On Valentine’s Day most people get a box of chocolates, flowers, their favourite beer or wine but not Craig Glassby. Instead his appendix was plotting against him becoming infected and resulting in surgery the following day.
“My appendix deal came on with no notice and was removed. It was keyhole surgery and I feel ok, at this stage I’m all good for the weekend,” he said.
With his appendix removed, the following week Glassby was back in his Top Alcohol Funny Car. After all, the Westernationals were fast approaching.
“(Crew chief) Greg (Gower) had a good look at our data and has made some calls so we’re looking forward to running the car at the Westerns.”
This weekend will see Glassby sporting AlkyPro, the business of his crew chief, as a sponsor for the first time.
“AlkyPro is a new alcohol tuning program developed and nearing release worldwide for use in tuning Top Doorslammer and Top Alcohol cars.”
Luckily Glassby has been working with the system for some time and he knows they will need all the data they can squeeze from the program against 18 other blown and natural aspirated vehicles.
“It (the Westernationals) will be a hard task for several reasons; one being the record for TA/FC is 5.46 and is the toughest record in Comp by far.”
“Being a 4:30pm approximate first round (in eliminations) is a tough time in the heat to run a car like ours as we have lots of power and do struggle when the track is hot and greasy.”
Glassby has previously finished runner up at the Westernationals in 2010 running an AA/FC when he reset both ends of the national record to 5.88 at 243.5 mph. But winning the event is on his bucket list.
“I could go back to AA/FC which would make it easier as we can run two tenths under that record but TA/FC is where we want to run so this meeting is all about going for the 5.40s and, if we go rounds, all good.”
For full details and event schedule for the 43rd Westernatioanls please click here.
Image courtesy Phil Luyer / High Octane Photos