Season Finale at Adelaide International Raceway

John Zappia closed the ANDRA Top Doorslammer season at Adelaide International Raceway with another victory for the Fuchs Monaro, extending his winning streak to five consecutive events and 15 rounds. The result places him within reach of Ben Bray's record of 24 consecutive round wins.

"This was a nearly perfect season for the Fuchs team with our last race loss being way back at Darwin in July 2016. Since Alice Springs we have been pushed really hard by our opponents but each time my crew has found the extra performance we need to stay in front." - John Zappia

"Fifteen round wins in a row is really something. We have gone to 21 rounds in a row before we crashed the car at Willowbank so we are excited to try and better that mark, along with Ben Bray's long-standing 24-round streak." - John Zappia

Qualifying and Eliminations

Zappia opened qualifying on Friday with a 4.89-second pass despite pedalling the car. That time held as his quickest of the day after the team pushed harder in the second session, where the car shook and got sideways. With temperatures dropping toward the third session, the team elected to save the car for Saturday's eliminations.

"We tried a bit harder and it rattled hard and got really sideways. It was getting cold towards the third session and we thought we would sit it out and save the car for the next day." - John Zappia

A solo first-round run gave Zappia the opportunity to dial back the tune-up and find a consistent setting, producing a pedalling 4.94. The semi-final against Rob Taylor's Camaro saw a return to pace with another 4.89, enough to advance past the Victorian team and set up a final-round meeting with Victor Bray.

Final Round: Zappia vs. Bray

Staying in his favoured left lane, Zappia ran the quickest pass of the weekend: a 4.86-second run to claim the ANDRA Gold Christmas Tree.

"We left the tune-up alone for the final but the air was incredibly good, getting to 198 feet below sea level. Thankfully the humidity didn't come in so there was no dew on the track and the Fuchs Monaro was making a lot of power and ran the fastest run of the weekend." - John Zappia

"We had an eighth-mile time of 3.80 at 200 mph and if the pass was on a quarter-mile track it would have been a mid 5.7-second run." - John Zappia

Engine Performance and Reliability

New rods from CP-Carrillo proved reliable, with the Noonan Engineering engine combination running cleanly throughout the South Australian event.

"The Noonan Engineering engine combo ran very well and coupled with the superior lubrication qualities of the Fuchs oil, we didn't hurt any parts apart from a couple of valve springs." - John Zappia

Zappia was also presented with the ANDRA Australian National Championship Gold Christmas Tree and a Number 10 cake to mark 10 consecutive national championships, matching John Force's record for consecutive major drag racing championships in the NHRA.

Next: Perth Motorplex Grand Final

Currently in transit across the Nullarbor with two Christmas Trees in tow, Zappia returns to competition in days at the Perth Motorplex season Grand Final. Competing in the Top Comp bracket, the focus shifts from round wins to outright performance.

"We will be chasing an Australian best time. We have a track record of 5.683 and 256.7 mph and we will be trying to push those boundaries. To be honest, we are looking to go really fast. Everything is running really well lately and we are keen to see how far we can push it on the quarter mile with the good air that is traditional for this time of year." - John Zappia

After Perth, the team heads east for Nitro Thunder at Sydney Dragway and the Winternationals at Willowbank.

Congratulations to all winners and finalists, with thanks to Mark Hunt, Paul Topping, and Frank Intini for their assistance over the weekend.