Many doubted it would happen, and yes it took a lot longer than expected – and it is not finished yet – but drag racing has returned to Calder Park. The weather gods were in favour of racing back at the iconic venue turning on a spectacular day for a test and tune shakedown last Sunday.
A wide variety of ANDRA licensed competition vehicles joined mild to exotic street cars to test the recently re-furbished racing surface that had been meticulously massaged in with tyre dragging, was given the thumbs up from racers.
The number were proof of the new surface’s approval, with Jess Turner hitting the re-ground and lengthened concrete launch pad with a PB 60 foot on a 7.31 at 181mph pass in her dragster.
The supercharged racers were on top of the new surface as well with Supercharged Outlaw racer Jason Keily cranking a new personal best in the mid sevens with his stunning coupe.
Fellow Supercharged Outlaw competitor Drago Nikodijevic put his late model Chevy Camaro into the 7.30s.
The personal bests kept coming with an ecstatic Team Nichele after driver Darren punched into the sevens for the first time in their Top Sportsman Camaro that had a new beating big block installed over the Winter.
Stef Buccella showed the track was up to the task of holding the power of his nitrous Torana equalling low eight second passes made by the car at Sydney Dragway.
Mick Ellis’ Supercharged Outlaw coupe is just cool.
Sevens were no problem for Frank Marchese tough street XW, still running full exhaust and on little X275 radials the twin turbo small block belts out over 2000hp.
Looking ready for a fight was Daniel Cassar’s “Trigger Happy” FED – way cool
Locky Ireland was out testing the new “big” motor in his Pro Stock Motorcycle with a few checkout passes and looked strong.
Matt Stone ran it into the low eights in his Modified dragster.
Looks like a new altered for the local Modified ranks with Wayne Hewitt doing the steering.
After a memorial cruise to the track for close friend and Pro Street racing icon Craig Brewer, Daniel Camilleri went 8.0 off the trailer in a fine return to the track which last saw the Pontiac in the wall following a stuck throttle.
Peter Moraitopoulos took a chainsaw to the Australian All Motor Front Wheel Drive record in his Scion with a 9.41.
Some video highlights from the day.
It was not all competition cars with the staging lanes crammed with eager streeters, but what took our fancy was the exotic super cars including a McLaren and Lamborghini Aventador that lined up. The Lambo was seen to go low elevens and the McLaren dipped into the tens, impressive for off the shelf road cars – still can be humbled by local Falcon’s and Commodore’s with a serious tune up.
Calder comes alive again this Friday the 18th of September for the first of their returning Off Street Meets.
Images by www.ozwild.com
Videos by www.sportingscribe.com.com
