The business of winning first class drag racing events has been a work in progress for Stuart Bishop, but persistence and the support of a dedicated crew has ensured the World’s fastest jeweller an impressive report card from his first full season in Group One Top Doorslammer competition.
A third successive qualification to the finals field of eight drivers at Australia’s biggest drag racing show, the Castrol EDGE Winternationals, was reason enough to celebrate after finishing sixth among a World class entry list of 21 competitors.
What came next was nothing short of outstanding as the rookie team showed a steely composure to direct a worthy challenge against two-time Australian Top Doorslammer champion Ben Bray in the first round of eliminations.
Only a better reaction time off the start line proved the difference between winning and losing for Bishop, as he directed another personal best competition run of 6.17 seconds over the quarter mile in the impressive ’67 Camaro Diamond Doorslammer.
“First Victor now Benny Bray, but as all drivers are aware you have to beat the best to win these events and while it’s disappointing to lose we’ll take the experience on board and be back firing for the 2007/08 season, ” said Bishop.
“The crew was absolutely first class for the entire weekend and particularly overnight everyone has chipped in to ensure ourselves the best possible chance of success today.
“That’s our first full Group One season under our belts and the net result was three finals appearances so that’s well within our expectations.
“It’s been a learning curve for everyone and now that we’ve established ourselves as genuine contenders we need to approach events with that sort of mentality.
“It’s a great buzz to make our first ever Winternationals finals field and we’ll now reset our season goals next year to complement the gains we’ve made this year. ”
The Winternationals weekend at Willowbank Raceway has again lived up to all expectations as the biggest drag racing show outside of North America.
With healthy crowds across all three days of the tournament and countless photos taken of all the action and atmosphere associated with such a great occasion, Bishop has extended the invitation to all and sundry to enter into the second installment of the Wallace Bishop Jewellers Photographic competition.
“The Winternationals officially kicked off the Wallace Bishop Jewellers Photographic competition so all photos taken over the weekend are eligible to be submitted, ” added Bishop.
“We were extremely happy with the response to the inaugural competition and hope the fans get right behind the concept so we can continue it as a regular part of Stuart Bishop Racing.
“It’s all about the fans and giving them the opportunity to assist with the progression of Australian drag racing and also allows our team to give back to the sport that has provided all of us so much joy.
“To everyone who came up for a chat over the weekend I hope you continue to support Stuart Bishop Racing and I look forward to catching up again during the start of the new season at the Australian Nationals on September 14-16.
“I’ll keep everyone posted but there’s a strong chance we’ll be looking at doing some store visits at Wallace Bishop Jewellers over coming months and this will also provide an opportunity to get some happy snaps of the Diamond Doorslammer for the photo competition. ”
The finalists’ images from this year’s competition are currently being displayed at the Ipswich Art Gallery and will be on show until July 29.
A visit to the gallery will prove a great day out for the entire family with the exhibition coinciding with another major exhibition, ‘Eaten Alive – The World of Predators, ’ which will dominate the Ipswich Art Gallery during this period.
Drag racing fans young and old are encouraged to involve themselves in the second installment of the Wallace Bishop Jewellers National Photographic competition and be in the running to win some great cash and prizes.
Simply by taking photos of all the drag racing action on and off the track, then submitting images into the competition, individuals will go in the running to win cash and prizes worth more than $20 000, courtesy of Wallace Bishop Jewellers.
The length and breadth of the country will play host to a vast array of quarter mile drag racing action, coordinated at the three major venues in Ipswich, Sydney and Perth, plus plenty of smaller hotspots in between.
It’s not just the major venues that will be pumping with quarter mile drag racing action in the 2007/08 season, as some of the smaller quarter and eighth mile facilities get in on the act.
Stretching along the East Coast of Australia, Victoria’s South Coast Raceway at Portland has regularly scheduled race meetings and it’s a similar story at Tasmania’s Motors-ACDelco strip.
Mildura’s Sunset Strip in Victoria, Darwin’s Hidden Valley Drag Strip and Queensland’s Palmyra Dragway (Mackay), Benaraby Raceway (Gladstone) and Warwick Dragway are also bound to have plenty of high speed thrills in store during the year.
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