Vic Super Cruz 2008

First published in the April 2008 issue of Street Machine

With the absence of ANDRA-sanctioned drag racing down south, you might suspect that the tough street car population was also on the wane. Anyone who was at Calder Park over the Australia Day long weekend would quickly have been convinced otherwise, with more than 250 of the meanest streeters in the land coming together for a celebration of all things fast and furious.

Summertime in Victoria plays host to a plethora of street cruises and regional show ’n’ shine events but there has previously been a distinct lack of big-time organised meets to fill the void between Springnats in November and Easternats, in late March this year. Popular Mexican drag racer John Tikfessis was recruited by the Super Cruz honchos to do the hard part and get owners to bring their prides and joys through the front gate.

By the first morning of the two-day event, a two-km queue signified just how well John had done. When the action got underway it was arguably the meatiest weekend of V8 muscle Melbournians had laid eyes on since the heady days of the mid-90s drag racing boom.

“I just can’t believe the turnout,” John said. “We weren’t expecting it to be so successful right off the bat and when it became clear there were going to be so many entrants we decided to cap it at 250.

“We asked for entrants to send a photo and details of their car so we could ensure that only the best and toughest cars would be allowed to be a part of the first Vic Super Cruz. Now all we have to do is fill the stands with spectators. It’s all a learning experience though, and we have some ideas of how to go about things differently for the next time.”

Hero of the weekend was easily Lyle Lemon — MR PSI — whose twin-turbocharged VU SS ute recorded a staggering 1731hp as an exhibition car. Lyle and his Horsepower Factory stablemates certainly gave the small but enthusiastic crowd value for money, providing plenty of entertainment in a range of categories. Mick Voase won the dyno competition proper, spinning out a normally aspirated 747hp.

Burnout Competition runner-up Andrew Micallef spent the entire two days reducing the nation’s stocks of old tyres and was having plenty of fun doing it.

“I took my Austin A40 ute up to Summernats this year and had a great time,” he said. “For me the party is continuing out here. I came here to have fun, burn rubber and wring the neck out of my big-block Chev and I haven’t stopped doing it the whole time.”

Competitors were able to ‘cruise’ the Calder Park circuit at speeds up to 140km/h with mates and families on board, as well as indulge in standing-start and rolling-start drag racing. The drags attracted some top-flight cars, including Team Big Block from Sydney, Anthony Rodrigues’s scorching Mercury Cougar, Craig Gerdes’s HK and Steve Athans’s twin-turbo Camaro.

Other competitions included the Super Straight-Line Burnout on top of the regular skids and classic go-to-whoa.

Mick Voase’s LX Torana and David Mizzi’s Ford-powered Mazda RX-4 seem to have swapped go-to-whoa victories from one event to the next over the past few years, so it was no surprise that the pair fronted for the final on Sunday afternoon. This time it was Mick who took home the chocolates.

By Sunday evening the winners and grinners agreed that it was well worth the trip up the Calder Freeway and locals had the most fun they’d had in a long time without having to travel interstate.

“It’s taken a long time,” John said, “to get the event up and running with the toughest interstate streeters we could gather to take on our local boys. Half an hour after we closed the track my mobile was still ringing with people wanting to come and check it out. Let’s hope they can hold on for the next one!”

HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Ross Mayes ventured down from Kangaroo Flat in his flamed A-model Ford. Pushing near to 440hp through a tunnel-rammed 350 Chev backed by a 350/9in combo, Ross says the rod is a real ball-tearer. “She blew the tyres off in 45 seconds during the burnouts!”

2. Tom Fraser’s twin-throttlebody 340ci HQ Munro is good for 300rwhp and has a tubbed rear over fat Convo Pro rollers, full rollcage and killer paint.

3. Amazing Broughams are everwhere in Victoria, or so it seems! PROBRO belongs to Suvad Vikic and packs an 850hp blown big-block. The car has run in the 10s but lacking a rollcage, Suvad dailed in at 11.00 for the drags.

4. Local Chris Farrugia ran his LJ Torrie in most events, having an absolute blast all weekend. MCE Competition Engines built a solid 355 stroker backed by a ’Glide and 9in, packing enough punch to smoke some more highly fancied opponents in the drags.

5. Peter Kollihiris pushed his LX Torana hatch to the limit, giving the 383 Holden stroker a flogging. By the completion of the event, the 530hp motor was still in one piece and Peter was sporting an ear-to-ear grin.

6. David Wood’s stunning HG Brougham packs a 540ci Dart-blocked rat motor, topped by a Bob Fisher-prepared 8/71 Littlefield blower. The car features arrow-straight bodywork smothered in Purple Pear duco, mini tubs, four-wheel HSV discs, rack and pinion steering and a McDonald Bros two-link upgrade.

7. Perennial crowd favourite Phil Youlten smoked the hides big-time in the burnouts with his Holden V8-powered TD Gemini, on top of cruising all weekend with his mates.

8. Steve Loader made the haul from Adelaide with UCSMOKE and made the most of it, thrashing the HT Prem mercilessly in multiple events. He took home the runner-up trophies for the rolling start drags and the straight-line burnout competition. The HT runs a 383 Chev with an 8/71 blower and Bird hat, propelling Steve to a best of 10.00@139mph!

MORE Steven Loader’s UCSMOKE blown big-block HT Premier

9. Andrew Micallef with his combination of Pommy body and Yankee soul. Sporting a chopped roof, channelled body and shaved door handles, the 498ci Chev big block-powered Austin A40 ute blazed the tyres whenever possible, leaving big black marks all over Calder.