EDITION 4/2013
16 ANDRA’S GOLD CHRISTMAS TREE POSTER!
4.5 GONEIN SECONDS
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THE FALCON’S
8 FLIGHT
DRAG RACING
15 PRIME
TIME
Larry Dixon puts the record books, and his dragster, into a spin!
STAGING LANES
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MAY 2013 CONTENTS Fastlane is produced by the Australian National Drag Racing Association. Editor: Luke Nieuwhof (luke.nieuwhof@andra.com.au) Design: YBI Creative (www.ybicreative.com.au) Photography: Dave Reid (www.dragphotos.com.au), Grant Stephens (www.cacklingpipes.com), Joe Maday, Lee Davis (www.westernautopics.com.au), Bob Taylor (www.freewebs.com/bobtee), Hayley Turns, Fred Dwyer, Luke Nieuwhof, Lucas Gardner.
ANDRA Staff CEO: Malcolm Bulley Accounts: Donna Jantke Business Manager: Jackie Mills Licensing and Membership: Leanne Wright Media Manager: Luke Nieuwhof Reception: Kylie Hazelhurst Technical Manager: Steve Power
Contact Details Phone: 08 8271 5355 Fax: 08 8721 6988 Email: info@andra.com.au Post: PO Box 250, Kent Town SA, 5071 Street: 3/212 Greenhill Road, Eastwood SA, 5063
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THE FALCON’S FLIGHT DRAG RACING ON
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s t r o p e Round R mer Speedfest
RECORD BREAKER RECORD MAKER
NOMINATION FORM
ANDRA 27 ionals
m u S w o l f ro 18 - Ae th Westernat k 20 - Per 3 @ Willowban er p u mps S a h C 2 2 o r t y Ni e n d y S 24 -
HALL OF
FAME
It was hard to avoid seeing Larry Dixon’s wild 360 degree spin from the Santo’s Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race. ‘Viral’ was the word used to describe the progress of this across the internet and the world!
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Video goes VIRAL
All up it is estimated that videos featuring the incident attracted about 300,000 views across YouTube and Facebook. The incident was also featured in the “Traxxas Extreme Power Session” on ESPN’s NHRA coverage and made the highlights of several local news channels.
Stewards NEEDED Have you ever wanted to become more involved with drag racing and get up close with some of the best high horsepower motorsports machines on the planet? Become an ANDRA steward! We currently require stewards across all divisions (although we would especially love to see some more in South Australia where racing has boomed recently) to assist with ANDRA sanctioned racing. Much of this involves being familiar with ANDRA rules and becoming an ambassador for the organisation. Becoming an ANDRA steward is much more of a people job than a technical one. If you are enthusiastic about drag racing and would like to get a unique perspective on race day then send an email through to info@andra.com.au with some information about yourself and why you would like to get involved.
60foot rewards JUNIOR STARS The 60foot Rising Star Award has seen two more rounds go off in Adelaide and Perth. At the Aeroflow Summer Speedfest at Adelaide International Raceway, David Roberts was the winner with a 0.026 second package, while at the Westernationals at Perth Motorplex it was Tyson Liddiard on top with a 0.020 second package. Congratulations to both drivers, who receive 60foot.com prize packs.
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Are you reading a friend or family member’s copy of Fastlane? Why not become a member of ANDRA yourself? Membership costs just $44 and includes four issues of Fastlane per year, the current rulebook plus the new rulebook when it comes out (if you are still a member), monthly Motormail email updates and free divisional day licences if you want to go racing. To become a member, simply head to www.andrashop.com.au.
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Motormail EMAIL ADDRESSES Members should note that they will not receive ANDRA’s monthly Motormail emails unless their correct email is in our system. Changing your email in the link used in the email itself will update your email for that particular mailing list, but not for our system, so if you change your email at any time, or any of your contact details, we highly recommend contacting the office and letting us know. Quite simply if we don’t know you’re not getting our emails then nothing will change, so be proactive and give us a call on 08 8271 5355.
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Invoices for PAYMENTS Please note that invoices can be provided for licence and membership renewal but must be requested at the time of renewal.
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CLASSIFIEDS
It is difficult and time consuming to produce invoices once these have already been sent.
Medic! Medicals are an important part of the licence process and are used to determine if somebody has the physical capability to operate drag racing vehicles. These are to protect not just yourself, but your fellow racers, officials and spectators. Though many of the requirements are fairly basic, it is critical for safety and our insurance that these documents are filled in honestly and have been performed less than six months before you send in your licence application. We would like to encourage everybody possible to become a licensed drag racer, so when we request clarification on aspects of medicals or for a new medical to be done, it is not to be difficult but rather to ensure the safety of everybody on race day.
SUPERCHARGED ALTERED 125 inch chrome moly Plueger chassis, 509 ci BBC, 14/71 hi-helix Kobelco blower, Pro Mag 20, 9� Strange rear end, Dart heads, Jesel rockers, Powerglide, has run best of 6.45/210mph. Includes all spares, ready to race. $65,000 turn key, will separate, make an offer. Contact Steve 0408 949 661/0401 380 375 or email steve64@iinet.net.au or m_mackay87@yahoo.com.au.
RACE CAR TRANSPORTER – SEA CONTAINER 20 foot full powered sea container, mezzanine floor, front storage cupboards, outside work bench, fridge, TV monitor, microwave, will take full size door car. Side access, fully lockable, full rollout annex and lights - large enough to park race car and tow car. $7200 Contact Steve 0408 949 661/0401 380 375 or email steve64@iinet.net.au or m_mackay87@yahoo.com.au.
DRAGSTER
185ci four cylinder, Slawko splayed head, race block, Bullet cam, Hogan intake, BRE Dominater Lightweight trans, Coan convertor, Dewko rear, runs low 8s. Includes $40k+ spares and different intake combos. $27k for the lot. Contact Craig Geddes on 0419801333 or cgracing@aapt.net.au
FASTLANE I 5
FEATURE
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Australia hosted one of the world’s most successful drag racers back in March when three times NHRA champion Larry Dixon competed at the Santo’s Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race at Willowbank Raceway. The 46 year old resident of Indianapolis came to Australia with his family to race for Santo Rapisarda. It was Dixon’s first time down under in what has been a storied career. For a racer having already experienced so many highlights, this event stood out for Dixon. On his first qualifying pass, the Rapisarda Autosport International Dragster broke an axle, sending Dixon on a wild spin but remarkably he did not hit any walls or his opponent Damien Harris. The incident made worldwide headlines, securing somewhere in the order of a quarter of a million views on social media and even making the ESPN coverage for the following weekend’s NHRA event. Dixon said when the opening first came up to race in Australia, he was thrilled. “I was excited at the opportunity,” he said. “One, to travel to (Australia), and two, to race quarter mile once again. “I really haven’t kept up on your racing as much as I should, just when something makes headlines in the States, like when Scott Kalitta ran the 4.51 and when Hillary Will ran a few years back.” Dixon arrived in Australia early to get fitted up for the dragster and work with Lee Beard and the team on preparing for the
unique, two-round event. The advanced preparation needed was one thing that stood out for him. “Working at the shop in Sydney reminded me of working on Snake’s (Don Prudhomme) cars back in the late 80s and early 90s,” he said. “You can’t just call up and order something and get it the next day, it requires a lot of planning, or you need to go in the shop and just build it, or modify whatever it is you need.” While there was toil necessary on what Dixon termed a ‘busman’s holiday’ (meaning a holiday that resembles what you do for work), he did get some time to enjoy Australia with his wife Allison and children Alanna, Donovan and Darien. “We were fortunate that my kids were on Easter break and could join me,” he said. “We were able to get a few days of sightseeing in Sydney, Surfers Paradise and Brisbane.” Dixon’s Twitter feed (@dixontopfuel) contained some interesting observations about Australia, including remarking on the availability of high octane fuel at the pump. But he was interested in how the country observed Easter as well. “The biggest thing I noticed is your overall observation of holidays like Good Friday
and Easter,” he said. “Your country flat shuts down and that’s not a bad thing, it forces people to stop and think what these days stand for. I don’t think our country stops for anything. “I did miss Mexican food on every corner, ESPN and our 110v plugs.” The new national record of 4.503 seconds set by Dixon eclipsed Phil Read’s previous official mark of 4.563 and the quickest Australia run of 4.517 held by the late Scott Kalitta, also in a Rapisarda-owned dragster. Dixon said the fact that he was taking Kalitta’s mark was on his mind throughout the event. “I did think a lot about Scott that weekend and after my attempt at drifting on the first run down there, I thought his mark was safe,” he said. “When I started driving Top Fuel he was the champ and the guy to beat. I wish he was still here to try to one up our record, that’s the way it’s supposed to work.” Former driver for Rapisarda Autosport International Cory McClenathan made a number of appearances in Australia and the same might be true for Dixon, despite an even busier US schedule. “We hope to come down and race again soon when our US schedule doesn’t conflict,” he said. “With the power level that Santino (Rapisarda) and Lee (Beard) are making with this new package, we found quite a few weak links at Willowbank. We hope to have those addressed soon so we can come back down and race safely, and quickly.”
FASTLANE I 7
FEATURE
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LCON’S FLIGHT To race is to dream. Drag racing, more than any other motorsport, allows people to experience the thrill of being a champion, of winning a race and of being the best there is. Many pursue it and only a few may achieve it, but it is the journey that will ultimately lead to the most satisfaction – however long that may be. The passion flows from those holding the ANDRA gold Christmas tree up high, to those for who qualifying would just be a massive achievement. Simon Travaglini is part of the latter group. His name isn’t often up in lights, it may even be unfamiliar to most readers. But his story of enthusiasm for drag racing and the challenges he has faced to follow
his dream will resonate – even if his name might not. “When I was a kid I wanted to be a racing car driver, I worked hard and saved my pennies, I was going to buy a go-kart and work my way up but my parents didn’t have the time to take me karting so those dreams disappeared,” Travaglini said. “I knew that you had to be known by the age of 15 if you wanted to be someone in the roundy-roundy fraternity. When I turned 16 I knew my chances were over. “Suddenly my life changed forever, I had
read about the drags, I’d seen it in American magazines, I’d grown up with way older brothers (20 years older) that were into cars so you get snippets here and there but I had never been to the strip. “My friend took me to Ravenswood and the first thing I saw was John Zappia doing a quarter mile burnout, man, did that get my attention. From that day on I was hooked.” The addiction may have been in place but the finances weren’t. “As a 17 year old apprentice you don’t have a lot of spare money so racing only FASTLANE I 9
FEATURE
THE
FALCON’S FLIGHT happened when I could afford it and it wasn’t until 1996 that I could afford a set of semi slicks,” he said. “I guess I did my apprenticeship in drag racing and I did it the long expensive and painful way. From Super Street to Super Sedan then as a crew chief and co-owner in Sandro Principe’s Super Stock car, crewing on Brenton Baxter’s (who is my crew chief now) Modified. I wanted to hone my skills and learn everything I could about every class.” The top levels of the sport were still far away, out of reach for the time. Real life was determined to interfere with Travaglini’s ambitions, testing his resolve. “Life deals you hands that may not seem fair, the sentence may not fit the crime but you just have to play with the hand that you’re dealt,” he said. “I’ve lost a lot of family, we have all lost family but I lost people that were really close to me and that slows you down. “My mum and my dad were a huge inspiration to me. They came here in 1949 with nothing and they would have copped a lot of abuse after World War II, but they stuck with it and made a new life and brought us up as proud Australians. “My cousins and uncles were like sounding boards to me. They would listen rather than tell you; you need that in life, you need to be able to make your own decisions and your own mistakes because that is how you learn. “When you lose people like that year after year you start to lose interest in other things, it wears you down but you just have to push on and try and use that as a reason to do well as a reason to try harder, you hope that they would be proud of your achievements.” “When we (we being the team) built the car back in 2001 I said to myself, ‘this car will be the first five second doorslammer’,” he said. “I don’t think I was wrong, I think it should have been the first in the fives, it’s just that I had annoying things interrupt me from seeing my goals materialise; I made some stupid mistakes like getting married and they (or her) stopped me from racing for over 10 years. “Then there were things that were out of my control like my dad passing away, sometimes life just deals you a bad hand and you have to play with it. I can’t com-
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Once he had decided that Top Doorslammer was the brack the car. Little did he know it would be near a decade befor plain though, I like where my life is going and I like the people around me and I don’t think I could start enjoying the sunshine if I didn’t weather the storm.
dial in to win, so the faster I run the better chance I have of winning. More than that I like to go to the track and leave having run better than before
“We really didn’t get a chance to start racing the car until this season, my divorce had a grip on my life and my financials so I had to wait until that was over and done with. People act a little funny when I start talking about it but I’m a very open person, I think that finding the right partner in life is crucial if you want to achieve your goals. My girlfriend Nicole has been awesome, she supports and encourages me and I couldn’t do this without her support.”
“Santo Rapisarda is an inspiration to me in Australian drag racing and I read an interview with him recently and he noted that from when he started racing that was always his goal (to run quicker), I adopted that philosophy and I want to do it for my team.”
This season has been the one where Travaglini and his team have made the most gains. “We started the season well running in the 6.40s straight up but as we wound more power into the car and as the track got better we started to come unstuck with the car going every which way but straight,” he said. “Then (Super Stock and Pro Stock racer) Allen Puglia spent a day with us and we made a slight change to the rear end and turned on the electric shocks. We had never used them because people were telling us they had tried them and they didn’t work. I don’t know but they seem to work for us. “It’s still a long way off of Zap’s 5.76 but we are showing five second potential and we need to learn to go fast before we know how to go fast. This season we’ve had some bad luck and we’ve had some things go wrong from a lack of experience, it’s a learning curve and as each problem arises we find a solution and we move on.” The Falcon is one of the few auto transmission cars running in Top Doorslammer and acts as a test bed of sorts for the AllFast Torque Convertors business Travaglini runs. “The whole car is a test bed as are all the teams that we work with like Al McClure, Donald Freind, Ian Foster and the hundreds more that we help,” he said. “I don’t like calling it sponsorship; I prefer thinking of these guys as our design partners. When you are trying to run a PB or a national record you need to chase things, try new stuff, that’s what we do. “I’m a racer at heart and I want to win and luckily in this class I don’t need to run to a
Travaglini reflects the passion that occurs in so many drag racing teams. Fighting above their weight all for the fun. “The car isn’t painted flat black, that’s the colour the panels came in!” Travaglini joked. “If I had the choice of buying some spare parts or painting the car, guess what, I’m buying the spare parts. I’d love to have the budgets of the Brays but with us what you see is what you get. “As far as the cars potential, it’s like asking how long a piece of string is. Bishop, Misfud and Fabietti are the real pioneers of the auto deal and they have run in the 5.80s albeit with much newer parts than we have and much bigger budgets and a lot of US input. “We are the only ones running this much Australian content. Even if the part (like the transmission) was manufactured in the US, it has been modified here by us. “That’s what makes this a cool deal, it’s all about flying the boxing Kangaroo in a field of Uncle Sams, I can’t tell you how proud I am of what this team has achieved in such a short time. It’s a real car, it’s not a tribute or a replica or a look alike, it is actually a BA Falcon body so if we can run as fast as the other guys with a Gas-legal car without the long overhang, the chopped roof, the narrowed body and no budget; imagine what we would could do if we had a big budget and one of those Funny Cars with opening doors!” “I’m not rich I’m just passionate, I’ve quit smoking, have no air conditioning at home, I drive an old work ute, our car isn’t painted and my crew don’t have uniforms, but I have parts, I have conrods, I have pistons, I have blocks and cylinder heads, I have the instruments of quarter mile warfare and we are ready for battle.”
ket for him, Travaglini began building re he would be on the strip.
Making an auto work Running a unique automatic transmission in Top Doorslammer, we got Simon to explain some of the finer points of getting a high horsepower auto down the drag strip. “We don’t have the luxury of controlling how much power gets put down on the track by slipping the clutch. Teams using a clutch can make four adjustments in the clutch: the static pressure which is how hard the pedal is to push down and obviously how hard it pushes back against you initially, counter weight which is how quickly it locks up through the middle of the track, air gap which is basically how high the friction point is and lock up weight which is a second stage of lock up that is activated by the driver. Modern Doorslammers sometimes use this second stage of lock up almost like another gear, or they might use it as a second stage of slippage depending on the track conditions. “The torque converter that is in my Ford Falcon is the original one that I built for the car back in 2001, I kind of bought AllFast so I could build my own torque converters and experiment with different designs. Not long after taking over AllFast I built a torque converter dyno and wrote a computer program that designs the optimum torque converter for the particular application. The car’s performance is testimony to the computer program, we have seen less than 1% slip through the top of the track, we have actually seen better than 0% slip but you have to be smart about reading your data. Tyre slip, even at 370km/h, will happen and you have to be smart enough to discount that data and keep it real. “The next problem with a torque converter is that it multiplies torque whereas a clutch burns up torque; when you see that plume of dust as a Doorslammer or a Funny Car leaves the start line, it’s the clutch burning up, essentially wasting the torque that the team doesn’t want to put down on the track. The torque converter actually multiplies torque. It’s not a perpetual motion machine, it doesn’t generate its own power, what it does is use the difference in speed between the engine and the input shaft like a gearbox and multiplies the torque. So let’s say your engine makes 2000ft/lb of torque and we slip the clutch 50% on the hit, the input shaft will only see 1000ft/lb but with a torque converter if the engine makes 2000ft/lb and the STR (Stall Torque Ratio) of the torque converter is 1.7 then the input shaft will see 3400ft/lb! It’s impossible to control 2000 ft/lb let alone 3400 so it poses a whole new set of problems and we are slowly finding new solutions. “Our first gear ratio is way different to the other guys and we have a few different ratios just like the other guys, it’s just that ours are all a lot taller. Everything is different, most guys get tyre shake because they don’t make enough power. We never have that problem; we make too much power in the first half of the track because of the way the torque converter passes the power on to the rest of the drive line. You won’t see our car shake at the top of first like you see the other guys, they run out of RPM, the track catches up to the tyre and that’s when the shake hits. If we shake it’s because we spin the tyre into shake, the tyre spins then shakes. Even our fuel system is way different, we see 100% load as soon as the car leaves the start line; a slipping clutch doesn’t load the motor up as much as a torque converter on the hit. “Doorslammers all have the same problem, they make too much power in the first half of the track. We don’t have the luxury of a clutch so we need to calm the motor down; we do it with our timing curve. These engines all run about 25 degrees of total timing in them; (crew chief) Brenton reads the track and makes notes on where he thinks the track will handle the power and then programs the timing curve accordingly, the less timing, the less power the motor makes. Our timing curve looks pretty whacky but if that’s what the track wants then that’s what Brenton gives it. We have the car set up so if he notices a change at the last minute he can reach in the car and move a timer or two without using the laptop.”
FASTLANE I 11
FEATURE
A E R B D R O C C E R RE Craig Geddes recently became the first Australian drag racer to hold national records over three different distances, dominating the E/AA class in Competition over the eighth mile, 1000 feet and the quarter mile.
The lightweight altered is something of a giant killer, moving with an agility not normally seen from just 284 naturally aspirated cubic inches. It’s a combination that has proved effective and Geddes has quickly reached the allocated maximum of 300 points for the season but he has the John Storm Memorial trophy in his sights. The Victorian racer has been part of the drag racing scene since the early nineties, first dabbling in street cars before moving into Super Sedan and then Super Gas, where he won a national championship. Group Two racing caught Geddes’ attention soon after and he has since been a force in both Competition and Super Stock at different stages.
Geddes had his eye on the altered he now races for some time before it was actually in his possession, keeping tabs on its performances in the USA before it was put up for sale and he pounced. “At the same time ANDRA had created the new E classes in Competition, although at the time I was unsure how quick we could run I thought this class would suit where I wanted to be and offer a great personal challenge,” he said. Although now happy in the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship ranks, Geddes was once very close to moving into Pro Stock.
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R R E E AK K A M D R O C “An opportunity presented itself where a close friend, Gary Watterson, wanted to buy the car turnkey and at the same time the Tremayne family were looking to sell their cars and upgrade,” he said. “I decided it was now or never to take a shot at Pro Stock. I purchased the Cavalier from Kerry (Tremayne) and started to put the wheels in motion to build my engine, I had it 90% complete when the class just exploded and the times I thought were realistic for me to run were fast moving out of reach. “Within that year the average times plummeted from low 20s to high 0s and after a lengthy chat to my family and Peter Ridgeway I made the difficult decision to back out of the deal and sell it all off. As difficult as it was at the time I still feel it’s one of my best decisions in my racing career to this time.” Since that turning point, Geddes has gone on to excel in Group Two and push the boundaries of where small capacity V8s can perform. “So far we have exceeded where I thought
the class could go and we were very close to winning a championship once but an engine failure at the 2011 Winters put an end to our hopes,” he said. “The current season is going along well so far and we are hoping we can keep it up and be in the running for the championship as the end of the season approaches. “We plan on running the Nitro Champs , Fuchs Winternationals, Adelaide Springnationals, Mildura and then the Australian Nationals in Sydney so there’s still plenty of time for anything to unfold.” Geddes does have plans in place for a midseason pit stop to ensure he stays at the winning edge of Competition.
“I hold the utmost respect for all my fellow competitors and the only time I feel 100% confident of a win is if I’m lucky enough to secure a bye round,” he said. “After the Winternationals we will be rebuilding the engine to ensure we give ourselves every possible chance to finish the season off well and may even try to pick up some additional power.” Geddes wished to pass on his thanks to sponsors Laser Electrical, Quicks Freight Express, Red Line Oil, Dominator Convertors, The Cleaners Room, Pro Trans, Jax Tyres Ballarat, Craig Signs, Gerald Geyle Performance Automatics, Albins Off Road Gear and all his family and crew.
ANDRASHOP.COM.AU is clearing the decks for the
end of the financial year. We have Holeshot, Top End tees and flat peak caps from just $15 so order online or COME AND SEE US AT THE 2013 FUCHS WINTERNATIONALS. FASTLANE I 13
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FEATURE
! N I E TUN
DRAGRACING INPRIME IN PRIMETIME Drag racing is set to get some unique promotion through the ABC TV series Upper Middle Bogan, which by the time this magazine gets to members, should be close to, if not already, airing.
The story focuses around an upper middle class woman who discovers she is adopted and is shocked to find out she comes from a drag racing family in the outer suburbs.
When Bess Denyar (Annie Maynard), a doctor with a posh mother (Robyn Nevin), an architect husband (Patrick Brammall) and twin 13-year-olds at a private school, finds out that she is adopted, she is stunned. But even more so when she meets her birth parents – Wayne (Glenn Robbins) and Julie Wheeler (Robyn Malcolm). If that’s not enough to digest, Bess also discovers that she has siblings – Amber (Michala Banas), Kayne (Rhys Mitchell) and Brianna (Madeleine Jevic).
The Wheelers head up a drag racing team in the outer suburbs, and are thrilled to discover the daughter they thought they had lost. The series was filmed with significant input from Darren Morgan Racing. You will see quite a bit of the team’s infrastructure used across the series as well as shots from ANDRA Drag Racing events. We have some exclusive shots from production of the series, make sure you tune in!
FASTLANE I 15
SUMMER SPEEDFEST
BEAT
TO
The Aeroflow Summer Speedfest at Adelaide International Raceway saw Top Alcohol, Top Bike, Pro Stock Motorcycle and the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship converge on South Australia.
Wayne Newby confronted his Adelaide demons, coming back from his crash last April to win over Gary Phillips in the Top Alcohol final. Chris Matheson was unstoppable in Top Bike, defeating Chris Porter in the final, while Maurice Allen took a holeshot win over Luke Crowley in the Pro Stock Motorcycle decider.
Warm, windy conditions made things tough on everyone across the event, making it an endurance test for racers and spectators alike.
RESULTS
ROUND REPORT
HEATHARD
Top Alcohol: Wayne Newby 5.105 def Gary Phillips 5.816 (1000 feet) Top Bike: Chris Matheson 5.425 def Chris Porter 6.449 (1000 feet) Pro Stock Motorcycle: Maurice Allen 7.553 def Luke Crowley 7.343 Competition: Craig Geddes 6.296 (6.70) def Shane Baxter 13.892 (5.97) (1000 feet) Super Stock: Mario Barbon 8.397 (8.63) def Daniel Camilleri 7.958 (8.16) Competition Bike: Paul Harrison 9.472 (9.40) def Corey Buttigieg 10.956 (9.43) Supercharged Outlaws: Luke Marsden 5.859 (5.80) def Matt Watts 6.120 (6.02) (1000 feet) Modified: Kenny Stewart 7.785 (7.80) def Simon Barlow 7.749 (7.78) Super Sedan: Steven Fowler 7.790 (7.76) def Angelo Musolino 10.532 (10.55) Modified Bike: Dave Argent 9.991 (9.95) def Tony Frost 8.966 (8.93) Super Street: Joe Jurkovic 11.218 (11.18) def Mark Phillips 12.095 (12.12) Junior Dragster: Brodie Tedesco 10.642 (10.50) def David Roberts 8.162 (8.20) Super Gas: Kym Oberauer 9.896 (9.90) def Renee Cockerill 9.855 (9.90)
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LUKE CROWLEY had the pace in Pro Stock Motorcylcle, claming low ET and top speed.
CHRIS VANT’HOF and LUKE MARSDEN’S pit area was impressive
STEVE FOWLER survived some close scraps to win in Super Sedan.
CHRIS PORTER seemed to have good power being produced from his nitro Harley.
MAURICE ALLEN relied on reaction times to win the Pro Stock Motorcycle final.
CHRIS MATHESON lights up the night with a strong nitro flame in Top Bike.
KENNY STEWART backed up a win in Portland with another in Adelaide.
GARY PHILLIPS had tyre shake in the final and aborted the pass early.
WAYNE NEWBY avenged his Adelaide crash last year with a win this year.
FASTLANE I 19
KAPIRIS& 2013WESTERNATIONALS
ROUND REPORT
SWEAT IT OUT PETER KAPIRIS used low ET in the final to defeat Victor Bray.
The 42nd annual Westernationals at Perth Motorplex produced unusually tropical weather as racers sweated their way through humid conditions. Some ten national records were set across the weekend despite the amount of water grains in the air being among the highest measured by some teams. Peter Kapiris survived a close Top Doorslammer bracket, running low ET in the final to defeat an in form Victor Bray, who was in his second straight final.
BRETT GLOVER’S RX7 scored one for the rotaries in Super Stock.
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Wayne Daley won his second event in a row, following on from the Australian Nationals in November with victory in the west. He defeated first time finalist Chris Soldatos. The fourth round of the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship took place with some new names in the winner’s circle. Ryan Moresby (Competition) and Brett Glover (Super Stock) secured unexpected victories. There was an unfortunately heart breaking moment in the Super Sedan final when Norbert Claite crashed out. A hose came away from the radiator, spraying fluid under the tyres and sending Claite on a wild ride. Fortunately he exited the Camaro without serious injuries and the car is repairable.
S&DALEY
WAYNE DALEY took the points lead in Pro Stock with an event win.
RESULTS Top Doorslammer: Peter Kapiris 5.868 def Victor Bray 11.323
Modified: Craig Baker 8.715 (8.69) def Jason Gill 7.904 (7.87)
Pro Stock: Wayne Daley 7.115 def Chris Soldatos 7.167
Super Sedan: Mike Craig 8.511 (8.39) def Norbert Claite NTR (8.38)
Competition: Ryan Moresby 6.478 (6.73) def Shane Weston 5.920 (6.01) (red light)
Modified Bike: Justin Townson 8.979 (8.98) def Tom Gartrell 10.182 (9.35) (red light)
Super Stock: Brett Glover 7.711 (7.83) def Steven Norman 7.616 (7.77)
Super Street: Tyron Begg 11.085 (11.03) def Lee Watson 11.390 (11.25) (red light)
Competition Bike: Ross Smith 8.776 (9.19) def Kevin Gummow 7.498 (7.80)
Junior Dragster: Brayden Naylor 8.018 (7.98) def Jaymii Karapetkov 8.933 (8.89)
Supercharged Outlaws: Donald Freind 7.366 (7.33) def Grant Fraser 7.794 (7.74) (red light)
MIKE CRAIG won the Super Sedan final, as Norbert Claite hit the wall.
AARON TREMAYNE’S new Pontiac GXP paces Lee Bektash in qualifying for Pro Stock.
JUSTIN TOWNSON won his second Westernationals in a row in Modified Bike.
FASTLANE I 21
ROUND REPORT
LIGH ACTIO A new car worked well for STEVEN HAM.
RESULTS DAY ONE
Top Fuel: Steve Read 4.800 def Darren Morgan 12.743 Top Alcohol: Darren Fry 5.677 def Rick Gauci 6.211
DAY TWO
Top Fuel: Steve Read 4.766 def Darren Morgan 7.073 Top Alcohol: Gary Phillips 9.712 def Steven Ham 5.590 (red light)
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STEVE READ proudly holds the Louie Rapisarda Memorial Trophy.
HTS ION
The Santo’s Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race at Willowbank Raceway delivered a unique event, combining high production values with the action-packed categories of Top Fuel and Top Alcohol. US superstar Larry Dixon proved a popular addition to Top Fuel as strong crowds converged on the Queensland venue. Dixon had an event that went from nightmare to dream. On the Friday night he had an axle break in the Rapisarda Autosport International dragster and went on a wild 360 degree spin, remarkably not coming into contact with any walls or his opponent.
The winner’s circle however was firmly occupied by Steve Read on both nights’ individual championship rounds. With six four second passes in a row, Read’s consistency was superb and gave him more than adequate reward. As well as the championship round wins, Read earned the Louie Rapisarda Top Fuel Trophy for being the highest point scorer over the two days. In Top Alcohol, event debutant Darren Fry went straight to victory lane over Rick Gauci on night one, while Gary Phillips took a win over Steven Ham in night two. The Top Alcohol teams delivered close and exciting racing across the weekend. While not on official championship duty, Chris Matheson made Australia’s quickest and fastest ever motorcycle pass with a 6.04 at 241mph. LEE BEARD and SANTO RAPISARDA consult after that run.
The team fervently repaired the car and came back on the Saturday to record Australia’s quickest ever run, a 4.503 at 332mph, backing it up with a 4.543 to set a new national record.
LARRY DIXON impressed everyone with his professionalism.
Rookie DARREN FRY amazed everyone with a win in Top Alcohol on night one.
GARY PHILLIPS took a win light on night two.
DAMIEN HARRIS lights it up in the Friday elimination round.
FASTLANE I 23
ROUND REPORT
FIRSTT WINNE MAKE NIT CHAM IMPA 24 I WWW.ANDRA.COM.AU
TIME
ERS TRO MPS ACT
The 2013 Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway delivered records, drama and close racing in spades across the 17 ANDRA Drag Racing categories plus two exhibition categories. Lee Bektash in Pro Stock, Russell Mills in Top Alcohol and Graeme Morell in Top Bike all scored their first pro victories on a day where the saying “to finish first, first you must finish� was more important than ever. USA visitor Tommy Johnson Jnr was unable to make an impact on Top Fuel, where Darren Morgan secured all available points to draw ahead of Phil Lamattina in the championship. Mark Belleri came out on top in an odd Top Doorslammer final where he was the only contestant and could only stage due to engine damage. Maurice Allen scored his second straight Pro Stock Motorcycle win over Luke Crowley. There were two incidents that made major headlines. First was the terrifying fall of Chris Matheson from his Top Bike after a 231mph pass, where he thankfully emerged with just some minor foot fractures. Anthony Begley then had a nasty Funny Car fire. He escaped with some burns to his hands but otherwise okay.
FASTLANE I 25
ROUND REPORT RUSSELL MILLS was a surprise winner in Top Alcohol.
TOMMY JOHNSON JR couldn’t get hooked up to Sydney Dragway.
MAURICE ALLEN earned his second straight win in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
DARREN MORGAN took the Top Fuel points lead with a commanding performance.
DAMIEN HARRIS traced explosive problems to an undersized fuel tank.
RESULTS
Top Fuel: Darren Morgan 4.746 def Damien Harris 4.829 Top Alcohol: Russell Mills 7.520 def Adam Marchant (crossed centre line) Top Doorslammer: Mark Belleri Top Bike: Graeme Morell 11.567 def Chris Matheson (did not race) Pro Stock: Lee Bektash 7.040 def Scott Porter 7.105 (red light) Pro Stock Motorcycle: Maurice Allen 7.605 def Luke Crowley 18.922 Competition: Craig Geddes 7.406 (7.71) def Greg Clayton 6.257 (6.53, red light) Super Stock: Darren Parker 7.389 (7.74) def Enzo Demizio 7.228 (7.60) Competition Bike: Peter Everett 9.801 (10.16) def Ross Smith 8.721 (9.06) Super Compact: Rod Harvey 6.552 (6.63) def George Rehayem (did not race) Supercharged Outlaws: Norm McCormack 7.098 (7.05) def John Brunner 6.869 (6.70) Modified: Rob Harrington 7.085 (7.07) def Fiona Crisp 8.148 (8.10) Super Sedan: Simon Bradbury 9.360 (9.38) def Jim Denaro 9.898 (9.92) Modified Bike: Gavin Dohnt 9.905 (9.84) def Brendan Sanders 10.586 (10.66) Super Street: James Barnes 11.399 (11.33) def David McGlinn 11.145 (11.10) Junior Dragster: Matthew Matulovich 8.015 (7.97) def Brayden Naylor 7.994 (7.92) Super Gas: Simon Isherwood 9.814 (9.90) def Roy Romeo 9.755 (9.90)
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DARREN PARKER’S Pontiac came through for a Super Stock victory.
ROB HARRINGTON was uber consistent and reset the A-MD record.
Hall of Fame Nomination
✁
The ANDRA Drag Racing Hall of Fame has been established to acknowledge those persons who have made significant contributions to all aspects of drag racing, including those who have excelled in drag racing competition, business, history or engineering. This award will be in conjunction with clause 5.2.4 of the Constitution which provides that a person who has provided lengthy outstanding service to the sport of drag racing and/or to the Company or its predecessor Association may be appointed by a General Meeting as an Honorary Life Member of the Company and in that event the person will be entitled to the privileges of Full Membership for life but shall not be required to pay any membership fees. PLE A SE NOTE: NOMIN AT ION S M U S T BE R E C E I VE D NO L AT E R T H AN 3 0 th J U N E 2013
1. PERSON YOU ARE NOMINATING FORWARD Title:
Surname:
2. PERSON SUBMITTING NOMINATION Title:
First Name:
First Name:
Preferred Name:
Preferred Name:
Postal Address:
Postal Address: State:
Postcode:
Surname:
State:
Position/title:
Position/title:
Club/Committee/Function/Role:
Club/Committee/Function/Role:
ANDRA Membership/Licence No:
ANDRA Membership/Licence No:
Phone (AH):
Phone (BH):
Phone (AH):
Mobile:
Mobile:
Email:
Email:
Date of Birth:
Date of Birth:
Postcode:
Phone (BH):
3. ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BY THE PERSON YOU ARE NOMINATING FOR AN AWARD In this section, space has been provided for you to set out details of how the nominee has contributed to the sport of Drag Racing. Criteria to be considered, but not limited to, in granting Hall of Fame status are as follows: • Candidates must have been retired from their direct involvement in the sport for at least three years, but may still be active at other levels (driver becomes announcer, team owner or crew person etc.). The Selection Committee will make the final decision on eligibility. • The nominee must have demonstrated creativity, dignity, integrity and accomplishment at a national or international level and enhanced the status and growth of the sport.
** If more room is required please note and attach with nomination
This may include: • significant contributions while holding positions on any ANDRA Sanctioned drag racing committees, ADRPA Committees and/or a regional committees • significant success as a drag racer / rider who has competed at the national or international level • significant contributions while holding a position on the NCC/ NRC, and the ANDRA Board Contribution to the sport should be an important consideration however; the Selection Committee may at its discretion nominate other individual/s from time to time.
FASTLANE I 27
✁
Hall of Fame Nomination 4. DETAILS OF REFEREES Please provide details of referee/s who are able to make direct comment on the contribution/service of the person you are nominating.
REFEREE 1 Title:
REFEREE 2 Surname:
Title:
Surname:
First Name:
First Name:
Preferred Name:
Preferred Name:
Postal Address:
Postal Address: State:
Postcode:
State:
Club/Committee/Function/Role:
Club/Committee/Function/Role:
ANDRA Membership/Licence No:
ANDRA Membership/Licence No:
Phone (AH):
Phone (BH):
Phone (AH):
Mobile:
Mobile:
Email::
Email::
Phone (BH):
5. NOMINATOR’S SIGNATURE
REFEREE 3 Title:
Postcode:
Surname:
Upon completion of this nomination form, please sign and forward to the Division Director in your state.
First Name: Preferred Name: Postal Address: State:
Postcode:
Club/Committee/Function/Role:
New South Wales
Rick Gauci
newsouthwales@andra.com.au
South Queensland
Shayne Homes
southqueenland@andra.com.au
Victoria/Tasmania
Phil Parker
victoriatasmania@andra.com.au
Western Australia
Terry Jongen
westernaustralia@andra.com.au
Northern Australia
Ash Hamblin
northernaustralia@andra.com.au
South Australia
Michael Harvey
southaustralia@andra.com.au
ANDRA Membership/Licence No: Phone (AH):
Phone (BH):
OR
info@andra.com.au
OR
Alternatively, nominations may be posted to: PO Box 250 KENT TOWN SA 5071
Mobile: Email::
Signature:
Date:
PLEASE NOTE: − On average, one or less recipients are likely to be awarded each year (except in the inaugural year) − Successful candidates will be announced at the Annual General Meeting with the award to be presented official at the ANDRA Championship Dinner. − Recipients will be recognised on the new ANDRA Hall of Fame section on our website THE AWARDS SUBCOMMITTEE, AT ITS DISCRETION, RESERVE THE RIGHT TO: − Hold over a nomination to the following year/s and − Not support a nomination, nor recommend it the Board of ANDRA
28 I WWW.ANDRA.COM.AU
COMING SOON FUCHS WINTERNATIONALS
WILLOWBANK RACEWAY - JUNE 7 - 10
FEATURING TOP FUEL, TOP DOORSLAMMER, PRO STOCK, TOP ALCOHOL, TOP BIKE, PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
DESERT NATIONALS
ALICE SPRINGS INLAND DRAGWAY - 28 - 29 JUNE FEATURING AEROFLOW SPORTSMAN DRAG RACING CHAMPIONSHIP
BENARABY RACEWAY
20 - 21 JULY
FEATURING AEROFLOW SPORTSMAN DRAG RACING CHAMPIONSHIP
HIDDEN VALLEY DRAG STRIP
16 - 17 AUGUST
ANDRA DRAG RACING SERIES FEATURING TOP ALCOHOL AND TOP BIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
2012 / 2013
CHAMPIONSHIP
LEADERS MODIFIED
CHAMPIONSHIP
COMPETITION 1 Craig Geddes
TOP5
450
TOP5
TOP FUEL
TOP5
1 Craig Baker
310
1
Darren Morgan
605
2 Tony Littlewood
210
2
Phil Lamattina
551
3 Kenny Stewart
200
3
Steve Read
287
4 Simon Barlow
140
4
Damien Harris
257
5 Leanne Braggs
120
5
Mark Sheehan
184
SUPER SEDAN 1 Jim Denaro
TOP ALCOHOL
TOP5
TOP5
160
1
Gary Phillips
370
Steve Reed
310
2 Wayne Cartledge
220
2 Roc Puccini
140
2
3 Greg Clayton
200
3 Simon Bradbury
140
3
Wayne Newby
239
John Cannuli
237
Steve Ham
223
4 Jason Maggs
180
4 Brett Mathew
120
4
5 Shane Baxter
150
5 Neil Constantinou
100
5
SUPER STOCK
TOP5
MODIFIED BIKE
TOP DOORSLAMMER
TOP5
TOP5
1 Darren Parker
310
1 Tony Frost
280
1
Peter Kapiris
349
2 Daniel Camilleri
225
2 Gavin Dohnt
260
2
John Zappia
252
140
3
Victor Bray
251
4
Mark Belleri
188
5
Murray O’Connor
151
3 Steven Norman
220
3 Ben James
4 Mario Barbon
180
4 Shane Walker
120
5 Jason Simpson
130
5 Dave Argent
100
COMPETITION BIKE 1 Paul Harrison
TOP5
260
2 Ross Smith
230
3 Corey Buttigieg
215
4 Corey Scholes
170
5 Glenn Northridge
125
SUPER COMPACT
TOP5
SUPER STREET
TOP5
TOP BIKE
TOP5
1 Mark Phillips
180
1
Chris Matheson
334
2 Carl Taylor
140
2
Chris Porter
307
3 Graeme Cooper
120
3
Graeme Morell
298
4 Joe Jurkovic
120
4
Phil Parker
157
120
5
Mark Drew
121
5 Ian Brown
JUNIOR DRAGSTER
PRO STOCK
TOP5
TOP5
160
1 David Roberts
260
1
Jason Grima
269
2 Michael Baghdadi
150
2 Toby Austin
240
2
Wayne Daley
262
3 Scott Porter
130
3 Brayden Naylor
230
3
Lee Bektash
215
100
4 Brock Hodgson
170
4
Aaron Tremayne
192
160
5
Chris Soldatos
168
1 Rod Harvey
4 Joe Signorelli 5 Po Tung
80
SUPERCHARGED OUTLAWS TOP5
5 Jake Cartledge
SUPER GAS
TOP5
PRO STOCK M/CYCLE
TOP5
1 Luke Marsden
320
1 Kym Oberauer
220
1
Luke Crowley
314
2 Grant Fraser
200
2 Roy Romeo
180
2
Maurice Allen
258
3 Darryl Walford
190
3 Simon Isherwood
180
3
Lachlan Ireland
194
4 Michael Watkins
140
4 Matthew Forbes
160
4
Scott White
154
5 John Brunner
140
5 Darryl Stephen
140
5
Glenn Wooster
152
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