Three-time champ Phil Read returned to the winner’s circle for the first time since 2012 when he downed Peter Xiberras in the final of the Gulf Western Oil Nitro Thunder meeting at Sydney Dragway.

Local racer Sam Fenech produced the feel-good story of the weekend when he won Pro Slammer, and an emotional Nino Cavallo took the honors in Pro Stock. Veteran Steve Read dominated Pro Alcohol, and hot favorite Jeremy Callaghan reigned supreme in Pro Mod.

The return of Pro racing for the first time since January 2020 ran into a significant roadblock when day one set aside for shakedown runs, and qualifying was cancelled due to persistent showers. Consequently, race day became a cutthroat affair, a massive challenge for all competitors and, in particular, those teams that had not tested ahead of the meeting.

Under the all-in race format, Top Fuel had three rounds of racing with quick time and top speed bonus points on offer, with the top two facing off in the final.

Read’s win over Xiberras was a tribute to his tuner and eldest sibling Bruce who rose to the occasion and tamed the rapidly cooling race surface.

“Going into the meeting we had a game plan and stuck to it, even after round one when we dropped a cylinder against Peter Xiberras,” said Bruce Read. “The plan paid off. “I was confident going into the final. Phil had to give the car a couple of pedals, we pushed out a head gasket around 800 feet and got to the end first.”

Xiberras was the standout performer on the day according to all the metrics, walking away with three wins, setting a new track record of 3.79, posting a career-best ET, and finishing second overall. "At the end of the day, the best person wins,” said Xiberras. “We had three excellent runs, and the fourth was not to be. I had a bit of a pedal and saw Phil go past, his engine was melting, and I decided to let it go and roll to the finish. We had a great weekend and take many positives from the meeting."

The third fuel entrant Phil Lamattina had a forgettable weekend. The team opened their account with a solid solo pass. Their next three runs ended prematurely, blowing the tires off the car, pushing out burst panels, and safety systems popping the chutes. The cause of their problems was ultimately traced to a faulty cable connected to the burst panel that activated the safety system and shut the car down.

Pro Slammer came close to upstaging Top Fuel when 51-year-old Sam Fenech claimed victory over fellow Sydneysider Geoff Gradden who was making his first final appearance in seven years.

Fenech, driving for team owner Maurice Fabietti, is one of the most popular racers not just in Slammer but also across all the Pro ranks was making a comeback to racing after a horrific crash at the track in 2019.

“I can’t thank Maurice enough for allowing me to drive his second car,” said an elated Fenech. "We go back a long time, and when he offered me the chance to go racing again, I grabbed the opportunities with both hands. I wasn’t too worried about getting behind the wheel for the first time since the crash. Do I want to do it again? Can’t wait.”

Evergreen Steve Reed defeated fellow Queenslander Justin Walshe in the final of Pro Alcohol. Reed’s achievement even more meritorious, considering the team raced with a skeleton crew due to the impact of COVID border restrictions.

“The car left strong, and it kept trying to move to the wall all the time. The last couple of days were a bit difficult, and I'm happy to get the win and congratulations to Justin on running a record,” said Reed.

Walshe walked away with a world record of 5.58/252 mph for a Pro Alcohol Altered. “I’ve had my eye on the record for some time," explained Walshe. “It’s been a real challenge. The car is around 250 pounds overweight, and because of the pounds per cube ratio rule that we race under, it also provides a real challenge because we can’t build the car light enough to be able to go down the track consistently.”

Emotions were running high after Nino Cavallo defeated Robert Dekert in Pro Stock. Cavallo dedicated the win to his wife Amanda, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. “This weekend is all about Amanda. She was the one who pushed me to come here and race. This win is for her.”

Reigning Pro Stock champ Aaron Tremayne, who hadn't raced since January 2020, was one of several racers whose weekend was frustrated by a lack of test opportunities and first day washout. A red light in round two was a rare error from one of the best racers in the country when the lights turn green. I

n Pro Mod, front-runner Jeremy Callaghan led all the way to down Greg Tsakiridis who crossed the middle line in the final. "This is a brand-new car," said Callaghan. "We only tested the last weekend, and there is much potential waiting to be tapped."

The category only joined Pro ranks in January 2020 and has developed a strong following in only their second appearance.

Danny Makdessi’s Aussie-built 1967 Chrysler Valiant has developed a cult-like status in a field dominated by American Muscle cars.

"In the States, they call the model the devil’s taxi," according to Makdessi. "This car originally belonged to my father, and when I was born, he picked me up from the hospital in this very own car. When we race, it puts a smile on people’s faces. Australians love Aussie cars.”

The next race on the Australian calendar is the Winternationals at Willowbank Raceway in June.

For a limited amount of time, you can get any 4 https://t.co/Reh86n8GFm face coverings for just $40.  Click here to get yours - https://t.co/wSrXmpHBQm pic.twitter.com/L0JVyB2Mnr

— Competition Plus (@competitionplus) December 30, 2020