A last minute change in the ANDRA Top Alcohol calendar has inspired last season’s runner-up, Steve Ham, to load the transporter and head west to Perth (Australia) for this weekend’s opening round of the championship.

Ham’s East Coast Lubes-backed team had originally intended to sit out the opening round and join the tour at the now cancelled Adelaide round.

“We’d done our sums when the calendar came out and really wanted to invest our finances in going quicker more than diesel costs, but with the calendar changing, we’ve called in a favour from Brady at Metal Trades Group and he’s dropped everything to get our rig over to Perth. I’m really thankful to him for taking care of us, but I’m also a little scared what he’s going to ask as a favour in return!” Ham jokingly conceded.

“I really feel like this weekend’s opening round is going to set the tone for the rest of the season,” Ham said. “Whoever is quick in Perth will be quick for the rest of the year and with the horsepower we keep finding in these Noonan X1 heads, we can’t afford to miss being part of the action.”

The ECL Mustang heads into the 2014 championship as the quickest and fastest Top Alcohol Funny Car in the country, and with every date on the calendar locked and loaded, Ham is determined to go one better than his two runner-up results in the past three seasons, and finally nail a championship win.

The ANDRA Top Alcohol Championship begins this weekend alongside Top Doorslammer as part of the Pro Showdown event at the Perth Motorplex. For fans unable to attend the event, live audio streaming of the Motorplex commentary is available at www.motorplex.com.au and by clicking the “live audio” icon at the bottom right of the screen.