KINGDOM COME

GRUDGE KINGS BROKE THE COVID BLUES WITH ITS FIRST SYDNEY SHOWDOWN SINCE SHUTDOWN

- MARKAR BLASTER

BLOWING off steam was high on the agenda when Tuners Edge Grudge Kings returned to Sydney Dragway. And understandably so. After months of lockdowns and protracted track management squabbles, racers were simply itching for a little blacktop action. With the world seemingly going to mud, it was a whole other picture inside the venue, with a strong contingent of racers and a stunning line-up of cars out to play.

Adding to the promise of mechanical mayhem, the event featured drifting for the first time. The back car park was set up as a drift track, and after spending 20 minutes there at the end of the day, I wished I’d visited it earlier. Some of those boys could really drive, and those LS motors were copping a royal flogging.

The weather gods were having an off day and the clouds looked set to open at any given moment. Thankfully they didn’t, and the track improved as the day went on. It just didn’t seem to be there early, which worked out okay for the lesser-powered Street Outlaws and Small-Tyre Fighter classes opening the show.

The early session resembled an import or rotary meet, with 2J, RB and rotary-powered cars hogging the lanes, but the expansive racing program soon had some of Australia’s biggest V8 hitters taking the main stage for some awesome racing.

Wollongong racer Craige Lewis had a moment when his twin-turbo Cortina crossed centre and spun 180 degrees. Thankfully he was unharmed and merely required an underwear change.

Local boy Ernest Hudson was on a mission to crack into the eights in his Clevo-powered Celica after a rear-end ratio change. Despite a number of strong burnouts, the car was a little off with a top-end miss and hovered around the nine-teens. Rest assured, Ernie will be back.