A new look NSW Championship at Sydney Dragway nearly dodged the weather bullet but it was not to be with the wet stuff falling as finals approached. However there was still a load of action to report on as the track looks to ramp up the excitement at this series.
Sydney Dragway has taken the step to try and improve the appeal of each round of the 2014 NSW Championship series with the addition of a feature bracket and some promotion, for round one it would be a Blower vs Turbo Doorslammer headline act. 
As stated above rain ended the event around the semi final stage for most competitors, so no brackets had been finalised.
In the Blower vs Turbo Challenge, two of the three round were run and done. The first round saw George Rehayem rocket the rotary to a 6.44 over a tyre smoking Frank Mamone Nova. Johnny Roso and Matt Grubisa in a pair of Camaros saw wheelstands and Roso take the light in his blown version with a 6.50. 
In a all turbo match up Rob Campisi showed he is heading in the right direction with the new setup smashing out a 6.17 at 245MPH downing Michael Haimandos’ much less powerful Mustang’s 7.22 and Zoran Gajic went for a solo blowing tyres off the Gas Motorsport turbo Muzzy.
Mamone was shut down in a round two face off with 10.5 nemesis Grubisa who still had issues finding track bite. Roso took his second win with a pedaling 6.74 over Rehayem’s troubled run.
Gajic wrestled the Mustang to a 6.88 but scraped the concrete wall at mid track handing the win to opponent Campisi, while Haimandos dipped into the sixes with a 6.92 at 209MPH. Rain ended the event there, both Roso and Campisi with two wins each would of been going for the title in the third and final racing round.
There was some group one testing as well for those not able to run in a bracket, John Lamattina had the Fuchs Dragster produce some strong early numbers with sixties in the 8.3 range.
What was meant to be only a launch for Mark Mariani felt so good that Mariani kept the boot in past half track to clock a 5.22.
Damien Harris testing the Rapisarda team car produced a early shut down 4.91, though the short time numbers were nothing on the Lamattina ride.
A 7.09 in not so pleasant conditions has the Spinozzi Camaro heading the right way under the guidance of Michael Marriot.
West Aussie Tony Hinkley made his first passes aboard the Grima Buell, Hinkley will be the rider of choice for the team.
There was only three cars in Top Comp, Geoff Gradden’s Top Doorslammer the quickest in qualifying with a not so clean 6.57 (6.34IN).
In eliminations Gradden and Mark Belleri who was having a steer of Fabietti’s Holden had a pedalfest with Gradden making the best of it, 6.59 to 6.62.
Mark Hinchelwood went 6.02 on a solo in the Sainty TA/FC, a personal best to date. The final was not completed.
Super Comp saw Dom Rigoli out in front in qualifying with a 7.01 (-.641) in his CC/SM Eclipse.
Rigoli would have a solo into the semis, Fred Soleiman was well under the A/MPA index with his GTO running 8.29 (8.82) in defeating Garry Watterson’s B/GA ex Pro Stocker. Clint George moved into the semis with the B/APA Cavalier when opposition Eyad Shalabi’s RX3 had problems.
George received a single into the final and Rigoli defeated Solieman 7.08 (7.43) to a 8.36 (8.56) to make up the rest of the final had it been run.
The “Avenger” funny car of Andrew Hodgson led a nine car Top Outlaws field with a 6.67.
Top Outlaws were running a three round format featuring a compulsory qualifier, elimination round with the best performers going to an A and B final, and for extra spice, racing is on a handicapped pro tree.
In the elimination round, Hodgson defeated a wildly out of shape John Ward as the track conditions deteriorated, Dearne Stephen overcame a massive holeshot pass Greg Smith’s loose altered. Norm McCormack did his best to keep the FED in the lane but could not, handing the win to Jeff Penton and Michael Watkins had a single with AJ Fairbairn unable to make the startline.
Had the finals been run we would of seen Hodgson face Penton in the A final, and the B final was to be Watkins and Stephen.
The Wild Bunch boys were running a points based round robin format over three rounds of racing. In round one Craig Hanley, Tony Avati, Ben Gatt and number one qualifier Steve Greentree in the hearse grabbed victories.
Round two saw Avati, Hanley and Greentree all pick up another win along with Anthony Bool in his XF Falcon, and that is where racing was ended.
Heading Top Sportsman Michael “Stix” Kalaitzakis thumped out a 7.47 from the big block turbo Supra, all on radials, Stix would go 7.25 at 206MPH in round one on a lose.
The gorgeous Nova of Brett Balfour was the culprit eliminating the Supra and was now in the semi final against Neil Constantinou driving the old man’s Mustang. Constantinou would go through to the would be final on a holeshot.
Oddly enough also driving their father’s car was Ronnie Palumbo in I think his first outing in competition, reached the final to face the veteran Constantinou.
Modified was boasting a healthy 19 entries with the influx of a number of new racers. A couple of wild altereds owned qualifying, Andrew Musgrave has been turning the boost up and laid down a 6.49 to be the quickest, while newcomer Adam Murrihy from the Northern Territory took possession of the now ex Shannon Gaddes altered for a 6.77.
Murrihy proceeded to win races reaching round three which he had in the bag when Tim Nielsen nabbed a -.001 red light only to watch the blown beast cross the centreline reversing the result.
That piece of luck sent Nielsen to the semi final where he was to face Scott Arneil’s altered. Peter Brown looking to challenge again for the State Championship would have had a single into the Modified final.
Super Sedan during the NSW Championship Series now runs between 9.00 and 10.99 seconds, cars any quicker must run in Top Sportsman, Gordan Taylor top qualified with a 9.07.
Racing was stopped in the fourth round, still in competition was Ray Fairfull, Elise Taylor, Andrew Constantinou, Jim Denaro and James Barnes making the most of his new car after a jump up from Super Street.
A 9.902 kept Anthony Panetta in the Super Gas top slot.
Panetta would carry the good form into the final where he was to face Roy Romeo, but Mother Nature had other ideas.
Modified Bike is another bracket building momentum, on the back of Bike Nights and a strong Street Bike bracket we are seeing more and more riders stepping up and having a go at competition. One new comer in Carl Askew has a serious nitrous bike at his controls, clocking 7.58 in qualifying just edging out Alex Borg’s turbo no bar ‘Busa with a 7.64.
We were left with an unfinished final too in Modified Bike, Track Champion Matthew Hunt was there again aboard his Kawasaki ready to face Peter Strudwick’s Destroyer.
A epic 33 car Super Street field fought it out down to the semis, though Chris Holland was fighting gravity in his beetle.
Left in the uncompleted semi finals was Colin Boyd’s Chevelle taking on National Champion Carl Taylor and his ’62 Chev Bubbletop in a American Muscle throw down.
Conversely an all Aussie metal dual in the other semi with Mick Walsh’s Commodore against David Matosevic’s Cortina.
Talking about booming brackets, they continue in Junior Dragster and despite the age cull each year, there were still 20 on hand at round one. Madalen Whyte who is one of the debutantes top qualified with a 8.009.
Racing reached the semi final phase which had Jack Hazzard with a free pass into the final on a solo, and sister Emma who is the reigning Track Champion would have been facing David Roberts.
Into the overflowing street classes now, Clint Newbould topped the Street Fighter class with a 13.13 from his V8 Sigma.
Racing was halted in the semi finals, former Junior Dragster pilot Adriana MacCaskell was to meet Stephen Anderson and defending champion Belinda Welch had a solo.
On two wheels Matt Lisle was the quickest with a 10.22 in Street Bike qualifying.
Wayne Odgers put in his membership to the bike burnout stack club, but got over it quickly.
Will Davey another of the debutantes found himself facing Evan Murray for a final birth and Joe Khoury on the Harley would have a single in the washed out semi finals.
The final class on show today was those HAMBsters, running a three round Chicago Shootout format, Allan Doorman and Jeff Danglmaier both had two wins from two races going to the final segment.
Well that is a wrap for this event, the next round of the NSW Championship will feature the introduction of the Outlaw 10.5 class.
Check out the epic event gallery by clicking NEXT and be track side for round two!
