"VAN" (Sports Desk - 31.08.2026) :: Round two of the 2026/2027 ANDRA Regional Sportsman Series and the second half of the Alice Springs Toyota Nationals double-header has been run and won at Alice Springs Inland Dragway (ASID) today (Sunday 30 August).
Day two of the ‘Desert Double’ opened with qualifying, seeing Bailey Paul (Nitro Voodoo Junior Drag Bike), Dean Jamieson (Nitro Voodoo Modified Bike), and Edge Mallis (Nitro Voodoo Competition Bike) take out the Nitro Voodoo Top Qualifier Medallions, while Jorja Stefanopoulos (South Australia Drag Racers Association Super Street), Steve Nusbajtel (Super Sedan), Adriana Cartledge (Gallagher Modified), Vlado Turic (Top Sportsman), and Ava Walker (Junior Dragster) claimed the New Gen Business Park Top Qualifier honours.
The hunt for valuable championship points and ANDRA Christmas Trees then began, with Cooper Plummer (Nitro Voodoo Junior Drag Bike, runner-up Nevaeh McDougall), Dean Jamieson (Nitro Voodoo Modified Bike, runner-up Greg Oberti), Joe Khoury (Nitro Voodoo Competition Bike, runner-up Cheryl Beddoes), Neil Mellett (South Australia Drag Racers Association Super Street, runner-up Michael Bridges), Michael Vlasakakis (Super Sedan, runner-up Peter Furlanetto), Matt Forbes (Gallagher Modified, runner-up Josie Hodgins), and Taylor Horton (Junior Dragster, runner-up Cody Hunt) taking home the coveted event-winning ANDRA Christmas Trees. Following overnight works to improve track conditions for the high-powered brackets, Top Sportsman completed qualifying but did not race past round one.
In Junior Dragster Taylor Horton turned on the win light over runner-up Cody Hunt in the final match-up of the day. Horton got the day going with wins over Deklan McGregor and Izzy Woolcock in rounds one and two respectively, before the semi-final run with New Gen Business Park Top Qualifier Ava Walker, where Horton secured a place in the final. In the other lane, Hunt took wins over Angelina Kondilis (round one), Bailey Hawke (round two), and Lily Horton (round three) to get to the final.
“It was good to get to the final after going out in the first round yesterday,” Horton said.
“I knew the final was going to be tough as Cody had been on point all day, but I managed to drive around him and take the win.
“I want to say thank you to ANDRA, everyone at Alice Springs Inland Dragway, the firies and ambos; mum, dad, and Lily; Sparkle N Shine Housekeepers, Moto Works, Wade from Craws Racing, JC Race Stuff, Cassign, Pro Star Motorsport, Daryl Formosa, United Signage, Jason Maggs, Jason Cunliffe, Jesse Boothroyd, TDR, and Tyres Now for their support.”
In South Australia Drag Racers Association Super Street, winner Neil Mellett faced off against runner-up Michael Bridges in the final, but not before wins over Shaun Boyer in round one and Michael Jennings – who had ended New Gen Business Park Top Qualifier Jorja Stefanopoulos’s day in the opening round – in round two. For Bridges, the day began with a win over Mark Rossow (round one) and then Dave Morton (round two) on the way to the final run against the defending champion.
In Super Sedan Michael Vlasakakis’s win in the final round sealed the deal over runner-up Peter Furlanetto. Vlasakakis first claimed victory over Rick Pfitzner in round one. In the next two rounds neither New Gen Business Park Top Qualifier Steve Nusbajtel nor Alex Gkroidis were any match to the eventual winner. Runner-up Furlanetto took wins in rounds one and two over Lance Larcombe and Corey Pocock respectively before enjoying a bye in the semi-final.
In Gallagher Modified winner Matt Forbes came out on top over runner-up Josie Hodgins in the Chicago Shoot Out format. To get to the final Forbes took two wins earlier in the day, winning against David Fendt in round one and New Gen Business Park Top Qualifier Adriana Cartledge in round three. Hodgins meanwhile enjoyed wins over Cartledge (round one), Forbes (round two) and Fendt (round three) on his way to the final run.
In Nitro Voodoo Junior Drag Bike defending champ Cooper Plummer went all the way to victory over runner-up Nevaeh McDougall in the final. Plummer first edged out Lawrence Raschella in round one, and did the same to Kobe Ashelford in round two to make it to the final. McDougall sent Aliza Harris packing in round one and Nitro Voodoo Top Qualifier Bailey Paul in the second round before the final run.
In Nitro Voodoo Modified Bike Dean Jamieson not only took out the Nitro Voodoo Top Qualifier honours, but the Gold ANDRA Christmas Tree as well over runner-up Greg Oberti. Round one saw Jamieson take victory over Bryan Finn, while in round two it was Jason Rattray’s turn to be sent home. Oberti had earlier claimed victories over Dazz Scott and Wayne Patterson to get to his finals match-up against Jamieson.
In Nitro Voodoo Competition Bike, Joe Khoury met Cheryl ‘MsVrod’ Beddoes in the final after three rounds of all-run racing. The victory completed a perfect day for Khoury, who defeated Leith Darrach in round one, Corey Read in round two, and Ken Colin in round three before taking the final. Beddoes meanwhile also had a perfect rounds scorecard in the lead up to the final with victories over Colin, Darrach, and Read. Nitro Voodoo Top Qualifier Edge Mallis didn’t meet either Khoury or Beddoes, but took wins over Read in round one, Colin in round two, and Darrach in round three.
Also on track today was the non-championship Street Car bracket, with Michael Jury turning Top Qualifier honours into the overall win over runner-up Katrina Read.
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