South Coast 660 Heralds First Winners Of 2023
The Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series has celebrated its first event winners of 2023, with the conclusion of the South Coast 660 event in Portland (Victoria) this afternoon.
Following a big day of racing at South Coast Raceway, it was Colin Griffin (Super Gas), Ross Lamattina (Summit Racing Equipment Junior Dragster), Tommy Turic (Super Street), Sean Ricketts (Modified Bike), Lance Larcombe (Super Sedan), Josh Baker (Modified), Glenn Henley (Top Sportsman), Shane Baxter (Supercharged Outlaws), Craig Geddes (Super Comp) and Edge Mallis (Competition Bike) who claimed the silver ANDRA Christmas Trees.
Taking the runner-up honours were Renee Cockerill (Super Gas), Todd Wagner (Summit Racing Equipment Junior Dragster), Greg ‘Dutchy’ Holland (Super Street), Dean Jamieson (Modified Bike), Mick Rouhan (Super Sedan), Matt Ponton (Modified), Leon Davies (Top Sportsman), Steven Walker (Supercharged Outlaws), Adrian Vella (Super Comp) and Joe Khoury (Competition Bike).
MODIFIED BIKE
In Modified Bike, Sean Ricketts was ecstatic to take his second ANDRA Christmas tree in as many visits to South Coast Raceway, following a win in the final over Dean Jamieson.
To secure his place in the final, Ricketts and his Kawasaki zX12r had earlier emerged victorious from battles against Rob Church (round one), top qualifier Peter Bartlett (round two), and Jamie Dohnt (semi-final), while Jamieson had successfully taken on Johnny Ireland (round one) and defending champion Shane Walker (round two) ahead of a bye in the semis.
“I am just ecstatic. I have won a few trees, and this feels as good as the first one I won,” the Sydney-based Ricketts beamed.
“I love coming down here to this track, it is well run and the country style atmosphere is great, it has character and I enjoy the challenge of it, and the people are great.
“I have been here twice, and this is my second tree here, so I am really loving this place at the moment!
“Thank you to my good mate Joe Khoury who races in Comp Bike and has been a really good support for me in the last few years, and also to Mick Withers and Alison from Heavy Duty Magazine who support me no matter where I go and what I do. And also to Peter Bartlett, he is a good friend of mine and Peter and Helen are just lovely people.“
COMPETITION BIKE
In Competition Bike, Edge Mallis clean swept the weekend by taking out the event win after being the top qualifier on his Kawasaki Ninja yesterday.
The Competition Bike bracket runs a Chicago Shootout format, and Mallis went to the final against Joe Khoury after taking wins from Nathan Stone (round one), David Willis (round two) and Gavin Dohnt (round three), while Khoury had beaten David Willis (round one), Gavin Dohnt (round two) and Nathan Stone (round three).
For results from today’s action at South Coast Raceway, please click here
ANDRA thanks the South Coast Raceway management and all of its volunteers and sponsors for an outstanding racetrack and a well-run event.
The penultimate and next round of the 2022/2023 Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series, the Twilight Nationals, will be held at Mildura’s Sunset Strip across February 17-18. For event information, visit www.sunsetstrip.org.au
For more from ANDRA, visit www.andra.com.au
Qualifying
More than 160 racers have taken to Portland’s South Coast Raceway today for day one of the South Coast 660 – the latest round of the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series.
Renee Cockerill (Super Gas), Dylan Knezevic (Summit Racing Equipment Junior Dragster), Zac Shepherd (Super Street), Peter Bartlett (Modified Bike), Tony Miskelly (Super Sedan), Simon Barlow (Modified), Dean Cleary (Top Sportsman), Doina Day (Supercharged Outlaws), Steve Norman (Super Comp) and Edge Mallis (Competition Bike) who claimed the Decoglaze Glass Splashbacks Top Qualifier Medallions for their respective classes.
COMPETITION BIKE
For Mallis, the top qualifier result continues a run of form despite the fact he has been away for 12 months recovering from a 2019 accident at South Coast Raceway.
“I always said I wouldn’t come back, but I have been running in the left lane all day today, and being the top qualifier lets me go in the left lane all day tomorrow, so I am happy about that,” Mallis said.
“We have top qualified at every event we have ever showed up to; I am more worried about getting through the whole weekend – you see, I have been a bridesmaid way too many times!
“If I can get through the weekend and use the top qualifier position to get a win, I will be really, really happy!
“We know where the track is now and have looked at everything and if something goes wrong, I am learning to get off it. It headed to the wall today for instance in one of the passes and I just got off it, it isn’t worth the risk, but other than that, everything is great and we are very happy with how the bike is running and the whole lot, so we are not touching a thing and tomorrow should be good.”
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
