John Zappia celebrates 23 years of sportsman drag racing this year, grounded in

hard work, innovative engineering and wild driving that has earnt him cult

status in Australia, and numerous World Records in the process. This week Zap

formally announces his move to full time professional drag racing status in

Australia due to new agreements secured with naming rights sponsors Striker

Crushing and Screening, who have substantially increased their involvement in

the team and drag racing.

Zappia Racing will move out of the "back

garage" at Zap's home to brand new state of the art premises in Perth Western

Australia, where the team will expand to a two car Top Doorslammer team and

build a solid foundation for their professional and business endeavours of the

future. The World Record holding Zap's Rat HQ Monaro will be duplicated, and

licensed by Zap before handing over to rookie Top Doorslammer driver Craig

Pedley, owner of Striker Crushing and Screening.

John Zappia celebrates 23 years of sportsman drag racing this year, grounded in

hard work, innovative engineering and wild driving that has earnt him cult

status in Australia, and numerous World Records in the process. This week Zap

formally announces his move to full time professional drag racing status in

Australia due to new agreements secured with naming rights sponsors Striker

Crushing and Screening, who have substantially increased their involvement in

the team and drag racing.

Zappia Racing will move out of the "back

garage" at Zap's home to brand new state of the art premises in Perth Western

Australia, where the team will expand to a two car Top Doorslammer team and

build a solid foundation for their professional and business endeavours of the

future. The World Record holding Zap's Rat HQ Monaro will be duplicated, and

licensed by Zap before handing over to rookie Top Doorslammer driver Craig

Pedley, owner of Striker Crushing and Screening.

"I am very excited

about the new developments" said a jubilant Zap this week, "But nervous as well.

We have a long history operating from home, with our sportsman racing and

blue-collar roots, but the opportunities with television and serious sponsorship

backing have presented themselves right now, and we are going to give it a go.

For years we watched Victor Bray here in Australia get significant sponsorship

that enabled him to go on and win six Australian Top Doorslammer Championships,

but we never thought it was possible for us to do the same. We now know that is

possible thanks to Striker."

Striker Crushing and Screening are a

manufacturer of large mining equipment, and have enjoyed significant success in

business internationally. The recent resources boom in Western Australia has

contributed to the success, and given the company the opportunity to support a

local hero in John Zappia, and help realise some personal dreams for the

Directors in the process.

"Like many West Australians growing up, I was

a John Zappia fan at the old Ravenswood Dragstrip south of Perth." said Striker

Director Craig Pedley, "He was such an inspiration to us all, sticking a funny

car engine in a super stock car and running sevens and then sixes with such

spectacular wild driving. Secretly I held a dream to one day do the same, and

thanks to our success in business we are proud to extend our involvement in drag

racing and Zappia Racing."

Zappia Racing have commissioned Sydney

chassis builder Craig Burns of SCF Race Cars to build the chassis of the second

HQ Top Doorslammer, after Zap visited their premises during racing at WSID this

season. Craig is new to Top Doorslammer chassis building, but has experience

building and setting up some hard hitting six second new technology cars in

Australia, and has a solid knowledge of Doorslammer setups that aligns with

Zap's chassis development knowledge gained in association with Santhuff. The

chassis will be sent back to the new Zappia Racing premises in Perth, where a

new carbon fibre body developed with the assistance of local aviation sponsors

will be fitted, then all the trademark Zappia Racing technology will be fitted.

"The new car will be identical to the old both mechanically and in body

shape, but with carbon fibre composite materials. We are proud of our tin top

body, but it took a lot of work to produce, and is difficult to reproduce and

repair. We expect the new car to be a five second car as well, and will

eventually be very competitive in the Australian Top Doorslammer Championship"

said Zap.

"Craig will undertake training in drag racing with local

street meet appearances, training at Ken Lowe's school at Willowbank Raceway in

Brisbane, and Top Alcohol licensing at Frank Hawley's drag racing school in

Florida USA, before stepping into the new Striker Top Doorslammer. I will

license the new car at local Kwinana Motorplex meetings, applying all the

knowledge from our four year testing program on the original car."

"Drag

Racing is on the cusp of some exciting exposure in Australia, and represents

good value for money for our investment." commented Craig Pedley, "With the

upcoming television coverage and depth of experience with Zappia Racing, we feel

we have a solid future at the top of Group 1 racing here in Australia, and our

staff and clients love the involvement and follow the team enthusiastically."

The new developments mark the second major step in John Zappia's drag

racing career, after Rentco Transport Equipment Rentals Pty Ltd Managing

Director Bob Shier came on as Naming Rights Sponsors in Feb 2005 helping launch

Zap's Rat into the National Australian Top Doorslammer Championship. Rentco

continues to support Zappia Racing with their Major Sponsorship package.