The 2024 NSW Track Championship Series has crossed into the second half of its season for the run home to what will be an spectacular Grand Final in November. Round five of series saw a strong day of sportsman racing action across all categories, here is who won what.
Boosted Outlaws upped their game with eight entries running a Chicago Shootout format. The final was an all Ford shootout with Anthony Bool’s blown 412 SBF BA Falcon dropping a 7.535 (7.50DI) lap to take the win light over Tim Gruber’s wheelstand blown Boss powered Cortina.
The all-out heads up Extreme Bike bracket saw Brendan Miglionico ride away with the win in the final on 7.483 194mph pass with his Hayabusa against Ryan Franks. The runners-up result for Franks though was enough to catapult him into the championship lead.
In his first Track Championship appearance of the season, Paul Partridge returned straight to the winner’s list in Top Sportsman. It was tight at the tree in yet another all Ford final, ‘Pardo’ hit the stripe with a 8.143 (7.98) in his big 604ci SVO Mustang against John Rigatos’ nitrous XL ute’s 8.338 (8.15).
Familiar faces populated the Modified final as the top tier contenders continue to end up in combat at the end of the event. George Bukureshliev has featured in four finals this season with no wins, and was duking it out with fellow FED racer Cj Davies in a final for a second time this season. Bukureshliev was on his game at the tree with the holeshot, holding the advantage to the line to take his first and well-deserved win of the season and extending his championship lead over Davies.
A .006 light was a great start for Andrew Little in the Super Sedan final, but his Camaro fell away from the 9.60 dial in with a 9.71, letting Sean Maher slip by in his Torana with a winning 9.148 (9.11 DI). It was Maher’s second win of the season, but the Super Sedan weapon missed a few rounds and won’t be in the championship hunt this season.
Winning must be getting monotonous for Sean Ricketts in Modified Bike, the red Kawasaki streak continues his unbelievable clean sweep of the season with a fifth straight event win. Ricketts went 9.329 on a 9.32 at stripe to ride past Albi Davidson and continue the unbeaten run.
Craig Warren moved into Super Street championship contention with his Torana after taking the win in the final against a red lighting Brayden Stewartson.
Joe Catanzariti pushed his Super Gas event win tally to three after outgunning young gun Nicholas Polito in the final 9.924 to 9.981. Catanzariti still leads the title race in his Firebird over Roy Romeo and Polito.
An event win to Jack Matosevic in the Street Fighter bracket edged the Falcon driver further ahead in his claim for a Track Championship crown. Matosevic defeated championship rival Shaun Dartnell in final and now leads him by just 20 points at this stage of the championship.
In Street Bike new kid Jessy Barnes kept his championship hopes alive on the back of a 10.071 (10.05 DI) in final to down veteran motorcycle guru Mick Withers.
Piper Bennett was running away with the Junior Dragster title and any contenders needed to step up at this event. Alex Refalo did that runner-up finish closing the gap to 60 points. Harri Raikko though took the event win on the day with a 8.107 (8.05 DI) to drive around Refalo in the final.
Junior Bike saw Joshua Bertenshaw ride to his fourth straight event win and third final win in a row against Lincon Delios.
The next round of the NSW Championship Series is on Sep 14.
NEWS & NOTES:
Generational Talents: Britney Olive is in the clear lead for the Boosted Outlaw Track Championship, though she did not make the final at this event, a cool moment was had when she lined up against Kurtis Read in a blown dragster match race at the end of the event, signifying two third-generation racers carrying on their families drag racing legacy.
Devil’s Taxi rides again: After a year long layoff Danny Makdessi has checked back in with a whole new combination for the Devil’s Taxi blown Valiant. It hasn’t taken the team long to drop some numbers, with Makdessi cranking out a 6.20/225mph PB blast from full bodied Val.
Gallery from the event by Cackling Pipes.
