Queensland budget racer Rob Harrington has capped off a stunning weekend to claim the 2025 Gulf Western Oils Winternationals at Willowbank Raceway over the Kings Birthday weekend.
Harrington pedalled his Bad Influence Monaro to a major upset to dethrone defending Winternationals and Australian Champion Russell Taylor in front of a huge “Winters” crowd in what is easily the biggest moment in the Queenslander’s motorsport career.
“I’ve dreamed of this, but you never actually think it’ll happen,” said the new champ.
Russell Taylor came into the A-Final with his second consecutive Australian Championship secured (with an unbeatable lead still with one round to complete in Darwin) and safe in the knowledge that earlier in the semi against Ronnie Palumbo he’d run a smoking 5.61 to set the benchmark with low ET and speed for the round.
As Harrington’s Monaro lined up alongside Taylor’s OGL Australia Camaro under a bright orange Winternationals sunset Doorslammer legend Victor Bray commentated “It’s really in Taylor’s hands, he’d have to do something wrong.”
Harrington laid down a stout .059 light against Taylor’s 0.125 to really put the pressure on and lead at 330 but just when it seemed Russell would drive by the black Camaro incredibly slowed and “Harry” ripped it through the finish with a 5.84 at 397kph.
“That’s three unpredictable races this weekend,” said Victor Bray as the Harrington team wildly embraced on the start line.
“I’ve won the Winters!” yelled Harrington as he exited the Monaro to a smiling Bennie Bishop, “I’m just a little Aussie battler with a rag tag bunch of blokes from a couple of country towns and we’re just having a go man. To run against the Australian Champion Russell Taylor and to beat John Zappia it’s just been amazing. We just won the Winters baby, are you kidding me!”
Taylor would later admit, “That was on me, it’s all on me. I had some issues clicking it into gear properly where I didn’t use the correct process and so it never got out of first gear off the line. I had to watch Rob drive off. Congratulations to him though, take nothing away from him he did a great job.”
Harrington’s win over the A1 was not the only upset of the day. Far from it.
Harrington earlier faced John Zappia in the second round only to see the Fuchs / Dananni Monaro red light and in the process hand the shocked Queenslander his first ever Doorslammer Winters A-Final berth.
In the semi-final he faced good mate and Kiwi Nigel Dixon and the day before in Round One defeated impressive Sydney slammer debutant Salim Matta in the sleek A-Civil Shelby.
It was consistency in a car that is significantly older than many of his rivals that got Harrington through to the biggest result possible.
The final round of the Top Doorslammer Championship at Darwin’s Hidden Valley is scheduled for the weekend of August 29/30.
