark, there is a horizontal rope that helps connect all the cables together. Chief Starter Laurie Mills saw the entire course shift to the left, which indicates that what happened did in fact happen. It appears that with the lower water level in the lake currently that this has caused the near catastrophic disaster. VDBC officials will be investigating the area to ensure this never occurs again, or that there is not something else under the water, other than the Kevlar rope that the rowing course is made of.

We must make mention of the “Silver Bullet”, TAH of Allan Muir and Steve Baird who worked until 2.00am Sunday morning to complete their hydro in readiness for the racing. However the team gave it away as it was apparent that they were not going to get there, so the team went home to sleep it off. After the new paint, new engine combination, the team were confident of making the race, but as racers know, all things don’t turn out the way we plan.

The big blown displacements boats took to the water and there was some real quality amongst them. Chris Palmer from Tasmania drove his awesome looking Childsplay hull, “Outlaw” complete the new engine he recently purchased from Paul Madill. Phil Russi in “Fierce”, a blown injected 427 Chev, and Russell Palmer driving “Stone Cold”, in the blown injected mighty mouse small block! These three went at each other all day, Chris having a great deal of trouble getting the 500 ci KB Aluminium engine to get a nice set. When the boat finally settled, this thing was unbelievably quick, but the quarter mile is about getting usable horsepower to the water, and Chris found the going pretty tough to launch from the rope. Having said that, Chris is a circle racer of some note and considerable experience, and as this was his first go at drag boat racing, were sure he will get the boat to settle and really use this power he has behind him. “Stone Cold” and “Fierce” went to the final and this was the best race of the day, separated by a bow eye at the lights! Phil Russi got the win light with a 124.18 mph pass and a 9.40 ET leaving Russell to runner up spot.

In Pro-Competition, Johnny Clay driving the awesome Flatbottom “Cocaine” matched it with Justin Foote in “The Dog”, and these two marched into the final with ease. Justin was tough all day, and the former ski-racer turned drag boat racer was enjoying the calm conditions, giving Johnny a ‘lickn’ in the final. Unfortunately for Johnny what was going to be a monumental final turned into a fizzer when the “Cocaine” machine broke at half track, losing the prop and shaft when it snapped off just in front of the strut, giving Justin the win and celebration in the pits! “The Dog” recording a stout 10.93 ET and a nice 105.81 mph pass and leaving Johnny on the end of a tow rope.

The Super Stock class was hot all day, with “Trippa”, Chris Buhagiar, the outboard STV, “Kates” with Simon Curwood driving, “Under Siege”, Grant Brown, and a welcome return to the liquid quarter mile, Andrew Hooper driving his new outboard, “Infinity”. With Grant Brown recently returning from the World Finals in Phoenix, it was expected that Grant was so pumped he would be the man to beat. But throw in party pooper Chris Buhagiar and his immaculate boat “Trippa”, and Grant’s short lived excitement was bought back to earth! The class was missing David Howie (“Energy”), Chris Howlett (“Flat Out”), Doug Kennedy (“Infinity”), Les Tomada (“Rattler 2”), Dave McKeddie, (“Vanishing Point”) and John & Richard Tiberi, (“Arrogant”).  With “Trippa” winning all rounds and going to the final, the only boat to trouble him would be “Kates” and Simon Curwood in the last race of the class final. Simon got out first, but the big block powered “Trippa” wound him up by ¼ track and never gave it up! Chris breaking the beams with 92.59mph pass and a 12.01 ET to take his second final for this season and the lead in the points chase!

In Mod Stock, only three boats entered, those being “Leeway” Guy Hanson, another outboard, and two new boats to the track, “Fubar” driven by Steve Northey, and “Chase the Ace” Robert Oliver. Robert gave a pretty good account of his first up effort, only dropping one round to Steve Northey. Steve has raced the drag strip before, last season driving Esmund Muller’s “Merlin” machine. This time Steve bought his new boat to the National Water Sports Centre and showed everyone a how it’s done! With Robert Oliver and Steve Northey going into the final, when the boats were called to the rope for the trophy, Robert’s boat was declared broke, and couldn’t make the call. Enter Guy Hanson, who was given a rough time by the inboard boats most of the day. Now was an opportunity to get even for the outboard fans, taking on the “Fubar” boat for the final. There was no way that Steve Northey was giving this up, and when the lights went green the “Fubar” machine was like a scolded cat and left “Leeway” thinking about what could have been. Steve was very gracious with the win, shaking hands with Guy at the finish line. “Fubar” recorded 81.92mph and a 12.08 ET, but we think Steve has a bit left in the tank yet! “Fubar”? Now what does that mean again?? “F*#*ed up beyond recognition” we think, but we have been told that Steve is working on a brand new name for the boat! Thank God!!!

With a small entry of Stock Eliminator class boats as well, the battle was fought out between three boats once again.  Melissa Foote was driving her “Dog Trainer” machine; the outboard “Total Recall”, Adrian Brown and Ken Sawyer put “The Colonel” on the rope. Melissa was giving the boys plenty of cheek on the holding rope trying to psyche the others off their game. Unfortunately for Melissa, it didn’t work and she lost all three rounds! With Ken and Adrian going to the final it was another inboard versus outboard drag boat race. “Total Recall” led until half track and looked like the goods for the win, until the inboard machine “The Colonel” found some secret herbs and spices, and round Adrian up by the finish line! “The Colonel” broke the beams at 74.99 mph with a 13.57 elapsed time. To say Ken was pretty happy would be an understatement.

The Victorian Drag Boat Club would be very happy with the day, as you know if you follow this column; the weather has been a real problem in Melbourne over the last two seasons. To finally get a weekend that produced hot, sunny and no wind conditions was the right medicine the club needed. The crowd came out in their thousands, and even though the majority of spectators came to see the Nitro boat, the racing was close and furious, even though numbers were down.

Finally, at last, the NSW team went home with sunburn and a smile on their faces. We look forward to the return of TFH racing in the New Year, when the team returns to attempt to run this awesome machine and get it down the track. Hopefully it will be also be the return of many other boats that are dragging the chain.

To all the readers of the Victorian Drag Boat Club web site, we wish you all a safe and prosperous festive season, take care on the roads if your driving to see loved ones, and we look forward to your support in 2007. Merry Christmas to you all, and see you, on the liquid Quarter Mile in January at the National Water Sports Centre!!