Fastlane Magazine - Issue 20

fastlane EDITION 20

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 7

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL DRAG RACING ASSOCIATION

REMEMBERING

ANITA

BOARD

RADCLIFFE

takes the cake Darwin’s own Dean Radcliffe took his maiden victory at Nitro Up North

STAGING TSUMMIT 2017/18 YWHO’S .000 ECH TALK CALENDAR OUR DD? PERFECT LIGHT

LANES

RACER AFACES T RACES

PROFILE

SUMMITRACING.COM

THE MOST POWERFUL PODCAST ON THE PLANET! SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW

Listen to the Most Powerful Podcast for the Most Powerful Motorsport on the Planet!

LISTEN NOW!

contents CLICK TO VISIT

R.I.P ANITA BOARD

RADCLIFFE

STAGING LANES

TAKES THE CAKE

TECHTALK

RACERPROFILE RACE REPORTS

POINTS & CALENDAR

PERFECTLIGHT

SUMMIT RACING QLD CHAMPS ROUND ONE

Fastlane is produced by the Australian National Drag Racing Association LTD. Editor: Amanda Jackson (media@andra.com.au) Design: YBI Creative (www.ybicreative.com.au) Photography: Craig Radcliffe, Action Sport Photography, Phil Reeve, Luke Dahms, Edmund Forman, Dave Hope, Hayley Turns- Outlaw Images, Mark Cuffe/DragsSA.com, dragphotos.com.au

WHO IS YOUR DD?

SUMMIT SPORTSMAN SERIES

HIDDEN VALLEY

ANDRA Staff

RACERPROFILE ALICE SPRINGS

Acting General Manager: Brett Stevens Accounts: Susan Branscombe Business Manager: Jackie Mills Business Development Manager: Jennifer Harrison Licensing and Membership: Kylie Hazelhurst Media & PR Officer: Amanda Jackson Technical Officer: Scott Halfyard

FACES AT THE RACES

SUMMIT RACING QLD CHAMPS ROUND TWO

Contact Details

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

MILDURA

ANDRA Board

Terry Jongen (WA) Nathan Peirano (QLD) - Acting Chairman Grant Goodall (SA) Grant Wilson (SA) Peter Kapiris (VIC) Geoff Crisp (NSW) Grant Hamon (NT)

3

4

fastlane

#PONYPOWER On Sunday 12 November, we tragically lost Junior Dragster racer Anita Board following an incident at the Perth Motorplex.

Anita had a bright, bubbly personality and her smile was infectious.

Anita’s father Ian told us, her passion for motor sport, drag racing and being at the Motorplex as a family with her sister at the track was the highlight of her life.

“We are grateful for the national and international drag racing and motorsport community for their support in this time,” Ian said.

“We believe in the facility, ANDRA and motorsport; and that junior drag racing was the safest form of motorsport for our little girl.”

All of us at ANDRA have been deeply saddened by this terrible tragedy, and our deepest thoughts and prayers continue to be with the Board family at this sad time.

The Australian drag racing community is a tight knit one, and the loss of Anita Board is being felt across the country.

Already, there are many tributes for Anita and her family, with many putting their #helmetsoutforAnita and a sea of Pony Power stickers expected to be seen on race cars for some time to come in her honour.

We have been comforted to see the level of support offered to the Board family by participants in our sport.

ANDRA will continue to support the Board family in whatever way we can during this difficult time. Counselling services are also being made available to those in our community who feel they would benefit from that support.

If you would like to leave a message of support for the family, please email it to media@andra.com.au

5

staginglanes ANDRA AGM TO BE HELD 17 NOVEMBER, 2017

The Australian National Drag Racing Association Limited will hold its Annual General Meeting at the Mawson Lakes Hotel and Function Centre on Friday the 17th of November.

The AGM will commence at 7.00pm (CDST) in the Lakeside Room of the venue, which is located at 10 Main Street, Mawson Lakes, SA, 5095.

Anybody who would like further information can contact the ANDRA office on (08) 8271 5355 or info@andra.com.au.

To download the Notice of Meeting, please CLICK HERE. Please note as per section 9.2.4 of the constitution, full members are entitled to appoint a proxy. Forms are available by contacting ANDRA.

VALE: STAN SAINTY

The Australian National Drag Racing Association, its members, management and staff, send their deepest condolences to the family and friends of Stan Sainty.

The patriarch of the Sainty Top Fuel team, Stan was a master machinist whose skills were widely admired and appreciated in not only drag racing circles, but also in the realms of dirt track racing, water skiing and drag boat racing.

The development of the Sainty Billet ThreeValve Engine in the nineties with his brother Norm and the help of Denis Macann is an achievement Stan is still lauded for today,

and also a project on which he never stopped working.

Sainty passed away in late October following a short illness.

All at ANDRA are deeply saddened to hear the news of Stan’s passing, and send their deepest sympathies to his family and friends during this difficult time.

Stan’s family have asked that in lieu of flowers, donations to the Cancer Council be made in Stan’s honour. To do so and leave your condolences, please click here

SHANNONS GETS ON BOARD WITH ANDRA MEMBER BENEFITS PROGRAM ANDRA Members will now be able to access a 10 percent discount from Shannons Insurance after the company joined ANDRA’s Member Benefits Program in October.

Shannons was the brainchild of the late Robert Shannon who created an insurance business in the early seventies run by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts. Shannons insurance products are specially tailored to the individual needs of motoring enthusiasts and relies on direct contact with clients rather than through other agents or brokers.

Today, as part of the Suncorp Group, Shannons has offices in all state capitals, the ACT and Northern Territory. Across Australia, Shannons is the first choice of motoring enthusiasts when it comes to insuring their special cars, motorcycles and homes, as well as the day-to-day cars of owners.

Only Shannons shares the passion with ANDRA Licence holders, because Shannons know what it means to live and breathe motor sport, particularly drag racing. So, when it comes to insurance for your special car, daily drive*, bike or even your home, SAVE 10 percent with Shannons mates rates. Plus, you can pay your premium by the month at no extra cost. Call Shannons today for a quote on 13 46 46 or go to www.shannons.com.au If you would like to sign up for ANDRA’s Member Benefits Program, please CLICK HERE, or if you would like to know more about the program and its extensive promotional opportunities for participants, please email ANDRA Business Development Manager Jennifer Harrison on jennifer.harrison@andra.com.au

RULE SUBMISSIONS AVAILABLE FOR MEMBER FEEDBACK

The rule submissions received as a part of the 2017 intake are currently available for member feedback.

To view the 2017 rule submissions please visit andra.com.au/technical/rules/rule-submissions Members are encouraged to provide feedback on submissions to their Division Director or to technical@andra.com.au no later than the 17th of November, 2017.

Feedback will go to the Divisional Councils before the National Rules and Operations Committees meet formally and make decisions as per the Rules Policy (click here to view).

ANDRA BURNOUT REGULATIONS In October, a new ANDRA policy was approved and released to ANDRA member tracks regarding Burnout competitions at ANDRA sanctioned events.

The updated policy, which includes changes to venue, vehicle and driver requirements can be found here On the 27th of September, Worksafe NT issued a safety alert in relation to burnout competitions. That alert can be found here

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR BEST PRESENTED WINNERS ANDRA extends their congratulations to our recent Best Presented Winners from the Nitro Up North, Desert Nationals and Sunset Strip Nationals events.

In July, Darwin racer Todd Knight had a big weekend at Nitro Up North – top qualifying in ANDRA Top Sportsman and recording Personal Best efforts before Knight Racing was awarded as Best Presented Car and Crew. One week later in Alice Springs, it was Modified racer Kingsley Kuchel, his ‘Sweet Sensation’ front engine dragster and his crew who were recognised. Both the Darwin and

Alice Springs awards were presented with thanks to YBI Creative and Summit Racing Equipment.

In September, Mildura’s Sunset Strip Nationals saw Super Comp competitor Robert Dekert, his Pontiac GXP and his team recognised, with the Sunraysia Drag Racing Association and Summit Racing supporting the award at this event.

The Best Presented Award winners are chosen on the basis of the presentation of vehicle and its crew, taking into account the whole package including vehicle, bike, crew, apparel and so forth.

WA JUNIOR DRAGSTER SUSPENSION In a statement released on Monday, 13 November, the Department of the Premier and Cabinet of the West Australian government announced it would suspend junior drag racing at Perth Motorplex until the outcome of the current investigation is known.

ANDRA is continuing to work with the West Australian government and VenuesWest to resolve the issues and will provide further information as it becomes available.

In their statement, the department said: “Junior competition drag racing…will be suspended at Perth Motorplex until the investigation is complete.

“The suspension of this category of motorsport activity allows for a full investigation to be carried out into the nature of the accident.

“The State Government will wait until the details of the accident are clear following the investigation before taking any further action.”

ANDRA will update members on this situation as information becomes available.

7

8 fastlane

RADCLIFFE

takes th

At Nitro Up North’s round one of the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series, local racer Dean Radcliffe broke through for his first ever race victory and his first ANDRA Xmas tree.

The run to the victory wasn’t an easy one, especially when it came to making the field.

“It all started with missing the first qualifier – I was running late!” mused Radcliffe, who thanks sponsors Monsta Cranes, Gecko Car Rental and Autosmart NT for their support of his program, as well as crew man Chris, his mum Fran and cousin Grant.

“Then, in the second qualifier, I nearly hit

the wall at about three-quarter track.

“I finally got a decent pass in on my third run, with an 8.56 second pass at 156 miles per hour.”

The eliminations had it all for Radcliffe, including a race against his own cousin.

“In the first round I raced Kingsley Kuchel in his Nosaglia front-engined dragster.

I had a reasonable reaction time and took the win – it was pretty cool having an old school v old school race like that with neither of us having any electronic devices,” Radcliffe remembered.

“In the second round I had to face my cousin Grant – he won the event last year, so he was no easy opponent!

“I had an awesome reaction time of 0.001s against him, but I didn’t even need to be

that close – Grant’s wheelie bar failed which sent him into a huge wheelstand and gave me a easy win.

“In the final, it was time to face off against Sergio Bonnetti in his hot rod, who had come to Nitro Up North all the way from South Australia.

“Again, I was really happy to have another awesome reaction time, this time it was a 0.004s.

“That gave me the advantage, pushing Bonnetti to a break out.”

Once the win light went up, the celebrations were large for the Radcliffe crew and family.

“To say I was over the moon is a massive understatement – I took my first ever win and won a ANDRA Xmas tree!

he cake “It must have helped my confidence too, because since then, I have broken through for a second win, this time at one of our local meetings,” grinned Radcliffe.

“It’s best run was a 11.4 second pass at 118 miles per hour and then on its last meeting I put nitrous on it and ran a 10.2 second pass at 130 miles per hour!

While he may have had to wait until 2017 for his first win, Radcliffe’s love of drag racing has been a long-burning flame.

“That was the end of sedan racing for me – I purchased my rear-engine dragster soon after in 2010.

“I first got into drag racing as a young fella, probably only around 17 years old,” the 42 year old explained.

“It was a roller body and I rebuilt it with my trusty 350 Chev and on its licensing pass, ran 9.3 seconds. I was pretty stoked with that!

“As an apprentice mechanic, I used to help Grant’s mate race and then at 18, I had my first go at drag racing in a HG Holden Premier – it was my road car at the time.

“The new combo I have now, a 406 Chev Powerglide, has run 8.41s at 159mph.”

“After a few years circuit racing with HQ Holdens from 2000, I got back into drag racing in 2002 with a SLR5000 Torana replica, powered by a 350 Chev.

For Radcliffe, the love of drag racing is likely to always spring eternal.

“I love drag racing, especially in Modified at Nitro Up North event which is something I don’t get to do at our local meetings as we

don’t have enough cars for our own class,” he explained.

“Instead, we race in a bracket called Super Modified, which combines Super Sedan and Modified. It is the biggest class of the meeting and is very competitive and a lot of fun!

“I also really enjoy getting to race against my cousin at meetings like Nitro Up North, as he runs Top Sportsman at the local events. We get lots of cool photos of it too, as another cousin of mine – Craig Radcliffe – is a motorsport photographer with his business Action Sport Photography!”

Image by Craig Radcliffe, Action Sport Photography

10 fastlane

techtorque MAKING THE MOST

OF MODERN FLAT

TAPPET CAMSHAFTS Story and Photos by Wayne Scraba

IS THE FLAT TAPPET CAMSHAFT A DINOSAUR? Roller lifter cams are today’s norm. But flat tappet cams still see considerable use. Up until a few short years ago, NASCAR mandated flat tappet cams on their Cup Cars. In NHRA Stock Eliminator, there are still plenty of good oldfashioned flat tappets in use. The same applies to countless hot rods, vintage musclecars, and street machines.

Flat tappet cams that were once considered state of the art are no longer. What we’re seeing today are cams with more radical opening and closing rates similar to the “square nose” cams developed years ago for NHRA Stock Eliminator racers (see the accompanying photos). These cam profiles place more area under the curve, which makes for improved cylinder filling as well as enhanced exhaust pumping.

Modern valve spring and valvetrain parts allow the use of radical flat tappet cams. A good

example is the beehive-style spring. The beehive configuration allows the valvetrain to handle more RPM and more aggressive cam profiles.

The spring’s oval/multi-arc wire shape places the maximum area of the wire at the point of highest stress. This allows the spring to handle valvetrain loads more efficiently and provides better heat dissipation for longer life. Beehive valve springs are also lighter and use a smaller, lighter retainer than traditional springs.

Of course, flat tappet cams do limit the spring pressure you can safely use, particularly in comparison to a solid roller. Spring rates for flat tappet cams vary by application. For example, the seat pressure on a hydraulic grind will be less than 135 pounds with an open pressure of 350 pounds maximum. A solid cam can have a seat pressure less than 160 pounds and an open pressure of 385 pounds.

Pushrods are another part that has undergone change. For decades the standard small block Chevy pushrod was a 5/16-inch diameter job.

It was deemed sufficient for almost any cam you could stuff in the engine. In today’s world, most pro engine builders will advise you to use the biggest, stiffest pushrod you can get away

with. As a result, there’s a big move toward large diameter, ellipsoidal or tapered pushrods. Pushrod column strength is the key.

You can pretty much rate the overall performance of different cams this way. The best is a solid roller cam, followed by solid flat tappet, hydraulic roller, then hydraulic flat tappet. How can a solid flat tappet cam outpower a hydraulic roller? It’s the weight of the lifter. A hydraulic roller lifter is a rather hefty component; add the weight of the oil and you can see why a solid flat tappet cam with a lighter lifter can outperform a hydraulic roller cam.

Loft is something else to consider. Loft is where the engine actually sees more lift than the cam provides. It’s like controlled valve float. It occurs in many flat tappet NHRA Stock Eliminator engine combinations. Loft can increase both lift and duration. In practice, it is possible to really “hit” a flat tappet cam to achieve loft, particularly a solid cam. It’s also possible to achieve loft with a hydraulic if you use short travel (small preload) hydraulic race lifters. Bottom line, loft is good for power if it can be controlled.

Lifter-to-bore tolerances and overall geometry are critical, particularly when you consider many of the engines using flat tappet lifters have been around for decades. It’s not uncommon to sleeve a set of lifter bores to fix wear, past block damage, and geometry issues. When lifter bore sleeves are

installed, the machine shop sets the block up in a fixture, which in turn determines the angle of the reaming tool. Once the bores have been aligned and opened oversize, sleeves (most often bronze) are pressed into place. The sleeves are then trimmed and beveled before they’re finish honed to size. This “blueprints” the bores, providing proper lifter-to-bore clearance along with correct geometry.

I should point out that if the geometry is spot on, and the bores and lifter-to-bore clearance are good, then all the bores need is a quick touch with a lifter-honing tool. The idea is to create a smooth, crosshatched finish. Each machine shop will have their own concepts of how smooth the crosshatch will be, so keep that in mind.

Finally, oil is key when working with a flat tappet combination. As the motor vehicle manufacturers moved away from flat tappet cams to rollers, the major oil companies altered the additive packages in motor oil. One additive that went away was a compound called Zinc Dialkyl Dithio Phosphate, or ZDDP for short. Zinc-based additives have excellent anti-wear/anti-oxidant properties, which is critical to flat tappet cams due to the lifter-tolobe contact.

There was an issue with ZDDP: the phosphorous found in the additive doesn’t agree with catalytic converters. Coupled with the OEMs’ move to roller

11

12 fastlane camshafts, ZDDP was caught in the crosshairs.

When ZDDP-formulated oil quietly went away, the rate of flat tappet cam failure went through the roof. It wasn’t unheard of to see the lobes wiped off cams during engine break-in.

Fortunately, several oil manufacturers now offer quality oils with comprehensive additive packages

(including ZDDP) designed for use with flat tappet camshafts. Mineral and synthetic oil from Brad Penn, Joe Gibbs Driven, Valvoline VR, and others are stocked by Summit Racing. Additionally, COMP Cams, Lucas Oil, Red Line, and others offer ZDDP in additive form to treat regular oil, also available at Summit Racing.

HERE ARE A FEW TRIED AND TRUE TIPS TO MAKE FLAT TAPPET CAM BREAK-IN GO SMOOTHLY!

• Clean the cam with mineral spirits or wash it in solvent before installation. Carefully inspect the cam for defects such as deep scratches, and lobe damage. We also like to rewash the cam with hot soapy water and let it fully dry before installing it.

• Coat the camshaft lobe, journals, distributor gear, and lifters with the installation lube provided by the manufacturer. Use all of the lube. If the cam didn’t come with lube, use a high-pressure lubricant such as molybdenum disulphide.

• When using dual valve springs, always remove the inner spring during break-in. If using a high load single valve spring, replace it with a lighter spring during breakin.

• Install a fresh oil filter and use high quality engine oil with a good amount of zinc additive.

• After the cam and lifters are installed, pour a bottle of cam break-in lube directly over them through the lifter valley.

• Set static ignition timing, carburetor tune, and basic valve lash so the engine will fire quickly and get up to a high idle speed. Break-in is not the time to tune the engine.

• The engine will be operating at higher than normal speeds during break-in, so keeping the engine cool is imperative. An old trick we use is to place a couple of high capacity electric fans in front of the radiator to aid in cooling. Pointing a slow running water hose directly at the radiator core also helps.

• After the engine starts, bring the RPMs up to 2,000 to 2,500 during the first 30 minutes of operation. Vary the RPM between 2,000 to 2,500 periodically so that oil splash is directed at different parts of the camshaft. Some engines tend to have internal windage patterns that starve camshaft journals from oil spray at specific engine RPM ranges.

• When the 30-minute break-in period is complete, change the oil and the filter.

Always use good quality mineral or synthetic oil with high amounts of zinc.

• Replace the inner valve springs or swap in the regular springs. Re-lash the camshaft.

At this point you can tune the carburetor and ignition timing.

techtorque

1

2

Here is a close-up look at the lobes on a Crane blueprint camshaft for a 427/425 HP big block Chevy (part number CRN-1969961). Most flat tappet camshafts have a similar lobe shape.

3

5

Here’s a disassembled Crane solid flat tappet lifter. The inner workings are simple.

This is a fully machined tool steel lifter from COMP Cams, designed for use in severe duty NASCAR applications where RPM levels and valve spring loads are high. The body has a Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating that hardens the metal surface to be extremely slick and wear resistant. The lifter internals are actually one piece instead of two as normally found on conventional lifters. Lifters like this are at the super high end of the spectrum, and they aren’t cheap.

This is a closeup of a COMP Cams Stock Eliminator camshaft lobe.

The lobe shape is more “square” than the lobes on the Crane cam in the previous photo. This allows more radical valve opening and closing rates.

4

See the tiny hole in the base of this COMP Cams solid lifter?

It’s been Electrical Discharge Machined (EDM) into lifter base, and is designed to add more lubrication between the cam lobe and lifter face to improve reliability. There are two EDM arrangements available—one centered in the lifter base and one drilled offset. As the lifter spins, the offset hole will lose contact with the cam lobe, but some engine builders have a preference for this design.

Winning Takes Work.

Getting Parts is Easy.

• You’ll find the most brands in-stock and ready to ship • Trusted tech, expert advice • Satisfaction guaranteed Millions of Parts. One Source. SummitRacing.com No hidden fees - our Landed Cost shipping includes all duties, taxes and clearance fees.

EXPERT ADVICE. HUGE INVENTORY. FAST DELIVERY. WORLD-CLASS CUSTOMER SERVICE. Get The Summit Racing app for Apple and Android devices.

Int’l: 1.330.630.0230 FIND IT AT

.000

perfectlight BRADLEY HICKS

After posting a 0.000 light in Round Two of the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series at Mildura’s Sunset Strip Nationals, Bradley Hicks has been awarded with the Perfect Light Award.

The farmer from Athurton on the Yorke Peninsula started racing in 1980 in the Modified bracket at Adelaide International Raceway, after some years racing street cars at AIR street meets.

His long racing career boasts many highlights, including wins at the 1989 Spring Nationals at AIR and the Charlie Dennis Memorial Series at Steel City in 1990 and 1992/93.

Now, the 61-year-old can add a Perfect Light Award to his mantle after his results at Mildura’s Sunset Strip Nationals.

“We had arrived at the track on Friday evening in near perfect weather conditions to set-up for the weekend’s racing, but unfortunately Saturday dawned with some very strong wind and that north-west wind just became stronger as the day went on,” he explained.

“I ran a 5.005s pass at 135 mph with a 0.487s reaction time on my only qualifier on Saturday morning, before the programme was cancelled for the day. The strong wind had just raised too much dust for racing to continue safely.

“We weathered the storm and dust through a wind change-to the south west, and thankfully Sunday brought much improved conditions, allowing one more time trial before racing. As I was late releasing the launch button on the previous day’s run, I left my delay time unchanged. I pulled a 0.060s red light, and ran a 5.023s pass 135.62 mph, so it was fairly consistent.

“Before eliminations, I added 0.075s to my delay and got ready to face Wade Kismya in round one. In that round, I dialled in at 5.01s, and his dial in was 5.75s – though there was a mistake with his side of the tree, causing a slight delay in staging while his dial in was corrected.

“While it was great to get a perfect light, it was frustrating to lose that race. However, that’s part of racing.

“We may not have proceeded further, but the weather aside, the Sunset Strip Nationals was a great event – it was very well run, and had some very good close racing.”

For Hicks, his perfect light in that run was a pleasant surprise.

“I felt my reaction time was good when the car launched, but I had no idea it was a perfect light until my crew chief read it out to me from the time slip,” he explained, while thanking ANDRA for rewarding him for his perfect reaction time.

“This is my first Perfect Light award, but I have had two 0.000s reaction times previously around five years ago – running one at Steel City and the other at Coonawarra, one of those was in qualifying though. Back then, I was not running a delay box like I do now.”

From Mildura’s Sunset Strip it was back to Adelaide for Hicks, who now looks ahead to competing in Portland (January) and Adelaide’s Grand Finals (March).

“After the Sunset Strip Nationals I ran at the Spring Nationals in Adelaide in October and I won round one, but a small issue meant that my engine would not start for round two against eventual winner Jess Turner,” Hicks explained.

Hicks sends his thanks to sponsors The Arthurton Hotel, Infinity Signs and Sprint Auto Parts Kadina; AK Converters, SA Race Transmissions and Diffs and Rhemac; and crew members Greg Oberti, Mark Wyatt, Sean Oberti, Frank Intini and Adrian Hicks for their support of his racing program.

“He left on a 0.030s light; I felt that my reaction was good when the car moved and caught him close to the finish line. I lifted off the throttle, but I ran a 4.996s pass at 130.76 mph, breaking out, and so losing while Wade ran 5.845s.

15

16 series championship

POINTS

COMPETITION

PTS

TOP SPORTSMAN

PTS

SUPER STOCK

PTS

MODIFIED

PTS 250 250 180 160 120

Harry Harris Tim Bryan Michael Bridges Robyn Phillis Chris Tatchell

COMPETITION BIKE

PTS

SUPER SEDAN

PTS

SUPER GAS

SUPERCHARGED OUTLAWS

PTS

MODIFIED BIKE

PTS

Adrian Vella Craig Geddes Mark Newman David Clark Andrew Dyson

Tom Dimitropoulos Daniel Camilleri Jim Ioannidis Steve Norman Rob Dekkert

Tony Frost Robert Cassar Jim Hanlon Danny Rickard Phil Howard

Tim Stewart Justin Russell Adam Murrihy Alan Mahnkoph Shane Kramer

70 60 60 20 20

120 120 110 110 60

110 80 60 20 20

250 230 200 190 180

Jason Arbery Greg Damiani Vlado Turic Darren Nichele Chris Theodorakopoulos

Sergio Bonetti Matt Czerny Adam Mundy Bradley Hicks Jess Turner

Peter Tzokas John Kapiris Ned Karanovic Ashley Smith Leon Davies

Gordon Crawford Johnny Ireland Gavin Dohnt Dan Dycer Shane Walker

270 250 220 150 120

300 210 210 160 160

300 220 210 150 150

JUNIOR DRAGSTER

PTS

SUPER STREET

PTS

Bradley Bishop Jackson Perri Samuel Perri Tommy Turic Brodie Zappia

Graeme Spencer Bailey Datson Adrian McGrotty Warren Bull Roy Romeo

CLICK HERE

300 210 180 170 140

190 170 140 130 120

PTS 170 140 120 120 80

FOR FULL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

ROUND 1

ROUND 6

ROUND 2

ROUND 7

HIDDEN VALLEY DRAG STRIP, NT

JULY 21-22

CALDER PARK, VIC

NOV 25

ALICE SPRINGS INLAND DRAGWAY, NT

SOUTH COAST RACEWAY, PORTLAND VIC

ROUND 3

ROUND 8

JULY 29-30

MILDURA,VIC

SEPT 23-24

ROUND 4

JAN 20-21

CALDER PARK, VIC

JAN 26-27

ROUND 9

ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, SA

PERTH MOTORPLEX, WA

ROUND 5

ROUND 10

OCT 14

PERTH MOTORPLEX, WA

NOV 11

MAR 3-4

ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, SA

MAR 23-24

17

who is your DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR? Alternative Division Director South Australia Divisional Council

Making a high school friend would lead to a long-time love for the sport of drag racing for Vladimir Ostashkevich.

“I remember as a 13-year-old being in awe when my friend Craig Chapman and I used to go in the shed and look at his father’s dragster. I think it was Proud Australian Top Fuel Dragster then. I went to the drags a few times with the Chapman family,” Ostashkevich reminisces.

From that introduction came trips to Adelaide International Raceway for the national open meetings and also with older brother Sergei for street meets in his Monaro. When Sergei partnered up with Bob Sherry in the 80s to build an A/Street Commodore, the bug well and truly bit for Ostashkevich and he started working as part of the crew.

At the same time, he was studying a business degree in Marketing at university and was soon using that knowledge to chase sponsors for not only his brother’s exploits, but for the sport of drag racing, even holding a marketing seminar for the Group One racers in 1986.

After establishing his business Quarter Mile Marketing, Ostashkevich and his brother would buy Jim Read’s dragster and take it all over the country with support from West End Beer, with Bob Sherry driving. Spending time with American Chuck Swift around this time would years later lead to Ostashkevich racing in Vegas, Seattle and Spokane as well as Australia and Tasmania in a Wheelstander alongside Swift in an experience Ostashkevich says he will never forget.

In the years since, Vladimir has worked as the Marketing Manager for the Hidden Valley Drag Strip, which was run at the time by the King Cobra Rod and Custom Club, and would also go on to run a Fuel racing program with his brother with the support of NEC Corporation.

“It was the first motorsport sponsorship the company had ever undertaken globally. We sold over six million dollars’ worth of computers for NEC in three years,” the South Australian proudly recalls.

Vladimir Ostashkevich Email: southaustralia@andra.com.au South Australian Council Members Andrew Favotti Bob Scerri Bruno Romeo Rob Rath Danny Buccella Sergei Ostashkevich Margaret Oppes Andrew Braithwaite

He also organised the first drag racing demonstration at the 1988 Adelaide Formula One Grand Prix after two years of discussions with the Australian Grand Prix board, and negotiated a television deal with Channel Seven Adelaide for a local drag racing show – Drag Racing Today – hosted by Bruce Abernethy. He also organised the show’s funding with major companies such as Tectaloy, Wynns and Sprint Auto Parts and sold the show to the Sky Channel in England.

“Drag Racing Today was one of the most successful motorsport shows on TV at the time, out-rating local football shows and the cricket,” he said.

Later, he would be contracted to the Adelaide Speedboat Club as its Marketing Manager. As part of the role, he organised the Australian tour of world record holder Scott Price (Kentucky Thunder Top Alcohol Drag Boat), with the tour gaining wide recognition for the publicity it received nationally.

Now, Ostashkevich is hoping to use his business and marketing experience for the benefit of South Australian racers as the Alternative Division Director for ANDRA in SA. At the same time, while he might not be racing, he keeps his finger in the pie with sponsorships of a number of racers.

“I get enjoyment out of watching the racers we sponsor through ULX110 Oil,” he explains.

“It is hard to be a spectator once you’ve been a racer, but for now I’m happy just begin involved and working to lift the profile of the sport by organising events such as the demonstration we will have at the Adelaide 500 this coming March.”

18

Ref: 0833-Oct14

Arthur J. Gallagher, the ‘locally grown’ global has arrived OAMPS Insurance Brokers is now Arthur J. Gallagher, part of the fourth largest insurance broking and risk management organisation in the world.

ANDRA members will continue to benefit from the long-standing relationship with expert brokers who are now part of the Gallagher family, along with access to our global network of specialists.

Locally focused. Nationally resourced. Internationally represented.

Contact us today.

1800 240 432 ajg.com.au

20

TIM BRYAN

racerprofile Team Super Roo Racing

How did your win at Nitro Up North come about?

DOB 13/02/1966

It was a good field and a great bunch of racers as usual for Super Street. The final was very tight against Shaun Boyer in his V8 Gemini. From memory there was only two-thousandths in it!

Hometown Marlow Lagoon, Palmerston NT

What excites you most about drag racing

Status Married Occupation Locksmith, Manager Started Racing 31 years ago Classes competed in Street and Super Street ANDRA Drag Racing Career Highlights Winning the first year the Summit Racing Equipment Series started for Super Street at Nitro Up North and backing it up this year. It was very special to hold those Christmas Trees.

Best ET & Speed 11.02s at 120mph Sponsors TLC Towing and Salvage, Darwin Lock and Key, Exide Batteries, AFA Insurance Brokers and Uniglide Hobbies Building and playing around in our garage with our cars Favourite Race Vehicle The Bathurst XC Coupes Favourite TV Show Street Outlaws Favourite food(s) Grilled Barra Favourite Track Hidden Valley

I love the challenge of getting our dial-in to the exact number. I love the ability to work out her number and seeing the run within hundredths or better.

Why Super Street?

I raced Street way back in the day and stopped while I got life under way with family and business and so on. When I got back into racing, I started in Street and after a season each in a Typhoon and then a Blown BA, I found the XW which we affectionately call Super Roo. Super Street has a great bunch of racers that I’m proud to call friends. Since travelling for the first time this year, it’s been the same with interstate racers we’ve meet. It’s a great class. However mostly it’s about cost and time. Super Street is relatively cheap with a ‘start of season’ prep and then very little effort for the remainder of the year. I find racing in Super Street doesn’t consume your life while giving you great racing and time too to enjoy other cars and interests.

Do you have any pre-run routines or superstitions?

Yes…and I’m sure I’m not the only one! Not wanting to risk sounding stupid, I’ll keep this to myself. I can tell you though that it has to be the same every run.

What drives you to keep on drag racing?

That’s not hard, I love drag racing. It makes and keeps me feeling young with huge amounts of enjoyment, satisfaction, comradery and self-fulfilment. I love the admiration that Super Roo brings and the memories and reminiscing she provides is priceless for me with her fans.

What are you aiming to achieve this season?

After competing in the first two rounds we sit on 170 points so are planning to travel to Adelaide for Christmas and then spend a few weeks in Tassie holidaying before competing in Rounds Seven and Eight in Victoria. If we do well, we will leave Super Roo in Adelaide to compete in Round 10 and throw our hat in for a shot at a title.

Are there any special people you would like to thank for being part of your drag racing journey?

My wife Allana, she is fantastic support and always there for me…she is an unbelievable woman and I love her dearly. I also want to thank Joe, the partner of one of my daughters, as well as Terry and his son Zac – they are always there to help crew and we couldn’t do it without them – having a great crew gives you so much confidence for racing. Huge thanks must also go to Danny Maxwell and Brian Breed for all their spanner work. Super Roo sure loves the attention and affection lol!

BY RACERS, FOR RACERS ANDRA partner Trick Flow Specialities is a leading designer and manufacturer of high performance cylinder heads, intake manifolds, and engine components.

It was established in Ohio in 1983, and today boasts more than 34 years of producing the ‘ultimate’ in bolt-on performance. As part of that long history, it is well-known for a range of innovations including its world-famous Twisted Wedge cylinder heads for small block Fords.

Trick Flow offers camshafts, headers, carbs, and valvetrain components; along with inhouse manufactured parts like cylinder heads, intake manifolds, valve covers, transmission pans, and differential covers.

For many of the engines found in ANDRA competition, Trick Flow Specialities has a solution – including for small and big block Chevy V8s, small and big block Ford V8s and the GM LS Series V8. But that’s not all, Trick Flow Specialities Manager, Mike Downs, explains.

“We are especially pleased to offer cylinder heads, carbureted and EFI intake manifolds and rocker arms for the Ford 351 Cleveland V8, which we have found to be very popular in Australia,” Downs said.

“It is our experience that Australians love horsepower and drag racing just as much as Americans do. As long as there are at least two people in Australia who own race cars, we reckon they’ll want to race each other!

“Trick Flow parts help make more horsepower so drivers can win more racers – it sounds like a match made in heaven, doesn’t it?”

ANDRA members will also be familiar with Trick Flow thanks to their generous donation of $50 Trick Flow vouchers which form part of the Top Qualifier Medallion Winner Packs.

“Everyone at Trick Flow is excited to be a part of ANDRA and we look forward to growing our relationship with some of the best drag racers in the world,” Downs said.

At its workshop in Ohio, Trick Flow Specialities boasts plenty of dedicated spirit, and lots of manufacturing power.

“Trick Flow is run by racers and performance enthusiasts who love horsepower just as much as its customers do,” Downs continued.

“We use Trick Flow parts in our own cars, and we race to win. We won’t settle for anything but the best, and that is what we are proud to offer our customers.

“As part of that commitment, we design and engineer every part we make in-house. We make our own foundry patterns and do all of the final machining in-house as well to make sure our parts are the highest quality possible.

“We also do a lot of dyno and track testing to validate durability and performance. So, if we say a part or parts combination makes X amount of horsepower, you can rest assured the race who uses it will see that power increase on their car, or even more.”

Trick Flow parts are available at Summit Racing Equipment. To view all of the Trick Flow Specialties parts available at www.SummitRacing.com, please click here.

22

BRADLEY BISHOP

racerprofile Age 17

Best ET and Speed: 6.993s @ 96.7mph (test day at Heathcote)

Hometown Orangeville

Sponsors Dad (Peter)

School Magdalene Catholic High School

Favourite Race Vehicle My current car

Started Racing 2008

Favourite TV Show Street Outlaws

Classes competed Juniors A, B and C

Favourite food(s) Krispy Kreme

ANDRA Racing highlights My first tree at Mildura, 2014

Favourite Track Sydney

What do you love about racing?

Being able to be with all of my racing family and having weekends away with dad.

How did you get into racing?

Dad crewed on Aaron Hambridge’s Top Alcohol entry and he was going to America to get a new dragster with him, so I asked when you’re over there dad can you get me a Junior?

And that ended up happening!

What do you consider as your racing highlights?

Winning a tree is always a highlight but the Darwin trip this year was really good. I went a few rounds and got to be with all my friends for three weeks, so it was a great time.

What do you love about Junior Dragster Racing? Why should others get into it?

I personally don’t want to leave juniors, I love it. I love how close the racing is and I still enjoy every pass still to this day. Winning races still gives me such a good feeling and some people comment like “oh you’ve got this one covered” and expect me to win; but going into every event I still think if it’s your day, it’s your day, and when your car is on, it’s on! So I go into every round

prepared for both outcomes. When I have to run a first meeting C car I don’t underestimate them, or treat them any different to someone who has done as many passes as myself.

What is your ultimate racing goal/ dream?

At the moment winning this year’s championship with dad would be great, but again at the end of the day, what’s gonna happen on that day in Adelaide is going to happen – all we can do is prepare ourselves the best we can.

What do your school mates think about what you do?

My school mates don’t really hear much of what goes on as I don’t talk about it very much because nobody understands it anyway. I let them know if I get a win, but that’s about it.

Is there anyone you would like to thank for being part of your drag racing journey?

Just my Dad really, he funds everything by himself and being a single dad bringing me right through juniors has been an awesome time, so when I win it is more of a thanks to him than anything; just to give back what I can through winning races as it is a team effort between us.

Behind the Wheel with Jr. Dragster Racer Jackson Perri.

“There are a lot of tough racers out there, but my brother is my main competitor. To stage a car next to him in a final was one of my toughest races, but also my favorite.”

Single Layer Driving Jackets

Jr. Dragster Sprockets

Aluminum Fuel Cell

Keyword: SUM Single Jacket

Keyword: JRC Jr. Sprockets Each

Keyword: HSD Fuel Cell

as low as $249.99 USD each

as low as $59.97 USD each

as low as $48.97 USD each

HSD-F-086 $98.97 USD each

Fuel Lines

Sportsman Deluxe SFI-1 One-Piece Driving Suits

Warm Up Stand

Polar Vortex Clutch Assemblies

as low as $6.97 USD each

as low as $149.00 USD each

JRC-654-9510 $69.97 USD each

as low as $698.97 USD kit

Keyword: HSD Polar Replacement Ramps

Jr. Dragster Tire Covers

Master Blaster Seat Pads

Oval Head Quarter-Turn Fastener with Reinforcing Plate Kits

as low as $48.97 USD set of 3

as low as $72.97 USD pair

as low as $74.50 USD each

as low as $5.97 USD kit

GF3 Helmets

Keyword: GFR GF3

Keyword: JRC Fuel Lines

Polar Clutch Ramp Sets

Keyword: PYR SFI-1 Suit

Keyword: JRC Tire Covers

Low Cost, No Hassle, Landed Cost Shipping.

Landed Cost shipping includes all duties, taxes, and clearance fees. In-stock parts are shipped FAST, delivered to your door with no unexpected fees.

Questions?

Complete details available in the Customer Service section of SummitRacing.com, talk via Live Chat, or call us 24/7.

Keyword: JRC Warm

Keyword: JRC Master Seat

Keyword: HSD Polar Assemblies

Keyword: HSD Quarter-Turn Plate

• Landed cost delivery—no additional fees or charges to pay • Number One-rated customer service and technical support • Huge online catalog—millions of parts at your fingertips • Summit Racing app available for Apple and Android devices

International Sales: USA 1.330.630.0230

SummitRacing.com

®

Prices (USD) good through 12/1/17. • Typographical, description, or photography errors are subject to correction. ©2017 AUTOSALES, INC.

RACE REPORT: SUMMIT RACING QLD CHAMPS ROUND ONE

SUMMIT RACING QLD CHAMPS

OPEN IN STYLE The opening round of the inaugural Summit Racing Queensland Championship, held at Palmyra Dragway across July 1 and 2, dodged forecasted rain to produce an outstanding weekend of ANDRA Sportsman drag racing.

With just over 100 entries, the two-day format was relaxed and provided the crowd with some exciting racing action across all classes, with the Chicago Shootout format ensuring all vehicles and bikes raced in front of the crowd over three rounds before hitting the finals.

Headlining the show was the Supercharged Outlaws bracket with eight cars in the pits. Rodney Hansen led qualifying with his T-Bucket Altered recording a 4.74/152.18 over the eighth.

Second fastest for the bracket was the Holden Monaro of Anthony Spataro with a 4.78, followed by the Roma-based Z28 Camaro of Russell Grulke (4.933). Randall Mour rounded out

the top half of the field in the world’s only Holden FJ Funny Car with a 4.938.

Stirring things up in the category was the fact that former Wild Bunch racer Mark Eves was asked to steer the new Corvette of Steven Wheatley. Corvettes are known to have a reputation for being a handful, as Eves certainly found out during a qualifier. On his burnout, the Vette was past the tree when it suddenly turned and spun around. Thankfully, the car stayed away from the walls, with Eves able to back it up and go on to complete its run.

For the Supercharged Outlaws eliminations, the field was reduced to six with Eves and Mohr not making the cut and then by the time round three was ready to fire, Hansen was out with a broken diff and Grulke was a no-show.

The Outlaws final then came down to a classic Holden versus Ford battle. On the handicap, David Carney was out first with a 0.117s reaction but his 0.692s over 5.772 was no match to a winning 0.304s over 5.304s ET from the Holden Monaro of Spataro.

fastlane In Modified Eliminator Katie Cunningham was in dominating form, top qualifying with a 4.66 ET in her Team CFZ dragster before going on to win all three rounds. Joining her in the final was Savos Pandelakis. His front-engine dragster was away first on the handicap, but Cunningham had the better package taking the win with a 0.005s over 4.61s ET to a 0.021s over 5.461s effort.

Super Sedan had 12 entries with Gavin List on top with a 5.77 seconds effort in his Chevy Nova. After three round wins, List faced off against the Holden HQ Ute of Bob Baker. Baker was away first, but his 0.083s reacted 0.110s over 6.040s was no match to the 0.002s light and 0.105s over 5.795s effort of List.

Nineteen entries lined up in the Super Street bracket, with Craig Chapman leading the charge with a 6.81 ET. After three rounds, the finals put Bundaberg racers Brett Keirnan and Richard Dawe together. The all-Ford final saw Keirnan leave first with a 0.050s reaction time, followed by a 0.088s from Dawe. At the stripe, both drivers broke-out, however Keirnan was able to take the trophy and the points with a 0.009s under 7.211s to Dawe’s 0.018s under 7.102s ET. After qualifying in Modified Bike, Reegan Ward from Gladstone sat at Number One with a 5.44 ET on his Suzuki Hayabusa. He was certainly a fan favourite with some wild wheelies over the weekend. When it came time for the final, it was Ross Bryant and Russell Bell who would meet. On the green, Bell had the better reaction and went on to take the win with a 0.052s over

5.902s to a breaking-out Bryant with a 0.056s under 6.214s on a 6.27s Dial-In. The Junior Dragster bracket saw Dylan Everett take the top spot during qualifying with an 8.05s timeslip. He was in the running for the finals, but a number of break-outs meant that it came down to Andrew Tinney and Kilarney Back. Unfortunately, Back went red, handing Tinney the automatic win.

In Super Gas, top qualifier Ross Bryant had a second bite at finals glory when he faced Tom Parry. On a 6.30 index, Bryant was out the gate first with a 0.111s reaction to a 0.750s from Parry. At the stripe, Parry broke-out to hand the Bryant and his Holden Torana the win.

The Street bracket was also in the mix during the event, after being added to give some of the regular street meet racers a chance to compete for a championship. Christopher Rieck top qualified his Ford XD with an 8.30s ET and had the skills to go through to the finals after three wins. Joining him was the Toyota Corona of Lee Davis with a tight outcome between the pair seeing take the win with a 0.050 reacted 0.086 over 8.386s to a 0.193 reacted 0.083 over 9.133s.

For the latest points in the Summit Racing Queensland Championships, please click here.

Images by Phil Reeve and Luke Dahms

25

RACE REPORT: HIDDEN VALLEY

NITRO UP NORTH

GOES OFF

There is always something about a fresh start, and Nitro Up North V3 was the perfect event to kick off the 2017/18 Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series across July 21-22.

The Nitro Up North team, headed by Scott and Rachel MacLean, certainly worked hard to lift the bar up from last year, and with static displays and nitro fire-ups around town, the excitement levels were high leading into the biggest drag racing show in the Northern Territory. The support for the event was such that the Macleans would go on to praise the NT Government in conjunction with Motorsport NT for their help and assistance for the event.

With four nitro Top Fuel dragsters in the pits, including star attraction Kelly Bettes - Australia’s quickest and fastest female racer – plenty of media for Nitro Up North was assured, including the front page of the NT News, so it was no surprise when crowds were large for both days of the event. The car count was high too, with more than 120 entrants coming from across the country ready to open the season and earn championship points in the first of a 10-event series.

In Supercharged Outlaws, local racer Adam Murrihy was ready to defend his title from last season, nailing the top qualifying position with a 6.58s ET in his AM Cranes Altered. Second

quickest was fellow Northern Territory racer Bronte Hennings, who drove his Corvette to a 6.732s ET, while Victorian Justin Russell put in a 6.78s run for third quickest.

Murrihy was looking good for a repeat of last year’s victory, defeating Darren White in the first round before enjoying a bye run in round two, but then cut a 0.262 light against good mate Justin Russell to waste his 6.61s pass on a 6.60s dial-in.

Meeting Russell in the final was Mark Hunt, who had earlier defeated Bronte Hennings and Alan Mahnkoph. Hunt had a bye run in the semis but hurt his engine and was unable to front for the final, seeing Russell come to the line on a solo for the win while Hunt picked up runner-up points.

The Top Sportsman qualifying proceedings were led by Humpty Doo racer Todd Knight and his 6.58s/209.26 mph run in his Pontiac. Joining him at the pointy end of the time sheets was Dieter Herrmann, second quickest with a 7.44 seconds effort while the Trans-Am of West Aussie lady Amanda Martin sat in third with a 7.85s result.

Knight enjoyed a solo run in the first round of eliminations courtesy of his qualifying performance, before facing firsttime Nitro Up North racer Jason Arbery. Arbery cut the better reaction time to defeat Knight before going on to race Vlado Turic in the final; taking his first win of the season with a 0.031s reaction time and an 8.397s on an 8.39s dial-in.

fastlane The Modified class qualifying was led by local racer Grant Radcliffe who pushed his 23 Altered to a 7.86s at 163 mph effort.

David Bonetti from South Australia was second quickest with a time of 8.05s while Victorian Matt Czerny ran his dragster to a time of 8.54 seconds for third.

Grant Radcliffe – last year’s event winner – put away Ron Heyes in the first round but went on to lose to his brother Dean in round two following a monster wheelstand. Meeting Dean Radcliffe in the final was the ‘32 Ford Coupe of South Australian Sergio Bonetti, who had earlier faced Mick Bowden and Matt Czerny who had each cut red lights. A 0.004s reaction from Radcliffe was enough to take the win after Bonetti’s breakout.

Ashley Smith put his Camaro on top of the Super Sedan qualifying list with an 8.608s that was just ahead of South Australian Leon Davies’ 8.609s. Rob Evan, also from SA, filled third place in his Chrysler.

Four-time ANDRA Super Sedan Champion John Kapiris had a solo in the opening round before Davis in round two. Local Peter Kirkpatrick then went red against Kapiris in the semis.

NT racer Ashley Smith enjoyed two single runs and a red lighting Ned Karanovic before facing Kapiris in the finals. The HQ Holden of Kapiris cut the better light and went on to take the win over a breaking-out Smith.

With nine entries in Super Street, the NT-based Commodore of Theo Karamannidis recorded a run in 11.03 seconds to finish on top of the qualifying sheets, while Tim Bryan clocked an 11.10s to be second quickest. The HX Monaro of Craig Caton from Western Australia sat in third spot with an 11.17s ET. Karamanidis took a solo in the opening round before defeating Howard Munt in round two, going on to face Bryan in the semis. Bryan emerged victorious and joined Shaun Boyer in picking up a solo pass into the final – a repeat of the 2016 event with the Falcon of Bryan defeating Boyer’s Holden Gemini in an all Northern Territory final.

Modified Bike was the biggest sportsman bracket at Nitro Up North with 18 riders. Clive Mainland repeated his top

qualifying performance of last year with an 8.08s ET at 168 mph. The Harley Davidson of Heath Costello went 8.46s to be second quickest while South Australian Danny Rickard put his Harley on the third rung. Two-time ANDRA Champ Bryan Finn qualified 16th with a personal best 10.874s, while Tony Wood from WA had a frightening fall on his Yamaha in the braking area and spent the night in hospital for observation.

When it came to racing, Finn walked into round two after a red light from Brandt McGlade, but it was his turn to see red in the following round two. Gordon Crawford enjoyed much better success this year than his early first round red light exit in 2016. The “Moving Man” had a single in the first round and then proceeded to round three after Gavin Dohnt went red at the tree. Crawford then put away top qualifier Mainland to pick up another single in the semis.

In the finals, Crawford met local rider Dale Smith who moved forward following three red lighting opponents and a solo run. West Aussie Crawford would be too strong for the local, defeating Smith with a 9.89s on a 9.66s dial-in to a losing 0.209 reacted 9.49s on a 9.40s ET. In the Summit Racing Equipment Junior Dragster category, a first was had in qualifying with Sydney brothers Samuel and Jackson Perri sat in the top two positions with ETs of 8.002s and 8.005s. Bradley Bishop, also from NSW, recorded an ET of 8.005s to be third quickest.

Come time for racing, top qualifier Samuel Jackson opened up with a win over Michelle Abel but was then defeated by Conner Begley in round two. In the semi-finals, Begley had a bye while Brodie Zappia survived a double break-out race against NSW racer Bishop. An all-West Australian final then saw Zappia cut the better reaction, but his 9.02s on an 8.80s dial-in was no match for a winning 8.18s on an 8.13s dial-in from Begley.

For full results from the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series at Hidden Valley, please click here.

Images by Edmund Forman

27

RACE REPORT: ALICE SPRINGS

RECORDS BROKEN

AT ASID

There was never any doubt that the 2017 Shannons Desert Nationals would see the track records at Alice Springs Inland Dragway take a beating, and Kelly Bettes in the Lamattina Top Fuel Racing dragster and tentime ANDRA Top Doorslammer Champion John Zappia made sure of it.

A strong crowd was on-hand for day one amidst blue skies and warm sunshine, with four qualifying sessions on day one and a further qualifying opportunity on day two giving the racers plenty of opportunities to dial-in their cars and bikes for round two of the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series.

Saturday’s qualifying saw plenty of action across its four qualifying runs for all brackets.

Like at Hidden Valley the week earlier, Modified Bike again had the biggest entry list and it was Danny Rickard who led the pack from the get go. His South Australia-based Harley Destroyer went 8.85s in the first session and then 8.80s. Come race day Sunday, the semi-finals saw Gavin Dohnt on a solo having defeated Malcolm Price and Gordon Crawford earlier, while top qualifier Danny Rickard was looking good for a finals appearance but red lighted against Johnny Ireland in the

semis. The final saw Dohnt take the win thanks to a 0.082s reaction and a 9.659s on a 9.54s dial-in.

In the Summit Racing Equipment Junior Dragster bracket, Jake Berias went to the top of the qualifying sheets after the first session with an 8.049s ET and improved in the second session with an 8.03s. After the final qualifier for the day, Bradley Bishop from NSW then took over the number one spot with an 8.01s effort. When it came time for racing on Sunday, it would all come down to an all-brother final between Samuel and Jackson Perri. As the tree came down in Samuel’s lane, he went red, handing Jackson the automatic win.

In Super Street, Robyn Phillis nailed the number one position with a 10.45s ET from the first qualifying session and went on to win in the semi-finals against a red-lighting John Kapiris.

Meeting Phillis in the finals was Harry Harris, with a tough race seeing the reaction time fall in favour of Harris (0.076s, compared to 0.105s from Phillis). At the stripe, Harris took the win with an 11.64s pass on an 11.62s dial-in to a Phillis’ 10.502s effort on a 10.50s dial-in.

In Super Sedan, South Australian racer Leon Davis pushed his crowd-pleasing Chev Camaro to the top of the list with an 8.67s ET. However, come Sunday’s final qualifier, Davies was out, moving local NT Ashley Smith into the top spot with an 8.72s ET at 155 mph in his Chev Camaro. In round two of eliminations, the Chev of Ned Karanovic put away the top

fastlane

qualifier before being beaten by Peter Tzokas when he red lit in his ’57 Chev. Mick Willox had a solo in the semi-finals but broke before he was able to accept the tree, leaving Tzokas to enjoy a solo pass to the win.

In Modified Eliminator, Victorian Wayne Talbot was tuned up to break both ends of the AA/MA marker at the Desert Nationals. The current ANDRA record had stood at 6.375s at 219.22mph and had been held by Andrew Musgrave and Mark Hinchelwood since 2014. On his first pass, Talbot stopped the clocks in 6.46 seconds at 157 mph to test the track. He then returned with his ‘Forever Young’ Plymouth Cuda Funny Car and recorded a 6.25s ET at 235.91 mph. In session three, he then went slightly quicker with a 6.241s ET at 230.51 mph, leaving him only needing to lay down another fast run during Sunday’s eliminations to officially claim the record.

And that is exactly what he did – Talbot picked up a new ANDRA AA/MA record on his first round solo in 6.16 seconds at 235.55 mph before going red at the tree in the semis against Bradley Hicks. Sergio Bonetti’s 32 Coupe survived the first round when Matt Czerny red lighted over his breakout and moved into the finals when his 0.027s light forced Adam Mundy to break out.

In the finals, Bonetti took a popular win with the fans with a 10.65s on a 10.20s dial-in the to an 8.90s on an 8.05s dial-in from Hicks.

Another popular class with the Alice Springs crowd was Supercharged Outlaws. The AM Motorsports Altered of Adam Murrihy grabbed the number one qualifier spot after the first session with a 6.88s ET in his Altered. By the fourth session, Murrihy improved with a 6.72s ET at 202 mph. The bracket then opened racing on Sunday with Murrihy enjoying a bye run in the first round before being put on the trailer in the second

by Shane Kramer. Alan Mahnkoph faced Kramer in the finals, taking the win in his Holden Ute with a 6.93s pass on a 6.89s dial-in against Kramer’s breaking-out 6.95s run on a 6.96s dialin. On his way to the final, Mahnkoph had raced and defeated Justin Russell and his Camaro before having a solo run in the semi-finals. Kramer meanwhile had a bye run for round two before beating Darren White for the semis victory.

In Top Sportsman, it was the supercharged Ford of West Australia’s Jeff Lewis which led the field in qualifying from the start with a 6.79s ET at 208 mph. Amanda Martin, also from WA, was second quickest with a 7.95s ET. Nitro Up North winner Jason Arbery rounded out the field in fifth with an 8.48s ET. The Top Sportsman racing was then dominated by Lewis, who benefited from a bye run in the first round before defeating

Vlado Turic in the semi-finals. Turic had earlier defeated a red lighting Arbery in the opening round with an 8.088s on an 8.08s dial-in. Meeting Lewis in the final was Greg Damiani, who had put away Amanda Martin in round one ahead of a bye in the semis.

In the final, the reaction time decided the winner with Damiani going 0.003s on the tree to a 0.416s light from Lewis.

Also in action across the weekend was a Top Doorslammer field headed by ANDRA Champ John Zappa. Despite the fact that no one was racing for points, the fans still got to see the king take his Fuchs Holden Monaro to a stunning 5.797s ET at 249.74 mph for a new track record during Saturday’s qualifying.

Zap’s earlier run was a 5.97s at 247.66 mph. On Sunday, Zappia and Matt Abel would battle it out in the finals. It wasn’t the best of passes for either racer, however it would be the Fuchs Monaro which crossed the finish line first in 6.26 seconds against a 10-second ET for Abel. Earlier Zappia had run a 5.94s at 245.79 mph.

The crowd were also treated to history at ASID, with Kelly Bettes and the Lamattina Top Fuel Team marking the first ever Top Fuel Dragster appearance at the venue. Fresh off their appearance at Nitro Up North the week earlier, Kelly Bettes and the Lamattina Top Fuel team were ready to set some records in Alice. On Saturday, they made the final run of the day and the crowd stayed to the very end to witness history with a 5.527s ET at only 182 mph, despite spinning the tyres.

Come Sunday, the Alice Springs fans were eager to see if Kelly Bettes could lay down a four-second pass at 300 mph. Her first attempt in the Fuchs Lamattina Top Fuel dragster saw an early shut off 5.5s pass, with Bettes later commenting on social media: “I tried to give it a pedal but it didn’t stick! Going to make some changes for the next run. We want a 4-second run in Alice.” The fans wouldn’t have to wait too long - for the final pass of the day, Bettes lined up in the left lane and belted out a wild 4.90s at 297 mph. The team were so determined to run a four-second pass at the track that Kelly kept the foot planted and wasn’t lifting, as seen when she got a tad close to the wall. It is safe to say the crowd were appreciative of her efforts, going wild with celebrations.

For full results from the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series at Alice Springs, please click here.

Images by Dave Hope

29

RACE REPORT: SUMMIT RACING QLD CHAMPS ROUND TWO

HEAT RACERS TURN ON

IN BENARABY

Round two of the Summit Racing Queensland Championship – held at Benaraby Raceway on September 2 – may have started out with chilly temperatures on the morning of the event, but it soon heated up thanks to some great performances from the field of 88 racers.

A big effort from the Central Queensland Drag Racing Association (CQDRA) ensured a successful event and happy racers, along with a vocal crowd who clearly enjoyed the display of high horsepower vehicles and bikes.

While all of the competitors enjoyed a friendly relaxed atmosphere in the pits, by all reports it was tense on the race track. Several of the finals participants had to be decided via a countback, sometimes with little more than hundredths of a second being the difference.

Drawing the attention of the fans in particular during qualifying was the black Vauxhall of Raymond Voois with some wild antics. If the car wasn’t trying to knock over start line officials during a burnout, it was carrying on like a brat during qualifying for the Supercharged Outlaws bracket.

Unfortunately, Voois was not able to return for eliminations after coming down hard from a wheelie.

Speaking of spectacular, Mark Eves was back in the popular bracket, and hopeful that car owner Phil Wheatly had tamed his Corvette after his wild spin at Palmyra. His first run resulted in a 5.09 ET over the eighth. His second run was the quickest of the session with a 4.671s pass at 164 mph. In the third round of qualifying, Eves improved again with a 4.592s effort at 166.67 mph. When it was time for the finals however, it was the World’s Fastest FJ Holden of Randall Mohr who found himself the winner, defeating Anthony Spataro who broke out a bunch with a 5.08s ET on his 5.42s dial-in. Mohr took the trophy and the points with a 4.87s ET on his 4.83s dial-in.

The Hogan’s Heavy Haulage Modified Eliminator bracket started out with seven entries, however, that dropped to five when Ken Smith and Savos Pandelakis retired. Katie Cunningham would pick up the top qualifier points. For the all-Altered final, Roma racer Paul Winkle took the win with a 0.086s reaction on the tree and a 5.77s ET on his 5.73s dial-in, while Geoff Everett from Palmyra was runner-up with a 0.178s reacted 5.06s ET on a 5.00s dial-in.

Super Sedan had 15 entries with Gavin List as top qualifier before three rounds of eliminations saw the final came down to Zack Grimshaw and Richard Tyson. Unfortunately for Grimshaw, his small block TG Holden Gemini was not staged straight. After cutting a 0.020s reaction time, Grimshaw had a pedal and then had to back off after the Gemini was moving

fastlane

around, slowing to a 6.73s on a 5.90s dial-in. In the other lane, Tyson and his Holden One-Tonner took the win light with a 0.229s reacted 6.49s ET on a 6.47s dial-in.

Modified Bike had a big field of 18 riders, with nine coming down from Palmyra. The all Suzuki final was between Ross Bryant and Nathan Neilson, with Bryant being a busy boy at this event as he was also competing in Super Gas. Both riders cut good reaction times, but at the finish line, it was Neilson who took the win with a 0.089s reaction and a 0.141s over 5.96s. Bryant picked up runner-up points after cutting a 0.025s light and a 0.268s over 6.458s ET. In the Super Street bracket, a healthy list of 18 entries included round one winner Brett Keirnan. For the final, local racer Brett Kelly, who was making his first appearance in the Summit Racing Queensland Championship, dialled in with a 7.11s while top qualifier Craig McVie was happy with a 7-flat. Kelly was out the gate first, nailing a 0.071s reaction to a 0.185s from McVie. At the stripe, Kelly took the win in what was a double-breakout race with a 7.109s to a 6.974s from McVie. Unfortunately for McVie, his run and points were later stripped due to disqualification.

In the Coalroc Junior Dragster field, Andrew Tinney was top qualifier. After eliminations, Harry Thwaite was on fire with three wins. Joining him in the final was Jake Rickards, who took his place following a countback with three other drivers. On the green, Thwaite had a near four-second wait! Rickards left first with a 0.271s light while Thwaite grabbed the advantage with a 0.016s light. That was enough to take the win with a 0.023s over 8.243s to a 0.030s over 12.23s effort from Rickards.

In Super Gas, both Tom Parry and Ross Byrant were in the

Benaraby pits and looking to extend their point lead following a finals showdown at the first round of the Summit Racing Queensland Championship. Parry was electric at the tree cutting some great reactions, including a 0.003s in qualifying.

After three round wins, Parry would go to the final and be joined by Laurie Bonato. Running on a 6.30 index, the classic Holden vs Ford final was a one-sided affair when Bonato went red, handing the automatic win to Parry.

In the Street class, CQDRA President Lee Davis scored the trophy and points after Chris Rieck left too soon at the tree with a red light.

“The overwhelming feeling amongst the competitors was that this series has a bright future, and all are looking forward to the future success of this format,” Davis said after the event.

“Special thanks (goes) to ANDRA and also Summit Racing Equipment for sponsoring this series, and Hogan’s Heavy Haulage and Coalroc coming on board as bracket sponsors.

“Of course, special thanks must go towards all the hardworking volunteers we have at Benaraby, both in the running of the event and the preparation beforehand.

“From track prep, to tower staff, through to the track staff, our rural fire brigade, those that organise the food vendors and clean the toilets, these people volunteer their time, so that racers can do what they enjoy, race! My thanks go out to you all.”

For the latest points in the Summit Racing Queensland Championships, please click here.

Images by Luke Dahms

31

RACE REPORT: MILDURA

BIG WIND CAN’T STOP

BIGATACTION MILDURA An exceptionally windy start to the two-day Sunset Strip Nationals – round three of the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series – saw an altered schedule for Sunday’s running and plenty of action to boot at Mildura’s Sunset Strip.

Jim Ioannidis (SuperComp), Graeme Cooper (DENSO Super Street), Leon Davies (Super Sedan), Graeme Spencer (Super Gas), Gordon Crawford (Modified Bike), Chris Theo (Top Sportsman), Wade Kisyma (Modified), Bradley Bishop (Summit Racing Equipment Junior Dragster) and Tim Stewart (Supercharged Outlaws) all took victory in their respective classes.

Runners-up were Tom Dimitropoulos (SuperComp), Michael Bridges (DENSO Super Street), Joe Bresciano (Super Sedan), Roy Romeo (Super Gas), Dan Dycer (Modified Bike), Greg Damiani (Top Sportsman), Stewart Johnston (Modified), Holly Camilleri (Summit Racing Equipment Junior Dragster) and Jason Keily (Supercharged Outlaws).

After having earlier earned the SuperComp Top Qualifiers Medallion – sponsored by The Tile Co-The Shower People, KC Tools and Summit Racing – Ioannidis and his VS Commodore Sedan had a bye in the first round before dispatching Robert

Dekert in the semis. Dimitropoulos meanwhile faced Mark Newman and Craig Geddes (semis) on his way to his last race of the weekend.

“I am stoked with the result - we have put in the hard yards and we have been rewarded,” Loannidis said at the time.

“We have a fast car and we are utilising it now. We are becoming a good little well-oiled machine.

“Today unfolded really well. We had a game plan, we stuck to it and we ticked all the boxes. It unfolded exactly how we wanted it to.”

The day started well and just got better for DENSO Super Street winner Cooper, with the racer taking out the Top Qualifiers Medallion award for his bracket in his EH Holden Station Wagon before going on to race Harry Harris, Nikolas Karanovic and Peter Jephson ahead of a bye run in the semis. Bridges successfully faced off against Dan Stubbs (semis), Mark Sienczewski, John Kapiris and Jeffrey Farley. It was Cooper’s 36th national event win.

“For the Bridges it was their first time ever to a final and I didn’t really care if I won to be honest, as they are just such a beautiful family and it would have been nice to have seen them get their first silver one,” Cooper said.

fastlane

“It has been one perfect day, and I was very pleased also to receive the DENSO voucher upon taking the win – their spark plugs are an excellent product.

“I would like to thank Ricky Glass and Graeme Davis, Cavanagh Auto Parts, Automotive Performance Specialists, McMasters Body Works, Warner Signs and Lines, Paul Rogers Transmissions and of course, my wife Linda and daughter, Telisa.”

Super Sedan Top Qualifier Medallion recipient Davies beat Peter Tzokas (semis), Michael Milasiewicz and Alex Gkroidis on his way to the final in his Chevrolet Camaro, after enjoying a bye run in his first outing. Runner-up Bresciano meanwhile received a bye run for his semis, after having earlier defeated John Kapiris, Robert Kardum and George Tipouikidis.

“I am absolutely ecstatic to be honest. I have to thank my awesome crew, my wife Lisa, my lad Adam, my sponsors, and everyone that helps out, this is absolutely awesome,” Davies said at the time.

“I did my first run this morning and was the quickest qualifier so I was pretty wrapped with that. Then I had a bye run the first run and got through my second run with a reasonable reaction time.

“For the third run I must admit that I probably shouldn’t have won that one but I was fortunate enough that the other guy did red light. In the semi-final, I cut a 0.007s light (reaction time) and absolutely creamed it, so that was awesome. In the final I cut a 0.016s light and while the guy next to me did breakout, it would have been very close anyway. I am absolutely chuffed.”

Like many of the bracket tussles over the weekend, the Modified battle of Kisyma and Johnston was preceded by

plenty of action, with Kisyma taking on and defeating Matt Czerny (semis), Cory Dyson, Top Qualifier Medallion recipient Simon Barlow and Bradley Hicks – who secured a Perfect Light award for a 0.000 reaction time for his eliminations appearance – on his way to the final. Prior to a bye run in the semis, Johnston successfully took on Kenny Stewart, Jess Turner and Kingsley Kuchel.

While Barlow might not have made it as far as he may have liked in eliminations, that didn’t stop him ticking off another major goal for the weekend – resetting both ends of the A/MD national record with a 4.425 second/159.19 mile per hour effort.

On their way to the Super Gas final, Romeo dispatched Top Qualifier Medallion recipient Adrian McGrotty (semis) and Jeff Romeo while Spencer had a bye run to the final after taking victory over Warren Bull and Michael DeRose.

In the Modified Bike battle, the finals pairing was set after Dycer had taken the win over Nathaniel McKay (semis), Top Qualifier Medallion recipient Danny Rickard and Garth O’Hehir.

Crawford had faced and triumphed against Mario Baker (semis), Shane Walker and Matt Walden.

The fight for the Top Sportsman victory came down to Theo and Damiani after they had raced and beat Top Qualifier Medallion recipient Jason Stares (semis), Danny Buccella and Paul Russo; and Darren Nichele (semis), Andrew Greening and Julian Carafa respectively.

Spirited battles were also fought in the junior ranks, with Bishop beating out Baillie Ponton (semis), Josh Baker, Chelsea Sammut and Cody Brae on his way to facing Camilleri in the finals. Camilleri – who took out this event last year, had a bye run in her semi but not before she had to overcome last-round winner and points leader Jackson Perri, Tommy Turic and Jake Berias. Earlier in the day, Blake Hayes took out the Top Qualifiers Medallion for the bracket.

The Supercharged Outlaws competition was, as always, enticing to watch. Stewart took the win over Keily after finding himself in the finals following victory over Rodger Weste in the semis, which was preceded by a bye run. Earlier, he had taken on Top Qualifier Medallion recipient Paul Stephen. Keily enjoyed a bye run in his semis, after taking on Dale Tucker and Shane Kramer.

For full results from the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series at Mildura Sunset Strip, please click here.

Photos by Hayley Turns, Outlaw Images

33

faces r at the

races

Photos by Mark Cuffe / DragsSA.com