A WINTERNATIONALS FOR THE RECORD BOOKS

The fourth and final day of the Gulf Western Oil Winternationals saw more records broken by the best of Australian NDRC drag racing at Willowbank Raceway.

There were a number of milestone performances, including a new Australian Top Fuel speed record (536.17kph) set by Damien Harris, a new Australian Nitro Funny Car speed record (524.15kph) set by Morice McMillin to join his Australian ET record set yesterday (3.929), and no less than 13 three second passes and seven at more than 500kph.

The first Top Fuel session kicked the day into another gear with an old-fashioned drag race between Phil Read and Phil Lamattina, running a pair of side-by-side threes (3.776/3.877), before Damien Harris reset the national speed record (536.17kph) later in the same session.

The intensity had built to a fever pitch by the time the A-Final arrived with another all Rapisarda Autosport International finale. With a championship on the line between the two, even start line issues for both Atlantic Oil sponsored racers weren’t enough to see either give an inch.

When both ran into trouble off the hit they did all they could to make it to the line, with Wayne Newby eventually being able to pedal it to the finish line to take back-to-back Winternationals victories over top qualifier Damien Harris.

“It wasn’t pretty, but we got the job done and we extended our points lead again, which is the main thing with one round to go – hopefully all going well we can sew it up at the final,” Newby said.

“We are happy with how the car performed all weekend – both cars might not have made a full pass on that last lap, but we were a little bit further down the track and had a bit more momentum.”

Phil Lamattina meanwhile had a competitive weekend with consistent three-eighty passes, and lined up in the B-Final for a solo when Phil Read was sidelined with damage caused when the throttle stuck open in the second round of racing.

In the C-Final, Steve Read completed a solo pass after Kyle Putland was unable to proceed past the first round of racing today. 

Morice Mcmillin. Image: Cackling Pipes

Morice McMillin had a Winternationals to write home in XPRO Nitro Funny Car, topping qualifying, resetting the Australian records for both ET (3.929) and Speed (524.15kph), and winning the event in an incredibly close race against team-mate Josh Leahy with a margin between the two contenders at the finish line of just .0005 of a second. Earlier in the day, Leahy was the first to drop into the threes, recording a 3.931/519.01kph in his match up against Justin Walshe in round one, making it the second quickest Nitro Funny Car ET in the country behind McMillin’s earlier effort.

“Ah that’s awesome! This thing was flying,” McMillin said.

“We banged the blower out at three-quarter track and then we were just sitting there. I saw Josh come past and I thought we lost it, but I thought we’d be on the number with the way it as tracking.

“We really wanted to get these things side by side, and Josh deserves everything he achieved this weekend.”

In the B-Final, last year’s champion Justin Walshe got to the line first with a 4.904 second run at 254.63kph to Paton’s 4.948 at 254.63kph, but was disqualified for scraping the wall before the finish line, handing the win to the newcomer.

Russell Taylor lined up against Rob Harrington in what was Harrington’s first NDRC Top Doorslammer finals appearance. Taylor had already wrapped up the Top Doorslammer championship earlier in the day and turned his sights to securing the Winternationals win, however it wasn’t to be in this David and Goliath battle.

Russell Taylor. Image: Cackling Pipes

It was a winning weekend for Damian Muscat in Top Fuel Motorcycle, top qualifying, winning the event, and taking out the Top Fuel Motorcycle Championship in what was the bracket’s season finale – but it was also far from an easy weekend with lots of work required from the rider and crew to make it all possible. Muscat had earlier raced against Corey Buttigieg and Ian Ashelford on his way to the final, while runner-up and last year’s champion, Benny Stevens, had put championship runner-up Greg Durack and team mate Michael Beland on the trailer.

“After Friday’s broken crank and yesterday we torched a motor and basically torched every air line, every fuel line, every oil line, and every electrical component in the bike, the crew spent all night repairing it, going to bed at 3.00am this morning,” Muscat explained.

“We woke up Sunday to a beautiful day of racing and a great crowd in the stands, and we got through the rounds to take the ultimate Winternationals win, and the championship win as well.”

Cheyne Phillips got the perfect 35th birthday present today, following in the footsteps of his highly-decorated father, drag racing legend Gary Phillips, in claiming a Pro Alcohol Gulf Western Oil Winternationals victory and being named as championship runner-up.

Cheyne Phillips. Image: Cackling Pipes

It was a final of drag racing dynasties, with Cheyne facing off against third-gen racer Daniel Reed, son of Steven Reed and Debbie Reed and grandson of the late ‘Gentlemen Jim’ Reed and Nelma Reed and Cheyne emerged victorious.

It was a family feud in Pro Stock for the Gulf Western Oil Winternationals, with brothers Aaron and Tyronne Tremayne facing off in the final.

But when Tyronne threw a red light on the tree, Aaron was free to race down the strip to the victory pressure-free.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Scott White turned plenty of heads with his win over championship leader Luke Crowley.

Adriana Cartledge.Image: Cackling pipes

“Far out! I have been waiting for this for so long. I ran my first Pro Bike meeting here in 1991 and it’s taken all this time to win the Winternationals,” White said.

“It’s amazing that it was against Luke who has helped us out so much, it’s just incredible to win this after 34 years with side by side 7.0’s – we’re back!”

Kiwi Barry Plumpton took the FuelTech Pro Mod win over Stew Walsh.

Joining Zayne Condello in taking out the Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship titles for their respective brackets were Dean Jamieson (Modified Bike, over Sean Ricketts), Lillian Hagan (Junior Drag Bike, over Lawrence Raschella), Luke ‘Tex’ Griffiths (Super Street, over Troy Hutton), David Foster (Top Sportsman, over Vlado Turic), Tony Miskelly (Super Sedan, over Robert Kardum), Cory Dyson (Modified, over Daniel Carranza), Ken Collin (Performance Bike, over Cheryl ‘MsVrod’ Beddoes), Mark Hunt (Supercharged Outlaws, over Kasey McClure), and Pat Firriolo (Super Comp, over Warren Allen).

Nitro Funny Car to do battle in an epic finale at the Nitro Nationals at Sydney Dragway (23 August) and the Top Doorslammer finale at Nitro Up North at Hidden Valley Raceway (29-30 August).