40th Winternationals to Be Held at Queensland’s Willowbank Raceway on June 8-10
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May 23, 2007
Bam Media
Such is the significance of the 40th Castrol EDGE Winternationals to be held at Queensland’s Willowbank Raceway on June 8-10, event officials have invited the most synonymous name in Australian drag racing to officially launch proceedings at the Logan Hyperdome this Saturday morning.
Heavyweight father and son duo, Victor and Ben Bray should prove a major hit among weekend shoppers, as will their power-packed machinery which has accumulated a phenomenal nine Australian Championships.
Six-time ANDRA Australian Top Doorslammer title-holder Victor has been a permanent fixture on the National scene for more than three decades and his passion for quarter mile drag racing continues to grow ever stronger.
Shooting for a fifth straight final eliminator appearance at the Winternationals and having accumulated three victories in that time, the seasoned veteran knows exactly what it takes to claim a gold Christmas tree winner’s trophy at the biggest drag racing event outside North America.
“The Castrol EDGE Winternationals is the real deal so far as top level drag racing in Australia is concerned and I’m hoping we can make it three victories in a row at this massive show, ” said Victor.
“Rest assured every driver and rider places added emphasis on winning during the Queen’s Birthday weekend carnival and that makes for some of the best racing of the season.
“I’m passionate about the Winternationals and have only missed the one final eliminator (2002) over the past eight years.
“With the advances in technology, coupled with a surge in racer numbers, the Winternationals promises to be bigger and better each year.
“As we approach the 40th occasion of the Castrol EDGE Winternationals at Willowbank I feel privileged to have been asked to be a part of the launch and hope the fans come along this Saturday when we ramp things up towards the June 8-10 event. ”
While 23 year-old Ben Bray may have only participated in the last five Winternationals, his achievements have already marked him as a true champion and one of the most elite drivers in International company.
Upon capturing his first Australian Top Doorslammer championship as a 19 year-old, Ben became the youngest ever National title winner in the World and he then went on to claim a second Top Doorslammer crown just a season later.
Showing his versatility the young protégé has more recently also mastered the Top Alcohol class and is the reigning National titleholder.
“I competed in back-to-back Top Doorslammer Winternationals finals against Dad during 2003 and 2004 and we won one each so I’m sure it’ll be on again to see who can come up with the goods this year, ” said Ben.
“Dad’s been tough to beat at the Winters but with another huge field expected this year there are no guarantees.
“This year has been severely disrupted following a back injury but I’ve slowly been getting on top of that and am counting on getting back on the winner’s list at this year’s Castrol EDGE Winternationals.
“We both love racing at home here in Queensland and hope everyone can make their way out to Willowbank and make the 2007 Winternationals even more special.
“This weekend’s launch marks the genuine countdown to the Winternationals and I know everyone involved in drag racing is counting down the days.
“It’s great to see our own sponsor Castrol EDGE on board with the Winternationals and it’ll be great to catch up with all the fans at the Logan Hyperdome on Saturday. ”
The official launch of the 40th Castrol EDGE Winternationals will kick off from 10.30am at the Logan Hyperdome, with numerous giveaways and competitions sure to keep shoppers entertained during a two hour promotional period.
Every year the International sporting spotlight is cast upon the Winternationals showpiece, which continues to grow in stature and is the biggest drag racing event in the southern hemisphere.
Entries continue to flood in from across the country to be involved in the 2007 Castrol EDGE Winternationals and will be taken up until this Friday’s deadline.
For sports fans World-wide the familiar crackle of Australia’s most high-powered drag racing machines can’t come soon enough as Willowbank Raceway again showcases the best of quarter mile drag racing duels.
This iconic, home-grown Queensland entertainment masterpiece continually serves up first class, magical moments particularly in the closely contested Group One professional categories.
The way season 2006/07 has transpired there’s little doubt among fans, officials or racers themselves that the 2007 Castrol EDGE Winternationals will provide another fine chapter in Australian drag racing.
