Heart-stopping performances, a near-capacity crowd (15,032) and beautiful weather was the name of the game at Dragway at the Bend today for day one of the Aeroflow Spring Nationals, setting the stage for what is sure to be incredible racing tomorrow (Sunday 20 October).
Today’s action delivered qualifying for the first championship battles of the 2024/2025 NDRC season for Top Fuel, XPRO Nitro Funny Car, and Top Doorslammer, and also for the Grand Final showdown of the Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship – with Phil Read in particular ensuring Top Fuel stole the show by setting an incredible 3.72 second pass at 522.62kph, the quickest Top Fuel pass in Australia over the 1000ft distance in the Hydraulink Jim Read Racing Top Fuel Dragster in Q2.
With another great day of weather forecast and a packed schedule of racing which will decide not only the winners of the Aeroflow Spring Nationals but also the 2023/2024 Aeroflow National Sportsman Champions, race fans are advised to purchase their Sunday tickets ahead of time to avoid the queues and the potential of missing out on a seat trackside – go to https://bit.ly/SPRINGNATIONALS for all the details.
In the elite group one ranks, Morice McMillin (XPRO Nitro Funny Car) and Daniel Gregorini (Top Doorslammer) joined Phil Read in claiming the new NDRC Top Qualifier medals at the close of today’s running.
Read’s crowd-pleasing performance followed a difficult test pass and Q1 for the Jim Read Racing outfit, but that was all forgotten by the crowd as they jumped to their feet to celebrate their record-breaking pass this evening.
“I knew it was quick from the moment I stood on it, I was planning on only going to half track originally but I knew it was quick as it was setting me back, so I kept at it,” Phil Read said.
“I had to drive it! I think it had the wheels in the air and it went over near the center line and I yanked it back and then it went near the wall and I yanked it back – if it had gone straight it probably would have gone three-seventy-one!
“It was flat, and it was really good and fills us with confidence heading to tomorrow’s racing – we just have to go out and repeat it now! That is certainly the plan; I think we have finally hit on something.”
Jim Read Racing Crew Chief Bruce Read added: “I am a bit stunned, this is a bit surreal, everyone was going beserk and I was just staring at the timing boards standing there alone as no one could come near me due to my shoulder reconstruction, just in total disbelief at what it said!”
“This is the result of so much toiling from my team, and they deserve every second of these celebrations after believing in me that we would get it right sooner or later. This is just amazing, and for once in my life, I am a little bit speechless. I am just dumbstruck to be honest! Especially after the problems of the earlier runs with a throttle stop issue and the computer quitting and all that, this is just incredible,” Bruce grinned.
Wayne Newby had earlier been in the frame to top qualify, signaling his intentions early with a 3.950 second pass at 406.72kph in testing, the only one of the field to go into the threes in that session, before laying down an impressive 3.818 second pass at 516.54kph to top the sheets after Q1. In that same session, his team mate Damien Harris suffered a massive explosion which left the Rapisarda Autosport International team with a lot of work to complete to repair his racing machine, seeing the reigning champ miss Q2. Kyle Putland was third quickest today, thanks to his 5.594 second pass at 187.58kph in Q1, with no time recorded in Q2.
In XPRO Nitro Funny Car, Walshe was leading the way early with a 4.169/433.52kph effort in testing, but it was all about Morice McMillin in Q1 with a 4.027/476.26kph effort putting him to the top of the sheets – where he stayed following Q2 ahead of team-mate Josh Leahy (4.136/433.57kph), while Walshe had a narrow miss with the left hand side wall before running a 4.730 at 292.30kph in Q2. Adam Murrihy was a no-show for Q1 following issues in his test pass, and also was forced to push back after approaching the line in Q2.
“We were very happy with Q1, and in the second qualifier we were trying really hard to put on a show for the crowd and just over-stepped the mark a little bit,” McMillin explains.
“We have a new combination in the car so we are working hard to get that all sorted out. And tomorrow will be a whole new ball game so you cannot rest on your laurels!
“The crowd today was just amazing – we absolutely love coming here, the South Australian race fans are just awesome, the signing session was unbelievable, and we can’t wait to put on a huge show for them all on Sunday.”
In Top Doorslammer, defending champion Russell Taylor was in-form early, topping the test session and then Q1 (5.699/412.25kph and 5.661/415.09), but all the while he had Daniel Gregorini snapping at his heels with a 5.668 at 408.60kph before the former champ pipped the ‘Ice Man’ in Q2 to claim the top spot with a 5.601 second effort at 411.83kph. The 11-time title winner John Zappia meanwhile had a narrow miss with the wall in testing before more than redeeming himself with a 5.724/402.82kph effort in Q1, which he bettered in Q2 for the third quickest time of the day (5.718/409.36kph) for the bracket.
“That is awesome, I never expected the car to go that good!” Gregorini enthused.
“It is well known that we have changed rim sizes now, so we have finally caught up with the other guys as far as more rubber on the track – it was as saving thing where we had to save up to put them on both cars, and now that we have, it is onto the PBs – our previous PB was a 5.653.
“The track was perfect, the conditions were perfect, the car moved around a little bit but it was all good and we can’t wait for tomorrow. The track is only going to get better and they have done a brilliant job here, hopefully we see all the spectators out again Sunday like today too!”
In the chase for the 2023/2024 Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship title, as well as valuable 2024/2025 season points, an NDRC Christmas Tree trophy, and the chance to win a share of a $25k prize purse, Rob Bergamin (Super Gas), Nixon Cannuli (Junior Dragster), Craig Warren (Super Street), Dean Jamieson (Modified Bike), Edge Mallis (Competition Bike), Lillian Hagan (Junior Drag Bike), Tony Miskelly (Super Sedan), Simon Barlow (Modified), Steve Norman (Super Stock), Matt Forbes (Competition Eliminator), Davydd Estcourt (Supercharged Outlaws) and David Foster (Top Sportsman) claimed the new NDRC Top Qualifiers Medallions ahead of their racing tomorrow.
The Aeroflow Spring Nationals action concludes Sunday 20 October at Dragway at The Bend from 10.10am, with racing for Top Fuel, XPRO Nitro Funny Car, and Top Doorslammer scheduled for 11.00am, 1.30pm and 4.00pm. For full event information and tickets, visit https://bit.ly/SPRINGNATIONALS
To learn more about the NDRC, visit www.ndrc.tv
