Woodside’s Steve Paech returns to Drag Challenge for mateship and endurance

Steve Paech from Woodside, South Australia is preparing to return to Street Machine Drag Challenge this October in the HP Tuners / VCM Performance Dial-Your-Own class with his 1975 Holden HJ Monaro, ready for another week of racing, long drives and late nights with mates.

Street Machine Drag Challenge is Australia’s toughest test for street-registered cars. Over five days, more than 280 competitors race at a different drag strip each day before driving hundreds of kilometres to the next under their own power.

There are no car trailers, no support crews and no excuses, making it as much about endurance and camaraderie as it is about performance.

Steve, 51, is a Street Machine Drag Challenge regular who has competed many times, both in his own Monaro and alongside friends. This year will be extra special, with his two sons Kyle and Tyson joining him for the first time to share the experience.

“The best thing about Drag Challenge is the mateship,” said Steve.

“Most of the events we’ve done we helped Mark Whittla with his little Capri, which was the first to run a six-second pass at Drag Challenge. He was very committed and we were usually the last to leave the track, which meant two or three hours of sleep a night if we were lucky.”

Despite the fatigue, Steve says the shared effort and teamwork create memories you cannot find anywhere else.

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“Most competitors will go out of their way to help if needed. That’s what makes Drag Challenge so unique. You’re racing, but you’re also part of a community,” said Steve.

This year Steve will once again take on the Dial Your Own class in his Monaro, now fitted with a new supercharged LS1 combination. With a personal best of 10.5 seconds, his goal is to be consistent while keeping the car on the road all week.

“She’s not the prettiest old girl, but she looks good in photos and always gets people talking,” said Steve.

For Steve, Street Machine Drag Challenge is as much about the journey as the destination.

“It’s five days of racing, fixing, driving and laughing with mates, and that’s what I look forward to every year,” said Steve.

He also urges locals who have never seen the event to come and experience it.

“For anyone who hasn’t seen Drag Challenge before, I urge you to come out for a look,” said Steve.

“There’s such a diverse range of cars being put to the test over thousands of kilometres. To see them on the road and then on the drag strip shows just how special the event is.”

The 10th annual Street Machine Drag Challenge runs from Wednesday 29 October to Sunday 2 November across South Australia and Victoria.

More than 280 street-registered cars will race at a different drag strip each day before driving hundreds of kilometres to the next under their own power. No trailers, no support and no excuses.