The 2018 Queensland Drag Racing Championships is heading for the finish line with the penultimate round of the seven round series completed last weekend.
With no QDRC Outlaws scheduled for this round Super Comp pulled together a field which it has had trouble doing this season. Interestingly Aaron Tremayne got to race Rolinia Tremayne in round one, with Rolinia red lighting her dragster trying to do a number on her brother-in-law. The final featured Willowbank staple racer Tony Bellert in his A/DA dragster and Jason Simpson in his tough new G/GA Probe. Simpson strapped a strong .034 to .118 holeshot on Bellert who ran it out the back with a 6.86 on a 6.99 index, but could not come around Simpson’s 8.16 on a 8.34.
In Competition Bike, Phil Earl didn’t do any harm to his track championship hopes by reaching the final on his CC/CBI machine, however the glory would go to current 400 Thunder champion Ken Collin who delivered his first seven second ET with a 7.98 on a 8.16 A/AB index to hold off Earl’s 7.53 on a 7.59 index run.
The two Top Sportsman championship heavyweights went head to head in a repeat of the final from the last QDRC round. Paul Doeblien dialled in with a 8.60 with his Falcon Ute, while Oldsmobile racer David Gauldie had a 7.97 on the boards. At the tree it was Gauldie by little over a hundredth, and that is all he needed for the win, holding the advantage to the stripe with a 7.992 to a 8.626, and in turn cut into Doeblien’s points lead with the gap down to eight points.
Tony Littlewood dropped a .001 light in the final and couple that with a 8.253 on a 8.25 dial in at the stripe, it spelt doom for opponent Kellie Kidd in the dragster, despite a great 7.497 on a 7.49. Championship wise though, Bob Frawley is still the one to beat with a clear lead of 22 points over Phil Bellert.
The tight racing continued in the final of Super Sedan, Mitchell Bauer moved into championship contention with a tough 9.854 on a 9.85 to keep the Ford Fairlane ahead for Chris Heit’s Hilux which reeled off a 9.797 on a 9.72 despite a shifter gremlin. The championship is anyone’s with Daniel Morris, Lee Sherwin and Patrick Barron covered by just a four point spread.
The Modified Bike championship is just as tough as you would expect from from what is arguable the hardest fought arena for the class in the country. Tammy Goldthorpe and Alan Annis rode off in the final for the win, both racers pushed each other to a double breakout, Goldthorpe taking the win by going just 4 thou under her dial in compared to 9 thou for Annis. Both racers are in the championship picture which include six riders within 10 points going into the final round.
Super Street is not quite that close with only four racers within 10 points following the conclusion of this round! Neil Tschutura is one of the those racers with his Commodore and he is there because he defeated a red lighting Ian Nielsen in the final – a 10.928 on a 10.92 would of been a tough beat anyway.
Oscar Isherwood tied up the Junior Dragster points lead by reaching the final, but it was Ricki-Lee Dransfield you would go home with the event trophy with a holeshot 8.113 on a 8.10 win.
The final round of the QDRC will be held on Oct 27 when the Aeroflow Outlaw Nitro Funny Cars come to town.
