Gary Phillips Willowbank preview

Phillips Set for Seat Swapping Frenzy

As Australia slowly awakens from her festive forty-winks, the garage of Gary Phillips will be already alive and kicking in preparation for this weekend’s ENZED Night Fire Championships at Willowbank Raceway.

And if you thought preparing one car for an event was enough, spare a thought for Phillips and his family based team, as they prepare not one but two Group One vehicles for the event.

Tentatively sitting fourth on the national ladder in both the Top Alcohol and Top Doorslammer categories, Gary Phillips will take the drag racing pre-requisite of insanity to a whole new level as he suits up to run both the Lucas Oil Products racecars at the same meeting.

“It’s always a pretty crazy schedule running both cars at the same meet but in the past we’ve been able to top qualify and make the finals in both cars, where we came away with a win in top alcohol and runner up in the doorslammer.”

“It all comes down to how the cards fall on the day. It’s come down to the wire in the past but never to a point where we had to park one car for the sake of the other.”

Coming off a rain affected weekend of mixed success at Western Sydney International Dragway, Phillips reflected on an event of “could-a-beens” for round 4 of Top Alcohol.

“We came out in qualifying and ran 5.61 at 253mph which ended up being quickest and fastest for the event. Unfortunately we smoked the tyres within twenty feet of the line in the first round and it was already beyond pedalling to get a result. That’s racing I guess,” said a repentant Phillips taking full responsibility for overpowering the track with no excuses.

Traditionally, Phillips has used his unusual lapses in consistency to produce breakthrough results at his next opportunity, and if history repeats at Willowbank, drag racing fans are likely to see at least one, if not both of the Lucas Oil Products racecars in the finals this weekend.


Story by Bennie Bishop of Benzpress (0433 112 959)