Brooks admits he still has to pinch himself when reflecting on winning the Winter Nationals Super Sedan Champion title at the Willowbank Drag Raceway in Ipswich in Queensland last month clocking almost 240km/h in his best run.

The Winter Nationals are the pinnacle of drag racing in Australia and Brooks driving his 1974 LH Torana, with a small block Chevy 421, overcame 64 other competitors in the knock-out competiton.

"I went up to the same meeting last year, got to round two and got knocked out," Brooks said of the

"I had raced only once in Sydney two weeks before this year's Winter Nationals.

"I built the car at home, I built as a rolling shell from Melbourne about 18 months ago. With the small block Chev 421 makes about 816 horsepower."

On the track at the nationals that equated to 148mph (238km/h) or 9.18 seconds over the quarter mile.

The latest Torana is Brooks' third car he has raced but the first custom designed drag racer.

"I've always been into tough street cars growing up," Brooks said.

"I had a lot of Toranas and HQs and always done a bit of street racing on the quiet on the back roads with my mates.

"I started to do Wednesday night racing at Sydney and then started to do Gunnedah out western NSW.

"It will have to be a good six or seven years with the street cars, but this proper drag car it's been 18 months.

"Got about nine cars all up, I love them."

Brooks said progressing through a knock-out series required everything to fall into place right.

He said at his only meeting since the national title win, he was eliminated in the third round when there was a blockage in the carburettor.

He took solace from winning the best reaction time and fastest run trophies.

"People say to you 'it's only racing down a straight line', I tell them to get in and try it themselves," Brooks said.

"At 148mp/h 9.18 over the quarter mile, you know you are doing it when you are racing at that speed.

"There's a lot to concentrate on in very little time."