The 2024 edition of the Optima Ultimate Street Car Challenge here in Australia at Melbourne’s Calder Park was by far the biggest yet, with some 80 plus cars packing out the place for competition.

With modern Euro machines, classic Aussie muscle, modern American toughies, a sprinkle of JDM goodness and even a few supercars, there was variety aplenty across the classes.

Here’s some of our favourite picks from field, including some familiar faces.

1. Firstly, we need to make some honourable mentions, including the overall winner Audi TT driven by Reece McIntosh, which you can read a full story on here. Another is Carnage Chieftain Scotty Taylor, who took on the day in the turbocharged, 1UZ-swapped Toyota Lexcen wagon. You can watch that video here.

1. Tony Masters’s Mustang

Tony Masters has been busy in his self-built ’66 Mustang fastback, recently giving it a good thrash on Tasmania’s Symmons Plains circuit.

The 520-cube, five-speed hottie is well-suited to this kind of wheelwork, thanks to its dry sump, heaps of chassis bracing and buckets of torque.

2. Heath van der Waerden’s pro touring LX Torana

It was a frustrating day for Heath van der Waerden as his pro touring LX hatch (SM, Sep ’23) continued to have issues, losing oil pressure as he whipped it around the course’s hairpin.

He still managed an 11.96sec quarter despite a missed third-gear shift, finished third in the Vintage class and drove the car home!

3. Grant Grech’s LX Torana hatch

Drag Challenge regular Grant Grech put the LS2/T56 manual combo in his LX hatch to good use through the corners and drag strip, clocking a 12.38 to help land him sixth in Vintage.

4. Hackshop Garage’s HQ

Michael and Nathan of Hackshop Garage fame brought along their 253-powered HQ sedan and turbo SOHC Fairlane, plus Michael’s brother’s boosted, six-cog VY SS ute.

While the Fairlane copped a DNF with a rattly driveline, and the HQ got uncomfortably hot, the boys had a great time pushing each car to the limit.

5. Simon Cooper’s LX Torana hatch

First-timer Simon Cooper bought his LX hatch at age 16. “I blew up one engine, broke four gearboxes, 12 axles and eight diff centres – when I got to 20 diffs, I put a 9in in it,” he laughed.

It now runs a 355 and Trimatic. “You can tell by the front-runners I’m not here to steer the corners; I’ll steer with the rear!” An 11.58 on the drag strip landed him in the Vintage Top 10.

6. Jason Briffa’s XT wagon

“Over the years, I’ve disassembled the whole car and put it back together,” Jason Briffa said of his XT wagon. “Every nut and bolt at some stage!”

With a Sniper-injected 351W, TR6060 manual and 3.7/Truetrac rear, the wagon is well-suited to casual track work like Retrospeed. “The kids grew up in it; I’ve got photos of them climbing all over it,” Jason grinned

7. James Mackie’s XY

Keeping a drift car on the straight and narrow can be a challenge, but James Mackie gave it his best shot in his Harrop-blown, LS-powered XY

8. Greg Smith’s F100

Greg Smith edged out drifter Mercury Lien to win the two-car race in Outlaw, driving his mental turbo Barra F-truck.

The truck rolls on an HQ chassis, with a BF II-spec engine, firewall, interior and rear end. Airbags get it low, and it also boasts a modified panel truck tub and chopped-up 44-gallon drums as inner arches!

9. Brendan Irvine’s HQ

Brendan Irvine won the 2022 Vintage category in his Harrop-blown HQ, but landed second in class and sixth outright in this year’s expanded field.

He said he was stoked with the performance of his shed-built “no-compromise road car,” especially given it’s running a 4L60E that’s not really ideal for corner racing!

10. John Ricca’s Lamborghini Huracan

John Ricca’s twin-turbo Lamborghini Huracan blew an oil line during a timed lap, briefly turning the track into a smoky mess, but he got it all fixed in time to run the quickest drag pass of the day with a 9.0. He ended the day second outright

11. Dutchy’s WRX-powered Mini

Steve ‘Dutchy’ Holland’s WRX-powered Mini (SM, Jul ’23) made its debut quarter-mile pass, clocking a solid 12.59 but killing a driveshaft on its next try.

“I crunched first to second gear and then lost drive in all gears,” Dutchy said, “and rolled on from there – day finished.” Even so, he finished third in the Tuner class

12. Scott Newman – Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

Car journo and talented steerer Scott Newman placed second in Modern and fourth overall in a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, bringing a whole different element to the Optima crowd.

Say what you will about EVs, but watching Scott silently run down Commodores like they were standing still was a wild sight.

13. Livi Krevatin’s Porsche 911 SC

Seeing a Summernats Grand Champ winner lapping a circuit at speed is pretty special, and Livi Krevatin did it right with his 1978 Porsche 911 SC (SM, Dec ’22).

He sent the stunning car to ninth in Vintage, with a hot-lap spin-out proving it was no Sunday drive.

14. John Szwede’s LX SS hatch

The Vintage trophy was taken by John Szwede in his corner-carving LX SS hatch, clocking 1:11s around the Calder circuit – a great effort considering the class featured metal dating well into the 1990s! While he didn’t place first in any individual event, consistent high marks plus bonus points from the car’s driveline and presentation won him the day.

15. Cameron Rochow’s Mighty Boy

Cameron Rochow blew minds when he lined up his turbo 13B-swapped Mighty Boy for an 11.98sec pass down the quarter! The Initial D anime-themed, RWD-converted Zook was the quickest drag racer in the Tuner category, beating Dutchy Holland’s Mini by seven-tenths.