Super Stock drag racer Darren Parker says Fuchs South Coast Raceway in Portland will see records fall when the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship hits the Victorian venue on January 5 and 6.

Parker said while racers in Super Stock will often try to protect their records by lowering them a little at a time, the same respect won’t be shown at Portland, where competition will be held over an eighth mile (201 metres) for the first time in the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship.

“Qualifying and racing is normally a game to win without resetting your record if you can, however I don’t think the racers will respect the eighth mile records as they do with quarter mile records,” he said. “For spectators this will mean there will be lots of flat out Super Stock racing and lots of passes under the current class records.”

Parker will again get to race in his home state, a boost he has not had since the 2001 Australian Nationals were held in Melbourne. He said it makes it a truly national championship again for the first time in many years.

“I last competed for points in Victoria in 2001 so you know it has been a long time coming,” he said. “It will give some of the Victorian racers who wouldn’t normally travel the opportunity to race against some of the best racers in the country who will be coming down to chase the championship.

“Super Stock is still quite strong in Victoria, so we will see how many of cars get cleaned up and dragged out of the garage for the meeting.”

Parker himself has been a regular racer in the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship around the country. After two ordinary events in a row, one with engine damage and another with a broken transmission, he thinks he will be able to shine again in Portland.

“As a result of a little more engine power the Proflite transmission broke on the second qualifying pass at the Australian Nationals in Sydney,” Parker explained. “It exploded a planetary gear on the 1-2 gear change and put me out of racing as I don’t carry a spare.

“I know I have enough power to win the meeting, hopefully I now have reliability in the transmission and fast, consistent reaction times as well.” Portland isn’t a new venue to Parker, having competed there before, but it will be the first time he has attended with his super quick Pontiac GXP, capable of reaching 250kmh in just under five seconds.

“Portland is a great little facility where they truly treat you as a mate,” he said. “The track rivals the ‘big three’ (Sydney, Willowbank and Perth) for traction. I spent a day down there recently pit crewing for a friend and the traction on the day was so great you would have stepped out of your shoes if the laces weren’t tight.”

The Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship will be held on January 5 and 6 at Fuchs South Coast Raceway, Portland.

Image courtesy Joe Maday.