Kenny Stewart will debut a new dragster this weekend for the first time in competition while Jess Turner will fire up a new engine at Round 9 of the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship at Mildura Sunset Strip.
The new Spitzer Race Cars built dragster Stewart will pilot is based on a 260 inch Top Dragster design. The car is set up for a small block Chev engine and power glide.
“The benefit of this car is its stableness due to its length and the adjustable slip joints on the chassis which should allow us to adjust the chassis to tune the car to varying conditions at different tracks,” explains Stewart.
“The car has a full carbon interior and body with all the latest electronics and ignition system. The car only arrived from the States mid July and since then we have been busy preparing the car and extending my trailer to suit the length.
“The new livery was designed by YBI Creative and applied by TFI (Total Fleet Imaging). It is great to have all of our long-standing sponsors on the new car with the addition of R&J Batteries coming on board.”
Although Stewart has had precious little time in the seat since it’s arrival, he was very happy with how the dragster handled during performance testing at Calder Park running a 7.60 second elapsed time at 165 mph.
“Mildura this week will be its first time in full competition and I’m looking forward to competing in a tough Modified field. I’m looking forward to seeing a large crowd and hope spectators come to the pits, say g’day and grab a Fuchs flag and racer profile card.”
Stewart’s Fuchs Lubricants teammate and Modified Winternationals winner Jess Turner will also show off new wares this weekend with a newly built engine and new sponsors.
Turner’s new engine is a 420 cubic inch beast that she hopes will catapult her into the outright lead of the National Championship with only three rounds remaining.
“Jess Turner Motorsport is elated to welcome Racer Pro, Higgins Race Heads and NC Landscaping to our team for the remainder of the 2014 season and heading into the 2015 season,” she said.
“We are piecing together a new engine, complete with 15 Degree Racer Pro Cylinder heads, CNC ported by Higgins Race Heads. Our new 420-cube engine is only going to use the best quality products in the business so it will have brands such as CP Pistons and Victory Valves in it.
“We’ve had a successful season so far and we hope to continue this with Mildura this weekend, I’ve got a great car and great support, so hopefully I can.”
From Mildura the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship will venture to Adelaide International Raceway (a spilt round with Benaraby Raceway) where Turner hopes to defend her Fuchs Spring Nationals title and make it two from two Fuchs sponsored events this season after winning the Winternationals crown in June.
“Fuchs Lubricants are a great supporter of Drag Racing in Australia and we are proud to represent such a professional brand, so we are really looking forward to the Fuchs Spring Nationals at AIR. It’s one of my favourite tracks and we have some pretty cool family history at this event.”
Round 9 of the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship will be held at Mildura Sunset Strip on September 13-14. Qualifying begins from 11am on Saturday and Eliminations commence from 10am Sunday. Tickets are available at the gate. For more information please visit: www.sunsetstrip.org.au
Image of Jess Turner courtesy: Joe Maday. All others supplied.