Wilson McShane, Yorke Peninsula Country Times
Wallaroo welcomed sand drags for the first time on the weekend after Copper Coast Motorsports sand drags track opening earlier this month.
The event on September 14 and 15 attracted more than 1500 spectators and 70 entrants over the two days, with event organisers saying the meeting was a major economic boost for Yorke Peninsula.
On Saturday, competitors practiced and raced on motorbikes and buggies to qualify for events the following day, in challenging racing conditions.
Riders and drivers used this day to get the settings on their machines correct, with many preserving their machines for the final runs on Sunday.
However, this didn’t mean things were slow. Martin Draper on his V8 Unlimited drag bike reached an astonishing top speed of 182.6km/h – completing his run in 4.97 seconds. Fast, considering the track is only 150 metres long!
On Sunday, riders and drivers had to first qualify from the elimination rounds.
If successful, they competed in head-to-head finals.
Strong winds made racing tricky, but all riders and drivers excelled. The crowd were on the edge of their seats as they watched a lunch time aerobatic display. In the afternoon, track conditions became optimal for high-speed passes, and racing was fast and furious.
Event organisers labelled the meeting a “success” and said due to the impressive crowds and quality competition similar events will run in the future.
Copper Coast mayor Roslyn Talbot praised CCM’s initiative.
“They (CCM) wanted this to happen and they made this happen, and now it’s here,” she said.
“The economic benefits will be huge — people will come here to use this.
“They’ll spend their money here, and they’ll see how great the Copper Coast is and they’ll come back again.”
CCM president Paul “Wick” Dayman said the success of the weekend was a promising insight into the future of sand drags racing on Yorke Peninsula.
“We’ve put that much time and effort into this now, we’re not mucking around.,” he said.
“This is only the beginning, this is not the end of my plans, there’s a lot of other aspects.
“A proper quarter mile drag strip is the ultimate goal.”
Results
Buggies: 1st Scott Brancourt, 2nd Scott Makay. Harley competition: Glenn Keedle, Rylie Saunders. Harley Street: Rob Wenke, Darin Willis, Open Competition: Jake Hamilton, Matt Yard. Sportster: Adam Smith, Boris Bennett. V8 Unlimited (top-level class): Martin Draper, Dan Dycer. Senior MX U/500: Brad Swinton, Shane Absalom. Quads U/500: Michael Sferruzzi, Chris Hurcotte. Senior MX 250: Brad Swinton, second place to be confirmed. Trikes: Adrian Matchy. Senior MX 500+: Sam Martin, Michael Stroh.
This article appeared in Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 17 September 2024.
