"VAN" (Sports Desk - 25.01.2026) :: As more than 150 racers from all across the country descended on Sydney Dragway on Saturday (January 24) for the ANDRA Drag Racing Masters, it marked not only the latest exciting hunt for ANDRA Gold Christmas Trees and championship points, but also the return of ANDRA drag racing to the NSW venue.
More than $70k in cash and prizes was also up for grabs across an exciting line-up of brackets, which included the Doorslammer Masters, Pro Mod Masters, Extreme Motorcycle Masters, Pro Stock, and the ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship.
In the feature brackets, the Doorslammers and Pro Mods were each chasing $10k for a win, while the two-wheeled titans of Extreme Motorcycle had $3k on the line.
Taking home the winning cheques and the Gold Trees at the end of the one-day spectacular were Nasser Matta (Doorslammer Masters, runner-up Ronnie Palumbo), Joe Gauci (Pro Mod Masters, runner-up, Carl Cox), and Alex Borg (Extreme Motorcycle Masters, runner-up Ryan Franks). Pro Stock meanwhile was taken out by Thomas Leake, after Darryl Stephen abandoned his final run.
Leake and Borg had their hands full at the presentations, also collecting the New Gen Business Park Top Qualifier honours for their respective brackets, alongside Brodie Zappia (Top Doorslammer), and Carl Cox (Pro Mod).
For the ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship competitors, it was the penultimate round of the 2025/2026 title chase for the 120+ racers across 11 brackets, who battled it out for championship points, Gold Trees, and a share of a $20k prize purse.
Taking out the Gold ANDRA Christmas Trees were Aliza Harris (New Gen Business Park Junior Drag Bike), Zayne Condello (Junior Dragster), Jack Matosevic (Goodyear Racing Super Street), Gareth Wilcox (Ballistic Performance Parts Modified Bike), Sean Maher (The South Australian Drag Racers Association Super Sedan), Fiona Crisp (Gallagher Modified), Michael Riches (New Gen Business Park Competition Bike), Josh Boskovich (Top Sportsman), Shane Kramer (New Gen Business Park Supercharged Outlaws), Luke Cartledge (Super Comp), and Jason Wilson (Three Dimensional Construction Super Gas)
Celebrated as the runners-up were Cooper Plummer (New Gen Business Park Junior Drag Bike), James Barlow (Junior Dragster), David Matosevic (Goodyear Racing Super Street), Matthew Jones (Ballistic Performance Parts Modified Bike), Kevin Bowker (The South Australian Drag Racers Association Super Sedan), Kenny Stewart (Gallagher Modified), Cheryl ‘Ms Vrod’ Beddoes (New Gen Business Park Competition Bike), Darren Whitford (Top Sportsman), Tim Stewart (New Gen Business Park Supercharged Outlaws), and Tony Romeo (Three Dimensional Construction Super Gas).
Also recognised at the end-of-day presentations were the New Gen Business Park Top Qualifiers for the sportsman brackets: Bailey Paul (New Gen Business Park Junior Drag Bike), Taylor Horton (Junior Dragster), Malcom Todd (Goodyear Racing Super Street), Dean Jamieson (Ballistic Performance Parts Modified Bike), Andrew Ashley (The South Australian Drag Racers Association Super Sedan), Adriana Cartledge (Gallagher Modified), Edge Mallis (New Gen Business Park Competition Bike), Darren Whitford (Top Sportsman), Bruno Matijasevic (New Gen Business Park Supercharged Outlaws), Connor McClure (Super Comp), and Adrian McGrotty (Three Dimensional Construction Super Gas).
In the Doorlsammer Masters Nasser Matta took home not only the gold tree but also $10k cash for his winning efforts over runner-up Ronnie Palumbo in the A-Final. Matta (5.789s/252.05mph) overcame a disadvantage at the start line to drive around Palumbo (5.838s/242.76mph) at the top end to take the win. In an interesting twist, Palumbo had stepped into the Chevrolet usually piloted by Nasser, while Nasser took the wheel of the car of his son Salim, who had to attend a wedding on Saturday.
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