What’s better than an ANDRA Supercharged Outlaws Championship?

That would be two ANDRA Supercharged Outlaw Championships. And that’s exactly what Matt Watts was able to achieve with a runner-up finish at the 2012 ANDRA Winternationals.

Hailing from Alice Springs, Matt got his first taste of drag racing when his dad, Guy Watts, a 20 year veteran of the sport, gave his son the option of continuing to race dirt go-karts or lose the skirt (ED: I added that bit) and go drag racing in the families’ modified altered.

After a short stint of 3 races behind the wheel of the altered, Matt made the move to Brisbane to play professional Rugby League for the Redcliffe Dolphins after being spotted by a local talent scout.

Realising a dream

Matt and his dad had always joked about running a national drag racing series. So it came as a bit of a surprise one day when Guy rang and told Matt to get on a plane and fly to Sydney to look at a drag car.

Turns out that they were heading to Sydney Dragway to look at Daniel Reed’s supercharged altered. After the obligatory negotiations a deal was stuck and the Watts family were now the proud owners of a t-bucket with a fair amount of history and success behind it.

With help from Daniel and Steve Reed, Matt and Guy learnt the ropes on how to tune and run a blown car. With that they were able to realise a life-long dream and compete at the 2008 Willowbank Winternationals, touted as the largest and most prestigious drag race outside of the US.

The family that plays together stays together

It wasn’t only the altered that caught Matt’s eye when he met the Reed’s in Sydney. With the purchase of the altered, Matt set about charming Sally Reed, Daniel’s sister and daughter of Top Alcohol legends Steve and Debbie Reed.

As Matt succinctly puts it, “I met Sally through buying the car and I got her number.” Uh-huh.

Let’s just say I have it on good authority that Matt chased pretty hard and it took a little while for Sally to succumb to his charms. He must have done something right though. They’re now Mr and Mrs Watts, have a lovely little girl called Leila and another bub on the way.

To Matt drag racing is all about family. “Some people have got swimming pools and big TVs. Not me. I’ve got a drag car and I get to go racing with the people that I love. Does it get any better than that?”

Road to the championship

Matt, Leila, Sally, Batesey and Guy celebrate the national championshipWith the ongoing support of his family and dedicated crew (thanks Batesy), Matt went into the 2012 Winternationals in equal 5^th position for the ANDRA Supercharged Outlaws Championship.

With 1st round exits for 3 of the front runners, this left Matt, Fiona Reed and Paul Stephen in with a mathematical chance to take the championship.

The goal was simple enough. Matt had to win the semi-final to collect enough points and go enough rounds to take the lead.

“I was nervous wreck stagging in the semis. The car didn’t hook up so I thought I’d lost. When I got down the bottom end and saw the crew hanging out of the tow car, waving and screaming, I knew I’d won.”

Turns out Matt’s opponent Darryl Woods red lighted by just .001 of a second.

With that semi-final win, Matt leap-frogged over his sister-in-law Fiona Reed to dash her championship hopes.

Now I’ve spoken to both Matt and Fiona and both assure me there is absolutely no rivalry between the pair. But come on...really? I bet there are some interesting discussions at family get-togethers. I’d be watching my plate at Christmas dinner.

Where to from here

With 2 championships in 2 years it’s time to retire the altered from Supercharged Outlaws competition.

The team is currently looking for a new altered from the US to continue running at the front of Supercharged Outlaws.

But as Matt points out, “It comes down to finances. We were running at the top end of the slower cars. Now we have to step it up and go faster, particularly with talk that the bracket is potentially being opened up to include nitrous and turbo cars. With 32 car fields, competition is going to be fierce just to make the show.”

So if everything goes to plan you will see Matt and the team at the ANDRA Nationals at Sydney Dragway, going for the three-peat in the Supercharged Outlaws Championship.