Leon Davies heads to this weekend’s Nitro Up North and Wednesday’s Desert Nationals – rounds one and two of the 2025/2026 ANDRA Sportsman Series – on a mission: to begin his campaign for three straight ANDRA titles in the best way possible.
At the Hidden Valley Drag Strip this Friday and Saturday (August 29/30) and at Alice Springs Inland Dragway (September 3), the 2022/2023 and 2024/2025 ANDRA Top Sportsman Champion will take to the track for Nitro up North and the Desert Nationals alongside a host of his fellow ANDRA competitors from all across the country.
Davies heads to these tracks not only as the defending title winner but also with plenty of local form behind him, being the defending winner in Darwin and Alice Springs for the ANDRA series.
“I am definitely looking forward to starting the new season, we have won twice at Darwin – including the last one for the ANDRA series – and also last year at Alice Springs, so that does give us a bit of confidence,” said the Top Sportsman racer.
“Having said that, everything will have to go right on the day like usual with the car and everything, but I have done what I can to make sure everything is ready and hopefully we have things go our way for a good start to our season.
“With the 22/23 and 24/25 titles to our names – the last two ANDRA series’ run – we are definitely wanting to have a crack at a three-peat!
“It would be pretty surreal to make that happen – I won three state titles in the dirt circuit years ago and when I won the 22/23 ANDRA title I was pretty happy with just the one, but now I want to do the same here! Three would just be awesome and I guess it all starts this weekend!”
The South Australian racer will be making the most of his time up North too, also taking part in the Heavy Hitters drag racing for Red CentreNATS at Alice Springs Inland Dragway on Saturday September 6.
“It is going to be pretty full on doing the three events in eight days, but it should be great and it really makes the trip worthwhile!” he said, while thanking his wife Lisa, his family, friends, and crew and his sponsors: Slape Crash Repairs, Custom Kitchen Company and Adam Mundy, EP Windscreens and Dave Barrowcliff, and Rick Daniels Recycling and Peter Daniels.
“My brother Jamie is coming up to crew for me this weekend and I haven’t won a meeting with him yet, so that’s the plan!” Davies grinned.
Nitro Up North will be held at the Hidden Valley Drag Strip on August 29 and 30 – for event info, go to www.hiddenvalleydrags.com.au
The Desert Nationals will be held at the Alice Springs Inland Dragway on September 3 – for event info, go to www.cadra.com.au
Red CentreNATS will run across September 5-7, including Heavy Hitters Drag Racing at Alice Springs Inland Dragway – go to www.redcentrenats.com.au for more information.
For more from ANDRA, go to www.andra.com.au
