After a season-ending high-speed crash in March of this year, Amanda Martin is preparing to make her racing comeback in a new car at next weekend’s Sunset Strip Nationals in Mildura.

Defending Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series Competition Bike champion Tony Frost is looking forward to Mildura’s first-ever Competition Bike field as part of next weekend’s Sunset Strip Nationals.

Janelle Scott’s Holden Torana might as well be considered part of the family.

The Oceania College/101 Motorsport Toyota Supra, driven by Queensland’s Varun Sharma, has blitzed to an impressive personal best of 7.02 seconds at a huge 200 miles per hour (approximately 323kmh) during pre-event testing for this weekend’s Honeywell Garrett Brisbane Jamboree presented by Link ECU and Tuners Edge.

The Kenda Tires Radial Riot will be able to count an old school convert among its racing group when thousands of horsepower hit the track on Saturday, September 1.

Modified racer Simon Barlow ensured his Desert Nationals trip was a success recently, resetting both the ET and MPH markers of the national A/MD record on his way to a finals appearance at the Alice Springs Inland Dragway event.

The Junior Dragster Nationals at Mildura’s Sunset Strip are rapidly gaining steam with teams from around the country making the journey to compete. Among them will be WA’s Lucas Green, who will travel across the Nullarbor to be a part of the event. When the opportunity to race at the Sunset Strip came for the Green family, it didn’t take long for them to commit, said Lucas’ father Doug. “Corrinna (Lucas’ mum) and I sat down with Lucas and asked him if he wanted to race against other Junior Dragster competitors at a solely Junior Dragster meeting, which was met with a quick ‘Yes,’” he said. “We considered Darwin as the first Summit points round. I had just brought a larger trailer which I was fitting out and although Jay Upton offered take us the price of flights and a turnaround from night shift made it unviable. The bonus of a larger trailer made it a wise choice to pack as many cars in as we can to take to Mildura at the cheapest cost. “In Darwin I spoke with longtime friends Jayne and Anthony Begley from 89 Enterprises. Lucas’s first race was against Connor Begley, who Lucas reminds to this day of beating him with a grin on his face. Their daughter Emma is a graduate from Junior Dragsters also and now an accomplished Nitro Funny Car driver. When I spoke to them about Mildura they were more than happy to assist with the cost of travel, for which we are very humbled and appreciative.” Lucas is travelling with some very well-known and successful racers from Western Australia including Brodie Zappia, Zara Board, Madison Brown and Dylan Pettigrew. “We are fortunate to have a few really great sponsors who have backed Lucas during his two years of racing,” Doug said. “Formula Tech Performance, Riverside Mechanical and Performance and Urban Concrete Solutions have assisted us with parts, knowledge, mentoring and education towards the team’s development. Also exciting is the approach and signing of Cajed Racewear which have offered to supply a new racing suit and any race wear required. “The quality of Cajed Racewear is second to none. Michael and Allana are racers, parents and fit into the values that we portray in our team. We can’t thank them enough for the support they offered. They have fitted out numerous racers including Junior Dragster drivers with SFI rated gear of the highest presentation and quality, as well as supplying our crew shirts. “On behalf of Green Family Racing we thank the whole of Mildura for getting behind all of the junior racers and cannot wait to race on August 4 and 5. Feel free to like our page on Facebook ‘Green Family Racing’ as well as visiting ‘Sunset Strip Junior Nationals’ on Facebook. “Please travel safe and many thanks to all involved in putting on a great event.”

Despite niggling engine issues which have plagued him since Nitro Up North, Darren Saliba clean-swept the Top Sportsman proceedings of the Desert Nationals at the weekend.

With a victory at Alice Spring’s Desert Nationals at the weekend, Team Bray Racing’s Frankie Taylor has ensured his current Down Under tour has ended just as it started: with triumph.

South Aussie mechanic Michael Bridges will be looking to continue his tour of fun ‘up north’ this weekend at Alice Spring Dragway’s Desert Nationals (July 21/22).