In what many are calling the best event held at Sydney Dragway, ANDRA Pro Series eliminations day featured some of the best personal performances and amazing drag races Australian drag racing has produced.
ANDRA Top Doorslammer was a feast of 5.7-second passes, with West Australians John Zappia and Robin Judd continuing to trade blows. However, Peter Kapiris defeated Judd in the first round and Belleri in the second round to force a finals showdown with long-time rival Zappia.
Kapiris’ .068 reaction time and amazing 5.78-second pass was too much for Zappia’s 5.94 in another all 5-second final for the category.
If Top Doorslammer was all about 5.7s, then ANDRA Pro Stock was all about the race to the six-second zone and the first one to break into the historic ‘6s’ was Victorian, Peter Ridgeway.
Ridgeway’s 6.99-second pass against championship rival Tyronne Tremayne, delivered him into a match up with Chris Soldatos, which he won to make the final.
On the other side of the draw, Dave Newcombe made his way to the finals show with wins over Perdikaris, Xerakis and the in-form Jason Grima. Whilst Ridgeway couldn’t replicate his six-second performance, his 7.00-second pass handed him the win over Newcombe.
Top Fuel delivered some amazing racing as the teams attempted to make use of the extra traction on the Sydney Dragway surface and none did it better the Damien Harris’ team.
Harris faced the reigning ANDRA champion Darren Morgan in the final. The Harris driven machine didn’t miss a beat for the entire weekend and the final was no exception, with a stout 4.72-second pass delivering the West Australian his first ANDRA Gold Christmas Tree. Harris also got the bonus points for quickest elapsed time and highest terminal speed for the event.
An all funny car final between two Queenslanders kept the fans on the edge of their seats in Top Alcohol. Experienced campaigner Gary Phillips couldn’t stop Steven Ham with the 5.52 of Ham too strong for Phillips’ 5.54. Phillips did manage to take the bonus points for quickest and fastest runs over the weekend to keep him in good championship shape.
Lachlan Ireland made it two event wins in a row in Pro Stock Motorcycle after recently claiming the event crown in Adelaide. Ireland got the win ahead of Queensland-based rival Michael Gilbertson with a superior reaction time and elapsed time. Ireland also took the bonus points for quickest elapsed time whilst reigning champion and top qualifier Maurice Allen recorded the fast terminal speed for the event.
Chris Matheson has dominated ANDRA Top Bike over the recent past and the Nitro Champs was no exception with the Queenslander recording a win over Harley-rider, Chris Porter.
Matheson also took the bonus points for the event. During the trophy presentations Matheson sounded an ominous warning to his rivals, with the team looking for their first five-second pass at the Fuchs Winternationals.
The final round for the 2011/2012 season will be held at Queensland’s Willowbank Raceway.
FUCHS WINTERNATIONALS
Willowbank Raceway
June 8 – 11
www.willowbankraceway.com.au
www.andra.com.au