Nathaniel Kuchel is heading to this weekend’s Sunset Nationals at Mildura’s Atlantic Oils Sunset Strip – round two of the 2024/2025 ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship – as last year’s top qualifier and runner-up, and the Junior Dragster victor of the Sunset Strip’s 2024 Easter Supercharged Shootout event.
Now, the 15-year-old Langtree’s Machinery Services Junior Dragster competitor is hoping he can continue this momentum to claim his first ANDRA Christmas Tree at the September 21-22 event.
“I am feeling a little nervous as I haven’t driven the car since the Easter shootout event where I won, but in saying that, as I did win at the last event I competed in I believe the car has the capability of doing well,” Kuchel said.
“I am pretty confident that I can try and take the win this year, once I get a few qualifying runs done I think I will be able to successfully relearn the car.
“Having said that, I don’t want to come across as too confident, as all of my fellow competitors are tough racers and are heard to beat!
“To get the win would mean a lot to me – to win an ANDRA Christmas Tree would be beyond exciting and a huge accomplishment, and it would also mean a lot to win at this event this year after being runner-up last year and at a couple of other rounds.
“And to win two events in a row would be very cool also!”
Kuchel has been racing at Mildura, run by the Sunraysia Drag Racing Association – in which his family is heavily involved – for many years after starting out two days after his eighth birthday.
“The thing I love about Mildura is that it is a nice and cruisy track and it runs quite smooth normally,” he said.
“It has a special atmosphere for me too as it is where I started my drag racing career and where I have met and formed relationships with so many members of my drag racing family.”
As well as planning for a strong Sunset Nationals outing, Kuchel and his family have their eyes on a busy racing program across the rest of the 2024/2025 racing season.
“We are going to be trying to do as many rounds as we can, and a top ten finish in the ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship is our starting goal,” he said.
“We are really looking forward to the next 12 months, including heading to Perth for the Westernationals which will be our first time running there.
“Depending on how much taller I get this potentially could be my last season in juniors – if I can’t continue in juniors I will be looking to move into my dad’s (Kingsley Kuchel) old Front Engine Dragster to run in Modified,” Kuchel added, while thanking Atlantic Oils, BL&SG Lake Brick and Paving Cartage Contractor (Scruffy), KHM Installations, Sunset Customs, Dutchmakers, Plumbing Plus Mildura, Justin Allan Roofing and Plumbing, Audisound, and Kuchel Koncepts Design Studio for their support.
The ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship now heads to Mildura’s Atlantic Oils Sunset Strip for the Sunset Nationals across September 21 and 22. For event information, visit www.sunsetstrip.org.au
