Championship Secured, But Not Without Cost

The 2016 Winternationals at Willowbank Raceway delivered the inaugural 400 Thunder Pro Slammer Championship to John Zappia and the Zappia Racing team. But the title came at a price: two complete engine changes, a piston, rod, and liner replacement, and a brand-new blower belt that snapped in the semi-final.

Zappia finished the event as Top Qualifier and reached Round 3, ending equal third overall with Grant O'Rourke.

"It was a tough weekend for a lot of teams, and some having heartache like us. Russ Pavey and Stuart Bishop both had bad crashes that put their cars out of action. Ours was engine damage that kept us busy, and eventually halted our Winters effort." - John Zappia

Qualifying: Fast Runs, Constant Damage

Q1 produced a 5.82 at 246.70 mph after Zappia had to pedal, putting the Fuchs Monaro at the top of the field with Belleri closest at 5.86. The engine let go as Zappia lifted through the finish line.

"The air was very good at Willowbank. I think it caught a lot of teams out with their tuning - certainly caught me out." - John Zappia

The crew replaced the engine overnight. In Q2, the Monaro ran 6.11 at 248.89 mph to hold the top position, while O'Rourke moved to second with a 5.84. An intermittent ignition fault from a previously serviced magneto caused misfiring in first gear, but cleared for the remainder of the run.

The final qualifying pass launched hard and carried the wheels deep into the run before a burnt piston and failed valve ended the pull at the 1,000-foot mark. The result: 5.77 at 237.50 mph, enough to Top Qualify ahead of the 17-car field, but with rod, piston, and gudgeon pin fragments throughout the motor. Another complete engine change followed, this time installing a spare that had not run since 2012.

Eliminations: Three Rounds of Attrition

Round 1 paired Zappia with No. 16 qualifier Mark Harris in the Willy Coupe. Harris was pushed back after the burnout, and Zappia coasted through after popping the blower burst panel at 300 feet - a 10.28-second pass for the win.

Round 2 produced one of the weekend's standout matchups. Zappia ran 5.857 at 243.81 mph against Victor Bray's 5.963 at 243.63 mph. Zappia had to pedal early after the car rattled hard. The cause: another melted piston. The crew pulled the blower and heads, changed a liner and piston, and had the car ready for the next round.

The semi-final lined up the four quickest remaining cars - Belleri vs. O'Rourke, and Zappia vs. Ben Bray. The car fired cleanly in the pits, but on the hit in the burnout, the brand-new blower belt snapped.

"That's the second time this season I had to watch the race in front of me sitting in a silent car. It was symbolic of the whole weekend really, and nothing seemed to go right. Hopefully we have got that bad one out the way and we can regroup for the start of the next season." - John Zappia

The Final and Season Close

Belleri and Ben Bray advanced to the final. Mark Belleri took the win with a 5.796 at 243.63 mph to Bray's 5.860 at 244.52 mph.

"That was a quick final pass by Belleri - congratulations to the team. The event was one of the hardest we have done in a while. The pit looked like a Top Fuel pit area with engines and carnage everywhere." - John Zappia

Despite the mechanical toll, the 2016 season ended with the inaugural 400 Thunder Pro Slammer Championship secured. Zappia credited naming rights sponsor Fuchs Lubricants for their continued backing, along with the broader network of sponsors and technical partners who support the Zappia Racing operation.

"So many good and talented people are in our inner circle brains trust, and it makes my life easier to bring it all together." - John Zappia