Phil Read started his season just about where he finished the last one with a big fire in round one of eliminations. While the team’s sister car of Martin Stamatis seems to go from strength to strength, Read’s Auto One-sponsored dragster is stumbling through with big fires like this not helping matters. Here a 5.547 was no match for eventual winner, Steve Read’s 5.765.

With diabolical conditions after dark it wasn’t until the fourth qualifying session was finished that Luke Shepherd actually was guaranteed a spot in the eight-car field. Luck was definitely with Shepherd the younger when he red lighted against his opponent in the first round, Phil Lamattina, however the latter ended up exploding a tyre into the grandstands and was disqualified. Luke’s luck ran out there when his late leaving 5.74 was swamped by Martin Stamatis’ 4.867/298.01 in the semis.