The Jamboree doesn’t just showcase Australia’s Sport Compact racing scene but highlights the latest in modern engine technology no matter the configuration. Recently Dragway At The Bend got a taste when the series returned to South Australia for the first time ever.
The event gathered up a decent entry list consider the venue had only been open for a matter of weeks, and time will be needed for the scene to grow locally, but many high revving interstate racers making the trek to race on the brand new surface.
In Factory Xtreme, Zoran Gajic driving the GAS Racing 2JZ Celica was dialled in to the track with a top qualifying 6.08. Gajic dropped low ET in round two of racing with a 6.070, and a 6.086 in round three sent him into the final against Rob Tarabay’s 2JZ Lexus. The GAS Racing pair went at it in the event final for the prestigious J Trophy with Gajic coming up trumps 6.16 to 6.38.
Yet another GAS Racing 2JZ weapon with Afif Mikael Camry equalling Gajic’s 6.070 event low ET in round three.
The Pac Performance Mazda6 is clawing its way back to the performances we expect from Australia’s most famous rotary house. While many of its passes over the three days on the track had the car simply blazing the tyres, Rehayem did manage to pull off a handful of full-track passes at some crazy speed, including a 6.39 at 224MPH and a 6.41 at 228MPH on its last pass of the meet, with another 226mph blast in between.
Unfortunately on that last pass, matched up against Jay Sadek in his new Mazda3, only 1 of the 2 chutes deployed which saw the car end up in the sand – thankfully intact, relatively undamaged.
The event saw the much-anticipated race debut of Jay Sadek’s new Mazda3 Pro Car ‘Saloupa’, and what an awesome first outing it was for the Sadek Racing Team
After a handful of shakedown passes on a testing track surface, Sadek picked up right where he left off with the RX3, putting down an impressive 6.55 at 212MPH on his first full-track pass. Sadek would then go on to back up that run with an arrow-straight 6.76 at 213MPH and a 6.92 at 177MPH.
Running the 20B/T400 combo out of their record-holding RX3 coupe, it won’t be long before Sadek and his team advance with this new pro chassis and take on the best of the best sport compact machines in the country.
In Pro Compact, Rodney Rehayem nailed the first run of the day with a 6.54 in his 13B RX8. This held up to top qualify and wasn’t surpassed for the rest of the event. Nearest rival was local Marcus Pepe in another RX8, and Pepe would finish with the upper hand winning the final.
Pro Mod exhibition had Frank Tarabay cranking up his twin turbo Camaro hammering out the quickest ET of the event with a 5.78 at 259MPH
In other classes Keith Hards potent XW streeter romp to the win in the radial J275 class after a day of low seven second passes, defeating Anthony Gregoriou’s VL in the final 7.33 to 7.46.
Giovani Inturrisi sent his VL to the winner’s podium beating Kym Driesener’s Soarer for Modified 10.5 glory.
Russell Archer has been battling the transmission in his RX4 for some time, but it all came together at the Jamboree after a swap, high-stepping it to the final and downing Mark Barber in the final.
In a monster Street Compact field, Paul Matheson fought hard in his Mazda wagon to reach the final and win it over Mark Thomas. The Euro class was popular as well being taken out by John Munro in a McLaren 720S of all things!
A Dial-Your-Own anything goes category was run. Shane Borg with his LC Torana did the business to take the trophy home after hanging on for the win in final against Shane Kramer’s hard charging blown altered.
The Jamboree series will now return to Sydney Dragway on the 16th of March in the New Year, celebrating its 20th year.
Monster photo gallery here courtesy of Drag Photos and Zotti Motorsport Media.
