RUNNING in the Pacemaker Radial Aspirated class at Drag Challenge Weekend, Andrew Valentine’s HQ Monaro is a genuine GTS that sees plenty of street time and cuts low 10s at the track.

He bought it 10 years back as a 90s-spec build with a stock 350ci Chev, rollcage, bonnet scoop and race seats. Since then he’s reinstated a lot of the factory appointments and made it a hell of a lot quicker.

“I bought a motor off my mate Sammy that used to run 9.70s in his Torana,” Andrew said. “The best I’ve got out of it is 10.20 so far, and I drive it on the street all the time. It’s a 400ci small-block with Racer Pro heads and a 1050 Dominator, and we’ve never dynoed it, but I’m thinking it’d be around the 550hp mark.”

Andrew is a Drag Challenge first-timer, and when we caught up with him on Day Two at Warwick Dragway, he was loving it. “Yesterday was an awesome day,” he said. “The car was playing up a bit, but I brought a spare fuel pump with me and we changed that and now it’s all sorted. It got off the line better at Willowbank – here I’m not having as much luck – but the cruise yesterday was awesome. Best day ever! I just want to race the car, and as long as it sticks together and we can get back in one piece, I’ll be happy.”

Andrew got his wish, with the big Quey successfully completing the return voyage to Willowbank for Day Three, where it reeled off a succession of 10-second passes to round out the weekend on a high.