After a brief hiatus, Pro Stock competitors returned to the track in impressive fashion for Round 2 of the NDRC/PDRC Championship. Entering the event, John Barbagallo held a narrow points lead over defending champion Rob Dekert, who was eager to reclaim his position at the top of the class. Dekert achieved just that with a commanding victory over Mario Polito.
The weekend’s action began with a test session on Friday, providing teams with valuable track time to fine-tune their setups. While the hot conditions posed challenges for the 400 cubic-inch small block engines, a few teams still managed to break into the 6 second zone, with Rob Dekert and Chris Soldatos leading the way.
Following turbulent and windy qualifying sessions, Dekert emerged as the top qualifier with a time of 6.958 seconds. The top four drivers were separated by just 0.037 seconds, underscoring the intense competition within the Pro Stock class. Notably, the two championship rivals from last season were separated by a mere 0.005 seconds, illustrating the tightness of the class. Despite qualifying concluding, the day’s action was far from over, with Round 1 scheduled for Saturday night due to a change in regular event scheduling.
In a dramatic turn of events, Rick Chilton was forced to withdraw from the competition after suffering engine problems between qualifying and Round 1. This alteration in the seeding led to a high stakes match up between Tony Polito and Chris Soldatos, a pairing that proved to be the highlight of the round. In a stunning upset, Polito’s Ford took the win with a holeshot.
By the time Round 2 rolled around on Sunday morning, conditions had changed drastically. The typically cool April or October air that usually delivers record-breaking performances was nowhere in sight, instead replaced by warmer temperatures, but the level playing field meant that all competitors faced the same challenge. Dekert recorded the lowest elapsed time (ET) of the second round, securing his place in the A Final, while Mario Polito also earned his spot by defeating Ray Oxley in the second edition of the battle of the Cobalts, leaving them one apiece.
John Barbagallo maintained his championship aspirations with a strong performance in the B Final, defeating Chris Soldatos. However, Dekert’s dominance continued with a powerful victory over Mario Polito in the A Final, which solidified his place at the top of the championship, as well as the bonus points from his low ET and high MPH ensured that he extended his lead even further heading into the third round. Set to take place at the Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway this May, it is sure to be a thriller with the potential return of the Queensland brigade.
Congratulations to the team at Unique Racing, who were once again in the winner’s circle, claiming victory and regaining the championship lead. Congratulations are also in order for Theuma @ Leake Racing and Thomas Leake, who set a PB of 7.011 in his second-ever Pro Stock meeting.
A special mention goes to the JB Automotive Family Racing Team, who, despite the devastating floods in North Queensland, made it to the track and secured a victory in Junior Dragster with Charli Nurzenski behind the wheel.