While providing an exciting and action filled spectacular for more than 35,000 fans recently, the Fuchs Winternationals also saw a flurry of National and track records broken across a wide range of drag racing classes.
Racers from all over Australia set the highest number of track records in the history of the Fuchs Winternationals during the Queen’s Birthday weekend (4-7 June) at Willowbank Raceway.
The 48 Willowbank track records established during the four-day event beat the previous best haul of 46 track records from the 1997 Winternationals.
There were also 20 National drag racing records broken, bringing the total of records set to 68, the fourth highest overall number at a Winternationals. There were 75 records set in 1997, 73 in 2010 and 71 in 2008.
The record fest confirms Willowbank’s reputation as the quickest track outside of North America, an honour that has been earned over many years as a result of excellent preparation by the raceway’s team of track surface specialists.
A list of the national recorders broken at the event can be found here. The Willowbank Raceway track records set at the Fuchs Winternationals were:
Top Alcohol Dragster
5.504 seconds – Jamie Noonan
261.32mph (420.55km/h) – Jamie Noonan
Top Alcohol Funny Car
5.422s – John Cannuli
265.80mph (427.76km/h) – John Cannuli
Top Doorslammer
5.693s – John Zappia
253.37mph (407.76km/h) – John Zappia
Pro Stock
6.896s – Lee Bektash
198.58mph (319.58km/h) – Lee Bektash
B/Dragster
7.287s – Craig Geddes
186.12mph (299.53km/h) – Craig Geddes
E/Dragster Automatic
7.468s – Wayne Cartledge
176.17mph (283.52km/h) – Wayne Cartledge
EE/Altered Automatic
174.50mph (280.83km/h) – Darryl Marsh
AA/Funny Car
5.830s – Greg Clayton
237.75 (382.62km/h) – Greg Clayton
BB/Funny Car Automatic
6.375s – Alistair McClure
221.16mph (355.92km/h) – Alistair McClure
BB/Gas Automatic
6.949s – Rob Coleman
195.00mph (313.82km/h) – Rob Coleman
D/Gas
8.248s – Kim Fardella
163.16mph (262.58km/h) – Kim Fardella
B/Altered Production
7.152s – Rob Nunn
190.83mph (307.11km/h) – Rob Nunn
B/Altered Production Automatic
7.393s – Clint George
C/Altered Production
174.96mph (281.57km/h) – Frank Stivala
C/Altered Production Automatic
7.834s – Steve Norman
173.78mph (279.67km/h) – Steve Norman
DD/Altered Production I Automatic
7.426s – Jason Payne
RR/Altered Production
7.446s – Brett Glover
151.34mph (243.56km/h) – Brett Glover
B/Modified Sedan Automatic
9.121s – Jim Ioannidis
H/Modified Production
9.487s – Jai Schluter
134.77mph (216.89km/h) – Jai Schluter
AA/Sport Compact
6.302s – Scott Porter
BB/Sport Compact
7.259s – Darren Kehl
195.45mph (314.55km/h) – Darren Kehl
CC/Sport Modified
7.177s – Michael Baghdadi
183.24mph (294.90km/h) – Michael Baghdadi
AA/Oz Modified
7.678s – Matt Lisle
193.68mph (311.70km/h) – Matt Lisle
BB/Comp Bike Nitrous
7.515s – Robert Cassar
171.58mph (276.13km/h) – Robert Cassar
V/Comp Bike
8.975s – Niki Zakrzewski
DD/Altered Bike
173.61mph (279.40km/h) – Mick Mundey
B/Altered Bike
8.221s – Ross Smith
160.65mph (258.54km/h) – Peter Puznik
C/Altered Bike
8.219s – Blair Pennington
AA/Modified Bike
7.429s – Kerry Ellis
Image: dragphotos.com.au