Eight months on from the tragic accident that claimed the life of popular Doorslammer competitor Sam Fenech at Willowbank Raceway, Team Owner Maurice Fabietti has confirmed his team will return to the track later this year with a new driver.

Ronnie Palumbo, a longtime junior and sportsman competitor will be stepping into the seat of the refurbished ACDelco Doorslammer for the start of the 2023-24 National Drag Racing Championships in November.

The decision to return was an emotional one for Fabietti, who in addition to being Fenech’s Team Owner was also a close and long-time friend.

“The re-emergence of the ACDelco Monaro drag car is a fitting tribute to Sam Fenech, it’s actually a car he raced in himself,” said Fabietti

“His family believe it’s the right thing to do, as that’s what he would have wanted, it’s an appropriate legacy to a sport he loved so much and was himself such a big part of.”

The car in question is the 2017 400 Thunder Pro Slammer Championship winning chassis that at the time was driven by Mark Belleri, and over the years has also been driven by Mark Hinchelwood and Fenech.

It is not the same car involved in the accident at Willowbank Raceway in January.

“The first competition run for the rebranded ACDelco drag car is planned for Oct 21-22 at Dragway at The Bend, as part of the new National Drag Racing Championship,” said Chris Payne, General Manager Chevrolet Racing.

The Monaro will be on display as part of the Supercars event at Shell V Power Motorsport Park this weekend, with opportunities for fans to take a photo with the 3,500 Horsepower machine.

The Supercars event will double as a sneak preview for fans of The Dragway at the Bend, as it approaches completion ahead of its first scheduled events in October.

Palumbo is expected to undertake the procedure to upgrade his licence to drive the car over the coming months in conjunction with testing for the Top Doorslammer category.