Top Doorslammer
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Top Doorslammer is a professional (Pro) class of Australian drag racing. It caters to full-bodied racing sedans which are replicas of Australian or US production vehicles. The class uses 514 cu. in. displacement (8.5-litre), mechanically supercharged V8 engines which are fueled by methanol. The minimum weight break for these vehicles is 2700 lbs (1225 kg). It is similar to the Pro Modified class as defined by the NHRA.
Top Doorslammer is regulated by ANDRA, and is considered a Group 1 or professional category. It is the fastest sedan based category in the world, using replicas of front-engined production sedans, coupes, station wagon and utility vehicles usually produced by Holden, Ford, Dodge, Studebaker and Chevrolet. As its name suggests, these cars have operational doors, therefore Funny Car style bodies are not allowed in this class.
Some notable drivers competing in this category are John Zappia, Peter Kapiris, Victor Bray, Ben Bray, Gary Phillips, and Maurice Fabietti. During the summer months, because of rules similar to Pro Modified, such stars in the United States frequently appear during the North American winter during the International Hot Rod Association 400 Thunder series currently. For example, during the 2017-18 IHRA season, Texan Frankie "Mad Man" Taylor drove a second Bray Racing car when the drag strips closed for the winter.
Top Doorslammer originally started out as an exhibition class called Wild Bunch with notable pioneers John Zappia and Victor Bray. After a number of successful years of running the class, ANDRA recognised the class worthy of a professional bracket. By 1996 Top Doorslammer was officially recognised as a Group 1 class, and has since grown into one of the most successful brackets.
Television broadcasting
[edit]Top Doorslammer Championship is on SBS Speedweek and the new SPEED Channel on Foxtel.
2010/2011 ANDRA Pro Series Championship calendar and results
[edit]Round 1: Fuchs Australian nationals 10–12 September, Sydney Dragway, NSW
Runner Up: Maurice Fabietti Winner: Robin Judd
Round 2: Goldenstate Titles 3–4 Dec, Perth Motorplex, WA
Runner up: John Zappia Winner:Mark Belleri
Round 3: 40th Westernationals 5–6 March, Perth Motorplex, WA
Runner up: Maurice Fabietti Winner:John Zappia
Round 4: ANDRA Pro Series 18–19 March, Sydney Dragway, NSW
"RAIN OUT"
Round 5: 2011 Nitro Champs 29 April – 1 May, Sydney Dragway, NSW
Runner up: Peter Kapiris Winner: John Zappia
Round 6:
Round 7: 2011 Castrol EDGE Winternationals Willowbank Raceway, QLD RAIN OUT FINAL Finalist:Mark Belleri and Peter Kapiris
2011/2012 ANDRA Pro Series Championship calendar
[edit]Round 1: 2011 Fuchs Australian nationals 9–11 September, Sydney Drag way, NSW WINNER: Peter Kapiris
Round 2: 2011 40th Annual Goldenstate Titles 18–19 November, Perth Motorplex, WA
WINNER: Peter Kapiris
Round 3: 2012 41st Westernationals 3–4 March, Perth Motorplex, WA
WINNER: John Zappia
Round 4: 23–24 March, Sydney Dragway, NSW WINNER: John Zappia
Round 5: 2012 Nitro Champs, 4–6 May, Sydney Dragway, NSW WINNER: John Zappia
Round 6: 2012 45th FUCHS Winternationals 8–11 June Willowbank Raceway, QLD
2011/2012 ANDRA Pro Series Championship points Top Ten
[edit]| Position | Driver | Points | Wins | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Zappia WA | 370 | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | Peter Kapiris VIC | 348.5 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | Robin Judd WA | 334.5 | 2 | |
| 4 | Mark Belleri NSW | 163.5 | ||
| 5 | Martyn Dack WA | 146 | ||
| 6 | Victor Bray QLD | 138 | ||
| 7 | Ben Bray QLD | 107 | ||
| 8 | Maurice Fabietti NSW | 106 | ||
| 9 | Andrew Sutton NT | 85 | ||
| 10 | Gary Phillips | 160 |
Points Allocation
Winner- 100
Runner up- 80
Semi Final lose- 60
Quarter Final Lose- 40
Non Qualifier- 20
Low Elapsed Time- 5
Top Speed- 5
- 50% bonus for points scored at Championship rounds in Western Australia
Top Doorslammer drivers
[edit]| Driver | Sponsors | Car | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Zappia | Procomp Motorsport / Strikercrushing.com / Fuchs | 1971 Holden HQ Monaro | Hemi 514 |
| Mathew Abel | Abel Tiling Services | 1957 Chevrolet Belair | Hemi 511 |
| Geoff Gradden | Sigra | Dodge Saratoga Top Doorslammer | |
| Stuart Bishop | Wallace Bishop Jewelers / Stuart Bishop Racing | 1967 Chevrolet Camaro | Hemi 511 |
| Ben Bray | Team Bray/sidchrome | 2005 CV8Z Holden Monaro | BAE 511 |
| Shane Catalano | Catalano Family Racing | 1953 Studebaker Champion | |
| Victor Bray | Team Bray Racing/Sidchrome | 1957 Chevy | BAE 511 |
| Tony De Felice | Vicios Rumour | 1967 Chevrolet Camaro | Riolo Racing 511 |
| Maurice Fabietti | Holden Trade Club / Holden Genuine Parts | 2006 CV8Z Holden Monaro | KB 511 |
| Brett Gillespie | BHe Electrical Contractors | 1934 Chevrolet Coupe | |
| Robin Judd | Aeroflow | 1959 Studebaker Champion | KB 511 |
| Peter Kapiris | Kapiris Bros. Racing | 1959 Dodge Seratoga | BAE 521 |
| Gary Phillips | Lucas Oil | 1953 Studebaker Commander | BAE 511 |
| Mark Belleri | Narrabeen Smash Repairs | 1967 Chevrolet Camaro | TFX 522 |
| Sean Mifsud | PPG | 1941 Willys | |
| Andrew Sutton | Sutton Motorsport | 2005 CV8X Holden Monaro | |
| Russell Pavey | United Tools | 1963 Chevrolet Corvette | BAE 521 |
| David Simpson | Hidden Valley Eco Spa Lodges & Day Spa | 1967 Ford Mustang | BAE 511 |
| Scott MacLean | S&M Racing | 1953 Studebaker Commander | |
| Pino Priolo | Team Budget Forklift | 1937 Chevy Coupe | KB 526 |
| Murray O'Connor | Penrite | 196- Ford XM Falcon | BAE 511 |
| Daniel Gregorini | Scratch & Match Motorsports | Chevrolet Camaro | BAE 521 |
| Marty Dack | Auto One | 200- Ford Falcon BA | Hemi 520 |
| Phillp Glendenning | All State Shopfitting | 200- Ford Falcon BA | BAE 521 |
| John Cannuli | PowerCruise / Wash It Australia / Crossroads Racing | 1967 Chevrolet Camaro | |
| Rino D'Alfonso | Metro Holden | 2010 HSV Clubsport VE Commodore | KB Hemi 521 |
| Peter Blake | Racetech Steel | 1970 Ford Mustang | Hemi 511 |
ANDRA National records
[edit]Elapsed Time: 5.693 seconds John Zappia, 7 June 2015, FUCHS Winternationals, Willowbank Raceway
Speed: 258.42 mph (415.89 km/h) P. Kapiris, Sydney Dragway, May 2013.
Track records
[edit]Track ET Record - 5.683 Seconds John Zappia, 6 February 2016
Track Speed Record - 253.86 mph (408.55 km/h) John Zappia, 6 February 2016
Top Doorslammer 5 Second Club
[edit]The Top Doorslammer 5 Second Club is a group of drivers who have run a quarter-mile in the 5 second range. Only 12 drivers have ever managed to run a 5-second time. John Zappia was the first in the world to run a legal Doorslammer 5 with a 5.967 second pass at 241.97 mph, on 17 September 2005, in his Rentco Monaro Top Doorslammer at Western Sydney International Raceway, NSW.
| Driver | Time |
|---|---|
| John Zappia | 5.683 |
| Deno Brijeski | 5.956 |
| Robin Judd | 5.822 |
| Gary Phillips | 5.939 |
| Maurice Fabietti | 5.84 |
| Peter Kapiris | 5.809 |
| Ben Bray | 5.880 |
| Russ Pavey | 5.898 |
| Stuart Bishop | 5.98 |
| Matt Abel | 5.981 |
| Mark Belleri | 5.902 |
| Aaron Lynch | 5.973 |
Pro Series sponsors
[edit]Official sponsors
- Fuchs
- Sidchrome Official tool
ANDRA Pro Series tracks
[edit]- Perth Motorplex Kwinana Beach, WA[1]
- Western Sydney International Dragway Eastern Creek, NSW[2]
- Willowbank Raceway Ipswich, QLD[3]
- Adelaide International Raceway South Australia
- Hidden Valley Raceway Darwin, Northern Territory[4]
Past champions
[edit]| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1995-96 | Victor Bray |
| 1996-97 | Victor Bray |
| 1997-98 | Victor Bray |
| 1998-99 | Victor Bray |
| 1999-00 | Victor Bray |
| 2000-01 | Victor Bray |
| 2001-02 | Peter Kapiris |
| 2002-03 | Ben Bray |
| 2003-04 | Brett Stevens |
| 2004-05 | Ben Bray |
| 2005-06 | Steve Stanic |
| 2006-07 | Gary Phillips |
| 2007-08 | John Zappia |
| 2008-09 | John Zappia |
| 2009-10 | John Zappia |
| 2010-11 | John Zappia |
| 2011-12 | John Zappia |
| 2012-13 | John Zappia |
| 2013-14 | John Zappia |
| 2014-15 | John Zappia |
| 2015-16 | John Zappia |