At the Australian Auto-Sport Alliance (AASA), nothing gets our gears turning quite like high-spirited, accessible, and community-driven grassroots motorsport.

The third round of the 2026 Sapphire Coast Sporting Car Club (SCSCC) Khanacross, hosted on July 26 at Sapphire Speedway in Tantawanglo, was a textbook example of why we love sanctioning these events.

From everyday road cars to home-made khanacross weapons, welcoming drivers aged 14 and up, the diverse lineup demonstrated the core ethos of the SCSCC: "Promoting new participants into motorsport, at an affordable cost, using inexpensive machinery." - Mark Hankinson, Sapphire Khanacross Co-ordinator.

Outright & Class E: Will Dickinson delivered an absolute masterclass in consistency and speed in his Subaru Impreza. Finishing with an impressive total time of 373.01 seconds, Will claimed both the Class E victory and 1st Outright honors. He was closely trailed by Mark Wiley (376.47s), who put up a valiant fight in second place. Special mention goes to Chris Dickinson, who set the fastest individual run time of the day but was hampered by wrong-direction penalties.

Class A: Ty Hooper powered his "Mighty Mirage" to a dominant class victory with a total time of 386.44s, placing 4th outright.

Class B: Geoff Dunstan steered his "silent" Holden Astra to the top step in Class B, stopping the clock at 394.84s.

Class C: Series Co-ordinator Mark Hankinson showcased his skills behind the wheel of his Datsun 200B, taking home top honors in Class C.

Class D: Matt McDonald flexed the muscle of his Holden Statesman to secure the Class D win with a total time of 396.72s.One of the most rewarding aspects of sanctioning events like the Sapphire Khanacross is seeing driver development in real-time.

The junior division put on a fantastic show, with every young competitor making substantial time improvements on each successive run.

Junior Class: Jussi Burn took out top honors in the Junior division, driving a Daihatsu Charade with precision and continuously dropping times throughout the day.

Ladies Class: Nakayla Rootsey put in a strong, steady performance behind the wheel of her Subaru Forester to claim the Ladies Class victory.

Most Improved & Entertaining: Nathan Softley earned Most Improved honors with the help of co-driver Gary Targett, while Callum Thompson stole the crowd's hearts in his Ford Falcon, snagging the "Most Entertaining Driver" award for keeping his car sideways more often than straight!

Events like these simply don’t happen without dedicated volunteers and passionate organizers. Competitors gathered around a brand-new physical scoreboard, crafted by Danny Kaye of Design Post Bega, to share friendly banter, track times, and celebrate class winners.

A huge thank you to Mal Irvin for track prep and water truck duties, Matt McDonald for running scrutineering, and Robbo for providing the custom class winner trophy glasses. We also want to thank the generous local sponsors, including MGM Panelbeaters, Bluewater Windscreens, Tyrepower Bega, Parts4 Automotive, School of Strength Gym, and Twenty Se7en Electrical, for keeping grassroots motorsport affordable for all. Last but not least, we must thank Peter McGrail Photography who kindly donates his time as a volunteer at these events to help promote the sport.

Thinking about getting involved? AASA is proud to support grassroot clubs, and we invite you to join the officiating family! AASA Officials' Licences are completely free of charge.

Congratulations to all competitors, class winners, and officials on a stellar event. We can't wait to see you all at the next grid start!