Emilio Spinozzi is the 2026 Gulf Western Oils Winternationals Top Doorslammer Champion.
It was the Bondi Beach based wheel-man’s second career victory having won in Sydney in 2022.
The driver of the Terra Civil Chevelle was on a march all weekend lowering his PB on multiple occasions and holding off current, dual and back to back Australian Champion Russell Taylor with the quickest ET in the history of Slammer with a ridiculous 5.551 in the final.
Do the math that’s almost a 5.49 – three days prior coming into the round it was a one year old 5.591!
Spinozzi bested a stellar field (after screaming into the #2 qualifier position with a 5.64) to claim his first ever NDRC Gold Christmas Tree over the three days in front of near sell out crowds at the iconic Willowbank Raceway | Drag Racing’s Finest.
Taylor lowered the NDRC Top Doorslammer ET mark not once but twice shooting to the Crow Cams #1 qualifier spot with a sizzling 5.57 eclipsing the original marker of Jeremy Callaghan’s spectacular 5.602 before a chute issue saw the once pristine Luci Civil Z28 fire into the nets and crash violently all but destroying the car on the Friday night.
Fortunately Jeremy was able to walk away from the wreck and was quick to thank everyone for their concern and their assistance both at the track and in the category.
Eight cars qualified ‘in’ from the original thirteen who lined up on Friday and Saturday night with Callaghan (for obvious reasons) Salim Matta (later with a fuel pump issue diagnosis), Lisa Gregorini, Jack Danaher (motor issues) and Daniel Gregorini not able to get into the Sunday program.
The eight car field looked like this:
Russell Taylor – 5.57 (PB)
Emilio Spinozzi – 5.62 (PB)
Brodie Zappia – 5.66 (PB)
John Zappia – 5.70
Peter Lovering – 5.73 (PB)
Ronnie Palumbo – 5.76
Rob Harrington – 5.77 (PB)
Brody Davies – 5.99
Lovering’s 5.73 was not only a PB but the world record for a 55′ Chev and what made it sweeter was original owner of the Shoebox Greg Thomsen was in attendance proudly looking on.
The fairy tale only lasted one round however as John Zappia despatched “the Colonel” (aka KFC) as Lovering was basically glued to the start line at the lights and Zap (5.69) simply drove away.
Lovering’s Attcall Chev (5.79) exploded a tail shaft in the deeper end of the pass which added salt to the wound of Pete’s admitted terrible light and later Zappia would find he too had wounded the Fuchs Lubricants Monaro in getting the win.
Ronnie Palumbo and Brodie Zappia pulled off a double lane massive burnout welcome to guest announcer Victor Bray (he was proud by the way) in the next match up – Palumbo now racing the A-Civil 37′ Chev facing his former ride (the AC Delco Monaro) with “BZap” lowering Ronnie’s former PB for that car last year in qualifying the day before.
Zappia (0.39) out-gunned the best reaction time guy in the game in Palumbo to win with a 5.70 against a 5.78 in one of the best races of the day.
Emilio Spinozzi faced defending Winternationals champion Rob Harrington in the Bad Influence Monaro in the next battle and the Queenslander was looking to continue that title defence at least into the next round.
Harry got it all up and about however in the right hand lane just before half track and had to lift to correct a very out of shape Monaro as Spinozzi raced off in the distance with a 5.63 to PB once more in the Terra Civil 69′ Chevelle.
“It started to shake at the top of first gear,” Harrington admitted in the only clutch car in the field “I couldn’t see Emilio so I stayed on it. It shook then it went hard left, I had a very good luck at his side door and thought I better get out of it.”
History would later show Harrington would not be the only first time winner that took Winters gold.
Rookie Brodie Davies took on the challenge of racing the quickest Doorslammer in the history of the sport in Russell Taylor for his Winters debut after snapping a blower belt on the hit of the throttle in his final qualifying run the night before in the sweet looking Hygrade Laser Profiling 67′ Mustang.
Davies was killer on the tree to lead early but Taylor rocked back by in the OGL Australia SS and in doing so just about covered every centimetre of his lane from one side to the other for a 5.58 win over a PB for Davies 5.82.
The semi finals saw Russell Taylor slated to take on John Zappia and Emilio Spinozzi facing Brodie Zappia.
Unfortunately engine trauma for John Zappia on a crazy busy weekend running two cars saw “Zap’s Rat” not show.
Brodie Zappia strapped an 0.02 light on Spinozzi’s far from lazy 0.04 light to look destined for the final but the Sydneysider drove around the youngster in the dying metres and scored a nailbiting berth into the A-Final against Taylor.
Spinozzi was again in 5.63 territory with Zappia’s 5.71 not quite enough to get the uber impressive Perth young gun into the final despite a ripping Winters weekend for the AC Delco Slammer Fabietti Monaro.
Taylor ran solo for another 5.58 but looking back on it his 0.1 reaction times were something of a concern for the West Aussie supremo himself.
In chilly conditions the Sydneysider faced the West Aussie for all the marbles.
Taylor had won in 2024 on debut, finished runner up in 2025 and looked to win again in 2026.
On paper it was a nod to Taylor as favourite (as it always is) but Emilio was impressive on every single pass – including at the Nitro Champs in Sydney heading into the final.
Spinozzi peeled off a cool and critical 0.02 light against the 0.17 light for Taylor (something that definitely perplexed Taylor later) and this time the Royal Precision Lubricants SS couldn’t make back the ground – although he did run the quickest ET in the sport’s history with an insane 5.55!
AND Spinozzi ran the fastest run in Doorslammer with a mega 421.86kph in the process to score his second career major Doorslammer Gold Christmas Tree.
“It’s been a crazy crazy weekend,” a tired but elated Spinozzi admitted at the presentations, “I’m really really happy for the team, the boys have been working really really hard. Michael, Adamo, Brad and Gus, they don’t stop. They gave me a good racecar and I did my best to do my job.”
