This next fella needs no introduction I'm sure, but his introduction into the world of blown alcohol door car racing, while a suprise to many, shouldn't be really for a man and a business that have both been at the forefront of drag racing in this country for a very long time. The name "Marsh" is synonymous with horsepower, truckloads of it, and Tony and son Anthony are best known for their exploits with a vast array of super-fast, record setting dragsters.

Having claimed the first N.Z. four second pass, the first N.Z. 300 mph pass and the fastest Top Alcohol dragster in the Southern Hemisphere, plus the fastest small block Ford in the World and locked them away in the family trophy cabinet, courtesy of Anthony, you might ask what's next for Mr Marsh senior. Your first answer probably wouldn't be a door car, but, after the Wild Bunch meeting at Meremere in April, a fire of sorts was lit in the belly of Tony Marsh, and a few short months later, a deal was done to purchase the world's fastest Ford Maverick.

The Maverick, as previously driven by NHRA Top Fuel pilot Scott Palmer, was sourced and purchased as a roller, complete with gearbox. A motor was pieced together from a mix of new and old parts from the A/Fuel car, a set of BAE heads sourced to meet the Wild Bunch rules, and a 14-71 Roots blower added to make the combo perfect for big skids and a bunch of Wild Bunch trash talking. The 475 cube Hemi slotted straight in and, beyond the Lenco bolted to the rear chassis rails, is a 10 inch Pro Mod diff with Penske shocks and a bunch of go-fast lightweight goodies.

The ongoing support of Mount Shop, Redline Oil and Marsh Motorsport continues for the barrier-smashing dragsters, and every one of Tony's 49 years in the sport will stand him in good stead behind the wheel and also in de-tuning the car enough to ensure that it doesn't dip well below the 6.99 threshold allowed, which we're sure the car will be more than capable of. It will be exciting either way, so make sure you're there to see it first hand.

Age: 66
Day job: Build the odd engine or two.
Daily driver: Ford F250.
Dumbest way you've hurt yourself: Pushing broken Fords.
Name a store you would max out your credit card: AJPE. (Alan Johnson Performance Engineering)
What movie title best describes you: Mad Max.