This year’s running of the Tuff Mounts Holden Nationals was the biggest yet, with the schedule pumped out to two huge days of racing as 180 entrants descended on Heathcote Park Raceway in regional Victoria.

Racers duked it out in seven classes over the two days: five dial-in classes over the quarter-mile; and two eight-mile, heads-up radial classes (255 and 275).

Over $20,000 in cash and prizes was up for grabs thanks to a record amount of sponsorship, with class wins worth $1250 and $250 for second place.

“We couldn’t have done it without our sponsors, and this year was the biggest ever for that support,” said event organiser Todd Foley. “I can’t thank them all enough, and in particular Jason Waye from Tuff Mounts for being the naming-rights sponsor for four years now.”

Over the two days of competition, 3000 spectators packed into Heathcote, with Saturday used for qualifying runs before Sunday’s eliminations.

Challenging track conditions in the heat during Saturday qualifying meant many of the heavy hitters struggled to get their power down. Adam Rogash and Luke Foley were the only drivers who managed to squeeze into the sevens, with Adam running a 7.9@180mph late in the afternoon and Luke squeezing out a 7.84@178mph, which scored him the Quickest Pass of the Weekend award.

Sunday saw the 180-car field already whittled down to 140 before eliminations started, with knockouts in every round for both the dial-in and heads-up classes. It was also the day a hand-picked bunch of Holdens lined up in the show ’n’ shine, a new addition for this year’s Nats.

Adam Rogash from MPW Performance took home the top spot in the 275 Heads-Up Radial class in ALLSHOW, beating home Matt Brame’s WHIPYA Torana with a 5.41@135mph over the eighth-mile in the final. He also scored Fastest MPH, clocking 180mph during the weekend.

After persisting with his Delco-managed, turbocharged 202 combo for several years, Mark Barber decided to change it up recently by swapping out the Holden six for a force-fed RB30 and Haltech brain box. Not only did Mark improve his PB dramatically to a 10.1 over the weekend, but he went back home to SA with the first-place trophy in the Holden Power Adder class.

Lee and Anna Povey came all the way from Mount Isa in western Queensland to take part with their VL Calais. “We have family in Melbourne, so that justified the trip down for us,” Lee laughed. The Calais uses a 427ci Dart LS block with twin G47 hairdryers, capable of well over 1400rwhp. Lee’s current PB with the VL is an 8.1@169mph, and he managed some eight-second passes over the weekend in the 275 Heads-Up class.

Matt Watts took to the track for the very first time on Sunday in his stunning blown LS2-powered LX hatchback, going wheels-up on his very first pass with a 10.0. Just two runs later, that improved to a 9.93@134mph, a truly awesome debut for a virgin driver and car. We can’t wait to see him and the hatch go even quicker at Drag Challenge Weekend in a few weeks!

Peter Fujto’s ADHDVN debuted a fresh combo at the event, running in the 275 Heads-Up class. Shove comes from an alloy-block L76 LS with a cam kit and GTX47 turbo, making 811rwhp through a TH400 ’box and Showtime Pro Radial rear end. During testing, Peter ran a best of 9.1@154mph, but the chassis and driveline has been built for a lot more. “The weakest point is the engine, so once we change that we can go even quicker,” he said.

Greg Damiani’s HG Monaro was one of the crowd favourites at the event, running deep into the finals in the Aspirated Assassins class, before winning the eighth-mile heads-up shootout for Quickest Car on the Property, beating Luke Foley’s VH over the line with a 5.15@134mph. He also won the Promoter’s Choice award.

AFL star Charlie Dixon brought his turbo LS1-powered CV8 Monaro over from Adelaide, using the Saturday practice as a chance to lower his PB to 9.3@143mph after some more testing with the car’s new Powerglide. A packed schedule meant he had to skip Sunday’s finals, but you can read all about his CV8 in our upcoming April issue.

Jarryd Duggan built his LX Torana himself, which uses a Glenn Wells-built 366ci LS2 with an LSA crank, Oliver rods, Diamond pistons, a solid-roller stick and 243 heads. All that, combined with a good shot of giggle gas, means it’s a consistent low-nine-second car, with the combo making it one of the more unusual LS set-ups in the field. He managed a best of 9.28@141mph.

The Cartledge family bought plenty of Toranas out for Holden Nationals, with Luke the one taking home silverware. His stunning purple LC Torana came runner-up in the Aspirated class and ran a PB of 10.0@135mph, and to top it off, his V8 VL Calais also won the Promoter’s Choice award in the show ’n’ shine.

Brendon Fooks’s JETVH proves that sometimes keeping things simple is the best way. Under the bonnet is a standard LS1 with a mild Comp cam, with a GT42 turbo pushing 13-14psi through the mill. Brendon had a super-successful weekend, running a PB of 9.4@146mph and winning the 255 Heads-Up Radial class.

Nathan Ecclestone’s ear-popping OVERDOSE Torana was putting on another show for the packed crowds again this year, the 2300hp blown 570ci big-block Chev launching the car into a wheelstand during the last pass on Saturday night, serving as a perfect precursor to Sunday’s finals.

Steve Paech had a solid weekend in his HJ Monaro sedan, breaking the 11-second barrier and clocking a fresh PB of 10.7@125mph. We’ll be keen to see if the nitrous-fed LS1 can lower that number even further when Steve takes on Drag Challenge Weekend at the end of March.

Jamie Turner and his dad Paul are former DYO class winners at Drag Challenge, and they continued that form on the weekend with a win in the Street Brawler class. Topping it off, Jamie scored a PB in his HQ with a 10.42.

Todd Foley was happy with how the 2022 Holden Nats panned out. “It was definitely the right call to make it a two-day event, and I think for next year we’ll tweak that slightly to a Friday/Saturday format with the same classes and basic formula,” he said.

Todd has also run the Ford-Powered and Ford vs Holden Nationals in previous years, and hinted that there could be another addition to his calendar later this year. “We’re potentially looking at doing something in November, and then obviously we’ll be back around this time next year for another Holden Nats.”

We’ll have full coverage of the 2022 Tuff Mounts Holden Nationals in the April issue of Street Machine, which hits shelves 24 March. Make sure you head out and grab a copy when it lobs!

RESULTS

Pro Port CNC Iron Lion

1st. John Kalantzis – HK Monaro

2nd. Dave Andrew – LJ Torana

Big Wheels Truck Alignment Boosted Boss

1st. Luke Bertram – VZ Senator

2nd. Dimitrios Kourlis – VY Calais

DTM Transmissions Holden Power Adder

1st. Mark Barber – LJ Torana

2nd. Mark Woodbridge – HQ One Tonner

GJ Drivelines Somerton 255 Heads-Up

1st. Brendon Fooks – VH Commodore

2nd. Scott Henderson

Pro Street Interiors 275 Heads-Up

1st. Adam Rogash – VK Commodore

2nd. Matt Brame – LX Torana

Hurricane Automotive Products Aspirated Assassins

1st. Nick Presti – HQ Sedan

2nd. Luke Cartledge – LC Torana

GJ Drivelines Street Brawler

1st. Jamie Turner – HQ Sedan

2nd. Chris Van Stokrom

Pulsar Turbos & AFS Industries Quickest Car On The Property

1st. Greg Damiani – HG Monaro

2nd. Luke Foley – VH Commodore

Fastest MPH

Adam Rogash – VK Commodore – 180mph

Quickest Pass Of The Weekend

Luke Foley – VH Commodore – 7.84@178mph

Quickest Six-Cylinder

Jack Kujundzija – VL Commodore – 8.49@160mph

GJ Drivelines Biggest Burnout

Anthony Trevaskis – EH Holden

Hard Luck Award

Mark Woodbridge – HQ One Tonner

Furthest Travelled

Lee Povey – VL Calais (from Mt Isa, Qld)