Reigning Pro Stock Motorcycle national champion Lachlan Ireland will have no better opportunity to turn his season around than Fuchs Nitro Thunder presented by Crow Cams this Saturday at Calder Park as he gets to race at his home track for the first time in an ANDRA championship round.
The 2012/13 season has not been as friendly to Ireland as the one in which he took his first ever championship. The Victorian rider currently sits fourth in the points behind Luke Crowley, Maurice Allen and Scott White with just a runner up and one semi final on the ledger.
Ireland acknowledged consistency was an issue as the Lucas Oils team sorted a new engine.
“The consistency hasn’t been there for the season but we have been developing a new engine that has gone up in capacity from then,” he said. “I think we are getting to that point of the development now that we have all the t’s crossed and i’s dotted and it should really perform well at Calder Park.”
All teams will be starting from the same point at Calder Park with none holding data from championship events at the venue. Ireland hopes that situation will work for him.
“I think it will come down to tuning and clutch set up for everyone at Calder, no one will have an advantage, no one has been there before for a national meeting,” he said. “We think we can get 7.3 second times out of this combination and we will be aiming for a win.”
Ireland said with plenty of supporters expected to turn up to the Melbourne venue he wants to demonstrate just why his Lucas Oils Suzuki carries the number one plate.
“We have plenty of fans in our home state so hopefully we can put a good weekend together and put a win on the board to make everyone happy,” he said. “That support is great but we have our routine and we’re going to make sure we do the same thing once we are on the start line.
“We want to try and put two wins on the board for these last two events of the season and get as far up the championship ladder as we possibly can.”
The championship is currently led by Luke Crowley who holds a narrow margin over 2011 title holder Maurice Allen and recent Adelaide event winner Scott White.
The Pro Stock Motorcycles of the ANDRA Drag Racing Series will be joined at Fuchs Nitro Thunder presented by Crow Cams by the 8000 horsepower Top Fuel dragsters and nitro Top Bikes plus over 150 sportsman teams.
Qualifying starts from 9am with racing from 5pm.