After fighting constant rain showers the opening round of the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship has been cancelled due to weather at Fuchs South Coast Raceway.
Event notes:
12:00am: Well the sad news is that the weather has won this one, South Coast Raceway has conceded defeat and the rest of the event has now been cancelled. Despite an outstanding effort from all raceway officials pushing against the elements, drying the track a number of times and then having to do a overnight track repair, it was just not to be this time.
11:00am: Eliminations racing is underway but a heavy rain front looks to be enroute. One big shock in Super Sedan with reigning champion Johnny Kapiris going out in the first round.
Saturday
10:25pm: A few quick snaps from Darren Bingham to close out the night!
7:30pm: Unfortunately racing has been suspended for tonight until tomorrow following a horrendous finish line crash involving Mick Mahoney’s Supercharged Outlaw Capri, reports are Mick was out of the car quickly and for the best part uninjured. Sadly the Capri which has just been rebuilt after a previous tumble will require some work, hopefully the Read Transport team will be back again in the near future. The concrete wall needs to be replaced therefore no racing can continue tonight until it is repaired, no word if any more qualifying will be completed except for the remaining Supercharged Outlaws competitors still to run their Q2.
In other news Shane Baxter survived another scary moment in Super Comp Q2, the little altered getting wildly out of shape nearly tipping over around half track. Lyle Gilmore’ CC/AA also had a moment coming together with Dimos Stefanopoulos’ B/MPA Firebird in the braking area. Daniel Camilleri is well under both ends of the the DD/GA record (4.99/137) with a 4.85/145 in the Pontiac, Craig Geddes is also tapping on the B/DA record (4.53) with a 4.55.
Leanne Braggs still leads Modified with a slightly improving 4.69.
6:30pm: News through that Q3 is going to be scrapped and E1 of Super Sedan will be run later tonight.
Supercharged Outlaws Q1 finally got into the books with a 4.389 from Craig Handley the quickest.
A few movements in what has been run of Q2 so far. Chris King’s 7.010 has taken over the Super Street top qualifying mantle, Corey Scholes getting his turbocharged Kawasaki down track in 5.414 seconds to lead Modified Bike, Adrian McGrotty running a dead on 6.300 to take a commanding position in Super Gas and Toby Austin going 8.002 to be just over the 8.00 lower limit for qualifying in Junior Dragster.
4:50pm: First session of Super Comp is in the books, Daniel Camilleri is the early leader running a DD/GA 4.94 on a 5.29 index. In a low light of the session Shane Baxter put his CC/AA into the catch net with no chutes on his pass. The team is going to work to repair the car overnight.
4:20pm: Qualifying has been able to get a few more runs on the board now so we have some early leaders for you. In Modified Leanne Braggs holds top spot with a 4.702 from her A/MA, while in Super Sedan Andrew Sanders got his SS/BB Ford Cortina down track in 5.039 seconds. Nathan Stone is currently pacing Modified Bike after a 5.840 shot at the Portland eighth mile, with David Bunnik the closest to Super Street’s 7.00 cut off following a 7.017 pass. Bradley Bishop leads Junior Dragster on an 8.046 and in Super Gas national champion Matthew Forbes is showing his form with a 6.318 on the 6.30 index.
2:30pm: D’oh! A little more wet stuff.
1:50pm: Qualifying began!
1:30pm: Still waiting on rain showers to clear, check the radar here – http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR143.loop.shtml#skip. Fingers crossed.
11:00am: Racing was due to start at 11am, the weather forecast though is looking dubious with the track experiencing a current rain shower.
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