Alice Springs Inland Dragway was alive with celebration this afternoon as the first ANDRA Christmas Tree winners of the new ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship were awarded at the close of the Desert Nationals.

Taking out the wins for their respective brackets were Cooper Plummer (Junior Dragster), Dean Gunson (Ballistic Performance Parts Modified Bike), Gary Baker (Super Sedan), Leon Davies (Top Sportsman), Edge Mallis (Competition Bike), Josie Hodgins (Modified), Mark Hunt (Huntsman Racing Supercharged Outlaws), and Michael Bridges (Super Street – pictured above thanks to Amber Simms Photography).

Joining them in being celebrated at the end of day presentations were the event runners-up, Bailey Hawke (Junior Dragster), Tyson Gaghan (Ballistic Performance Parts Modified Bike), Alex Gkroidis (Super Sedan), Vlado Turic (Top Sportsman), Cheryl Beddoes (Competition Bike), Bradley Hicks (Modified), Brian Smith (Huntsman Racing Supercharged Outlaws), and Katrina Read (Super Street).

Also recognised were winners of the Top Qualifier Medallions presented by New Gen Business Park: Katrina Read (Super Street), Coooper Plummer (Junior Dragster), Dean Gunson (Ballistic Performance Parts Modified Bike), Tony Miskelly (Super Sedan), Bradley Hicks (Modified), Vlado Turic (Top Sportsman), Edge Mallis (Competition Bike) and Garthe McIntyre (Huntsman Racing Supercharged Outlaws).

For Mark Hunt, an enthusiastic proponent of the new ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship and sponsor of the Huntsman Racing Supercharged Outlaws bracket, taking the win at the opening round of the new title chase was very special.

Mark Hunt (Amber Simms Photography)

“It was a hard meeting due to the heat and the car didn’t want to play nicely, but everyone’s car was the same. In the end, we persisted, making a few changes along the way to make it a little bit better, and in the final it all came together and we won,” Hunt explains.

“I am so happy that we have done the trip for this first round of the new ANDRA series, and got the points and the travel points too.

“The weather was beautiful and the people up here are great – Dan and Josie Hodgins did a fantastic job, as did all the people here, it is just great”

For Dean Gunson it was a particularly successful weekend in Ballistic Performance Parts Modified Bike, with the racer top qualifying and winning the event.

Dean Gunson (Amber Simms Photography)

“It has been quite an emotional weekend,” Gunson said.

“At Thursday lunch time I was pretty much resigned to not making the event as I was having an issue finding an oil filter to suit my bike, and then a mate came through with the goods.

“We had a really good qualifying, I was very happy with that, and I should really dedicate this win to Bryan Finn for red lighting when I ran a nine-seven on a ten-three dial in!

“We had clutch issues also, overall we were up and down like a rollercoaster, but it all worked out and I am just stoked! This is beautiful!”

Top Sportsman winner Leon Davies was exceptionally grateful following his victory in the Northern Territory.

Leon Davies (Amber Simms Photography)

“It was a great weekend with very enjoyable racing, even if they were very hot conditions! The car went well, everything is pretty fresh on it and new so it was a bit scary to start with, but everything ran perfectly and the car was consistent – it was just awesome. And I want to say congratulations to Vlado on the runner-up,” Davies said.

“I would like to thank the whole Alice Springs crew that run the show and all the people that were out there working in the heat; my wife for crewing for me today and doing an awesome job; Cory and Katrina Read for helping out and also Kayla for giving us a hand in the last run to the final.

“I would also like to thank my sponsors, Custom Kitchen Company, EP Windscreens, Rick Daniels Recycling, Snape Crash Repairs, and MGA Port Lincoln.

“Finally, I would also like to send a great big thank you to the ANDRA series for starting up again, it is just great, and also to Cory Read for building my transmission and Bullet Race Engineering for refreshing my motor, as well as everyone else who has given me a hand getting the car to where it is.”

Also on track today were the Street Car, Street Bike and Junior Drag Bike brackets, with Bill Hodgins, Brian Moore and Immanual Gillatt taking the wins respectively in these classes.

For results from the Desert Nationals, please click here

ANDRA thanks Alice Springs Inland Dragway and all of its volunteers and sponsors as well as all of the ANDRA officials and volunteers for an outstanding racetrack and a well-run event.

The ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship will next be on track at Mildura’s Sunset Strip for the Sunset Nationals across September 21-22. For event information, visit www.sunsetstrip.org.au

For more from ANDRA, visit www.andra.com.au

2024/2025 ANDRA REGIONAL SPORTSMAN CHAMPIONSHIP DATES

  • Round one – August 24-25 – Alice Springs Inland Dragway – Desert Nationals
  • Round two – September 21-22* – Mildura’s Sunset Strip – Sunset Nationals
  • Round three – November 22-23 – Perth Motorplex – Goldenstates
  • Round four – December 7-8* – Portland’s South Coast Raceway – South Coast Nationals
  • Round five – February 8-9^ – Dragway at The Bend
  • Round six – February 14-15 – Mildura’s Sunset Strip – Twilight Nationals
  • Round seven – March 15-16 – Whyalla’s Steel City Raceway – event name TBC
  • Round eight – TBC – Dragway at The Bend – ANDRA Grand Final

*track will host an optional test day on the Friday
^event will double as a track championship round