Drag racers relish weekend in Gunnedah

Car enthusiasts turned out in force at the Gunnedah Airport last weekend for the Tamworth Drag Racing Association’s (TDRA) final run of the year.

With both days featuring practice rounds before the second day also featured eliminations, the 1/8th mile drag racing event drew 63 competitors while the top speed across the 1/8th mile was 203kmh.

One participant came from Queensland while the others came from regional NSW, the Central Coast, Mid North Coast and Sydney.

The range of vehicles included Fords, Holdens, Chryslers and turbo Japanese and European vehicles. There was also the Tesla EV, McLaren 720S Supercar, Hot Rods and the purpose-built drag racing cars.

TDRA president Bill Ausling said the racers were happy, as “they got lots of racing”.

Mr Ausling said highlights included “seeing the racers improve throughout the event and achieve personal bests”, and “very close finishes with just one to two hundreds of a second difference”.

“The eliminations are ‘Dial-Your-Own’ competition, which is the most popular area of the sport as it allows all levels of racers to be competitive,” he said.

“It handicaps fast cars or bikes against slow ones and as the name suggests, you nominate your own time.

“The slow vehicle gets the head start and to stop someone nominating a time they can beat themselves to gain an unfair advantage, a ‘breakout’ rule is applied – breakout meaning they went faster than their nominated time and they are eliminated.

“So it’s not about having the fastest car, but about both the driver and the car being consistent.”

Mr Ausling said some racers were there for the first time while others had been competing there for 14 years.

The TDRA’s next event at the Gunnedah Airport will be a part of the Weeks of Speed Festival in March 2026.

RESULTS

Group A: Stewart Tinson from New Lambton made a good start with a 0.041 light in his 2024 Tesla, and just held off Brian Thomas’s ’67 Camaro from Moore Creek by 0.083 seconds.

Group B: Mitchell Smith ran a 7.708 on a 7.700 dial-in in a 2002 Commodore, while runner-up was Steven Brice in his ’73 XB Falcon from Wauchope.

Group C: With just 0.10 difference in their nominated dial-ins, Malcolm New (driving his 2013 Audi from Branxton) made the better start while Jarrod Serone (from West Wallsend in his ’71 Holden Kingswood) broke out chasing New to the finish line.

Group D: Peter Grant travelled all the way from Temora to cut a great 0.007 light and take the win in his HAMBster, when Cheryl Ogden from Mount Hutton broke out driving her VE Commodore.

Best Reaction: David Low from Moore Creek with a 0.007 second reaction time (as did Peter Grant).

Closest-To-Dial-in: John Matthews from Barnsley ran a perfect 9.80 on his 9.80 dial-in with his 1970 XW Ford Wagon.

Alissa Munn from Tamworth in a SS VE Commodore.