Working for Street Machine means helping to run Drag Challenge, so I’m normally too bloody busy to stop and experience a drag-and-drive properly.

I’ve always been privately jealous of the drivers and crew that get to soak it in, so when Hackshop Garage‘s Michael Ludviksen invited me to join him and Nathan Camilleri for Harry Haig and Ryan Ford’s Hardass 1000 drag-and-drive, I jumped at the opportunity.

I rode shotgun in Michael’s HQ for the week, and even had a few steers on the road sections. Even for an old 253, the Quey had plenty of pep, and the Falcon T5 manual conversion makes it a blissful thing to drive.

We copped everything from hot, dry weather to muggy stuff, thunderstorms, and a few cold mornings, but that’s what a drag-and-drive is all about!

Starting at Heathcote Park Raceway, we raced for the day before heading to Nagambie. Harry separated the big drive days from the racing, so on Day Two he took us on a heavy detour past Bonnie Doon to eventually end up in Yarrawonga.

I don’t think I could’ve picked a better event to participate in. Pulling up to all the pubs and museums and spinning yarns with fellow entrants for hours over cars was just heaven, and Harry and Ryan chose some ripper drive routes.

As for the cars, they got through most of the week without any trouble. There was a bit of carnage at the end, but you’ll have to watch Hackshop’s latest episode to see how it all went down: