Tommy Turic immediately impressed upon stepping up from Summit Racing Equipment Junior Dragster to the senior ranks, taking out not only event wins at both the Top End Nationals (on debut) and the Desert Nationals before going on to claim the 2022/2023 Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Super Street Championship. Never one to be satisfied, he already has a new class and a new title in his sights.

How did you get into drag racing?

I got into the sport through my father, Vlado Turic, when he started racing an XY in Super Street. I have always been around the car, and always went to the drags with them. Things slowly grew from there as he went into Super Sedan in the Cortina and then into Top Sportsman in his Nissan, and then I hopped into Summit Racing Equipment Junior Dragster before moving up to Super Street when I aged out of JDs.

Now that some time has passed, has it sunk in that you are the 2022/2023 National Champion?

It has, but I always want to achieve more – I never feel like I have done what I have to do, I always have to keep going and achieve more. Right now, I feel like I want to keep progressing and now that I have licensed in Top Sportsman, I see my future in chasing that championship at some stage.

What does it mean to you to have achieved the championship?

It definitely felt pretty good to win the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Championship in Super Street. A lot of hard work went into it.

This was your first year in the senior ranks, after graduating from the JD category last season. Were you expecting to have success like this in your rookie year?

The intention was more to be practicing and learning. I didn’t really expect to be chasing the title as we headed into the start of the season, but when I won that first event in Darwin and then won again at Alice Springs, we thought, ‘well, we are in the running now,’ so we just kept on chasing it from there.

You are following in the footsteps of your dad, who took out a national title and the John Storm Memorial Award in the 2021/2022 season. Is that something you think you can achieve?

The John Storm Memorial Trophy was on my mind during the season this year, and I missed out on it by only one or two rounds. So, I definitely want to be chasing it again in the future.

What are your plans for the upcoming season?

Dad wants me to take a break when it comes to chasing titles so he can try and win another championship, so I will be helping him this season and then I will chase the championship the season after that, in Top Sportsman.

When you begin that chase, how confident are you of adding a Top Sportsman title to your trophy case?

It is like winning the Super Street Championship – you can’t know what to expect until it is happening, and you are there doing it. So, we will have to wait and see.

What did you love about the Super Street class?

During my time there, I liked it because it is real racing – you are off the trans brake, there’s no delay box and you are shifting with your hand, with no electronics. I really loved it.

What do you like about the Top Sportsman class so far?

That they are faster, full chassis, proper race cars!

What was your favourite event of the 2022/2023 season and why?

That would have to be the Darwin and Alice Springs events together, because not only did I get my two wins there and also valuable bonus points, but it was a good holiday as well as we went to all the little towns in between and saw the outback of Australia.

What was the highlight of your season aside from taking out the title?

This won’t be a surprising answer – taking the two wins back-to-back, in a car that I hadn’t raced before.

Who would you like to thank for the roles they have played in your title season?

Of course, I want to thank my dad, because he is the one that gave me the car and supported me. Thanks also to Mark Hunt for taking my car behind his bus up to Darwin and Alice Springs and also to Perth for the Goldenstates and again for the Grand Final; and to Mark Hugo, Big Stevie, and Little Stevie for their help crewing.

For the complete listing of ANDRA champions, please click here