JUNE was a big month for drag racing Down Under, and quite a historic one, too. The 55th Winternationals at Willowbank marked the end of an era,being the final event for the 400 Thunder series, and the very next weekend saw the final meeting for the short-lived Australian Drag Racing Championship at Nitro Up North in Darwin.
Both series will be replaced by the new National Drag Racing Championship, which will kick off at The Bend Dragway, 21-22 October – just a week after we wrap up Street Machine Drag Challenge 2023 at that new South Australian track.
At the Winters, Morice McMillin won the first Nitro Funny Car championship to be contested Down Under in decades. Moriceran a record-setting 4.702-second pass over the 1000ft to win both the event and the title for the Aeroflow team.
With the Pro Slammer championship already in the bag for Steve Ham, Paul Cannuli took out the class win at the Winters for the second year in a row, making his way through a small field to best Ben Bray in the final.
Other notable results included brothers Jaidyn and Caleb Seng finishing first and second respectively in Pro Radial.
The Winternationals was also the final meeting for Graeme Cooper’s famous EH Holden wagon, ‘The Bricklayer’ (pictured above), after a 45-year career. The pair were a formidable bracket racing combination, with many event wins, as well as taking out ANDRA Super Street Championships in 1985-’86, 1993 and 1995.
This story is from the July 2023 edition of Street Machine Australia.
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This story is from the July 2023 edition of Street Machine Australia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
ARBY’S EFFORTS TO IMPROVE HIS VG VALIANT’S 60-FOOT TIMES YIELD PROMISING RESULTS IN THE RUN-UP TO STREET MACHINE DRAG CHALLENGE
ANIKA HODGES
THE CAR DROVE INTO OUR SHED AS A CREAM 202CI VC AND DROVE OUT AS A SILVER CAR WITH A 355 V8
STAGE FRIGHT
IT TOOK OWEN SCOTT MORE THAN 20 YEARS TO BUILD A TROPHY-WINING, 600HP EH HOLDEN UTE THAT WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME
THE Ummmal SUSPECT
FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT MINI-TRUCKS. THIS SUMMERNATS TOP 60 HILUX IS A PROPER STREET MACHINE
FULLY UTILISED
HARDWOOD ROD & CUSTOM TURNS DARREN ISON'S HAND-ME-DOWN HT INTO A SMOOTH OPERATOR
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
ARBY’S EFFORTS TO IMPROVE HIS VG VALIANT’S 60-FOOT TIMES YIELD PROMISING RESULTS IN THE RUN-UP TO STREET MACHINE DRAG CHALLENGE
PEOPLE POWER
WE TAKE A LOOK BACK AT 36 YEARS OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS - AND MOST DEMOCRATICALLY AWARDED - HONOUR IN OUR SPORT: STREET MACHINE OF THE YEAR
OUT-AND-OUT MAYHEM
STREET MACHINE DRAG CHALLENGE IS ALREADY A ROLLICKING GOOD TIME, BUT WHAT CAR EVENT CAN'T BE MADE EVEN BETTER BY ADDING A BURNOUT COMP? INTRODUCING OUR INAUGURAL RODS OUT!
BAD TO THE BONE
THANKS TO HIS SON, ANDY, THE LATE MARIO COLALILLO’S 39 PLYMOUTH COUPE IS BACK ON THE ROAD AND STILL ONE OF THE BADDEST HOT RODS IN THE COUNTRY
THE CHALLENGE IS REAL
FROM TRACK DRAMAS TO SOARING TEMPERATURES, DRAG CHALLENGE 2024 THREW US SOME OF ITS TOUGHEST TESTS YET, BUT IT ALSO BROUGHT SOME OF THE QUICKEST TIMES THE EVENT HAS EVER SEEN
