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JIM READ RACING TO RETURN NEXT WEEK

By Dan McCarthy

Drag Racing squad Jim Read Racing has announced that it will not miss a round and will be back on the grid for Round 5 following the engine explosion on Saturday night which saw five of its crew members taken to hospital.

The team confirmed the other day that all its crew members will make a full recovery on Wednesday and this news has enabled them to assess the damage to the vehicle and the reason behind the start-line accident.

Since Saturday, the team has undertaken in-depth investigation into the car, Jim Read Racing confirming it will be able to compete at next weekend’s event following the undertaking of some repairs, fortunately the chassis was not damaged.

“Obviously after something like that, you go through everything with a fine-tooth comb,” Jim Read Racing Crew Chief Bruce Read said.

“So we have taken our time over the last few days to really assess the damage and analyse every inch of the car.

“While obviously there is quite a lot of damage, we were very relieved to find that the chassis itself was unaffected.

“The crew is hard at work now to ensure we can replace all the necessary components and have the car fully prepped and ready to roll out again in plenty of time for Round 5 of the Australian Top Fuel Championship.

“Everyone on the team is very excited to waste no time in getting back onto the track, and I am very thankful for the dedication and enthusiasm of our crew who will make this possible.”

Read expressed the overwhelming support he has got from the everyone in the drag racing community.

“We have been absolutely inundated with calls and messages of support from all corners of the drag racing and wider community since Saturday evening and we are very grateful to everyone for their well wishes,” Read said.

“I want to acknowledge and thank everyone who has taken the time to send messages of support, offer assistance, and generally wish us well since Saturday.

“It has been very uplifting for the team to have everyone behind us like that and we hope we can repay you all with some strong results in Victoria next weekend!”

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