Return to finals form for Mainland
Clive Mainland makes the final in Modified Bike (Photo courtesy Ed Forman)2013 may just be the year of comebacks with Territory Modified Bike competitor Clive Mainland making it through to the finals at the 2013 Season Opener at Hidden Valley Drag Strip on Saturday night.
Mainland last made a finals berth over four years ago. After debuting the eye catching new Kawasaki in late 2012 Mainland broke the drought by meeting Colin Sainsbury in the Modified Bike final. Unfortunately it was not going to be a fairy tale ending with Mainland jumping the start and red lighting, automatically handing the win to Sainsbury who finished with a 9.578 second pass on a 9.40 dialin.
Super Sedan was again the largest field to watch with Steve Schruers defeating Grant Rowe in an all Holden final. Schruers got a holeshot victory with a 0.088 reaction off the line and running through with a 9.325 second pass on a 9.19 dialin against Rowe's 10.233 on a 10.13 dialin.
Grant Radcliffe has his name down in history after being the first winner of the new Top Sportsman category with an 8.596sec on an 8.46 dialin against a faltering Allan Arthus.
Dieter Herrmann continued his dominance of the Outlaw category after being handed the automatic win when rival Todd Knight failed to start. Knight will be one to watch after making the massive leap from a street car to now a personal best of 8.324 seconds at 165.7mph.
Rookie Danielle Abel, daughter of well-known Top Doorslammer driver Matt Abel, was also rewarded with her first ever win against Mitchell Sperrer in the Super Toyworld Junior Dragster bracket.
In other categories, Ellen Musk took out the Street Car title against Bob Czerniawski while Mark Tattingham defeated Josh Schuit in Street Bike. Super Street saw Shaun Boyer victorious against reigning champion, Troy McGregor.
Several Group 1 teams also used the night to perform testing.
Scott White destroyed a motor in Adelaide earlier this year and with an imminent departure to Sydney for the Nitro Champs where he will be competing in the Pro Stock Motorcycle category he used the fully prepped quarter mile to ensure everything was once again in order.
Scott MacLean also completed three full noise passes in the AllTools Top Alcohol Funny Car as he finds the right tune up ahead of the ANDRA Drag Racing Series on 16-17 August in Darwin. He was somewhat off his pace compared to 2012, running a best of 6.054sec and 227mph.
Beat the Heat Off Street racing returns on Friday 3 May before the next round of the Track Championship Series fires up on Saturday 18 May.
Finalists
- Outlaw Winner DIETER HERRMANN
- Outlaw Runner Up TODD KNIGHT
- Top Sportsman Winner GRANT RADCLIFFE
- Top Sportsman Runner Up ALLAN ARTHUS
- Super Sedan Winner STEVE SCHRUERS
- Super Sedan Runner Up GRANT ROWE
- Modified Bike Winner COLIN SAINSBURY
- Modified Bike Runner Up CLIVE MAINLAND
- Super Street Winner SHAUN BOYER
- Super Street Runner Up TROY MCGREGOR
- Street Winner ELLEN MUSK
- Street Runner Up BOB CZERNIAWSKI
- Street Bike Winner MARK TATTINGHAM
- Street Bike Runner Up JOSH SCHUIT
- Super Toyworld Junior Dragster Winner DANIELLE ABEL
- Super Toyworld Junior Dragster Runner Up MITCHELL SPERRER
