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Former Australian Pro Stock Champion Peter Ridgeway will make his official return to ANDRA Championship Drag Racing competition later this year.
Ridgeway has partnered with former on-track rival John O’Kearney for his comeback, with the pair expecting delivery of a state-of-the-art 2006 Holden Monaro, built by legendary US chassis builder Don Ness, next month.
Powering the car will be a Ridgeway Motorsports designed and developed 400 cubic inch (6.5 litre) small block Chevrolet, which produces in-excess of 1,000bhp (750kW) and can rev to over 10,000rpm. Standing quarter-mile performances will be in the 7.1 second range with terminal speeds topping 190mph (305km/h).
A rigorous testing program is planned prior to the team’s official debut at the 2007 East Coast Nationals at Western Sydney International Dragway in late August.
“When you retire, you’re gone a long time and I’ve decided that I’m not ready to hang up the boots just yet,” Ridgeway said.
“While I was enjoying my roles outside the car as a crew chief for Dave Rogan and as an advisor to a number of other teams in various classes, I never lost the passion to drive – I suppose it’s my competitive nature more than anything.”
Ridgeway said the partnership with O’Kearney complemented his championship-winning Ridgeway Motorsports team efforts.
“Partnerships are renowned for being hard, but this has been two years in the planning and It’s all positive,” Ridgeway said.
“It’s a two-way deal – John likes the way in which we go out as a team and what we’ve achieved in the past, and he doesn’t have any agendas. His interest helps ease the financial burden and makes the program more viable.
“What’s more, we have fun at the races and enjoying yourself is what counts most.”
Ridgeway said there was no question in his choice of car constructor, with Ness having built the Oldsmobile Cutlass with which he won three of his four titles, while Rogan won both his titles in the same car.
“With five Australian championships to its credit, the Olds probably has the best winning record of any Pro Stock car in Australian history – so how could I buy a new one from anyone else but Ness?” Ridgeway asked.
“Ness did all of the development work for GM to adapt the US version of the Monaro, the Pontiac GTO, to Pro Stock, so he knows everything there needs to know about the car.
“He’s considered the Vincent Van Gogh of Pro Stock – his cars are absolute pieces of art and I can promise you this one will be no different, it’s a stunner.”
A winner of four ANDRA Pro Stock titles, Ridgeway recorded the first official seven second elapsed time for the ‘factory hot rod’ class – drag racing’s version of V8 Supercars – in 1994 before becoming the first to break the 300km/h barrier nine years later.
Amongst over 20 ANDRA Pro Stock championship round victories to his credit, Ridgeway also has won three Australian Nationals and four Winternationals titles. He has also twice been an ANDRA Pro Stock series, Nationals and Winternationals runner-up and has inexcess of 20 ANDRA national records in Pro Stock and Super Stock to his credit.
Support for Ridgeway’s return will come from Speedflow, Redline Oil, Aeromotive, HPC, VPW, Patterson Racing, Performance Wholesale, BRE and Slawko, with negotiations currently underway with further potential sponsors.
CHAMPION DRAG RACER PETER RIDGEWAY TO MAKE PRO STOCK COMEBACK
Former Australian Pro Stock Champion Peter Ridgeway will make his official return to ANDRA Championship Drag Racing competition later this year.
Ridgeway has partnered with former on-track rival John O’Kearney for his comeback, with the pair expecting delivery of a state-of-the-art 2006 Holden Monaro, built by legendary US chassis builder Don Ness, next month.
Powering the car will be a Ridgeway Motorsports designed and developed 400 cubic inch (6.5 litre) small block Chevrolet, which produces in-excess of 1,000bhp (750kW) and can rev to over 10,000rpm. Standing quarter-mile performances will be in the 7.1 second range with terminal speeds topping 190mph (305km/h).
A rigorous testing program is planned prior to the team’s official debut at the 2007 East Coast Nationals at Western Sydney International Dragway in late August.
“When you retire, you’re gone a long time and I’ve decided that I’m not ready to hang up the boots just yet,” Ridgeway said.
“While I was enjoying my roles outside the car as a crew chief for Dave Rogan and as an advisor to a number of other teams in various classes, I never lost the passion to drive – I suppose it’s my competitive nature more than anything.”
Ridgeway said the partnership with O’Kearney complemented his championship-winning Ridgeway Motorsports team efforts.
“Partnerships are renowned for being hard, but this has been two years in the planning and It’s all positive,” Ridgeway said.
“It’s a two-way deal – John likes the way in which we go out as a team and what we’ve achieved in the past, and he doesn’t have any agendas. His interest helps ease the financial burden and makes the program more viable.
“What’s more, we have fun at the races and enjoying yourself is what counts most.”
Ridgeway said there was no question in his choice of car constructor, with Ness having built the Oldsmobile Cutlass with which he won three of his four titles, while Rogan won both his titles in the same car.
“With five Australian championships to its credit, the Olds probably has the best winning record of any Pro Stock car in Australian history – so how could I buy a new one from anyone else but Ness?” Ridgeway asked.
“Ness did all of the development work for GM to adapt the US version of the Monaro, the Pontiac GTO, to Pro Stock, so he knows everything there needs to know about the car.
“He’s considered the Vincent Van Gogh of Pro Stock – his cars are absolute pieces of art and I can promise you this one will be no different, it’s a stunner.”
A winner of four ANDRA Pro Stock titles, Ridgeway recorded the first official seven second elapsed time for the ‘factory hot rod’ class – drag racing’s version of V8 Supercars – in 1994 before becoming the first to break the 300km/h barrier nine years later.
Amongst over 20 ANDRA Pro Stock championship round victories to his credit, Ridgeway also has won three Australian Nationals and four Winternationals titles. He has also twice been an ANDRA Pro Stock series, Nationals and Winternationals runner-up and has inexcess of 20 ANDRA national records in Pro Stock and Super Stock to his credit.
Support for Ridgeway’s return will come from Speedflow, Redline Oil, Aeromotive, HPC, VPW, Patterson Racing, Performance Wholesale, BRE and Slawko, with negotiations currently underway with further potential sponsors.
