The Warrnambool Drag Racing Association member entered the Winternationals, one of the biggest drag racing meets outside of the United States, for just a bit of fun and it has netted him a runners-up trophy and added confidence in his new pro stock bike. 

“We were just going up there not feeling really confident and just to have some fun and see how we went and we ended up having a few good runs and making the final,” Wooster said.

“I pushed it a bit in the final and ended up going red and finishing second, but it was very close race in the end. I was just happy to be racing in the end.”

Wooster said that the meet was like a pre-season for his bike but that the signs were good.

“We are still learning about the chassis and the wheelie bar,” he said.

“But it’s been to two finals already, in Syndey and Winternationals, and it’s running that straight down the track that it is arrow straight and it makes my job easier and I can concentrate on my shift points.”

Wooster said the meet had unearthed a bonus for his return to the drag racing season in November.

“This motor we have got together now will stay together and become our spare,” he said.

“We just have to fix a few things with it, but it has proved that that it is consistent enough to get us to the finals.”

Wooster thought he wasn’t going to do the Winternationals, which ran from Friday to Sunday at Queensland’s Willowbank Raceway, following his race in Sydney where he blew a piston in his new engine.

He said he had to go through a hectic two-weeks of preparation to get his ride ready for the meet.  

“I wasn't going to do the winter nationals because of the time frame and one of the sponsors offered up a few parts that we needed and that he would put in the time if I could come to Adelaide to put the spare engine together,” Wooster said.

“I lost four days putting the engine together and I got home and had three days get ready to head up to Queensland and in a round about way we weren't sure whether it was going to be any good.”

The end result for the spare engine was better than Wooster would have thought.

“When we got up to Willowbank we ran qualifying and finished third there and it didn't run anywhere near our best times,” he said. “But we noticed that it was very consistent and even though it wasn't the best engine we’ve had for a meet like this we ended up having a ball.”