Paul Butler’s NANA TX Holden Gemini has taken victory for the third time in the street drags at Rockynats 5, the SR20-powered no prep monster machine proving itself as the car to beat on the challenging no prep surface of Quay Street.

For those unfamiliar, the on street drags at Rockynats are an eighth-mile affair, with no burnouts and a pro tree running for the heads-up races.

Entrants could choose from three classes, set by brackets. The fastest were in Pro Street with a 6.50 – 7.99 bracket, Super Street an 8.00 – 8.99 and the Street category 9.00 or slower. 

The queue for the street drags was out the door all weekend, with spots for it from the 1700 entrants the descended on Rocky filling instantly. It’s no surprise really, with prize money on the line and pretty well the only chance you get in Australia to race on a true street surface without red and blue lights in the mirror, it’s bloody appetising to both the no prep crowd and those just wanting to have a crack.

It was great to see Mark Tralau’s 2000hp-capable Chevy Malibu wagon hit the streets of Rocky for the drags, with Mark building it for exactly this kind of no-prep action. 

The twin-turbo big-block machine was campaigned by Corty Haig at Hot Rod Drag Week before Mark got it here in Australia, where it has already seen some action at Powercruise Queensland and Dragfest at Warwick prior to the street drags at Rocky.

Jeff Turner’s XE Falcon caught our eye in scrutineering on the Thursday night in Rocky, thanks in part to its original crusty paintwork. “It’s all real – nothing faked – we just threw some clearcoat over it,” he says. 

He came over from Mackay to have a baller weekend at the street drags.“It’s a new combo for this car. The bottom end is all standard except the cam; it makes 540hp and we’re on the smaller PSR 255 tyre for this weekend, so we’ll just see how it goes!” he says.

Dates have already been announced for next year’s Rockynats 6 on April 17-19, so if the sounds like a hoot to you, make sure you get your entry in at rockynats.com.au

ROCKYNATS 5 STREET DRAGS – RESULTS

• PRO STREET 6.50 – 7.99
• 1st Paul Butler – 1975 Holden TX Gemini sedan
• 2nd John Vesnaver – 1967 Holden HR ute

• SUPER STREET 8.00 – 8.99
• Wayne Colley – 1984 Ford Falcon XE wagon
• Brodie Gregson-Sleight – 2014 Ford Falcon FG

• STREET 9.00+
• 1st. Matt Sparks – 2002 Holden Monaro CV8 
• 2nd. Nathan Kele – 1967 Chevrolet Camaro sedan