Dave Fendt is set for one of his biggest fortnights at Alice Springs Inland Dragway (ASID), with the CADRA Vice-President to juggle racing, event duties and a Modified debut at next week’s 2026/2027 ANDRA Regional Sportsman Series season-opening Alice Springs Toyota Desert Nationals.
That debut comes in Dan Hodgins’ T-Bucket Altered, with Fendt receiving the opportunity as part of a milestone year, adding another layer of significance to an already packed program in Alice Springs.
Fendt will line up in the Altered on Saturday for round one of the latest ANDRA championship chase, before returning on Sunday in Super Street to race his HSV in round two. He will then front up again the following weekend for the Red CentreNATS Heavy Hitters drag racing program at ASID from September 3-6.
The Modified appearance is particularly meaningful for Fendt, who turned 40 this year and was offered the drive by CADRA President Dan Hodgins and Club Secretary Josie Hodgins as both a birthday gift and recognition of his contribution to the club.
Although highly experienced in street-based machinery, Fendt will be tackling a very different challenge in the Altered.
“I am incredibly appreciative of the offer from Dan and Josie,” he said.
“I have helped Dan over the years with his Funny Car way back in the day when he first got it, we have crewed on other cars together, and I have assisted him, along with others, get a few cars down the track.
“At the same time, I have never really driven anything other than street cars myself, so it is a pretty cool opportunity, and I am pretty excited about it.”
Fendt won’t get his first full pass in the Altered until the Friday Test ‘N’ Tune the day before the event, when he will also complete his licensing in the car, but he has already been doing everything he can to familiarise himself with its quite different demands.
“I have sat in it a few times to familiarise myself with it, and walked through the processes with both Dan and his son Cody, like how to drive it and start it, stage it, burnouts, back up, and all that jazz,” he said.
“I have never driven a car with a trans brake before, so that will be something I have to get my head around. There is also the delay box – again, you don’t have them in street cars – so that is another thing you need to mentally prepare yourself for when you have never dealt with that before.
“We had it on display at Alice Springs Toyota in town recently to promote the Desert Nationals and I drove it on and off the trailer to familiarise myself with the trans brake and getting it in and out of the right gears, because you can’t just take these cars for a lap around the block!
“Friday testing will be the first run down the strip, when I will licence in it before getting to race it on Saturday, and I am really looking forward to it!”
The Altered may yet feature in Fendt’s Heavy Hitters schedule too, with plans being worked through for both he and Hodgins to enter the car the following weekend while also managing their other commitments.
“With Heavy Hitters that could be a real challenge if Dan is running two cars and I am running two cars, and we are sharing one of those cars! I am looking forward to the hustle,” Fendt said.
“Half the fun is the madness of running around like you have your head cut off,” he laughed.
“If we can’t make it work, I’ll still have fun trying to crack a 10 in the HSV!”
Away from the driver’s seat, Fendt is also part of the core team working to deliver both the Alice Springs Toyota Desert Nationals and the drag racing component of Red CentreNATS at ASID.
“The few of us that are on the committee and organising it are putting everything we can into it and trying to leave no stone unturned to make it the event that we think it should be,” Fendt said.
“We just want to see the Alice Springs Toyota Desert Nationals and the club start to grow and prosper, to build on it and ensure a great, fun event for all the competitors.
“There is a lot of stress trying to make it as good as possible so people can say, ‘hey, this is something cool,’ for the racers, the club, and the town too.”
Fendt also thanked those backing both his racing and his efforts behind the scenes, including Dan and Josie Hodgins, Hawkeye Motorsport, Mick and Jared, RK Diesel, Kristian and Alice Springs Toyota, his wife Michelle and their kids Rachel and Brock, and Joel and Wendy from the Blacksmith Inn.
For event information on the Desert Nationals and Alice Springs Inland Dragway, visit www.cadra.com.au
To learn more about ANDRA, visit www.andra.com.au
2026/2027 ANDRA SPORTSMAN SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP CALENDAR:
- August 29, 2026 – Round one – Desert Nationals, Alice Springs Inland Dragway (NT)
- August 30, 2026 – Round two – Desert Nationals, Alice Springs Inland Dragway (NT)
- September 11-13, 2026 – Junior Nationals* – Sunset Strip, Mildura (VIC)
- September 19-20, 2026 – Round three – Sunset Nationals – Sunset Strip, Mildura (VIC)
- October 10, 2026 – All Bike Nationals** – Dragway at The Bend, Tailem Bend (SA)
- October 23-25, 2026 – Round four – Spring Nationals – Dragway at The Bend, Tailem Bend (SA)
- November 20-21, 2026 – Round five – Goldenstates – Perth Motorplex, Perth (WA)
- December 5-6, 2026 – Round six – South Coast Nationals – South Coast Raceway, Portland (VIC)
- January 2-3, 2027 – Round seven – South Coast 660 – South Coast Raceway, Portland (VIC)
- January 23, 2027 – Round eight – ANDRA Drag Racing Masters – Sydney Dragway, Sydney (NSW)
- February 19-20, 2027 – Round nine – Event name TBC – Perth Motorplex, Perth (WA)
- February 27-28, 2027 – Round ten – Westernationals – Perth Motorplex, Perth (WA)
- April 23-24, 2027 – Round eleven – ANDRA Grand Finals – Dragway at The Bend, Tailem Bend (SA)
*Junior Dragster and Junior Drag Bike Only
**Competition Bike, Modified Bike, and Junior Drag Bike only
