Summit Racing Equipment Junior Dragster contender Mikey Naylor (Marangaroo, WA) was the fourth Naylor family member to win an ANDRA Christmas Tree at Steel City Raceway in Whyalla two weeks ago. That victory brought the number of Christmas Trees in the family to up to a total of six.
At the ANDRA Championship Grand Final April 9-10 at Adelaide International Raceway, young Mikey could add a Championship Tree to the mix and follow in his big brother’s footsteps by winning a National Summit Racing Equipment Junior Dragster title.
“The Whyalla win takes the family tally to six Christmas Trees, four gold, two sliver and four divisional championships,” says proud father Michael Naylor.
“To my knowledge no other family has had four members winning Christmas Trees – three siblings and their father – or the Divisionals in ANDRA’s history.
“The win has put Mikey at the top (of Junior Dragster) on the max 300 points equal with two other racers (Josh Baker and Natalie Bishop) and a total of six have a chance at winning.
“My family lives and breathes the sport and to be part of something that has never been achieved makes me a proud husband and parent.
“No other family has done the travelling we have over the past few years and most of it I have driven the family car and trailer across the Nullarbor and back. We have no sponsors and myself and my wife work hard to fund the racing.”
Naylor himself has been racing on and off for 32 years and was an Australian Nationals winner at Ravenswood Raceway back in 1990. That winning pedigree has been passed on to each of his kids.
Eldest son Rhys won local events in WA and just missed out on the Junior Dragster Championship in 2009 with a semi final appearance at the Winternationals. Following Rhys, daughter Alicia instantly won event son the National stage and was the first junior racer from WA to win outside of the state while also hauling in a WA Divisional Championship.
Brayden had the most success of all taking to drag racing like a duck to water winning his first ever event behind the wheel, going on to claim the Westernationals and clinching the 2013 Junior Dragster Championship and WA Divisional title.
Now it’s youngest Mikey’s turn and he’s making the most of it.
“This current season started in Alice Springs so we decided to go to Darwin then down to Alice for the second year in a row,” explains Michael.
“Mikey went through to the semi finals giving him a great start with some big points. It was a 10,000km round trip and we all drove both times.
“We decided to race at the Rowe Memorial at Calder in December and drove across. Mikey went to the quarter finals and got a few points. We towed to Portland and left our gear there then returned home.
“We drove back to Perth then back to Portland where Mikey top qualified. He only got 20 points there but it was enough to keep the tally ticking over. Then we drove up to Melbourne for the next week and the Australian Nationals.”
“Mikey went through to the semifinals and gained enough points to keep him in the championship with a mathematical chance at least. We drove to Adelaide and with the help of some locals left our stuff there and flew home. It was a hectic holiday period and I drove 26,000 kilometers in three-four weeks.”
In the penultimate round of the 2015/2016 Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series in Whyalla, Mikey needed a big performance to stay in the title race.
He delivered with a win over Championship rival Natalie Bishop in the final putting him on the maximum 300 points cap alongside Bishop and Josh Baker with Daniel Carranza, Kelly Donnelly and Tim Baker all in with a mathematical chance.
“Mikey won the meeting in Whyalla, his first ever,” adds Naylor. “He has earned points at every single round he has attended and wrapped up the WA Divisional Championship making him the third sibling to do so.”
Mikey Naylor will attempt to add to that at the ANDRA Championship Grand Final at Adelaide International Raceway April 9-10. Featuring Championship showdowns in both the ANDRA Drag Racing Series and the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series, the ANDRA Championship Grand Final will be two giant days of racing as the curtain comes down on the 2015/2016 season.
{fcomment}
