NEWS

JUDD LOOKS TO NEW SEASON AFTER BAD LUCK STRIKES AT WINTERS October 22, 2000

Willowbank International Raceway, Queensland October 6,7 2000: Disappointment struck the Studebaker Racing Co team as an electrical problem stopped Western Australian racer Robin Judd from winning his first National Top Doorslammer Championship.

After setting the pace in the June qualifying session with a world record 6.179 @ 220.26 mph in near perfect conditions, the "Moonshine Bandit" crew were plagued with bad luck when they got to the business end of proceedings.

"We just had one of those weekends where everything seemed to go wrong", Judd said. "Our newly reconditioned single magneto failed before we even left the pits for our first run, then the data logger decided to stop working. We lost a blower belt in the first qualifier about 400 feet out. In the first elimination we lost another belt and the burst panel plus hurt some parts when the throttle stuck open well past the finish line".

Racing last in the first elimination round proved even more costly for Judd with the meeting behind schedule. Towing into the pits the team was told they had only 20 minutes to be ready to race again in the semi-final. The problem was this race was against Victor Bray for the championship. Dave Koop had been eliminated so only Judd and Bray remained in the hunt for the crown. In the brief time available the team had to repair the damage as well as carry out the usual between round maintenance. Unfortunately, this proved to be the final straw.

"Normally we would start the car up in the pits and make sure everything is OK", Judd added. "Unfortunately there was no time to fire up the car so we were not to know we had a faulty coil and lead. I knew something was wrong when the car struggled in the burnout. I could only hope for Victor to have a problem or pull a red light".

Victor Bray went on to win his fifth consecutive championship leaving Judd and his team to imagine what might have been. Gallant in defeat Judd applauded Bray's win by stating "As much as we are bitterly disappointed with what's happened we are thrilled for Victor and his family. He has had a tough year and has proved there is no substitute for experience. There's always next season and I can assure you we will be out there trying to win the championship again. One thing's for sure, Victor's days of dominating Top doorslammer are over" .

Round 1 for season 2000/2001 is at Calder Park Raceway, Melbourne on 4 November, 2000.

See Results page for details of this and other races ...