VDBC Test N' Tune Race Report
October 28th 2007 - NWSC

Sunday October 28th 2007, NWSC - After a six month wait to see drag boats run down the Liquid Quarter Mile at the National Water Sports Centre on Sunday 28th October, I guess we will have to wait another month to watch our favourite boats and drivers, do their stuff. Setting up on Saturday, the wake boarder show obviously had the best water and weather conditions, because what happened overnight you had to be there to see!The wind came up around 11.00pm on Saturday evening and never let up all night and the following day. According to the news on Sunday night a wind gust was recorded at 104khph at Mt Dandenong. It was the right time to try boogie boarding from one end of the race track to the other, the waves were that big! The race was called at 1.00pm, and re-scheduled for November 25th.

Only 14 boats entered for the season opener ‘Test N’ Tune’, which is about normal for the first race meeting, as most drag boat teams are always caught sleeping and usually get a wake up call after this one! The VDBC have put into place some new race day procedures, and these were put into practice on Sunday. All race team entries must now proceed direct to the clubrooms as soon as they pass the pit entry gate. All paperwork is completed, including their breath test and once this is complete, move on to the scrutineering lanes, prior to entering the pits. There were two lanes set up for boats to be checked, and it worked really well. Only two boats were ‘Yellow Carded’ for not having rope deflector’s and both boats must have rope deflector’s for the next race or be disqualified.

Some new boats and drivers turned up to try their luck on the liquid quarter mile, Andrew Burn with his boat ‘Running on Empty’, ‘PPC Racing’ driven by Darren Simons a slick outboard tunnel boat, and Jamie and Troy Hurst with ‘’XL-Erator’. Unfortunately the guys were keen to race but the weather kept all on the trailer. Some big names turned up to dial in their machines, Russell Palmer and ‘Stone Cold’, Rob Psalia and the turbo’d ‘Duggan Balancing’, Paul Colgan in ‘Outkast’, Doug Kennedy with ‘Infinity’, Melissa and Justin Foote with some of the Dog Squad Collection, ‘The Dog Trainer and ‘Little Dog’, Rob Oliver and ‘Chase the Ace’, Geoff Humphries in ‘Grave Danger’, Craig Oliver in the awesome looking outboard ‘Rum-Balls’, Dale Bramhall with ‘Altered Image’, and David Howie and the ‘Energy’ machine.

What a shame that with such a top collection of boats for the first race meeting that all we heard was engine noise from the bank and the roar of the wind at our backs. As dust, hay fever, and wind were the big winners on the day rather than drag boats, let’s hope that we can get to see all these guys and gals and a whole lot more on November 25th. As things now start to heat up with the return of ‘Armageddon’, ‘Fordmidable’, the brand new ‘Moisture Missile’, the return of ‘Flamed and Flat’ and Chris Buhagiar’s new blown hydro, ‘Trippa’, the season is gearing up to be a cracker. C’mon you team owners, start gearing up or you will miss the fun of the Liquid Quarter Mile showdown for 2007-2008!