Words and photos by Jon Van Daal
5/8/06
You might find it hard to believe that the first documented drag races were not in the Mohave Desert in the late forties but on Sydney, Australia’s Bondi Beach in 1930. A Mrs. J. Jones ran her supercharged Alfa from a standing start down a measured quarter mile to record a time of 18.25 seconds way back in 1930. Don’t believe me then go to andra.com.au.
So when it comes to Vintage drag racing or Nostalgia racing as it is locally known we have had a bit of experience in that area. While we have a great base of the lower muscle and gas classed cars through to traditional six cylinder dragsters there are unfortunately not many front engined top fuel dragsters down under.
Still there are more cars coming into the country and considering how far the whole Nostalgia gig has come in the few years that it really has been an organized past time it is going very, very well. Marry this with a simply stunning cloudless 75 degree fall day and you have the recipe for a great day’s racing. April 24 at Western Sydney International Dragway was stop number six on a national series of nine rounds across Australia and with some 450 race and show cars in the pits it was sure to be a great race and no-one was disappointed.
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Ben Gatt was on hand to take part in the Pro Nostalgia bracket but on a first round solo he had an oil leak go under one wheel and ended up taking the vintage two door Falcon from guard wall to guard wall with a low speed scrape of the left hand wall dislodging the front clip but only causing minor damage. | |
Slingshot Winner – An eight-car Slingshot field was whittled down to one winner in the form of Peter Duffy who’s pretty, blown, two-litre Fiat bodied rail used a .040 activated 10.13 on a 9.90 dial in to take a fading Brenton Holmes in the final.