South Australian drag racer Ollie Welden is ready to return to his home track as Dragway at The Bend hosts round five of the 2024/2025 ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship on 8-9 February.
Originally from Murray Bridge and now residing in Wandilo, SA, Welden is looking forward to racing in front of family and friends at one of his favourite venues, which will also be featuring Pro Drag Racing Championship action, and a round of its Summit Racing Equipment Track Championship at the event.
“It’s always great to come back to The Bend,” Welden reflects.
“It is like a bit of a homecoming, catching up with family and having them in my corner for the weekend.”
Welden is no stranger to the world of drag racing, having previously competed in Super Street before a short break and then transitioning to Top Sportsman last year, which was a move he had long been planning.
“I had been watching the Top Sportsman cars for years, and I knew I wanted to be part of it. I swapped my SLR street car for a Holden LC Torana roller and got to work building it in Mount Gambier,” Welden explained.
His current car has an interesting backstory. Originally a Sydney-based show car, it was unveiled at MotorEx in 2013, but never made it to the track until Welden acquired it and completed the build.
“It was just a roller – painted, with wheels, but no wiring or engine,” Welden said.
“Brett Henley from Henley Chassis helped put it together, and now it’s running strong. Brett also helps me out on track, sharing his knowledge and experience.”
The Henley name is well known within the Top Sportsman ranks, with Brett’s brother Glenn taking out the Top Sportsman Western Conference final win at the 2024 Riverbend Nationals.
While the car is now fully operational, fine-tuning its performance has been a learning curve.
“Last year was all about sorting things out. We tested at The Bend in May, then competed in the Dragway at the Bend track championship and have raced at a few events at South Coast Raceway in Portland as well,” he explained.
“I had a tough run at South Coast Nationals last December with some red lights and setup struggles, but we’re getting there.”
One of Welden’s key focuses for this season is improving his consistency, using all of the tools he has available to be as precise as possible, including a weather station to help with tuning while at the track.
Welden’s passion for drag racing even led to a recent career change that made it easier for the South Australian to fit car preparation and race weekends into his schedule.
“I’ve recently changed jobs to make it easier to go racing. I worked 50 or 60 hour weeks in security for the last four or five years, which made it hard to race because I was always working. Now, I work shifts at a 24/7 service station, which gives me more flexibility,” Welden explained.
With round five fast approaching, Welden is focused on putting in a strong performance at The Bend, while looking ahead to more Top Sportsman racing in the future.
“We had a great couple of track championship rounds recently, and now it’s about maintaining that momentum. Top Sportsman is a tough category, but I’ve got a great team around me, and every race is a chance to improve,” Welden said.
Round five of the ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship will be held at Dragway at The Bend across February 8-9. For event information, visit www.thebend.com.au
The ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship is proud to have the support of series bracket sponsors Gallagher (Modified), the South Australian Drag Racers Association (Super Gas), Top Sportsman Competitors Group (Top Sportsman), the Super Sedan Competitors Group (Super Sedan), Lectron Australia (Competition Bike), Goodyear Racing (Super Street), Langtree’s Machinery Services (Junior Dragster), Huntsman Racing (Supercharged Outlaws); Ballistic Performance Parts (Modified Bike), and Jackie Watt Consultancy / Fardella and Watt Racing (Super Stock); as well as Top Qualifier Medallion sponsor, New Gen Business Park. If you are looking for business opportunities within the ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship, please email info@andra.com.au
For more from ANDRA, visit www.andra.com.au
PHOTO THANKS TO BEN ALEXANDER / SNAPSHOT MEDIA
