January 21, 2009.

AS WEST AUSTRALIAN drag racing fans savour the thought of the upcoming round of Top Alcohol at the Motorplex, spare a thought for Queenslander Gary Phillips and his Lucas Oil team, who’s initial planning for the event is a distant memory.

Already engaged in wrestling with the logistical nightmare of trans-continental motorsport, Phillips has had to learn more than how to tune and drive a three thousand plus horsepower racecar to compete and win at the elite level of drag racing.

Every morning, Phillips heads down to the home-based workshop, with his first stop being the day by day calendar, already full of scribble before the season began.

And just when you’d expect the schedule to be full of the usual engine rebuilds, freshen-ups and maintenance, add to the agenda the unique challenge of preparing and packaging both racecars into transit containers well in advance of race meetings to be at racetracks in different states on time.

“Obviously, we use our own transporter for our local Willowbank events, and even for Sydney, but racing in Perth creates a whole new mind-bender for us, especially when we have to have one car in Western Australia and the other on the east-coast for the next week,” says a chuckling Phillips, half amused as to why he puts himself through the stress.

“After we raced at Willowbank with the Lucas Oils Funny Car on January 3, we serviced it and packed it in a container for Perth, with a train pre-booked and swing lift due any minute to pick it up.” The 2800 mile (4500 km) trip would usually take 52 hours to complete if the team was to drive, however the more viable option will see the container arrive early next week by rail, ahead of the weekends race at the Perth Motorplex.

“After the Top Alcohol visit to Perth is where it gets full-on. While we fly back from WA, a swing lift picks up the container from the Motorplex and a train takes the funny car across the Nullarbor directly to Sydney. Meanwhile we prepare the Doorslammer back in Brisbane, and head to Sydney in the transporter. As soon as we get to Sydney, we service the funny car at the track, which hopefully has arrived safely from Perth. Then we race both cars for the two days, and with a bit of luck, win!”

But just when you thought the Lucas Oil Products team put the feet up, the logistical nightmare just got taken up a notch, as both racecars tag team and part company once again to head to opposite sides of the country.

“Straight after the race, we stay on at the track for a day to service the Studebaker Doorslammer, whack it in the container for the swing lift to pick up and take to the train for Perth. Then we put the funny car back in the transporter and head back to Brisbane before flying out to Perth to meet the car for the Westernationals.”

“As big a nightmare as that is, it’s only mild compared to the ten day turnaround between the Tin- Tops at Willowbank and the Nitro Champs in Sydney in April/May, where we race both cars at the same meet again, but at least it’s on the same side of the nation,” says an out-of-breath Phillips after quoting his schedule.

Currently sitting second in Top Alcohol and third in the Top Doorslammer national points, Phillips has come to accept the challenge of the country criss-cross as part of the sport, but despite having his mind all over the country whilst preparing the Lucas Oil Products racecars, once the magneto fires at the racetrack, all that will matter to Gary Phillips is the quarter mile in front of him.

You can see the Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Funny Car in action at the Perth Motorplex on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 January. 

Story by Bennie Bishop at benzpress (0433 112 959)
Photo credit: Phil Luyer: www.highoctanephotos.com