A Record to Close the Season

Eight-time ANDRA Top Doorslammer champion John Zappia ended a perfect 2014-2015 season the way he ran every round of it: in front. Driving the FUCHS/Striker Monaro at the FUCHS Winternationals, Zappia reset the national record with a 5.639-second pass to defeat Ben Bray in the final - Bray's first race back after breaking his back at Willowbank Raceway the previous year.

The result capped a season in which Zappia won every round of competition across the entire calendar year.

Fighting the Track

The record did not come easily. Track conditions shifted throughout the weekend, and Zappia's team fought handling issues with each successive pass.

"We have had issues with the track all weekend; it just kept getting better and better ... we just couldn't keep up with it. The rattle kept getting worse and worse. The first pass was the best, and it just kept getting more and more challenging with each run. I knew if we left it alone we were going to have an issue." - John Zappia

Zappia opened the event with a provisional record at 5.73 seconds but battled tyre shake in subsequent passes, remaining consistently in the 5.80s. Rather than chasing the backup for that initial mark, the 5.73 served as the one-percent confirmation for the 5.69.

"It took off at the hit, and I was shocked when I hit the shift, and it went. I quickly started celebrating to myself, oh my gosh ... it made it. I knew it was going to be fast." - John Zappia

Zappia noted the valve springs caused the engine to nose over at the finish line, accounting for a slower-than-usual terminal speed of 250.97 mph.

Three Minutes to Spare

The final almost did not happen. While adjusting the clutch before the last round, the team stripped the threads. They were forced to pull the gearbox and clutch-can just 20 minutes before the final round call.

"We tapped it, and rethreaded it and finished it all with three minutes to spare. We started the car, towed around and got there just in time." - John Zappia

Zappia and the Bray family - both iconic names in Australian doorslammer racing - have built a rivalry sharpened by recent exchanges in the Australian racing media.

"Personally with that mob over there, I could have lost to anyone else but them. We just had to get it right. My mum always told me if I didn't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. That's where I leave it." - John Zappia

Looking Ahead

With every round won across the full season, the question becomes what comes next. The 2015-2016 campaign opens in Darwin - a venue where Zappia says the team has found its form.

"Every year I wonder. But we start in Darwin next year and we have found how to run well there." - John Zappia

To build another undefeated season, the approach is the same: open with a win and keep winning.