Alice Springs Inland Dragway was alive with celebration as the first ANDRA Christmas Tree winners of thenew ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship were awarded at the close of the Desert Nationals.
Taking out the wins for their respective brackets were Cooper Plummer (Junior Dragster), Dean Gunson (Ballistic Performance Parts Modified Bike), Gary Baker (Super Sedan), Leon Davies (Top Sportsman), Edge Mallis (Competition Bike), Josie Hodgins (Modified), Mark Hunt (Huntsman Racing Supercharged Outlaws), and Michael Bridges (Super Street).
Joining them in being celebrated at the end of day presentations were the event runners-up, Bailey Hawke (Junior Dragster), Tyson Gaghan (Ballistic Performance Parts Modified Bike), Alex Gkroidis (Super Sedan), Vlado Turic (Top Sportsman), Cheryl Beddoes (Competition Bike), Bradley Hicks (Modified), Brian Smith (Huntsman Racing Supercharged Outlaws), and Katrina Read (Super Street).
Also recognised were winners of the Top Qualifier Medallions presented by New Gen Business Park: Katrina Read (Super Street), Coooper Plummer (Junior Dragster), Dean Gunson (Ballistic Performance Parts Modified Bike), Tony Miskelly (Super Sedan), Bradley Hicks (Modified), Vlado Turic (Top Sportsman), Edge Mallis (Competition Bike) and Garthe McIntyre (Huntsman Racing Supercharged Outlaws).
For Mark Hunt, an enthusiastic proponent of the new ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship and sponsor of the Huntsman Racing Supercharged Outlaws bracket, taking the win at the opening round of the new title chase was very special.
“It was a hard meeting due to the heat and the car didn’t want to play nicely, but everyone’s car was the same. In the end, we persisted, making a few changes along the way to make it a little bit better, and in the final it all came together and we won,” Hunt explains.
“I am so happy that we have done the trip for this first round of the new ANDRA series, and got the points and the travel points too.
“The weather was beautiful and the people up here are great – Dan and Josie Hodgins did a fantastic job, as did all the people here, it is just great”
For Dean Gunson it was a particularly successful weekend in Ballistic Performance Parts Modified Bike, with the racer top qualifying and winning the event.
“It has been quite an emotional weekend,” Gunson said.
“At Thursday lunch time I was pretty much resigned to not making the event as I was having an issue finding an oil filter to suit my bike, and then a mate came through with the goods.
“We had a really good qualifying, I was very happy with that, and I should really dedicate this win to Bryan Finn for red lighting when I ran a nine-seven on a ten-three dial in!
“We had clutch issues also, overall we were up and down like a rollercoaster, but it all worked out and I am just stoked! This is beautiful!”
Also on track today were the Street Car, Street Bike and Junior Drag Bike brackets, with Bill Hodgins, Brian Moore and Immanual Gillatt taking the wins respectively in these classes.
ANDRA thanks Alice Springs Inland Dragway and all of its volunteers and sponsors as well as all of the ANDRA officials and volunteers for an outstanding racetrack and a well-run event.
2024/2025 ANDRA REGIONAL SPORTSMAN CHAMPIONSHIP DATES
Round one – August 24-25 – Alice Springs Inland Dragway – Desert Nationals
Round two – September 21-22* – Mildura’s Sunset Strip – Sunset Nationals
Round three – November 22-23 – Perth Motorplex – Goldenstates
Round four – December 7-8* – Portland’s South Coast Raceway – South Coast Nationals
Round five – February 8-9^ – Dragway at The Bend
Round six – February 14-15 – Mildura’s Sunset Strip – Twilight Nationals
Round seven – March 15-16 – Whyalla’s Steel City Raceway – event name TBC
Round eight – TBC – Dragway at The Bend – ANDRA Grand Final
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