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JASON ARBERY
Top Sportsman Champion
John Storm Memorial Winner
Jason Arbery clinched not only an ANDRA Grand Finals victory and the 2017 / 2018 Summit Racing Equipment Australian Title in the Top Sportsman ranks , but he also was awarded the prestigious John Storm Memorial Trophy .
performs round after round , the guy really is a legend ! Huge thanks also has to go to Paul Rogers Performance Transmissions ; Paul backs his products like no other and delivers a bulletproof Transmission : if anyone was going to break one , it ’ s me , and I ’ m still trying !
“ I of course have to thank all of my boys , my mates that have crewed for me this year : Fitz , Brett , Simon , Andrew , Josh , Ken , Buzz , Big Pete , Benny , my bro Mick and Uncle John , and also Brett Henley , this is a team effort and I fully appreciate what each and every one of these guys have done to help me get this result .”
“ Finally , my sponsors who have backed me all the way – in my opinion I have the best sponsors on my side and I am so pleased to have won the championship with them ,” Arbery concluded , thanking Komatsu Forest , Trident Tyres , Henley Chassis , Shannons , Hyland Fox Signs , Tabeel Trading and Craig Carrison Racing Engines .
GRAEME SPENCER
Super Gas Champion
“ To win the Championship was an absolute dream come true – it only feels like yesterday that we set off to round one in Darwin to begin this journey ,” Arbery said .
“ And then to go on and receive the John Storm Memorial Trophy , it was just unbelievable . It is such an honour . It is the Holy Grail of our sport , the drag racing equivalent of ‘ the Brownlow ’… my name is now next to the greats of the past 45 years on this trophy – words really just don ’ t cut it and it is going to be quite a while before it sinks in properly I think , I really just can ’ t believe it .
“ There are so many tough competitors in the Top Sportsman ranks , it is just crazy ! Every single time you go out on the track to run a pass , you have to have 100 percent commitment and focus , otherwise you are going to be going back on the trailer quick smart .
“ My congratulations goes to Chris Theo and his team on the runnerup result , they are one tough outfit and I can ’ t wait to battle them next year !
“ Taking out the Grand Finals event , especially after winning the same event last year , is something I am really proud of and it was a great way to end the season .
“ It came down to just . 001s between me and Paul Russo in that final run , what an awesome race that was and it is pretty poetic really as he drilled me by . 001 a few years back !” he laughed .
“ My family and especially my wife Kristen are such a great support and the encouragement they give me is so incredible , I can ’ t thank them enough for always being there for me and believing in me .
“ I would also like to thank Craig Carrison who builds the best Engines in the country – I give this engine a hard time every time and it
While any season with a championship at the end of it is likely to have been a good one , Graeme Spencer says this one ranks right up there .
“ I would have to say that in my whole career of racing , spanning around 35 years , this would have to be my best season by far ,” Spencer said .
“ When you compare it to past seasons , we have achieved more results from wins , going rounds and top qualifying . This is also the first season where we have competed as a whole family team , with even the kids having their jobs as crew to take care of .”
While it was a good season for Spencer , the last round still brought its own pressures .
“ Obviously the weather and the dusty environment didn ’ t help – there was only one other competitor that was a threat to me winning my third championship ,” Spencer said .
“ When I went ‘ red ’ in the first round , my crew waited back to watch the other pairings and when my closest component also went out in the first round , we knew we had the championship won .