Newby News

Newby set to start the New Year with a win
Friday, 31 December 2010

Hot off a win in the last round at Sydney Dragway in October, Newby Racing is pumped for the New Year Series round 1 at Willowbank Raceway this weekend.

The team have enjoyed some well deserved down time since their winning result in October and have come back refreshed and ready to take on the Top Alcohol field this weekend. A twelve car field will ensure some close racing to qualify for the eight spots on race day.

After ironing out the kinks to take the win in October, in what Wayne described as the “weekend from hell”, the team is ready to follow up with a win on Monday. With fingers crossed for good racing weather, teams will be chasing the good numbers in qualifying to ensure a top place in the field.

Confident with the current set up, Wayne and the team have not made any significant changes during the break, preferring to rest and recharge over the Christmas period. With the driver and crew already enjoying the Queensland sunshine (at last) everything is in place to truly bring in the New Year with a bang.

With only three points between Wayne and first place on the Top Alcohol ladder, Wayne is looking to gain first position with a win in the 3rd Round of the Top Alcohol Championship. The weekend is set to be action packed and we look forward to bringing you a further updates after Sunday’s qualifying sessions.

Newby Racing PR Contact: anne@fishwebdesigns.com.au Photo by Badger Photography

Score one in the win column for Newby Racing
Sunday, 31 October 2010

Described by Wayne Newby as the “weekend from hell” the entire Newby Team worked together to turn troubles to triumph with a win at Sydney Dragway on Sunday.

In the final round of qualifying on Saturday night a problem which resulted in an engine fire mid track requiring a total engine change. “We isolated the issue to a small aluminium splinter that blocked the injector which caused it to run lean and torch the heads in qualifying” said Crew Chief Anthony Lavorato. “Working into the early hours of Sunday morning, the entire crew put in an enormous effort to turn the car around for the first round of eliminations. Everyone just knuckled down, no complaints, and worked together to get the job done.”

Round one saw Newby paired with Madill in the Dodge Charger. Madill smoked the tyres and almost tagged the wall, just the break needed for Newby to go through to the semis after blowing the gearbox during the run. A fantastic reaction time saw Wayne defeated Gary Phillips in the second round with a 5.661 at 250.60 mph to Phillip’s 5.658 at 255.58 mph.

In what seemed like déjà vu, Newby faced Hambridge in the final. By then running on adrenalin, the crew put in another massive effort to get the car turned around. The race was won from the start, with Hambridge smoking the tyres on the line. Newby sailed through for a good finish with a 5.669 at 248.75 mph.

Anthony Lavorato had this to say after the run “This weekend was all about the crew” said Anthony “but the driver got us through to the final, he did a fantastic drive job to peddle it through in a close finish. All the crew would like to thank our wives and families for their understanding this weekend. We could not do it without their support.”

“We continue to make changes, and all the changes have had a positive effect. We are looking forward to our next round at Willowbank in the New Year Series Round 1 on 2nd & 3rd of January” said Anthony. All things considered a massive effort paid reward, Newby Racing took home the trophy in a much deserved win.

The pressure is on but Newby are up to the challenge
Saturday, 30 October 2010

Qualifying day is now just a memory, a memory some teams would prefer to put behind them. After three rounds of racing the qualifying order has Wayne Newby in second spot followed by a closely bunched field.

Despite the team’s best efforts, burning the midnight oil on Friday night, the new motor was not quite ready to run. Setting aside the disappointment, the team met the challenge of qualifying head on. The third round gave them their best result with Wayne running a 5.712 at 241.76mph. The result came with a price, with a gasket problem resulting in an engine fire mid track.

No strangers to being under pressure, the crew will be burning the midnight oil again tonight.  A complete engine change is required to ensure they are ready to race in the first round against 7th qualifier Paul Madill in the Dodge Charger. With a deadline of 12 noon you can guarantee all hands will be on deck to get the car ready.

The entire team thrive under pressure, and we fully expect to see them in the winners circle at 5:30pm today.

Newby Racing burn the midnight oil in advance of a big weekend

Friday, 29 October 2010

This weekend marks a new round of the Top Alcohol championship and the Newby Racing Team will be leaving nothing to chance. With a reduced field of eight, qualifying is almost assured, but the competition will be great to be top qualifier. On the back of a great result at the Fuchs Australian Nationals in September Wayne is pumped to follow it with a win this weekend.

In between rounds Newby Engineering have developed a new engine and the whole crew will be burning the midnight oil tonight to make sure it is ready for the first round of qualifying at 2pm tomorrow. Being under pressure is nothing new to the team though, having had to replace an entire engine between the semi finals and finals of the last round.

With all hands on deck to get the new look car ready for racing Wayne took a brief time out to give his views on the coming race meeting. “The new body feels great, really comfortable and much smoother than the old one. Despite the reduced field this weekend the competition will still be fierce. Every team wants to get an early lead in the championship.”

With the fine tuning still to come on the new engine, Newby Racing will be looking forward to gathering some valuable data in the first few rounds. With a proven track record we are sure the team will do well and we expect to see them in the winners circle at the end of the weekend. One thing for sure, the entire Newby Team will be bringing their game for an action packed weekend.

Wayne Newby would like to thank the entire team and our valued sponsors JBS Tools, Fabre Australia, Smithfield Diff and Gear, Coldy's Tow & Bullbars, Redline Oils, VP Racing Fuels, Mick's Metal Craft and Newby Engineering for their continued support, without whom racing would not be possible.

Newby in New Colours takes second at season opener

Monday, 13 September 2010

The opening round of the season is now all run and done, and what a round it was. After a slow start on Friday due to rain, the rest of the weekend was what has been described as the Upset Nationals and Top Alcohol was no exception. With top qualifier Gary Phillips going out in the first round due to massive tyre shake, it left the field wide open for the Newby Team.

In the first round of eliminations Wayne ran a personal best of 5.57 to take out Rick Gauci in the City Finance Funny Car. Rick was disappointed to have his weekend come to an early finish but could be seen on the track supporting the Newby Team in their remaining runs.

The semi final matched Newby against Steven Ham in the ECL Funny Car. Ham had an issue from the start paving the way for Newby to take the run with a 5.916 at 203mph. Unfortunately the car was running lean and the heads were torched, leaving the crew with the huge job of changing the entire engine before the finals.

They put in a massive effort and were able to get the car turned around in time for the final against Aaron Hambridge. “Wayne cut a good light”, said crew chief Anthony Lavorato. “Unfortunately the car banged the blower off” and the rest is history. Despite the damage to the engine Newby ran a 5.68 at 226mph to Aaron’s 5.60 at 251mph for a close finish.

Whilst a win in the opening round would have been great, the Newby Team will settle for second…..this time.  “It has been a terrific weekend and the car seems to be running consistently, and looks great. A big thank you to the staff at Sydney Dragway, they have done a great job this weekend and deserve to be acknowledged” said Anthony. So watch out at the Sydney Dragway for Round 2 of the Andra Pro Series on 30th and 31st October.

Get better soon Mick, falling off the back of the truck and hurting your arm on setup day is not a good way to enjoy the event.

Wayne Newby would like to thank the entire team and our valued sponsors JBS Tools, Fabre Australia, Smithfield Diff and Gear, Coldy's Tow & Bullbars, Redline Oils, VP Racing Fuels, Mick's Metal Craft and Newby Engineering for their continued support, without whom racing would not be possible.

New Season, New Colours for Newby Team

11th September, 2010

The opening round of the new Andra Pro Series is always awaited with anticipation as many teams use the off-season to fine tune or revamp their cars. The Newby team are no exception, using the off season to do a little tinkering and to give the car a new lease on life. The JBS Jet has come into the first round of the 2010-2011 season ready for action in its new colours. It has quite an impact on the track sporting a new body nicely finished in blue, red and white.

The final day of qualifying for the Fuchs Australian Nationals at Sydney Dragway started well and continue that way throughout the day. The skies were bright and clear and the large crowd enjoyed a full day of drag racing. After the final qualifier for Top Alcohol the Newby team had improved their position from fourth to second with a 5.574 at 250.37mph.

In the first round of eliminations, on Sunday at 12:20pm, Newby will face Rick Gauci in the City Finance Top Alcohol Funny Car. Neither one has any intention of going home early so a great race is assured.

The field is looking very tight with everyone wearing their game face. Competition will be fierce to make the final as there is something special about winning the opening event of the season. Newby is determined to better his second place finish in the final round of the 2009-2010 season at Willowbank in June.

Wayne Newby would like to thank the entire team and our valued sponsors JBS Tools, Fabre Australia, Smithfield Diff and Gear, Coldy's Tow & Bullbars, Redline Oils, VP Racing Fuels, Mick's Metal Craft and Newby Engineering for their continued support, without whom racing would not be possible.

"JBS Jet" Runner Up at Castrol Edge Winternationals 2010

16th June, 2010

The excitement builds for the final round of the Andra Pro Series Championship at Willowbank Raceway, with all the teams wanting to end the season on a winning note. It is the icing on the cake for the season.

The first day of qualifying for group one at the Winternationals started quite cold, but warmed up by the time Top Alcohol hit the track at 2pm. The Newby Racing Team took top speed in the first qualifier, running 253.75mph. After the second qualifier at 5:20pm, Newby was in the field with a 5.678 second pass.

The third round of qualifying at 1pm on Saturday saw Newby run a 5.647 at 253.9mph. It was not enough to improve in the qualifying order but enough to keep him in the field. With some hard runs the bump spot for the final qualifying session was set at 5.665, with five teams on the outside looking in.

Aaron Hambridge set the bar high in the final qualifier, running a 5.519 making the new bump spot an extremely tight 5.662. The field set, with Newby in seventh position, on Sunday the team had to pull out all the stops for any chance of victory.

True to form Newby Racing pulled out all the stops in the first elimination, taking out Gary Phillips with a 5.607 second pass. Dean Oakey had issues which gave the Newby team a bye in the semi finals, lining him up against Aaron Hambridge for the final.

Despite a .016 reaction time from Wayne, Aaron Hambridge took the win with a 5.56 at 256.5mph. It was a great effort by the Newby Racing crew to turn the teams fortunes around from the elimination rounds, unfortunately on this occasion they had to settle for second, however getting to the final ensured the team third place in the Championship. Congratulations to Aaron Hambridge for a good win.

Wayne Newby would like to thank the entire team and our valued sponsors JBS Tools, Fabre Australia, Smithfield Diff and Gear, Coldy's Tow & Bullbars, Redline Oils, VP Racing Fuels, Mick's Metal Craft and Newby Engineering for their continued support, without whom racing would not be possible.

Newby set to be a spoiler at the 2010 Winternationals

9th June, 2010

With the Castrol Edge Winternationals fast approaching, excitement is starting to build among the competing teams.   The event is the ultimate finish to the 2009-2010 season, and whilst the Top Alcohol Championship may be almost completely stitched up, the winner for the Winternationals is far from being decided.

The Newby Team, along with many others will be making their way to Willowbank this week with only one thing in mind, taking home that gold Christmas tree as the winner of the Winternationals.  Competition will be fierce through all rounds of qualifying and eliminations, and nothing will be left to chance.   Other than a few minor tweaks between rounds the “JBS Jet” has been left pretty much as it was for its winning round at the Nitro Champs in Sydney back in May.

“The weather is not really a factor” said Wayne “as all teams will be racing in the same conditions.  It will come down to the tune up.”  Of course the driver has more than a little to do with it.  With Wayne’s experience in the cockpit he will definitely be a force to be reckoned with, particularly as his recent taste of winning has left him with a thirst for more.

The first round of qualifying for Top Alcohol will be mid-afternoon on Friday with second round later that evening.  The third and fourth rounds of qualifying are set down for Saturday afternoon.  These will set the tone for eliminations, to be run on Sunday morning.  A full on day is promised for race day, with all three rounds of eliminations to be run between 10am and 4pm.  The final will surely be one to watch for this hotly contested trophy.  We don’t have any doubt Wayne and the Newby Team have exactly what it takes to win.

Stay tuned for more news after qualifying.

Wayne Newby would like to thank the entire team and our valued sponsors JBS Tools, Fabre Australia, Smithfield Diff and Gear, Coldy's Tow & Bullbars, Redline Oils, VP Racing Fuels, Mick's Metal Craft and Newby Engineering for their continued support, without whom racing would not be possible.

Newby Takes the Karcher Nitro Champs Trophy

4th May, 2010

Congratulations go to Wayne Newby for a fantastic effort in winning the Karcher Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway on the weekend.

Wayne was quietly confident leading into the event and as usual took it one run at a time. After qualifying second Wayne met John Cannuli in the first round. Cannuli had some issues, and with a time of 5.752 Wayne went through to meet Dean Oakey in round 2.

Round 2 saw a much closer race, with Wayne running a 5.675 at 249.12 to Oakey's 5.692 at 246.12, setting Wayne up against the current number one, Gary Phillips, for the final round.

With his best reaction time of the elimination rounds of 0.034, Wayne got a jump on Gary with his reaction of 0.178. Despite a lower MPH of 251.72 to Gary's 253.99 Wayne was first over the line in a very intense race.

The result is a welcome one for Wayne and the Newby Racing Team and they are now setting their minds and sights on the Castrol Winternationals at Willowbank in June.

Wayne Newby would like to thank the entire team and our valued sponsors JBS Tools, Fabre Australia, Smithfield Diff and Gear, Coldy's Tow & Bullbars, Redline Oils, VP Racing Fuels, Mick's Metal Craft and Newby Engineering for their continued support, without whom racing would not be possible.

Newby has his eye on the prize at the Nitro Champs

29th April, 2010

After the disappointment of the rained out Summer Nationals at Sydney Dragway in February, Wayne Newby is anxious to get back on the track at the Nitro Champs this weekend. 

The “JBS Jet” has had a chance to put some runs down the track since the Summer Nationals, to get some valuable data.  With a strong field on the weekend, every run will count and some great times will be needed to take out the trophy.  Teams will need everything in their arsenal to make it to the final round and the Newby Team will be giving it all they’ve got.

The current point standings have Gary Phillips on 288 points, John Cannuli on 255, Aaron Hambridge on 200, Steven Ham on 188, Adam Marchant on 180, Dean Oakey on 145 and Wayne Newby on 140 points.  A big win this weekend will go a long way to closing the gap before the final round at Willowbank in June.

As usual, Wayne will be taking every race as it comes but he definitely has his eye on the prize this weekend.  The weather looks good and the team is in great shape, so bring on the racing, they are definitely ready to run. Stay tuned for more news after qualifying.

Wayne Newby would like to thank the entire team and our valued sponsors JBS Tools, Fabre Australia, Smithfield Diff and Gear, Coldy's Tow & Bullbars, Redline Oils, VP Racing Fuels, Mick's Metal Craft and Newby Engineering for their continued support, without whom racing would not be possible.

"JBS Jet" Ready for Take Off at Summer Nationals

9th February, 2010

The Newby Top Alcohol Team is ready to race and feeling confident, having made it to the finals at the Australian Nationals, which was the last time they ran the car.
 
In the off season they have taken a break from the car to give them a little distance and to regroup and re-gather. With a few changes to the car, they hope to pick up the performance on the track for the meeting next week.
 
Confident the current set up is the one, the team won't be testing again before the Summer Nationals. Wayne acknowledges it will be a tough field, with all the usual Top Alcohol teams coming along, and everyone on their game.
 
With such a quality field it will take consistent 5.6 second times at 250 plus mph to make the cut. Some extremely close racing can be expected.
 
Wayne hopes to get a tan with the nice sunny weather he has ordered for the event, but aside from that, the team only has one thing in its sights, and that is to take home the trophy at the end of the meet. Stay tuned for more news after qualifying.

Wayne Newby would like to thank the entire team and our valued sponsors JBS Tools, Fabre Australia, Smithfield Diff and Gear, Coldy's Tow & Bullbars, Redline Oils, VP Racing Fuels, Mick's Metal Craft and Newby Engineering for their continued support, without whom racing would not be possible.