perfectlight
BRADLEY HICKS
After posting a 0.000 light in Round Two of the Summit Racing
Equipment Sportsman Series at Mildura’s Sunset Strip Nationals,
Bradley Hicks has been awarded with the Perfect Light Award.
The farmer from Athurton on the Yorke Peninsula started racing
in 1980 in the Modified bracket at Adelaide International Raceway,
after some years racing street cars at AIR street meets.
His long racing career boasts many highlights, including wins at
the 1989 Spring Nationals at AIR and the Charlie Dennis Memorial
Series at Steel City in 1990 and 1992/93.
Now, the 61-year-old can add a Perfect Light Award to his mantle
after his results at Mildura’s Sunset Strip Nationals.
“We had arrived at the track on Friday evening in near perfect
weather conditions to set-up for the weekend’s racing, but
unfortunately Saturday dawned with some very strong wind and
that north-west wind just became stronger as the day went on,”
he explained.
“I ran a 5.005s pass at 135 mph with a 0.487s reaction time on my
only qualifier on Saturday morning, before the programme was
cancelled for the day. The strong wind had just raised too much
dust for racing to continue safely.
“We weathered the storm and dust through a wind change-to
the south west, and thankfully Sunday brought much improved
conditions, allowing one more time trial before racing. As I was
late releasing the launch button on the previous day’s run, I left
my delay time unchanged. I pulled a 0.060s red light, and ran a
5.023s pass 135.62 mph, so it was fairly consistent.
“Before eliminations, I added 0.075s to my delay and got ready to
face Wade Kismya in round one. In that round, I dialled in at 5.01s,
and his dial in was 5.75s – though there was a mistake with his
side of the tree, causing a slight delay in staging while his dial in
was corrected.
“While it was great to get a perfect light, it was frustrating to lose
that race. However, that’s part of racing.
“We may not have proceeded further, but the weather aside, the
Sunset Strip Nationals was a great event – it was very well run, and
had some very good close racing.”
For Hicks, his perfect light in that run was a pleasant surprise.
“I felt my reaction time was good when the car launched, but I
had no idea it was a perfect light until my crew chief read it out
to me from the time slip,” he explained, while thanking ANDRA for
rewarding him for his perfect reaction time.
“This is my first Perfect Light award, but I have had two 0.000s
reaction times previously around five years ago – running one
at Steel City and the other at Coonawarra, one of those was in
qualifying though. Back then, I was not running a delay box like
I do now.”
From Mildura’s Sunset Strip it was back to Adelaide for Hicks,
who now looks ahead to competing in Portland (January) and
Adelaide’s Grand Finals (March).
“After the Sunset Strip Nationals I ran at the Spring Nationals in
Adelaide in October and I won round one, but a small issue meant
that my engine would not start for round two against eventual
winner Jess Turner,” Hicks explained.
Hicks sends his thanks to sponsors The Arthurton Hotel, Infinity
Signs and Sprint Auto Parts Kadina; AK Converters, SA Race
Transmissions and Diffs and Rhemac; and crew members Greg
Oberti, Mark Wyatt, Sean Oberti, Frank Intini and Adrian Hicks for
their support of his racing program.
“He left on a 0.030s light; I felt that my reaction was good when
the car moved and caught him close to the finish line. I lifted off
the throttle, but I ran a 4.996s pass at 130.76 mph, breaking out, and
so losing while Wade ran 5.845s.
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