I shot the ‘SHERIFF’, but I did not shoot the deputy. The main difference here though is this ‘SHERIFF’ ain’t taking any shit! Powered by a 20B naturally aspirated motor, this ‘SHERIFF’ isn’t one to mess around with. The sheriff himself Mr. Craig Wasson sure isn’t fond of tough cars, previously owning the well known ‘MR12A’ Mazda RX3. After selling the 12A Turbo 7 second ‘MR12A’, Craig knew it was time for something different and that’s when word got around that there was going to be a new ‘SHERIFF’ in town!
The build of ‘SHERIFF’ originally started when Craig placed a $200 bid on a rolling shell on EBay. To his amazement, he won the auction and the beast was officially underway. The shell was modified and the rear guards stretched to fit those 31x13x15 inch tyres on the rear. It was then sent off to be sand blasted. The painting process was next and a few people were involved in this stage. Khoder (now owner of MR12A) originally started the process but was unable to finish the job. George from TCR Automotive Centre in Belmore came up with the custom silver colour and the car was then sent to Louie at XCM in Smithfield for painting. Bryce and the boys from Miller Signs made their way down to Sydney and finished the car off. I think the results speak for themselves!
The heart of the car is a naturally aspirated 20B Peripheral Port built by the one and only Bill Nabhan from Mazsport. Pushing over 400RWHP, both Craig and Bill were confident the car would drop into the 9 second zone once sorted. The car made its debut at a private test day with Craig piloting the car to a 10.10 @ 139MPH. The car then saw the track again a few weeks later and it was definitely game on in the all motor class. The car reeled off an impressive 9.59 @ 139MPH off the trailer. Throughout the day Craig’s confidence grew and on the last pass of the day, the ‘SHERIFF’ meant business with a 9.45 @ 141MPH.
Craig & Bill made a few small changes to the car before it hit the track again. With new diff ratios and other minor changes, the car powered on to 9.39 @ 140MPH. Unfortunately, the diff gears broke on the last pass of the day and the car was forced onto the trailer. The car was out a few weeks later sounding stronger than ever. The one and only ‘SHERIFF’ managed an astonishing 9.31 @ 141MPH. With the car bettering its time every time out and Craig’s confidence growing with each drive, will we see the ‘SHERIFF’ dip into the 8 second zone? I told you this ‘SHERIFF’ aint taking any shit!
Photos are now being released as this photo shoot was featured in Sport Compact Drag Racer Magazine Issue 2.
