High-octane racing is what it will all be about at Willowbank Raceway this New Years, with round one of the New Year Series set to kick off on January 2 and 3.

After a marathon six days the new state of the art timing system for Hidden Valley Drag Strip is now installed. HVDRA’s Jay Jukes and Clive Mainland spent most of the week shadowing Compulink’s Bob Brockmeyer and Greg Barrett as they installed the new system. “I have a new found respect for labourers after spending the last six days out in Darwin’s heat” said HVDRA President Jay Jukes. “I must commend MacMahon on the extra help they provided to ensure the installation went to schedule, particularly Jeff Gardiner who was there every day helping with anything we asked.” The system includes a full suite of new timing sensors, a new starter tree featuring LED globes, wireless dialin boards and timeslip printers, as well as Australia’a largest green LED drag racing timing boards. “We had a great turnout for the first training session on Tuesday night and it was an honour to learn all about the Compulink system from founding director Bob Brockmeyer.”“The new system includes a range of new additions that will enhance racing at Hidden Valley” said Jukes. “We will be spending the off season working through the new system and ways we can streamline the racing experience for spectators and competitors.”Features of the new Compulink timing system include;• 1.5m high green LED display boards to show elapsed time, speed (in both kilometres and miles per hour), dialin and reaction time• Remote mounted LED win lights 150m past the finish line so competitors know instantaneously if they won• New LED wireless dialin boards• New LED Christmas tree• Wireless timeslip printers that will produce new format timeslips with all race information including both km/hr and mph as well as weather data• Compulink Auto-Start – automates the starter sequence and prevents extended startline delays if an opponent does not stage at the startline• Compulink Stagelock – ensures racers do not red light from a momentary roll back at the start line

Reigning Australian Champion John Zappia gained valuable points in the ANDRA Pro Series Top Doorslammer Championship at the Goldenstates last weekend with a strong runner-up result in the Procomp Motorsport Monaro owned by Striker boss Craig Pedley.

Australian Top Fuel campaigner and former Pro Series champion Phil Read has become part of ONE HD’s new promotional campaign “There’s a new player in town” .

Darren Morgan Racing has returned to Mildura following their appearance at the Show Us Ya Wheels car show in the Central Victorian town of Numurkah on Sunday.

In just three weeks the fire-throwing Top Fuelers will head to Willowbank Raceway for round one of the New Year Series on January 2 and 3, and leading the charge will be comeback kid Andrew Cowin and likeable larrikin Darren Morgan.

So far the 2010/2011 ANDRA Pro Series has started just the way that the Jason Hedges Racing team had hoped, making the semi-finals of the opening event, the 2010 Fuchs Australian Nationals at Sydney Dragway.

Southcoast Raceway continued with round 2 of the 2010/2011 season despite a grim weather forecast that kept entrants down.

The 2010 Annual General Meeting for HVDRA was held on Saturday night where the previous year was recapped and votes were cast for the 2011 management committee. Outgoing President, Clive Mainland chaired the meeting and was glowing in his President’s report.

Western Australian drag racing fans were treated to night of exciting nitro racing at the Perth Motorplex last Saturday night. The AEG Powertools, Darren Morgan Racing Top Fuel Dragster combined with the Fuchs Top Fuel Dragster of Phil Lamattina for the ‘Morgan v Lamattina’ Top Fuel match race and put on an awesome display of Nitro racing.