Western Sydney International Dragway Ltd (WSID) has signed a new multi-year sanctioning agreement with the Australian National Drag Racing Association Ltd (ANDRA).
The agreement is effective immediately and will see WSID become part of the Australian Drag Racing Championships (ADRC) and the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series (SRESS), starting with the current 2021/2022 season.
WSID’s iconic Gulf Western Oil Nitro Champs (May 6 and 7) will host the Grand Finals for both the ADRC and SRESS series, for 2022 and into the future.
Western Sydney International Dragway Chairman Garry Watterson said this new agreement was a watershed moment in the current evolution of the facility.
“WSID is a leading facility and while the enforced closures due to COVID-19 have been challenging for all involved, we have been undergoing a period of improvement with renovations and a new track surface recently completed to ensure that we can provide the best levels of service to Australia’s drag racing community,” Watterson said.
“As we looked ahead to the future, it was clear to us that the best way forward for us was to partner with the Australian National Drag Racing Association.
“We are confident that in partnership with ANDRA, WSID has a brilliant future ahead with many exciting developments to come.”
ANDRA Chairman Nathan Peirano said he was thrilled to welcome WSID back as a member track.
“We are ecstatic to be able to announce to ANDRA members and the Australian Drag Racing Community, that one of Australia’s premier drag racing facilities, WSID, will now operate under a partnership with ANDRA,” Peirano said.
“WSID is a key destination for Australia’s drag racing community and offers an amazing service to racers who come from all over to compete at arguably the best facility in the southern hemisphere.
“With the latest round of improvements, WSID is one of the premium quarter-mile racing facilities in the world and we are ecstatic to once again have this impressive and leading facility as part of the ANDRA family.
“We can’t wait to see WSID once again in full swing hosting drag racing events of all sizes and formats under ANDRA sanctioning.”
New event/Grand Final confirmed for ADRC and SRESS
The above agreement between ANDRA and Western Sydney International Dragway sees the final piece fall into place for the 2021/2022 ADRC and SRESS calendars.
WSID’s Gulf Western Oil Nitro Champs (May 6 and 7) event will be added to both the ADRC and SRESS calendars, with the event to provide an action-packed grand finale for both series.
“We are very excited to be able to confirm the final ADRC and SRESS championship calendar following the news that Western Sydney International Dragway has signed with ANDRA for the provision of sanctioning services,” Peirano said.
“These are truly national competitions, and it really is an exciting time for our sport. We are greatly looking forward to collaborating with ANDRA competitors and the participating ANDRA member tracks to create the best possible series we can.
“Having the Gulf Western Oil Nitro Champs as our Grand Final for both the Australian Drag Racing Championship and the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series something we are very excited about, and will provide a perfect conclusion to the 2021/2022 season.”
2021/2022 ADRC DATES*:
•Round one – Hidden Valley – July 16-17, 2021 – successfully completed
•Round two – Alice Springs Inland Dragway – July 24-25, 2021 – successfully completed
•Round three – Adelaide International Raceway – October 2-3, 2021 – cancelled due to COVID-19 impacts
•Round four – Perth Motorplex – November 26-27, 2021
•Round five– Calder Park Raceway – February 5-6, 2022
•Round six – Perth Motorplex – March 5-6, 2022
•(NEW) Round seven (Grand Final) – WSID – May 6-7, 2022
2021/2022 SRESS DATES*:
•Round one – Hidden Valley Drag Strip, Top End Nationals – July 16 and 17, 2021– successfully completed
•Round two – Alice Springs Inland Dragway, Desert Nationals – July 24 and 25, 2021– successfully completed
•Round three – Benaraby Dragway, Rocket Nationals – August 28, 2021 (double header weekend – part one)- cancelled due to COVID-19 impacts
•Round four – Benaraby Dragway, Rocket Nationals – August 29, 2021 (double header weekend – part two)- cancelled due to COVID-19 impacts
•Round five – Sunset Strip (Mildura), Sunset Nationals – September 18-19, 2021- cancelled due to COVID-19 impacts
•Round six – Adelaide International Raceway – October 2-3, 2021- cancelled due to COVID-19 impacts
•Round seven – Perth Motorplex, Goldenstates – November 26-27, 2021
•Round eight – South Coast Raceway, South Coast Nationals – December 11-12, 2021
•Round nine – South Coast Raceway, South Coast 660 – January 22-23, 2022
•Round ten – Calder Park Raceway, Australian Nationals – February 5-6, 2022
•Round eleven – Perth Motorplex, Westernationals – March 5-6, 2022
•Round twelve – Sunset Strip (Mildura), Twilight Nationals – March 18-19, 2022
•(NEW) Round thirteen (Grand Final) – WSID – May 6-7, 2022
*All dates correct at time of writing, subject to change
FAQs: WESTERN SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL DRAGWAY SANCTIONING SERVICES
Who has been chosen to be the approved sanctioning service provider for Western Sydney International Dragway for the long term?
Australian Drag Racing Association Ltd (ANDRA) has signed a multi-year agreement to be the primary sanctioning body for Western Sydney International Dragway (WSID), effectively immediately.
Why has ANDRA been chosen as the approved sanctioning service provider for Western Sydney International Dragway?
As the delegated sanctioning body for Drag Racing in Australia by Motorsport Australia and the FIA, ANDRA’s primary focus is on safe, fair and sustainable competition and delivering the best value product in our market.
Western Sydney International Dragway’s Board confirmed that ANDRA’s commitment to providing the best value sanctioning services for licence holders and member tracks while providing rules and regulations as per ANDRA official publications was found to be second to none and was a key driver in appointing ANDRA as the primary sanctioning body for Western Sydney International Dragway.
What does this mean for Western Sydney International Dragway racers with current IHRA licenses and log books?
ANDRA have been working closely with the Board of Western Sydney International Dragway to ensure the transition is a simple as possible. The inclusion of all racers and minimising disruption has been our joint singular goal while developing a licence transition.
ANDRA is offering an equivalent ANDRA licence at no charge to all NSW residents holding a current IHRA licence that has less than six months remaining at the commencement date of the agreement with Western Sydney International Dragway. All other IHRA licence holders wishing to obtain an ANDRA licence will be able to do so with a single one-off administration fee for the balance of their licence term.
The details of the changeover licences are as follows:
- Remaining term of IHRA licence: 0 to 6 months remaining: FREE
- Remaining term of IHRA licence: 6 months to 3 years: $30.00 (including GST)
Junior transitional licences will include the Parent/Guardian membership at no additional cost for the same terms as above.
ANDRA will recognise valid competitor IHRA medical certificates for a period of up to two years from the certificate’s commencement date.
NSW residents holding a current IHRA logbook as at the commencement date of this agreement will also be provided with free logbooks where they hold a current IHRA logbook with less than six months remaining and a nominal administration fee for those logbooks with over six months remaining.
- Remaining term of logbook: 0 months to 6 months: FREE
- Remaining term of logbook: 6 months to 2 years: $20.00 (including GST)
To complement the discounts on the transitional logbook, the ANDRA team will be organising FREE ANDRA technical inspection days, with a minimum of two such days to be announced shortly in conjunction with Western Sydney International Dragway, Upon satisfactory completion of an ANDRA technical inspection, the logbook holder will be offered an equivalent ANDRA logbook for a set administration fee as noted above.
All fees in relation to the above transitional licence arrangements will be invoiced by ANDRA directly to the licence and logbook holders.
ANDRA will ensure that free technical inspection dates will be made available for all NSW licence and logbook holders and those dates will not be limited to current logbook holders.
When was the decision reached?
Western Sydney International Dragway and ANDRA have been in consultation regarding this partnership for some time. Upon receiving a formal proposal from ANDRA earlier in 2021, the Western Sydney International Dragway Board took considerable time to examine the proposal from all angles, to receive appropriate advice and conduct due diligence processes before coming to the decision that ANDRA was the best sanctioning services provider for Western Sydney International Dragway moving forward.
Will 400 Thunder events still be held at Western Sydney International Dragway?
While ANDRA is the primary sanctioning body at Western Sydney International Dragway under this new partnership, Western Sydney International Dragway will from time-to-time conduct ‘dry hire’ events to other bodies. Western Sydney International Dragway remains ready to host 400 Thunder events at the venue in the future if all parties agree to commercial terms.
What evaluation assessment was undertaken to choose ANDRA as the primary sanctioning service provider?
The ANDRA proposal was deemed to provide a superior offering when compared to other providers when the proposal was measured against the following evaluation criteria:
• Approach to sanctioning services
• Drag racing rules and regulations
• Demonstrated sanctioning experience
• Support and services to competitors and the sport
• Approach to flexible sanctioning arrangements
• Organisational capacity
• Value for money to the facility
• Value for money to competitors
• Part of national competition for group one and sportsman competitors
For what period of time has ANDRA been appointed as the sanctioning service provider for Western Sydney International Dragway?
To provide surety to the NSW racers, ANDRA and Western Sydney International Dragway have entered into a multi-year agreement.
