Nitro Champs A Mixed Bag Of Results For Gulf Western Racing

[SpoolMan]

It was certainly a mixed bag of results for the Gulf Western Racing team at the annual Nitro Champs at Western Sydney International Dragway (WSID) last weekend (May 5 - 6) with Terry Sainty (Top Fuel), Bob Shepherd (Top Fuel) or Robert Ambruosi (Top Alcohol) failing to advance out of the opening round of eliminations and Rodney Salvestro (Top Bike)
crashing heavily during his opening qualifying run.

The always optimistic Bob Shepherd summed up his weekend as
disappointing but at the same time very exciting.

"I would have liked to have advanced further, but we didn't," said
Shepherd.

"We posted the second fastest pass in qualifying, so that was pleasing
and we faced Darren Morgan in the opening round."

During that match-up against Morgan, Shepherd dropped a blower belt mid track and crossed the finish line with a 6.484 pass at 133.74 miles per
hour (MPH).

Shepherd although eliminated much earlier than he would have liked was offered by the WSID promotion to perform an exhibition pass at the completion of the Top Fuel Final. To say that this run was spectacular
would be a rather large understatement.

Off the line, Shepherd performed an awesome launch, but the most amazing thing was that both front wheels were completely off the ground.

"That launched was without doubt the strongest launch I've ever done and to do it with the front wheels in the air is quite unbelievable," said
Shepherd.

"When the front wheels came back down I was back on the throttle again
and soon after we blew off the head gasket.

"The whole pass was quite an adrenaline rush to say the least. The crowd absolutely loved it and I've also been told that there is plenty of
footage and photos of it."

Fellow Top Fuel rival and Gulf Western Racing team mate Terry Sainty posted a respectable pass in the opening round of eliminations when he faced Steve Reed, but his pass of 5.906 at 239.31 MPH wasn't good enough
to defeat Reed.

After qualifying fourth (8.163 pass at 108.87 MPH), Sainty took on Reed in the opening round, but although eliminated he can take a lot away of encouragement away heading into the season finale up at Willowbank
Raceway in Queensland for the annual Winter Nationals.

It looked as though Top Alcohol competitor Robert Ambruosi aboard the Norm Sainty owned car had missed the Top 8 cut, but after the withdrawal of Steve Reed, the Digger Rest (Victoria) resident moved into the field
for eliminations.

Facing Brett Stevens in the opening round, Ambruosi launched off the line nicely before losing a blower belt. This brought Ambruosi's meeting to an end at the hands of Stevens. During Friday's qualifying Ambruosi competed a single pass which was a 9.079 and that qualified him in
ninth, one spot shy of the Top 8 cutoff.

Leading into the Nitro Champs, Rodney Salvestro was in solid form aboard his Nitro Harley Davidson Top Bike, but his meeting ended in spectacular
fashion after a heavy crash in his opening qualifying run.

Salvestro had just crossed the finish line for his opening qualifying run, which saw him post a 7.378 pass at 193.54 MPH (fourth quickest in the field), when his Bike slid from underneath him due to oil left on the track form a previous competitor. This then resulted in Salvestro
falling off and his Bike rolling over 6 times.

After sliding for a number of metres down the track Salvestro ran to his
Bike, which was completely destroyed.

This crash has now spelled the end for Salvestro in season 2005/06.

"Yeah, that's it for me and it is a tough way to finish the season,
that's for sure," confessed Salvestro.

"The Bike is wrecked and although I'm ok, the body has a few battle
scars."

Salvestro continued on by explaining what actually caused the crash.

"All I can remember is being on the Bike and as I crossed the finish line the Bike fell out from under me and before I knew it I was sliding
down the track," he said.

"When you are travelling at such high speeds there is not a lot you can
do once you hit oil."

The weekend of June 9 - 11 at Willowbank Raceway in Queensland is the running of seventh and final round of the Australian Drag Racing
Championship.

story NMD