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John Zappia endured a somewhat cursed Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway, with his Dananni Hotshots/Fuchs Lubricants Monaro Top Doorslammer encountering problem after problem. The event began with a bad omen, as Zappia’s car broke a blower belt right on the start line during the first qualifying session — a rare occurrence. The team replaced the belt and returned for Q2 where they unleashed a super-quick 5.65 pass.“I had to use up the whole lane, from the wall to the centre line,” Zappia said. “That 5.65 was the number one qualifying pass and took out the Crow Cams Top Qualifier Award. The bad news was that when the car got to the finish line I felt the motor vibrate and I knew something had gone wrong.” The team decided to skip the third qualifying session so they could dive into the high-horsepower Noonan motor. With more damage than could be repaired overnight, the B motor was called into service. A first round solo would allow Zappia to get some valuable data and set his weekend straight. At least, that was the plan.“We came out for the run and I realised the auto shift box had no power,” he said. “We only had first gear. I decided to do a first gear burnout and then do what I could on the run. The car left well, it revved up through first gear and then I got off it and coasted, knowing I had no more gears.” After the pass, the team found a power wire had been pulled out of the crimp. The same issue was likely what caused the engine damage the previous night.“We were up against Jeremy Callaghan in the second round of racing. He’s also got a Noonan engine and all the right equipment to run quick. We hadn’t seen what he was capable of until our race when he went 0.007 on the tree and 5.69! I was slower on the reaction times and even though we ran 5.66 we wouldn’t get the win light. We were happy with the performance of the B motor but it was certainly a lost opportunity.” In the final round, Zappia was hoping to salvage some championship points, but the event remained cursed as a transmission leak saw the Dananni Hotshots/Fuchs Lubricants Monaro shut down on the start line. With that, all there was left to do was to return to Perth to begin the turnaround process ahead of a trip back east for the Winternationals at Willowbank Raceway.“It was always the plan to come back to Perth, we just have more work than we planned on,” laughed Zappia. “We got everything out and we are going through the A motor now, along with changing all the seals and o-rings in the Ty-Drive and torque converter. “We are now 24 points behind Russell Taylor in the Australian Top Doorslammer Championship, which is going to make it tough. It’s his championship to lose right now, so we just need to put the pressure on and make no mistakes from here.” “Thanks to all our sponsors and supporters who are there for us at every meeting, whether in person or cheering for us watching live on Seven Plus (7+). We will be giving the Championship our best shot at Willowbank Raceway (June 6 – 9) and hope we can make our sponsors and supporters proud.” Website: www.zappiaracing.com Facebook: Zappia Racing YouTube: www.YouTube.com/@zappiaracing Joint Naming Rights Sponsors Dananni Haulage (Hotshots) FUCHS Lubricants Australasia Major Sponsors Crow Cams Australia Pty Ltd Tony's Auto Wreckers W.A. Suspensions Noonan Race Engineering MoTeC Hoosier Racing Tire Striker Australia Pty Ltd NGK Spark Plugs Callies Performance Products CP-Carrillo High Speed Engineering Supporting Sponsors Santhuff B & J Racing Transmissions Avtrac Maintenance Tracking Kounis Metal Industries Taylor Tyres Pty Ltd Alky Pro Klik Creative CIC High Performance Coatings Final Drive K Craft Bullbars Speedflow Total Seal Piston Rings Victory Valves Impact Heavy Equipment Maintenance Applied Automotive Damiani Race Parts Specialty Metals

One of the greatest Top Doorslammer events of all time saw John Zappia defeat Russell Taylor in the final round of a record-filled Riverbend Nationals at The Bend Motorsport Park. Near perfect weather conditions, a capacity crowd of spectators and tremendous racing from all four National Drag Racing Championship categories combined for an event many have declared one of the best ever seen in Australian drag racing. Zappia approached qualifying with a conservative mindset before gradually powering up the Dananni Hotshots/Fuchs Lubricants Monaro Top Doorslammer to take advantage of near-sea level air. “We were looking at 600 feet of density altitude and 53 water grains in the air which are excellent numbers,” he explained. “We used a safe tune to start with, similar to what we used in Perth at the Westernationals, and we went 5.67 straight away. We chose to skip the second qualifying session, which saw the competition close in, as Russell Taylor went 5.67 as well. “We put more of a tune-up in for the third qualifying session. Ahead of us we watched Daniel Gregorini go 5.65 to take the top spot, but then we came out and went 5.642! That held for number one qualifier and earned us $1000 thanks to the Crow Cams Top Qualifier Award.” Conditions continued to improve for race day. With most of the field deep into the five second zone and personal bests falling in almost every race, Zappia Racing was fortunate to have a bye run in the first round to nail the setup.“Overnight we put some valve springs on the motor as they were a little low. The air was now down to 500 feet and 49 water grains, so pretty powerful. We watched Russell Taylor go 5.63 ahead of us. Our bye run left hard, then it went right so I had to drive it back to the groove but it corrected out to the left. We got to the end despite the not-so-straight run and then they told me I had just gone 5.606 at 256mph! That was motoring. The crowd was going wild as the numbers just kept tumbling with every pass they saw.” Between rounds, the Zappia Racing team noticed one of the new valve springs was not performing as well as the others, which had caused a couple of valve train mishaps including a broken pushrod. With time against them, Zappia decided to drop the shift point by 200rpm to reduce stress on the valve train.“We fixed it up as best we could with the time we had,” he said. “We had Adam Tassone in the second round. I lost my head on the tree and had a terrible reaction time — over half a second after the green. Adam was so far in front it looked as if we didn’t have a hope, but the Noonan horsepower in our Dananni Hotshots/Fuchs Lubricants Monaro got us there with a 5.601 to his 6.055, taking the stripe by just a few hundredths of a second in what I’m sure was an entertaining race for the fans. That was our quickest time ever at a national round.” With time to now tackle the valve spring issue, once again the Zappia Racing team was under the pump.“We pulled a cylinder head off to change the springs properly and put all new intake springs on along with one exhaust spring. As we were torquing it up we were running out of time and one of the head studs pulled the thread out the block on cylinder one! I couldn’t get it to nip up at all and so we had to tighten the rest and hope for the best.” Zappia would be taking on Taylor (who had just run a 5.598 pass to take the national record) in an important final round with big championship implications. “The issue with the head stud was weighing on me. I took a moment as I was suiting up to really observe where the fire extinguisher was, just in case the motor torched a head gasket. We added some fuel to that cylinder to be safe but it was still a potential issue. As the lights came on in the final Russell got out on me by seven hundredths and it was on. I saw him at first, but then I didn’t see him and we powered through for a 5.602 to his 5.707 for the win. It was an amazing race, an awesome way to top off one of the best events we have ever been to. It was like we had a bracket car. As we were throwing more at it, the track was getting better and better. They did an amazing job at prepping the track. The air stayed consistent through the weekend too, enabling us to really dial in the car. The Dananni Hotshots/Fuchs Lubricants Monaro was running on song all weekend.” "A huge thank you to our sponsors who have stood by us all these years and the hundreds of supporters who came to the pits to say hello, buy merchandise and give us their support. We look forward to being back at Tailem Bend in October for the start of next season." Zappia will return home to Perth Motorplex this weekend to take part in the Blown Alcohol Allstars class as part of the WA Grand Final. Even though he has wrapped up the WA Top Doorslammer Championship, Zappia said he wants to be at the final event of the WA season to put on a show for sponsors, fans and the Perth Motorplex management and staff who support us throughout the year.“We’re going to race against guys like Craig Glassby and Nigel Johnson in their Top Alcohol cars which is pretty cool,” he said. And as for that lost national record? Don’t be ruling out the Dananni Hotshots/Fuchs Lubricants Monaro just yet.“When someone else takes the record it just gives us the motivation to go after it once again. We’ve been five-fifties before and I’m sure we can get there again. I love the chase.” Photography: Cackling Pipes Website: www.zappiaracing.com Facebook: Zappia Racing YouTube: www.YouTube.com/@zappiaracing Joint Naming Rights Sponsors Dananni Haulage (Hotshots) FUCHS Lubricants Australasia Major Sponsors Crow Cams Australia Pty Ltd Tony's Auto Wreckers W.A. Suspensions Noonan Race Engineering MoTeC Hoosier Racing Tire Striker Australia Pty Ltd NGK Spark Plugs Callies Performance Products CP-Carrillo High Speed Engineering Supporting Sponsors Santhuff B & J Racing Transmissions Avtrac Maintenance Tracking Kounis Metal Industries Taylor Tyres Pty Ltd Alky Pro Klik Creative CIC High Performance Coatings Final Drive K Craft Bullbars Speedflow Total Seal Piston Rings Victory Valves Impact Heavy Equipment Maintenance Applied Automotive Damiani Race Parts

The learning process is not yet over for Brodie Zappia, but he’s certainly a lot closer to graduating from the drag racing equivalent of the School of Hard Knocks after finding a vital component malfunctioning during Saturday’s Nitro Max event at Perth Motorplex. A season full of engine dramas has kept Brodie working tirelessly, but mercifully relief looks to be on the horizon. The JK Construction Camaro began qualifying with similar troubles to how it ended the Westernationals, but through a process of elimination and observations during runs, Brodie believes he has the bug identified. “The first run’s burnout on the weekend was just like the Westernationals, cutting out after the burnout,” he said. “Once again we dived into the ignition system and we discovered two loose plug ends on the bulkhead between the coil and the distributor. As I was tightening the one on the coil itself it snapped right off and I could see corrosion around there. Massive thankyou to Curtis Spadaro who went home to pull a brand new coil off his race car so I could use it for the rest of the meeting.” The team returned for the compulsory qualifying session only to find problems still present. This time Brodie coasted down the track at quarter-throttle, during which he noticed his RPM gauge moving around rapidly, but also showed the ignition box and MSD Grid lights still operational. A look at the data showed the air-fuel ratio readings all over the place. “I gave George at Race MAX Direct a call, he took time to help out even though he was racing in Sydney at the same time. He said to pull the fuel pump apart and make sure everything was working right inside the pump. We went to take the pump off the car and saw there was no keyway on the driven cog for the pump.” Needing to make a quick repair, Brodie ground up a piece of steel to fit as a keyway, and resorted to zip ties and electrical tape to keep the cog from falling off the shaft and went out for the race round against Kasey McClure. The burnout was strong and finally, Brodie was able to go into stage with a chance. After a 0.006 light to Kaseys 0.028, the JK Construction Camaro shook violently, then blew the tyres off at 60ft — but that helped the team learn even more. “That was my first time ever overpowering the track and we think that the brand new coil helped the engine make a lot more power. It wasn’t just a little change, it was a lot. I needed to put a timing curve into the MSD Grid for the first time, which Uncle John was able to help with. As we were getting ready to head out for the B-Final against Vince Belladonna, we noticed some material in the oil filter, and given our experiences from what happened last time, we decided to be cautious. I simply staged for the B Final and turned the car off.” While there were no full runs, Brodie is now confident that after a quick check over all the bearings the team will be able to come out confidently for the last race of the season. “It’s a tricky problem to find because it would only occur under load. We think the belt tension on the fuel pump would keep the cog and shaft spinning together at idle due to friction, but once it came up on boost, it would drain the bowls and the cog would spin on the shaft, before leaning out and dropping rpm. We have newfound confidence with this new coil that we should be able to do well at the final event of the year.” Not one to rest on his laurels, Brodie intends on finding the performance he knows the engine is capable of.
“We’re going to put on a bigger bottom pulley to get the blower spinning to its max rpm and we will have our good cam back from being repaired at Crow Cams after it was damaged at the Westernationals. The championship is run and done, with Kasey McClure's consistent Rear Engine Dragster wrapping up the WA Supercharged Outlaws championship a round early. Our goal at the last meeting is to get the car to a new personal best. If it happens, all good, if not — we have next season to go fast.” Brodie’s t-shirts will be available for the final meeting of the Perth Motorplex season on April 13th. Come down and see Brodie and get a t-shirt and have him sign it, or just to say hello. You can also purchase his t-shirts online at the Zappia Racing Shop Website: www.zappiaracing.com Facebook: @zappiaracing YouTube: www.YouTube.com/@zappiaracing Naming Rights Sponsor: JK Construction Major Sponsors: Dannani Haulage (Hotshots) Pedders Suspension and Brakes Booragoon Jacked Supplements JP Pallets Supporting Sponsors: High Speed Engineering Tony’s Auto Wreckers Allfast Torque Converters Crow Cams Impact Heavy Equipment Maintenance CP Carrillo Rods and Pistons Klik Creative ADR Engines Kounis Group Race MAX Direct Advanced Product Design (APD) FUCHS Lubricants NGK Spark Plugs Mr T Racing B.L. & S.G. Lake Brick Cartage Social Media & Marketing by ROBMEDIA

ONLINE STORE WELCOME Welcome to Zappia Racing! We are a passionate and dedicated car racing team based in Australia. With a rich historical background in drag racing, we have been pushing the limits and achieving remarkable success for over three decades. Zappia Racing comprises the talented Top Doorslammer drivers John Zappia and his nephew Brodie Zappia. The racing team is supported by a large experienced race crew and our team is committed to delivering thrilling performances on the track. We pride ourselves on excellence, teamwork, and innovation. Join us on this adrenaline-fueled journey and experience the excitement of drag racing at its finest. Get ready to witness the power, speed, and precision of Zappia Racing! SUBSCRIBE Join our email list and get access to specials & deals exclusive to our subscribers. Enter your email here Sign Up Thanks for submitting! MEET THE DRIVERS TOP DOORSLAMMER JOHN ZAPPIA TOP DOORSLAMMER BRODIE ZAPPIA 2024/25 Top Doorslammer Calendar Explore the Merchandise Collection Youth Quick View Kids Black Hoodie Zappia Racing Price $55.00 Express Interest Quick View John Zappia Model Race Car Out of stock Pre Order Now Quick View Youth Brodie Zappia Black Tee Shirt Price $35.00 New Design Quick View Adult Brodie Zappia Black Tee Shirt Price $50.00 Quick View Zappia Retro Unisex Hoodie Price $85.00 Only A Few Available Quick View Zapsrat Piston and Rod Trophy Price $250.00 Youth Quick View Youth Blue Sub Tee Shirt Price $35.00 New Design Quick View Zappia Racing Blue Peak Cap Price $30.00 Two Sizes Quick View Zappia Racing Bucket Hat Price $30.00 John Zappia's Car Quick View Con Rod Trophy 2023 Price $125.00 Adult Quick View Zappia Racing Adult Long Sleeve Tee Shirt Price $55.00 Rare Quick View Zappia Racing Crew Shirt Price $160.00 Quick View Zappia Retro Classic Tee Shirt Price $50.50 Very Popular Quick View Adult Zappia Racing Hoodies Price $75.00 Adult Quick View Zappia Racing Adult Black Tee Shirt Price $50.00 Youth Quick View Youth Pink Sub Tee Shirt Price $35.00 Explore the Parts Collection Gates Powergrip GT2 1600 8MGT 75 Wide Price $160.00 Ford 9" 35 Spline TorqueWorm Helical Gear Limited Slip Differential Truetrac LSD Price $745.00 Leatt Moto R Neck Brace Price $450.00 Ford 9" 31 Spline TorqueWorm Helical Gear Limited Slip Differential Truetrac LSD Price $665.00 New In Box 1000 Lbs./Hr. Inline External Universal EFI Electric Fuel Pump Price $300.00 Mark Williams Enterprises Transmission Yoke 39005-S Price $365.00 Mark Williams Enterprises Transmission Yoke 390223-K Price $365.00 New Aerospec B&J 4 Speed KeVLar Transmission Blanket Price $695.00 New In Box Victory VTR-734 Triple 8° Ti-17 Titanium Retainers Price $695.00 New In Box Procomp Electronics Ignition Cable Price $45.00 Cam Sports Digital Camera and Mount726p ND-s Price $280.00 Cam Sports Digital Sports Camera Color Price $150.00 MEDIA & PRESS RELEASES Zappia Racing May 27 3 min John Zappia Top Qualifies at Nitro Champs, but no Luck on Race Day! John Zappia endured a somewhat cursed Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway, with his Dananni Hotshots/Fuchs Lubricants Monaro Top Doorslammer enco Zappia Racing Apr 10 5 min John Zappia Victorious at Huge Riverbend Nationals One of the greatest Top Doorslammer events of all time saw John Zappia defeat Russell Taylor in the final round of a record-filled Riverbend Zappia Racing Mar 27 4 min Brodie Zappia Can See Light at the End of the Tunnel After all His Hard Work The learning process is not yet over for Brodie Zappia, but he’s certainly a lot closer to graduating from the drag racing equivalent of the Zappia Racing Mar 26 3 min John Zappia Wins State Championship Title for First Time in Three Years John Zappia has returned to the championship fold of Top Doorslammer with his first WA series win since 2021, as the Dananni... Zappia Racing Mar 13 4 min Brodie Zappia's Westernationals Result Rewards After Engine Rebuild Despite not securing a victory in Brodie Zappia's last race at the 53rd Annual Westernationals, the all-night effort and making it to the se Zappia Racing Dec 21, 2023 4 min The Fight Isn’t Over For Brodie Zappia Brodie Zappia’s season of thrashing is not yet over as his JK Construction Supercharged Outlaws Camaro suffered more engine damage. Zappia Racing Channel Play Video Play Video 02:33 John Zappia 5.702 @ 415.78 kmh, external footage John Zappia 5.702 @ 415.78 kmh, external footage Play Video Play Video 01:08 John Zappia Starting The Motor For Sydney Dragway Nitro Champs 2023 John Zappia is a drag racing competitor from Perth, Western Australia. John races a Holden HQ 2 door Monaro Top Doorslammer, similar to an American Pro Modified. John has won ten consecutive ANDRA Australian Top Doorslammer championships and one IHRA Pro Slammer championship. Play Video Play Video 02:42 5.642 @ 257.14 05 05 23 Sydney Dragway Nitro Champs Zappia vs Gradden John Zappia is a drag racing competitor from Perth, Western Australia. John races a Holden HQ 2 door Monaro Top Doorslammer, similar to an American Pro Modified. John has won ten consecutive ANDRA Australian Top Doorslammer championships and one IHRA Pro Slammer championship. Play Video Play Video 00:17 Brodie Zappia 8.54 @ 262kmh. Super Sedan. Camaro. Australia. Brodie Zappia is a national drag racing champion from Western Australia. He is also the nephew of Top DoorSlammer driver John Zappia. He is the son of John's right hand man and brother Richard Zappia. ​Brodie currently races in Super Sedan in a 1997 Bickel built Chevrolet Camaro - 572ci big block Chev. ZAPPIA OVERCOMES DRAMAS TO SET PACE AT WESTERNATIONALS AutoAction Read More THE STREET OUTLAWS: NO PREP KINGS AUSTRALIAN TOUR READY TO KICK OFF Which Car? Read More WALKING AWAY FROM A 400km/h CRASH The West Australian Read More ZAPPIA’S EMOTIONAL EAST COAST TOUR FINISHED WITH SYDNEY EPIC DragNews Magazine Read More

Sponsorship Packages Zappia Racing drivers are sponsored in three main categories: Supporting Sponsor, Major Sponsor and Naming Rights Sponsor. ​ We accept all sponsorship offers from local to national or international businesses. You can be a clinic, salon, service provider, parts provider, operator, manufacturer or even an online store. We have many women and men working and competing in the drag racing industry and we also have large crowds at each event who will get to see your logo or receive your merchandise products. You can purchase Supportive and Major Sponsor packages for either driver online today, without a meeting. Naming Rights packages are by negotiation. So don't be shy, get onboard and be involved in the fun of sponsoring a racing team. ​ In return we give you social media, website, transporter, race vehicle, merchandise and local event advertising. Supporting Sponsor Small business on a small budget who would like to get involved in sponsoring a race team and get local exposure and online advertising. Major Sponsor Medium to large business that would like all the perks of advertising with a race car team such as logo on race car, regular social media posts etc.

Opportunities See Crew and Permanent Opportunities Below With a rich historical background in drag racing, we have been pushing the limits and achieving remarkable success for over three decades. Zappia Racing comprises the talented Doorslammer driver John Zappia and Supercharged Outlaws driver Brodie Zappia. The racing team is supported by a large experienced race crew and our team is committed to delivering thrilling performances on the track. We pride ourselves on excellence, teamwork, and innovation. Join us on this adrenaline-fueled journey and experience the excitement of drag racing at its finest. Automotive Mechanic - Bibra Lake, Perth Zappia Racing is seeking a permanent Automotive Mechanic, commencing September 2024, based at our Bibra Lake workshop and warehouse. The position is permanent 4 days per week. Included in the role is the ability to travel with the race team to varying race tracks in Australia and the ability to attend 1 of two 2 nights per week during racing race season. Please fill in the form below if you are interested in this position: ​ Essential Criteria: Qualified light or heavy vehicle mechanic Experience in auto repair and maintenance Ability to build and assemble machines or mechanical components according to requirements Knowledgeable in diagnostic and repair services for all makes and models of vehicles Able to troubleshoot and contribute to the repair of a variety of mechanical, electrical and electronic systems Strong attention to detail Proficient in old and modern repair instruments and techniques Experience utilising workshop based equipment Current automatic and manual drivers license Strong ability to work well within a team under racing schedule pressure Ability to work autonomously Physical ability to assist in setting up trackside equipment and race cars Police Clearance Certificate (current in the last 6 months) Ability to travel and crew in up to 12 local and interstate racing weekends Ability to contribute to 1 of 2 weekly local crew nights during race season ​ Desirable Criteria: Performance engine experience Racing crew experience Truck driver license (HC) Forklift License Welding experience ​ ​ ​ Automotive Mechanic Bibra Lake, Perth Please complete the form to apply for a position with us. ​ ​ First Name Last Name Date of Birth Email Address Phone Position Applying For Available Start Date Link to Your Online Resume Tell us about yourself... Upload Resume Upload supported file (Max 15MB) Submit Thanks for submitting. We will be in contact with you soon! Register for Satellite Crew Positions all Locations Please read the information below before considering registering as race crew: ​ The opportunity to be on a drag racing team is exciting and you are invited to register to help locally and interstate. Satellite Crew positions are volunteer and on occasion we can provide accommodation. Food and drinks are provided at the track covering lunches, dinners and snacks. ​ Crew work is physically demanding, non-stop and the conditions can be pretty tough, especially working outside under the elements in tents and standing out on the track. The environment’s nature requires quickness, dexterity and power. Crew members are required to be in excellent physical condition to endure long, strenuous work hours amid race weekends in all weather conditions. You are required to have the ability to lift from a bending position 40kgs-50kgs without limitation. You are also required to lift weight above your head without limitation. Moreover, you should be capable of swiftly and accurately lifting and manoeuvring hefty objects. ​ We also require you to be aware of your own health and safety and for those within your race team and the public. ​ Our preference is for those with a mechanic, trade, engineering or racing driver experience and for those who have automotive racing crew experience. ​ You will need an up to date Police Clearance Certificate when working as a crew member. If you would like to register to help out on our crew when we arrive to race in your state, please fill in the form below: ​ ​ Satellite Racing Crew all Locations Please complete the form to register your interest with us. ​ ​ First Name Last Name Date of Birth Email Address Phone Position Applying For Available Start Date Link to Your Online Profile Which State You Wish To Crew? Choose an option Do you have racing crew experience? Choose an option Tell us about yourself... Submit Thanks for submitting. We will contact you in the future!