WORLD-BEATER

AUSSIE JOHN RICCA TAKES ON THE WORLD'S BEST IN A RECORD-SHATTERING, SCREW-BLOWN PRO MOD CAMARO

- MARK ARBLASTER

TAKING on the Americans on their home turf in any sort of drag racing event is not for the faint of heart; if there is one thing the Yanks know how to do well, it's getting a car down a race track. So, when a bunch of Aussie upstarts led by John Ricca take a brand-new Pro Mod Camaro and run 5.37 seconds and 271mph to reset the world record for quickest and fastest blown door car on the planet, it's kind of a big deal.

And the team didn't stop there, either. After making the record-breaking run at Florida's Bradenton Motorsports Park in November 2024, John and his crew - Sydney racer and tuner Paul Mouhayet, Andrew Micallef, Stef Radovanovic, Manny Debrincat, Dougie Pierazzi, Adam Popovic and legendary tuner Steve Petty - backed it up in March this year by making the finals in Radial vs the World at Lights Out 16 in Georgia - one of the biggest radial events in the world. But wait, there's more! A week later, they qualified 20th in a field of more than 80 of the quickest Pro Mods on the planet at the World Series of Pro Mod event, once again at Bradenton. Gentlemen, take a bow!

John, owner of Race Parts Melbourne, could never have imagined what an insane ride he and his Aussie crew have experienced over the past year or so.