Where else in the world are you going to see two 1959 Chrysler Saratogas, a 1973 Holden GTS, a 1970 Plymouth Duster and a late-model Holden Monaro race with alcohol-swilling supercharged mills scream down the quarter-mile? Where else but Australia! Top Doorslammer is a beauty of a class. One of the Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) Pro-level classes and somewhat similar to the Pro Modified class NHRA runs, it is the fastest door car category in the world, allowing for replica bodies of coupes, sedans, utes and station wagons that were produced, so long as they were not a rear-engined sports car. Funny-car style bodies aren’t allowed in Top Doorslammer, so don’t expect 1957 Chevrolet bodies that have better aero qualities than a 1990s Firebird to be present. What you can expect to see are 540ci blower motors on methanol, cranking out horsepower by the thousands and ripping E.T.s in the 5.9 second range, and thanks to a recent rule change by ANDRA, American late-model bodies are now legal for competition, so Camaros, Challengers and Mustangs are now welcome into the ranks.

Top Doorslammer got its inspiration from some stuff that was happening outside of Australia. In the United States, particularly on the tracks out east, alcohol-powered supercharged cars with doors were quickly becoming an attraction at drag strips. Cars like a Chevrolet LUV pickup, a 1980s Nissan 300ZX, a first-gen Camaro with a GMC 6-71 through the hood, and even a Jeep were putting on shows and putting fans in seats. Drivers like Elmer Wachter, Denny Brightwell, and Camp Stanley were gaining quite a following. Why? Door cars with stock wheelbases and blown, alcohol motors…that’s a recipe for all sorts of hijinks once the power comes on, and these guys could drive them. And for the tracks, paying to bring in the group, known as the “Wild Bunch”, was a bargain: when bringing in big name drivers would cost a track ten thousand dollars, they could bring in the whole Wild Bunch crew for a few thousand and reap a healthy profit. It was a win/win situation, and it was going to get bigger. Dennis Syrmis, who at the time owned Willowbank Raceway (near Brisbane), had seen the Wild Bunch run and brought some drivers over to Australia. Naturally, Australian racers took kindly to the idea of powerful door cars and what started out as an exhibition class became a recognized Group 1 (professional level) class in the ANDRA.

Take special note of the Holden HQ Monaro GTS in the video. The driver of the car is John Zappia, and he’s legendary in Aussie drag racing. Not only is he one of the pioneer drivers of Top Doorslammer in Australia, he’s also one of the fastest, currently holding a [email protected]. He also is the first Top Doorslammer to break into the five-second range, when he ran a 5.967@242MPH in 2005. And to top off the achievements, he’s won the championship eight seasons straight, from 2007 onwards.