WELL, we made it. For a good while in 2020, it looked as if we wouldn’t be able to run any Street Machine Drag Challenge events this year, thanks to our good ol’ pal COVID-19. Happily, by November, a much- improved coronavirus situation meant we were able to mount a three-day Drag Challenge Weekend in Queensland after all.

Sure, it wasn’t the full-fat, five-day blast we’d normally run at this time of year, but we weren’t exactly complaining – and neither were the 129 entrants itching to put their cars to the test after such a long enforced hiatus from racing.

Now the curtain has come down on DCW 2020, it’s clear that Ben Vlekken was the big winner this year. Not only did he and his Commodore wagon win the event outright, but he also scored the Haltech Radial Blown class title, the Quickest LS-Powered trophy, Quickest ET, Fastest MPH, and was the only competitor to enter the Seven-Second Club this year.

We’ll catalogue all the thrills and spills of Drag Challenge Weekend in a huge 30-page report in the January 2021 issue of Street Machine (out 31 December). In the meantime, here are the Top 10 Overall, class winners and trophy winners from DCW 2020.

TOP 10 OVERALL

1. Ben Vlekken – Holden Commodore wagon 20.900

2. Mark Van Der Togt – Ford XW 22.303

3. Trent Brimble – Holden Commodore 22.619

4. Ben Neal – Toyota Cresta 22.69

5. Shane Baker – VH Commodore 23.244

6. Rob Armstrong – Chevrolet Camaro 23.259

7. Ben Paganoni – Ford Mustang 23.425

8. Alon Vella – Ford Capri 23.458

9. Jamie Swift – Holden Commodore 23.548

10. Reion Sammons – HQ Holden 23.88

TURBOSMART OUTLAW ASPIRATED

1. Rahim Tarr – Ford Falcon ute

2. Stephen Micallef – HQ Holden One Tonner

Watch next: Drag Challenge Weekend 2020 Day One

TURBOSMART OUTLAW BLOWN

1. Reion Sammons – HQ Holden

2. Benny Wilkinson – Honda Integra

HALTECH RADIAL BLOWN

1. Ben Vlekken – Holden Commodore wagon

2. Mark Van Der Togt – Ford XW

PACEMAKER RADIAL ASPIRATED

1. Alon Vella – Ford Capri

2. Jesse Davidson – HG Holden

TUFF MOUNTS 235 BLOWN

1. Jason Ross – UC Torana hatch

2. Juan Kudnig – HT Holden

TUFF MOUNTS 235 ASPIRATED

1. Brodie Olsen – Holden Torana

2. Kevin Brown – Holden Commodore

SPEED PRO SIX-CYLINDER

1. Ben Neal – Toyota Cresta

2. Ben Paganoni – Ford Mustang

CARNAGE DIAL YOUR OWN

1. Mitchell Jannusch – Ford XD 0.00400

2. Simon Stockton – Toyota Supra 0.01707

3. Wade Moran – Ford Mustang 0.01156

4. Alysha Teale – HQ Holden 0.01348

5. Bill Martland – VR Commodore SS 0.02618

LONGEST DISTANCE DRIVEN

Ben Neal – Toyota Cresta

LONGEST DISTANCE TRAVELLED

Mike Pullella – Holden Monaro CV8

QUICKEST WITHOUT A TRAILER

Shane Baker – Holden Commodore

QUICKEST HOLDEN-POWERED

Shane Baker – Holden Commodore

QUICKEST FORD-POWERED

Mark Van Der Togt – Ford XW

QUICKEST MOPAR-POWERED

Jye Core – VG Valiant Safari wagon

QUICKEST CHEV-POWERED

Juan Kudnig – HT Holden

QUICKEST LS-POWERED

Ben Vlekken – Holden Commodore wagon

QUICKEST SIX-CYLINDER

Ben Neal – Toyota Cresta

QUICKEST FOUR-CYLINDER/ROTOR

Benny Wilkinson – Honda Integra

HARD LUCK AWARD

Rob Huston – Dodge D5N

QUICKEST STICK-SHIFT

Benny Wilkinson – Honda Integra

QUICKEST ET OF DRAG CHALLENGE WEEKEND

Ben Vlekken – 7.803sec

FASTEST MPH OF DRAG CHALLENGE WEEKEND

Ben Vlekken – 172.41mph

SEVEN-SECOND CLUB

Ben Vlekken – 7.803sec

OVERALL WINNER

Ben Vlekken – Holden Commodore wagon

SPIRIT OF DRAG CHALLENGE

Mark Stewart