Sunday August 12 will long be remembered by management and staff of Sunraysia TAFE and Latrobe University as the DMR/Wicked Quick Top Fuel Dragster unleashed 8000 horsepower in a nitro gulping display of pure adrenalin making machinery.
TAFE executives had invited the DMR/Wicked Quick team to place the car on display during their annual open day. The day is designed to generate interest in courses offered, media interest and provide an insight into the day to day operations of the collage.
Media interest in the day was high, a strong turnout of press and television captured images along with 3MA’s Matt Jonsen, Mattman to his legion of fans, who provided live broadcast from the collage.
The day started off like any other Sunday, a cool breeze, slightly overcast and quite, just like you would expect. That is until about 12 noon when a black, unlettered and very ominous looking vehicle rolled out of the TAFE Engineering Workshop. The car looked almost stealth like as it was quietly pushed into position. At nearly 8 meters long and with a huge rear wing reaching over 2 meters into the air, this Top Fuel car has a purposeful and aggressive appearance.
A large crowd had gathered on both sides of the car park, and inside the workshop. Many TAFE employees agreed that this had been the largest gathering since the opening day.
The team spent some time preparing the car, starting the car on Saturday to check over a few incidentals before that wicked yellow liquid, nitro methane was added to the huge 90 litre fuel tank.
A quick fire up on alcohol lasted only a few minutes and gave the crowd a small insight into what was to come.
“That’s nothing, wait ‘till we put it on nitro’ enthused Darren Morgan to Mr. David Dolic, Senior Lecturer in Automotive Studies whose enthusiasm to have the team appear at TAFE brought them there in the first place.
After a quick check of fuel and oil lines a dose of nitro was mixed for the black missile’s first taste of nitro. A nitro burning engine has a certain way of creating a sensory overload, noise, smell, and you can definitely feel it. It cracks, it shakes the ground and fills the air with a sinus clearing smell that will bring a grown man to tears—of pleasure that is. There is nothing on earth like a Top Fuel Dragster—nothing!!!
It’ll bring ‘em to tears” a crowd member was overheard to shout, as the powerful Odyssey Batteries were hooked up the starter motor. As the car’s huge billet aluminium engine barked to life the tears started. Many people in the crowd had never witnessed a Fuel Car in the flesh, and the smell of the nitro as it hung in the building lined car park lingered a bit longer than normal, created an eerie haze through the sun rays.
A huge applause was given upon shutting the car down. Successful nitro start up number one. A quick tear down of the motor and it was all systems go, a little after 2pm. Mattman had worked his magic on 3MA radio with many people giving up their Sunday reading the newspaper to take a glimpse of the car they had been reading about in their local media. The stories must have got around as at 2pm the car was engulfed in TAFE employees and media.
The team went on to perform three more start up demonstrations before loading the car and heading home, pleased by the way the Wicked Quick car had responded and their first taste of glory. First Taste—there will be more!!!
Keep watching this site for the next installment.