Round four of the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship met with bad weather at Adelaide International Raceway, the second time this season Mother Nature has intervened in the series. With some brackets reaching the semi final stage we look at a wrap up of the event and a bevy of photos.
The main bill for the event was a Outlaw 10.5 Shootout with $10000 on the line in the hope to attract heavy hitters from around the country. While the likes of Frank “Mr 10.5” Mamone and Matt “Grubee” Grubisa did make a showing, it was not the gathering one would of expected for the money that was on offer.
Results from qualifying in the Outlaw 10.5 class are a little hard to come by unfortunately, for the best part everyone struggled to hook their rubber up. In eliminations running over the 1000ft distance Frank Mamone defeated Peter Rallis 6.72 to 7.21, “Pistol” Pete Pisalidis recorded a odd win over Steve Fowler 6.32 to 6.67 when Fowler looked to possibly have engaged the delay box mistakenly on the Pro Tree start, the GXP sat on the green for nearly an age. Matt Grubisa ran 6.05 in the Bumble Bee Camaro to Sam Saliba’s nitrous Camaro’s 6.46 and rounding out the first round Mel Caruso went 6.33 against a startline stranded George Koukos. This is were racing finished when the event was cancelled due to the wet stuff.
Super Comp was held over the 1000ft distance as well, Daniel Camilleri has the teams new Pontiac on song going well under the DD/GA index and National Record with a -.608 under 6.342. Next best was Darren Parker 6.170 (-.450) in B/APA followed by Craig Geddes back in the E/AA altered with a 6.240 (-.420). Rounding out the field was Mario Barbon D/G 6.949 (-.401), Steve Norman B/APA 6.254 (-.366), Hugo Digianvincenzo A/APA 6.131 (-.129) and Dimos Stefanopoulos B/MPA 7.618 (-.002).
Camilleri had a bye in round one, Geddes easily took out Digianvincenzo despite give up more than a tenth on the start line. In an all B/APA face off, Parker’s 6.25 defeated Norman’s 6.81 and Barbon accounted for Stefanopoulos in the last pairing. This is were racing ended for the class, the result not really allowing anyone to make a impact yet on the championship leader Jake Chaisty from across the Nullabor, with the West Coast racers benefiting from two completed rounds.
Darryl Walford put the flaming Thunderbird funny car on pole in a solid Supercharged Outlaws field of 14 racers with a 1000ft 5.51. Walford though would be holeshot in round one by local Larry Basille, the Monaro driver then had a solo into the semi. Basille’s would be semi final opponent was Doina Day after she put Shaun Kerkman and Mark Steer on the trailer, Steer did claim the prized scalp of former national champion Matty Watts in round one.
On the other side of the ladder Ryan Van Dyk driving Grant Fraser’s dragster reached the semis defeating Justin Russell and Donald Freind, he was to face Steven Walker who benefited from a round one bye then went past Mark Hunt’s Cusso.
In Modified we were are back to 1320ft racing, Leanne Braggs out shone the rest in a quick qualifying field with a 7.36 out of her big block altered, half the field was in the seven second zone after qualifying.
In the semi finals when racing was halted West Aussie Shane Wynd has taken out Braggs and was to face Alex Van Leuven’s in a pair of dragsters, Cory Dyson was to do battle with David Thorton’s blown altered in the other semi final. Wynd on the back of two solid showing in the Perth rounds leads the championship by 60 points.
There was no shortage of wheelstanding action in Super Sedan.
Larry Piscioneri dipped into the seven second zone with a 7.95 to be the quickest of the large Super Sedan field with his new 400ci Grand Am.
When the precipitation came Super Sedan was only into the quarter finals with Rick Smith, John Kapiris, Harry Tsekouras, and Jason Arbery left playing.
New South Welshwoman Niki Zakrzewski positioned her quick Destroyer on the Modified Bike pole with a 9.17.
Only the first round was completed when the heavens opened leaving Dave Argent, Shane Walker, David Willis, David Carroll, Matt Thompson and Ken Wilson still in competition.
Super Street also only completed one round of racing, Jason Young’s Camaro was the number one qualifier with a 11.009 and still in eliminations with Chris King, Joe Jurkovic, George Tipioukidis, Mick Piscioneri, Greg Damianni, Martin Powley and Enzo Clemente.
Jonny Ienco wheelstood to the top of Super Gas qualifying sheet with a 9.909.
National Champion Matt Forbes ended Ienco’s charge in round two and would face Danny Buccella in the semi final, Graeme Spencer had a solo in the other semi.
Junior Dragster only completed their first round, number one qualifier Dylan Argent advanced into round two as did Michelle Donnelly, David Roberts, Jordan Spencer and Josh Baker.
Check out more of the action in these great photos by Outlaw Photography.
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