The first ever Aeroflow Sportsman Western Conference Champions will be celebrated at Dragway at The Bend’s Riverbend Nationals this weekend, with a host of racers ready to put it all on the line across April 5-7.
And it won’t just be the Western Conference titles that will be hotly contested, with an event win or runner-up this weekend also guaranteeing entry* to the Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship invite-only Grand Final in October.
At the same time, the Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship competitors – who will be competing alongside 11,000hp Top Fuelers, Top Doorslammers, Pro Stockers and Pro Stock Motorcycles – will also be able to secure points in the continuing Eastern Conference, which will have its Final in June at the Winternationals.
“There sure is a lot to play for at the Riverbend Nationals this weekend,” NDRC Co-Founder, Andy Lopez, said.
“Across 11 Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship categories, we will see high stakes battles for the Western Conference title, for event glory, for Grand Final invites, and also for Eastern Conference points.
“The performances that we have seen from our sportsman competitors across our inaugural season have just been phenomenal, and I can’t wait to see what these highly talented and passionate racers have in store for us this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”
All Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship racers who qualify for the Riverbend Nationals will be awarded any owing bonus points for each Western Conference event win and runner-up they have had this season to date (capped at a maximum of five events’ worth of bonus points/50 bonus points), including those racers who have reached the 300 points cap prior to the event, to find their starting points tally for the Conference final prior to the beginning of racing.
The Western Conference champions for the 11 Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship categories will be those who have the most points within that Conference at the conclusion of the event this weekend.
These champions, the runners-up, and a to be determined number of invitees** of the top racers for each category will be invited to the Grand Final, based on the cumulative points of each racer’s best four events across the season across both conferences.
Also joining these invitees at the Grand Final will be the Riverbend Nationals event winners and runners-up, assuming those racers have competed in at least three NDRC events across at least two different tracks throughout the season.
To view the current points tally heading into the Western Conference final for all 11 brackets, please click here.
In Competition Eliminator, Matt Forbes and Craig Geddes lead the way for the Western Conference, each having reached the 300 points cap, ahead of Mitchell Oxley (260) and Connor McClure (180).
In Super Stock, Steve Norman, Kim Fardella and Graeme Simms have all reached the cap, with Adrian Vella also in the mix on 250 points.
In Competition Bike, Joe Khoury, Edge Mallis, Chris Allen, Jake Hamilton-Moderate and David Willis have all reached the cap, ahead of Rob Church (245), Wayne Patterson (212.50), Daniel Natalotto (190) and Gavin Dohnt (190).
In Supercharged Outlaws, Dale Tucker is the only racer to have hit the 300 points cap so far, sitting atop the points ladder for the Western Conference ahead of Shaun Kerkman (240), Doina Day (230), Kasey McClure (220), Shane Baxter (220), Mike Evans (200), Mark Hunt (190) and Bob Sherry (180).
In Top Sportsman, Glenn Henley, Vlado Turic, Leon Davies and Ricky Smith are all on the points cap ahead of Stuart McBain (240), Dean Cleary (240), Greg Damiani (230), Peter Cates (210) and Cory Read (190).
In Modified, Simon Barlow, Kenny Stewart and Adriana Cartledge have all reached the cap in the Western Conference standings, with Ashley Johnson (267.5), Derek Wills (245), Cory Dyson (240) and Neil Gannaway (180) all in the mix.
In Super Sedan, Tony Miskelly, David Todd and Lance Larcombe lead the way, each on the 300 points cap, ahead of Robert Kardum (240), Alex Gkroidis (240), Martin Mirco (220), Joe Carbone (210) and Chris Lioulios (190).
In Super Street, Michael Jennings and Tony Antonino sit atop the Western points tally, each on the cap, ahead of Michael Bridges (240).
In Modified Bike, Lucas Neagoe and Johnny ‘Hog’ Ireland are both on the cap ahead of Derryn McGregor (290), Dean Jamieson (280), Cheryl Beddoes (220), Louise Ridgway (220), Nick Thompson (200) and Jamie Dohnt (200).
In the Junior Dragster ranks, Cooper Plummer, Lachlan Walker, Seth Jarvis, Luca Lamattina, Sarah Osborne and Taylor Horton are all on the cap, with Todd Wagner not far behind on 280 points.
In Super Gas, Colin Griffin is the sole racer on the points cap, with Graeme Spencer, Jordan Spencer and Robert Bergamin hot on his heels on 280 points each. Also in the mix is Jason Wilson on 220 points.
The Riverbend Nationals will be held at Dragway at The Bend across April 5-7.
Friday April 5 will host the qualifying for the Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship, before Top Fuel, Top Doorslammer, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle hit the track alongside sportsman qualifying and racing for Saturday and Sunday.
For event information and tickets, visit www.ndrc.tv
*Assuming those racers have completed at least three NDRC events across at least two different tracks. Riverbend Nationals can be included in the three events.
**The exact number of invitees per category for the Grand Final is to be confirmed but will be based on the average number of competitors for each bracket across the season. No points will be carried into the Grand Final with a winner takes all format to be employed.
