Australia’s quickest man on two wheels has made his 2016 Championships season intentions clear.
Matheson a multiple Australian Top Fuel Motorcycle Champion has been testing his new Top Fuel Motorcycle since late last year and is already getting results.
Matheson said “the new set up in the bike is producing more horsepower and we just need to get a handle on it. It’s one thing to have the power, but you need to be able to use it down the track. We have been tuning a complete new engine, which in itself has new characteristics and a new clutch set up”.
L to R: Brett Ashton, Chris Matheson, Crew Chief Graeme Turner and Clint Ackland & Perth’s local Chaplain Terry Dorrington
Early signs are good, we hope to get more data over the next couple of rounds of racing and then, we can start to turn it up, leading into mid-season.
2016 is going to be a big year in Australian Top Fuel Motorcycle racing, we have a couple of new bikes entering the field and a calendar full of racing across Australia. With the introduction of the Thunder 400 series and the current ANDRA Championship, both vying for the top spot in Australia, we have two Championships on offer.
Matheson and his Nitro Voodoo Team are one of only a few to compete in the entire National series, as the long distances across Australia are extremely costly and time consuming. We always know that travelling to the National tracks we are underdogs to the local riders, who grow an extra leg when we roll into town. It’s great, we want to race the best and there is no better feeling than racing the local Champion at his home track.
Crew Chief Graeme Turner and Matheson get plenty of time to talk strategy and think of ways to improve the bike and the Team’s performance travelling around Australia racing. The long distances, 12-14 hour days driving, gives you the chance to think and clear your mind, allowing you to focus on the challenge ahead.
It’s exciting, I love it, testing your wits against the best in the Country. I go to sleep thinking about it and wake up thinking about it, it’s just an exciting challenge to me and the Team. I am fortunate my family and friends support my passion, along with the great bunch of guys on the Team, who have the same drive to succeed.
The 2016 calendar will allow us to race at least once month on average, which will enable us to tune and set the bike up for the challenges ahead.
We haven’t run the Voodoo machine for over a year, as we developed new set ups to improve the bike. We have put the time in, now it’s time to test our developments to see if they improve the performance.
We have run a number of 6.0’s in the past and have run in the high 230mph, even hitting 241.8mph at Willowbank, our home track back in 2013.
The bikes short times are getting back to where we need to be to run the numbers. The bike is running straighter than it ever has and it’s a nice smooth ride.
Matheson said “the new aerodynamic changes we have made to the bike, along with the new engine combo will equate to lower ET’s and that’s what I’m chasing, quicker times. Time will tell”.
Matheson heads across Australia from Melbourne in the East to the Perth Motorplex in Western Australia, to run a semi-final, which was rained out in December 2015. Fresh on the back of his win at the Australian Nationals a little over a week ago, Matheson will be aiming to continue his winning form, as he jumps back in the saddle later this week.
Matheson said he expects a cool reception in Perth, the home of Nitro Harley’s in Australia, but eager to take on the best Western Australia has to offer. The track will be good, our re-run coincides with the Westernationals event, which is always a huge meeting.
Racers will travel from all points of Australia to compete, it’s another Group One Round of Pro-Slammer and Pro-Alcohol, so it will be a great weekend.
Qualifying starts Friday 5 February, with eliminations on Saturday 6 February 2016.
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