The Hydraulink-sponsored Jim Read Racing team has added another trophy to their cabinet with a dramatic win at the 2021 Gulf Western Oil Nitro Thunder event.
The Hydraulink top fuel dragster, driven by son Phil Read, came up against experienced drag racer Peter Xiberras in the final. Xiberras had consecutively beaten two personal bests in the lead-up to the final, achieving 3.797/315MPH (approx. 507 km/h) and was looking unstoppable.
In a last-minute twist, both cars rattled the tyres out of the gate and had to frantically pedal to the finish line, with Read getting the upper hand, in what he described as a “Stephen Bradbury style victory.”
The event was the penultimate round of the 400 Thunder championship for all brackets ahead of next month’s Winternationals, and after a tough year full of Covid disruptions, Phil Read was delighted to be back out on the track.
“It’s been a great weekend with such an awesome crowd in attendance. I really wanted to win this event for the Hydraulink franchisees who are here today. They’ve been so supportive of us whilst racing was suspended over the last year due to Covid. If you want to finish first, first you have to finish. The last race with Peter Xibberas just showed how much both of us wanted the win, and I’m glad I could do it for the Hydraulink franchisees,” he said.
“Hydraulink had 40 people including franchisees and customers witness Jim Read Racing’s dramatic win,” said Hydraulink Australian National Franchise Manager, Wayne Abbott. “They learnt a lot about how the Hydraulink Top Fuel Dragster team works together. The Jim Read Racing team performed ‘Best Under Pressure’, just like the Hydraulink franchisees do when it comes to fast and reliable 24/7 mobile hydraulic hose and fitting repairs. The event spectators included mechanics from the automotive, diesel and heavy plant industries who typically make outstanding franchisees within the Hydraulink network.”
Hydraulic service specialist Hydraulink supplies hydraulic hoses, fittings, adaptors and accessories to major industrial markets in Australia and New Zealand, including construction and infrastructure, roads and earthworks, civil engineering, mining, energy, oil and gas, agriculture, materials handling, manufacturing, rental industry, transport and machinery servicing, handling machinery, waste management recycling machinery, and safety.