Drag racer hopes dedication off track pays dividends on race day
MOTOR SPORT: The Brisbane Jamboree brings some of the country’s fastest cars to southeast Queensland, but it has a special significance for Highfields’ Naomi van der Togt.
Today she will be racing her Nissan Silvia in the Modified Compact class, and the journey she has taken to get her car onto the dragway makes getting behind the wheel that much sweeter.
“I’ve been around drag racing all my life and I was destined to be a revhead,” van der Togt said.
“This year I’m hoping to get my personal best after rebuilding the engine, which will be into the eight seconds.
“I built it myself which is more beneficial to me than buying a car and racing it. For me it’s not just about racing, but achieving goals for myself, knowing I built the car.”
The journey hasn’t been without its hurdles, with van der Togt battling to get her car ready to peak, but she said it makes it all worth it in the end.
“It has thrown some curve balls at me,” she said.
“When I first took it to the track it brought up a fuel pressure problem where the fuel hose was getting squashed.
“It’s also broken the flex plate and thrown the driving belt. They’re all simple things that keep testing the patience, but it seems happy now.
“I’m always packing myself and nervous like crazy on my first run. It doesn’t matter if it’s an event or not.
“Being a female in a maledominated sport can be very daunting. You put all hard earned cash into a car and if it doesn’t run or breaks, it hurts.
“But you keep pushing along and hopefully it pulls some good numbers.”
She won’t be travelling solo to Willowbank Raceway, with partner Kristian Goleby set to compete over the weekend with his Ford Capri in the J315 class.
“He’s done a lot for me. He’s guided me nut doesn’t overhelp me. He wants me to learn and taught me a lot,” she said.
“The car runs so obviously his knowledge is very good.
“He’ll be taking his car as well. His first outing with a Capri was 8.2 which was quite phenomenal, and he’ll be hoping for seven’s.”