Paul Turner’s LS1-powered HQ wins K&N Dial Your Own – Drag Challenge 2019

Ex-competition racer Paul Turner’s experience won the day in the highly competitive K&N DYO class at Drag Challenge 2019

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Photographers: Luke Hunter, Shaun Tanner


THE K&N Dial Your Own class saw a sensationally close finale this year, with the top contenders having to wait until presentations to find out who was the class winner for Drag Challenge 2019. With a mere 0.05228 split off his 11.396sec dial-in by week’s end, it was ex-competition drag racer Paul Turner in his crisp white LS1-powered HQ sedan who ended up with top billing.

“It feels great to have won,” Paul said. “I was so relieved to get that final run in, and then to find out that we’d won was unbelievable. My kids’ mum passed away 10 years ago on Thursday [Day Four], so that was in the back of my mind to try and get it done for her.”

Paul was talked into his first Drag Challenge outing by son and crew member, Jamie. He was sensibly hesitant as to how things were panning out when we first chatted with him at Mildura on Day Two: “We’ll find out if it’s consistent,” he said at the time. “The formula to eighth-mile doesn’t quite work out, so I’ll be short-shifting it to slow it down.”

On Day Four Paul lapped a whopping 10 passes at Portland, which solidified a third placing coming in to Day Five. Not that the pressure got to him, with Paul and Jamie casually crewing on the Calder Park tractor before racing kicked off.

“The car is nothing too crazy,” Paul said. “We bought it as-is – on the same weekend that Drag Challenge 2018 started. I’ve since added the TH400.”

Holden HQ

The Quey runs a Higgins-headed LS1 fed by ETS Z85 race fuels – top sponsor of his daughter Jess Turner’s dragster. Behind the Mexican Chevy is the aforementioned TH400 with a 3500rpm Dominator stall and a Supa Trik nine-inch packing 3.75s and a full spool. “It was a 12.2sec car before we got it, and our best was 11.25@120mph a few weeks ago, with 4.11 gears. It’s just a baby motor, as I’m reluctant to add a ’cage.

“We had no real issues,” Paul said of the gruelling five-day event. “And we already can’t wait for the next one. Though 12 months is a long time, we have a VK Commodore that we’re building for Jamie with a little tub and ’cage that might run NOS or a twin-turbo LS – who knows?”

PAUL TURNER
HOLDEN HQ

Class: K&N Dial Your Own

SPECS

Engine: LS1
Transmission: TH400
Converter: 3500rpm Dominator
Diff: 9in, full spool, 3.75:1 gears
Power: 405rwhp
Previous PB: 11.25@120mph
Best DC 2019 pass: 11.37@118mph

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