Rapisarda Autosport International speedster Ashley Sanford will be pinning her hopes on number 13 being her lucky number as she continues her quest to score her first win in Top Fuel at the closing round of the 2018-19 400 Thunder championship at Willowbank Raceway June 6-9.

Since making her debut at the 2017 U.S. Nationals Sanford had made 12 starts in the elite Nitro category. Her scorecard reads four runner-up finishes including three this season.
Sanford trails her RAI teammate Newby by 54 points in the battle for 400T championship and has an outside chance of winning the title. 

“There is a slim chance that we could win the championship, but you need to be realistic given the circumstances,” said Sanford. “Wayne and Kelly Bettes have been the front runners and deserve to be going head-to-head for the championship. 
 
“We’ve had a good car all year and a couple of times have just missed out on winning. The last event at Sydney was an almost mirror image of the first round of the season where Wayne defeated me in the final. Losing to a teammate does ease the pain. Slightly.  

“We are all hungry for that elusive first win and are hoping it will happen at the Winternationals. Wherever you look in the Rapisarda Autosport International pit this weekend, there are a lot of different stories to be told. Wayne and Santino want to win their second 400 Thunder championship. Damien and his tuner Santo Rapisarda Junior are chasing their first win this year after a shocking run of bad luck, and in the other corner, there’s my tuner Rob Cavagnino and his crew chasing our first victory. I’m quietly confident that our run of bad luck is a distant memory. We can win. That would also mean having the honour to hand our team owner Santo Rapisarda the Louie Rapisarda trophy that means so much to his family.”

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