It was celebrations all around at Dragway at The Bend on Sunday, 20 October, as the NDRC Aeroflow National Sportsman Champion Christmas Tree trophies were awarded across 12 different brackets.
After two days of non-stop sportsman racing action as part of the Aeroflow Spring Nationals, the winning Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship racers were delighted to take home not only the Champion’s Christmas Trees for their respective brackets but also a host of 2024/2025 season points and their share of a $25k prize purse.
Invited racers had duked it out for the right to call themselves the Champ in an exciting winner-takes-all format. Those who had won or were the runner-up in the Western and/or Eastern Conferences had automatically secured a place in the weekend’s Grand Final, while other eligible racers were decided based on their Grand Final points score, made up of their best four events across the season.
When all was said and done, taking out the event wins and their respective championships were Rob Bergamin over Colin Griffin (Super Gas), Zayne Condello over Seth Jarvis (Junior Dragster), Tex Griffiths over Andrew Waight (Super Street), Sean Ricketts over Dean Jamieson (Modified Bike), Ken Collin over Chris Allen (Competition Bike), Lillian Hagan over Lawrence Raschella (Junior Drag Bike), Sean Maher over Chris Lioulios (Super Sedan), Cory Dyson over Daniel ‘BatDan’ Carranza (Modified), Steve Norman over Kim Fardella (Super Stock), Matt Forbes over Peter Pisalidis (Competition Eliminator), Mike Evans over Mark Hunt (Supercharged Outlaws) and Paul Partridge over David Foster (Top Sportsman).
COMPETITION ELIMINATOR – CHAMPION AND EVENT WINNER, MATT FORBES. RUNNER-UP: PETER PISALIDIS
In Competition Eliminator, Western Conference runner-up Matt Forbes got his weekend off to a great start by top qualifying before taking the event and title win over runner-up Peter Pisalidis in Sunday’s elimination round.
Forbes found his way to the final with a bye in the first round thanks to his top qualifier status from Saturday’s outing, before lining up against Pisalidis in the semi-final. Pisalidis meanwhile had gotten the better of Mitch Oxley in the first round to get to the final.
To add excitement to his win, Forbes also ran a new personal best in the final while resetting the bracket record.
“We had a sensational weekend. The organisation of the event was terrific, we top qualified, then while we had a couple of struggles with the car we were able to work around them and then it was just really strong – we ran a personal best in the final and we couldn’t be more pleased,” Forbes said.
“It was an amazing weekend between being the top qualifier, resetting the record and winning the event to claim the championship – it was just a dream weekend.
“Like anything, it is a team effort – the crew do all the work on the car; I actually sold the car a month ago, and the guy who purchased it came down from Queensland and crewed for me this weekend and is towing it back home now! The crew do all the work and I just do the easy job, they make it all happen for me, and I can’t thank them enough.
“What a great weekend it was. It was truly amazing. This is not one we will forget for a while; that is for sure!”
COMPETITION BIKE – CHAMPION AND EVENT WINNER: KEN COLLIN. RUNNER-UP: CHRIS ALLEN
In Competition Bike, Ken Collin proved victorious over Chris Allen in the final elimination running of the day on Sunday.
Collin’s journey to the final began in round one with a victory over Rob Church and a win over Jake Hamilton-Moderate in round two before enjoying a bye in round three.
Meanwhile, runner-up Chris Allen made it into the final thanks to a round one win over Jake Hamilton-Moderate and a bye in round two before a win over David Willis in round three. Top Qualifier Edge Mallis enjoyed a bye in round one and a win over David Willis in round two before being beaten in round three by Rob Church.
The championship win was a welcomed surprise for Collin, who was incredibly happy with the result.
“This feels really good,” Collin said.
“Especially to get that first NDRC Championship, I was really hoping for it, although I wasn’t expecting it!
“This is a combination of a few people’s effort to get me here – thank you to Mary, my wife of 45 years; Ken Peatey my engine builder with Rascal Race Engines; Blaze Hansen who spent the whole weekend remotely tuning the bike; and Dave Finlayson who accompanied me to The Bend and helped me as crew chief for the whole weekend.
“The track preparation was spot on all weekend, and I felt that the whole event was well organised and run smoothly, too – it was just great to participate in the Grand Final!”
JUNIOR DRAG BIKE – CHAMPION AND EVENT WINNER: LILLIAN HAGAN. RUNNER-UP: LAWRENCE RASCHELLA
In Junior Drag Bike, top qualifier and Yamaha rider Lillian Hagan took out the win over runner-up Lawrence Raschella in the final run.
To get to the final, Hagen enjoyed a bye in round one before a match-up in round two against Marcus MacDonald, ahead of another win in round three over Lucas Bergamin.
Raschella, meanwhile had taken wins over MacDonald and Bergamin in rounds one and two, before enjoying a bye in round three.
The win was a family effort for Hagan, who couldn’t be happier with the weekend’s result.
“It is pretty cool, especially being the first one (NDRC title), it is pretty good,” Hagan said.
“It was a pretty good weekend, I was feeling a bit iffy heading into the event as to whether we could do it (win the title), but we got there eventually.
“The whole family was very excited, dad has lost his voice! Thank you to them for all of their support, my crew, mum and dad and my little brother, and also all of our sponsors.”
JUNIOR DRAGSTER – CHAMPION AND EVENT WINNER: ZAYNE CONDELLO. RUNNER-UP: SETH JARVIS
In Junior Dragster, it was a battle of East meets West when winner and NSW racer Zayne Condello lined up against WA’s Seth Jarvis in the final.
To get to the final, Condello took wins over James Barlow in round one, Cooper Plumber in round two, and Alex Rottenburry in round three after Rottenburry got the best of top qualifier Nixon Cannuli in round one.
Meanwhile, runner-up Seth Jarvis enjoyed wins over Lachlan Walker in round one, Todd Wagner in round two, and Taylor Horton in round three to get to the final.
The win saw a life-long dream came to fruition for Condello, who has had a love of drag racing for as long as he can remember.
“I honestly don’t even know how to feel at this stage – this is genuinely a dream come true, it has been my main goal in life ever since I was a little boy,” Condello said.
“I have always looked up to all the previous national champions before me and to be a part of that list now, especially as the first NDRC Junior Dragster Champion, just means the world to me.
“The weekend was absolutely perfect. The car was on song all day, the car was doing its job, the driver was doing its job, I cut a triple-0 light, I was exactly where I wanted to be all weekend and I honestly couldn’t have asked for anything more.
“I would like to thank my grandfather and also the rest of my family – my grandma, my mum, my two sisters and my dad – as well as Fineline Motorsports, Scruffy, and everyone supporting me at home.
“I also want to send a very big and special thank you to my best mate, James Lowday, for helping me through my entire junior career and shaping me into the racer that I am today – without him I wouldn’t have even gotten a car to start with, so I want to say a very big thank you to him.”
MODIFIED BIKE – CHAMPION AND EVENT WINNER: SEAN RICKETTS. RUNNER-UP: DEAN JAMIESON
In Modified Bike, Sean Ricketts took the win in his Kawasaki over top qualifier and runner-up Dean Jamieson on Sunday.
Ricketts got to the final with wins over Johnny ‘Hog’ Ireland In round one and Cheryl ‘Ms Vrod’ Beddoes in round two.
Jamieson meanwhile got the better of Matthew Yard in round one before enjoying a bye In round two to get to the final.
Ricketts was ecstatic with his win and won’t forget this weekend for a long time.
“I am feeling really good about the championship,” Ricketts said.
“It was a great event, as a sportsman racer I felt really well looked after and that was really good. It was a well-run event and the track was top class, the prep was just outstanding. I was really happy with the officialdom; it was all positive and I was really happy with the event as a whole.
“We went into the event with a really strong mindset that we couldn’t take anyone lightly as there were six pretty good runners there.
“Dean Jamieson (runner-up) had a great season and really deserved to be on the top step but he just fell a bit short in the final. He is a really good guy, a friend of mine, and I have to say that is one of the best parts of doing these events – meeting people like Dean and the friendships that grow out of our racing.
“Every facet of this trip was enjoyable and the bike went fantastically, it was really consistent. I had to work out the start line a bit but then I was right and I was really pleased with my lights, which were probably the backbone of my success at the weekend.
“It is very satisfying to win the united championship, and I really like these Christmas Trees, they are very pretty!
“We are going home with some really good memories, that is for sure.”
MODIFIED ELIMINATOR – CHAMPION AND EVENT WINNER: CORY DYSON. RUNNER-UP: DANIEL ‘BATDAN’ CARRANZA
In Modified, dragster racers Cory Dyson and Daniel ‘BatDan’ Carranza faced off in the final run on Sunday, where Dyson ultimately triumphed.
In round one, Dyson had dispatched Fiona Crisp before a win over top qualifier Simon Barlow in round two to get to the final match-up against Carranza.
Meanwhile, Carranza had beaten Derek Willis in round one and Kenny Stewart in round two on his way to the final.
The victory saw a childhood dream come true for Dyson, with all of the hard work and determination over the years paying off in the form of an NDRC Christmas Tree.
“This is a bit of a dream come true,” Dyson said.
“Being a champion is something I have been dreaming about and wanting since I was a child and since I started drag racing.
“To be able to race against some of the greatest in the sport in Modified and also be alongside all the other classes in the same boat as them was very humbling.
“I can’t thank my family and sponsors enough for all of their support, and also I want to say thank you to NDRC and Aeroflow for making it all happen.
“To win the first Championship, they have held and the first under the new united banner has been fantastic and I am still trying to soak it all in – to be honest it doesn’t feel real yet!”
SUPERCHARGED OUTLAWS – CHAMPION AND EVENT WINNER: MIKE EVANS. RUNNER-UP: MARK HUNT
In Supercharged Outlaws, Mike Evans took the victory in the final run of the day with a solo victory after Hunt was unable to traverse the race track.
To get to the final, Evans took wins over Dale Tucker in round one and Bob Sherry in round two. Meanwhile, Mark Hunt had got the best of top qualifier Davydd Estcourt in round one before enjoying a bye in round two on his way to the final match-up.
Evans overcame a few niggling issues early on to come out on top, but all of the hard work and perseverance paid off in spades when he lifted the Christmas Tree at the end.
“It still hasn’t really sunk in yet that I have won the national title.
“We had the gearbox out of it first thing on Saturday morning, and then when we headed out for a test run early in the day and we had no air in the bottle! So, it wasn’t a great start, but on the second run Saturday we got down there pretty well and from there, things were much better.
“I have been fighting this car for five years to get it down the track – anyone that has one of these blown cars knows what I am talking about – but we managed to pick a number and it repeated and the driver didn’t stuff up, and it all came together!
“A lot of this success comes down to ‘Chris Palf’ and ‘Nads’ at FuelTech Australia and all they do for me, and also I want to thank Paul ‘Plucka’ Drady for his work rebuilding the shocks, their efforts are why the car is working now, it is as simple as that.
“I have been doing this (racing blown cars) for 15 years and this is our first championship, and I am still not sure what to think about it, it definitely hasn’t sunk in yet, but I can tell you, we certainly aren’t handing it back!” he laughed.
SUPER GAS – CHAMPION AND EVENT WINNER: ROB BERGAMIN. RUNNER-UP: COLIN GRIFFIN
In Super Gas, Rob Bergamin took it all the way to the end with a win over runner-up Colin Griffin.
As top qualifier, Bergamin enjoyed a bye in round one before a win over Warren Bull in round two to set up the final showdown against Griffin.
Griffin, meanwhile, took a round one win over Des Woolstencroft before enjoying a bye in round two.
After a few struggles with his 1969 VF Hardtop this year, Bergamin was over the moon to take out the 2023/2024 championship title.
“This is absolutely fabulous,” Bergamin said.
“I am so over the moon. I won the 2022/2023 championship (ANDRA series) and I wanted so badly to win this one.
“I started the season winning two meetings and taking home two Silver Trees, but then mid-season, I slipped back a little bit and had some struggles with the car, but I changed a few things to get it back to where it was, and I got hungry again, and it worked out for me. I am really happy.
“I want to send a big thanks to our Bergamin Brothers Racing team – Tony Antonino, Bill Hondros and Frank Bergamin – and also Pete’s Classic Cars and South West Automatics, and also NDRC and ANDRA.
“It all turned out great in the end and I am very proud of this win.”
SUPER SEDAN – CHAMPION AND EVENT WINNER: SEAN MAHER. RUNNER-UP: CHRIS LIOULIOS
In Super Sedan, the size of the field called for four rounds of eliminations on Sunday, with Sean Maher ultimately proving victorious over Chris Lioulios.
Maher found his way to the final by dispatching Ace Edwards in round one and winning over top qualifier Tony Miskelly in round two before enjoying a bye in round three.
Meanwhile, runner-up Lioulios won against Patrick Barron (round one), Robert Kardum (round two), and Martin Micro (round three) to secure a place in the final.
Maher was incredibly pleased with the national championship format and was proud to line up against the best racers in the country to take home the win.
“It is safe to say I am pretty stoked! It is still sinking in,” Maher said.
“We were so excited heading into the weekend. I supported (the championship) because I wanted a true national series to see how well I could go against everyone if you know what I mean.
“Everyone that was there at the weekend had to qualify so you knew there was no easy rounds, and if you won it, you deserved it. It was really hard-fought, and to come out on top, I am pretty stoked! I am still buzzing!
“We had a nightmare even getting to the track, coming across from the south of Sydney my car trailer nearly broke in half just south of Hay, and we found a fabrication place that dropped everything and spent seven hours fixing my trailer to get us back on the road. Then we got to the Bend at 10.30pm Thursday night when the rain was hammering down, and we were camping in swags!
“So, it was not a good start, but I think we got all our bad luck out early as it was all done by Friday and when the sun came out on Saturday, it was all good again!
“I would like to thank my wife Sarah, my daughters Hannah and Sam, and my old man Poppy, he is 82 and I have dragged him around the country racing with us, and also Terry who has been travelling with me as well, and I also want to thank Brett McNiff and St Mary’s Engines.
“We had three generations there on the weekend, my daughter (20), me (52) and dad (82) and it is so great to have the three generations there and travelling together and spending time together.”
SUPER STOCK – CHAMPION AND EVENT WINNER: STEVE NORMAN. RUNNER-UP: KIM FARDELLA
In Super Stock, Top Qualifier Steve Norman took it all the way to the end with a win over runner-up Kim Fardella.
Steve found his way to the final with a win over Darren Gay in round one before the final round matchup with Kim in round two. Kim, meanwhile, got to the final with a win over Leigh Donaldson in round one.
“It was a really good event and it was good to win the inaugural NDRC championship, that is for sure,” Norman said.
“We were definitely chasing it all year, and the car performed flawlessly.
“After the rain of Friday, the weather was absolutely magnificent across the weekend, you couldn’t have asked for better weather, it was absolutely beautiful.
“I want to say a big thank you to Ryan and Reg Lee, my long-suffering crew, thanks to them the car was flawless, and thankfully the nut behind the steering wheel did a reasonable job as well! And I also want to say a big thanks to RT Race Craft and Ridgeway Motorsports.”
SUPER STREET – CHAMPION AND EVENT WINNER: TEX GRIFFITHS. RUNNER-UP: ANDREW WAIGHT
In Super Street, it was a final round match-up between Tex Griffiths and Andrew Waight to decide the winner, with Griffiths coming out on top.
Griffiths got to the final with wins over Tony Antonino in round one and Top Qualifier Craig Warren in round three while enjoying a bye in round two.
Meanwhile, Waight defeated Brian Keane and Julian Semmler in rounds one and two before enjoying a bye in round three on the way to the final run.
With a fast car to play with over the weekend, Griffith’s efforts proved fruitful, leaving him ‘blown away’ by the final result.
“I am beyond chuffed; totally blown away,” Griffiths grinned.
“The weekend was pretty good, and I had some good luck in the first round as I made a terrible driver error, but I got through and I just took it and ran after that.
“The car was just screaming, it was absolutely hammering, the best it has been in a really long time! It was fantastic.
“I think the NDRDC is fantastic, and I would like to thank Aeroflow too for supporting the sportsman side of the series, they have been great, and also North Terrace Tyres in Adelaide for their support of Super Street in general.”
TOP SPORTSMAN – CHAMPION AND EVENT WINNER – PAUL PARTRIDGE. RUNNER-UP: DAVID FOSTER
In Top Sportsman, Paul Partridge proved victorious following four rounds of elimination racing on Sunday.
Partridge took the win over runner-up and Top Qualifier David Foster after finding his way to the final with a win over Enio Marrocco in round one and Cory Read in round two before enjoying a bye in round three.
Meanwhile, runner-up David Foster enjoyed a bye in round one before wins in round two over Leon Davies and Vlado Turic in round three to get to the final round.
With the win starting to sink in, Partridge reflected on his time as a Super Sedan racer and how special this weekend’s win truly is.
“It is slowly sinking in; I can’t believe that I won it!” Partridge said.
“I won a Super Sedan title in 2010, but since then this is our first one and the first with NDRC as well which makes it extra special with the new format.
“This is just great and the weekend was terrific. It all went smoothly and everyone did a great job. It was trying on Friday with the weather, but the weekend ran like clockwork, and everyone was so helpful and friendly. It really is a great thing.
“The car ran faultlessly as well, so it was a dream weekend!”
With the Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship title winners of the 2023/2024 season now decided, it is all eyes forward to the 2024/2025 title chase – the next opportunities to score NDRC 2024/2025 Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship points will come at Benaraby Dragway’s Harbour City Nationals (November 1-2), the Perth Motorplex’s Goldenstates (November 22-23), and Portland’s South Coast Nationals (December 7-8). For the full listing of events, please visit https://nationaldragracing.com.au/calendar/
To learn more about the Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship and the NDRC, visit www.ndrc.tv
