WARRNAMBOOL’s Chris King stumbled into drag racing by chance eight years ago.
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“I used to be an interstate truckie. When I gave it away and sold my trucks, I had nothing to do,” he said.
“I went along to the local drag (racing) club, got involved in it that way. At that point I didn’t have a car.”
His early experiences were positive and convinced him to fork out for a 1974 Ford Capri.
“The motor was built by local people, sourced all the parts. My son and I put it together and went from there,” he said.
Those humble beginnings paved the way for King, 46, to race across Australia — a pastime the father-of-five will continue today and tomorrow.
He is one of four Warrnambool and District Drag Racing Association (WADDRA) members bound for Melbourne’s Calder Park for Southern Nationals. The meeting doubles as round five of the Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) sportsman championship.
He is equal-sixth on the super street standings after rain-affected rounds at Portland and Adelaide split by a double header in Perth. “I’m travelling pretty good, sitting sixth all up in my class, that’s across Australia,” he said.
“The only ones that are higher than me are the ones from Perth because they finished two rounds. I’m the highest of the eastern contenders.”
“Joe Jurkovic from Adelaide, he’s always fairly hard to beat, he’ll be racing tomorrow and Saturday.
“And the Australian champion (Carl Taylor) is from Sydney but he’s not racing this weekend so I hope to get a jump on him.”
Glenn Wooster, Andrew Johnston and Steve Griffin are the other WADDRA members racing at Southern Nationals. Wooster is in pro stock bike — which is having round one of its ANDRA series this weekend — while Johnston and Griffin are in super sedan. Meanwhile, drag racing will return to Warrnambool Airport next Sunday as WADDRA officials attempt to make up for lost time.
Civic leaders have granted the association an extra race date to make amends for a season marred by extreme weather - both rain and heat.
The final meeting of the season is on April 27