When Raceview’s Steve ‘The Pom’ Read heads to Willowbank Raceway this Easter for the second-running of the Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race presented by Uplift Cranes and Titan Cranes, he will not only be defending his title as the reigning event winner, but also the honour of the Queensland community.

Of the full eight-car Top Fuel field signed up for the Easter 2014 event (18-19 April), Read is the only Queenslander and as a Raceview resident, he is track local in every sense of the word. He will line up across Good Friday and Easter Saturday against Victoria’s Darren Morgan and brothers Phil and John Lamattina, New South Wales’ Phil Read and Peter Xiberras and West Australia’s Alan Dobson and Damien Harris. 

The primarily self-funded racer was the winner of both rounds of Top Fuel held at the inaugural 2013 event and consequently was the winner of the Louie Rapisarda Top Fuel Trophy.

“Having driven for Santo Rapisarda for 12 years it was pretty special to take out the Louie Rapisarda Top Fuel Trophy in 2013, we weren’t there to do anything less than win of course as you never go racing to come second, but to actually achieve that under very difficult conditions due to humidity and mechanical problems was very rewarding,” said Read.

“This Easter at Willowbank Raceway will be our first time back in the dragster since November of 2013 and I am really looking forward to getting back on-track and defending our title – I just love it, the same as I did 45 years ago when I started, the passion is still there.

“I think the three round format with the four and a half hour nightly schedule is the way to go, I think this format delivers the short and sharp show with the best racers on the planet that the spectators want.”

Following the Easter event, financial pressures will force Read to make decisions on how his team should proceed into the future, but no matter what the decision, Read says his Read Speed Racing team is locked and loaded for the 2014 Super 3 event at Willowbank Raceway.

“The second half of 2013 wasn’t that kind to us with mechanical issues and so forth, but over the break we stripped down the car and rebuilt it and while we couldn’t afford to go to Perth for the opening rounds of the ANDRA Championship, the decision to head to our home-track of Willowbank Raceway for the Super 3 event was always a natural choice for us,” said Read.

“I would really love to be able to get the money to do the full series, and prove what we can do. However, if we can’t get some financial assistance we may have to scale back to committing to only local Top Fuel events – my wife Heather and I have been funding this almost entirely out of our pockets for so many years and at some point you have to make a decision.

“We have enough parts and pieces to do the Willowbank Raceway Easter show, and I really hope this event can give us the opportunity to really show what we can do once again to help us secure a marketing partner.

“If you look at ROI – or what I like to call Results on Investment – we stand head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to what we can do for partners both local and national with very little, both on and off the track, and I really hope we can find someone who recognises the potential we offer. 

“Supercharged Batteries did recognise this and for that we would like to thank them for their support over the final two rounds of the 2013 season – we were pleased that by all reports they were very happy with the coverage and brand awareness that we achieved for them during that campaign, even though they were unable to continue on.

“When it comes down to it, we can’t wait to get on track for the Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race – we are going there to win and to put on a brilliant shows for the fans and maybe even a potential sponsor or two, and certainly we will be doing everything we can to make sure that happens!”

The Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race, presented by Uplift Cranes and Titan Cranes, will come to Willowbank Raceway for Good Friday (April 18) and Easter Saturday (April 19) in 2014.

The second running of the event will again feature two rounds of ANDRA championship racing each for the brackets of Top Fuel and Titan Cranes Top Alcohol in the emerging ‘three-round’ format, with the Top Fuel pilots also set to once again fight it out for the added honour of the Louie Rapisarda Top Fuel Trophy. 

Each night from 5.00pm to 9.30pm (approximately) these national show-stoppers will be supported by a fast-paced and action-packed program of entertainment including Top Fuel Motorcycles, Top Doorslammers, Pro Street and three closely-matched categories amid a flurry of on-track light and audio-visual theatrics. For information on the race formats, please see the ‘event information’ further in this release or click here.

Spectator tickets for the Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race presented by Uplift Cranes and Titan Cranes are now available at www.willowbankraceway.com.au with tickets starting at just $35.00 for adults and $30.00 for students/concession card holders with ID, while children aged 13 and under gain free admission. A special pre-purchase only two-day admission pass is also on offer until 16 April 2014. For more information, click here.

Image courtesy: dragphotos.com.au