Drag Challenge 2019 Haltech Radial Blown Top 12

The quickest 12 cars in the Haltech Radial Blown class battled it out across the week’s racing, raising the bar with some eye-watering times

Share


Haltech Radial Blown is far and away the biggest and most competitive class at Street Machine Drag Challenge. Until this year, every outright Drag Challenge winner has come from the Radial Blown ranks. Putting down serious turbocharged, supercharged, and nitrous-assisted grunt on variable racetracks through 275 radials is a badge of honour for many racers and tuners.

HALTECH RADIAL BLOWN
1ST
DANIEL SZABOLICS
1971 HOLDEN HQ MONARO
Time: 30.896

Dan Szabolics Monaro

ONE of the most beautifully presented cars to run Drag Challenge, Dan Szabolics’ Monaro ran the quickest and fastest pass in DC history on Day One with a 7.350@197mph. Bad luck with the weather frustrated the team, though the twin-turbo 632ci big-block HQ still took out the win in Haltech Radial Blown class.

2ND
KAI MCPHEE
1980 HOLDEN VC COMMODORE
Time: 31.498

THOUGH he didn’t have the sheer grunt of the fat-blocks, Kai “Creswick Sausage” McPhee’s VC Commodore held up a fight on the eighth-mile, taking the fastest time of Day Two at Mildura. The E85-drinking single-turbo 5.3-litre iron-block LS makes approximately 1100rwhp and gets it down with a 275 radial.

3RD
LUKE FOLEY
1983 HOLDEN VH COMMODORE SL/E
Time: 31.915

DC VETERAN Luke Foley finished third in Haltech Radial Blown class with his 427ci Dart LS-powered MPW Performance VH Commodore. With twin Garrett snails and a Holley ECU pushing 1444rwhp worth of hurt, Luke finally got into the Seven-Second Club on Friday with a 7.92@176mph in full street trim.

4TH
RICCARDO PONTONIO
1985 HOLDEN VK COMMODORE SL
Time: 32.427

RICCARDO’S VK turned up to DC19 with a fresh 1500rwhp Powerhouse Engines 427ci LSX under the bonnet, wearing twin 72mm low-mount turbos and controlled by a Haltech Elite 2500 ECU. Despite it being a fresh build with only a handful of laps on it, Riccardo finished the week sixth outright and fourth in Haltech Radial Blown class with a PB of 8.10@174mph.

5TH
BRANDON ZITO
1971 HOLDEN LC TORANA
Time: 32.916

FIFTH in Haltech Radial Blown, Brandon Zito’s immaculate two-door LC Torana sports a 1260rwhp twin-turbo 364ci small-block Chev up front running on E85. After breaking his motor at Drag Challenge 2018, Brandon had a killer time in 2019, scoring a seven-second red hat on Day Five with a 7.99@176mph.

6TH
DANIEL DRURY
1987 HOLDEN VL COMMODORE
Time: 33.098

WITH a twin turbo 428ci Dart LS under its bonnet, the ex-Lorenzo Gullotto VL was back at Drag Challenge with its new owner, Dan Drury. While Dan said he was just keen to ease into the car, he came away sixth in Haltech Radial Blown and with a red hat for the 7.87@177mph he ran on Day Five.

7TH
CHRIS KAARSBERG
1976 HOLDEN LX TORANA
Time: 33.132

YOU couldn’t miss Chris Kaarsberg’s retina-punching Haltech Radial Blown-class LX Torana sedan in the pits, but the 1300rwhp Dart 388ci LS under the bonnet meant it was a blur down the track. With twin Precision 62/60 snails and E85 in the tank the Queenslander was knocking on the door of the Seven-Second Club.

8TH
MATT LAMPARD
1978 HOLDEN HZ KINGSWOOD SL
Time: 33.192

WEIGHING at nearly 4000lb Matt Lampard’s LUMPER HZ packs plenty of grunt thanks to an 1800rwhp Dart 427ci LS combo packing twin BorgWarner SXE64/74 turbos. The 3970lb brute overcame a few obstacles at DC19, like tearing the rear-end out of the floor, to earn a red hat on Friday with a 7.88@181mph.

9TH
ELVIO GONZALEZ
FORD CAPRI
Time: 33.525

HAVING taken a year off in 2018, Elvio’s awesome Capri was back in Haltech Radial Blown for 2019. With a 6.2-litre GM LSX V8 up front and an 80mm turbo mounted in the boot, the un-tubbed leaf-sprung Capri finished the week on a high, setting a new PB of 8.15@167mph at Calder on Day Five.

10TH
DUSTY BENSON
1980 HOLDEN COMMODORE L
Time: 33.853

“THE combo is exactly the same but we spent the last year shaking the car down on the road,” says Dusty Benson. With a 1280hp forged LS2 up front breathing through a pair of GTX3582 turbos Dusty’s E85-drinking machine ran a best of 8.49@164mph on Day Five.

11TH
LUKE GREEN
1976 HOLDEN LH TORANA
Time: 34.590

RUNNING in Haltech Radial Blown thanks to a 400ci small-block Chev and 94mm Garrett GT55 snail combo, Luke Green’s Torana packs mid-eight-second potential. Brimmed with E85 fire-maker he managed an 8.51@161mph on Day One to set a new PB for the car, which he then bettered on Day Five with a scorching 8.39@159mph.

12TH
PHIL EDMONSON
1973 FORD XB FALCON COUPE
Time: 34.997

ONE of the sentimental favourites at Drag Challenge, Phil Edmonson’s 4000lb white whale coupe grew a second turbo ahead of this year’s event. Running once again in Haltech Radial Blown Phil was keen for a red hat and nearly got there with an 8.18@168mph on Day Five, before hurting the transmission. Having run 175mph on Day One he is keen to come back and get the big coupe into the sevens.

Comments