Ashman wrote a poignant story at the Davison Ford Sunset Strip in Mildura, winning round three of the 2026/2027 ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship. This victory marked his first Christmas Tree and served as a tribute to his late father, who passed away three years ago.
Ashman's journey was far from easy. He started from 14th qualifying position in a 15-car field. Yet, he took down one rival after another: Michael Jennings (2025 ANDRA Super Street Champion) in round one, then Michael Bridges, Chicka Waight, and finally Tony Antonino in the final. The supercharged sedan he bought almost by accident became his winning machine.
“It is awesome – I have been chasing a Christmas Tree for a while now,” Ashman said. “I started racing back in 1990, then had some years off due to family commitments. After Dad passed away three years ago, and a tree fell on my partner's car, we were looking for a replacement. She found one in Perth, I found this one in Adelaide, and because it had a supercharger, she said it wasn't really a daily driver,” he laughed.
The win also served as an escape from grief. “I knew I had to find something to get myself out of a bad mental space after Dad passing. I thought we would have some fun and chase a Tree. I didn't think it would happen so soon,” he added.
However, the weekend was tinged with sadness. Fellow racer Mark Jachmann passed away the day before the event. “The day itself was a hard day with Mark passing away. I was devastated,” he said. “It was more of a reason, I thought to myself. Qualifying went well, and when I saw I had Michael Jennings in the first round, I thought it was going to be a short day – but it ended up going the absolute opposite. I was really happy and blown away.”
After every pass, Ashman anxiously awaited the result. “My partner is the only one in my pit crew, so each time as I was driving down towards her to get the time slip, I was trying to read her expression, and she was trying to keep a straight face! It turned out every one was a good one. It was pretty overwhelming.”
He also praised the Sunset Nationals event, which he hadn't originally planned to attend. “There was great weather, and it is a great track – I have always followed drag racing even when I was not racing. Mildura is such a lovely place. I wasn't even meant to go, it was just a last-minute decision – and I came home with a big win.”
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