Chris Soldatos will make his return to Pro Stock competition at the East Coast Nationals, back behind the wheel for the first time since taking the win at last year’s championship finale.
It has been a quiet year for the Soldatos Motorsport Pontiac, but the team has plenty of history at Sydney Dragway.
Soldatos has previously been one of the benchmarks at the track, setting the Australian Pro Stock national record with a 6.859-second pass at Sydney Dragway. The car has also delivered plenty of strong results at the venue over the years, making his return one to watch when the Pro Stock field hits the track.
The class has taken another step forward in pace since Soldatos was last on the start line, giving the team a fresh benchmark to work towards.
“It’s been a while since we’ve been out, so we’re really looking forward to getting back into it,” Soldatos said.
“Sydney has been a good track for us over the years and we’ve had some pretty good success there, so hopefully we can get the car working and put some good runs together.
“The class has definitely taken a step forward in pace since we last raced, so it’ll be interesting to see where we fit in.”
The extended break has also given the team plenty of time to work on the car away from the track, with the first few passes of the weekend set to show just what Soldatos has to work with.
Rather than chasing a particular number straight away, the focus will be on getting back into the rhythm of a race weekend and building from there.
“It’s hard to know exactly where you’re at until you make a pass,” he said.
“We’ll take it one run at a time, get some data and see what the car wants. It’s been a long time between races, so getting back out there and enjoying it is the main thing.”
With a previous national record and a race win at his last appearance, Soldatos returns to a familiar venue with plenty of experience to draw on.
The East Coast Nationals will provide the first look at the Pontiac back in competition and give Soldatos the chance to see how the combination stacks up against the current Pro Stock field.
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