Top Comp
Eleven Top Comp cars fronted at this event. Rob Pilkington overcame little hiccups like this errant burnout to qualify number one with a -.70 5.77 in AA/FC.
George Separovich was continuing to have fun in Brett Merendino’s Mustang, holding the front wheels up in the air for long periods of time.
John Zappia and the Procomp Monaro seemed something out of sorts, with a 6.07 his best run for the day. He lost to Shane Weston in the elimination round despite a psychic .004 light.
Anthony Begley was licensing in the ex-BSR Falcon, running a 6.57.
Adam Marchant smoked the tyres shortly after this photo frame to throw away a win against a vulnerable 6.61 from Maurice Brennan.
Jeff Clarke took something of a softer approach with the BB/D this event, running some consistent 5.9s albeit with these awesome power wheelstands. He made the B Final…
…and went way close to the centreline on the run but took the win over Daniel Gregorini. (edit: apologies about wrong result previously)
Robin Judd was getting in testing ahead of the Goldenstates, running a best of 5.83 and going to runner up spot.
Shane Weston had the consistency needed on race day, coming from third qualifying position to defeat Judd with a 5.79 in the final. The 18 year old driver has certainly proved to be a revelation in the category. He thanked K-Trans after the win, saying without the support of Keith Middleton the team would not be racing this season.
Super Comp
Errol Quartermaine recorded a DD/G 8.12 in qualifying but withdrew before eliminations.
This is not burnout smoke. Terry Stacy’s Mazda RX7 has something of a fog show going on in qualifying.
Colin Mortimore looked to be in trouble here when he left some oil on the track but he returned for eliminations.
Terry Stacy aborted this pass when Lee Sanders looked to be crossing lanes, but the RX3 was saved.
Lucky too, as he came back and laid down one of the best burnouts of the night…
…to set the crowd cheering. He then followed up with his first eight, an 8.97.
Stacy took out last event’s runner up Colin Mortimore in round one with a .66 under 8.02 in RR/G.
Mick Frossos overcame opening event dramas to qualify fourth and go to a runner up spot. The team was experimenting with new gearbox ratios for the PRE combo.
But Allen Puglia was unstoppable on the night, taking his second win of the season. He qualified on top with a -.59 7.15 and enjoyed a good run through eliminations.
Comp Bike
The field prepares for qualifying. Ross Townson would finish up in 11th spot out of 11 bikes, Neil Anderson would go on to top qualify and Terry Jongen would withdraw after another frustrating weekend.
Ryan Learmonth changed a sprocket after a runner up at the last event but it didn’t make the change the team was looking for.
Mick Sargent improved his A/SB Kawasaki to a 9.36 with a big top end of 164mph. It wasn’t enough to get past Neil Anderson in round one though.
Kevin Gummow blitzed to a PB 7.73 in the final, .13 under the national record for CC/CB but it still wasn’t enough to defeat the reigning champ.
Neil Anderson remains near unstoppable. He showed his first B/SB eight at the opening event was not a fluke with two more 8.97s in qualifying and then dominated eliminations to set himself up well in the early part of the championship.
Supercharged Outlaws
Lindsay Catalano has had better days at the track. After popping the blower in qualifying the car had a fairly severe fire. Fortunately Lindsay was unharemd but some of the paintwork will need a touch up.
Frank Taylor made it to the B Final after defeating Mark Mackay in the elimination round.
Behind this smoke screen is Steve Yozzi’s BMW. You don’t want your runs looking too much like your burnouts!
Vince Belladonna’s crew watches on as he takes off. He took a win in the elimination round but with the car moving around he buttoned off early, meaning the package was not good enough to make a final.
A side effect of the Catalano fire was Tony Argentino having to take evasive action to avoid him and ending up in the sand pit. Four rolls of race tape later and the jigsaw that was the front end was fixed up, complete with new sponsor livery. “F… that hurt” reads the graffiti on the side.
Kelvin Lyle enjoyed a great event, running his first six with a 6.93 pass and then unlucky to lose the final with a -.007 red light.
Wayne Batson emerged victorious from the Outlaws fray, running a 7.01 in the final for the win.
Modified
Michelle Adamos was one of the new faces in Modified as the Motorplex commentator and former JD racer drove her new car for the first time.
She licensed successfully but launching in second gear in the first round of eliminations put her out of contention.
Kirsty Cunningham couldn’t repeat her opening event form as another first round victim to last year’s champ Simon Lekias. The winner from the opening event Jessica Harper also had a weekend to forget, with her dragster getting loose in the top end and clouting the wall.
Shawn Graham is among the most popular racers in Modified with the crowd (surely nothing to do with two attractive reverse gears?). He converted that to some success with a runner up on the night.
But one of the major stories of the event was that of Laurence Adamos. Licensing on Friday night in the ex-US Super Comp car, Adamos proceeded to race like a pro through eliminations. He has been out of the seat for three seasons since his days in Junior Dragster but didn’t show it, with a .002 light in the final crucial to his success.
And wasn’t the family pleased with the win light!
Super Sedan
Another of the Adamos family in Alesha also had a successful event, making it to the semi finals. The .001 light and 9.045 on a 9.04 dial in in the quarter finals was particularly impressive.
Shane Joyce keeps up some street car pride in Super Sedan and did well to knock out the tough Kaine Weighell and make it to the quarter finals.
Michael Palmieri is always reliable for some wheels up action but would lose on a break out in the third round.
Peter Giles is only a new driver top this Falcon ute but he didn’t let that stop him going to a runner up spot.
Peter Gardner had a tortuous lead up to the event, with many long nights in the shed as he fixed some engine damage from last meet. It all paid off though with a win on the night. He said everybody has their lucky day, and that day was his.
Modified Bike
Robert Green backed up his win at the opening event with a runner up this time on his Honda in a great start to his season.
But it was Paul McNamara this time who would take the big trophy, his Kawasaki proving a consistent runner. Sorry there are not more pictures of Modified Bike, I’ll have to attach a camera to our bike 🙂
Super Street
John Solich made the semi finals in the Beat the Heat Commodore, doing well to promote the cause of legal drag racing.
Matt Keast is a name we haven’t seen figure in the late round results before but apparently he has been successful at the Fast Friday events. In the big league he transferred his skills well with a runner up in Super Street.
This was the view most people got of Blake Jeffreys through the night. In the all-Commodore final he was the benefactor of a red light in the other lane for an easy win.
Junior Dragster
Phoebe Davis might have renamed Matt’s Rat to the Brat but it hasn’t done her performances any harm, making it to the quarter finals.
George Blacklock kept it short and sweet at trophy presentations after making it to runner up spot in Junior Dragster. Also happy birthday George!
“Slammin” Sammy Butler took out the win in the final with a .027 reaction and an 8.19 on an 8.12 dial in. (file photo)
Junior Dragster Rookies
Bailey McClure made it to the final of the Junior Dragster Rookie class, with dad Al and brother Connor watching on closely but…
…the win would go to Jaymii Karapetkov, her first big time victory in the Glory Constructions JD. Following on from dad Lance’s runner up in Super Sedan at the opening event, it has been a good start for the family this season.
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