Jon Sting and Gary Phillips will lead the Top Alcohol field to Queensland’s premier drag racing facility Willowbank Raceway this weekend for the Easter Saturday Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race Event presented by Uplift Cranes and Titan Cranes.
Between them, ‘dragster’ racer Sting and ‘funny car’ pilot Phillips have won the last three Top Alcohol rounds held at the Raceway, with the pair even facing off against each other in the final of the 2014 FUCHS Winternationals.
Reigning Easter champion Phillips has fond recollections of his last Santo’s Super 3 outing at Willowbank Raceway and is confident of a repeat performance.
“We are really looking forward to this weekend’s event on Easter Saturday at Willowbank because of how well we went last year – we won both rounds and reset the Australian Elapsed Time Record of the time for the first of two times that year, it was as close to a perfect weekend as we could get,” said Phillips.
“We got into every event trying to win and trying to run as quick as we possibly can in the Lucas Oil Funny Car. While the three round format of the Easter event requires a slightly different strategy to other events throughout, the end goal is still the same – WIN if it is at all possible.
“We have been very happy with the car’s recent form and are feeling good ahead of this weekend – we tested at Willowbank in February and we are confident that we can repeat our 2014 Easter success this year.”
Sting took the Top Alcohol win at the 2014 FUCHS Winternationals from Phillips, with a consistent and strong performance seeing him into the final and to victory against his tyre-shaking opponent.
“Winning the FUCHS Winternationals was definitely a highlight of my Top Alcohol career – it is a really tough bracket in which to get a win and my hard-working crew were very happy,” said Sting.
“We have made quite a few changes to the car recently but we haven’t had the option to test prior to the event so we are hoping that we will be able to find the ideal set-up quickly come race day.
“The dragsters can be a little more forgiving at times, and we will certainly be doing all we can and looking for that consistency that can make all the difference. Hopefully we can find a good result for my crew – Steve Boyd, Simon Stewart, Scott McNaught, Robert Flint and Ricky and Christine Steffens, as well as our valued sponsors reds Global Cranes and Personnel, Lockyer Engine Reconditioners and Balonne Field Services.”
The Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race Event will be a one-day Easter Saturday spectacular with the quickest and fastest racers in the country set to headline an action-packed four and a half hour ‘short and sharp’ show.
The professional Top Fuel and Top Alcohol racers will be leading the way down the Raceway at more than 500km/h while the newly introduced Pro Mod class will pit a wide range of blown, turbo, nitrous-powered and naturally-aspirated machines against each other in a battle for a $6000 prize purse.
Also taking to the track will be the popular Factory Xtreme and Pro Street brackets, as well as fixed index brackets Super 6 and Super 7, a Dial Your Own (DYO) bracket and a Top Fuel Motorcycles exhibition –guaranteeing exciting racing that is sure to deliver plenty of non-stop action.
Tickets are available online now at just $35 for adults and $30 for students with ID and Concession Card Holders, while children aged 13 and under gain free admission. Please click here for further event information.
This weekend’s Easter event comes hot on the heels of the latest round of the Street Series – held on Saturday 28 March.
Victory at that event went to Susanne Fletcher (Powder Puff), Simon Stevens (Street Bikes), Brett Paige (Street Eliminator), Ray Ross (Hot Street) and Josh Fletcher (Quick Eliminator). For full results of that event, please click here.
