Home Page    Updates Page   

My introduction to drag racing was in the season of 1989/90, as a school boy at the age of 17, when I first raced dad’s mk6 Kawasaki z500cc carburetted drag bike. It took only few meetings to learn to ride the bike and get it to run consistent 12 second passes. Not long into the season I took a NZ D/DB Record @ 12.70 @ 100 mph and then I then lowered the record to 12.08 @ 106 mph Ruapuna in Christchurch. Since that time this record was then taken down to 11.93 from a fellow racer from Blenheim, Chris Rayner.

From the new 1990/91 season, this was the turning point for me as we added the super charger giving my bike new lease of life, at first came the big pulley (6 pound boost), with that it gave the best run of 11.1 @118 mph. As the season continued we changed the pulley again, added more boost (18 pound) and I then had even better runs of 10.85, 10.73, and 10.54 @ 122, 125 and 127 mph.

Throughout this season I made dad a lot poorer with several missed gear changes at 10,000 rpm causing a lot of bent valves on one occasion and I completely destroyed the motor as no1 piston let go and the rod flew around like a chainsaw and cut the cases and barrels in half some meters before the finish. But on that run I still ran 10.45 @ 127 mph, so it proved that this little 500 would get a record. After a replacement motor was added near the end of the season, I finally broke the NZ C/DB record, with a 10.32 @ 132 mph at Ruapuna, at only 19 years old.

This bike has a lot more potential and some day it will run a 9, but until then as it sits now, it’s only gathering dust in dad's shed.

Today 14 years on, my record still stands and thanks to dad we put another Nunn in the record books!

After all that time, and being out of the sport for over 14 years, I returned to purchase the long standing record holding AA/Nitrous Drag Bike of Tony Astell in July 2005.

From those days of dad paying the bills - it’s now my turn and worst of all I had brought a Suzuki (editor's note: wash your mouth out Phil)! After all that, I now own and run one of New Zealand’s first 8 second side by side Drag Bikes with dad. Funny how things work out.
 

Phil and dad Earl at Motueka, 2006                                       

In the 2005/06 season the bike went back to A/DB where I learnt a whole a lot about the bike and getting the grips with it. On my 3rd meeting at the Southern Power built Nationals in Christchurch, I won my first NZDRA Championship Series Final with a run of 9.01 @ 148 mph. Following this I came 2nd in the South Island Champs with another great run - now in the 8 second bracket - with a  8.93 @149 mph. After this meeting I was finally back in the groove and as the season continued, I improved the bike, getting it to run consistent 8.80’s @ 150 mph.

As the season was coming to an end, I knew that to get the bike to run faster than 8.8s, I needed to spend a lot of money on the bike, so touched based with a couple of well known racers and part suppliers in the US. Now the bike will be rebuilt over the winter and will continue to run A/DB, naturally aspirated for the up and coming 2006/07 season.

For my first return back to drag racing in 14 years at age 33, I was placed 3rd overall in NZDRA National Points Score Series and I achieved one of the things I always wanted, being “to run an 8 second quarter mile and several of them”

Next season onward my aim is to run more 8’s, preferably towards the low end.

I would like to also say a special thanks to:
Tony Astell (for selling the bike)
Dad for helping out
Mum for being Mum
Jim Ashcroft Engineering (APE)
George Bryce (Star Racing)
 

My Sponsors
NZ Mail 0800 STAMPME, Motul Oil, The Signman Nelson and Pit lane Motorcycles Christchurch
 

Also my crew
Woody, Grant, Jason and most of all Rachel my wife for great help throughout the season.



Home Page    Updates Page   
 

Photos courtesy of Fran McGowan, Tracey Kidd, Graeme Oliver.

Copyright © 2006 DragbikeNZ.Com. All rights reserved.