Sportsman Racers Enjoy Success at Dragway at the Bend

No fewer than 140 ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship racers took to the track at Dragway at The Bend today (Sunday, 9 February) for a full day of racing to conclude round five of the 2024/2025 series. Competitors got straight to work setting down racing runs from the moment they hit the track, delivering no end of sportsman championship action across the day to see who would take home the coveted ANDRA Christmas Tree trophies.

Ballistic Performance Parts Modified Bike

Winner – Peter Bartlett
Runnerup – Dean Jamieson
#1 Qualifier – Dean Jamieson

In Ballistic Performance Parts Modified Bike Peter Bartlett took the win over New Gen Business Park Top Qualifier Dean Jamieson. Bartlett lifted the ANDRA Christmas Tree after the finals by first taking wins over Bryan Finn (round one), Shaun White (round two), and Tyson Bird-Balek (round three). Runner-up Jamieson meanwhile found his way to the final with wins in rounds one and two over Micheal Cristoforo and Luis Izatt, respectively before lining up in the final.

Joined by lots of family at the track, Bartlett delighted in a flawless weekend on the bike in what was his first trip to the South Australian venue.

“The weekend was flawless bike-wise, absolutely flawless. We tested Friday for the three passes, qualified for three passes on Saturday and did all our rounds today, and the bike was flawless. It was brilliant,” Bartlett explained.

“The bike (a Suzuki Hayabusa) was very consistent all weekend. With maybe the 10 rounds we rode for the weekend, the spread between the best and worst passes was .08s.

“This weekend is the first time we’ve ever set foot here. I’ve never had the opportunity to get here work-wise, so we made it happen. It’s a fantastic facility, and the staff and volunteers have been brilliant all weekend. It’s just been really good.

“What made the weekend was having family and friends here, and we just had lots of laughs and lots of fun and only got serious when we had to. I’ve never done a pass down a track without my wife Helen beside me after 18 years.

“I’d like to give a shout-out to my best mate’s son, Austin, who celebrated his 15th birthday at the track this weekend. I’d also like to thank Nick and Alison from my major sponsor, Heavy Duty Magazine, for their support.”

Lectron Australia Competition Bike

Winner – Edge Mallis
Runnerup – Rob Cassar
#1 Qualifier – Edge Mallis

In Lectron Australia Competition Bike Edge Mallis and Rob Cassar again found themselves going head-to-head in the final round after the pair last battled it out in the final run during The South Coast Nationals last December.

This time, however, Mallis would prove victorious over Cassar, with the former clean-sweeping the weekend, with wins over Rob Church (round one), Cheryl Beddoes (round two), and Jake Hamilton-Moderate (round three), including taking out the New Gen Business Park Top Qualifier honours on Saturday before lining up against Cassar in the final on Sunday. Cassar, meanwhile, also enjoyed three undefeated passes against Cheryl Beddoes (round one), Jake Hamilton-Moderate (round two), and Nathan Stone (round three).

During Sunday’s racing, winner Mallis reset two competition bike DD/CB records from ET 7.793secs to ET 7.627secs and TS 178.52mph to TS 178.64mph.

Junior Drag Bike

Winner – Lawrence Raschella
Runner-up – Lucas Bergamin
#1 Qualifier – Lucas Bergamin

Celebrations were also had in the non-championship Langtree’s Machinery Services Junior Drag Bike sportsman bracket with Lawrence Raschella taking the win over runner-up Lucas Bergamin.

For the full race results from day two of round five of the ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship, please visit www.andra.com.au/series/results

Today’s sportsman racing also doubled as a Summit Racing Equipment Track Championship round and took to the track alongside round two of the Pro Drag Racing Championship.

The PDRC racing resumed this morning with two more rounds of thrilling passes across the day, in Prostock Motor Cycle Luke Crowley took the win over runner-up Scott White.

ANDRA thanks Dragway at The Bend 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.

The ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship continues with round six of the 2024/2025 series and the second of the doubleheader weekends at Mildura’s Atlantic Oils Sunset Strip Twilight Nationals across February 14-15. For event information, visit https://www.sunsetstrip.org.au/

For more from ANDRA, visit www.andra.com.au

2024/2025 ANDRA REGIONAL SPORTSMAN CHAMPIONSHIP DATES

• 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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The Australian National Drag Racing Association Ltd, or ANDRA for short, is the drag racing sanctioning body of Australia. The organization was created in 1973 from a more drag racing oriented faction of the Australian Hot Rod Federation. Today ANDRA sanctions races throughout Australia and throughout the year at all levels, from Top Fuel to Junior Dragster, on everything from temporary regional tracks to international standard facilities in capital cities. ANDRA and its members make drag racing a family-friendly, safe sport. So come along as a spectator or bring your street car to an “off-street” event and enjoy the excitement that is Australian drag racing. www.andra.com.au

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