The second round of the Queensland Drag Racing Championship was run and done last weekend, with many racers taking advantage of the last opportunity to fine tune under racing conditions before the Winternationals.
Before we get into the racing there was plenty of testing hit outs from the pro racers.
Top Fuel darkhorse Peter Xiberras looked strong on several shut off runs carding a best of 5.18 at just 203mph
New Top Alcohol Funny Car for Wayne Price netted a respectable 5.68 for a first outing.
A strong 5.51 from Steven Reed has the team in the ballpark chasing some of the big number seen in Top Alcohol this season.
After John Cannuli punched out sensational mid .40’s during the week in private testing with his alky funny car, brother Paul rolled out his Camaro Top Doorslammer and could be a upset player at the Winters following strong incremental numbers and a 5.96.
Pro Bike has been in somewhat of a holding pattern in recent times in regards to elapsed times, but I think we will see that change at the Winternationals. Brad Lemberg stepped it up big time with his Father’s Pro Bike and was on the pace with a 7.29
National Pro Bike champion Luke Crowley was shaking down a new mount.
Supercomp saw a mixed bag of six cars from across the Group Two classes.
Chris Tait was destroying his index with a 7.04 and 7.01 on a 7.70 in the Chicago Shootout rounds but could only stage in the final with a severly hurt 3RZ against Tony Bellert.
The Bellert dragster lived in the 7.0’s for qualifying before playing it safe in the racing rounds, then dropped at 6.88 on a 7.19 index for a win over the wounded 200SX.
The Queensland Comp Bike resurgence continued with a solid field for a QDRC event. It was the no-bar boys Peter Puznik and Peter Everett throwing down in the final, Puznik’s 8.45 on a 8.50 index held off Everett’s index equalling 9.78.
The QDRC Outlaws was a all black belt affair with 11 cars despite nitrous and turbo cars allowed into the class. With a phenomenally oversubscribed Supercharged Outlaws field at the Winternationals where the bump will likely be in the sixes a few races were out pushing the class limits – however there are no limits in the QDRC
Mike Evans up from Tasmania went 6.46 and Nathan Pullen was wheelstanding and under the SC/O class limit too with a 6.46 with his dragster.
Likewise Mark Harris in the ex Sean Mifsud Willy’s pushed hard with a 6.48 – Winternationals qualifying will be hectic.
Nathan Pullen with wheelstands and all went three from three in the rounds and found himself in the final against the Chevy S10 of Leigh Ryan. Dialling in with a 6.49, Pullen hit a 6.57 to easily defeat Ryan’s aborted run.
It was great to see the ex Simon Holgerson Bug back after a long rebuild in the hands of Shawn Taskis.
Modified saw Mike Bailey and Andrew Pinkstone go head to head in a double break out final. With the holeshot advantage Pinkstone did not back off enough killing his 9.10 dial in with a 8.97 as the roadster of Bailey chased him down with a 7.78 on a 7.80.
Rolina Tremanyne – wife of Aaron – made her, what we are pretty sure is her competition debut in Modified, unfortunately the car had to be retired with problems after the first round of racing.
An all Ford final in Super Sedan shaped up with Adam Solomon’s Probe against the little Escort of Allan Woods. The Escort left with a sizeable reaction time lead as the Probe began the chase, Woods though was too far off his 9.77 dial in with a 9.84 to stop Soloman from rounding him up on the top end with a 8.78 on a 8.73.
The bike scene is booming at Willowbank with a monster 35 Modified Bikes contesting the three rounds of Chicago Shootout racing, and that all shook down to a final between Shaun Soboll and Mitchell Ward. A .041 to .095 start line advantage to the Hayabusa of Soboll should of been good enough to secure the win – and it was, with Ward breaking out trying to overcome the difference.
A killer .002 reaction in the Super Street final by Mitchell Bauer with his Torana all but sealed the fate of opponent Curtis Grading who left on a .084. The Torana backed off to a 11.99 on a 11.88 which was safe enough against Grading’s tighter 11.48 on a 11.40.
The Super Gas heavy hitters were upset by the Beretta of Patrick Barron, veteran Dave Gauldie succumbing in the final to a hole shot – 9.92 to a 9.96 – loss against Barron, who had also defeated Gauldie in round two of the Chicago Shootout.
The Junior Dragster final featured another Barron with Tim taking the win over Andrew Tinny with a hard fought 8.345 on a 8.34 against a 8.577 on a 8.57 – good tough racing in the Juniors.
Check out our racing montage by Drag News Magazine minion Mark Shields
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Images by www.blacktrack.com.au & www.dragphotos.com.au
