Day two of round two of the ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship at the Sunset Nationals has been run and won, with celebrations all around at Mildura’s Atlantic Oils Sunset Strip after a full contingent of sportsman racers battled it out to see who would take home ANDRA Christmas Trees.
Rounding out the weekend with a win and the ANDRA Christmas Trees in their respective brackets were Michael Jennings (Goodyear Racing Super Street), Zayne Condello (Langtree’s Machinery Services Junior Dragster), Derryn McGregor (Ballistic Performance Parts Modified Bike), Ned Karanovic (Super Sedan Competitors Super Sedan), Glenn Henley (Top Sportsman Competitors Top Sportsman), Shane Baxter (Huntsman Racing Supercharged Outlaws), Rob Cassar (Lectron Australia Competition Bike), Steve Norman (Jackie Watt Consultancy / Fardella and Watt Racing SuperComp), Cory Dyson (Modified), and Graeme Spencer (Super Gas).
Celebrations were also had for the event runners-up in each bracket: Neil Mellett (Goodyear Racing Super Street), Savanna Condello (Langtree’s Machinery Services Junior Dragster), Greg Oberti (Ballistic Performance Parts Modified Bike), Joe Bresciano (Super Sedan Competitors Super Sedan), Leon Davies (Top Sportsman Competitors Top Sportsman), Tim Stewart (Huntsman Racing Supercharged Outlaws), Cheryl Beddoes (Lectron Australia Competition Bike), Pat Firriolo (Jackie Watt Consultancy / Fardella and Watt Racing SuperComp), Rocco Romano (Modified), and Colin Griffin (Super Gas).
In Langtree’s Machinery Services Junior Dragster, it was brother versus sister when New Gen Business Park Top Qualifier and event winner Zayne Condello lined up against his sister, runner-up Savanna Condello, in the final. Over the four elimination rounds to get to the finals, Zayne won over Lily Horton (round one), Todd Wagner (round three), and Ava Walker (round four), with a bye in round two. On her way to the final round, Savanna meanwhile took wins over last year’s event winner Cooper Plummer (round one), Charlize Grivell (round two), and Tyler Jarvis (round three), before a semi-final bye.
This wasn’t the first time the pair had faced off in the final, but this time Zayne is much happier with the result.
“It was amazing to be in a final with my sister, this is the second time this has happened, and this time, I came out on top where last time she got me just at the end a couple of months ago,” Condello said.
“It was an amazing feeling to win my first ANDRA Christmas Tree and to get the Top Qualifier medallion as well, and to race my sister in the final.
“It was an amazing weekend; this is our first meeting with a brand-new motor that we got from Craw’s Racing, and it is performing perfectly – it top qualified and ran eight-double-zero basically all weekend and pushed me to a PB! The motor is just ultra-consistent, and we couldn’t ask for any more.
“I would like to thank Fine Line Motorsports, Bussoletti Autobody Repair Centre, Craws Racing, and also my family – especially my grandfather – and everyone at home who is supporting me.”
In Top Sportsman Competitors Top Sportsman, Glenn Henley continued his last season winning form to claim the win from runner-up and Desert Nationals winner Leon Davies. To get to the finals, Henley took wins over Vlado Turic in round one before a win over Sam Cardinale in round two, while runner-up Davies defeated New Gen Business Park Top Qualifier David Foster in round one and Stuart McBain in round two.
The weekend couldn’t have gone better for Henley, who enjoyed trouble-free running across the event.
“We didn’t put a spanner on the car all weekend; it ran the number that we predicted it was going to run all weekend, and it was just faultless, absolutely perfect,” Henley said.
“The event was great, running smoothly and ahead of schedule. Everyone did a great job, and the track preppers did an absolutely fantastic job.
“Thank you to ANDRA for listening to the ANDRA members and making this series happen; to my small crew of me and my wife Tracey, Taylor and Michael Bridges, and Brian Keane; and also, to my sponsors, Craig Carrison Race Engines, THR Race Developments, and Glenara Transport.”
In Lectron Australia Competition Bike, New Gen Business Park Top Qualifier Rob Cassar and Cheryl Beddoes went head-to-head in the final Chicago shootout match up. Cassar converted the Top Qualifier honours into an ANDRA Christmas Tree and made his way to the final thanks to victories over Dave Willis (round one) and Rob Church (round three), taking the win over runner-up Beddoes, who had earlier successfully faced off against Church (round one), Joe Khoury (round two) and Willis (round three). Also during today’s racing, last round’s winner, Edge Mallis, reset the national Competition Bike DD/CB ET record to 5.099 seconds, while Cassar reset the AA/CBN ET and MPH records to 4.47 seconds and 160.51mph.
Cassar couldn’t be happier with a maiden Competition Bike win in Mildura, along with his first ANDRA Christmas Tree at the venue.
“It is a great result, I have never won at Mildura in Competition Bike, so it is great to get my first ANDRA Christmas Tree here,” Cassar said.
“Thank you to our bracket sponsor Lectron Australia, Next Gen Business Park and Chris Matheson for sponsoring the Top Qualifier Medallion, Ballistic Performance Parts, Katie Cassar, ANDRA, and all the sponsors that are supporting the ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship.
“It was a challenging weekend with the bike, but we reset both ends of the record, and to come away with the top qualifying honours and also the win is just fantastic.”
In Goodyear Racing Super Street, Michael Jennings took the win over runner-up Neil Mellett in the final round of today’s elimination racing. To get to the final, Jennings took wins in his Chevy Nova over New Gen Business Park Top Qualifier Malcolm Todd (round one) and Tony Antonino (round two) before a bye in round three and a semi-final win over Kevin Dark. Meanwhile, Mellett took wins over Andrea Stefanopoulos (round one), Paul Jennings (round two), and last-round runner-up Katrina Read (round three) before enjoying a semi-final bye.
In Ballistic Performance Parts Modified Bike, Derryn McGregor emerged victorious over runner-up Greg Oberti. In rounds one and two, McGregor took wins over Cheryl Beddoes and Johnny Ireland before enjoying a bye in round three. On his way to the runner-up spot, Oberti had lined up for the win over Lucas Neagoe in round one and enjoyed a bye in round two before a win over New Gen Business Park Top Qualifier Dean Jamieson in round three.
In Super Sedan Competitors Super Sedan, Ned Karanovic took the win over runner-up Joe Bresciano. Before lining up against Bresciano in the final, Karanovic took wins over Robert Kardum (round one), Alex Gkroidis (round two), Gary Vogelsang (round three) and a semi final win over Desert Nationals Top Qualifier Tony Miskelly. Bresciano meanwhile took wins over Dimos Stefanopoulos in round one, New Gen Business Park Top Qualifier Tony Tedesco in round two, and Brian Keane in round three before enjoying a semi-final bye.
In Huntsman Racing Supercharged Outlaws, Shane Baxter claimed his first win of the year over runner-up Tim Stewart. On his way to the finals, Baxter took wins in his Neil & Parks Dragster over Vince Monteleone and Jason Keily in rounds one and two. Meanwhile, Stewart and his Mustang Funny Car dispatched last-event winner Mark Hunt and New Gen Business Park Top Qualifier Doina Day in rounds one and two, respectively.
In Jackie Watt Consultancy / Fardella and Watt Racing SuperComp, New Gen Business Park Top Qualifier Steve Norman and Pat Firriolo went head to head in the final Chicago shootout match up with Norman taking the win over runner-up Firriolo. On his way to the victory, Norman also reset the Super Stock C/MPA ET and MPH records to 5.453 seconds and 125.27mph. The pair had found themselves in the final face-off thanks to earlier wins over Firriolo (round one), Leigh Donaldson (round two), and Mitch Oxley (round three) for Norman and Oxley (round two), and Donaldson (round three) for Firriolo.
In Modified, Cory Dyson successfully lifted the ANDRA Christmas Tree after defeating Rocco Romano in the final. In round one, Dyson’s Mullis Dragster racer took the win over New Gen Business Park Top Qualifier Luke Cartledge before a bye in round two, while Romano had successfully done battle with Ashley Johnson in round one and Pete O’Connell in round two.
In Super Gas, Graeme Spencer faced off against New Gen Business Park Top Qualifier Colin Griffin in the final round of elimination racing, with four-time ANDRA champion Spencer taking home the chocolates today. On their way to the final showdown, Spencer had earlier taken wins from Adrian McGrotty and Jason Wilson in rounds one and three while enjoying a bye in round two. Griffin’s journey to the finals meanwhile began with a bye in round one thanks to his top qualifying status, before taking wins over Darryl Stephen and Des Woolstencroft in rounds two and three.
Also on track today were the non-championship Street Car and Junior Drag Bike brackets. In Street Car, Danny Wilson took the win over runner-up Corey Read, while Seth Jarvis took the Junior Drag Bike win.
For results from the Sunset Nationals, please click here.
ANDRA thanks the Sunraysia Drag Racing Association and all of its volunteers and sponsors as well as all of the ANDRA officials and volunteers for an outstanding racetrack and a well-run event.
The ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship will next be on track at the Perth Motorplex for the 50th annual Goldenstates across November 22-23. For event information, visit www.motorplex.com.au
For more from ANDRA, visit www.andra.com.au
Photos by BrightDesign.com.au
