The NDRC’s Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship will celebrate its first ever Eastern Conference winners at Willowbank Raceway’s Gulf Western Oil Winternationals this weekend (June 6-9).
Event success will be important not only for the deciding the Eastern Conference winners, but also for the overall sportsman title chase, with an event win or runner-up this weekend also guaranteeing entry* to the Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship invite-only Grand Final in October.
The Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship competitors will be competing alongside the NDRC championship finals for 11,000hp Top Fuelers, XPRO Nitro Funny Cars, Top Doorslammers, Top Fuel Motorcycle, Pro Alcohol, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle and FuelTech Pro Mod at what is the largest championship drag racing event held outside of the US.
“The Gulf Western Oil Winternationals is going to be absolutely epic at Willowbank Raceway,” NDRC Co-Founder, Andy Lopez, said.
“From Eastern Conference titles to prestigious Winternats event wins to Grand Final invites, the stakes are high for our Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship racers this weekend and that means we are guaranteed no-end of thrilling, edge-of-your-seat competition from all 14 brackets.
“All season long these racers have been delivering on the track and we’re all looking forward to seeing what they bring to a bursting racing program this Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday alongside a first-class group one program.”
All Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship racers who qualify for the Gulf Western Oil Winternationals will be awarded any owing bonus points for each Eastern 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 Eastern Conference champions for the 14 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 Gulf Western Oil Winternationals 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 Eastern Conference final for all 14 brackets, please click here.
In Competition Eliminator, Mitch Oxley and Western Conference winner Craig Geddes are both on the points cap, leading Matt Forbes (255), Peter Pisalidis (250) and Steve Athans (195).
In an exceptionally close Super Stock battle, Western Conference winner Steve Norman leads the way on 240 points ahead of Darrin Gay (230), while Jai Schluter is not far away on 205 points. Pat Firriolo (180), Kim Fardella (170) and Adrian Vella (160) round out the top six.
In Performance Bike, Joe Khoury and Edge Mallis sit atop the points standings ahead of the Eastern Conference finale on the points cap, with Ken Collin (277.5), Western Conference Competition Bike winner Chris Allen (250) and Jon Mengel (250) nipping at their heels.
In Supercharged Outlaws, it is another close race with Western Conference winner Dale Tucker on 220 points ahead of Toby Austin and David McGaw, who are both on 200. Just behind them are Larry Basile and Davydd Estcourt, who each hold 180 points, ahead of Bob Sherry (160), Mike Evans (140), Bruno Matijasevic (150) and Shaun Kerkman (120).
The narrow margins continue in Top Sportsman, with Daniel Morris on 230 points ahead of Tony Whyatt on 227.5, ahead of Western Conference winner Glenn Henley (220), Greg Damiani (200), Vlado Turic (200), Steve Fowler (180), Jason Young (180), Enio Marrocco (160), Paul Partridge (160), and Cory Read (160).
In Modified, Daniel Carranza and Cory Dyson are both on the points cap, leading Peter Brown (240), Adriana Cartledge (240) and Fiona Crisp (220) to the Eastern Conference finale.
In Super Sedan, Sean Maher is the sole racer on the points cap, sitting atop the points ladder ahead of Chevy Taylor (240), Ace Edwards (237.5), Daniel List (230) and Western Conference winner Tony Miskelly (200).
In Modified Bike, Western Conference winner Dean Jamieson and Lucas Neagoe are both on 280 points heading to the Winternats, while Cheryl Beddoes is not far away on 275 points. Nick Thompson (260) and Steven Day (197.5) round out the top five.
In Super Street, Tex Griffiths is on the points cap, while Andrew Waight (220) and Michael Bridges (180) occupy the second and third rungs of the points ladder ahead of the Winters, ahead of Mike Pullella (150) and Troy Hutton (140).
In Super Gas, Western Conference winner Colin Griffin is another on the points cap, leading Vince Panetta (200), Joe Catanzariti (180), and Anthony Panetta (180), while the Romeos – son Luke Romeo (160) and father Roy Romeo (160) – close out the top six.
In Junior Dragster, Zayne Condello heads up the points tree on the cap, with his sister Savanna Condello and Lachlan Walker tied on 240 points. Western Conference winner Cooper Plummer is on 220 points, while Taylor Horton (180) completes the top five. Of note in Junior Dragster is the fact that Condello and fellow JD racer Nixon Cannuli (currently on 100 points) will also face off in a delayed Gulf Western Oil Nitro Champs final during Thursday’s Winternats qualifying.
In Real Street, Kay Swenson is on 150 points, leading Tom Rowan (127.5), Kilarney Back (100), Sam Batticciotto, Damian Shaw, David Pulbrook, Tony Vella, and Jenny Cavallaro, who are all on 97.5 points heading to the Eastern Conference finale.
In Extreme Bike, Leonard Azzopardi heads up the points ladder on 180 points, with Brendan Miglionico not far behind on 145 points ahead of Ryan Franks (130), Darren Foley, Cherie Buggy and Alex Borg – all on 110 points.
In Junior Drag Bike, Adam Jordan leads the way on 220 points ahead of Anastazia Luckie (160), Lincon Delios (140), James Lowday (140) and the Schofield brothers James (100) and Jaidyn (60), with Jordan and Lowday also set to decide the delayed Nitro Champs final during their Thursday qualifying.
The Gulf Western Oil Winternationals will be held at Willowbank Raceway across June 6-9. 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. The Gulf Western Oil Winternationals 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.
