by John Doig, Australian Correspondent
Team owner-driver Peter Xiberras has scored his first win since the Nitro champs in May 2024 after a sensational A-Final round against reigning RAI champ Damien Harris at the 54th Westernationals, Perth Motorplex, March 1-2.
Both teams and the crowd were stunned when the Harris car suffered a catastrophic engine failure, possibly a thrown rod, on the start line before the race and handed Xiberras a solo run.
Veteran track watchers cannot remember when a Top Fuel final was decided in such bizarre circumstances.
The exact cause and extent of the damage to the Harris car will not be known until later this week after the team returns to their workshop in Sydney to examine the engine and download computer data.
The news for RAI got no better when local hero Kyle Putland thrilled the parochial Western Australian crowd to defeat Wayne Newby who had clutch issues in the B-Final.
Veteran Phil Read took the win against Phil Lamattina in the C-Final.
This is the first time I have won in Perth, so I am speechless,” said Xiberras. “Getting back to having some real consistency in the PremiAir Top Fuel dragster is such a good feeling. A 3.88 in qualifying to a 4.00, 3.89 and 3.85 today; we really have some confidence now that we’re doing the right thing and getting all this power down on the racetrack. That means a hell of a lot as we’ve been pulling out all stops with this new combination and are looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Despite the drama, Harris retained a positive outlook. “To go from Queensland, where we won, to here in Perth and make the final was a strong result for the team,” said Harris. “To get low E.T. with a 3.81 and top speed of 519 kmh bonus points will all help in the championship. I reckon I’ve been to the start line with the Rapisarda’s about ‘400’ times and what happened out there was the first time.”
Nineteen-year-old Brodie Zappia has emerged as the best young talent in Doorslammer ranks in over 20 years, after scoring his first-ever win when he defeated Steve Aldridge on a holeshot in the A-Final.
The last teenager to make such an impact in the elite category was 17-year-old Ben Bray, who debuted in January 2002.
Zappia, an apprentice machinist, who only licensed in October, is the nephew of category legend John Zappia.
“I’ve been in two finals, but this is my first win in Doorslammer,” said Zappia. “The car was consistent all weekend running in the mid-580s. The car ran smoothly all weekend and we came away with very little damage. Sometimes, when I race, the quality of the competition I’m up against weighs on my shoulders. The crew give me the best possible car and once I start the engine, it’s up to me to perform.”
Reigning champ Russell Taylor took the win on a solo in the B-Final when his opponent Maurice Brennan was a no-show after experiencing engine damage in R2.
Top qualifier John Zappia triumphed over Lisa Gregorini, who smoked the tires in their C-Final showdown.
TOP FUEL QUALIFYING – Damien Harris and tuner Santo Rapisarda Jr. qualified for the second consecutive meeting with a 3.84/320 mph pass to nail the top spot for the second successive meeting. Dark horse Peter Xiberras secured second place with a 3.88/303 mph to shade Wayne Newby on a 4.04/231mph. Australian record holder Phil Read outmuscled Phil Lamattina for fourth place and local racer Kyle Putland was sixth. Putland’s weekend began in low-key fashion after dropping a cylinder on the hit in Q1. Then, on his second and final run, his car became unsettled near half-track and proceeded to take out several center cones. The net result meant he was faced with the daunting challenge of taking on Harris in Rd 1 of racing.
ROUND 1 – The Newby and Read match-up was an epic stoush. Newby took the win with a 3.98/272 mph to Read on a 4.00/276 mph. The margin of victory was estimated at three feet.
Xiberras was handed the easiest of wins after his opponent Phil Lamattina cut a red light, and in the third match-up, Harris cruised to victory after Putland tossed a belt around the 600-foot mark.
ROUND 2 – Xiberras dominated proceedings against Read and hung on despite tossing a blower belt nearing the finish line while Read hit the bump in the right lane that consequently unloaded the car. Putland scored the finest win in his burgeoning career with a gritty win over RAI powerhouse Wayne Newby. Harris outpaced Lamattina, who after his first-round woes, said he “was happy to go from A-B in one piece and record no damage.”
ROUND 3 – After Xiberras’s unchallenged win against Harris to claim the A-Final, attention turned to the battle for the minor places on the podium. In a repeat of their round two clash, Putland defeated Newby to take out the B-Final, while Read accounted for Lamattina in the C-Final. The carrot farmer, however, did provide the highlight of the round with a spectacular fireball around half-track. “It was a tough weekend, but that’s Top Fuel racing and you must be prepared for everything,” said Lamattina. “We gave it everything we had and while the results weren’t what we wanted, there are plenty of positives to take away with a great new crew and some fantastic signs.”
DOORSLAMMER QUALIFYING – There were no surprises when John Zappia and reigning champ Russell Taylor set the pace in qualifying. ‘Zap’ taking honors with a 5.67/ 252 mph to Taylor on 5.68/252 mph. Fellow Western Australian Daniel Gregorini claimed third on a 5.76 ahead of unheralded locals Maurice Brennan and Steve Aldridge. With a workmanlike 5.84/240 mph, Brodie Zappia was rewarded with sixth place. The surprise result was Lisa Gregorini, who limped into the field in 12th spot after experiencing crank trigger issues ahead of the sole Victorian in the field, Peter Kapiris.
ROUND 1 – Brodie Zappia’s campaign began with an easy holeshot against fellow Western Australian Frank Taylor. The Daniel and Lisa Gregorini showdown was a nonevent when Lisa rolled forward and then stalled on the start line. Under race rules and being in the hands of the starter, she could not resume under her own power and consequently was disqualified. The upset of the round came when Peter Kapiris bundled out current Oz champion Russell Taylor and in the final run, John Zappia, on a solo, stopped the timers with a 5.73, the quickest run of the round. N.S.W racer Jeremy Callahan was lucky to walk away unscathed after crossing lanes and ended up on his roof.
ROUND 2 – Daniel Gregorini was pushed off the start line with an oil leak against local Mark Chapman. Brodie Zappia booked passage to the A-Final with a comfortable second win over Taylor. Peter Kapiris’s long journey from Victoria ended after being bundled out by local Steve Catalano. Russell Taylor, also, with a solo, made his presence felt with the quickest and fastest run of the round, a 5.70/ 252 mph. In the monster match up the round, Lisa Gregorini took out Zappia on a holeshot.
ROUND 3 – The highlight of the final round was the maiden win by Brodie Zappia, who cut a .05 light to Aldridge’s .23 reaction time and could only watch as his younger rival disappeared into the distance.
Taylor won the B-Final on a solo after his rival, Maurice Brennan, was a no-show due to mechanical issues. “It was a tough weekend overall,” said Taylor.
“We lost one of our crew members, Jeremy, who had to return to Queensland after his partner was involved in a road accident. Congratulations to Peter Kapiris, who took the win in the first round and to young Brodie Zappia on his first-ever win.”
Zappia Senior drove around Lisa Gregorini to take the C-Final with a 5.72/248 mph.
TOP FUEL MOTORCYCLE – Top qualifier Damian Muscat and Wayne McGuinness, with two wins apiece, went head-to-head in the final. Muscat cruised to the win after McGuinness was forced to back off around half-track.
PIT NOTES
MISSING IN ACTION – Team owner Jim Read, his wife Denise and Allison Newby, who backs up her husband Wayne in Top Fuel, were notable absentees. The trio decided to go to Las Vegas to watch the Aussie National Rugby League match between the Penrith Panthers and the Cronulla Sharks held at the Allegiant stadium.
ON THE ROAD WITH ‘WAYDO’ – The five East Coast Top Fuel teams traveled to the Perth Motorplex in a convoy. Brisbane-based PremiAir led the pack to Sydney, where RAI and Jim Read Racing joined the party, then detoured to Wemen in rural Victoria where the Lamattina team was waiting to join the cavalcade. The teams were accompanied by leading motorsport identity Wade Aunger. “To drive across Australia is on the bucket list of most Aussies,” said Aunger. “The Nullabor Plain was amazing at one stage the road goes for 92 miles in a straight line and is sometimes used as a landing strip by the Royal Flying Doctors Service in emergencies.”
CALENDAR UPHEAVAL FOR DOORSLAMMER – The decision to add an extra round to the 2024-2025 Doorslammer season has caused a major ruckus in the ranks and was a major talking point over the weekend. Traditionally, the season ends at Willowbank Winternationals in June. However, an extra round has been added to the calendar, the Nitro Up North meeting at Hidden Valley, Darwin in August. According to one leading competitor who sought anonymity to speak freely. “What’s the point of a championship series when you can add races on a whim? My sponsors and there are a lot of others in a similar position budget for a certain number of rounds and can’t afford to add another event.”
SON OF A GUN – Luca Lamattina, son of Phil Lamattina, qualified fifth in Junior Dragster and lost in the second round.
HARRIS SAMPLES LIFE IN THE SLOW LANE – When RAI’s regular driver was unavailable to drive the team’s truck and trailer from the Motorplex back to the team’s headquarters in Sydney, Damien Harris was left to step into the breach. ‘Damo’s journey is speed limited to 62 mph, a compulsory 30-minute stop every five hours and a maximum of 12 hours driving in 24 hours. The trip is expected to take three days.
Richard Smith contributed to this report.
