Sydney Dragway is making some innovative changes to the Atura NSW Track Championship in an effort to make the events even more popular with fans, as well as racers.

Just over a week ago Craig Glassby recorded the quickest ever Top Alcohol Funny Car pass in the world, beating US Top Alcohol legend Frank Manzo’s 5.411 by 1000th of a second in the semi finals of the 44th Westernationals at Perth Motorplex.

GEICO/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster driver Richie Crampton had quite the wild day at the Circle K NHRA Winternationals on Sunday in Pomona.

One of Australian drag racing’s most exciting events is back on the calendar with Sydney Dragway promising to make the 2015 Nitro Champs one of the best ever held at the Sydney venue.

GEICO/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster driver Richie Crampton continues to show speed in Pomona, qualifying number two for this weekend’s season-opening Circle K NHRA Winternationals.Crampton, the 2014 Road to the Future Award winner as NHRA’s top rookie, qualified No. 1 in Pomona last November, and Morgan Lucas Racing teammate Morgan Lucas won the race. Crampton’s pass of 3.730 seconds at 328.46 mph was tops of three terrific passes at this event; a fourth was washed out when rain forced NHRA to cancel the final qualifying session. “Perfect way to start the year: three solid runs,” Crampton said. “(Crew chief) Aaron (Brooks is) picking up right where we left off at the NHRA Finals; that car is running great. It’s very exciting to go into race day with that good of a car.” Brooks and Crampton were going to go for the national elapsed-time record in Q4, knowing they were solidly in the field. Alas, rain ended that chance. “We were solidly qualified at No. 2 with a 3.73, and we had nothing to lose but to try and run that first official 3.6-second pass in NHRA history,” Crampton said. “That’s what we were going for, and I’m extremely disappointed that the rain came, but that’s how it works. We’ll just focus on trying to win tomorrow.” Crampton begins his sophomore season against J.R. Todd, who qualified No. 15 with a pass of 3.914 seconds at 242.54 mph. With one full year of racing in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Crampton carries a lot of confidence into this season. “It’s a night and day difference,” Crampton said. “I come in here on the front foot instead of the back foot. I’m ready to go race and not be intimidated. It’s exciting to be this confident and driving such a fantastic race car. It should equal some round-wins and hopefully a trophy.” {fcomment}

The at times maligned finish line zone at Sydney Dragway is getting a touch up with a new surface going down currently. Here are some pics from Sydney Dragway.

It has be 50 years since the New South Wales Hot Rod Association ran their first drag race and milestone will be celebrated at “The Ultimate Bench Race” in March.

Sydney Dragway closed out January with a kind of sedate Test and Tune on a mildly hot day which fortunately saw no incidents and not too much foreign matter deposited on the racing surface.

In her first round of the 2015 Top Alcohol season, ex-pat West Australian turned Brisbane-resident Debbie O’Rourke punched out a personal best pass at the Perth Motorplex.