Locals Provide Top Support Act

By Mark Humphrey

Portland drag racing was on show last weekend when the Aeroflow Outlaw Nitro Funny Car circus came to town. With close to a dozen funny cars ripping up the Fuchs Southcoast Raceway it was a big task for the local drag racing fraternity to provide support classes that complimented the nitro circus. Not only did the local brigade provide awesome support they managed to provide their own highlights from an action packed weekend of drag racing. 

From the moment you drive into this hidden little secret in the southern corner of Victoria you get the impression that the purpose of the drag strip is to provide a venue for the committee members to kick around time and roll out their machines. You can see the passion in the eyes of the committee members as the cars start to unload in the pits. The enthusiasm is not just reserved for on looking as several members downed tooled throughout the weekend to put their own personal machines through their paces in what was a highlight packed weekend.

There were many highlights for the weekend and no doubt the incident with "Buzz" going into the wall provided a talking point along with the fashionable haircut he was running around with. The grand tally of $4,000 being handed over to the "Make A Wish Foundation" was also a highlight along with the ever reliable Leanne Braggs in taking out the Modified bracket.

             "Buzz" into the wall with ever reliable Leanne Braggs in the 32 Altered taking out the Modified bracket

The Nostalgia boys rolled up in cars that imitated back in the day and put on a great show with some strong smokey burnouts as did the tough field of Super Sedan cars including a brand new car being put through its paces by Hugo DJV.

         Nostalgia boys, Hick in the A Model and Adrian Kepm in the Mustang provided plenty of smoke.

The street guys were there along with the two wheel racers to support what was an action packed 2 days of Portland drag racing.

In the Super Street class Dave Bunnik driving a Chev powered Holden Torana took out the win from Rod Kerr also pedalling a Holden Torana. Top qualifier from Friday's rounds was Ron Hutchins in a neat little Ford Escort powered by a 302 small block

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                                                                Super Street finalists Dave Bunnik and Rod Kerr

Ron Hutchins pulled a 7 flat to go top qualifyer on Friday

Super Sedan provided the days highlight (or lowlight) when Phillip Busbridge slammed the wall after the finish line in the final of Super Sedan. In a class packed with some awesome machinery Busbridge driving his big block Commodore narrowly lost the final to South Australian Dave Todd driving a Ford Cortina. The class was packed with tough cars with none tougher than Friday's #1 qualifier Brett Henley in a sweet looking Chev powered LC Torana. Henley's time of 5.28 was marginally better than the 5.32 of Peter Smith in the equally impressive Chevrolet Corvette.

         Super Sedan winner Dave Todd in his Cortina.                            Phillip Busbridge's neat Commodore 

Brett Henley in the awesome LC Torana got quick time in Friday's sessions.Pete Smith in the iconic Chevrolet Corvette

Modified bike was contested by riders from both Victoria and South Australia with South Aussie Jamie Dohnt riding a R1 Yamaha taking the win from the weekend's quickest qualifier in Chris Hosken on the GSX Suzuki.

The Nostalgia class although limited in entrants put on a great display of 70's style drag racing with some strong halftrack burnouts and close racing throughout the weekend. The final was contested between two cars that looked like they had been pulled out of a shed last week where they had been resting for the last 30 years. Steve Biggs in the 56 Chevy took the honours from Damien Kemp driving a Ford Fairlane. Friday's #1 qualifier Ian Hick put his 28 A Model Ford through its paces all weekend and looked very streetable. In fact Hick usually drives the street registered A Model around the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne when he is not drag racing

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                   Nostalgia boys Biggs in the 56 and Damien Kemp in the Fairlane couldn't get enough track time.

The Supercharged Outlaw final was taken out by Andrew Sanders in a stout 265 Hemi powered Chrysler Centura from Mick Cleary in his wickedly outrageous Chev powered Holden Camira. As part of the fundraising activities raffle tickets were sold with the prize being a full pass down the Fuchs Southcoast Raceway in the Cleary Supercharged Outlaw Camira. What a ride! Craig Russo was out early with mechanical trouble as was Keith Hards in the Chevy Impala.

Supercharged Outlaws is what drag racing is all about. Sanders in the Chrysler got the win from Cleary in the Camira.

                 Craig Russo in the funny car put down a solid pass as did Keith Hards in the Chevy Impala

The final bracket of racing saw Leanne Braggs take out the Modified division driving the 32 Bantam Altered from Craig Baker in the small block powered dragster. Top qualifier from Friday's session Kenny Stewart in the dragster failed to make the final in what was a tough bracket of racing. Calling Portland her home track, Braggs who travels 6 hours to compete, once again figured in the pointy end of racing as she so often does. Having been just clipped by Stewart for #1 qualifier on Friday's rounds Braggs just keeps putting the car in a position to win at every meet. Referring back to IT feed compiled by on-board computers, the team leave no stone unturned in their quest to get every ounce of performance out of the car

                                                                     .Leanne Braggs took the win in Modified bracket

With the Nitro Funny Cars giving Portland race fans a new experience in drag racing, the ever reliable local fraternity of drag racers were there adding to the spectacle that is Fuchs Southcoast drag racing.

Drag racing continues in Victoria tonight with the ANDRA sanctioned Street Meet at Calder Raceway.

The final race meet for the season at Southcoast Raceway is being run early March. Check out the details at http://www.southcoastraceway.com/.

MORE FUCHS SOUTHCOAST RACEWAY IMAGES

WELL DONE "BUZZ"

              WHAT A WEEKEND !!!!!

Good Samaratian Crunches The Wall

By Mark Humphrey

Ask anybody associated with the Fuchs Southcoast Raceway about “Buzz” and you will get the same reply, “good guy that will do anything for you”.

This was Buzz's sweet looking Commodore Friday morning.

Local track drag racer Phillip Busbridge goes over and above the call of duty when it comes to helping out a mate. With the Fuchs Southcoast Raceway’s annual “Make A Wish Foundation” fundraising  campaign in full swing over the last week Busbridge answered the call of duty by auctioning off his own hair. With his flowing lochs resting over the collar, Busbridge agreed to shave his head bald provided the community supported his quest to raise money for  the “Make A Wish Foundation” charity.

The whole Portland district unites for this special fundraising weekend with the Fuchs Southcoast Raceway contributing several thousand dollars over the past years. This year the club surpassed the previous highest total by donating $4000 to the foundation of which $1800 had been contributed via the Busbridge haircut.

Gotta say that the Busbridge look was different and something you would expect to come across somewhere deep in the south of the USA. Here was this big guy with a shaved head mostly except for some rat tails and half shaven sections hanging from the back of his head that pedalled a Super Sedan drag car into second place on the day after raising $1800 earlier in the week for gravely ill children. Seems like a bit of a mis-match but talk to the locals and that is exactly how they look apon this big man.

So you would think that with such a big heart, Busbridge’s weekend would be just about perfect with that good ol’ karma looking after him. Think again!

After crossing the line to take second in the Super Sedan final, Busbridge inadvertently knocked the shifter back into 1^st gear sending the car hard right into the concrete wall at close to 100mph. The end result was a sad looking Commodore and a very very peed off driver. On accepting his runner’s up trophy “Buzz” vowed to re-build the machine and be back bigger and better than ever. He went on to thank all the safety support crew and finished by thanking all the people who had supported his “Make A Wish” fundraiser. Phillip Busbridge left the presentation area to a rapturous applause.

Following is a compilation of his weekend’s work

Strong burnouts and perfectly timed launches netted the Super Sedan runner's up trophy.

AND THEN THIS

"Buzz" hits the wall just after the finish line and hugs the wall with a couple more hits on the way to the car's resting spot.

END RESULT

                                             Phillip Busbridge walks off vowing to be back bigger and better.                                                        

    Wilful Does The Damage

By Mark Humphrey

Southcoast Raceway burnout outfit Wilful Damage cleaned up taking 1^st and 4^th places in the Make A Wish Foundation fundraising burnout comp held on Friday night (31^st Jan) at Portland’s Fuchs Southcoast Raceway

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                                                                      Wilful Damage cars in action

The burnout comp was part of the Fuchs Southcoast Raceway’s fundraising activities aimed at raising money for the Make A Wish Foundation and formed part of the city of Portland’s greater fundraising activities that included a cabaret ball on the foreshore beach and aerobatics from the Roulettes just to name a few.

This is what it's all about! I think that's Mick Cleary in there!!!Runner up Andrew Lynch with his non genuine powered Corolla always puts on a show.

Wilful Damage promoter Sam Davey was busy all weekend with the burnout comp on Friday night and a couple of 2 car demonstration burnouts at selected intervals during the drag racing program on Saturday.

A single dad raising a son, I asked Sam what his involvement was in terms of organisation with burnout comps, “well I have a couple of cars I support along with the burnout pad here at Portland” he said. Davey added “ I live in Geelong but decided to sponsor the pad here in Portland because of the relaxed atmosphere here. Just about everyone here is a dedicated racer which flows over into the running of the racetrack” he said.

Just one look at the infield and it’s obvious that Davey is dedicated to his sport. A sponsored marquee displays all the Wilful Damage merchandise including clothing, apparel and of course DVD’s full of burnout action.

It’s a fair chance that visitors to Victorian Burnout Comps would have come across the Wilful Damage merchandise marquee as Davey competes in most events in the state with the odd interstate appearance.

The next big burnout comp for Davey is the Portland Gazza Nats  at Fuchs Southcoast Raceway on the 15^th of February with the UBC pencilled in early March at Avalon Raceway. Davey has also indicated he will be doing the “Avalon Raceway Burnout and Picture T event” on the 12^th of April.

For more information on both events go to their facebook sites.

Top 10 for the Fuchs Southcoast “Make A Wish” burnout comp.

1 Daniel Page, 2 Andrew Lynch, 3 Justin Price, 4 Sam Davey, 5 Daniel Moore,

6 Clinton McKenzie, 7 Greg Holland, 8 Greg Hutchins, 9 John Scullian, 10 Nigel McCredden

MORE BURNOUT IMAGES!