Cold conditions and incidents played havoc with race day for the 2022 edition of the Gulf Western Oil Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway.
First Drag News Magazine would like to extend our thoughts and best wishes for a speedy recovery to the Jim Read Racing team members injured in a serious start up incident. The good news at the time of writing is only one member remained in hospital for treatment overnight, and he is expected to make a full recovery. A big thank you also goes out to the Sydney Dragway officials, medical personnel and great crowd for their response and handling of what happened.
You can read our qualifying wrap here: https://dragnews.com.au/nitro-champs-day-1-rapisarda-autosport-international-ambush-top-fuel-qualifying/
As a result of the above incident that occurred when the motor exploded during their start-up procedure, and an earlier crash in Pro Slammer the program was pushed late into the evening, and with the cold snap in Sydney, conditions because unworkable for Top Fuel to complete round 4 of the Burson Auto Parts Australian Top Fuel Championship. The event will be decided as part of qualifying at Heathcote Park Raceway in two weeks.
In front of a huge crowd, it was shaping up to be a cracking battle between all teams trading track records, Peter Xiberras trumping Damien Harris’ 3.77 top qualifying run with a 3.76 in round one. After the teams fought through a challenging round two after and extended delay, Xiberras will be facing rookie Shane Olive in the Burson Auto Parts/LTFR dragster for the event win in two weeks at Heathcote.
Chris Matheson won the match in Top Bike against John Zahra, there was no 5 second runs unfortunately, that challenge will go on to Heathcote Park Raceway. A off and on the throttle 6.11 from Matheson the highlight run of the day.
All the other professional classes were exhibition for the event. Pro Slammer went to Sam Fenech over a red lighting Michelle Davies in the final. It was a bitter sweet event for the AC Delco team after Craig Burns found himself and the new AC Delco Monaro crashing heavily into the catch nets following a chute failure. The team took a light-hearted look at the incident exclaiming team owner Maurice Fabietti now won’t be able to have the Monaro body for his mancave when it is retired in favour for a new Camaro body in a few months.
Pro Stock was killer, record runs for the unleaded fuel era rained down, Victorian Rob Dekert made the clean sweep winning over Bruce Leake in the final with a 6.88 at a whopping 199.43mph.
Greg Tsakiridis took the ‘Mauler’ Mustang to the winner’s circle in Pro Modified with a 6.04 against Rob Campisi’s 7.00, the ice cold track conditions making for a brutal time for the class. Earlier in the day Anthony Maatouk decimated the RB powered World Record with a 5.85 in “The Don” GTR, also marking the first five second RB six run in Australia.
Brett White and Peter Lovering match raced in Top Alcohol.
Adrian Vella wheelstood all the way to a win in Super Comp, and decimated indexes with his E/MPA Cobalt over John Kuiper’s D/G Commodore.
The sportsman classes were competing in round four the Speed Adict Clothing Co. NSW Championship Series. Winners were:
