While drag racing in Australia has many differences to the USA, it is surprising we have never seen the introduction of injected nitro dragsters into the pro ranks. That is set to change with a planned match race at the Gulf Western Oil Winternationals at Willowbank Raceway in June.
Also known as A/Fuel dragsters, they use nitromethane fuel but no forced induction – like a Top Fuel car without the supercharger. Cars in the USA run in the low fives at over 280mph.
We might not have seen these cars in Australia before, but there are some very experienced Australian drivers in them – Queensland-born twins Kate and Diana Harker, the daughters of Top Alcohol Funny Car veteran Steve Harker. Kate and Diana raced (above), and won, in the USA, and now Kate will be hitting the track on nitro in Australia for the first time.
Kate will be driving a dragster owned by Paul Shackleton and will take on New Zealand’s Tony Marsh, who has campaigned an A/Fuel car across the Tasman Sea for some time.
The pair will match race at the Winternationals and then head north for another match race at Palmyra Dragway.
