Season Preview: Brodie Zappia

We asked Junior Dragster racer Brodie Zappia a few questions before the season starts as he gets ready to defeat his state championship.

Any changes in the off-season to the race car?

Yes actually quite a few. For the first time, I had a go at completely rebuilding the motor, as well as entirely stripping every nut and bolt in the rear of the car, and replacing them. The engine rebuild consisted of machining the face of the block and head and replacing all the internal parts. A massive thankyou to my sponsor, Aaron Deery from ADR Engines, for taking the time out of his very busy days to assist me, and to provide the machining and a wealth of knowledge. I also replaced clutch springs and ramps, and rebuilt the fuel pump and carby. To come out and run an 8.06@83mph on its first pass since the rebuild, was a great relief and to win Powerpaloosa was even better.

What are your plans for this season?

My plans for this season are to get the rebuilt engine running consistent and back to where it was, so I can have a fair crack at the championship this year. I also plan on making it to as many Fast Series events as possible, as back when I started as a C/JD, the Fast Series was where I learnt how to race cars that will always be chasing you, due to Fast-lane Slow-lane first rounds, and the fast paced turn arounds was a thrill and a half!.

What are you goals for this season?

Ultimately my goal is to win the state and national championship, but it definitely won't be an easy feat, with a lot of Junior competitors stepping up their game. This is possibly my last season in Juniors, so I'm looking to make it count where I can.

What event are you most looking forward to?

I'm most definitely looking forward to the Anita Board Memorial trophy meeting held at the Goldenstates on November 26th and 27th. In 2019 I came runner-up due to a red light, and in 2020 I came runner-up due to a holeshot win by Lucas Green with a margin of .003. I've been so close twice now, so I'm just looking forward to how I go in 2021.