4 January 2011

Rob Pilkington has continued his good start to the WA Top Comp Championship as he took a runner up position in the Force Equipment/Alutech Funny Car at Perth Motorplex on December 26.

In a close final Pilkington settled for second against up and coming racer Shane Weston.

In what has become a regular pattern for the team, Pilkington qualified in first position despite very hot conditions which made it tricky to keep 3000 horsepower attached to the race track.

The second qualifying session saw the team unable to improve with an odd breakage.

“We were all impressed given the extreme heat and high track temp, so full credit to the crew to get the set up correct for the hot conditions,” Pilkington said.

“The second qualifier was all going to plan until I attempted to start the burnout procedure, the accelerator cable broke which basically ended our chance to try some changes to push the Monte Carlo into the 5.7sec range but we still stood as number one qualifier.”

Eliminations came around and cooling conditions were allowing the team to hunt some quicker times as they faced George Separovich first up.

The tune up again proved near perfect with a 5.73sec run seeing Pilkington able to take an A Final place.

“With our handicapping system George would have over a full second head start on us, which in our sport feels like an eternity on the startline waiting,” Pilkington explained.

“I knew the instant I launched that we were on a fast number as there was no hint of tyre shake and I was able to correctly punch every gear shift precisely at the preset RPM and drove through the finish line under the national record time.”

The run as remarkable as the air conditions were still quite poor.

The final came around with the news that the team was to face Weston in front of the biggest crowd of the season.

“We knew it would be no easy race. They had come off a great time in the elimination round so it could go either way in the final,” Pilkington said.

“As the lights went green I launched hard and as I could not see Shane so I felt we had the edge but then the dreaded tyre shake started to rattle the Monte Carlo, which left me no option but to short shift into second gear and at that point I saw Shane steam forward to a car length ahead and I was unable to make that up at the finish line.

“Full congratulations to the Westons on a great race and a well deserved win for their team.”

The Force Equipment/Alutech team is now 15 points ahead in the championship over Jeff Clarke and Shane Weston, with the focus now firmly on the next round on January 8.

“This championship is proving to be really close with a three way battle now on,” Pilkington said. “This is the midway point so we really need to make a move now to secure more of a lead and hopefully yet another championship.”

If you would like to check out footage of the Force Equipment/Alutech, go to YouTube where you can see the car in action not just from outside but also from a spectacular onboard perspective.