With the Australian Nationals upon us, Sydney Dragway was a hive of testing activity both public and private over the past week, so here are some of the highlights.

The challenge of holding Australia’s answer to America’s Drag Week had the organisation of a Special Forces black ops mission as to avoid any undue attention from the establishment in blue. So with confidentiality agreements and media blackouts the participants were recruited under the cover of darkness for operation VPW Drag Challenge.

Brisbane-based drag racer Gary Phillips has unveiled a striking new look for his Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Funny Car ahead of this weekend’s Australian Nationals, but the goal remains the same in winning another championship.

Cold and wet conditions greeted competitors at the Grand Opening event for Perth Motorplex, with crowds also staying away as the weather threatened to put an early end to proceedings.

Cue the music; it’s the final countdown! In the red corner representing Rapisarda Autosport International, it’s the eccentric, fire fightin’ Allan ‘Dobbo’ Dobson. In the blue corner representing Lamattina Top Fuel Racing, it’s the Carrot King, Phil Lamattina.

Lee Bektash dropped a Mopar bomb on the Pro Stock field in pre-Nationals testing, running a 6.903 at 198mph to earn the title of quickest unofficial Pro Stock pass in Australian history.

Following a successful showing at the Castrol EDGE Gold Coast 600 Friday Night Drags last week, husband and wife racers Grant and Debbie O’Rourke are preparing for the final rounds of their respective ANDRA championships.

The Brothers Tremayne will duke it out for the ANDRA Drag Racing Series Australian Pro Stock Championship in the Grand Final Australian Nationals this weekend at Sydney Dragway.

It is officially being announced that the NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car Team, KonRodz Racing, has reached a two-race deal with veteran ANDRA Top Alcohol Funny Car driver John Cannuli.

A trio of challengers is all-set to make headlines at this weekend’s prestigious Australian Nationals, with Lucas Oil’s Gary Phillips, Matt Forbes and Dylan Leo all gunning for glory at drag racing’s glittering final round.

Willowbank Raceway has crowned its Street Series Track Champions for 2014, with Josh Fletcher (Street Sedan), Ken Rice (Street Bike) and Belinda Brockhurst (Powder Puff) all claiming honours across this week in the Street Series.

The Gold Coast streets felt the brute force of real horsepower on Friday when a posse of drag cars were unleashed on the V8 Supercar crowd as part of the Gold Coast 600 festivities.

This weekend’s season-ending Australian Nationals will see Victor Bray make his comeback to the ANDRA scene after a few months away and he will do so with son Ben Bray by his side.

After nearly nine months out of the seat, Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Locky Ireland is back at the track this weekend for the Australian Nationals. Locky and father Johnny took time out to focus on business, with trips to India for Johnny’s Hog Shop and Vulture Race Engineering even on the agenda. Locky has been able to feed his competitive nature in the meantime by other means, taking to boxing in the Victorian Amateur Boxing Association. “I’ve always done boxing for the fitness so while I had the time off I decided to jump in the ring and have a proper fight, and will I go again, definitely,” he said. Locky hasn’t been the only one going through changes, with the Lucas Oils Pro Stock Motorcycle receiving a brand new Motec data system to help get the most from the bike at the track. “We would come back from a run and dad would ask how it felt and I would give him feedback to say it felt lazy out of the hole or the shift light didn’t come in as I went through the finish,” he said. “Then we would look at the plugs and that was as technical as it got.” A bigger 1640cc two valve motor will be in the frame rails for the event, leading the team to hope for some fast numbers. Locky will be joined on track by his dad, with Johnny teaming up for a partnership ride between Johnny’s Hog Shop Vulture Racing and Niki Z Racing. Johnny will be riding a Screaming Eagle V-Rod in Modified Bike. {fcomment}

Australian Competition Eliminator Championship contenders Craig Geddes and Alistair McClure just can’t be separated ahead of the season finale Australian Nationals at Sydney Dragway October 31 – November 2.

Sydney Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Wayne Newby got his first go in Top Fuel last night courtesy of Rapisarda Autosport International. Here’s a quick video of the pass: Post by Rick Gauci Racing. {fcomment}

The Calder Park Street Outlaws series is in the home stretch with just two more qualifying rounds left before the finale when champions will be crowned. Rounds six and seven are now history and there has been some turbulence at the top of the lists as the main contenders continue to trade blows.

One of the stars of last year’s Australian Nationals, Brett White, will be back aboard his ‘wheels up’ Top Alcohol dragster as his team make a run at their first ANDRA Gold Christmas Tree in the Group 1 class.

Former Australian Top Fuel Motorcycle Champion Chris Porter will make his ANDRA Drag Racing Series return in the season ending Australian Nationals at Sydney Dragway next weekend October 31 – November 2.

Jamie Whincup might not of been hitting the correct numbers during the Bathurst 1000 weekend, but Willowbank Raceway was with a record number of racers turning out for the penultimate round of the 2014 Queensland Drag Racing Championship.

When the Castrol EDGE Gold Coat 600 fires up on the Gold Coast this weekend, it will do so with a touch of drag racing’s dramatic flare thanks to the return of the Friday Night Drags, featuring O’Rourke Motorsport.

The California Hot Rod Reunion, held at Bakersfield’s Famoso Raceway, is an annual pilgrimage for old school racers and fans who seek to relive the glory days of the sport in the USA.

Several Australians are representing ‘down under’ at the annual California Hot Rod Reunion, held at Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield.

In the face of John Zappia’s continued dominance of the Top Doorslammer bracket, Holden Trade Club Monaro driver, Maurice Fabietti will be looking to take on Zappia and take home ANDRA gold at the Sydney Dragway’s Australian Nationals.

Perth Motorplex has opened up its drag racing season with its first FAST Series event of the year and first open test and tune.

The momentum continues to increase for the Aeroflow Outlaw Nitro Funny Car series with confirmation that Paul Shackleton-owned “Shack Attack” will be driven by US hot-shoe, Clint Thompson at the November 29 Night of Fire event held at Sydney Dragway.

It couldn’t have been any more perfect for Jason Simpson at the Benaraby Nationals last weekend. Racing in his first meeting of the year, never mind his first Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship round for 2014, Simpson claimed the honours in Super Comp, resetting the elapsed time and mile per hour records for G/GA over 1000 feet. “This was my first meeting back for this year so to qualify #1, win and reset both records was awesome,” said an elated Simpson. “The atmosphere was great and the crowd rolled up after work and really got into it, we had a lot of interest in the car from the Ford fans.” The weekend also represented another first for Simpson; his first time racing 1000 feet making his record setting performance even more impressive. “This was my first time running a 1000 feet so we now hold the eighth mile, 1000 feet and quarter mile records for G/GA with both the eighth and 1000 feet records at Benaraby. “The track was good and only got better as the day went on. The upgrades to the track are excellent; the braking area is a massive improvement with the new walls being done. Hopefully next time it will be quarter mile.” Although it was a small field, Simpson credited his fellow Super Comp competitors acknowledging he had to work hard to first take the number one qualifying position and go-rounds during eliminations. “First round I had Ross Bryant in the B/AA and being 1000 feet there was no backing off so I hit the index hard first round knowing I had the bye in the next round, the track was good both sides so lane choice wasn’t a problem. “The final was a close race, I had lowered my index more than Shane (Moran) and with near identical reactions I had to push it all the way backing up both ends of the record, 1.5 under and nearly 4 mph over the speed.” With a win in the bag, Simpson reflected on a great weekend of racing in Central Queensland paying homage to the track staff and officials who made the 2014 Benaraby Nationals a big success. “The track staff were great, always friendly which makes it fun to race there, the ANDRA officials did a great job all weekend and the Silver Christmas Tree looks awesome and is a great addition to the trophy case,” he said. The final round of the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship now moves onto Sydney Dragway for one of the most prestigious races on the calendar, the Australian Nationals to be held October 31 – November 2. Image by Staunch Launch Photography. {fcomment}  

Join Drag News Australia’s Mark “Robot” Shields as he brings you live coverage of today’s QLD Championship round from Willowbank Raceway.

Six times back-to-back ANDRA Top Doorslammer champion John Zappia made history at the Fuchs Springnationals by winning his seventh championship in a row with a finals finish, the most titles any racer has won consecutively.

Rapisarda Autosport International will return for the final round of the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello season to be held at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on November 13-16, 11 days after the final round of the local ANDRA season at Sydney Dragway.