Lights Out showed and gave us a introduction into the popularity of bare bones drag racing, and now Po Tung has formulated the style of racing into Grudge Kings – and the result? Well see for yourself.
Grudge racing is harping the sport back to its grass roots – two combatants and their machines, first to the end wins – it’s simple but effective.
Po Tung has developed the formula to give racers something else to strive for apart from bragging rights – a Grudge Kings “List”. Just like the TV show Street Outlaws, a list has been developed that will give racers to call out others on the list to move up and down based on wins or losses at designated future events.
The first Grudge Kings event held at Sydney Dragway last weekend was used to set the NSW top 20 on this list. Rules are simple, no full chassis cars, factory steel bodies (bar front clips) heads up eighth mile racing with no time boards, just a win light in true grudge racing style.
And after a day of crazy burnouts, big wheelstands and muscle versus import war, girl power reigned supreme with an undefeated Gina Bullians holding down the top spot in her Mazsport RX7.
Full list is:
1. Gina Bullians
2. Tomi Raikko
3. Frank Cannistra
4. Rob Owen
5. Grant Henderson
6. Daniel Soldatic
7. Joe Sobato
8. Alex Cirtoski
9. Joe Gauci
10. Matt McCarthy
11. Shane Bugeja
12. Rob Godfrey
13. Steve Athans
14. Johnny Habib
15. Jim Bolovinos
16. John Beckingham
17. Tony Grgich
18. & 19. To be determined – Perry Bullivant or Greg Tsakirdis.
20. Open
And associated Street class was also run, based on a pre-existing “Sydney Street Outlaws” list to determine the quickest street cars in Sydney. Cars must be driven to the track, run on pump fuel, street approved radial tyres and they were competing over the timed full quarter. The win was taken out by Andrew Zada with his front runner dangling RX3 with a time of 8.350 to head the list, and now the call-outs will begin if you wish to move up and down the Sydney Street Outlaws list. Full list can be found here.
There was also a pure grudge class held for anyone else who wanted to just call-out a fellow racer for fun or wager.
To say the event was a smashing success is an understatement, following a solid social media campaign buoyed by plenty of publicity from the Facebook Live video coverage from the Moits Racing test days leading into the event, thousands rocked up to see some of the quickest sedans in the country run heads up and flat out.
Events like this show drag racing still has a large following and they will come if the promotion and product is right.
Grudge Kings will hopefully be taking off in other states as well in the future with some big cash payouts down track.
Check out the next issue of Drag News Magazine for more coverage and this action packed gallery.
