Going into the Nitro Champs Murray O’Connor had high hopes of winning the Top Doorslammer bracket saying “The team is really happy with our package, we want to win but as most people know, it’s hard enough to qualify for an event, let alone win one in (Top) Doorslammer”. Well he did qualify and how recording a couple of 5.80s – a first up 5.892 and then an improving 5.882 to qualify third out of eighteen cars. In the first round he shook off the line but luckily only needed a 6.495 to easily cover Victor Bray’s shaking nine second time. After that though it all went awry as his carbon fibre Falcon didn’t stage in the semis and O’Connor floored it to run through with no time. He was disqualified as the tree wasn’t activated.

After qualifying in top spot with a stout 5.792 at a booming 258.42 mph Peter Kapiris looked to have another Top Doorslammer trophy in the bag. This saw the popular Victorian racer take a win over Paul Cannuli when Cannuli’s Camaro ended up going right down the quarter after his burnout but Kapiris still ran a 5.845 at 257.97 mph to back up the higher speed for a new ANDRA record. He then faced eventual winner Mark Belleri in the semis with the race being lost on the start-line thanks to nearly a three and a half tenth difference in reaction times. Despite the fact that Belleri’s Camaro grenaded at the 1000 foot mark, Kapiris’s 6.062 at only 194.44 mph couldn’t catch his opponent’s 5.974/214.45.