RACE REPORT : HIDDEN VALLEY
NITRO UP NORTH
GOES OFF
There is always something about a fresh start , and Nitro Up North V3 was the perfect event to kick off the 2017 / 18 Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series across July 21-22 .
The Nitro Up North team , headed by Scott and Rachel MacLean , certainly worked hard to lift the bar up from last year , and with static displays and nitro fire-ups around town , the excitement levels were high leading into the biggest drag racing show in the Northern Territory . The support for the event was such that the Macleans would go on to praise the NT Government in conjunction with Motorsport NT for their help and assistance for the event .
With four nitro Top Fuel dragsters in the pits , including star attraction Kelly Bettes - Australia ’ s quickest and fastest female racer – plenty of media for Nitro Up North was assured , including the front page of the NT News , so it was no surprise when crowds were large for both days of the event . The car count was high too , with more than 120 entrants coming from across the country ready to open the season and earn championship points in the first of a 10-event series .
In Supercharged Outlaws , local racer Adam Murrihy was ready to defend his title from last season , nailing the top qualifying position with a 6.58s ET in his AM Cranes Altered . Second quickest was fellow Northern Territory racer Bronte Hennings , who drove his Corvette to a 6.732s ET , while Victorian Justin Russell put in a 6.78s run for third quickest .
Murrihy was looking good for a repeat of last year ’ s victory , defeating Darren White in the first round before enjoying a bye run in round two , but then cut a 0.262 light against good mate Justin Russell to waste his 6.61s pass on a 6.60s dial-in .
Meeting Russell in the final was Mark Hunt , who had earlier defeated Bronte Hennings and Alan Mahnkoph . Hunt had a bye run in the semis but hurt his engine and was unable to front for the final , seeing Russell come to the line on a solo for the win while Hunt picked up runner-up points .
The Top Sportsman qualifying proceedings were led by Humpty Doo racer Todd Knight and his 6.58s / 209.26 mph run in his Pontiac . Joining him at the pointy end of the time sheets was Dieter Herrmann , second quickest with a 7.44 seconds effort while the Trans-Am of West Aussie lady Amanda Martin sat in third with a 7.85s result .
Knight enjoyed a solo run in the first round of eliminations courtesy of his qualifying performance , before facing firsttime Nitro Up North racer Jason Arbery . Arbery cut the better reaction time to defeat Knight before going on to race Vlado Turic in the final ; taking his first win of the season with a 0.031s reaction time and an 8.397s on an 8.39s dial-in .