Record-breaking Westernats
Brandon Gosbell won’t be monkeying around with the competition as the Aeroflow Outlaw Nitro Funny Cars return to Perth Motorplex on January 4, 2020.
Tasked with driving the 3000 horsepower Nitro Funny Car known as King Kong, Gosbell graduated from being a member of the Aeroflow pit crews to doing the steering himself.
“I had been helping out with the Aeroflow Outlaw Nitro Funny Car Series crewing on their cars at events, and I was given the opportunity to licence in one of their cars, for which I was super grateful,” he said. “I did not realise at the time it was going to be in King Kong! Now to get to be able to race in the series is just incredible.”
Gosbell might be just 24 years old but he has a range of drag racing experience, from Junior Dragsters to turbocharged Pro Street Bikes capable of 200mph speeds.
“I have been actively racing since 2003 when I started in Junior Dragster on my eighth birthday. I continued to race them until I aged out at 17 years old and decided to progress to two wheels riding motorcycles, as my Dad had raced in Modified Bike throughout my junior years.
“I started out in my local street series on a 12 second street bike and then over the years ended up riding turbocharged drag bikes in the low sevens at over 200mph.”
For the ultimate drag racing thrill though, Gosbell is aware that nitro is where its at and he is ready to take on a field of Australia’s fastest Funny Cars in what will be his debut event in competition.
“There is no way to accurately describe the feeling you get when the car roars to life and they put the body down,” he said. “The sheer power and acceleration is unlike anything I have ever experienced, from the moment you step on the throttle until the end of the braking area it is the ultimate adrenaline rush.
“Ever since I was a little kid on the hill spectating, I have always loved the sound, smell and power of Nitro Funny Cars. To get the opportunity to drive one is incredible.
“The Aeroflow Outlaw Nitro Funny Car event at Perth is going to be my first event in King Kong, and I am the ‘new kid on the block’ so realistically we would just love to run three full power passes, hopefully somewhere in the 5sec. zone.”
Gosbell will be up against competition that includes the current record holder Nitro Express, driven by Sydney’s Rick Gauci and nine more ground-shaking Aeroflow Outlaw Nitro Funny Cars.
A capacity crowd is expected, so fans are advised to pre-purchase their tickets On the Website Here and arrive early. Main Specator Gates open at 1:00pm and the Aeroflow Pit Party begins from 4.30pm, with feature racing from 5.30pm.
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