STAMATIS WINS TOP FUEL AS WEST AUSSIES SHINE

Martin Stamatis finished the season with an emphatic win.

WEST AUSSIE EVENT HIGHLIGHTS (just to name a few!) Stamatis wins Top Fuel Zappia and Ewing crowned national champions Judd top qualifies in Top Doorslammer and sets national record Three of four Super Stock semi finalists were West Aussies Simms, Chaisty and Puglia set 6 national records (yes 6!) The east coast got aquainted with the Hitman

TOP FUEL - STAMATIS WINS, DOBBO IN SEMI'S Perth's Martin Stamatis finished off the Australian National Drag Racing season with a deserving win in Top Fuel at the 41st Winternationals at Queenslands Willowbank Raceway. Stamatis's win was even more impressive after crashing in the final of the Nitro Champs at Western Sydney International Dragway only 4 weeks earlier. Stamatis car sustained significant damage which necessitated a complete rebuild including a brand new chassis - a feat completed in just 14 days. Stamatis was just one of a large number of West Australians competing at the 4 day event. Also in Top Fuel was Quinns Rock fireman Allan Dobson who made the semi finals in the Santos Cranes entry going down to Stamatis in an all West Australian affair. TOP DOORSLAMMER - ZAP NATIONAL CHAMP, JUDD GETS RECORD In the popular Top Doorslammer category Robin Judd and John Zappia made certain theat the WA flag was flying high. Zappia was crowned Australian Champion for the first time in his illustrious career but it was Robin Judd who sent the mobile network into meltdown when he backed up his first ever 5 second pass in qualifying - a 5.92 with a record shattering 5.90 top qualifying pass - the quickest elapsed time recorded in competition in the world. Judd was eliminated in the first round by eventual winner Brett Stevens while Zappia was defeated in the semi finals by Ben Bray. TOP ALCOHOL - DEERY IN SIDE X SIDE 5.6 THRILLER West Australia's sole representative in Top Alcohol was Aaron Derry who qualified well in the quickest field in history before going down to Australian Champion Wayne Newby in a thrilling side by side 5.6 second race in the first round. TOP BIKE - MARK ASHELFORD MAKES SEMI'S The Ashelford brothers were competing in Top Bike aboard their Nitro burning Harleys with Ian failing to qualify while Mark worked his way into the semi finals before his weekend ended. COMPETITION - SEMI'S FOR DEQUEN In Group 2 it was wall to wall West Australian's with Mario Puglia, Maurice Brennan and Mickael Dequen all qualifying for the 16 car Competition field with Dequen making the semi finals. Pino Priolo was unlucky not to make the field qualifying in 17th position. SUPER STOCK - SIMMS RUNNER UP AS WEST AUSSIES GRAB 6 RECORDS With 23 teams nominated for the ultra tough Super Stock - just qualifying would be an achievement in itself. Not only did all 3 West Australian teams qualify but they all made the semi finals with Geoff Chaisty going down to eventual winner Victorian Nino Cavallo while Graeme Simms defeated Allen Puglia. Simms was runner up to Cavallo. The most significant news was all three racers reset both ends of their respective recods in a superb display of West Australian group 2 power. COMP BIKE - CRAWFORD IN SEMI'S All four West Australian riders in the largest Competition Bike field in history qualified well with Perth Motorplex track champion Neil Anderson making a surprise first round exit along with Reg McCallum. Kevin and Dale Gummow bowed out in the second round with Gordon Crawford making the semi finals before his weekend came to a conclusion. SUPERCHARGED OUTLAWS - OH THATS THE HITMAN The 3 Supercharged Outlaw teams of Lindsay Catalano, Mark Chapman and Tony Argentino all made impressions with their stunning vehicles and equally stunning performances. Catalano qualified 2nd before exiting in the first round with a centre line infringement, Chapman went several rounds but it was the Hitman of Argentino that caught the imagination of the spectators with event commentators agonisingly questioning their loyalty to their home divisions not wanting the Hitman to be eliminated. Argentino obliged by working his way through 4 rounds of competition before being eliminated in the semi finals. SUPER SEDAN - WYND 0.000 IN QUARTERS - BUT GOES OUT Super Sedans Shane Wynd was tough in the huge 100 plus Super Sedan field making the quarter finals before going down to event winner and new national champion Greg Fowler with Wynd momentarily losing traction after leaving with a perfect 0.000 reaction time. Scott Bryson also competed and we counted him as a West Aussie even though the Brysons have just moved to Tasmania. Neil Scott was entered but at the last minute decided to only take son Jordans Super Streeter to the event. MODIFIED BIKE - EWING BACK TO BACK CHAMPION Defending Modified Bike national champion Adam Ewing made it back to back championships gathering enough points to retain the title before being eliminated in the quarter finals. Other riders including Tony Wood, Alan Gerritsen, Keith Bentley expat Perth rider Noel Edson (who has recently defected to South Queensland) all rode well to go rounds. SUPER STREET - SCOTT VALIANT IN DEFEAT (BUT IN AN ESCORT) Jordon Scott was eliminated in the first round of Super Street going down in a narrow loss. JUNIOR DRAGSTER - NICOLE SHOWS BOYS HOW TO GO ROUNDS The strong 9 car Junior Dragster team show great sportsmanship over the 4 day event. The first of 7 rounds of racing was unkind to the sandgropers with 6 racers exitting. Sam Butler and Nicole Adamos fared best Nicole going 5 rounds. The Perth Motorplex would like to congratulate the 37 West Australians who represented this state so well.