Dean Rossiter's Shepparton 1981 VH Commodore to be raced in the Drag Challenge this month. Photo: Supplied.
A humble Shepparton car has been transformed into a racing machine.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Dean Rossiter has spent much of his career helping other people go racing, but now he’ll be flying down a Victorian strip in a modified 1981 VH Commodore.
Rossiter is the owner of Rossiter Performance & Fab in Northern Rivers, NSW and Gold Coast, QLD and has worked with one of Australia’s best-known Top Fuel teams, Lamattina Top Fuel Racing, spending years making sure race cars are ready to perform.
Now he’s building a car for himself, and it has roots etched from the Goulburn Valley.
The car started life as a clean 1981 VH Commodore from Shepparton with a six-cylinder under the bonnet.
Rossiter bought the car originally to slowly modify it, but those plans quickly left in the dust.
“The first car I put on the dyno was the VH, and I broke the six-cylinder,” he said.
“So, at that point it was like, well, I guess we just go for it.”
The six-cylinder came out the following day.
In its place is a 6.0-litre LS with forged pistons, H-beam rods and DRP heads, backed by a Turbo 400 built in. A NX 4150 plate-style nitrous system with a 100hp shot is there too.
Much of the work has been done in Rossiter’s own workshop, with the modification process broadcast in YouTube video updates.
Dean Rossiter works on the Shepparton VH Commodore. Photo: Supplied.
Now, he’ll put his work to the test at Drag Challenge across October 26 to 31.
The first outing in the Shepparton Commodore has Rossiter aiming for a 10.5-second pass without a rollcage, driving in the highly-competitive Proflow 235 Blown class.
Additionally, instead of only taking the Shepparton vehicle to specific drag strips, Rossiter will also experience the motor of the car in between tracks, covering long distances across the five-day Drag Challenge.
The Drag Challenge stretches from Knowlsey, to Portland and to Mildura in north west Victoria.
The VH and the Rossiter crew will have to be largely self-sufficient, as the car needs to race, travel between tracks, while lasting for the entire week.
A dependable car will be just as vital as the speed in the race.
But Rossiter is backing the Shepparton speedster.
“The goal is to run eight seconds in it as a street car,” he said.
“I... really liked the idea of drag and drive.”
After 12 years of working behind the cars that race, it’s now Rossiter’s turn to get a grip on the steering wheel and put the pedal to the metal.
He’ll hope he’s got the golden luck of the Goulburn Valley to boost him towards victory.
“I’m fairly experienced in being at the racetrack. I’m not super experienced at going down it,” he said.
“This is something a little bit different for me to actually take my own car and run it for myself."
Keep up to date with the Shepparton VH Commodore’s journey to the Drag Challenge on Rossiter Performance’s YouTube channel.
25°C