TEAM BRAY READY FOR SEASON-OPENING EAST COAST NATIONALS

The 2006/07 Australian drag racing season kicks off this weekend with the East Coast Nationals at Western Sydney International Dragway, an event that has now become the big-time book-end to the season-ending Castrol Edge Winternationals.

With 21 Top Doorslammers, 15 Top Alcohol and 15 Pro Stock cars entered, the East Coasts boast one of the biggest Group One fields yet seen at an ANDRA meeting and, as usual, the two drivers most teams want to beat are multiple champions Victor and Ben Bray.


Last season brought mixed fortunes for Team Bray as the opposition stepped up their efforts and halted Team Bray's winning Doorslammer streak. But at the Winternationals it was back to the good old days for Victor who won his first round for the year in his thundering Castrol Edge '57 Chev. It was his fourth 'Winters' title and he also top qualified and set low ET for the round.

Ben continued to make huge gains with his new Castrol Edge Holden Monaro CV8 during the season, and although he bowed out in the semi finals at the Winters, he rattled off his quickest ET to date the next day in testing and the team now knows what makes the Monaro really tick.

So Team Bray ended the Top Doorslammer season on high, with new tune-ups and the propect of more speed to come, Victor is looking forward to the East Coasts.

"There's a real lot of hype around the East Coasts," Victor said. "It's certainly turning out to be one of the premier events of the year and it's going to be very interesting because the competition level is going to be unbelievable.


"A lot of guys have been spending big dollars in the off-season, there a lot of new cars, and teams are getting really well prepared for the first round because people want a big start nowadays, you can't rely on having a little luck in the middle of the season. At this meeting last year, John Zappia ran the first 'five' and I'm sure he'll be out to repeat that because he didn't have a brilliant 2005/07 season.

"John's not the only driver who's confident this year, I think the confidence level in the Doorslammer fraternity has gone through the roof. Benny and I are just hoping to get down the track but, talking to some guys, they're getting ready to take the trophy home already! I don't know why everyone is so pumped, maybe because of the two 'fives' last year, or maybe because they saw me coming from not qualifying at two events to an upset win; but I think it all adds up to a strong competition.

"We need to do well in Sydney because, traditionally, we haven't started strong in the past as a team, although Ben got going well in his Funny Car last season. Last year we had a lot of dramas and new car blues and things just didn't go our way but we're keen as mustard to change that this year.

"We didn't test in the off-season because we think we have a good package - we just don't know how strong it is compared to everyone else's - but I think we have a good stepping stone to work off at the East Coasts."


On the Top Alcohol front, 2005/06 was a stellar year for Ben who took out his first Top Alcohol title at the 'Winters' in his Mack Trucks/Castrol Firebird Funny Car, after less than two seasons in the bracket. Ben further dumbfounded the category giants by lowering the ET record to 5.52 seconds, the third quickest Top Alcohol pass in the world at the time.

With many Top Alcohol teams switching to or buying Funny Cars to join the bracket this season, the pressure will be on Ben to retain his title but as the round one looms, Ben is definitely the man to beat although Victor is quick to add “BEWARE OF THE MAN WITH THE LUCAS SHIRT ON”


You can follow Team Bray's progress via the website (www.victorbray.com) where there will be live web cams in the pits, Vic's video reports after every round of racing, and in-depth web updates.