As the Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship roars into life, the National Drag Racing Championship (NDRC) has released a host of information for those preparing to race at its upcoming events at both ANDRA and IHRA sanctioned venues.
With points-scoring events at the Hidden Valley Drag Strip, Alice Springs Inland Dragway, Springmount Raceway, and Mildura’s Sunset Strip in the books and the countdown to the upcoming racing at Benaraby Dragway (October 7) well advanced, the interest around the new national series for Australia’s sportsman racers is reaching fever pitch.
“We have been working hard to bring everything together to create the best national series we can, all under our ethos of ‘One Way. Forward.” NDRC Co-Founder, Andy Lopez, said.
“With so many moving parts, we appreciate the ongoing support of Australia’s sportsman racers, clubs and tracks as we work together to create the best events we can, and hope that this latest information for racing in the NDRC Aeroflow Sportsman Championship will assist racers in making decisions on how and where they would like to compete.
“We look forward to continuing to work with our racers and our partners to answer questions and solve problems as they arise to create the best possible series we can into the future.”
Please read on for a host of updates regarding racing at ANDRA and IHRA sanctioned events which are eligible for points in the Aeroflow National Sportsman Series Championship.
Licensing
To compete at NDRC events held at ANDRA-sanctioned venues, racers will need an ANDRA licence. A six-month licence can be applied for by clicking here.
The six-month license is available now for racers who do not already have an ANDRA license and has been designed and offered by ANDRA to encourage participation in the NDRC. The cost is $110 for the six-month license and $89 for a two-year logbook. The license can be used at all NDRC events which are held under ANDRA sanction, including Benaraby Dragway, the opening round at The Bend, Calder Park, and others.
Importantly, the ANDRA six month licence also includes ANDRA’s Category 1 Personal Insurance Program – for more information on that program, please click here.
To compete at NDRC events held at IHRA-sanctioned venues, racers will need an IHRA licence.
Reciprocal Single Day and Multi-Day Event Licences are available from the IHRA for all sportsman (only) racers with an alternative sanctioning body, who wish to compete in an IHRA Australia Sanctioned Event. For information and to purchase, please click here.
The cost of the IHRA Australia Single Day Event Licence is $50.00, while the cost of the IHRA Australia Multi-Day Event Licence is $75.00 (maximum three-day event). A reciprocal Single Day or Multi-Day Event Licence from IHRA can only be purchased twice in the same season (July to June), after which racers will be required to purchase an annual IHRA license (for information, visit www.ihra.com.au). A current Licence and Logbook in date from an Alternative Sanctioning Body must be provided and the request and payment for a Reciprocal Event Licence must be completed online prior to the event.
Tech Checks
Free ANDRA tech checks days will be provided for vehicles that don’t have a current ANDRA technical check certificate. Locations and dates will be advised based on competitor requirements.
For vehicles that don’t have a current IHRA technical check certificate, a technical inspection (100 percent scrutineering) must be completed at the track by an IHRA Technical Officer (inspection valid for event only). Allocated times will be made available for the vehicle/bike to be inspected.
Medical
You will need an ANDRA medical certificate to race at events held at ANDRA-sanctioned venues. However, ANDRA will recognise medical certification from other sanctioning bodies for NDRC events as long as they are current at the time of racing.
To use your IHRA medical certificate for an ANDRA-sanctioned NDRC event, you will need to compete page one of the ANDRA Medical Declaration (found by clicking here), and then supply your current IHRA medical certificate or a copy of your IHRA license with the current medical noted.
You will need an IHRA medical certificate to race at events held at IHRA-sanctioned venues. However, IHRA will recognise medical certification from other sanctioning bodies for NDRC events as long as they are current AND less than 12 months old at the time of racing. The certificate must be provided at the time of applying for the IHRA reciprocal licence.
Super Stock and Competition Eliminator Classes
As is customary for events run under both sanctioning bodies, NDRC events will combine Super Stock and Competition Eliminator into one Super Comp class, except in the circumstances where there are eight or more racers in both fields.
If you run in an IHRA class, and you do not think you can comply with an ANDRA class – or vice versa – and you wish to enter an NDRC event, you are asked to please do the following:
- Enter the event as a competitor in the appropriate category
- Provide your ANDRA and/or IHRA license number
- Provide your ANDRA racing class and/or your IHRA racing class
If you genuinely cannot fit into a class of the sanctioning body of that event, the event sanctioning body will assess and provide you with an index/record to run against relevant to your past performance in the other sanctioning body.
For example, an IHRA racer whose class does not appear in the ANDRA categories will be given an index based on the IHRA National Record; and an ANDRA racer whose class does not appear in the IHRA categories will be given an index based on the ANDRA National Record.
The NDRC has committed to doing this for competitors who enter the event to race. Importantly, if you are not satisfied with the index/record or other information you receive from the sanctioning body after completing the above steps and therefore no longer wish to participate, your entry fee will be refunded immediately.
Competition Bike and Performance Bike
ANDRA has reviewed the differences between Competition Bike (ANDRA) and Performance Bike (IHRA) as it relates to the use of reactive control.
Following this review, it has been confirmed that Performance Bike will be run at NDRC events held at ANDRA-sanctioned events moving forward, in addition to the Competition Bike bracket, which will also continue to be run. This means that Performance Bike will be available at all NDRC sportsman events moving forward, regardless of if they are ANDRA- or IHRA-sanctioned.
As above, interested bike racers are asked to follow the below steps if they wish to enter an event:
- Enter the event as a competitor in the appropriate category
- Provide your ANDRA and/or IHRA license number
- Provide your ANDRA racing class and/or your IHRA racing class
The relevant sanctioning body will provide an index to run against relevant to your past performance in the other sanctioning body.
Again, the NDRC is committed to doing this for competitors who enter the event to race and if you are not satisfied with the index/record or other information you receive from the sanctioning body and as such, no longer wish to participate, you will have your entry fee refunded immediately.
Further information
Further information regarding the NDRC and Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship can be found at www.nationaldragracing.com.au
