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Every so often comes a car with a reputation that precedes it – this is one of those cars.

In Australian drag racing history this ranks up there as a car people want to see in action, watching it exert its methanol-fuelled rage on track leaving only clutch dust and tyre tracks in its wake.

As the butterflies open on the PSI supercharger and the exhaust puffs raw fuel into the air this is a car best viewed in slow motion. The Lenco clutch set up is beautiful, smooth. You’ll sometimes see a faint bit of light from underneath the front tyres as the Hoosier rears screw into the ground with the diminutive beast trying to break the fervent grip they have on the concrete launch surface. First gear change and it is a drag racing symphony.

Up come the Weld Alumastar front wheels a foot into the air in a display of set-up mastery with wheelie bars planted to the ground creating two parallel chalk marks. This is the word ‘powerstand’ epitomised.

This is the George Separovich AA/Gas Torana.

Let’s face it, the reason this car is so popular is because it gets on its back legs at mid track, and who’s to disagree? It’s one of the most spectacular things in motorsport to see a car already doing 200km/h and still capable of lifting the front wheels under sheer acceleration.

For Separovich it is his first-car dream realised.

“I started when I was 17 with an LC GTR Torana, I’ve sort of come around in a big circle,” he said.

A young Separovich probably never realised he would own the world’s quickest and fastest Torana.

He has progressively moved through the ranks of drag racing with a variety of vehicles and combinations. Starting in the LC Torana, Separovich then moved to a WB Ute with a big block running 10.2s, after which came his first really quick drag racing ride, the ex-Bob Campbell Nissan 300ZX running in A/G. This was followed by a black HQ ute before his first supercharged drag racing ride with the ex-Danny Baines BB/G Camaro. In quick succession also came a Pro Street Torana hatchback which ran mid sevens before the eventual purchase of the current Torana race car.

Separovich also currently has a pristine Monaro in his collection which is used in burnout competitions such as Motorvation.

The Torana is remembered well for its time with Grant and Debbie O’Rourke who now compete with a Top Doorslammer Monaro. Under their control it developed a reputation for wild handling and top gear wheelstands and ran to a best of 6.46 in AA/G.

Separovich secured the car from a buyer between himself and the O’Rourke team and soon worked on setting up his BB/G combination, until then run the Baines Camaro.

Without descending too far into history and numbers it ran in the 6.6 second zone and set new standards for the class before Separovich felt the need for speed again and in went a bigger combination this season.

The old 6.46 mark was blasted into the weeds in the first meeting. Separovich has progressively buried it, reaching his new marks of 6.30 and 221mph.

From a drag racing wild child to a consistent performer, Separovich has made the Torana a lot more predictable but keeps it still just as spectacular.

“We replaced the front struts, they were knackered, we changed the rims and tyres on the front and back, went back to a twin wheelie bar and went through and refreshed the whole car,” he said.

“I’m a firm believer in the twin wheelie bar set up, that it is better than the single wheel deal. If you draw a line from the wheels to the tyres with the single the car wants to stand on its side and go like a three wheeler. It wants to push on one side or the other. The twin set up lets it go as straight as it does.

“The clutch is always spot on every time. Everyone in general does their job and does it the same every time. You don’t have ten different guys working on the car every week.”

“The guys that help me work on the car give a lot of input, it’s not like we change change things randomly.”

Currently on Separovich’s crew is crew chief Dave, clutch man Brett, Moose, who looks after the engine, everything men Glaz, Mick and Mills and Separovich’s partner Rayna who packs the chutes and performs reverse gear duties.

Separovich is also quick to credit the Motec data logging system in taming the car.

“The Motec system gives us information on suspension travel and tyre temps which makes it a lot easier as well,” he said.

“It just helps the tuneability of the car. You know when there’s a problem and how to change it. You can know how much downforce you’ve got, things like that.

“We had another logger but with the Motec you can separate things, do it in real time and it is just so much more advanced, more accurate.”

With the car’s handling under control it allows Separovich and his crew of seven to improve elapsed times slowly but surely.

With the Westernationals coming up at Quit Motorplex in WA, Separovich has eye on resetting the record and the index in AA/G but also has his eyes on some further goals.

“I want to smash the AA/G index, I really don’t like that index, I’d like to run mid to low 6.20s at 225mph,” he said.

“I’ll then go from there to AA/Altered Production for a year, then when those records are all busted and smashed I’ll go back to BB/G and finish that one for good.

“I’ll put these heads on a small cube, iron block and make some decent power. 6.50s are quite easy, I’ll be making an engine that comes to cubic inches to weight, before it was running what I had because I had it.”

Separovich’s life is made up of close but defined goals. When each goal is achieved he takes a step forward, moving to some invisible target he keeps secret.

A quarter mile life is always as such, it keeps Separovich inspired.

“I just want to go faster, it’s an addictive thing,” he said.

“You need to draw the line on how fast you want to go and how much money you want to spend. The more you spend, the faster you go. Saying that, this car doesn’t cost that much. It’s not out of control, it’s not like a Top Doorslammer even though it runs Top Doorslammer times. Maintenance is very little, it’s not as much as people would think.”

Separovich would like to take the car to the eastern states but it is preventative cost wise. If the right logo appeared on his door Separovich says he would be more than willing, but remains cautious of new tracks and carburettored cars that can run very far under the index with amazing consistency.

Ultimately Separovich says he would find solace in the nitro version of the sedan – Funny Cars.

“It depend on where I’m at with the car and how many Funny Cars are out there,” he said.

Interestingly for Separovich, the less Funny Cars are racing, the more likely he would be to compete.

“If five guys turn up with cars around the nation then there is no room for what goes on now with people paid to turn up and make three runs,” he said.

“If it became a series you would have to race for your money. Then it’s not worth having the car. I would only drive a car to do match racing and that’s it. I would not go racing because it is the people with the most money who win.

“I’d like to honestly do 5.20s or 5.10s and not concentrate on going down the track in nine seconds blowing the tyres off.

“I’d do it properly, I’d fly someone out the first time and try and learn. But that won’t happen it if turns into a series. If there’s five or ten cars rocking up around Aust and they say there is no more match racing then I would not get one. Not a chance.”

But for now, the man is content with his Torrie and why wouldn’t you be.

“My favourite car would have to be the current Torana, probably because it’s my first car and its always been my favourite car,” he said.

“They’re just the car I always wanted, small and fast. It’s just a thrill for me.”

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