JET TAKES OFF
UNLESS you have been living on another planet, you would have heard about Jeremy ‘Jet’ Martin’s incredible recent accomplishments in the USA in his 4000hp, twin-turbo, 526ci 481X-powered VB Commodore. Late last year he had a whirlwind ride to the quarterfinals of the greatest radial event in the world, No Mercy.
“We kept the car here in Sydney for Grudge Kings, which meant we were on a really tight timeline to get it ready once it landed in Savannah, Georgia,” Jeremy says of his rushed preparation for the event. “We literally had two weeks from landing to be racing at No Mercy. Luckily the car was only in customs for one day before it went to Pro Line, where they basically did everything: four-link radial weight package, changed the converter, upgraded the fire system to NHRA standards and fitted an M&M Transmissions shifter.”
Once things were sorted, Jet borrowed a dually and trailer and headed to South Georgia Motorsports Park with Josh Ledford, one of the Pro Line guys and tuner for the car, along with a few friends and family.
Before they knew it, it was go time at No Mercy 9.
In the first round, Jet drew Tim Slavens (whose ’69 Camaro became the quickest radial car on the planet in mid-february with a 3.62 pass) and ran a 3.93 to Tim’s 3.94.
The second round saw Jet up against Mark Micke, then the radial world record holder. Jet’s VB defeated Micke’s Malibu with a 3.94 pass. “I had nothing to lose, and Micke blew the tyres off on the startline!” Jet says.
In the third round, Jet blasted out a PB of 3.90, but it wasn’t enough to take out Alex Laughlin’s Corvette, which ran an amazing 3.78. Despite bowing out, Jet couldn’t be prouder of his achievements against some of the toughest cars in the world.
“Talk about a tough line-up! We found the event to be very competitive, with such a large amount of high-quality cars,” he says. “There were 42 of the latest and greatest at No Mercy and here I was with a three-year-old car and an older motor that didn’t have the power of the others – and all totally self-funded on wages.
“The car was very popular and I think it was just that we offered something different – a right-hand-drive car from Australia – and we went rounds. People were coming up to us and thanking us for bringing the car over, and the guys from Pro Line were just awesome.”
Incredibly, after No Mercy they took the car to a PDRA event at Darlington, where it clicked off a 3.84!
But despite his great showing in the US, Jet’s taking a break from racing.
“I gotta hang the gloves up for a while,” he laughs. “The missus is pregnant and I’m building a house, so the combo is up for sale and I’m out for two to five years.
“Who knows what’s next; I may go with a water-jacketed motor and do Drag Week.”
THERE WERE 42 OF THE LATEST AND GREATEST AT NO MERCY AND HERE I WAS WITH A THREE-YEAR-OLD CAR AND AN OLDER MOTOR THAT DIDN’T HAVE THE POWER OF THE OTHERS