Wild weather at Willowbank and Mildura were just some of the factors that knocked out three NDRC Aeroflow Sportsman Championship point rounds in 2026.
Sportsman racers have been asking for more chances to chase championship points.
In that, the NDRC is pleased to announce additional championship point opportunities in the Aeroflow Sportsman Championship.
DESERT DOUBLE!
The Desert Nationals in Alice Springs on 29-30 August, part of the ANDRA Regional Sportsman Series, is now a point scoring round for racers chasing the Aeroflow Sportsman Championship. And with the announcement that Desert Nationals will be a double round with a Saturday race and Sunday race, twice the points are on offer.
As an added bonus, all racers who compete at the Desert Nationals will receive free entry to the Red CentreNATS the following weekend.
Eligible sportsman racers can compete in the Heavy Hitter index racing for a prize pool of over $20,000, and all racers can enjoy the other non competition drag racing on offer.
ALL BIKE NATIONALS
Further south, Performance Bike, Modified Bike and Junior Bike racers will now earn Aeroflow Sportsman Championship points at the All Bike Nationals at Dragway At The Bend on 10 October.
SOUTHERN SPORTSMAN SLAM
The NDRC has announced Southern Slam at Victorian Motorsports Park. Aeroflow Sportsman car categories will be racing on October 10. Yes, this is the same weekend as the All Bike Nationals, but this was the only date available. That’s why we’ve kept it as cars only so bike racers can focus on the All Bike Nationals.
Tickets and competitor nominations for the Southern Slam at VMP will be on sale soon.
PRO STOCK NATIONALS
And don’t forget, the Pro Stock Nationals is at Willowbank on 12 September, and features Pro Stock, Pro Stock Bike and a full field of Sportsman racers.
Likewise the 2026/2027 ANDRA Sportsman Series opening rounds have been confirmed with a Desert Double
The Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) and Central Australia Drag Racing Association (CADRA) are pleased to release details of the first two rounds of the ANDRA Regional Sportsman Series calendar for the 2026/2027 season.
The new season action will now kick off at the Alice Springs Inland Dragway (ASID) with a ‘Desert Double’, with Desert Nationals to play host to rounds one and two of the championship across Saturday August 29 and Sunday August 30.
Packing these two rounds into one spectacular weekend offers racers the opportunity for double points – including bonus points (as per the ANDRA rulebook) – as well as double ANDRA Christmas Tree trophies, and double prize money. Points for the NDRC Aeroflow Sportsman Series will also be on the line, and with the (non-championship) Red CentreNATS 12 – including the Wild Bunch as part of the Heavy Hitters program – coming to ASID the following weekend (September 3–6), it promises to be a massive 10 days for drag racing in the Red Centre.
While pleased to announce the opening rounds at Alice Springs Inland Dragway, ANDRA is hopeful of a return to Darwin’s Hidden Valley Drag Strip in future seasons.
The change to the original draft calendar was made after all avenues to remain in Darwin were exhausted over the last ten days.
“While we are disappointed we cannot visit Darwin’s Hidden Valley Drag Strip this year, after working through the process with Hidden Valley Drag Racing Association (HVDRA) I am pleased to say both parties are hopeful of a return for future seasons,” ANDRA Chief Executive Officer, Tim McAvaney, said.
“For the 2026/2027 series, we are very proud of what we’ve achieved with the commitment of the CADRA to host the extended two-round Desert Nationals, and believe this ‘Desert Double’ is a perfect way to open this new season alongside Red CentreNATS 12.
“Entries for the Desert Nationals open this Sunday at www.cadra.com.au, and I am happy to announce also that ANDRA has secured complimentary competitor entry to the Red CentreNats 12 for any racer who competes at the Desert Nationals!”
From the Northern Territory, the series heads to regional Victoria, with the Sunset Strip in Mildura to host the juniors-only Junior Nationals (September 11–13) followed by the all-brackets Sunset Nationals the very next weekend (September 19–20).
“We appreciate everyone’s patience as we navigated the complex process of putting the opening schedule together, and we believe it presents a great opportunity for competitors to travel to the Northern Territory,” ANDRA Chief Executive Officer, Tim McAvaney, said.
“We are looking forward to sharing the rest of the calendar with you shortly.”
2026/2027 ANDRA SPORTSMAN SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP OPENING ROUNDS:
- August 29, 2026 – Round one – Desert Nationals, Alice Springs Inland Dragway (NT)
- August 30, 2026 – Round two – Desert Nationals, Alice Springs Inland Dragway (NT)
2026 Red CentreNATS 12
- September 3-6, 2026 – Alice Springs Inland Dragway (NT)
For event information and to enter the Desert Nationals, visit www.cadra.com.au.
For event information and to enter the Red CentreNats 12, visit https://redcentrenats.com.au
For more from ANDRA, visit www.andra.com.au.
