Fastlane Magazine - Issue 12 by ANDRA Drag Racing

EDITION 12 12/2015 12/ /2015 /2015

24 2015/16 CALENDAR INSIDE!

SOFTWARE FOR YOUR HARDWARE

SOFTWARE FOR YOUR

HARDWARE

THEFUTURE A look at the rising stars of ANDRA Drag Racing

Meet the brains behind the record holders.

FLASHBACK 32

To the 1997 Winternationals

Go shopping at

500kmh! Purchase from the full range of ANDRA merchandise 24-7 at www.andrashop.com.au From stubby holders and bar mats to t-shirts and hoodies, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all here and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all ANDRA!

FROM THE

JUNE2015

CEO’SDESK

CONTENTS STAGING 4

Welcome to Issue 12 of Fastlane. Blink and you would have missed this season as the short sprint six-month calendar comes to a close at the Fuchs Winternationals probably as you read this. Unfortunately weather played a big part in the cancellation of two events, the Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race and the Nitro Champs. The decisions were made early by the tracks and were proven to be correct. This is especially disappointing given the massive efforts put in by many teams including a mammoth four car TF team put together by Santo Rapisarda. The Fuchs Winternationals will be a fitting finale as 500 competitor’s battle it out including oversubscribed fields in Top Fuel, Top Alcohol, Top Doorslammer and Pro Stock Motorcycle while seven Top Fuel Motorcycle riders will take to the track and the fastest Pro Stock cars in the country will go side by side, door to door. So with the finals about to be run and won we have only one championship decided being that of Top Doorslammer with John Zappia having enough points already to close out the 2015 Championship. So with the change of seasons almost complete we look forward to the 2015/16 with a bang. With the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series established and a dedicated Junior Program in the final stages, our work has only just begun with dedicated category business partnerships for Group 1 being at the pointy end of our business program and initiatives. There are always targets, goals, business cases and projects underway which will underpin our forward movement. This level of analysis may be over the top for some, while others will state ‘just do it’. While there are many things ANDRA would like to move forward on, there is little we do without taking into account member feedback and stakeholder benefits. Some examples will be included in the mid-year survey which will be available to members in the next few weeks. There are a number of initiatives including the TV product, Group 2 (White paper), member data system, judicial process review and our social media strategy/policy included within the current year. Many previous actions are now operational such as the activation trailer and circuit which is now attracting repeat visitors and locations seeking out the display, many of these sit outside events and therefore create additional awareness. Costs are very much ‘Top of Mind’ with ANDRA members and although costs have been generally maintained far under CPI we are still focused on growth. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending how you look at it we have a very solid foundation to build from. That has been the culmination of many individuals and groups of people who have gone selflessly into the market and brought about a level of awareness we desperately need. The TV show is now attracting an average viewership of over 350,000 per show (not including FOX); this is an achievement built over many years and is now attracting a small but growing audience internationally. The show and its content have changed dramatically over the past few years and carved a strong following however we can’t rest on our laurels and need to continue to improve not only its content but transfer the following to ‘fan’ status. This means activation points and direct viewer interaction to attend events, as we know seeing on TV is only an introduction for many viewers. The above is an ongoing process but for now, with the Winternationals pending, we are going to enjoy the biggest event outside North America) where there is a great expectation for a bumper crowd and close racing.

TECH

LANES

TORQUE 8 BEATTHEHEAT DRAGRACINGROCKS 9 WHO’S YOUR DD 10 11 BYTHE NUMB3RS TRACK SPOTLIGHT 12 13 SNAP-ON COMPETITION CHAMPIONSHIP 14 POINTS 16 SOFTWAREFORYOUR HARDWARE THE FUTURE 20 2015/16 CALENDARS 24 26 RACERPROFILE FLASHBACK 28

See you all there.

Fastlane is produced by the Australian National Drag Racing Association LTD.

Editor: Tim Baker (tim.baker@andra.com.au) Design: YBI Creative (www.ybicreative.com.au) Photography: Kevin Bond, Cackling Pipes Photography, Dragphotos.com.au, Jon Gall Photography, High Octane Photos, Bob Taylor

ANDRA Staff

CEO: Malcolm Bulley Accounts: Donna Jantke Business Manager: Jackie Mills Business Development Manager: Jennifer Harrison Competition Manager: Brett Stevens Licensing and Membership: Leanne Wright Media & PR Officer: Tim Baker Reception: Belinda Whittaker Technical Officer: Colin Brassington THE OFFICIAL OIL SUPPLIER FOR ANDRA DRAG RACING

ANDRA Board

Michael Fotheringham (SA) - Chairman Terry Jongen (WA) Phil Parker (VIC/TAS) Robin Judd (WA) Shayne Homes (QLD)

Contact Details

Phone: 08 8271 5355 Fax: 08 8721 6988 Email: info@andra.com.au Street: 11 McInnes St, Ridleyton SA 5008

THE OFFICIAL TOOL SUPPLIER FOR ANDRA DRAG RACING

ts h r o p e R Round Max, Pert

Nitro d a p h s a delaide A , 0 32 - W 0 0 1 Series o r P llowbank i W 4 , 3 n a Sportsm t i m m u 36 - S

FACES AT THE RACES FASTLANE I 3

staging stagingla ANDRA NEWS

DIVISIONAL COUNCIL RESULTS ANDRA Divisional Council Elections completed 01/05/2015 Following completion of the ANDRA Divisional Nominations for 2015, the make-up of the six Divisional Councils is confirmed in the table below. Divisional representative appointed/reappointed in 2015 are highlighted in Bold. South Queensland

Northern Australia

Victoria/Tasmania

Shayne Homes (DD)

Nathan Peirano DD)

Phil Parker (DD)

Ron Newton (Alt DD)

Ross Bryant

Peter Pisalidis (Alt DD)

Wayne Downes

Peter Peirano

Peter Kapiris

Tony Gooderham

Aaron Stibbs

Darren Parker

Lawrie Moore

Rod Scanlon

Bill Caris

Alex Buxton

Ross Lemberg

Paul Rogers

Simon Isherwood

Ash Hamblin

Rob Cassar

Daniel Morris

Douglas Anderson

Robert Coleman

Wayne Cartledge

Frank Oliveri

Stephen Crook

South Australia

Western Australia

New South Wales

Howard Browne (DD)

Terry Jongen (DD)

Lyle Gilmore (DD)

Timothy Reidy (Alt DD)

Andrew Frost (Alt DD)

Paul Stephen (Alt DD)

Peter Brown

Geoff Chaisty

Margaret Hartill Law

Andrew Favotti

Nick Gardiner

Jim Rowley

Johnny Kapiris

Ian Jenkins

John Ward

Harry Harris

Alan Hudson

Frank Cannistra

Bob Sherry

Peter Glover

Darryl Stephen

Mark Lee

Murray O’Connor

Sharon Ward

Bruno Romeo

Tyron Begg

Rhett Cooper-Fowle

Dimos Stefanopoulos

Elizabeth Johns

Mark Shepherd

Nominations were invited during February and at the close, elections were required in the Victoria/ Tasmania and Western Australia Divisions (Both for Divisional Council). Phil Parker (Vic/T) and Terry Jongen (WA) were both reappointed to Division Director Positions unopposed. Nathan Peirano officially took on the role of NA Division Director after serving as Alternate Division Director.

LIST YOUR BUSINESS! Do you own a business? You can now register your business for a free listing on the ANDRA website. Designed for racers to help racers, the ANDRA Member Business Directory will be a one stop shop where you can find the business or service you require while supporting your fellow ANDRA member. To register your business just go to www.andra.com.au, click Directory > Register Business and complete the online form.

RULE CHANGE SUBMISSION CLOSE 24 JUNE 2015 Rule submissions are currently open so if you would like to see a change or propose something new, please submit a proposal to the ANDRA Technical department. For information and an overview of the process, please visit the ANDRA website > Technical > Policies and Guides and click Rules Policy. Also, don’t forget to stay up to date with the latest ANDRA Rulebook page updates online at www.andra.com. au > Technical > Rules > Rulebook Page Updates.

We would like to thank Divisional Council members Glen Anderson, Shaun Kinnane, Alan Flanagan, Michael Naylor and Frank Intini for their contributions to their local Divisional Councils. For further information contact info@andra.com.au

10% OFF

PURCHASES

Get your Summit Racing Equipment 10% off discount codes by visiting the ANDRA Activation Trailer at Pre Events/Events or by calling the ANDRA office and speaking with Business Development. When entering the discount code on purchases through the SummitRacing.com website, input the code in the “Gift Card/Summit Bucks” box. To ensure you receive 10% off your purchase you MUST also enter the “Issue Expiration” date in the designated area. Please be mindful of the currency conversion when working out your total cost. Check out what Summit Racing Equipment has to offer by visiting the World’s Speed Shop at SummitRacing.com

4 I WWW.ANDRA.COM.AU

NEW ANDRA MERCH! Check out the all new products in the ANDRA Shop including aprons, t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, ear muffs for the kids, stubby cooler and a nice big umbrella to keep the sun off your head, because, lets face it we don’t ever want to have to use it in the rain unless it’s well away from the track! We are also pleased to announce that ALL members receive 10% off merchandise when placing an order directly through the head office via phone and email when quoting your member number or by showing your membership card at the ANDRA trailer. Get your official ANDRA merch at www.andrashop.com.au

anes LICENCING ANDRA is now offering members and licence holders the option of emailing or faxing their renewals or application to the ANDRA office with a scan of their competitor passbooks/log books (where applicable). This new process has been introduced to allow for greater convenience to the member and for quicker turnaround times.

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR NOMINATIONS OPEN Arthur J. Gallagher, the world’s fourth largest insurance broking and risk Management Company, expanded its presence in Australia through the acquisition of OAMPS Insurance Brokers in 2014. 2014 also saw Neville Stokes receive the inaugural OAMPS Volunteer of the Year award and for 2015 we will present the Arthur J. Gallagher Volunteer of the Year. This award is designed to recognise the outstanding contribution and passion of volunteers donating their time to ANDRA Drag Racing. The recipient will be invited to the 2015 Spring Nationals at Adelaide International Raceway on September 26-27, which includes a complimentary flight, accommodation, and Championship Dinner Ticket. Should the winner reside in the state of the Spring Nationals, a 2015/2016 ANDRA Championship event of their choice will be on offer. PLEASE NOTE: NOMINATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 30 JUNE 2015 To nominate your 2015 Arthur J. Gallagher Volunteer of the Year download the form from the ANDRA website under Competitor > ANDRA Forms.

stag INTRODUCING ALKY RACE PRODUCTS Alky Race Products are set to set to launch in Australia and help protect your race engine before, during and after racing.

classifIeds ANDREW PINKSTONE’S “PINKYS TOY”

A range of fuel additives and lubricants specially formulated for safe use in methanol/nitro fuelled engines to help eliminate dry starts, mix 100% in fuel, not settle in tanks or effect your tune up. Fuel Flush absorbs residual methanol/nitro and leaves a lubricating film to protect against fuel gelling damage and corrosion. On startup Fuel Flush will readily dissolve in methanol/ nitro fuels. It also lubricates superchargers, valve guides, fuel pumps, barrel valves, solenoids and other fuel components to provide engine protection at startup. Fuel Lube adds lubrication to fuel while helping to reduce wear on engine components. Fuel Lube is designed to stop fuel gelling and will not settle at the bottom of fuel tanks. Finally Pump Lube is a thick viscous fluid that adheres to fuel pump gears for better wear protection. Pump Lube absorbs residual methanol/nitro and leaves a lubricating film to protect against gear galling and corrosion. On startup Pump Lube will readily dissolve in methanol/nitro fuels. All products can be rinsed off hands or components with water as required. To find out more visit www.alky.com.au

220 in Modified Dragster. 400 cu in injected SB Chev, 9in Diff, Powerglide Trans. Motor Rebuild by Tony Bellert Race Engines. 8.05 sec at 165 mph. Enclosed Trailer and Awning , some spares. 1/8th Mile Modified Champion 2011 and 2014. Very reliable, consistent performer. Ready to Win. $34,900 Contact Kevin Pinkstone 0407645820 or (07 3882 3153) kbpinkstone@bigpond.com

10% OFF TO ALL NEW ANDRA CUSTOMERS! Hussey Performance is the leading manufacturer of copper gaskets for the NHRA series in the United States. 2014 NHRA Top Fuel Funny Car champion, Matt Hagan, and 2014 U.S. Nationals Top Fuel winner and Australian great, Richie Crampton, both rely on Hussey Performance copper gaskets to keep their engines sealed! Our gasket catalog can be viewed online at HusseyPerformance.net. We specialize in NRE, BAE, AJ, TFX, KB, BBC, SBC, BBF, and SBF engines. We provide affordable and fast shipping to anywhere in Australia. We can have gaskets in your hands in less than 1 week from the day an order is placed! Give us a call at 1(724)318-8292 or email us at Gaskets@HusseyPerformance.net for a quick free quote! www.HusseyPerformance.net

FASTLANE I 5

TECH TORQUE

Drag chutes understand two things: weight and speed. In theory, the lighter and slower the car, the smaller the chute required. You also need to consider chute construction. For example, a Stroud 400 Series drag chute made for a lightweight car doesn’t have the same reinforcement or webbing as a comparably-sized 430 Series chute designed for heavy door cars. Most drag racing associations require a single drag chute for cars going 140 MPH or faster. Cars running 200 MPH or faster must use a dual chute system. Stroud has a handy sizing guide to help you choose the right chute for your car’s weight and trap speed. Considering how important

Proper System Mounting To ensure a parachute ‘sees’ the air flowing over the rear of car, it should be mounted 45 degrees from horizontal, up and behind the spoiler. If the chute is mounted under the spoiler, it won’t see the proper amount of air needed to deploy and may not open. The chute should sit on the centerline of the car. Stroud recommends somewhere through the crankshaft or camshaft centerline on a doorslammer car.

Stroud Safety recommends that customers consult a qualified technician to confirm the size required for their particular specifications. Use the following charts as a guide to help determine what your drag chute needs are going to be. 4000 3900 3800 3700 3600 3500 3400 3300 3200 3100 3000 2900 2800 2700 2600 2500 2400 2300 2200 2100 2000 1900 1800 1700 1600 1500 1400 1300 1200 1100 1000

SINGLE CHUTE SIZES DUAL CHUTES NEEDED OVER 200 MPH

430 Std. 32

420

410

400

130

140

150

160

170

180

190

VEHICLE SPEED (MPH) Km / .62 = MPH

200

4000 3900 3800 3700 3600 3500 3400 3300 3200 3100 3000 2900 2800 2700 2600 2500 2400 2300 2200 2100 2000 1900 1800 1700 1600 1500 1400 1300 1200 1100 1000

DUAL CHUTE SIZES FOR SPEEDS OVER 200 MPH

200

210

450 / 470

430-26

Choosing a Drag Chute

The most common drag chute deployment system is the pilot chute/spring assembly. When the cable is pulled, the pilot chute springs out, dragging the main canopy into the airstream with it. This system is lightweight and works well for slower cars that don’t have to worry about quick chute deployment. There are challenges with packing—you’ll need a second set of hands to get the spring compressed and into the chute pack. A chute launcher is a good alternative for faster cars. A launcher does away with the pilot chute and deploys quicker and more consistently than a chute/spring assembly. A launcher is especially effective on 1/8 mile courses as it is not speed-dependent like a pilot chute system. Stroud makes mechanical and air-activated chute launchers. The mechanical system is spring-deployed using a regular pull handle and cable. It uses a large spring that is compressed into a storage can; a wrench and pin hold the spring in place while the parachute is stuffed into the pack. If you have an

430-28

A drag chute is not designed to stop a car—its job is to slow a car down in a stable manner. To do that, a chute must be fully deployed (inflated), which happens most effectively at higher speeds. That’s why Stroud suggests pulling the chute handle just before reaching the finish line so you drive “into the chute” and deploy it at the highest speed point of your pass. Drag chutes deploy very quickly, transmitting shock force to the car that can unsettle the chassis (and you). This is especially true of cross form-style chutes, which tend to open before the shroud lines pull tight. That generates a hard initial “hit” on the car when the slack in the lines takes up. Stroud designed its drag chutes to open “softly” to reduce that initial shock. A Stroud chute pulls low and straight back, keeping the car on the ground and reducing the distance needed to slow down the car.

Chute Deployment Systems

430-30 Pro-Mod

How Drag Chutes Work

onboard air system, a Stroud air launcher is lighter and easier to use than the mechanical launcher. Instead of a spring, an air-activated piston pushes the parachute out of the pack. A chute launcher makes packing easier. A single person can put together a chute pack in just minutes– important when you’re trying to turn the car around between rounds. Stroud has a YouTube video that shows how to properly pack a chute: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRhWplI5yKc.

430-24 Pro Stock

We relied on the drag chute experts at Stroud Safety (www.stroudsafety.com). Stroud Safety has over 35 years experience in parachute design and manufacturing, so you can take their advice to the bank.

This is a Stroud Safety 430 Series drag chute with a mechanical chute launcher. The 430 Series chutes are designed for heavy doorslammer type cars running 130 MPH to 200 MPH. The chutes are also a good choice for lighter cars that run 180 MPH to 200 MPH. The mechanical launcher is uses a large spring that is compressed into a storage can; a wrench and pin hold the spring in place while the parachute is stuffed into the pack. The chute deploys using a regular pull handle and cable.

the proper chute is to your safety, we strongly recommend talking with a Summit Racing tech rep or the chute manufacturer before purchasing.

VEHICLE WEIGHT (LBS.)

Like all things racing, having the right drag chute is critical to your performance —in this case, performance means slowing your race car down and keeping you safe. In this month’s Tech Torque column, we’ll explore the basics of drag chutes and how to choose the right chute for your car.

VEHICLE WEIGHT (LBS.)

TECH TORQUE

Drag Chute Basics

220

230

240

250

260

270

280

290

300

310

320

VEHICLE SPEED (MPH) Km / .62 = MPH

Stroud developed this chart to help racers choose the proper chute for their car’s weight and top speed. Most drag racing associations require a single drag chute for cars running 150 MPH or faster. Cars running 200 MPH or faster must use a dual chute system. Considering how important the proper chute is to your safety, we strongly recommend talking with a Summit Racing tech rep (via live chat, email or phone call, see SummitRacing.com for more details) or the chute manufacturer before purchasing a chute.

Safety. It’s No Accident.

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Helmets GFR-3023LRGWH

Driving Suits SRO-1056JT

Shoes SRO-00127007R

Gloves VMS-351002

Harnesses and Belts IMR-53811111

Racing Seats KIR-41300

Parachutes STS-430-01-05

Interior Padding KIR-99001

Head and Neck Restraints HPP-DK12034-311

Steering Wheels and Hubs LNG-56835

Helmet Shields IMR-19399902

Nomex Undershirts BOB-20203-1

Summit Racing is Proud to Sponsor the 2015 ANDRA Sportsman Series. Low Cost, No Hassle, Landed Cost Shipping! Choose landed cost service and all duties, taxes, and clearance fees are included. In-stock parts shipped same day, delivered to your door, with no hidden fees.

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FEATURE

BEAT HEAT T H E

If you are interested in sponsoring, donating or partnering with Beat The Heat to promote road safety and the “Street Racing is NOT Drag Racing” gospel, then please contact your local Beat The Heat organisation.

ANDRA and Track Championship events held at Adelaide International and Whyalla’s Steel City Raceway,” says Sergeant Darren Vance. “By providing an environment where Police and other road safety organisations can join together to educate young drivers we can bring about changes in attitudes and behaviour. “This in turn can bring about changes in culture including the views media have of Drag Racing and help to foster an attitude of responsible driver behaviour and acceptance of the road rules in the community.”

By joining together proactively whenever possible on displays, events, school visits or supporting Beat The Heat at the track, we can all generate positive news stories and media for the sport of ANDRA Drag Racing while promoting a healthy road safety message. In doing so, ANDRA, Perth Motorplex and Beat The WA worked together with Today Tonight in Western Australia on a positive story that aired in September 2014 simultaneously condemning illegal street racing while showing what ANDRA Drag Racing was all about. As a not for profit organisation, Beat The Heat relies on sponsorship and donations to continue running their program and ensure a regular presence at the track. Beat The Heat (SA) Inc is currently seeking to return to the track and relaunch the Beat The Heat program to the wider South Australian community. “Beat The Heat SA welcomes any and all sponsorship and support as we look to engage competitors at the Off Street 2 Strip meetings while competing in the Super Street category at

BEAT THE HEAT SA

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Currently there are six members making up Beat the Heat (SA) Inc. Members are made up of both sworn officers and civilians. All time spent working on the car, attending competitions or static events or working as part of the team is done so in their own time. All members of BTH (SA) actively promote the anti-street racing message and the associated aims of the program. The program relies entirely on sponsorship and donations from the community. Sponsorship is generally ‘in kind’ for consumables such as tyres, fuel, parts etc and expertise by way of services for tuning, mechanical repairs, construction etc. No SA Police, government or taxpayer money is spent supporting the program. It is entirely community based.

BENEFITS TO SPONSORS:

A ‘Police Drag Car’ generates a tremendous amount of public interest. It is therefore a very valuable public relations and marketing tool. Opportunities exist for it to be used in public displays state-wide advocating the safe driving message. Cars and team members are also made available for static display outside the business premises of major sponsors for special marketing occasions. This gives all sponsors expanded exposure to a large cross section of the community. Interested parties need look no further than Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland to gauge the success of such a program.

FIND OUT MORE! To find out more or to support Beat The Heat raise and awareness for road safety please visit: Western Australia: www.beattheheatwa.org.au Northern Territory: www.beattheheatnt.org.au Queensland: www.facebook.com/beattheheatqld South Australia: www.facebook.com/BeatTheHeatSA

FEATURE

DRAG RACING ROCKS WHEN IT COMES TO SUPPORTING FEMALES Girls Torque is developing a series of Race Cards dedicated to Women in Motorsport. These cards will form a unique visual history of women in Australian motorsport, to help raise the profile of all women who race. The number of female competitors has grown a lot over the past few years in all forms of motorsport, but drag racing has always had the highest number of licensed females.

The first set of Women in Motorsport cards has now been launched - an Exclusive Limited Edition Boxed Set featuring 34 women and girls in Drag Racing, with a special Celebrity Card included. Each card has a portrait photo on the front, with vehicle and race information on the back. They’re nice and tough and glossy. We know this is only the tip of the iceberg of the girls in drag racing, and welcome card applications from a lot more female competitors… as there were 170 at the last count! It costs nothing to become involved, and we believe these cards are an important step in increasing recognition for women in the male-dominated world of motorsport. Sue Corbett, founder of Girls Torque, said “The cards have already started selling to collectors overseas, who have asked to be notified as we release more cards in the series. A few guys

have already bought the first set, but most of our sales so far are coming from women who want to learn about women who race. I believe they’re looking for their own heroes to follow too”. Details on how to order card sets, or how to become involved in the series, can be found at www.girlstorque.com, including a full gallery. CONTACTS Sue Corbett (Founder) Naughton’s Gap NSW Phone: 0422 164309 Andy Kahle (WA Representative) Beechboro WA Phone: 08 9377 5626

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commited to supporting our Australian customers as we are only a phone call, email or sms away (or live hookup). We look forward to providing you You will find us at every major and outlaw race throughout the USA making sure our customers are performing well via hands on support. We are also with the best advice, support and service when it comes to running fast in your application – and ask you just give us the opportunity. commited to supporting our Australian customers as we are only a phone call, email or sms away (or live hookup). We look forward to providing you with Youand canservice call, email, orit Facebook at: www.kbxperformance.com the best advice, support when comes to us running fast in your application –and and www.facebook.com/pages/KBX-Performance ask you just give us the opportunity. or call John Kolivas, Jon Bennett or Justin on +1 205 4869-018, or locally on 0411 600 505

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ALIA

WHO’SYOUR

DIVISIONALDIRECTOR? SOUTH QUEENSLAND

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

NEW SOUTH W

WEB: WWW.ANDRA.COM.AU > COMPETITOR > DIVISIONAL COUNCILS

SHAYNE HOMES Division Director

South Queensland Divisional Council PO Box 2155 Milton QLD 4064 Ph: 0419 019 236 Email: southqueensland@andra.com.au

Shayne Homes first became fully involved in drag racing when he purchased a Hayabusa in 2004. It was his first big road bike and it soon became obvious to him the only place to see what it was made of was at the strip. Shayne tagged along to Willowbank Raceway with riders from his bike club and soon became hooked. A lover of cars and bikes, Shayne prefers bikes as a more cost effective means of going fast while Competition Bike is his bracket of choice preferring the index system over dial ins. “I have never really done well with predictions so DYO wasn’t going to be,” says Homes. “I am consistent in my inconsistency, so DYO was never going to be an arena I would excel in. “Group Two racing is not unlike a game of chess. Each racer makes a pass or a move to hopefully position them better to be in the final. I also like the goal of becoming the quickest in my chosen class.” Not content with just racing, Shayne has been involved at the Divisional Council level for some time developing an appreciation for all aspects of the sport from Junior Dragster to Top Fuel to racers, officials and promoters. “It was a chance thing,” he explains. “A few mates had said that there needs to be more representation of bikes in ANDRA so I put my hand up. I soon realised there were other groups that also needed representation. “In my time I have held positions as Divisional NRC Rep., ANDRA IRC Rep. and now the position of Division Director for South Queensland which is quite an honour.

DIVISIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS Shayne Homes (Division Director) Ron Newton (Alternative Division Director) Wayne Downes Tony Gooderham Glen Anderson Lawrie Moore Alex Buxton Simon Isherwood Shaun Kinnane

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“Interestingly when I was a kid my teacher said I would end up in politics, I don’t think this was quite what she had in mind! “As a delegate we represent the interests of all factions of the sport to come to a common solution for the betterment of everyone. “Racers need the tracks to compete, tracks need racers to have an event to compete, promoters need events to gain sponsorship to pay the racers prize money and the tracks.”

10,0007184.503197328100

BYTH3NUMB3RS

57,600

4,234,442 SBS audience that watched ANDRA Drag Racing on Speedweek in the first three months of 2015.

The amount of prize money committed by Summit Racing Equipment to the abbreviated 2015 season.

267.85 Top Alcohol Funny Car mile per hour record set by Gary Phillips at Perth Motorplex in January 2015.

Number of brand new tracks either under construction or due to begin construction in the near future.

The number of regular ANDRA Championship tracks hosting ANDRA Drag Racing Series and Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series events.

405

Tenths of a second separating the Top Fuel qualifying field at Nitro Max in Perth.

FEATURE

WARWICK DRAGWAY STEEL CITY TRACK SPOTLIGHT

Work began on the Warwick Dragway in 1997; it was officially opened in November of 2000.

RACEWAY The Dragway was the result of the tireless efforts by a band of workers that have given 100 per cent effort, making this one of the best 1/8 mile strips in Australia.

Location:

Recent works at the venue have included upgrades grandstands that also saw sails installed overhead and during the colder months work will begin on brand new amenities for racers.

___________________________________________

Throughout the year Warwick Dragway holds rounds of the JP Racing 1/8 Mile Series and the Mopar Muscle Weekend but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the VW Nationals and Dragfest (including free racer BBQ and cover band) that are the two marquee events of the year attracting well over 100 competitors to Dragfest alone. This year the VW Nationals will be held October 3-4 and Dragfest October 17-18. Warwick Dragway is a club owned (Warwick Districts Drag Racing Association) and operated drag strip located at the Morgan Park sporting complex on the outskirts of Warwick, Queensland. The complex is only a short distance from motels and the main town centre Morgan Park is a 1,000 ha park dedicated to sporting activities.

Warwick Districts Drag Racing Association wishes to thank long serving Vice President Peter Slade whom recently retired after being involved from day one.

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Morgan Park, Old Stanthorpe Road, Warwick, Queensland 4370 Altitude: 477 metres

___________________________________________

Timing System: PortaTree ___________________________________________

Racing Surface: 1/8 mile hot mix ___________________________________________

Braking Area: 320 metres hot mix ___________________________________________

Track Record(s): Jon Sting 4.30 ET (Supercharged Outlaws, Victor Bray 177 mph (Top Doorslammer)

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MAY CHAMPIONSHIP

POINTS

TOP FUEL

TOP5

1 Damien Harris

138

1 John Zappia

353

2 Phil Lamattina

112

2 Maurice Fabietti

217

3 Wayne Newby

3 Pino Priolo

165

4 John Lamattina

4 Martyn Dack

155

5 Anthony Begley

5 Grant O’Rourke

145

TOP ALCOHOL

TOP5

TOP DOORSLAMMER

TOP FUEL MOTORCYCLE

TOP5

1 Gary Phillips

226

1 Mark Drew

225

2 John Cannuli

158

2 Chris Porter

170

3 Craig Glassby

3 Chris Matheson

138

4 Debbie O’Rourke

4 Greg Durack

125

5 Steven Reed

5 Ben Stevens

116

PRO STOCK M/CYCLE 1 Maurice Allen

TOP5

118

2 Ryan Learmonth

3 Scott White

4 Locky Ireland

5 Glen Wooster

PRO STOCK

TOP5

1 Lee Bektash

2 Emilio Spinozzi

FUEL < TOP CHAMPIONSHIP DAMIEN HARRIS & PHIL LAMATTINA

CONTENDERS

14 I WWW.ANDRA.COM.AU

COMPETITION 1 Craig Geddes 2 Alistair McClure

TOP5

SUPER SEDAN

TOP5

120

1 David Yanko

160

100

2 Stephen Griffin

140

3 Peter Pisalidis 4 Kyle Putland

3 George Tipouikidis

120

4 John Kapiris

120

5 Russell Ladbrook

5 Bob Sherry

100

SUPER STOCK 1 Steven Norman 2 Brett Glover

TOP5

MODIFIED BIKE

TOP5

160

1 Ian Read

160

105

2 Joe Khoury

160

3 Tom Dimitropoulos 4 Allen Puglia

3 Edgell Mallis

160

4 Nathan Stone

140

5 Jim Ioannidis

5 Shane Walker

120

COMPETITION BIKE

TOP5

SUPER STREET

TOP5

1 Ross Smith 2 Daryn Schuster

100

1 Enzo Clemente

120

100

2 John Kapiris

120

3 Blair Pennington 4 Phill Paton

3 Harry Harris

100

4 Lee Watson

100

5 Daniel Natalotto

5 Bell Henry

100

SUPERCHARGED OUTLAWS TOP5

JUNIOR DRAGSTER

TOP5

1 Doina Day

160

1 Toby Austin

160

2 Donald Friend

160

2 Eden Ward

160

3 Tracey De Jager

140

3 Jordan Spencer

100

4 Paul Stephen

140

4 Bailey Ferguson

100

5 Matthew McKnight

100

5 Josh Baker

100

TOP5

SUPER GAS

TOP5

1 Stuart McBain

160

1 Graeme Spencer

160

2 Steven Fowler

160

2 Bruno Romeo

140

3 Paul Russo

140

3 Matt Forbes

120

4 Lorenzo Gullotto

100

4 Dale Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dwyer

100

5 Brett Henley

100

5 Colin Griffin

TOP SPORTSMAN

SUPER COMPACT

MODIFIED

TOP5

1 Michelle Osborn

160

2 Simon Barlow

160

Chris Tait

3 Chris Farrell

140

Reece McGregor

4 Jasmine Ryan

100

5 Mark Allan

100

1 Domenic Rigoli

80 TOP5

160 110 20

FASTLANE I 15

FEATURE

SOFTWARE FOR YOUR HARDWARE

Meet Greg Gower, the brains behind Alky Pro â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a software program that has played a role in catapulting Craig Glassby to record setting performances. 16 I WWW.ANDRA.COM.AU

Earlier this season Craig Glassby and Crew Chief Greg Gower set what was a Top Alcohol Funny Car elapsed time world record of 5.41 at the 44th Westernationals in Perth.

Alky Pro, a Windows based software program developed by Gower that assists fuel system analysis and tuning of supercharged alcohol engines, will play a key role in that endeavour.

That record held until late March when Jonnie Lindberg went 5.36 at Zmax Dragway in Charlotte during the FourWide Nationals.

The genesis of Alky Pro goes all the way back to the late 1980s when Gower was using a series of charts and calculations to make weather corrections on the Funny Car he was racing with Gary Miocevich.

Glassbyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s phenomenal effort however remains as the Australian Top Alcohol Funny Car record and Gower already has the new world benchmark in his sights.

It was time consuming and he naturally wanted a way to streamline the process so he could spend

E TRACK

more time working on the car between rounds. That’s when Gower broke everything down into mathematical equations and went looking for someone who could turn it into software.

“About a year later, a similar looking commercial program was released onto the market. The program that was being sold did the job capably, so I didn’t bother following up with anything of my own.”

SPOTLIGHT

forward to 2013, and new “IWork made contact with aon young began the Fast technology became available guy called Greg Leach, who Warwick Dragway 1997; convinced Gower that was still at Uni studying as a in that he could put together a more computer programmer, and it was in tuning program. accurate together weoffi wrotecially what opened I believe was the first November of 2000. The software ever written to “I had always heard the theory Dragway was the result ofshould be basing our tune Blown Alcohol cars,” that we explains Gower. corrections the tireless efforts by a bandon the density of the air inside the injector, as workers that havethis given is the air that the engine “Iof wrote it for my own use, but is really breathing. The reason I gave some copies away and 100 per cent effort, making this air is different to what we it got around a bit. We were havemile measured in the pits, using software to tune thisthisone of the best 1/8 when we ran the first 5-second is a result of the massive strips in Australia. cooling effect that occurs when pass in 1993. you inject large amounts of Recent works at the venue have included upgrades grandstands that also saw sails installed overhead and during the colder months work will begin on brand new amenities for racers.

methanol into the incoming air stream. The technical term for the effect is ‘Latent Heat of Evaporation.’ “It made sense, and I wished I could do it, but how do you know what that temperature is unless you put a probe in there, and even then you only know after the pass because it’s dependent on current weather conditions. Then I found out that US engineer Patrick Hale had devised a method of calculating the effect of methanol cooling on air density for these engines, and I knew straight away that I only wanted to tune cars using this new method.” The methodology developed by Patrick Hale explains why blown alcohol cars

Throughout the year Warwick Dragway holds rounds of the JP Racing 1/8 Mile Series and the Mopar Muscle Weekend but it’s the VW Nationals and Dragfest (including free racer BBQ and cover band) that are the two marquee events of the year attracting well over 100 competitors to Dragfest alone. This year the VW Nationals will be held October 3-4 and Dragfest October 17-18. Warwick Dragway is a club owned (Warwick Districts Drag Racing Association) and operated drag strip located at the Morgan Park sporting complex on the outskirts of Warwick, Queensland. The complex is only a short distance from Motels and the main town centre Morgan Park is a 1,000 ha park dedicated to sporting activities. Warwick Districts Drag Racing Association wishes to thank long serving Vice President Peter Slade whom recently retired after being involved from day one.

FASTLANE I 17

sometimes don’t perform like they did at a previous meeting, or even worse, why the engine occasionally suffers damage from being too lean even though the tuner has corrected the fuel system properly by the methods conventionally used. The bottom line, Gower says, is that the conventionally used calculations are not as accurate as they are needed to be, and they can result in either a rich or a lean condition depending on the weather.

“Once you’ve seen the very different results from the new method, it’s not hard to be convinced, and I’ve had a number of racers go back through their data and say they can see now where they were wrong on the tune up before,” he says. “So, I locked myself away for several months, and worked through everything I needed to put together the tuning software. Once you introduce boost into the equation, it becomes fairly complex to calculate pressures, areas, flows and density correction, and the calculations needed for the new Methanol correction method are pretty mind-boggling. “Basically, it’s an ‘energy balance’ equation, which has no direct solution. The program has to use ‘trial and error’ until the results of two mathematical equations balance.”

18 I WWW.ANDRA.COM.AU

Along the way Gower realised that the change in the specific gravity of methanol that happens with temperature change was also a critical factor for accurate tuning, so he incorporated that as well. “I’d remained friends with Greg Leach, the guy who wrote the original software in the 80s, and he now had an IT company with about 100 programmers working for him, so we got together again to produce the Alky Pro software. “I know I drove them crazy along the way, but I wanted the software to be as easy to understand and use as possible, reliable, and it to look good, so it took over a year from me completing the methodology until we had something I could start using. “Along the way some of the other tuners heard what I was up to and wanted in, and I have to say I’m very grateful for the confidence guys like Stuart Rowland, John Zappia and Mark Brew had in me to want to test and use this software.”

needed for more overdrive and a new Noonan manifold fairly easily, so I guess that played a part in why the car went quick without a lot of fine tuning,” explained Gower in February. “But the main benefit of the software will come when the engine is tuned close to optimal and we’re not at that point.” At the time of writing Gower was working on a new fuel flow bench that was set to be rigorously tested while making general improvements and development as plans for next season got underway. “After Jonnie Linberg laid down that amazing 5.36 in Charlotte, we have a new number to aim for! “A few months ago, a group of us got together to have some drinks to celebrate our buddy Gary Miocevich’s life, and at that meeting his brothers Mark and Brad said they wanted to support what we were doing and what did we need to run quicker. “The car is about 80 pounds overweight, so I said a new lighter body would be the biggest single improvement, and they offered to sponsor Craig so that he could buy the latest Camaro body from the US.

In the aftermath of the 5.41-second pass, Gower said the engine wasn’t tuned anywhere near to it’s potential as the team has been focussed on managing power and getting it through low gear.

“The current body is a Monte Carlo, but ours is actually a Nitro version, so it’s wider and less aerodynamic than the Alcohol bodies. So we’ll have better aero and a lighter car with a new body next year, and our new major sponsor will be Veem Gyro (veemgyro.com)”

Although Alky Pro wasn’t the only catalyst for that pass it did play a role in the design of components used.

Considering Gower and Glassby are already knocking on the door of a 5.3 second pass, with a lighter more aerodynamic car, a honed tune up and major backing, it may not be long before the world record is theirs once again.

“The Alky Pro software helped me design the fuel system we

FEATURE

CRAIG GLASSBY EXPLAINS HOW ALKY PRO HAS HELPED HIS TEAM. “The Alky Pro program has allowed us to run the car with confidence. “We know what the car is going to do, we know how much fuel the engine needs, and we know precisely what main jet to put in when the air changes. The previous methods out there don’t compensate as accurately for the changes in air density that you get when you spray gallons of methanol into the mix. “Alky Pro has allowed us to get on top of our tune up quicker. We’ve done now over 16 passes with a brand-spanking-new engine combo. In those passes we’ve gone from blowing the tyres off at three meetings in a row, to running 5.46, 5.45 and 5.41. “The car has stepped up very quickly and the new tuning software has given us total confidence in the safety of the tune-up, without having to check bearings, etc. We don’t have the sump off it at all between rounds. “On the 5.41 run, the 60-foot time was .918. In the final against Gary it went .903 to the 60foot. That in itself would have been a high 5.30 if we’d been able to complete that pass.”

5.41

CRAIG GLASSBY AND GREG GOWER SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS FOLLOWING THE THEN WORLD RECORD 5.41 ET.

Glassby: “I knew it was fast and my Crew Chief over the radio usually tells me how it went. But obviously they were celebrating on the startline and the TV crew was interviewing him. “So I’m sitting in the car asking; ‘what did it run?’ Because it felt amazingly fast. It had the front wheels up to half-track and I knew they were up high in the air but it went straight.”

Gower: “I was pretty shocked to be honest. I hadn’t done anything to step the car up and I wasn’t expecting it. It was simply the result of Craig driving and shifting better. “He’s been in the habit of revving the car hard as we needed to do that when we were running AA/FC. With the extra blower overdrive it wants less revs, but it revs faster and it’s hard to catch at the right time.”

SOFTWARE FOR YOUR HARDWARE FASTLANE I 19

FEATURE

THE

FUTUR Junior Dragster has been an official bracket of ANDRA Drag Racing since 1996 and is the breeding ground for the future stars of the sport. Shane Tucker, Kirsten Cannuli, Ben Bray, Jake Donnelly, Jess Turner, Mark Allan, Michelle Osborn, Kelly Bettes and a host of others all came through Junior Dragster before moving onto varying Sportsman or Group One brackets. ALL of the juniors in ANDRA Drag Racing are rising stars but here’s just a few of the current crop to keep your eye on.

20 I WWW.ANDRA.COM.AU

TOBY AUSTIN “Tobester” is the 2014 national champion and odds on favourite to win his second consecutive title at the Fuchs Winternationals in early June. He seems to be perennially in the semi finals or finals at virtually every event and is always in the running to take the 60foot Rising Star Award for the best overall package by a Junior at all Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series rounds.

RE BRADLEY BISHOP Bradley performed well in 2014 finishing fourth in the points off the back of solid consistent displays while figuring in the 60foot Rising Star Award calculations. The Nitro Champs would have been his first appearance of 2015 and with his sister Natalie, also a consistent racer in 2014, will be competing at the Fuchs Winternationals.

EDEN WARD

BAILEY MCCLURE

One of the Mopar brigade under the tutelage of Pro Stock record holder Lee Bektash, Queenslander Eden Ward has been competing for some time now. He won gold with his first ANDRA Championship trophy at the 2014 Australian Nationals and in season 2015 Ward added a silver tree to complete the collection with a win in Round 4 of the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series at Willowbank Raceway. He also has two 60foot Rising Star Awards to his name.

Son of 2014 Competition Eliminator champion Al McClure, the junior Hillbilly Deluxe won the 2015 WA Track Championship including three consecutive event wins between November 29 and January 10. We havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seen Bailey on the national circuit since 2012 but if his championship-winning Dad hits the road we may see he and his brother Connor more often in the future.

FASTLANE I 21

FEATURE

THE

FUTURE The West Coast Junior Dragster Association is at the forefront in the development of junior dragster drivers and as a committee.

BRODIE ZAPPIA The nephew of John Zappia, Brodie has the all tools to emulate his famous uncle. Racing in his suitably named Zap’s Brat, Zappia has not won a national event as yet but he did take the win at a local Hidden Valley Drag Strip meeting with his uncle John looking on in what turned out to be a Zappia one two on the night.

A lot of effort and hard work has gone into setting up the association and acquiring sponsors to help and encourage juniors. WA has one of the largest number of juniors currently racing and testament to the outstanding education they get in JD racing is the racers who have gone on to bigger and better things like Shane Weston, Rhiannon Allison, Alesha Adamos and Michelle Osborn just to name a few. “We try to teach the kids professionalism and welcome pro racers to attend and speak at our driver meetings,” says WCJDA Vice President John McSweeney.

DANIEL CARRANZA Peter Kapiris’ protégé has been creating somewhat of a media storm of late appearing on The Project for his efforts to raise awareness for Autism, a feature in Drag News Magazine and scoring his first ever win at the Gateway Tavern Easter Supercharged Shootout in Mildura. He is a regular at Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series events and it’s surely only a matter of time before he breaks through for his first ANDRA Christmas Tree.

“We also invite ANDRA head office staff and officials to come along so the kids get to know their governing body and teach them they are here for a reason. Safety is a big thing and we have officials come along to do checks and teach why ANDRA is there and how to work best with officials. We’ve seen a huge change in professionalism from our kids.” The WCJDA currently have some 22 sponsors all contributing between $500 and $1000 to the association and these funds are used to purchase WCJDA folding tents, trophies and vouchers. All sponsors names are proudly displayed on banners and tents and these tents are used to shade racers during driver meetings and presentations and also house the slushy machines that help their juniors stay hydrated and occasionally hyperactive. “Our sponsors help us to provide all the benefits and add-ons like shade and tents and even an official WCJDA golf buggy for our bracket marshal,” adds McSweeney. “We currently are the only bracket in Australia that provides a golf buggy for our marshal to get around and speak to the kids during an event.

ROCKY LAMATTINA The son of two-time Top Fuel champion Phil Lamattina is at very short odds to end up in a Top Fuel dragster one day. Although Rocky hasn’t competed at every championship round, he is well travelled having gained experience on both the East and West coasts. Surrounded by his father, Top Fuel driver uncle John Lamattina and crew chief Aaron Hambridge, Rocky has a wealth of knowledge at his disposal.

The association also has two big eskies full of drinks for track staff so our kids can give something back.” One of the initiatives set up by the committee was to have trolley-mounted starters available for everyone to use at the starting area. This is a great time saver and means teams don’t have to carry their own starters back and forth from the pit area. The association also provides trophies for junior drivers after each meeting to recognise outstanding performances whether it was running in the final, best reaction time or best package and they strive to give everyone a fair chance of receiving a trophy rather than restrict it to performance or winning. Interstate juniors are always welcomed with a sponsors gift pack to remember their experience of racing in Perth while enjoying what the association has on offer. WCJDA is also very active with social events and this helps the juniors and their families get to know each other away from the drag strip. Several functions have been held in the last couple of years including a car rally, visits to Adventure World, barbecues and trophy presentations. All of these functions are organised by the committee and with a lot of help from other family members who all pitch in. “It’s not just about the racetrack, we’re actively encouraging kids to socialise outside of the sport. Our trophy day is held at M’Mates place and we encourage support of ANDRA activation displays or get involved with the work Perth Motorplex does in schools. “As kids learn about promotion it helps them develop skills and experience in attracting sponsorship that they can use when they join the senior ranks. We have 45 kids at the moment and each gets 100 posters and 500 of their own Race Face cards to give away to families and visitors at race meetings, events and displays.”

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CALENDAR

CALENDA 2015 CALENDAR

JANUARY 9-10, 2015 – NITRO SLAM, PERTH MOTORPLEX Top Doorslammer Round 1, Top Fuel Motorcycle Round 1 JANUARY 30-31, 2015 – 44TH WESTERNATIONALS, PERTH MOTORPLEX Top Alcohol Round 1, Top Doorslammer Round 2 FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 1, 2015 – NITRO MAX, PERTH MOTORPLEX Top Fuel Round 1 and 2, Top Fuel Motorcycle Round 2 and 3 MARCH 14-15, 2015 – PRO SERIES 1000, ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY Top Alcohol Round 2, Top Doorslammer Round 3, Pro Stock Round 1, Pro Stock Motorcycle Round 1 APRIL 4, 2015 – SANTOS SUPER 3 EXTREME DRAG RACE, WILLOWBANK RACEWAY Top Fuel Round 3, Top Alcohol Round 3 MAY 2-3, 2015 - NITRO CHAMPS, SYDNEY DRAGWAY Top Fuel Round 4, Top Alcohol Round 4, Top Doorslammer Round 4, Top Fuel Motorcycle Round 4, Pro Stock Round 2, Pro Stock Motorcycle Round 2 JUNE 4-7, 2015 – WINTERNATIONALS, WILLOWBANK RACEWAY Top Fuel Round 5, Top Alcohol Round 5, Top Doorslammer Round 5, Top Fuel Motorcycle Round 5, Pro Stock Round 3, Pro Stock Motorcycle Round 3

JANUARY 17-18, 2015 – SOUTH COAST RACEWAY, PORTLAND JANUARY 30-31, 2015 – 44TH WESTERNATIONALS, PERTH MOTORPLEX MARCH 14-15, 2015 – ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY APRIL 11, 2015 – WILLOWBANK RACEWAY MAY 2-3, 2015 - NITRO CHAMPS, SYDNEY DRAGWAY JUNE 4-7, 2015 – WINTERNATIONALS, WILLOWBANK RACEWAY

24 I WWW.ANDRA.COM.AU

AROFEVENTS 2015/2016 CALENDAR

JULY 17-18, 2015 – HIDDEN VALLEY DRAG STRIP Top Alcohol Round 1, Top Doorslammer Round 1

JULY 25-26, 2015 – DESERT NATIONALS, ALICE SPRINGS INLAND DRAGWAY

SEPTEMBER 26-27, 2015 – SPRING NATIONALS, ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY Top Fuel Round 1, Top Doorslammer Round 2, Top Fuel Motorcycle Round 1, Pro Stock Round 1

SEPTEMBER 26-27 – SPRING NATIONALS, ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

OCTOBER 17-18, 2015 – CALDER PARK Top Alcohol Round 2, Top Doorslammer Round 3, Pro Stock Round 2 NOVEMBER 6-8, 2015 – AUSTRALIAN NATIONALS, SYDNEY DRAGWAY Top Fuel Round 2, Top Alcohol Round 3, Top Doorslammer Round 4, Top Fuel Motorcycle Round 2, Pro Stock Round 3, Pro Stock Motorcycle Round 1 NOVEMBER 27-28, 2015 – PERTH MOTORPLEX Top Doorslammer Round 5 and 6, Top Fuel Motorcycle Round 3 & 4 JANUARY 23-24, 2016 – CALDER PARK Top Fuel Round 3, Top Doorslammer Round 7, Pro Stock Round 4, Pro Stock Motorcycle Round 2

OCTOBER 17-18, 2015 – CALDER PARK NOVEMBER 6-8, 2015 – AUSTRALIAN NATIONALS, SYDNEY DRAGWAY DECEMBER 4-5, 2015 – MILDURA SUNSET STRIP JANUARY 16-17, 2016 – SOUTH COAST RACEWAY, PORTLAND JANUARY 23-24, 2016 – CALDER PARK

FEBRUARY 5-6, 2016 – 45TH WESTERNATIONALS, PERTH MOTORPLEX Top Alcohol Round 4, Top Doorslammer Round 8

FEBRUARY 5-6, 2016 – 45TH WESTERNATIONALS, PERTH MOTORPLEX

MARCH 5-6, 2016 – PERTH MOTORPLEX Top Fuel Round 4 and 5, Top Fuel Motorcycle Round 5 and 6

MARCH 12-13, 2016 – ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

MARCH 12-13, 2016 – ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY Top Doorslammer Round 9, Pro Stock Round 5, Pro Stock Motorcycle Round 3

APRIL 2, 2016 – WILLOWBANK RACEWAY

MARCH 26, 2016 – SANTOS SUPER 3 EXTREME DRAG RACE, WILLOWBANK RACEWAY Top Fuel Round 6, Top Alcohol Round 5 APRIL 29-MAY 1, 2016 – NITRO CHAMPS, SYDNEY DRAGWAY Top Fuel Round 7, Top Alcohol Round 6, Top Doorslammer Round 10, Top Fuel Motorcycle Round 7, Pro Stock Round 6, Pro Stock Motorcycle Round 4

APRIL 29-MAY 1, 2016 – NITRO CHAMPS, SYDNEY DRAGWAY JUNE 9-12, 2016 – WINTERNATIONALS, WILLOWBANK RACEWAY

JUNE 9-12, 2016 – WINTERNATIONALS, WILLOWBANK RACEWAY Top Fuel Round 8, Top Alcohol Round 7, Top Doorslammer Round 11, Top Fuel Motorcycle Round 8, Pro Stock Round 7, Pro Stock Motorcycle Round 5

FASTLANE I 25

RACER PROFILE

FABULOUS

FABIET From the age of 16 with his first HR Holden, Maurice started his drag racing career by regularly attending Calder Park legal off street drag race meetings in the early eighties.

From there his passion for drag racing blossomed and he constructed his first purpose-built race car â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a Holden TD Gemini Coupe powered by a small block Chev. With a multitude of national records and career wins in the Gemini, Maurice established himself as a fiercely determined competitor on the track on a national level. Maurice raced the car for five years from 1984 and in the process turned his love of drag racing into a profession building high performance race engines for cars, boats, hot rods and street machines.

TEAM: Fabietti Racing BRACKET: Top Doorslammer PREVIOUS BRACKETS: Super Gas, Pro Gas,

Super Sedan, Super Stock, Wild Bunch

ANDRA CHRISTMAS TREES:

Winternationals (1989, Super Stock), Nitro Champs (2010, Top Doorslammer)

26 I WWW.ANDRA.COM.AU 26 I WWW.ANDRA.COM.AU

Following a successful career with the Gemini, Maurice held the position of crew chief for a number of top-level racers. Deciding to focus on establishing his business, He built another race car as a means of promoting himself and his operation. With the business growing, and the popularity of the Top Doorslammer category increased, Fabietti decided to re-body his 1990 Pontiac Trans Am into a late model Monaro to enable him to compete in the class. The last 12+ years have been exciting as the ambassador for Holden Genuine Parts & Holden Trade Club, and also the busiest going to state to state with promotional tours at Holden Dealerships.

TTI WHY I STARTED DRAG RACING:

I was competitive, I had a HR Holden at the time and didn’t want to race on the street. I got introduced to off-street racing at Calder Park in the early 80’s. Here I am 30 years later running in the upper echelon of drag racing and making a living out of it.

HOW HAS TOP DOORSLAMMER CHANGED SINCE THE EARLY WILD BUNCH DAYS? Doorslammer is like Wild Bunch on steroids. Wild Bunch was a place to race a blown sedan and have some fun. To be competitive in Doorslammer you have to eat, breath, live blown sedan racing.

YOU FLY THE FLAG PROUD FOR HOLDEN, HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU BEAT A FORD? In Top Doorslammer winning a round is a great achievement, but it’s always good to put a Ford on the trailer!

WHAT OTHER BRACKETS DO YOU ENJOY WATCHING? Nitro Funny Car and Top Alcohol are always spectacular to watch.

IF YOU WEREN’T DRAG RACING WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING? I don’t know as I’ve spent more than half my life drag racing. I’d be involved with motorsport in some form.

WHERE DOES THE FABIETTI FAMILY ORIGINALLY COME FROM? Northern Italy, but I’m from Richmond, Victoria!

FLASHBACK

1997 WINTERNATIONALS

In 1997 the 30th annual Winternationals marked the first time the marquee event doubled up as the ANDRA Championship grand final. As Lex Swayn writes, it was considered one of the best ever. Photos

by: Kevin Bond Throughout the history of Australian drag racing, a number of events have been described as the country’s best. For the first two decades of the

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sport, old hands generally agreed that the 1979 Grand Final at Castlereagh Dragway in Sydney set the benchmark as Australia’s greatest race meeting.

By the time this unofficial title was passed on, a lot had changed in Australian drag racing. The sport was in its fourth decade and the Winternationals, a regional championship until it was elevated to national championship status in 1993, was fast becoming the star meeting on the calendar. In 1997 the season was switched so that it ended at the June Winternationals, with that event also assuming the title of the Grand Final, previously a stand-alone event. The 1979 Grand Final had earned the title of best race because of extraordinary Group

One and Two (no Groups Three or Four then) performances that resulted in 20 national records and culminated in Larry Ormsby winning the Top Fuel title with Australia’s quickest time of 6.094sec. Reports indicated there were no oildowns and the event was interrupted only by a few sprinkles of rain. Similarities abound with the 1997 Winternationals, the event that supplanted the 1979 race as the one considered Australia’s best. The main factors associated with the 1997 race being universally declared our greatest event were the same – outstanding performances and an almost seamless program. The 1997 Winternationals was the 30th annual running of the event and during the entire

Steve Flynn’s B/Gas Commodore wheelstands on the sticky Willowbank surface. The West Australian won the event and the Australian Super Stock Championship.

Chris Reid’s Modified Roadster is brought into stage against a background of the massive Willowbank crowd.

weekend the program ran close to the schedule. A few drops of rain stopped qualifying for 10 minutes and there was only one oildown on race day.

Quattrocchi (7.856) claimed the quickest Pro Stock side-by-side pairing; Les Donnon (7.663) and Gavin Eales (7.687) did the same in the twowheel Pro category.

In fact, aside from a few spots on the start line, no oil was spilled in one lane for the entire weekend, a scenario that had not occurred previously, and certainly has never been repeated.

Thirty-two new elapsed time and speed performance standards were established during the weekend and the outstanding efforts in the Pro categories, added to earlier achievements, made the track the quickest in Australia for Top Fuel, Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Altered, Top Doorslammer, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle.

The final run was at 9.55pm and was a mere 25 minutes late. Willowbank became the quickest track outside of North America thanks to the efforts of Graeme Cowin and his team’s winning 4.812 in the Top Fuel final. Cowin’s 4.81 led an impressive list of achievements that included other worldranked performances: Bob Brackam and David Glenwright’s 5.700 was the quickest Top Alcohol pass outside of North America; Jeff Burnett’s 5.885 was the quickest for a methanol-powered Altered in the world; Paul Martini’s 8.169 made his dragster the quickest four-cylinder outside of North America; Joe Polito’s 7.713 was the world’s quickest for a 6.5lb per cube small block Ford; and although Bill and Wayne Jones had produced a five-second pass on an exhibition pass at Willowbank, their BB/Dragster’s 6.050 maintained their position as the quickest classlegal “sportsman eliminator’’ car in the world. The “Australian-only’’ achievements were no less impressive. Before the race the quickest pass at Willowbank had been Glenn Mikres’s 4.924 in January, 1997 but Jim Read stepped that up to 4.920, then Cowin upped the ante to 4.880 and 4.812. Cairns’s Wayne Hughes claimed the title as quickest naturally aspirated car in Australia with his A/Dragster’s 7.097; Polito (7.740) and Rob

The Romac dragster won Top Alcohol and ran the quickest Top Alcohol pass outside of North America at 5.700.

In such an environment, personal bests abounded throughout the eliminators. There were 29 national records and 46 track marks set. Those figures were the then greatest day of record smashing in Australian drag racing history. The records were not restricted to the two-lane black top. The three-day attendance of 33,500 was the then largest event crowd in Willowbank’s history and the record 403 entries finally cracked the 400 barrier after the event’s national event status kicked off with 283 starters in 1993. After qualifying second with a 4.995 and predicting that he could run 4.7s, Cowin came awfully close with times of 5.12, 4.880 and 4.812 to defeat Jim Read in the final. In Top Alcohol qualifying, Glenwright ran times of 5.735, 5.736 and 5.706, and in racing only a firstround 5.850 spoiled the chance for a complete set of 5.7-second clockings. US race car builder Bob Meyer, who flew over to work with the Romac Top Alcohol team, had this to say about the event: “This race track is absolutely phenomenal. It’s as good as an NHRA quality surface, and then some. The best part

The scoreboards show the world record 5.88 from Jeff Burnett’s Altered. Jeff Burnett’s Altered was runner-up in Top Alcohol and ran the quickest time for a methanol-powered Altered in the world at 5.885.

1997 WINTERNATIONALS

about it is that it’s got an extremely wide groove. You’ve got to give credit to those Bell boys (track prep experts Kelvin and Adrian Bell), they’ve got their heart and soul in it. Every time I come to this track it’s better than before.’’ Meyer also pointed out that the dragster would have qualified second if it had been at the NHRA points meeting at Brainerd the same weekend. In a rare event for Top Doorslammer, the blown sedans didn’t run any exceptional times over the weekend, but their carburettored cousins in Pro Stock, led by Polito, certainly performed. Polito matched the 7.71/175 NHRA records for C/Altered, the equivalent class for the car in the US and that was with an Australiandeveloped Ford engine that pumped out performances that more than favourably compared with the highly

David Tucker smokes the tyres of his B/MP Camaro in front of the huge Willowbank crowd.

The world record-setting Probe of Joe Polito runs against the Beretta of Rob Quattrocchi in Pro Stock eliminations. Willowbank became the quickest track outside of North America when Graeme Cowin ran 4.812 in winning the Top Fuel final. Cowin is pictured, near lane, in his victory against Rachelle Splatt in the semis. Graeme Cowin and his crew after their triumphant 1997 Winternationals. Spectators check out the quickest track outside of North America after the 1997 race. Graeme Cowin’s record 4.81 clocking is still illuminated on the readout board.

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developed Chevs American teams used across the Pacific. Super Stock was the eliminator of the event. It established its credentials on the first night of qualifying and held that high standard until the final was run on the Sunday night. Winner Steve Flynn, of Perth, commented: “We were coming to the best track, so I shifted to B/Gas because we wanted to run as fast as we could. I’m glad I won it here. In comparison with Calder, this place is the pinnacle.’’ As the then Willowbank manager, the late Dennis Syrmis, wrote after the event, it was a case of a problem of having an event with no problems, because factors outside the track’s control (weather and oildowns) had fallen in Willowbank’s favour, producing an event so perfect that it was almost impossible to repeat.

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ROUND REPORT

THE Damien Harris made steady progress on his promise of making this his championship season with a win in a spectacular opening round of the ANDRA Top Fuel Championship at Perth Motorplex.

4.838 to earn his place in the final.

The Western Australian driver defeated reigning national champion Phil Lamattina in the final, taking the win for Rapisarda Autosport International by just over two hundredths of a second, with a .047 to .064 reaction time advantage followed up by a 4.770 to a 4.775.

Top Fuel Motorcycle performances were no less impressive in the second round of their championship, with Western Australian Mark Drew resetting both the time and speed national records for twin cylinder machines on his way to a win.

It looked as though the Victorian Lamattina had the win in the bag until his motor began to burn up, and that allowed Harris to come by at a scorching 506.41kmh to Lamattina’s fading 413.81kmh. Harris said that it was the ideal way to start the team’s championship hunt. “It’s all about grabbing as many points as you can and to walk away with all the points today was really nice,” he said. “I didn’t see Phil until half track where he went blazing past me and I sat there crying. Then next thing I went straight past him and the cries changed to cheers. “The car moved around heaps, but I had my foot buried (on the throttle), I really wanted to put Phil on his back so we were lucky he had problems and we got to drive around him.” Harris qualified second with a 4.701, then had a bye run in the elimination round where he carded a

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First round jitters were apparently non-existent in Top Fuel, with every car running into the four second zone during the single qualifying shootout. Wayne Newby’s top qualifying pass of 4.589, only marginally off the 4.582 track record, stood for low elapsed time of the event, while Phil Lamattina at least claimed top speed points for his qualifying blast of 520.99kmh.

The final was an anti-climax when opponent Chris Porter had a fuel issue on start up, meaning he had to shut down his bike and watch as Drew took a solo pass for the win. Drew’s elimination round pass of 6.341, backed up by his top qualifying pass of 6.350, was enough to wrap up the elapsed time end of the national record, while his 371.36kmh speed also had the record books burning up. “I left the same tune up in it that I ran last meeting for the final, only I put a little bit more on the clutch for the top end for our second pass where we went a little bit quicker,” Drew said. With improved national records, Drew said he is targeting a world mark soon. “We will get it into the high 6.20s pretty easily I reckon,” he said. “Then we are only a tenth off the world record. “I need this year to get it into the 20s, then do a bit more homework and talk to a few contacts overseas

and show them what I’ve got and get their opinion on where to tidy it up. “I think we have track here as good as anywhere in the world so it is not out of the question.” On night two Damien Harris made it two championship round wins from as many nights backing up for a second victory in a row. It was a case of de ja vu for the final with the Western Australian driver again facing Victorian rival Phil Lamattina for the trophy. However unlike Saturday’s photo finish, Harris this time took a convincing win with a 4.745 second charge easily accounting for Lamattina, who spun the tyres at quarter track and was unable to recover. Harris, who said on Saturday he wanted a photocopy of the day, certainly got close enough to a perfect replication. “It was definitely that photocopy today, except we didn’t have any dramas which was good, I didn’t want that in my photocopy,” he said. “Unfortunately Phil didn’t get a clean lap, it would have been nice to beat him with him having all eight candles lit, but that’s drag racing.” Harris qualified fourth with a 4.872 and then earned his place in the final with the quickest time of the night, a 4.614 defeat of Anthony Begley. “Santo Rapisarda Jnr (crew chief) wanted to experiment with a few things and we knew we had to get after it to make the final,” he said. “Everything lined up and it stuck, even though it pushed a spark plug out at some point and dropped a hole (cylinder) or two.”

Final Results TOP FUEL ROUND 1 Damien Harris 4.770 def Phil Lamattina 4.775

TOP FUEL ROUND 2 Damien Harris 4.745 def Phil Lamattina 8.889

TOP FUEL MOTORCYCLE ROUND 2 Mark Drew 6.408 (solo)

TOP FUEL MOTORCYCLE ROUND 3 Chris Porter 7.041 def Greg Durack 7.482

E Harris left Perth with the points lead, though with Lamattina earning his share of bonus points across the event, the gap between the two is minimal. But at the time of writing he’ll only have two events to make up the deficit with the Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race at Willowbank Raceway on Easter Saturday cancelled due to inclement weather. While Harris enjoyed a repeat it was anything but a repeat in the third round of the ANDRA Top Fuel Motorcycle Championship, with Chris Porter breaking through for a victory. Porter’s run of recent mechanical woes may have made for spectacular photographs and television footage, but it has been a testing time for him mentally, never knowing if there will be a nitro explosion when he twists the throttle. The problem was traced back to the cylinder heads the team was using. “You try laying over it when you know the last time it exploded,” Porter said. “And it does it again and again. I was hesitant on the throttle waiting for it to bang. “At the last meeting we did two good passes and then it let go again, and it crushed me. It destroyed our whole budget for the year basically. “But it’s back to what it used to be now, I can get on it and know it will go straight and be under power.” Porter qualified second with a 7.587, but stepped up big time in eliminations when he carded a 6.765 pass to defeat Les Holden and earn his finals spot. The surprise of the night was Saturday winner Mark Drew not reaching the A Final after he crossed the centre line during his elimination round pass. Drew was at least able to salvage a B Final win and keep his championship hunt alive.

FASTLANE I 33

ROUND REPORT

VPW PRO SERIES 1000 MARCH 14-15 ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY PHOTOS BY CACKLING PIPES, BOB TAYLOR

ZAPPIA PHILLIPS ALLEN 3 3

FROM

2 2

FROM

1 1

FROM

John Zappia took a commanding lead in the ANDRA Top Doorslammer championship with victory over Pino Priolo at the VPW Pro Series 1000 in Adelaide.

have beaten us and nearly did. Mathematically they won’t leave the shed from the performance advantage we’ve got but you’ve got to maintain that and the closer we are to the edge, the harder it is to be consistent.

The seven-time national champion wrapped up his third ANDRA Drag Racing Series win in a row beating Priolo to the 1000-foot stripe in 4.91 seconds at 229.20 mph from Priolo’s 5.247 at 216.06 mph.

Zappia who reset the AIR 1000 feet track record with a 4.882 earlier in the weekend, eliminated Bill Goonan and Maurice Fabietti on his way to another ANDRA Silver Christmas tree while Priolo took out Pat Carbone and Grant O’Rourke.

That win gave Zappia a stranglehold on championship number #8 in this shortened season with a commanding lead over his nearest rivals. “We needed to put (Maurice) Fabietti out to catapult us a bit further ahead,” said Zappia. “We’re looking at wrapping it up in Sydney although I don’t know what the possibilities are with what I’ve got to do or not do. I’m pretty confident we just need to do well (to win the championship). “We’ve dropped one point (all season), we’re one from a perfect score. But we were beatable at the first meeting (Nitro Slam) and other than the 60-foot time we struggled from there. “The next meeting Fabietti and (Peter) Kapiris could

“But the Fuchs/Striker Monaro ran pretty good all weekend.”

Gary Phillips claimed his second ANDRA Drag Racing Series win in a row by defeating fellow Queenslander John Cannuli in the final. Phillips ran a 4.776 at 228.69 mph leaving Cannuli at the line on the hit of the throttle. It was an unfortunate situation for Cannuli who claimed the Adelaide International Raceway Top Alcohol track record for 1000 feet with successive 4.702 and 4.724 second passes but it was Phillips who was left smiling from ear to ear with a 17th Alcohol championship in his sights. “We just go try and do the best we can,” said Phillips. “You just take it as it comes. This (1000 feet) is a whole different ball game, you’ve got to dumb it down, that’s

actually a Doorslammer motor in the car. “When we tested two weeks ago at Willowbank we serviced the motor in the Funny Car and went 5.46. So we took the motor out of the Doorslammer because it’s identical except for the overdrive and the heads.” Phillips eliminated Robert Ambruosi in round 1 before a stout bye run in the semi finals. Cannuli defeated Debbie O’Rourke in a contender for pass of the weekend then benefitted from a solo semi final of his own when Steven Reed shut down after the burnout. Maurice Allen opened his Pro Stock Motorcycle campaign in perfect fashion taking top qualifier and the event win over Ryan Learmonth appearing in his first Group One final. Learmonth got the holeshot advantage after a long burndown but Allen caught the rookie quickly and powered away to a 7.288 at 181.67 mph from a 7.558 at 177.25 mph. “We found a bit of stuff in the offseason, came back and the bike was starting to show the capabilities of what the engine can do,” said Allen. “We know on other tracks we’ll be able to tap in and run quicker again. The conditions were tricky again, the facility is great, don’t get me wrong and it’s the same for everybody else but just reading it (is tough) when you’ve had such a long break. “I’d like to give special mention to Michael Marriot who helped us with a bit of interpretation with data this weekend. We’ve made some advances and we’re pretty confident there is another tenth, tenth and a half in the bike. Over the next two race meetings I’m sure we’re going to start to see the potential of what it’s really got.” “Thanks to my crew, Dad (Peter Allen), Steve, we’ve done this together for a few years now, we’ve got a great synergy. “It was an awesome final, to have a burn down in

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Pro Stock Motorcycle, who would have thought? I take my hat off (to Ryan). I said to him at the bottom end I’ve had my arse kicked for 15 years all over the joint. Don’t take it personally but pay your dues to the old man!

Supercharged Outlaws unfortunately ended in an anticlimax after persistent timing issues earlier in the day scuppered several attempts at a Paul Stephen v Drago Nikodijevic match up.

“Ryan is going to be a force to be reckoned with, his team is very professional. I congratulate him and Gordon Crawford for helping him (get the team to Adelaide).”

Nikodijevic eventually claimed the win to advance but time ran out to be able to turn the cars around with the semi finals run at the completion of the event.

Drama, excitement and new records seem to be a common occurrence in the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series as Round 3 came to a close at the VPW Pro Series 1000 in Adelaide.

Officials decided that finalists, Donald Friend and defending champion Doina Day, would each receive runner up points.

Featuring virtually a full compliment of ANDRA Sportsman brackets, racers pushed limits, reaction times, dial ins and indexes in the quest for vital points. Steve Norman was perhaps the most relieved man in the pits after claiming an all South Australian Super Comp final against Jim Ioannidis in what was also an all Super Stock battle. Neither racer disappointed as Norman cruised to a 6.568 on a 6.81 index, a new national record up from the minimum 6.66 seconds at 151.68 mph to set the 1000-foot C/APA elapsed time national record. After many close calls and a lot of hard work, Norman finally hoisted the long awaited trophy above his head paying tribute to his crew. “It’s been a really, really long time coming with the boys,” said Norman. “That’s what you do most of it for. I was as happy for them as I am for me. “Everything went really good this weekend and it was good because it was two door cars in the final. It’s just been a really good weekend. “A big thanks to Rino (D’Alfonso) for continuing to pursue this out here (Adelaide International Raceway). It’s just been a really good weekend.” In his runner up effort, Jim Ioannidis reset the 1000 feet B/MSA national records for both elapsed time and speed with his 7.680 at 133.30 mph on a 7.92 index. The previous mark was set at a 7.72 minimum and 132.10 mph set by Ioannidis himself. Craig Geddes set new 1000 feet elapsed time and speed national records for B/D with a scintillating 5.999 and 170.00 mph to best the minimum 6.10 ET and 166 mph. Veteran Wayne Cartledge also claimed the B/DA mile per hour record reaching 172.96 mph and surpassing his previous record of 170.32 mph.

Stuart McBain doubled up for his second Top Sportsman victory of the season with a win over Sydneysider Steve Fowler. McBain won at the tree when Fowler red lit by just .003 seconds. The Victorian etched it in stone with a 6.628 on a 6.65 dial. Modified Westernationals winner Michelle Osborn raced an impressive program all weekend but she met her match in the final when local product Simon Barlow grabbed the win in a very close final. Barlow almost hit his 7.25 dial in with a 7.262 second pass from a 7.265 on a 7.20. Defending Modified champion Shane Wynd found some consolation for his round 3 exit as his team was awarded the YBi Creative Best Appearing Team for the entire weekend. George Tikpouikidis triumphed in Super Sedan when Danny Bucella saw red by an agonising .001 second. Tippouikidis completed a cruisey 10.023 on a 9.98 dial in take the honours. The red light trend continued in Modified Bike as Joe Khoury secured the win with a 9.445 on a 9.40 dial in after Shane Walker red lit by .044 seconds. That result catapults Khoury to the 160-point minimum in this shortened season as his title bid takes shape. Two-time ANDRA Super Sedan champion John Kapiris didn’t get the result he craved in his first class, but pulling double duty in his hometown, the nephew of Peter Kapiris managed to score the Super Street victory over Chris Dimech in the final. A 12.683 on a 12.62 dial in from a 12.509 pass on a 12.52 was enough thanks to the breakout. Junior Dragster champion Toby Austin continued his dominance winning the final over local South Aussie and top qualifier Kelly Donnelly. Austin laid down an 8.131 on an 8.05 to defeat Donnelly’s 8.167 on an 8.08. And finally hometown hero Bruno Romeo, doubling up in Modified and Super Gas, took the Super Gas final in dramatic circumstances. His opponent Warren Smith ran a perfect 9.90 on the fixed 9.90 index but Romeo stole the win on a .026 holeshot with a 9.911 second pass.

Final Results Top Alcohol Gary Phillips 4.776 def John Cannuli 23.437 Top Doorslammer John Zappia 4.910 def Pino Priolo 5.247 Pro Stock Motorcycle Maurice Allen 7.288 def Ryan Learmonth 7.558 Super Comp Steve Norman 5.568 (6.81) def Jim Ioannidis 7.692 (7.92) Supercharged Outlaws Donald Friend v Doina Day (final not contested) Top Sportsman Stuart McBain 6.628 (6.65) def Steve Fowler 5.870 (5.82) (red light) Modified Simon Barlow 7.262 (7.25) def Michelle Osborn 7.265 (7.20) Super Sedan George Tikpouikidis 10.023 (9.98) def Danny Bucella 9.205 (9.18) (red light) Modified Bike Joe Khoury 9.445 (9.40) def Shane Walker 9.700 (9.65) (red light) Super Street John Kapiris 12.680 (12.62) def Chris Dimech 12.509 (12.52) (breakout) Junior Dragster Toby Austin 8.131 (8.05) def Kelly Donnelly 8.167 (8.08) Super Gas Bruno Romeo 9.911 (9.90) def Warren Smith 9.900 (9.90) FASTLANE I 35

SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT SPORTSMAN SERIES 11 APRIL 2015 WILLOWBANK RACEWAY PHOTOS BY: DRAGPHOTOS.COM.AU

QLDDOM QLD DOM Local racers dominated at Willowbank Raceway’s round of the national Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series on Saturday 11 April, with all but two of the final contenders hailing from the host state. More than 180 racers came to the event from all over the country, including New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, the Northern Territory, Tasmania and Queensland. Taking victory were Beenleigh’s Neil Maxwell (Top Sportsman), Palm Beach’s Chris Tait (Super Comp), Toowoomba’s Dale O’Dwyer (Super Gas), Redbank Plain’s Matthew McKnight (Supercharged Outlaws), Brassall’s Paul Doeblien (Super Sedan), Raceview’s Mark Allan (Modified), Marsden’s Bill Henry (Super Street), Rochedale’s Daryn Schuster (Competition Bike), Anstead’s Chris Collin (Modified Bike) and New Beith’s Eden Ward (Junior Dragster). Claiming runners-up honours were New South Wales’ Steve Fowler (Top Sportsman), Kallangur’s David Gauldie (Super Gas), Cotswold Hill’s Rodney Hansen

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(Supercharged Outlaws), Crowley Vale’s Max Carpenter (Super Sedan), Laidley’s Kevin Morton (Modified), Burpengary’s Ben Dreyer (Super Street), Coombabah’s Blair Pennington (Competition Bike), Parkhurst’s Ace Edwards (Modified Bike) and New South Wales’ Toby Austin (Junior Dragster). Also drawing applause from the crowd were record-breaking passes from the Northern Territory’s Dieter Herrmann (quickest and fastest aspirated racer in Australia), and the Gold Coast’s Tait (world’s quickest 3RZ-powered vehicle).

A full day and night of racing yielded plenty of on-track excitement for race fans, with all 10 brackets delivering competitive racing. The Top Sportsman class – newly introduced to the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series in 2015 – certainly impressed, with the Top Qualifier Herrmann becoming the quickest and fastest aspirated racer in the world in his Pontiac GTO with a 6.36 second/220.91mph effort in qualifying before going further in the first round of eliminations with a 6.32 second result at 222.03 miles per hour. Hermann was in the running for event victory until the semi-finals, where he fell to South Australian Paul Russo and his 1957 Chev Bel Air – the recipient of the Best Presented Team Award presented by Gridstar by YBI Creative and Summit Racing

Equipment - who was defeated by eventual runner-up Steve Fowler (NSW), who faced off against the Gold Coast’s Neil Maxwell who walked away with the big trophy.

“I would like to thank Willowbank Raceway, ANDRA and Summit Racing Equipment, but most of all I would like to thank all of the other racers who have supported this Top Sportsman bracket. I have been waiting for this bracket and I am so proud to take the win at its first running here in Queensland,” said Maxwell. The Super Comp class also laid claim to a record breaking performance – this time on the world stage with the Nissan 200SX of Tait becoming the quickest 3RZ-powered vehicle in the world thanks to his 6.741 second effort at 206.95 miles per hour in the second round of eliminations against Wade Moran, who on his way to the loss also ran under the national record (7.00s/197.42mph). The Palm Beach racer moved on to the semi-finals where with a win over Toowoomba’s Bob Frawley he earned his ticket to the finals and the event win following a bad day at the office for his would-be opponent Rob Nunn where what started out as a blistering semi-final solo pass from the right hand lane ended with Nunn’s Chev Cobalt glancing the left hand wall, with the damage seeing him unable to front for the final. “To take the win and become the world’s fastest four cylinder Toyota is

ROUND REPORT

MINATION real good,” said Tait. “The car is still a bit loose, so there is a bit more in it to come. We ran a six second pass a few weeks ago so now to come out here and run some consistent passes is really good and we are happy with that.”

first national event win for Doeblien after 14 years of attempts in his BF Cobra. Doeblien had earlier faced off against Greenbank’s David Foreman in the semi-final, while Carpenter had enjoyed a bye run.

In Super Gas, Dale O’Dwyer took the win from David Gauldie in the final after the pair respectively dispatched top qualifier Graeme Spencer and Kerry Boyde in the semi-finals; while in Supercharged Outlaws, Matthew McKnight prevailed over Rodney Hansen in the battle for event glory with a very close finals performance between the pair.

“I have had my Super Sedan car for 14 years, and this is the first national win I have ever had in that car. I have won plenty of things, but never a national event. It feels unbelievable, I have been runner-up probably four or five times, but never actually got the win so I am absolutely wrapped, I could not be happier,” said Doeblien.

“That was a cracking final right there, when it comes to final time you have always got to be tight, you have got to hit the tree, and you have got to dial in tight as well and both Rodney and I showed that – we both had great lights and we both ran right on our dial-ins as well. “A big thank you has to go to Summit Racing Equipment as an international company that is supporting our drag racing in this country, and also to Jason and Hayley Donnelly from Donnelly Blasting Services for getting behind our bracket, as well as my family and my crew – this is our swansong year as a family racing together and I am going to be doing my very best to bring home a gold Christmas tree trophy in June at the Winternationals for them – they deserve it,” said McKnight. An all-Ford final in Super Sedan saw the victory go to Paul Doeblien from Max Carpenter, with this the

In Modified, Mark Allan took on his best friend and engine builder Kevin Morton in the final and won, despite an injury to his knee following a dislocation the week before. “Kevin is my best mate as well as my engine builder and we raced in the final and we were still talking tactics which is always fun! A big thanks has to go to the Willowbank Raceway staff, officials and commentary team, and also to all the other modified competitors and Knijff Earthmoving,” said Allan. Super Street saw victory go to Bill Henry over Ben Dreyer, while in Junior Dragster it was Eden Ward who took the win from top qualifier Toby Austin. Competition Bike saw plenty of fierce competition, with the victory ultimately falling to Daryn Schuster from Blair Pennington – his crew chief and good friend. “Blair does all the work on the bikes,

but even so when we line up against each other it is a race – its going to go to whoever gets to the end first and its good luck to each of us and off we go. I am definitely happy with the result, it was a great race and Blair wouldn’t have it be anything less, he always makes sure both bikes are 100 per cent and its awesome,” said Schuster.

Final Results

More two-wheeled action was on show for the fans with Modified Bike, with an amazing final seeing Chris Collin taking the win from Ace Edwards, with Edwards coming off his bike after the finish line. Soon after the run, the dislodged rider was seen walking down the strip to retrieve his bike from its resting place further down the braking area.

Supercharged Outlaws Matthew McKnight 6.734 (6.72) def Rodney Hansen 6.767 (6.76)

After being taken to the hospital for precautionary checks, his father Craig Edwards stated that his son “has come off but done no real damage to himself (aside from) a bit of gravel rash and so on, but (that he is) fine and he sends his thanks to everyone for all the well wishes, and to the staff at the end of the track that helped him.” Through his father, Ace also sent his congratulations to the other competitors, including winner Chris Collin. “I would like to thank my parents first and foremost, without them I wouldn’t be here. Thanks also to the track, it was a great meeting with a great turnout. My commiserations to Ace, it was a great race but that happens, and I would like to see him out here again soon,” said Collin.

Super Comp Chris Tait 13.341 (7.04) (solo) Competition Bike Daryn Schuster 8.265 (8.66) def Blair Pennington 8.764 (8.62)

Top Sportsman Neil Maxwell 7.374 (7.32) def Steve Fowler 7.445 (6.91) Modified Mark Allan 7.943 (7.93) def Kevin Morton 9.433 (9.42) Super Sedan Paul Doebelien 9.199 (9.12) def Max Carpenter 10.063 (10.00) (red light) Modified Bike Chris Collin 9.173 (9.13) def Ace Edwards 8.889 (8.89) Super Street Bill Henry 11.048 (11.02) def Ben Dreyer 11.325 (11.31) (red light) Junior Dragster Eden Ward 8.029 (7.99) def Toby Austin 8.060 (8.05) (red light) Super Gas Dale O’Dwyer 9.920 (9.90) (red light) def David Gauldie 9.840 (9.90) (red light, breakout) FASTLANE I 37

FACES

AT THE RACES

38 I WWW.ANDRA.COM.AU

WHAT IS THE CONTINGENCY PROGRAMME? The ANDRA Contingency Programme 2015/16 provides cash or product bonuses for participants in a national point score series operated by the Australian National Drag Racing Association Ltd. during the 2015/16 season of ANDRA Championship Drag Racing. The ANDRA drag racing series is split into two segments; the ANDRA Drag Racing Series for our ‘Group 1’ brackets and the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series for ‘Group 2/3/4’. Bonuses are paid to successful racers after each round of their Australian Championship, where they reach the finals of their brackets, and meet the conditions of the programme, which include use of the Sponsor’s product or service where required, and display of the Sponsor’s decal. ANDRA Contingency Sponsors receive direct exposure to the sizeable market inside ANDRA Drag Racing through promotional material circulated by ANDRA, and to numerous drag racing fans at each event through vehicle signage.

ANDRA Contingency Sponsors may receive additional advertising through television, online and print media coverage of ANDRA drag racing. Use of a product or service in a motorsport as demanding as ANDRA Drag Racing is an great endorsement, and Sponsors are encouraged to take full advantage of that through the releases provided by ANDRA. The programme is not just limited to hard-core racing equipment. The nationally based series encourages racers to contest interstate events, so areas like travel, accommodation and transport requirements are also relevant.

HOW TO BECOME INVOLVED? To be a part of the 2015/16 ANDRA Contingency Programme please contact ANDRA reception on 08 8271 5355, email contingency@andra.com.au or visit www.andra.com.au and follow the links.