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THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL DRAG RACING ASSOCIATION
ACHAMPION
EFFORT The race to become a 2018/2019 Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Australian Champion concluded in thrilling style recently
RACING TECH STAGING LANES TORQUE SUMMIT
BEST ENGINEERED
IN THE KNOW WITH
CHAMPIONSHIP
SUNOCO POINTS
RACER ATFACES THE RACES
PROFILE
SUMMITRACING.COM
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contents
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CLICK TO VISIT
TECH
TORQUE STAGING LANES
A CHAMPION EFFORT
HOOKING UP A LEAF SPRING CAR WITHOUT TRACTION BARS
ANDRA AND NHRA TEAM UP
CROW CAMS BEST ENGINEERED
IN THE KNOW WITH SUNOCO
INTRODUCING THE MID COAST DRAG RACING ASSOCIATION
COLIN GRIFFIN - RACER PROFILE
FACES AT THE RACES
RACE REPORTS
WESTERNATS
Fastlane is produced by the Australian National Drag Racing Association LTD. Editor: Amanda Salmon (media@andra.com.au) Design: YBI Creative (www.ybicreative.com.au) Photography: Outlaw Images, Automotive Event Images, Zali Offer, Wayne Scraba, the Mid Coast Drag Racing Association
ANDRA Staff
ANDRA GRAND FINAL
General Manager: Brett Stevens Accounts: Susan Branscombe Business Manager: Jackie Mills Business Development Manager: Jennifer Lingo (Harrison) Licensing and Membership: Kylie Hazelhurst Media & PR Officer: Amanda Salmon Technical Officer: Scott Halfyard
Contact Details
Phone: 08 8271 5355 Fax: 08 8721 6988 Email: info@andra.com.au Street: 11 McInnes St, Ridleyton SA 5008
SUMMIT QLD CHAMPS
ANDRA Board
Murray O’Connor (WA) Nathan Peirano (QLD) - Chairman Grant Wilson (SA) Peter Kapiris (VIC) Wayne Downes(QLD) Grant Hamon (NT)
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DATES SET FOR ROUNDS ONE, TWO AND THREE
The Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) is pleased to confirm the first three rounds of the 2019/20 Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series as follows: • ROUND ONE – ALICE SPRINGS INLAND DRAGWAY (ALICE SPRINGS, NT) – AUGUST 3-4, 2019 • ROUND TWO – HIDDEN VALLEY DRAG STRIP (DARWIN, NT) – AUGUST 9-10, 2019 • ROUND THREE – THE SUNSET STRIP (MILDURA, VIC) – SEPTEMBER 21-22, 2019 ANDRA continues to work with venues to finalise the outstanding dates for the 19/20 season. The remainder of the 2019/20 Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series calendar will be released as soon as possible at www.andra.com.au
2019 DIVISION ELECTIONS COMPLETED During 2019, nominations were due for ANDRA Division Directors in Western Australia, Northern Australia and Victoria/ Tasmania. Nathan Peirano was re-elected unopposed in the division of Northern Australia and acting Division Director Murray O’Connor was elected to continue on as Division Director for Western Australia. The Division of Victoria/Tasmania, after receiving no nominations for the Division Director role, will continue under the guidance of the Division Council at this time. Once the new Division Council is in place, it will be able to elect an Alternate to fill the role. All new divisional appointees officially start their positions as of 1 June 2019. ANDRA sends its thanks to all of those who nominated. To learn more about the election process, please click here to view the ANDRA Constitution.
SOUTH QUEENSLAND
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Division Director Wayne Downes Ph: 0419 019 236 Email: southqueensland@andra.com.au
Division Director Robert Rath Ph: 0448 326 464 Email: southaustralia@andra.com.au
Division Director Murray O’Connor Ph: 0408 093 987 Email: westernaustralia@andra.com.au
South Queensland Delegates: Wayne Downes (DD) David Roderick Lance Ginbey Darren Booth Varton Bedrossian Ken Lowe Sarah Langridge
South Australia Delegates: Robert Rath (DD) Harry Harris Andrew Braithwaite Peter Tzokas Bob Scerri Michael Jennings Margaret Oppes
Western Australia Delegates: Murray O’Connor (DD) Peter Glover Geoff Chaisty Anthony Begley Nick Gardiner Elizabeth Johns Ian Jenkins Andrew Frost Alan Hudson
NEW SOUTH WALES
NORTHERN AUSTRALIA
VICTORIA/TASMANIA
Division Director Paul Stephen Ph: 0408 853 911 Email: newsouthwales@andra.com.au
Division Director Nathan Peirano Ph: 0457 306 159 Email: northernaustralia@andra.com.au
Division Director To be confirmed Ph: 0408 712 605 Email: victoriatasmania@andra.com.au
New South Wales Delegates: Paul Stephen (DD) Sharon Ward Jason Stares Aaron Brookes Jim Rowley Martin Stevenson John Ward
Northern Australia Delegates: Nathan Peirano (DD) Lawrence Galliani Ross Bryant Gary Brett Peter Peirano Gerald Tinney Glenn Cunningham John Zahra Robert West Peter Holt
Victoria/Tasmania Delegates: Bill Caris Sean Agius Douglas Anderson Jacobus Kok Doug Penna Gary Portelli Darryl Chamberlain
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CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL 2018/2019 DIVISIONAL CHAMPIONS Along with our Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series champions (click here to read more on them), ANDRA is pleased to announce the following competitors have been confirmed as the 2018/2019 Divisional Champions after achieving the highest points for their brackets in their respective divisions:
NA
SA
Troy Wittwer
60
Supercharged Outlaws
David Clark
60
Competition
Gavin Chisnell
110
Modified
Alex Panagiotidis
420
Super Stock
Ashley Smith
30
Super Sedan
David Willis
380
Competition Bike
Tim Bryan
110
Super Street
Jason Arbery
460
Top Sportsman
Colin Sainsbury
160
Modified Bike
Mark Hunt
390
Supercharged Outlaws
Aidan Abel
200
Junior Dragster
Adam Mundy
420
Modified
Peter Tzokas
350
Super Sedan
Paul Jennings
310
Super Street
Jake Hamilton-Moderate
360
Modified Bike
Tommy Turic
200
Junior Dragster
Charlie Saraceno
160
Super Gas
NSW David Roberts
190
Competition
Darryl Stephen
20
Top Sportsman
Paul Stephen
430
Supercharged Outlaws
David Hutchen
50
Modified
Brian Thomas
120
Super Sedan
Donald Baird
20
Modified Bike
Kyle Putland
235
Competition
Ella Stares
20
Junior Dragster
Jake Chaisty
325
Super Stock
Darryl Stephen
40
Super Gas
Justin Townson
290
Competition Bike
Paul Downe
190
Top Sportsman
Alan Mahnkoph
140
Supercharged Outlaws
VIC/TAS
WA
Craig Geddes
220
Competition
Angelo Locantro
240
Modified
Robert Dekert
365
Super Stock
Martin Mirco
420
Super Sedan
Robert Cassar
380
Competition Bike
Kirstie Wroe
160
Super Street
Ricky Smith
300
Top Sportsman
Chris Moore
160
Modified Bike
Mike Evans
320
Supercharged Outlaws
Zara Board
340
Junior Dragster
Chris Farrell
330
Modified
Alex Gkroidis
230
Super Sedan
SQ
Rodney Kerr
180
Super Street
Allan Hutchen
80
Super Street
Edgell Mallis
290
Modified Bike
Jake Berias
380
Junior Dragster
Adrian McGrotty
300
Super Gas
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RULE SUBMISSION RESULTS ANDRA is pleased to announce the results of the Rule Submissions applicable to the 2019/20 ANDRA Rulebook. Thank you to all of the volunteers of the National Rules Committee (NRC) as well as the appointed members of the ANDRA Operations Team for their assistance and guidance throughout the process. A special thank must also go to all of the ANDRA Members who provided information and input, and who are the primary decision makers within the Association. Without our valuable membership resource, these decisions and rule changes could not be made.
Following are the approved and accepted Rule Submissions that will become part of the 2019/20 ANDRA Rulebook: • New Handicap System (Group 2 Cars Only) • New Group 2 Classes – D/MSA, E/APA, D/AA, D/DA • Championship Honours Tie Decider • Junior Dragster Qualifying • Cooling Systems (Open Vehicles) • /MP and /MS Suspension
If you have any questions regarding these Rule Submissions and/or the Rule Submission Procedure, please email technical@andra.com.au
ANDRA HALL OF FAME MEMBERS INDUCTED TO CAMS HALL OF FAME Following their induction into the ANDRA Hall of Fame, Larry Ormsby (front row, second from left in the photo) and the late Eddie Thomas (represented by his son Ken Thomas, back row second from left) were inducted to the Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS) Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame in March.
The first CAMS Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame was held in 2016, with 30 inductees spread across all facets of the sport. CAMS has established a Hall of Fame Committee which comprises respected members of all disciplines within the sport plus experienced journalists with a strong knowledge of motor sport’s history and its participants.
The Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame is an initiative of CAMS, with the support of ANDRA as well as Motorcycling Australia, Karting Australia and Speedway Australia. To read more about Eddie and Larry and their great contributions to Australian motorsport, please click here to read the special feature on their ANDRA Hall of Fame induction in Issue 26 of FASTLANE Magazine.
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STREET MACHINE CONTINUES SUPPORT OF ANDRA MEMBERS Street Machine has renewed its commitment to the ANDRA Member Benefits program, extending its exclusive offer to ANDRA members of a discount on Street Machine memberships for another 12 months. In addition, Street Machine has increased the discount on offer, with ANDRA members now saving 37 percent off their subscription price (up from 35 percent). Street Machine is the country’s biggest
selling and most respected modified car magazine. Combining great photography with accurate, expert coverage of the Aussie modified car scene and in-depth technical features, Street Machine celebrates Australia’s passion for older cars, V8s and the lifestyle that surrounds them.
To take advantage of this great offer, call Magshop on 136 116, Monday to Friday (8am to 6pm AEST) with your ANDRA membership details. Already a subscriber? Simply extend your subscription with this offer and save.
LOOKING FOR MEMBER BENEFITS? The ANDRA Member Benefits Program is free to join and was created to offer its loyal members the opportunity to receive discounts to products from supporting companies. By joining the program, your business and products will be promoted to a performance-based target
audience. Utilising our database, this is the perfect platform to launch new products, advertise monthly specials and any other sale promotions you may have! For more information about the program and to learn about the latest companies to sign-up, visit www.andra.com.au
Find out the latest companies to sign up to the program by clicking here or visiting www.andra.com.au
GET ON BOARD WITH ANDRA DRAG RACING
As a valued ANDRA business partner, you will receive maximum exposure through the ANDRA Drag Racing brand and its events. Your company will be showcased whenever and wherever possible, for example: racers will carry decals representing your logo, trophies will feature your branding, commentators will make reference to your involvement across events and media reports will highlight your involvement. There is a host of ways you can support ANDRA drag racing, including investment in the following:
FREE TO JOIN!
• Fastlane Magazine Advertising (online) • Rule Book Advertising (hard copy and online) • Member Benefits Program (Free to Join) • Website Recognition • Motor Mail feature – Motor Mail is our members only newsletter, contact us to see an example if you don’t have an ANDRA member login • Facebook/Twitter Recognition • Sportsman Series Bracket Sponsorship
• Event naming rights (at select events, please contact us for more details) • Official Supplier Status • Live Streaming Show Advertising (at select events, please contact us for more details) • Presentation Rights to Championship Dinner • Runner-Up Trophy Sponsor for Sportsman Series • ANDRA transporter signage
For more information and to discuss opportunities, contact ANDRA’s Business Development Manager Jennifer Lingo (Harrison) on jennifer.harrison@andra.com.au
HEAD OFFICE CORRESPONDENCE A reminder that ANDRA’s postal address is: 11 McInnes Street, RIDLEYTON SA 5008 The previously used PO Box is now closed and anything that is received there will be sent back to you by Australia Post. Alternatively you can email info@andra.com.au, fax 08 8271 6988 or if you want to SMS your paperwork please send to 0437 933 745 (please note the mobile number cannot receive incoming calls).
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SINGLE EVENT LICENCE The Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) is pleased to announce the continuation of the event licence trial initially released in April 2018. Consideration of feedback to the ANDRA board from a number of clubs, venues and members has seen a review of the process and an update to paperwork and requirements. This update and continuation of the single event licence allows racers to compete at events at ANDRA member venues without having to hold a full ANDRA licence. The event licence can be used in place of an unlimited group 2 or 3 licence or a Group 1 licence. Event licences cost $50.00 and racers must be a full ANDRA member (single event licence and full membership can now be purchased together for $150.00) and hold a current ANDRA (or equivalent) medical clearance (other sanctioning body medicals will be accepted by ANDRA) to be eligible. Vehicles will continue to require an ANDRA technical inspection to be raced under an event licence, however ANDRA will not require the
competitor to purchase or hold an ANDRA logbook ($79 savings). ANDRA reserves the right to disallow any vehicle not compliant with ANDRA regulations and policies. Single Event Licences may only be purchased twice in a calendar year. There will be no geographical restrictions. Applications must be made through the ANDRA office at least 72 hours prior to an event, to allow enough time to ensure all medicals and provisions on the licence are in order. There will be an additional time requirement as outlined on the form for applications with removable rollcages. Single Event Licence applications will NOT be accepted on the day of an event. Single event licence forms are available by clicking here or by contacting info@andra.com.au.
HEAVY HITTER DRAG RACING @ RED CENTRE NATS Many of you will be aware of the upcoming Red CentreNATS, to be held in association with Summernats at the Alice Springs Inland Dragway from August 30 to September 1.
This special feature bracket is limited to just 20 vehicles and there is big prize money ($5,000 for first place and $3,000 for second place) as well as Tow money ($500 per vehicle paid on arrival) on offer. The action will kick off at 7.30pm on Saturday August 31 with test passes What you might not know is that in addition ahead of an elimination format. to the ANDRA-sanctioned drag racing to be Entries for the ‘Heavy Hitter’ feature bracket held across both the Saturday and the Sunday are capped at 20 vehicles, so be sure to get of the event, organisers have also announced your entry in quick if you are interested in a special ‘Heavy Hitter’ race on the Saturday taking part in this exciting feature bracket. evening for ‘seven and eight second’* cars as an added standalone feature.
There is also plenty of other drag racing to get involved with across the event weekend. To enter, go to https://redcentrenats.com. au/entrants/ or for more information, email RCNadmin@summernats.com.au or call (02) 6241 7949.
*Entered vehicles must have previously run between 7.00 to 8.99 ET over the quarter mile to be eligible. Competitors must hold the appropriate ANDRA licence and logbook.
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ACHAMPION
EFFORT
Another intense racing season for the 2018/2019 Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series came down to the wire in a fiercely competitive final round at the Perth Motorplex in April. In this special feature, we learn more about each of our 11 Australian Champions. The race to become a Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Australian Champion is one that is always entertaining, always intense, and always competitive – so it was no surprise when many of the racing brackets had their championships wide open heading to their final deciders. ANDRA congratulates each and every one of our champions, runners-up and all of those who took part in the 2018/2019 Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series on a fantastic season and looks forward to seeing what they have in store for the upcoming 2019/2020 season.
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INTRODUCING, YOUR 2018/2019 CHAMPIONS...
SUPER GAS
Photo by Automotive Event images
ADRIAN M GROTTY RUNNER-UP: COLIN GRIFFIN C
Hometown: Mill Park (Victoria)
Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Champion status: First-time Champion 2018/2019 event wins: Sunset Strip Nationals and South Coast Nationals 2018/2019 event runner-ups: Twilight Nationals
“I would like to thank everyone who has helped me along the way. My wife Nicole gave me the push to keep on going, my kids Caitlin, Maddi and Zac (big chief) were always supportive, and I also need to recognise my Mum and my Dad – who was always ready to weld something back together for me – and also my long-time crew member Stan,” McGrotty said. “Most of all this season I have to say a big thank you to Paul Turner for lending me his engine so we could keep racing, and also Andrew at Supa Trik Differentials, Rob Cassar for bringing my fuel to the track and the boys at Northern Suburbs Radiators. Finally I would like to thank the Mildura and Portland tracks and their volunteers who make it possible for us to race, and also Summit Racing Equipment for their support of the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series.”
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JUNIOR DRAGSTER
JAKE BERIAS RUNNER-UP: ZARA BOARD
Hometown: Werribee (Victoria)
Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Champion status: First-time Champion
2018/2019 event wins: Nitro Up North, Desert Nationals, Sunset Strip Nationals, South Coast 660
Sponsors: Werribee South Farm Supplies, Harley Heaven Melbourne, D Berias Farms and LT Egg Farm “I am very happy; happy and emotional – winning a championship, it is a big thing!” Berias said. “It has been a really good season, I won three events in a row and then came off a loss to Zara at round four to win again; it is a really great feeling. “I want to thank my family: my mum, dad and sister as well as my grandparents who have come to nearly every event, and also everyone in the drag racing community–they are very positive and great people. “The thing I really love about racing juniors is actually not the racing side, it is all of the families that are involved. It is a very family-friendly sport and on top of that the racing side is fun; you get to go fast and have fun.”
Photo by Automotive Event images
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Photo by Outlaw Images
SUPER STREET
PAUL JENNINGS RUNNER-UP: NIKOLAS KARANOVIC Hometown: Adelaide (South Australia)
Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Champion status: First-time Champion 2018/2019 event wins: South Coast 660
2018/2019 event runner-ups: South Coast Nationals
Sponsors: Norwood Automatics, Adelaide Car Transport, Smart Road Auto Wreckers, Smart Road Towing, J&J Products and Work and Play Trailers “I am pretty excited and never thought this would happen. I wasn’t planning on chasing the season this year, but I got points early and I had no option but to come to Perth, and it has paid off well! That was the happiest first round loss I have ever had,” Jennings explained, referring to his first round loss at the ANDRA Grand Final. “This is still pretty surreal. I have to thank my brother and Steve for bringing the car over to Perth and also my parents for coming to every round as well as ANDRA, Summit Racing Equipment, all of the tracks and all of my sponsors. “This really does mean a lot.”
MODIFIED BIKE
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JAKE HAMILTON -MODERATE RUNNER-UP: BRYAN FINN Hometown: Tarlee (South Australia)
Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Champion status: First-time Champion 2018/2019 event wins: South Coast Nationals
2018/2019 event runner-ups: South Coast 660 Sponsors: Aus Dig and ModCon Civil
“It was good to take the Championship out on our rookie year, we were trying hard for it as the idea of being able to pull that off on the first year was something we were aiming towards,” Hamilton-Moderate said. “It was a good season, we made a lot of new friends and certainly enjoyed ourselves. We have been trying to throw some wheelstands out there when we can to entertain the crowd a bit, just to amp them up a bit without upsetting any officials at the same time!” he laughed. “We are going to try and get to as many rounds for the 19/20 season, funds permitting. A big thanks goes to our sponsor AusDig for helping us out to get to the Grand Final, and also ModCon Civil for all the support in the 18/19 season.”
Photo by Automotive Event images
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Photo by Outlaw Images
SUPER SEDAN
MARTIN MIRCO RUNNER-UP: PETER TZOKAS Hometown: Bibra Lake (Western Australia)
Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Champion status: First-time Champion 2018/2019 event wins: Twilight Nationals and ANDRA Grand Finals
Sponsors: Lost Racing Products, Holldon Rigging, JD Automotive Repairs and Detailing and WA Bolts “It is a bit of a dream come true – I still look at it every day to make sure it is still real,” Mirco laughed. “It is not every day you get to stand there and win two Gold Christmas trees on the one day, so that was and is pretty exciting. The ANDRA Grand Final was definitely my favourite event of the season, to win the championship in the third round of racing and then go on to win the final was great! “My win in Mildura at the Twilight Nationals was also a highlight, really racing at all of the tracks was really great – I had never been to any of those tracks before and I hadn’t raced eighth mile before so it was all a little bit different working out the weather and conditions and the different tracks. It was a good challenge and made it a bit more rewarding overall too as it was the first time we had had a crack at it and to win it on the first attempt was really special. “We are going to do the whole season again and try and defend the Championship, we had a lot of fun and we are looking forward to doing it all again.”
MODIFIED
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ADAM MUNDY RUNNER-UP: JESSICA PROUD Hometown: Port Lincoln (South Australia)
Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Champion status: First-time Champion 2018/2019 event wins: Desert Nationals and ANDRA Grand Final Sponsors: Custom Kitchens, Slape Crash Repairs.
“The championship was a great way to finish of the year – to take it out there was lots of travelling and lots of help from my crew and it took quite a while to actually realise that we had done it!” Mundy said. “There was three of us in contention – myself, Chris Farrell and Jessica Proud – so it could have been any one of us who took the Championship, I was just lucky on the day. “The Perth Motorplex meetings were just next level and a definite highlight – the infrastructure and the pits are great and the locals over there were very friendly and helpful. “I was thinking of having a rest next season but after talking to some other competitors I think I will be defending the title!” he laughed. “My thanks goes to my crew, Des Mundy, John Boundey and Ron Beaucaris and also to Steve and Leanne Braggs – they built the car, I am just lucky enough to steer it! Of course I also send a big thank you to ANDRA for the whole year – they were awesome events every meeting.”
Photo by Outlaw Images
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SUPERCHARGED OUTLAWS
PAUL STEPHEN
RUNNER-UP: MARK HUNT Hometown: Raby, New South Wales
Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Champion status: First-time Champion 2018/2019 event wins: South Coast 660 and ANDRA Grand Final 2018/2019 event runner-ups: Nitro Up North
Sponsors: Atlantic Oils, Bob Reishel at Smart Fuels, Macarthur Garages, John Williard of Flatout Services, Craig’s Automatics. “Taking out the Championship is a culmination of god knows how many years, going back to when I was a teenager. It was something that we set out to do at the start of the year and I think I am still coming to grips with it now that we got it done,” Stephen said. “Committing is the hardest part – it is a lot of time off work, we worked out it came to around two months away all up, and a lot of kilometres, we drove 38,600km in the bus across the season! “Another big moment of the season was the Chris Stewart Memorial – there was a ANDRA Christmas Tree for me at that event as well but it was almost secondary on that occasion to the plaque going up on the wall. We don’t lose many – and it still chokes me up a bit, but it definitely has pride of place in my trophy cabinet and even if we did nothing else, we will get back to South Coast Raceway and defend that title.”
Photo by Automotive Event images
Photo by Automotive Event images
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TOP SPORTSMAN
JASON ARBERY RUNNER-UP: VLADO TURIC Hometown: Mount Gambier (South Australia)
Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Champion status: Two-time Champion 2018/2019 event wins: Nitro Up North, Sunset Strip Nationals, ANDRA Grand Final 2018/2019 event runner-ups: Desert Nationals, South Coast Nationals
Sponsors: Komatsu Forrest, Shannons Insurance, Trident Tyre Centre, and Hyland Fox Signs
Jason Arbery is not only the Top Sportsman Champion for the 2018/2019 Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series, but has also been awarded with the John Storm Memorial Trophy for the second year running. “I am absolutely wrapped for myself and the team, everybody dives in and gives it a red hot crack and to get the rewards like this is really, really cool,” Arbery said. “My thanks goes to my wife and my family, my crew Mick Pfitzner, Phil Busbridge, Josh Gosden and Ken Moore and everyone else who has helped along the way, as well as my sponsors. I also want to say thank you to ANDRA and Summit Racing Equipment, and to all of the racers and especially to Vlado Turic for a fantastic season and championship. “The John Storm Memorial Trophy is the greatest thing I have ever achieved, simply because of the history behind it. What more can I say, thank you to ANDRA, to Summit Racing Equipment, and to every track and venue that supports us – how good is this!”
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COMPETITION BIKE
ROB CASSAR RUNNER-UP: DAVE WILLIS Hometown: Hillside (Victoria)
Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Champion status: First-time Champion 2018/2019 event wins: South Coast 660
2018/2019 event runner-ups: South Coast Nationals
Sponsors: Ballistic Performance, Denso Auto Parts Australia, PowerPlus Racing Fuels, Shinko Tyres Australia, Nolan Helmets Australia, Lectron Carbs Australia and Lucas Oils “It is fantastic to take out the title after 23 years of trying. It was a great season, it was good to have the new format, we really enjoyed that,” Cassar said. “It was good to travel around and we set plenty of records in the process. And I won the championship on a tie-breaker, who ever thought that would happen! “My favourite event of the season was probably the one where I won at Portland, it was a hairy final as Danny Rickard put me up against the wall and I didn’t think we would win it but we got it done!”
Photo by Automotive Event images
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SUPER STOCK
ALEX PANAGIOTIDIS RUNNER-UP: ROB DEKERT Hometown: West Beach (South Australia)
Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Champion status: First-time Champion 2018/2019 event wins: Sunset Strip Nationals and South Coast Nationals 2018/2019 event runner-ups: ANDRA Grand Finals
Sponsors: ProTrans Australia, Tim’s Diffs, A and K Torque Converters and Tom’s Towing and Heavy Haulage “This is a 20 year dream. We started racing and bought this car 20 years ago and it took 10 years to win our first event and it has taken 20 years to win the championship, which was our goal right from the beginning,” Panagiotidis said. “We will try and run the season again, but for now we will go home and regroup. “I definitely have to single out the crew – they are everything, we have had a good, loyal crew all season. My son George, my daughter Lexi and my cousin Harry – we have all travelled together and worked really well together and everything worked out! I also want to thank ANDRA and Summit Racing Equipment, as well as my supporters.”
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COMPETITION
CRAIG GEDDES RUNNER-UP: DAVID ROBERTS Hometown: Miners Rest (Victoria)
Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Champion status: Six-time Champion 2018/2019 event wins: South Coast 660
Sponsors: DecoGlaze Glass Splashbacks, Quicks Freight Express, JAX Tyres Ballarat, The Cleaners Room, Lucas Oils, Ballarat Roadworthy Centre, Laser Electrics Ballarat, CHS Broadbent Grain, Crane Cams, Bullet race Engineering, Custom Engines, Patterson Elite Racing USA, Protrans, Peter Ridgeway, Michael Marriot and Jamie Tanksley “This is amazing, I am very proud to be involved in ANDRA Drag Racing and we are very passionate about the sport and that will continue into the future. We are very pleased and hopefully there will be more to come!” Geddes exclaimed. “It will be more of the same next season, we have plenty of potential left in the set-up, we will regroup over the break and come back next year and have another crack. “This is our fifth Competition championship and we have won in Super Gas as well so we are really proud of that. I would like to thank ANDRA, Summit Racing Equipment, my crew, my family and everyone who helps us out, this is fantastic!”
Photo by Automotive Event images
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Winning Takes Work. Getting Parts is Easy.
Shopping is simple. Use the Summit Racing Mobile App to easily browse parts, add items to your cart, and check out right from your phone. Shipping is Fast! And our Landed Cost Shipping includes all duties, taxes, and clearance fees, so you can spend more time racing and less time waiting for parts.
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
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torque
Hooking up a Leaf Spring Car without Traction Bars STORY AND PHOTOS BY WAYNE SCRABA
Bolt-on traction bars for leaf spring cars have been available for what seems like forever. Most work fine, but we’re here to tell you that people have hooked up leaf spring cars without using any traction bars. Take a look at the stock appearing muscle cars campaigned in the Supercar Races Series. One of the quickest cars there, a 1969 Nova, has run a best of 10.48 seconds at 132.34 MPH in the quarter-mile, with a 1.61 second 60-foot time. That’s hauling, especially when you consider the car runs on skinny belted bias-ply tires. Then there’s the 1963 Max Wedge car that ran a 10.94 at 126.60 MPH in 2013, and a 1969 Camaro that pulled a 10.49/134.77 pass in 2014. There are a bunch of other cars hovering around the 11-second flat zone, too. How do they do it? Dig deep and you’ll find all of the really quick leaf spring combinations run springs with a decided forward bias, where the front of the spring is stiffer than the rear. It’s not really a new idea, the Chrysler
[1]
Corporation came up with the concept in the early sixties. Chrysler engineers knew that when the hammer was dropped at the starting line, the front of the spring pack would wrap up, typically in an ‘S’ shape. They designed springs with a heavier front bias; in some cases, the springs were heavily clamped forward of the axle housing. The back of the spring pack was often run without clamps or just a single clamp. The aptly named ‘Super Stock’ springs didn’t require any traction aid other than a pinion snubber. In fact, Chrysler warned racers not to use any traction device, period. Mopar Performance still makes Super Stock leaf springs: a testament to how well they work. Summit Racing offers Super Stock springs for you Mopar guys. Does that leave everyone else out in the cold? Nope - thanks to oval track racing, there are leaf springs for GM cars that work much like the Chrysler Super Stocks do. AFCO Racing makes leaf springs engineered with a new secondary leaf design that provides improved forward bite. A bolt-in for various Camaros and Novas, the AFCO springs are available with several different rates, the most
common being 153 pounds or 176 pounds. The 176 pound-rate springs are the most popular for stock big block combinations. AFCO leaf springs have an arch of approximately 6 3/8 inches, which is close to stock. They come with the front spring eye bushing installed and accept a stock rear bushing. The leafs are tapered to reduce stress (30-40 percent according to AFCO) and prevent the loss of arch. Teflon rub blocks are placed between the leafs to reduce friction and maintain the springs’ rating over time. One more trick out of the stock appearing racer’s notebook is the use of extra spring clamps. These can be used as tuning tools for leaf spring cars with no added traction devices. Summit Racing offers several different bend clips for leaf springs. Another option is to make your own with a couple of heavy steel straps and high strength bolts and nuts. So does the AFCO leaf spring deal work? The fast guys aren’t talking, but when you see how hard many of those stockappearing muscle cars run, you can draw your own conclusions. In the meantime, let’s look at AFCO’s springs in more detail in the photo captions.
At first glance, the AFCO leaf spring sold by Summit Racing looks pretty much like a stock replacement. But as you’ll see, there are considerable differences
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[2]
[3]
When you examine the front of the spring pack on each leaf you’ll find it is heavily forward biased with more leafs in front than in the back, much like the famous Chrysler Super Stock spring. The idea with the forward bias design is to control spring windup, where the front of the spring gets S-shaped under power.
[4] Only one clamp is used at the back of the spring. This too is similar to the arrangement Chrysler used on their Super Stock springs.
[6]
AFCO puts a reinforcement under the locating pin. Not all leaf springs have this.
[8]
In addition to more leafs, the AFCO leaf spring also incorporates double clamps in the front segment.
[5] AFCO uses Teflon “buttons” between the leafs to reduce friction. There are three buttons in the front segment and two in the rear.
[7]
Note the location of the second leaf on the nose of the spring. It ends directly under the eye—just like the ultimate snubber location for a slapper bar. That leaf ends just after the locating pin.
[9]
The springs are supplied with an OEM style and diameter rubber front bushing. You’ll want to swap this for a polyurethane bushing for competition use.
AFCO does not supply a rear spring eye bushing. You can use an OEM style rubber bushing or polyurethane, it is your choice. The spring eye uses a stock 1.50 inch diameter bushing.
[ 10 ]
[ 11 ]
The leafs are tapered to reduce stress in the spring pack. If you’re tuning these springs, this location at the front of the spring pack might be a good spot for an extra clamp.
AFCO builds these springs that are very close to OEM springs dimensionally. The arch is approximately 6 3/8 inches, which put the ride height at stock or very close to stock levels.
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ANDRA AND NHRA TEAM UP TO DELIVER NEW BENEFITS
A fantastic new partnership between the Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) and the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) which will deliver new benefits to all ANDRA members was announced recently. The partnership will allow ANDRA members to access discounted NHRA digital membership and associated benefits and discounts specifically tailored to the Australian market, while also seeing the NHRA promote ANDRA drag racing to its large membership base through its popular NHRA.TV platform. ANDRA members will be able to purchase a NHRA digital membership for the discounted price of just $50AUD. The NHRA digital membership for ANDRA members provides the following benefits, including numerous discounts to deliver some great savings to members:
NHRA Membership Manager, Anthony Cali, said he was pleased to be able to announce the new partnership with ANDRA. “We have enjoyed a long relationship with the Australian National Drag Racing Association and we are very pleased to take this relationship to the next level with the announcement of this new partnership between our two organisations,” Anthony said. In further great news, the NHRA will also now promote selected ANDRA drag racing events on NHRA.TV starting with recent action from the ANDRA Summit Racing
• Digital NHRA National Dragster subscription (24 issues per year) • 25 percent off a season subscription to NHRA.TV – NHRA’s live streaming service of the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and other events (representing a saving of approximately $42AUD) • A digital edition of the NHRA Rulebook • $10 off tickets to your favourite NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events (four coupons for $10 each, able to be used at any of the following events: Winternationals, Phoenix, Gainesville, Atlanta, Richmond, Topeka, Epping, Seattle, Indy, Pomona Finals) • Membership to the Hospitality Centre at every NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event • 10 percent off NHRA Merchandise from NitroMall and NitroMall. com • 10 percent off Dragmart classified ads placed in NHRA National Dragster
Equipment Grand Finals at the Perth Motorplex which is available to view now. To celebrate this fantastic new partnership, the NHRA is offering the chance for those taking up the membership to go in the draw to win one of five NHRA.TV subscriptions worth $119.99USD (approximately $170AUD). “We are very excited to be able to announce this new partnership with the NHRA,” ANDRA General Manager, Brett Stevens, said. “The NHRA is hugely respected as one of the largest auto racing organisations in the world with a rich history dating back to 1951. “We have had a long history of technical information sharing with the NHRA as the largest drag racing body in the world. This new partnership will enable all ANDRA members to gain benefit from that enduring relationship. “Many ANDRA members travel to the US for NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events and many more regularly tune in via NHRA.TV to watch the action from the comfort of their loungerooms. For all of these members, both current and those looking to sign up for a new ANDRA membership, this new partnership provides great access and savings. “We are also very pleased to know that the reach of ANDRA drag racing action will be even greater than ever before with NHRA.TV to broadcast recent and upcoming events
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ABOUT NHRA
in the future which is a great boon for our sport, our members and our valued sponsors; seeing ANDRA and the NHRA working closer together to grow global awareness of the Most Powerful Motorsport on the Planet!” “We are thrilled to be offering ANDRA drag racing to our fans on NHRA.TV,” NHRA Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Jeffrey Young, said. “NHRA.TV has been a phenomenal platform for our NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and will continue to be exceptional for ANDRA. We look forward to continuing to grow the sport of drag racing all over the world!” The NHRA digital membership offer is open to both current and new ANDRA members/licence holders. Those with current memberships/ licences should please contact the ANDRA office on 08 8271 5355 or info@andra.com.au to discuss the options for taking advantage of this partnership. Those looking to become new members can purchase the membership from the ANDRA shop at www.andrashop.com.au or email info@andra.com.au
Headquartered in Glendora, California, NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 24 national events featuring the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA.
NHRA also offers the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 8 to 17. In addition, NHRA owns and operates five racing facilities: Atlanta Dragway in Georgia; Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville in Florida; National Trail Raceway in Ohio; Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis; and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. For more information, log on to NHRA. com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
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engin
best
At the MacTrack Westernationals and the racers were recognised with prestigiou
DEAN DAWES
13B-powered Mazda RX3 – CROW CAMS BEST ENGINEERED, MACTRACK WESTERNATIONALS Dean Dawes was blown away when he was announced as the Crow Cams Best Engineered Award winner for this popular 13B-powered Mazda RX3. “To receive the Crow Cams Best Engineered award was just massive for me,” said Dawes, who hopes to see his impressive machine become one of the top 13B drag cars in Australia. “I was taken by surprise that the car actually got it, the rotaries are sometimes frowned upon in what can be a very V8-centric world, so it was really quite humbling to be picked out of the pack and awarded in that way. “I always knew the car was well built and was capable of getting awards, but we never thought it would actually happen and we feel really honoured – honestly it will stay with me
for the rest of my life, it really rewarded me for taking the time and effort and money to put the car together. “It started out as what I like to call an ‘Ikea’ car – it was a chassis with a body draped over it and nothing more. I was in the process of having a chassis built by someone else and when that was delayed, I bought this one to speed up the process and get us on track a bit quicker. “I gave it to Clint Digiovanni at SRM in Wangara and he let me work in his workshop just piecing the car together. He was a real driving force in getting that car started and finished. It took us six months to get the car ready for its motor, and then probably the better part of the year getting the motor, box, diff and everything fabricated in there and running. “Michael Buckley And John Clements from Rotomotion also let me live in their workshop to get the car finished and are very much considered part of my family. Michael is one of Australia’s Top EFI Tuners and spent countless hours wiring our untried Motec Package
together – it has come out and been reliable straight away. “Todd Stacy at Rotomotion did all of the driveline fabrication in the car and while it is a pretty car and it is well put together, the engineering side of what went into the motor and getting everything to fit in there is part of the reason we got this award I believe and that is a credit to them all. Having Terry and Todd Stacy’s guidance on setting up the chassis through the season was also critical to its progress and is much appreciated. “I also must thank my wife Janine – she has allowed me to spend a heck of a lot of our retirement money to go and do this and has thrown her support behind me chasing this dream. Thanks also must go to Glenn Baker for helping me set up the Motec and of course my entire crew, Shane Brown who was there all year helping us get it sorted, and everyone else who supplied quality parts along the way.”
neered
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e ANDRA Grand Finals, two very deserving us Crow Cams Best Engineered Awards.
BRETT GHEDINA
PACE MOTORSPORT HONDA CBR1000 – CROW CAMS BEST ENGINEERED, ANDRA GRAND FINALS For Brett Ghedina, the Crow Cams Best Engineered accolade for his PACE Motorsport Honda CBR1000 is one he is very proud of. “This means heaps to me because my business PACE Motorsport is purely and simply about building motorcycles and cars to achieve these sort of goals,” Ghedina explained, while thanking his crew members Trevor and Jason as well as Pace Motorsport. “My last motorbike pulled the infamous backflip on the startline of the Perth Motorplex three years ago.
“After that bike met its unceremonious end, I spent three years building this new bike and I basically put everything I had learnt over the last ten years into this one build, rather than building it two or three times over like the first bike. “PACE Motorsport is responsible for the design and fabrication of the complete turbo system, methanol fuel system, LINK Engine Management system wiring, engine platform design and build plus the Dyno tuning. “We enlisted the services of RPS Manufacturing for its ‘M2.S2’ rear shock absorber; Hays Machine Works for its ‘Kairos’ Clutch Assembly and McIntosh Machine for its ‘ProLite’ Swingarm – all of which were custom designed and built to our specifications and to work with the PACE Motorsport power plant.
“We are extremely pleased at how well the initial design of this motorcycle has turned out and this is shown through its performance to date, where it has reset the CC/CB national index to 7.187s in just five race meetings. “I put everything into this bike’s development – everything and anything I could possibly do myself through my business is on that bike and it is 100 percent an advertisement of what we are capable of building at PACE Motorsport, so to get the Crow Cams Best Engineered Award is an absolute honour.”
From burnouts to blown alcohol, street and strip, Crow Cams’ valve train technology has you covered with world class performance and reliability. For more information, visit www.crowcams.com.au
in the
know WITH SUNOCO RACE FUELS
Words by Zachary Santner - Technical Specialist, Sunoco Race Fuels
BEYOND OCTANE
Octane is the most talked about property when it comes to gasoline. It’s no surprise because selecting octane of gasoline is the only choice the consumer has, except what station to buy it from. In this article, Sunoco Race Fuels focuses on octane stability of regular and premium octane pump fuels versus racing fuels and what you can do to prevent octane loss in your fuel. You have probably overheard at the local track: “High octane fuels burn slower” “My motor doesn’t need all that octane so that fuel won’t do me any good” “I need the highest octane so I can max out my timing” Unfortunately, those statements are not always true. As a matter of fact, those statements only have some merit in the street gas world where 93 octane fuel is king and 87 is used by most. In the world of racing gasolines where higher octane
choices abound, sharp engine builders and racers
know they need to look beyond octane to find the right fuel.
But before we ignore octane, it is important to look at how octane is measured in the first place.
Octane numbers are measured using single
cylinder engines that look more like something out of a Model T than any modern engine. These
so-called “knock” engines are operated by trained
Many times you’ll hear that MON is more important than RON because the MON test is performed under higher temperature and engine speed conditions. While this may be true, the laboratory test conditions are not indicative of what real race engines – heck, even mild street/ strip motors for that matter – see at the track. Also, some engines have shown a better correlation between horsepower and RON. So, a word to the wise: don’t get hung up on octane numbers.
technicians in labs under controlled conditions. Two tests are used – one for Research Octane
Number (RON) and another for Motor Octane Number (MON). The RON test results in a higher octane value than the MON test.
If you average RON and MON, you get an octane
value called AKI, short for Anti-Knock Index. It is
often labelled (R+M)/2, reflecting the fact that it is
the average, or midpoint, between RON and MON.
AKI is used to rate retail pump fuels, and it is the
most commonly used octane value for race fuels as well.
For example – BP Ultimate typically has a RON of 98 and a MON of 88, thus yielding an AKI of (98+88)/2
= 93. We provide all the octane numbers for all of
our race fuels – RON, MON, and AKI. So while we
may refer to fuels like SR18 as “118 octane” (that’s the AKI value), we also show the RON and MON numbers under “Technical Details”. For SR18, that would be 120 and 116 for RON and MON, respectively.
For a great example of why octane is not the only fuel parameter to ponder, consider the engines used in Formula 1. These engines have compression ratios exceeding 18:1 and spin at RPMs pushing 20,000. Sounds like a candidate for 116 octane race gas, right? Nope – they use a 96 octane fuel! It’s hard to find a wider variety of race cars than what shows up at your local drag strip. On any given weekend you can see all sizes and shapes of engines ranging from raspy four-cylinder motors to booming big blocks, and with all kinds of power adders thrown in the mix. This is where looking beyond octane becomes really important. What works for your buddy’s Pro Stock car may not be the best choice for your other buddy’s turbocharged import.
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Naturally aspirated race motors with large combustion chambers spinning at high RPMs really like high-octane, fast burning fuels. They need the octane to prevent uncontrolled combustion, and they need a fastburning fuel so that the flame front can span the large bore of the combustion chamber quickly. If you’re not sure which fuel burns faster than others, one indicator is specific gravity. “Lighter” fuels – fuels with a lower specific gravity – tend
to burn faster because fast burning hydrocarbons are themselves light. Look for a specific gravity close to 0.70 and you’ll likely find a fast burning fuel. Of course, consult with the fuel producer to verify your assumptions. You might be surprised to learn that some of the highest octane fuels may also be some of the fastest burning fuels! You might also be surprised to know that fast burning fuels may not need as much timing as their slower
burning counterparts. Many times we get calls from individuals who are dialling in new motors on a fast burning fuel but they’re using timing and jetting numbers from their old motor and fuel combo. “Retard the timing a couple degrees and see what happens” is not the suggestion they expect to hear! With high octane, fast burning fuels, it is easy to dial in too much timing. In such cases, the engine is not detonating, but it is past the point of optimum spark advance, so it’s just heating
things up and making less power. A little less timing may really wake up the motor. For more on Sunoco Racing Fuels, visit www.SunocoRaceFuels.com Proper storage can preserve octane for years, but improper storage can reduce octane and degrade fuel within weeks. That is why we provide proper storage information on our website, www. SunocoRaceFuels. com.
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2018/19 CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
COMPETITION
PTS
SUPER SEDAN
PTS
SUPER STOCK
PTS
SUPER STREET
PTS
COMPETITION BIKE
PTS
MODIFIED BIKE
PTS
TOP SPORTSMAN
PTS 460 380 350 300 240
Jake Berias Zara Board Daniel Carranza Tommy Turic Aidan Abel
SUPERCHARGED OUTLAWS
PTS
SUPER GAS
MODIFIED
PTS
Craig Geddes David Roberts David Clark Kyle Putland Trent Morrison
Alex Panagiotidis Robert Dekert Jake Chaisty Steve Norman Adrian Vella
Robert Cassar David Willis Danny Rickard Jason McFarlane Tony Frost
Jason Arbery Vlado Turic Darren Saliba Ricky Smith Glenn Henley
Paul Stephen Mark Hunt Mike Evans Jason Keily Tim Stewart
Adam Mundy Jess Proud Chris Farrell Ashley Johnson Kenny Stewart
220 190 60 235 170
420 365 325 270 150
380 380 370 130 130
430 390 320 280 120
420 390 330 270 260
Martin Mirco Peter Tzokas Chris Lioulios Mick Fenton David Todd
Paul Jennings Nikolas Karanovic Michael Bridges Rodney Kerr Tony Barbara
Jake Hamilton-Moderate Bryan Finn Edgell Mallis Gavin Dohnt David McGinn
JUNIOR DRAGSTER
Adrian McGrotty Colin Griffin Jason Wilson Graeme Spencer Charlie Saraceno
420 350 340 330 290
310 210 190 180 160
360 320 290 260 240
PTS 380 340 310 200 200
PTS 300 280 260 160 160
CLICK HERE FOR FULL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
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Introducing the
MID COAS The Mid Coast Drag Racing Association (MCDRA) is a locally registered non-profit sporting club which was founded in 2018 with a key goal in mind: to bring Drag Racing to the Manning Valley. By doing so, the MCDRA hopes to help promote
driver safety and help boost tourism in the beautiful area of country New South Wales.
The idea for the Association started with Club Secretary Roger Stimson, who collected together
a small yet enthusiastic group of supporters in
Monique Cahill, Nathan Cooper and Jess Cooper to form what would become the MCDRA in early 2018.
“As our intention was to run a motorsport event,
the four of us soon realised that we would need a safety officer added to our group,” Roger explains when reflecting on the club’s journey so far.
“Monique’s husband Merv Cahill was the perfect fit for the role with his vast knowledge
of car modifications and a strong automotive engineering background and we were pleased to
welcome him aboard.
vehicles in a safe and controlled environment.”
“Shannon Welsh then also joined the committee – having been involved in the motorsport industry for more than a decade Shannon brought muchvalued knowledge and assistance to our group.”
That goal is a driving force for the Association,
Fast forward to now and the newly established Association is now preparing for its first drag racing event, to be held in July 2019 under ANDRA sanction.
“Our main goal is to provide at-risk young drivers
“We have been busy getting our Approval from Council to hold our Off Street Drag Racing events and while this has been happening we have been attending various car shows to help spread the word about MCDRA,” Roger explains. “At the same time we have been holding fund raisers in order to help the Club achieve its goal of providing the community a place to race their
with Roger explaining that the location of the area
makes it critically important for local services such as the MCDRA to be in operation.
and enthusiasts a safe and controlled place to use their street registered cars and bikes,” Roger said.
“The Manning Valley is several hours drive from
the nearest regional track and mid-way between
Sydney and Willowbank Dragway, so it just makes sense to have drag racing here.”
The first event will be held on the 6th of July, with a rain date in place for July 27. Plans are also
already underway for a second event in October and quarterly events thereafter.
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AST
Drag Racing Association
“Given that July will be our first ever event, we are aiming for everything to run smoothly!” Roger said. “The competitors’ gates will open at 8.00am with the spectator gates opening at 10.00am and there will be various businesses on display along with a variety of local food for the tasting. “If people want to get involved then they are more than welcome to join the club as we still need more members to help setup and run our events. “The event has also given us an opportunity to partner with local charities and community groups that will be assisting on the day which we are really happy about, with fundraising through ticket sales and catering going straight back to the community. “We really hope that those who have been following our journey will come out and support us by attending the event and enjoying a drive through the beautiful Mid-North Coast while
they are here. If the event is successful in the eyes of the local Police, MidCoast Council and the community, then it is more likely that we will be able to continue well into the future after all! “If you can’t attend the event, you can also support us by sharing our Facebook posts; supporting our sponsors; or by considering contributing to or sharing our GoFundMe campaign – funds raised through this campaign will go towards new technology to help our events operate more efficiently for the benefit of everyone.” Already there are plenty of parties who have supported the team along the way. “We are grateful for the hard working team at Tamworth Drag Racing Association who planted the seed and have provided immense support,” Roger said. “We would not have an event if it wasn’t for the foresight of MidCoast Council in seeing the benefits to road safety, tourism and community
fundraising that our event will bring the area, so our thanks goes to them for seeing our vision and helping us bring it to life. “We are also very appreciative to our faithful club sponsors who are at the foundation of our Club; they believed in us from the very beginning, and have shown true community spirit in helping us make it all come together: Speedflow, All Vehicle Services (AVS), Tile Power, Valley Industries, Taree Auto Electrics and Saxby’s.” For more information on the Mid Coast Drag Racing Association, visit the Club’s facebook page at www.facebook.com/ MidCoastDragRacingAssociation/ or go to www. mcdra.com.au/
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Photo by Automotive Event images
racerprofile COLIN GRIFFIN Age 56
Hometown Mt Ridley, Vic Occupation Fitter & Turner Started racing 1987 Classes competed Super Gas, Pro Sed (10.90 back in the old Calder days), Super sedan Best ET and speed 8.60s/158mph Sponsors Unfortunately, no sponsors. Favourite TV show At the moment, Chicago PD. But you can’t go past the Simpsons and Talladega nights Favourite food Mexican Favourite racetrack Portland’s South Coast Raceway
You took out second in the 18/19 Summit Racing Equipment Super Gas championship – how did that feel? In the first two local events we had, I lost in the first round both times so I thought I was done. But then I had two good results and I only lost by 1 round - I guess I should have done better in the early events! I was happy to get second - Silver Christmas trees are nice!
Do you have any favourite moments from the 18/19 season? My wife always says I’m happiest at the track. The two event wins in 18/19 were extra special, but in Drag Racing you lose more than you win, so as long as it’s not broken, I’ve still had a good day. What is it that you love about Super Gas racing? I built this car as a S/G car and first raced back in 1994. I enjoy the Pro start and the challenge of having to hit the number on changing track and weather conditions. It looks easy but I can guarantee that it is not. Every bracket has their challenges, I just enjoy the ones in S/G. It is also what I can afford. What are your plans moving forward – will we see you racing in the 19/20 season? Oh, definitely! I’m already looking forward to next season – I can’t wait. Is there anyone you would like to shine the spotlight on for their role in your season or your overall racing career? I must thank my beautiful wife Anne. She is always there supporting and helping me. I can race without her but it’s more fun when she’s there.
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Arthur j Proudly supporting ANDRA gallagher Transit and static race vehicle insurance In an industry that is no stranger to risk, your vehicle, transporter and tools are exposed to risks every day. Our longstanding history working with the motor sport industry, means our insurance experts understand your risks and can help you find the right cover to keep your passion on track.
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racerprofile DANIEL CARRANZA Age 14
Hometown South Morang, Victoria. Occupation Student Started racing February 2014 at 8 years of age Best ET 7.30 and got disqualified for going too fast! Ha! Sponsors Penrite oils, LMR (Lee Meehan Roofing) Favourite race vehicle Pro Slammer, LJ Torana Favourite TV show Street Outlaws, WWE Favourite food Pasta Favourite racetrack Sydney Dragway
You took out third in the 18/19 Summit Racing Equipment Junior Dragster Championship – how did it feel?
I feel very proud of what I have accomplished this season and coming third in Australia is something that not only that I am proud of but also my family and friends are proud of. What were your top three favourite moments from the 18/19 season?
1. I had some great moments travelling around Australia - especially the road trip up north with family and friends and sight-seeing the Rock in Alice Springs and its surroundings, heading up to Darwin and seeing wild Crocs and Dingos. We were away from home for three weeks that trip. 2. Coming third in the Championship was also a fav and a memorable moment, it was a bit of a nail biting moment at the finals. It was a race meet with lots of laughs and tears.
3. Hanging out with my race mates is always a favourite of mine, because some of my race friends live interstate so I only get to see them in my travels. I also have some fans who look forward to me travelling to their hometowns to catch up and say hi. What is it that you love about Junior Dragster racing? I love the rush that I get when speeding down the track and seeing the win light. Camping out in our
motorhome at all the tracks with my family. I love how all the JD families are close and supportive of each other. Win or lose, we are all there for each other. What are your plans moving forwards – will we see you in the 19/20 season? Yes you still will be seeing me travelling around Australia raising awareness for autistic kids and chasing the junior dragster championship. My plan for next year in the 19/20 season is to win my first Christmas tree and to just ‘send it’! What else is coming up for you?
I have been chatting with some big name drivers and will be visiting them in the USA in July for the Sonoma Nationals, so I am pretty excited about that! What do your school friends think about your chosen sport?
They think it is really cool and different that I race and they always ask me questions about the drag racing, for example; where are you going, how are you going and where are you in the championship points? When I return back to school after being away racing the teachers also ask me how did I go.
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Behind the Wheel with Jr. Dragster Racer Jake Berias, ANDRA Jr. Drag Champion. “I am very happy and emotional. Winning a championship is a big thing! What I love about racing juniors is that it’s a very family-friendly sport where you get to go fast and have fun.”
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WESTERNATSW
The MacTrack Westernationals well and truly provided an epic penultimate round of the 18/19 Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series at the Perth Motorplex in early March. The event hosted not only the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series racers but also Top Doorslammer and Top Fuel Motorcycle competitors who battled it out for the West Coast Challenge, with 187 racers signing up for the two-day event. Earning a prestigious ANDRA Gold Christmas Tree for their winning efforts were Chris Moore (Modified Bike), Craig Caton (Super Street), Mick Fenton (Super Sedan), Cory Treasure (Modified), Greg James (Supercharged Outlaws), Alby Bakranich (Top Sportsman), Justin Townson (Competition Bike), Steve Norman (Super
Stock), Trent Morrison (Competition), Daniel Gregorini (Top Doorslammer) and Tony Wood (Top Fuel Motorcycle).
off against Pino Priolo (round one) and Mark Chapman while Zappia had beaten Marty Dack (round one) and Steve Aldridge.
Runners-up were Rob Good (Modified Bike), Ashleigh Wroe (Super Street), Neil Scott (Super Sedan), Erin Healy (Modified), Jon Ferguson (Supercharged Outlaws), Paul Downe (Top Sportsman), Brett Ghedina (Competition Bike), Todd Stacy (Super Stock), Ralph Lewis (Competition), John Zappia (Top Doorslammer) and Wayne McGuinness (Top Fuel Motorcycle).
“This is so awesome and it is so good that ANDRA have looked after us and brought this meeting back. It was so good to have it in Perth, and it is good to beat the champ!” Gregorini exclaimed on the night.
In the Top Doorslammer ranks, the final battle came down to 11-time national champion and Westernationals Top Qualifier John Zappia and Daniel Gregorini, with just three onethousandths of a second separating the pair at the finish line. Ultimately, it was Gregorini who would take out the coveted ANDRA Gold Christmas Tree from Zappia; who had earlier clinched the Top Qualifier Medallion – thanks to TileCo-TheShowerPeople and KC Tools. On his way to the final, Gregorini had faced
“It was my wife’s birthday on the Wednesday (leading up to the event) and I asked her what she wanted and she wanted a Gold Christmas Tree, no pressure! It was also Dad’s birthday (on the Sunday of the event) and he wanted a Tree as well and it is my birthday on the tenth,” he explained while thanking sponsors Scratch and Match Autocolour, Kerb Doctor, Atlas Shelving, Kendal Oils, Metalux Paints, Westcoast Siteworks, Signbiz WA, Dirty Detailing, Gforce Race Cars, Resolution Racing Services, Speed Torque, Go Print and PT Promotions. “It was good also to have one of my crew guys Stewey here on the Sunday with us after he
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spent all day Saturday in hospital with his little boy. My thanks goes to the track staff and all of the officials, it was an awesome event, awesome! And a special thanks to ANDRA for bringing back Top Doorslammer, this is great and it means so much – this is my second Gold Christmas Tree, so it has a friend now!” he laughed. In the Competition bracket, winner and also Top Qualifier Trent Morrison had enjoyed a bye to the final courtesy of a round two win over Sam Treasure while followed victory over James Kemp in the opening round of racing. Runner-up Ralph Lewis found himself in the final after a successful semi-final against Russell Ladbrook and earlier races against Russell Taylor (round two) and Steven Martin (round one). For Morrison, the Westernats victory was forty-odd years in the making. “This is pretty unbelievable to be honest, my old man has raced for around forty or fifty years starting down at Ravenswood when it
first started and we’ve always struggled to get one of these (ANDRA Gold Christmas Trees), so to finally have all the stars align and have it all come together is just amazing, I am pretty speechless really,” Morrison said at the event. “To start with we were a couple of thousandths off the record, and then in the second qualifier we found a plug lead that was broken so we were only running on seven cylinders for a couple of seconds of the run so we changed that and ended up going a tenth under the record so that was good. “We didn’t back (the record) up (on Sunday) but that is okay, we have another meeting in a few weeks’ time to do that!” he grinned, while thanking Ranch Automotive Engineering, Dimoff Transmissions, Premium Developments, Malaga Panel and Paint and his dad Trevor, stating “he is the man behind it all, I am just the bloke that drives it!” Also in the Competition ranks, Sam Gullotto
might not have made it further than the second round of eliminations but he did have the crowd on their feet earlier in the day, becoming the quickest and fastest LS-powered entry in the country with a 6.691s/211.94mph (341.09kmh) pass. This event marked the Scarborough (WA) racer’s return to the driver’s seat after two years away which included major heart surgery. In Top Fuel Motorcycle, Goldenstates winner Wayne McGuinness fought issues with his highly decorated V-Twin Harley all the way to the end but wasn’t able to front for the final despite pulling out all the stops. This left Tony Wood to complete a solo pass to take the ANDRA Gold Christmas Tree, marking an emotional first-time win for the Kawasaki racer. He had earlier faced off against Justin Vodanovich (round one) and Les Holden while McGuinness had taken victory from Top Qualifier Jay Upton (round one) before a bye in his semi-final.
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“This is an awesome feeling, it has been hard work for years and years! I have to thank all the guys that have worked on the bike and especially my dad Ricky – they put in all the effort, I am just lucky enough to ride it,” Wood said, while thanking Team Wood Automotive Performance Transmissions, Higgy Mechanical, WA Suspensions, The Moving Man and ANDRA. “We were there at the end and you have to be there to win it I guess! This is our first ANDRA Gold Christmas Tree and our first group one round win, so we are stoked. “The engine in this bike was built by Steve Murray who passed away recently and his ashes went for a ride in Zappia’s parachutes on Saturday, so it is very fitting to win something like this for him (at this event).” In the Super Stock bracket, Steve Norman walked away with the victory as well as the D/GA ET and MPH record, resetting the marker to 8.347s and 160.66mph in an intense final against runner-up Todd Stacy. On his way to the final Norman also successfully raced against Michael Caroscio (round one) and Allen Puglia while Stacy had enjoyed a bye run in the first round before taking on Top Qualifier Errol Quartermaine in the semi-final. “I have to thank Ray Treasure, all of the track staff and all of the volunteers – you make it so easy to go racing here and you have the best complex and management in Australia without a doubt. I would also like to thank Ryan, Lance, Gavin and Kevin for busting their guts all
weekend,” Norman said. “Thanks very much also to Todd for a really good race in the final – you made me hit the record! We have been at this Westernationals lark for the best part of 20 years and this thing (trophy) is right up there with the best of them.” In the Competition Bike ranks the three-round shoot-out format again delivered plenty of fantastic racing action for fans, with the final battle coming down to Justin Townson and Top Qualifier, Brett Ghedina, with Townson ultimately claiming the ANDRA Gold Christmas Tree when all was said and done. “We are always happy with a Gold Christmas Tree with ANDRA attached to it!” Townson said, while thanking Motus Oils, Dale Signs, Harris Engines, Pace Motorsport, CIC Coatings and the Competition Bike bracket marshall. “We have got a really good field over here and we have some tough competition. My bike has been tuned by one of the best guys in the country at the moment I believe – Brett Ghedina. I had had him in the final and unfortunately he had a small issue which held him back and the tune up that he gave me, knocked him out! “I am extremely happy with everyone on board: ANDRA and Summit Racing Equipment for putting all their stuff together and putting on a great event as well as Ray Treasure, he runs a good and sharp style of racing and we have very good people over here. Essentially
I love racing and just coming down here and having a bit of fun; and coming home with a Gold Christmas Tree is always a good thing!” In Supercharged Outlaws, the battle came down to Greg James and Jon Ferguson, with Ferguson having to settle for being a runner-up for a third time when James proved too strong in the final. James had earlier emerged victorious from battles against Vince Belladonna (round one) and Mark Hunt before enjoying a bye in the semi-final while Ferguson had beaten lastround winner Paul Stephen (round one) ahead of a round two bye before facing Top Qualifier Alan Mahnkoph in his semi-final. In Super Sedan, it was Mick Fenton versus Neil Scott in the bracket’s last run of the evening, with Fenton taking out the victory to claim his first ANDRA Gold Christmas Tree. Fenton booked his spot in the final with wins over Kathy Regan (round one), Steven Miilias, Peter Appleby and David Todd while Scott had taken on Mick Aquilina (round one), Laurence Adamos, Kyle Higgins and Shaun Tunstall on his way to the final. Dean Dawes had earlier topped qualifying for the bracket and was also honoured at the end of event presentation with the Crow Cams Best Engineered Award for his immaculate Mazda RX3. “I am very happy, this is my first ANDRA Gold Christmas Tree! It was a good day, especially as the qualifying was bad as we had four red lights in a row – so you wouldn’t have bet on me to win at all,” he laughed.
41 fastlane “It is a very pleasant surprise to win and it means a lot to us – we have travelled this year to Darwin for championship points and this brings us up there as well. “Before (this event) all my mates have had them (Gold Christmas Trees) and I didn’t, but now I do, so now I feel like part of the crowd!” he laughed, while thanking his crew – Jodi, Corey and Matilda – his wife Rose, and Jeff and Phil from ChevPower Race Engines. One result which was exceptionally popular at the Perth Motorplex this evening was the win of Cory ‘Wonder Boy’ Treasure, who claimed his first ever ANDRA Gold Christmas Tree in his first ever Westernationals and his first season of racing. Treasure faced off against Erin Healy in the final after having earlier taken on Ralph Italiano (round one), Top Qualifier Adam Mundy and Kingsley Kuchel while Healy had ensured his shot at the final with a round one victory over Jeff Acton ahead of a bye in round two before he faced off against Chris Farrell in the semi-final. “I am bloody happy with this, my dad has wanted one his whole life and we finally have one, so I am very happy for him,” Treasure said, while thanking KRU Engineering, Manheim, DTM Transmissions and Fortron Automotive Treatments. “My reaction times were pretty up and down (on Saturday) but I had them pretty consistent (on Sunday) and we had pretty good times all day. The final was mint, it was only the second
final I have ever been in and it is great to be at the Westernationals and to win.” In Super Street, Craig Caton took the win over Ashleigh Wroe to take out the ANDRA Gold Christmas Tree for the highly competitive bracket. Caton had earlier successfully faced off against Cameron Lockett (round one), Ian Taylor, Paul McNamara and Mick Petrov while Wroe had emerged victorious from battles with Brett Connelly, Zachary Giles and her sister Kirstie Wroe ahead of a bye run in her semi-final. Lee Watson had claimed the Top Qualifier honours earlier in the day. The Modified Bike final stanza pitted Rob Good and Chris Moore against each other, with Moore taking out the big trophy when all was run and done. Earlier in the night, Good had taken wins from Zoe Nieuwhof (round one), Geoff Smith, Brodie Messenger, and Top Qualifier Gavin Dohnt (semi) while Moore had faced off against Hamish Cunningham, Bruce Jones and Dan Dycer before enjoying a bye run in his semifinal.
saved from the loss by Downe who left too early at the tree. On his way to the final, Bakranich had earlier taken on Darren Saliba (round one), Nicholas Puglia and Top Qualifier Amanda Martin while Downe had emerged victorious from battles against Jake Lane, Vlado Turic and defending champion Jason Arbery. Also recognised at the presentations this evening was Tasmania Supercharged Outlaws competitor Mike Evans, who was awarded the ‘Longest Distance Travelled’ trophy while special mention was given to the Top Alcohol racers who put on a fantastic show as an exhibition bracket. ANDRA thanks the Perth Motorplex and all of its volunteers and sponsors for an outstanding race track and a well-run event. For full results from the Westernationals, please click here.
In the Top Sportsman ranks, it was a headsup final with Alby Bakranich and Paul Downe dialling in identically. Bakranich broke-out, but was
Photos by Outlaw Images
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The final round of the 2018/2019 Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series at the Perth Motorplex brought to a close an intense season of racing across April 6 and 7.
At the end of two big days of on-track action, both season champions and event winners were celebrated with plenty of ANDRA Christmas Tree Trophies being handed out along with the prestigious John Storm Memorial Trophy. Claiming the ultimate reward for their efforts over the season at the ANDRA Grand Finals were Jake Hamilton-Moderate (Modified Bike), Paul Jennings (Super Street), Martin Mirco (Super Sedan), Adam Mundy (Modified), Paul Stephen (Supercharged Outlaws), Jason Arbery (Top Sportsman), Rob Cassar (Competition Bike), Alex Panagiotidis (Super Stock) and
Craig Geddes (Competition). These racers joined previously announced championship winners, Adrian McGrotty (Super Gas) and Jake Berias (Summit Racing Equipment Junior Dragster), in being celebrated as Australian Champions on April 7. Proudly being awarded as runners-up in the title chase were Bryan Finn (Modified Bike), Nikolas Karanovic (Super Street), Peter Tzokas (Super Sedan), Jessica Proud (Modified), Mark Hunt (Supercharged Outlaws), Vlado Turic (Top Sportsman), Dave Willis (Competition Bike), Rob Dekert (Super Stock) and David Roberts (Competition), while Colin Griffin (Super Gas) and Zara Board (Summit Racing Equipment Junior Dragster) were also recognised at the presentations. A number of racers had their hands quite full at the event, with Mundy, Arbery, Mirco and Stephen claiming the ANDRA Grand Final event victory as well as the championship in their respective classes while Panagiotidis took out
the runner-up honours for his bracket. Joining them in the winner’s circle were fellow event victors Chris Moore (Modified Bike), Kirstie Wroe (Super Street), Brett Ghedina (Competition Bike), Todd Stacy (Super Stock) and Kyle Putland (Competition) while Budgie ‘Bruce’ Jones (Modified Bike), Ian Taylor (Super Street), Ross Smith (Competition Bike) and Sam Gullotto (Competition) took out runnerup spots. Arbery in particular needed help with his haul as he took out not only the championship and ANDRA Grand Final victory for Top Sportsman, but also the prestigious John Storm Memorial Trophy as well as the bracket’s Top Qualifiers Medallion – thanks to TileCo-TheShowerPeople and KC Tools. Making this achievement even more incredible is the fact that it echoes his performance at last year’s ANDRA Grand Final at which he took out the 2018 event victory, Top Sportsman title and John Storm Memorial Trophy.
TIME A GRAND
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HAD BY ALL
The John Storm Memorial Trophy holds particular importance for Arbery, who found out on the morning of the final day of the Grand Final that he was unbeatable for the highly respected accolade which recognises the racer who accumulates the highest points across all of the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series brackets. It was commissioned in memory of Mr John Storm (the first National Director of ANDRA) and awarded for the first time in 1975 – one year before Arbery was born. “This right here, this is history, this is ANDRA,” said Arbery, beckoning to the John Storm Memorial Trophy. “What this means to me…it is everything. The John Storm Memorial Trophy is the greatest thing I have ever achieved, simply because of the history behind it.” To read more from Arbery on his championship victory, click here. Arbery faced championship runner-up Vlado Turic in the final after enjoying a bye run in
his semi-final following victory over Darryl Maxfield and Christopher Roe. Meanwhile, Turic had won against Darren Saliba (round one) before enjoying a round two bye ahead of victory from Nathan Puglia. Amanda Martin – who had earlier snared the Top Qualifiers Medallion for the bracket thanks to TileCoTheShowerPeople and KC Tools – was unable to front for race day after suffering a breakage in her Chev Cobalt. In Modified Bike it was Chris Moore who took out the event win over Bruce ‘Budgie’ Jones, after enjoying a bye run in the semi-finals and earlier victories over Chris Morgan (quarterfinal), Zoe Nieuwhof and Christopher Fryer. Jones suffered a heart-braking failure on the startline in the final after having earlier emerged victorious from battles against Luke Seaton (semi), Tom Gartrell, Chris Allen and championship runner-up (and 2018 title winner) Bryan Finn. Top Qualifier Trent Anthony enjoyed a bye to the second round where he was defeated by Seaton.
“The bike went absolutely perfect, on Saturday it went really well…and on Sunday it went absolutely perfect – the numbers were perfect and it went through eliminations and did everything we wanted it to do,” Moore said at the presentations. Championship getter Hamilton-Moderate made it through to the third round before being eliminated from the event proceedings, however you still couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he had earlier been confirmed as the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Modified Bike Champion. “There was a bit of hard work for us on Saturday, we had to change a clutch out, but it all came to the party on Sunday,” HamiltonModerate said, while thanking his wife, kids and family as well as sponsors Aus Dig, ModCon Civil and “everyone that makes the event what it is.” “At the last ANDRA Grand Final my wife said to me, ‘you have to win me one of those,’
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so it was good to be able to back that up. Saturday was a bit of a nightmare, but it all came through when it counts and it definitely means a lot to take the championship out.” In Super Street, a first round loss wasn’t enough to keep Paul Jennings from clinching the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Super Street championship over Nikolas Karanovic, who also suffered an early exit from racing on Sunday and would walk away with the runner-up honours. To read what Jennings had to say about his championship, click here. While the championship battle was decided early in the piece, there was still plenty of exciting Super Street action unfolding across the day, with Kirstie Wroe ultimately taking the event victory over Ian Taylor. On her way to the final, Wroe had earlier dispatched Jeff Thurley (semi-final), Kenah Begg, Denise Downe and her sister Ashleigh Wroe while Taylor had enjoyed a bye in the semi-final following wins over Michael North, Stephen Hotchkin and Paul Antonelli. Top Qualifier Lee Watson was unable to proceed past the first round in a repeat of his Westernationals results. “It was a very good meet – well done to all the track staff and everyone behind the scenes who organised it; thank you, we couldn’t do it without you,” Kirstie Wroe said. “The car was good, I was really impressed.
We have a great set up, in our team we run around like headless chickens with three cars in two different classes but we make it work and we couldn’t do it without all the help of our crew.” In the Super Sedan ranks Martin Mirco had plenty to smile about, claiming both the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Super Sedan championship over runner-up (and 2018 champion) Peter Tzokas as well as the event victory for his bracket. The Bibra Lake (WA) racer enjoyed a bye to the final where he took the win over Steven Miilias after having earlier defeated Luke Guppy (quarter-final), Ned Karanovic and Jason Lippi while Miilias had earned his spot in the final with victories over Mick Fenton (semi-final),Yvette Gregg, Top Qualifier Dean Dawes and Mark Rodgers. While it concluded in the best way possible, Mirco’s championship push got off to a rocky start, with his Chev Camaro failing on the startline during Saturday qualifying. “We had issues on the start line in qualifying, it had been there on Wednesday and we thought we had fixed it and it came back on Saturday night, so we did a few things and it worked thankfully,” Mirco explained. “It has been a huge commitment to travel interstate personally and financially but it has been an awesome experience and I recommend it to everyone.”
Mirco thanks his sponsors Lost Racing Products, Holldon Rigging, JD Automotive Repairs and Detailing and WA Bolts for their support of his racing; as well as his wife Laura and kids Ella and Jenna; and his crew Jason, Raymond, Mick, Joey, Paul and Rob. Adam Mundy was another racer with his hands full, walking away with the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Modified Championship as well as the event victory and the Top Qualifiers Medallion thanks to TileCoTheShowerPeople and KC Tools. The Port Lincoln (SA) racer took out victory over event runner-up Angelo Locantro after having earlier faced off against championship runner-up Jessica Proud in an intense semifinal which followed a bye run in the quarterfinal and victory over Jeff Acton in round one. Locantro meanwhile had taken wins from Erin Healy (semi-final), Nicholas Wroe and Ashley Johnson on his way to the final. “I am feeling over the moon, especially after the last event where I got my butt handed to me so it is good to get one back. This is a fantastic track and I still can’t believe it, it is just awesome,” exclaimed Mundy, while thanking his crew Des Mundy, John Boundey and Ron Beaucaris for all of their help. “I never thought I would be holding this (the championship trophy), it is still sinking in. Thanks to Jess for the whole season, it has been a whole year of battling a little bit with a
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few wins each way. I am a little bit speechless. Thanks to my crew again, we wouldn’t be here without them.” In the Supercharged Outlaws bracket, a true example of friendship unfolded with the West Australian drag racing community pulling together to ensure Paul Stephen could compete for the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Supercharged Outlaws championship. Their efforts were well rewarded with Stephen taking out not only the championship but also the event victory at the weekend. The Sydney racer had destroyed a diff during Saturday’s qualifying and without their efforts, would not have been able to front for race day. Ultimately he would race all the way to the final, where he took a solo run to the event victory after his competition, Alan Mahnkoph, was unable to front due to a broken car. On his way to the final, he enjoyed a bye run in the semis following victory over David Smith and Norbert Claite while Mahnkoph had successfully faced off against championship runner-up Mark Hunt (semi) after a bye run and had also earlier dispatched Jon Ferguson in the first round. Top Qualifier Bowden was not on-track on Sunday due to personal circumstances. “The way the West Australian drag racing community rallied around us on Saturday night was absolutely amazing. George Separovich supplied the diff gears and wouldn’t take any
money, Aaron Deery opened up the workshop and put it all together including all of the parts and a diff carrier and also wouldn’t take any money, it was amazing,” Stephen said. “I was sorry to see Alan Mahnkoph unable to front up for the final, he has a great car that I have known since I was a kid. I want to say thank you to the track staff, they are the best in the business. We have travelled all over the country this season and we have had a ball. “I lost my best mate about six months ago to suicide and his ashes went on the second last run on Sunday afternoon – ‘Crazy’ (Kevin Crozier) god love you, you were a good bloke. He was one of my first ever crew guys and the greatest guy in the world, he was my best friend. Everyone, please just talk to each other, everyone has mates and it doesn’t matter, just talk.” Stephen thanked Atlantic Oils, Bob Reishel at Smart Fuels, Macarthur Garages, John Williard of Flatout Services, Craig’s Automatics and his dedicated crew Dearne (his wife), Neil Webb, John Ward and Thad Stewart for their support this season. Another racer with a troubled run to the top was Rob Cassar, who took out his first Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Competition Bike championship on a tie break with runner-up David Willis. “We broke the motor in the pits before the
first round,” explained Cassar. “We warmed up in the pits and broke the engine, we had David Willis in the first round and I had an hour to put an engine in. We had never run that motor before and we said, ah well, let’s send it! “In that run it sort of creeped through the water, and I thought that was going to be it, championship over. In the next round I said I am not doing a burnout, and it surprised me! In the next pass I thought I wouldn’t do the burnout again and we went 7.43s at 170-something mile per hour and I thought, wow! “I have to than my crew and everyone that chipped in, my wife, and everyone for coming over. I would also like to thank Ballistic Performance, Denso Auto Parts Australia, PowerPlus Racing Fuels, Shinko Tyers Australia, Nolan Helmets Australia, Lectron Carbs Australia and Lucas Oils. And also all the guys in the US who helped us out when I broke what felt like everything on the bike at the last round!” Brett Ghedina took out the event victory following his top qualifying performance the day before, and also reset a national record in the process. He was also awarded the Crow Cams Best Engineered Award for the event – please click here for more details (link to Best Engineered story). “I am stoked with the results, we didn’t come into the ANDRA Grand Finals intending to
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achieve that, the idea for our race weekend was just to come away with a new Personal Best but the rest kind of eventuated from that,” Ghedina explained, while thanking his crew members Trevor and Jason as well as his business, Pace Motorsport. “We are really blown away with the achievements, a lot of hard work has gone into getting it where it got too, but I didn’t think at all that it was going to get to this point this year in the five race meetings we have been to so far.” When it came to the Super Stock battles, Alex Panagiotidis was left almost speechless at the conclusion of the ANDRA Grand Finals, having not only realised a 20 year goal but also going all the way to the final at the last round of the season. To read what Panagiotidis had to say about his championship victory, click here.
Panagiotidis faced off against event winner and top qualifier Todd Stacy in the final round, after enjoying a bye in the semi-final. He had earlier taken on Graeme Simms (round one) and championship runner-up, Rob Dekert. Stacy meanwhile impressed against Errol Quartermaine in round one, ahead of a bye in round two and victory over Jake Chaisty in the semi-final. “We had a great weekend at the ANDRA Grand Finals. We made the switch to RR/GAS and it went far better than expected: we qualified number one with a 7.594s which was 1.086s under the index for RR/GAS and went through to win the event,” Stacy said. “We have left this meet with our first Gold Tree, reset the national record to 7.876, reset the track record to 7.594 and 179.32mph which is a PB for this setup. Thanks to everyone involved as I can’t do this without you guys.”
When it came to the Competition battle, Champion Craig Geddes might not have been competing at the ANDRA Grand Finals, but his strong season to date meant that when David Roberts suffered a startline breakage in the first round he could not be beaten for the big trophy. Geddes had travelled from his home in Victoria to Perth for the event, and was therefore on-hand to accept his trophy on the night. This is the fifth Competition Championship for Geddes and his fourth in a row. In total, he has now won six Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Championships, having also taken one out in Super Gas in 1995. “It was a little bit sad to see David Roberts break down on the startline, I am not sure what happened, but we were certainly cheering him on and all the best to him. He ends up number two this year but I am sure he will
RECORDSAPLENTY As well as finding plenty of new winners, the ANDRA Grand Finals also boasted no less than eight new national 1320ft records:
• B/AB (“B”/Altered Bike, Competition Bike Eliminator, Group 2) 1/4 mile Elapsed Time (ET) record – reset from 8.200 secs to 184 secs by Ross Smith #1592 • CC/CB (“C” Power Added/Competition Bike, Competition Bike Eliminator, Group 2) 1/4 mile Elapsed Time (ET) record – reset from 7.446 secs to 7.189 secs by Brett Ghedina #2133 • H/MSA (“H”/Modified Sedan Automatic, Super Stock Eliminator, Group 2) 1/4 mile Elapsed Time (ET) record – reset from 9.249 secs to 229 secs by Jake Chaisty #2743 • RR/G (Turbocharged Rotary/Gas, Super Stock Eliminator, Group 2) 1/4 mile Elapsed Time (ET) record – reset from 8.18 secs. to 7.876 secs by Todd Stacy #1607 • B/AP (“B”/Altered Production, Super Stock Eliminator, Group 2) 1/4 mile Elapsed Time (ET) record – reset from 7.152 secs to 7.125 secs by Robert Dekert #152 • B/AP (“B”/Altered Production, Super Stock Eliminator, Group 2) 1/ Terminal Speed (MPH) record – reset from 190.83mph to 191.20mph by Robert Dekert #152 • BB/APIA (“B” Power Added V8/Altered Production with EFI and Automatic Trans, Competition Eliminator, Group 2) 1/4 mile Elapsed Time (ET) record – reset from 6.700 secs to 6.587 secs by Samuel Gullotto #2792 • A/AA (“A” Naturally Aspirated/Altered Automatic, Competition Eliminator, Group 2) 1/4 mile Elapsed Time (ET) record – reset from 7.047 secs to 6.846 secs by Kyle Putland #4206 For the full current records listing, please click here.
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passes across the weekend – had successfully taken on Ralph Lewis (round one) and Adam Marchant before enjoying a bye in his semi.
Geddes is supported by sponsors DecoGlaze Glass Splashbacks, Quicks Freight Express, JAX Tyres Ballarat, The Cleaners Room, Lucas Oils, Ballarat Roadworthy Centre, Laser Electrics Ballarat, CHS Broadbent Grain, Crane Cams, Bullet race Engineering, Custom Engines, Patterson Elite Racing USA and Protrans.
“The last two years of working on the altered has been a battle but we have really found it in the last couple of weeks and had some great help around, thank you to everyone that helped,” Putland said.
The Competition championship honours may have been decided in the first round, but the action continued to come thick and fast for the category across the day, with top qualifier Kyle Putland ultimately taking out the event victory over Sam Gullotto. Putland booked his ticket to the final with wins over Steve Martin (semi) and Trent Morrison following a solo run in the opening round, while Gullotto – who impressed with a number of blistering
“The quarter mile drag race experience as well has taken so much time out of our work schedule, our racing schedule, so thank you to everyone behind that.” Also recognised at the ANDRA Grand Final presentations was Tasmania Supercharged Outlaws competitor Mike Evans, who was awarded the ‘Longest Distance Travelled’ trophy. Special mention was also given to the Summer Slam (won by John Zappia), Nitro Bike (A final won by Benny Stevens, B Final by Wayne McGuinness) and Top Alcohol racers
who also put on a fantastic show. ANDRA thanks the Perth Motorplex and all of its volunteers and sponsors for an outstanding race track and a well-run event. For full results from the ANDRA Grand Finals, please click here The 2019/2020 Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series will commence at Alice Springs Inland Dragway across August 3 and 4, 2019, before continuing to the Hidden Valley Drag Strip the following week (August 9-10) ahead of round three at Mildura’s Sunset Strip (September 21-22). Further calendar details will be announced in the near future at www. andra.com.au/series/calendar/19-20-andradrag-racing-calendar/
Photos by Outlaw Images
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QLD CHAMPS
FULL SPEED AHEAD Round one of the 2019 Summit Racing Queensland Championship and the battle for prestigious ANDRA Copper Christmas Trees was held across the Easter long weekend at Roma’s Ironbark Raceway.
While rain unfortunately brought the event to an early end during the third round of racing, 120 entrants and plenty
of spectators made the most of the event up until that point. While no winners’ trophies would be handed out, the event’s top qualifiers were recognised at the close of proceedings, with Russel Grulke (Supercharged Outlaws), Katie Cunningham (Top Sportsman), Col Gould (Sportsman), Phil Halpin (Super Street), Rob Morton (Street), Peter Johnson (Modified Bike), Ray Wiggett (Street Bike) and Andrew Tinney (Junior Dragster) all awarded for their efforts. Also celebrated were HJ Racing (Best Presented Team), Shane Stefanuik (Hard Luck Award) and Katie Cunningham (President’s Choice Award).
The 2019 Summit Racing Queensland Championship – a joint effort between the committees of Palmyra Dragway, Ironbark Raceway and Benaraby Raceway – will continue with round two at Benaraby Raceway on August 31 ahead of the finale at Palmyra Dragway on October 4 and 5. “The event at Ironbark Raceway is one we will all remember – 120 entrants started Saturday qualifying with many of them experiencing the unique Ironbark Raceway track for the first time,” Palmyra Drag Racing Club President, Glen Cunningham, said. “Qualifying was completed on Sunday morning after an oil spill in the braking
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area called the night time activities to a halt on Saturday, but before that the spectators which filled the hill were treated to some impressive qualifying performances. “Sunday started again with another consistent stream of spectators coming through the gate with the competitors putting on a great show in qualifying and racing for the eager fans, many of whom were seeing drag racing for the first time. “Unfortunately mid-way through round three a small black cloud settled itself above us and dropped just enough of the wet stuff that the meeting had to be cancelled. “While that isn’t how we wanted the weekend
to end, we were pleased to be able to present the top qualifier trophies and also hear that a large number of competitors are looking forward to returning to Roma next year, with many of them stating they are particularly excited to hear of the upgrades the club is planning for later this year. “Our thanks goes out to all of the teams who have supported this event – this is what draws crowds to the venues and allows regional tracks to upgrade their facilities, so please let’s all keep travelling and supporting regional tracks.” The three-round state-based Summit Racing Queensland Championship develops and
promotes drag racing in regional Queensland. Round two will be held at Benaraby Raceway (August 31) before Palmyra Dragway hosts the final round across October 4 and 5. The winning competitors will be announced as the ANDRA Queensland Champion for their class with the awarding of a prestigious ANDRA Copper Christmas Tree trophy. The Summit Racing Queensland Championship will release the points tally following the weekend’s round one later this week. For more information on the Summit Racing Queensland Championship, please visit www.facebook.com/andra.QLD. Champs/
Photos by Zali Offer
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