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Stuart Bishop returns to the drivers seat as SBR's Grohn gets best ever result |
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Wednesday, 09 April 2008 |
SBR Boss Stuart Bishop will return to the driver’s seat next weekend for the
upcoming Tin Top Titles, for which the team’s Cody Grohn has prepared in
spectacular fashion by securing his first-ever finals berth at the 2008
Australian Junior Dragster Titles in Sydney last Saturday.
The runner-up performance in the 8.60 Pro Tree category at WSID aboard the
Stuart Bishop Racing Junior Jem sees the Bundaberg youngster primed for his next
hit-out at home-track Willowbank Raceway for the Tin Top Titles on April 18 and
19.
Grohn, 15, qualified 12th from 32 competitors before advancing to
his finals appearance, where his time of 8.586s saw him narrowly miss out on the
trophy as he ran under the nominated dial-in time of 8.60s. His adversary,
Simone Paine of New South Wales instead took the accolade with a run of 8.743s.
“I was pretty happy to make it to the finals, this was my first finals
appearance and I was really happy to make it that far for Stuart Bishop Racing
after all the hard work they put in,” said Grohn.
“Unfortunately, I
over-ran the dial-in which saw us lose out, and I guess when you get that close
you can’t help but be a bit disappointed. Running to dial-in is a process that
we need to work on and we are getting better.”
A similar problem saw the
speedy youngster - whose finals berth came at only his fourth event - eliminated
early in his last hit-out in Perth where he made it to the semi-final before
running a 8.42s which was too quick for the 8.50 dial-in.
“We are
getting closer to running right on the money, and hopefully when we get to the
Tin Tops at Willowbank Raceway next weekend, we can get it right,” said Grohn.
“It would be great to go one further for Stuart and his crew whose
support has been invaluable in getting me to these events. My mate Alexander
Bishop (Stuart’s son) even helps out by staging my car for my runs – so it would
be great to give a winning result to them in thanks.”
In more great news
for SBR, team boss Stuart Bishop will return to the driver’s seat of his Diamond
Doorslammer ’67 Camaro at Willowbank Raceway’s upcoming Tin Top Titles.
Stuart has been absent from the past two rounds of the ANDRA
championship, as he understandably put everything on hold when his baby daughter
was diagnosed with acute leukaemia two months ago.
Bishop’s last event
was in Perth where a promising start for the world’s fastest jeweller ran afoul
with the quick release steering wheel disengaging at the start of his first
round run, for which he had qualified third fastest.
While he has been
absent from the race track since December, Bishop got in some testing time in
February at his home-track and can’t wait to get back in the pilot’s chair next
weekend.
While the Tin Top Titles will serve as Bishop's comeback event,
it will also act as the final event from which images can be submitted for the
second-running of the Wallace Bishop Jewellers National Photographic
Competition.
The Wallace Bishop Jewllers National Photographic
Competition provides amateur and professional photographers the opportunity to
win more than $20,000 in cash and prizes, simply by taking photos of the on and
off track action at their local drag racing strip and entering them online at
www.stuartbishopracing.com.au
“There are two categories available, one
for Stuart Bishop Racing and one for drag racing across the board, and I
sincerely hope that anyone interested in drag racing takes the chance to be
involved and possibly win some great prizes,” said Bishop.
The overall
winning entry selected from all winners of each category will be awarded a half
carat 50-point diamond. This is an identical diamond to the one encased in the
roof of Stuart Bishop’s Diamond Doorslammer, which is situated somewhere among
the configuration of 540 cubic zirconia.
Five finalists in each category
and subject area will be selected to be involved in a unique public art
exhibition at the Ipswich Art Gallery. Images will be exhibited leading up to
Willowbank Raceway’s 2008 Winternationals and extended through to the end of
July.
Full details of the Wallace Bishop photographic competition are
available at www.stuartbishopracing.com.au as is all the new up to date
information relevant to the SBR team and the ’67 Camaro Diamond Doorslammer.
Entries officially close at 5.00pm Friday April 25th, 2008.
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