It’s not exactly what you’d expect from an old Fairmont, but that’s part of the appeal. Reuben started with a basic crossflow-powered Ford he wouldn’t mind modifying, and over the past few years has turned it into a serious street-and-strip weapon.

“I had a passion for cars, but I never wanted to race or ruin anything nice,” he says.

The Fairmont turned out to be the perfect candidate. Now, after a year of testing, tuning and late nights in the shed, Reuben is bringing it back to Street Machine Drag Challenge, presented by VPW in the Tuff Mounts Six Cylinder class, with the added bonus of racing at his home track in Mildura this year.

Reuben has been around cars his whole life, with his family in the automotive game since 1983 and a mechanical trade behind his own career. He just never wanted to take a nice car and turn it into a race car.

So he found something he didn’t mind cutting up: a basic crossflow-six powered XF Fairmont.

What started as a relatively innocent old Ford has since become the car Reuben spends all year building, testing and tweaking for one of the toughest events on the calendar.

The Fairmont was stripped from the driveline back through to the wiring, before Ryan from Riot Lab got stuck into the fabrication and Mitch from Mackie.Elec handled the wiring and initial conversion, helping lay the foundations for the build.

Under the bonnet is where things get properly serious.

The original six-cylinder has been replaced by a fresh Barra built by Lachie at Signature Race Engines, running PPM rods and pistons and a PSR 8385 turbo.

A Jonny Tig 3000hp intercooler takes care of the charge air, while Rob from Monsta Torque has put in countless hours behind the scenes building the ZF 6HP26 six-speed and helping get the combination sorted. The gearbox also runs a few extra tricks that Reuben is keeping close to his chest.

The rear end has been sorted by Chris at Performance Diff Centre, with Leo from Monte Engineering in Mildura handling the housing modifications. Andy at ADMOFAB has also helped with fabrication and repairs as the build has evolved.

All of it is tied together with Haltech electronics, including a Nexus R3 VCU, PD16 and UC10 dash.

It’s a serious combination, but Reuben hasn’t built the Fairmont to be some temperamental race car that only comes out for a pass down the strip.

“The car honestly acts like a street car,” he says.

There’s a dedicated road-driving file in the Haltech that keeps the power sensible on the street, while the ZF gives the Fairmont plenty of flexibility for the long road legs between tracks.

“It’s essentially an XR6 Turbo underneath an \80s shell.”

That’s exactly the sort of versatility Reuben needs for Drag Challenge.

He’s a repeat entrant and has spent the year testing and refining the Fairmont, with a low-eight-second PB and an eight-second average firmly in his sights.

“We’re definitely chasing at least one ‘one and done’.”

But the timeslip is only one part of why Reuben keeps coming back.

The Fairmont has effectively become his year-round project, with improvements and testing all leading towards that one week on the road.

“We built this car essentially with DC in mind, so we spend all year looking forward to it, making improvements and testing,” he says.

And while the big passes are obviously a highlight, Reuben reckons one of the hardest parts is getting a good time in the short window available at the track before climbing back in and hitting the road again.

That pressure is part of what makes the whole thing worthwhile.

“You look back at the endless hours and late nights, and it’s absolutely rewarding being with such a great car community, all helping each other on the side of the road or at the tracks.”

That community is a huge part of the Drag Challenge experience for Reuben.

The event brings together some of the quickest street cars in the country, but there’s little of the ego you might expect when six-second cars are lining up alongside first-time entrants.

“You’ll see guys run six-second passes who will be in the pits minutes later encouraging or helping others who are first-timers doing 12-second passes,” he says.

“It’s just a great place to be.”

This year’s event has another big attraction for Reuben, with Drag Challenge rolling into Mildura for the hometown round.

“It’s always exciting to be at home on our track,” he says.

He’s hoping to put down some clean passes and set a new PB in front of the local crowd, with a 5.30-5.40 target in mind.

Getting the Fairmont to this point has been a team effort, with plenty of people putting in the hours behind the scenes.

Ryan from Riot Lab was there early on, handling the fabrication, while Mitch from Mackie.Elec took care of the wiring and initial conversion. Both have played a big part in turning the original Fairmont into what it is today.

Rob from Monsta Torque has also spent countless hours working away in the background, building the ZF auto and helping get the combination sorted. Al Cameron has put in hundreds of hours helping Reuben develop the car and get the tune right.

Marcus at SpeedPro and Jason at Ti Performance have also been on hand with parts and advice whenever needed — another reminder that a build like this is never just one person’s work.

When Drag Challenge rolls around, Reuben won’t be going it alone. He’ll have Clinton, his crew chief and Davison Motors’ service manager; Blake, his workshop manager; Al Cameron; and close mate Dale alongside him. The five of them will tackle the event as a crew, bringing plenty of their own time and effort to the journey.

It’s a long way from the basic crossflow Fairmont Reuben started with. Now, with a serious Barra under the bonnet and Drag Challenge ahead, it’s time to see what the old Ford can do.

Street Machine Drag Challenge, presented by VPW, runs from Tuesday 27 October  to Saturday 31 October 2026, starting and finishing at Victorian Motorsports Park. Spectator tickets are on sale HERE, lock yours in before the price rise on Friday!