After sitting out last season Jason Hedges Racing has regrouped with a new car and new sponsors, preparing for a 2014 Pro Stock comeback.

Queensland girl racer Kelly Corbett celebrated Australia Day at the weekend’s V 4 and Rotary Nationals by becoming New Zealand’s quickest four cylinder drag racer.

When the opening round of the 2014 JP Racing Eighth Mile Drag Racing Series comes to Warwick Dragway on 8 February 2014, local racer Lyn Stewart won’t just be defending her home turf, but also her 2013 Series championship.  In 2012 the 62 year old Stewart lost her husband of 40 years – beloved local drag racing identity Mark Stewart – to a workplace accident, but the passionate racer has continued her on-track exploits in his honour. “Mark was always a ‘get on with it’ kind of person, and while it has been extremely difficult I know he wouldn’t want me sitting around digging myself a hole, he would want me to be out there having fun and so that is what I am trying to do,” said the Athol resident. “He is the reason I got into racing – I saw him out there and decided I couldn’t let him have all the fun and next thing you know we had set up my ‘little white wagon’ 1978 Gemini and were taking to the track together. Even today he is the reason I still get out there, ‘getting on with living’ as he would have wanted. “Mark really was an amazing and much-loved man, we lived and breathed racing and each other and we loved competing together – when we decided to get into the eighth mile series I never thought I could be good enough for something like this but he encouraged me to enter and insisted we could take it out if we wanted to – when I won the 2013 Series it was certainly bittersweet.” Stewart was one of two local racers alongside Ian Ham who claimed 2013 honours, taking out the title for the Series’ FG Loy & Sons Earthmoving Old School Bracket – one of six race categories contested in the 2013 Series. In 2014, Stewart will move to the Super Street bracket. “I have really enjoyed racing in the Eighth Mile Series as it is really attuned to the type of racing I like to do – where the focus is on going out there and enjoying yourself and on spending a relaxed time with your mates at the race track,” said Stewart. “In 2014 I will be transitioning over to the Super Street bracket which is where I started out racing nine years ago so I am looking forward to getting back to that category and you never know, maybe I can take another Series win! “As long as I can have fun and spend some quality track-time with my friends, it is a successful race day for me as far as I am concerned.” Stewart and the rest of the Super Street bracket will be joined on track by the FG Loy & Sons Earthmoving Eighth Mile Outlaws, RD Williams Excavator Parts Modified, Super Sedan, Queensland Nameplate Group Modified Bike and Junior Dragster categories. Kicking off at Warwick Dragway on 8 February, the series will then head to Willowbank Raceway on 26 April for round two. Benaraby Raceway will then host round three on 1 August before the final round gets going at Ironbark Raceway on 27 September 2014. For more information on the 2014 JP Racing Eighth Mile Drag Racing Series, including information on rules, how to enter and the points system, please visit to www.willowbankraceway.com.au 2014 JP Racing Eighth Mile Drag Racing Series Calendar:Round One – 8 February, 2013: Warwick Dragway, Warwick QLDRound Two – 26 April, 2013: Willowbank Raceway, Willowbank QLD Round Three – 2 August, 2013: Benaraby Raceway, Gladstone QLDFinal Round – 27 September, 2013: Ironbark Raceway, Roma QLD Racing brackets:FG Loy & Sons Earthmoving Eighth Mile Outlaws – new bracket for 2014RD Williams Excavator Parts MODIFIED BRACKETIce Slushee SUPER SEDAN BRACKETQueensland Nameplate Group MODIFIED BIKE BRACKETSUPER STREET BRACKET JUNIOR DRAGSTER BRACKET {fcomment}