WILD AT HEART
BY THE time you read this you may already have heard we’ve signed a three-year, full naming rights sponsorship deal with Gulf Western Oil. There’s a new era and hopefully exciting times ahead for Team Bray. Gulf Western Oil is a great, 100 per cent Australian-owned company, and Century Batteries – another great Aussie manufacturer – has also agreed to continue with the team.
The past couple of years, since Benny had his accident, have been a bit of a down time for the team, and I haven’t been this excited for a long time. Gulf Western Oil is taking on naming rights for both the Doorslammers, Ben’s new Sports Compact Toyota Solara and both of our burnout cars. The deal is in its early stages, but I can tell you that some of the plans the team at Gulf Western have up their sleeves are really groundbreaking. It’s all happened so quickly that I really haven’t had time to sit down and take a breath, but I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our previous sponsors.
Gulf Western Oil isn’t new to drag racing – the company has been around for some time and has been involved with the Sainty team for years and years. Peter Vicary started the company; I’ve known him for a long time and we’ve always enjoyed catching up and having a chat at race meetings. He’s a big motorsport fan, but in recent years he’s pulled back a little bit and his two sons, Ben and Andrew, now operate the company. They’re only young blokes with a bit of fire in their bellies and they really want to move the company forward.
I went down to their brand-new, state-ofthe-art blending plant in Sydney and saw how hands-on the guys are, rolling up their sleeves, not afraid to get their hands dirty and get into it. I was impressed. They’re a couple of fair-dinkum Aussies with a real passion for their work.
Even though Aussie drag racing is facing some challenges at the moment – it’s probably at its lowest point for a while – I’m really proud that we’ve been able to sign this quality company. It’s a great deal and I want to thank the Gulf Western team for their belief in us.
What it all means is, as well as going to drag racing meetings, you should see the whole team at a lot more events across the country. That’ll include burnout shows at Supercars events, the Summernats and selected local shows. We’re going to agricultural shows, mining expos and many country events where Gulf Western Oil has a presence. I love going to the agricultural shows. That’s my background, as a tomato farmer. A lot of people come up to me to have a bit of a chat, and I can talk to them about life on the land. We look like going to some of the biggest ag field days in the country, such as Gunnedah in NSW, where hundreds of thousands of people attend.
Let me share some more news: You could soon see Victor Bray in a brand-new, Murray Anderson-built car. Don’t want to say too much, but remember, this is where you heard about it for the first time.
As you can tell, the past month has been hectic. We’ve just returned from the States, where we ordered some new engines, transmissions and converter gear. I used to think there were too many people and cars in California, and now that I’ve just been there, I know there are! The traffic was insane and as much as we loved the place, we couldn’t wait to get on with our trip.
We spent some time with Troy Critchley in North Carolina, just up the road from where Pro Stock racer Shane Tucker lives. Troy’s really landed on his feet. He’s always been a smart operator. He’s got a beautiful house, great family, and he manufactures and modifies
some of the best superchargers in the US. Typical Troy – everything is first-class and he’s really kicking some goals.
About five hours’ drive north we hit the PDRA show in Richmond, Virginia, and caught up with some of my old mates including Jason Scruggs, Camp Stanley, Andy Mccoy, Brandon Snider and many others. It was a massive event, but it was so cold – I think it only got to about five degrees all weekend.
Man, were those cars flying! Scruggs ran a 3.49 at over 220mph – that’s ridiculous for a Doorslammer. They’re accelerating faster than an Alcohol Funny Car even though they’re heavier. The latest problem they’re having is diff gear life, and some of the guys are putting in a new diff in the car for every run. That’s crazy, but that’s the level they’ve taken the sport to. In fact, Jason and Mitchell Scruggs have developed a lightweight fabricated diff housing that takes an 11-inch gear set. There are bigger, stronger rear housings available, but remember, these guys are super weight-conscious.
From there it was back to Troy’s place for a couple of days and then over to the SEMA show in Vegas. I’d never been before, and let me tell you: I reckon it’s twice as big as everyone told me it’d be. I don’t think I’ve walked that much in my life getting around to see the exhibits and displays. Anyone who’s involved in motorsport should go.
Reality TV shows have a massive following, especially the car shows, and while we were in Vegas we went to the Gold & Silver Pawn shop from Pawn Stars, Count’s Kustoms, Rick’s Restorations and Welder Up. Rick struck me as a real down-to-earth, hardworking guy, and what really impressed me is they’re all open to the public and you’re made to feel welcome. Yeah, it’s commercialised and they do a good trade in merchandise, but those guys have a passion and love what they’re doing.
To me, the highlight of Vegas was Welder Up. They have the wildest rat rods you’ll ever see. When you pull up outside the workshop, they’ve got two dirty great big Peterbilt trucks parked side by side. I’m talking 1000hp, nitrous-injected diesel motors with 15-inchdiameter stacks, holes cut in the bonnet, all the metal flared out. When you go inside you’ll be overwhelmed by hot rods, street machines and ’55 Chevys.
Steve Darnell, who runs the show, has taken rat rods to a whole new level. I mean this in the nicest way, but his stuff is so crazy his mind must be seriously warped. Everything he does is diesel, no petrol. Can you imagine a 1930 six-cylinder diesel engine in a hot rod with a 12-inch exhaust sticking up in front of the driver? It’s just mad – and his drive car is a seriously bad-arse ’57 Chevy.
We also took in the NHRA round at Vegas, which was a sell-out, with many Aussies in the house. The Pro Modified cars were awesome. When they leave the line it looks like a bus has hit them up the arse! In Australia we’re lucky to run a .97 to 60 feet and they’re running consistent .920s and .930s.
One of the highlights was seeing Cruz Pedregon do a near-vertical wheelstand through the lights at more than 300mph. We were sitting right on the finish line and it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in drag racing. I know that’s a big call but how the hell he kept that thing from taking off was a testament to his skill and experience – plus a big dose of luck. The NHRA’S recent mandate to have two points on the front of the Funny Car to keep the body on the car saved him. If they had only the one point, like they’ve had for the past 40 or 50 years, the car or at least the body was headed for the moon. I heard later he ended up with a sore back. Google it and take a look.
You never want to see anyone get injured or have an accident, but it was something I’ll remember forever.
CRUZ PEDREGON DID A NEAR-VERTICAL WHEELSTAND AT MORE THAN 300MPH. IT’S ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING THINGS I’VE EVER SEEN