Bilo drag racer sets new record

GREG Clayton's drag car has got speed to burn.

So much so, the Biloela man set a new track record at a recent national event in Sydney in his super-charged hot machine.

Clayton set the new record of 6.584 seconds at 203.12 miles per hour (326.88kmh).

He said he was thrilled to break the record, but he was beaten in the first round of the competition.

The 38-year-old has been racing for almost 20 years, starting when he got his licence at 17 in street cars.

Clayton said he got into racing through friends and work colleagues.

“I do my driving on the track – nothing silly on the street,” Clayton said.

The Callide Power Station employee said he started building his drag car in 1998, finally getting to race it in 2004.

“It's the challenge of developing an engine and making it go faster.

“It's a buzz to drive,” Clayton said.

His wife, who designed the colours of his car, along with his brother John and a friend from Emerald act as his pit crew.

THE friend is a teacher, and his students follow Clayton's results.

Clayton said his next goal was to break the Australian record, which is two-tenths of a second away from what he did at the Sydney dragway.

“Two tenths of a second is a long way in drag racing,” he said.

After a Mackay event was washed out, the next event is at Willowbank in January.

Clayton, who moved to Biloela from Brisbane 18 months ago to ditch the ‘rat race', says his rig costs about $100,000 plus maintenance, trailers and uniforms.

He imports parts from American, where the sport originated, which is why it is still in imperial measure with the track a quarter mile and speed measured in miles.

The engine in his racer is a Chrysler big block with three speed transmission and 1800 horsepower.