At the 43rd Westernationals, Phil Lamattina did something you won’t see very often. Pushing hard for another ANDRA Drag Racing Series victory, he left some low hanging fruit on the tree… and he wasn’t happy.

Veteran Steven Ham will be a cautious participant at the Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race presented by Uplift Cranes and Titan Cranes this Easter weekend even though he knows being cautious could punt his team from the running.

With a huge field of 10 Aeroflow Outlaw Nitro Funny Cars set to take to Mildura’s Sunset Strip Saturday April 19, the new racing surface is being prepared to the highest possible standard, which means the teams will be able to use the full 4000hp being produced by their supercharged nitro engines.

  A combined 56,000 nitro horsepower will come to bear on Queensland’s Willowbank Raceway this Friday and Saturday with the running of Santo’s Super 3 Extreme presented by Uplift Cranes and Titan Cranes. Seven of Australia’s quickest Top Fuel dragsters and their pilots are set to do battle in two separate ANDRA championship rounds over two nights. Not only will racers vie for championship points but also for the Louie Rapisarda Top Fuel Trophy. It will be the third event for 32 year old John Lamattina, the youngest brother of the Lamattina Top Fuel Racing team. Like many younger brothers, Lamattina gets the hand me downs. At least that is the joke going around his race team after older brother Phil took the wheel of the dragster John piloted last season, with Phil’s rail passed to John. “Phil calls it the hand me down and I didn’t at first but now I am starting to,” John laughed. “But we tested it at Sydney Dragway a few weeks ago with a new front end like what is on the other car and it is ready to go.” John, who enjoys hunting around the family’s carrot farm when the family isn’t away racing, said he wasn’t the type to set goals or targets and that Top Fuel racing was just something he likes to do when the team has the opportunity to field two cars. “If I was racing full time I’d say I want to win a championship, but not doing all the rounds means the championship is out of reach,” he said. “But I’d like to perform well side by side against Phil – he’s the measuring stick. “I don’t single any one racer out as someone I’d like to beat, you need to respect everybody.” The brothers have been sharing tips on how to tackle Willowbank Raceway though, unique in respect to its downhill braking area. “I asked Phil about Brisbane because there has always been different opinions on what it is like there,” he said. “The timing boards are not actually on the finish line and you can’t see the run off (braking area) from the track. He gave me an insight on that so that it is not a surprise when it happens.” Lamattina will take on the strongest field yet this season that includes not just older brother and points leader Phil, but last year’s event winner Steve Read, three times former Australian champion Phil Read, Damien Harris, Allan Dobson and newcomer Peter Xiberras. It will be full throttle nitro competition not to be missed. Racing runs from 5.00pm to 9.30pm each night and will be supported by championship Top Alcohol racing and a program of entertainment including Top Fuel Motorcycles, Top Doorslammers and Pro Street amid a flurry of on-track light and audio-visual theatrics. Tickets are available at www.willowbankraceway.com.au or at the gate.

The Southern Nationals presented by Fiat Professional & Essendon Chrysler Jeep Dodge was the first time three Group 1 brackets were at Calder Park for quite some time, generating lots of interest amongst the Victorian racers, as well as sparking off some great memories for many racers, including Darwin’s Scott White. “I remember coming to Calder Park in the nineties and racing in oversubscribed Pro Stock Motorcycle fields. Back then drag racing attracted huge crowds of over 40,000 so it was easy to get excited about coming back again,” said White. “We were here last October for a Pro Stock Motorcycle round so were hoping to go one step further this time around. Being the first round of the 2014 ANDRA Championship I was looking to grab as many points as possible. On Friday White prepared for his first qualifier but a broken throttle didn’t allow for a full power run. Making matters worse was that he was in the right lane. “Lane two was extremely bumpy,” said White. Our bike jumped up off the ground at an incredible height which also threw the body off as well as a few other bits. Unfortunately the second qualifier was cancelled because the dew and cold had made the track unsafe.” The following day Group 1 had their final qualifier and White was pumped to run a solid number over the quarter-mile. “The sun was out I was in lane one which was obviously the better lane. Calder is definitely a one-lane track, no doubt about it. Who ever top qualified or had the quicker ET would pick lane one on the left hand side for eliminations.” “Anyway the bike made good horsepower but spun up at the hit. Probably rotated three or four times and then moved me towards the wall. By the time I pulled it back I’d already lost a bit of time. The 8.3 ET was our quickest run of the weekend and it put me in fourth spot,” said White. Eliminations saw six bikes front for the first round and White would face number three qualifier Phil Howard. “Round one, well that’s another interesting story. I was in the middle of adjusting the clutch when the TV crew came and did an interview and they wanted to do it right then and there. In hindsight I should have said no, go away,” said White with a grin. “Anyway I did the interview and waved to the other guys on the crew that I’d finished with the clutch and to put the cover back on. It wasn’t until I was on the line, ready to go that I realised those bolts are still in the clutch. So had to think real quickly about what we were going to do and what damage could be done.” “In the end it seemed to do a burnout so I said lets stage and see how it goes. But on the hit it just spun the clutch and bucked like a bull.” “On both of the two qualifying runs we had no data which wasn’t helpful because we didn’t know what was going on. For the first round we at least got data but we already knew what was going on with the clutch. That will never happen again.” “Overall the conditions made for a very trying event but there were a lot of people who were more unfortunate than us. It was a shame to see the Buell go down and also how the meeting ended early on Saturday night, but on a positive note the engine is fine and in one piece and I have some points on the board.” “It was a difficult weekend for all concerned and I’m sure I’m not alone in saying how I’m looking forward to Sydney for the X-Champs in May. Bring it on!”

The wrap has come off or more accurately gone on the latest Aeroflow Outlaw Nitro Funny Car, that of North Queensland’s Glenn Moore.

NSW Championship event gallery by CacklingPipes.com – Grant Stephens, Neil Larsen & Michael Wyllie {fcomment}

Following completion of the ANDRA Divisional Nominations for 2014, the make-up of the six Divisional Councils is confirmed in the table below.

When the Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race presented by Uplift Cranes and Titan Cranes came to Willowbank Raceway in 2013, it saw two local Top Alcohol racers crowned victorious – 17 time champion Gary Phillips and category debutant Darren Fry.

For Australia’s most prominent Top Fuel family, the Easter break is about spending time together but rather than a traditional Sunday lunch, John and Phil Lamattina will be beating up on each other as they pilot their 8000hp-plus Top Fuel cars at Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race presented by Uplift Cranes and Titan Cranes at Willowbank Raceway.

WA Top Comp champion for the 2013/14 season Alistair McClure said he went from thinking he had no chance to living out a dream of winning the most prestigious state title.

Karen Hay rewrote history on Sunday as she became New Zealand’s quickest and fastest female in her purpose built 1927 Ford Model T roadster, powered by a twin turbocharged 482 cubic inch big block Chev engine.

Competition drag racing makes a comeback this Saturday at Hidden Valley Drag Strip as part of the 2014 Season Opener.

When Raceview’s Steve ‘The Pom’ Read heads to Willowbank Raceway this Easter for the second-running of the Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race presented by Uplift Cranes and Titan Cranes, he will not only be defending his title as the reigning event winner, but also the honour of the Queensland community.

Anthony Begley made worldwide headlines with a Nitro Funny Car fire almost 12 months ago, but it hasn’t stopped him playing in all kinds of Funny Cars still, even if they do occasionally light up.

Drag News Australia event coverage from the Southern Nationals at Calder Park featuring Top Doorslammer, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle and the Aeroflow Sportsman Series. Coverage includes the live feed courtesy by MotorsportsTV.com.au and a news blog to keep you abreast of the results when they come to hand.

Round four of the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship met with bad weather at Adelaide International Raceway, the second time this season Mother Nature has intervened in the series. With some brackets reaching the semi final stage we look at a wrap up of the event and a bevy of photos.

The Southern Nationals is set to awaken the state of Victoria when ANDRA championship drag racing returns to Calder Park with a massive hit of action this weekend. With Top Doorslammer, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle on the bill, Melbourne fans haven’t quite seen that kind of show for sometime.

Team Bray Racing will soon head to Calder Park Raceway for the return of ANDRA Top Doorslammer racing to the Victorian facility, thanks to this weekend’s Southern Nationals event (April 4-5).

The WA Grand Final this weekend not only decides many of the state drag racing championships but also a memorial award in memory of Kate Scott.

The name Tony Hinkley may not be familiar to many as a Pro Stock Motorcycle entrant but that is likely to change as he heads into the Southern Nationals with one of the quickest bikes in the country.

This season has been a work in progress for Team Bray as both Victor and son Ben come to terms with new converter set-ups.

Round two of the Queensland Drag Racing Championships at Willowbank Raceway saw the seasons first appearance of the new QDRC Outlaws class venture, a combination of blown turbo and nitrous machines.

Lee Bektash is no stranger to pressure situations and will have brand reputation on his shoulders for this weekend’s Southern Nationals presented by Fiat Professional and Essendon Chrysler Jeep Dodge at Calder Park.

Midway through qualifying at this weekend’s NHRA event in Las Vegas a shock announcement has come through from Kalitta Motorsports with Australian David Grubnic being replaced by J.R. Todd.

Multiple Australian Top Fuel Motorcycle champion and national record holder Chris Matheson and his Nitro Voodoo Team plan to excite the fans at the upcoming Santo’s Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race event on 18-19 April at Willowbank Raceway in Queensland.

Cameron Turner went through one of the biggest crashes seen at Perth Motorplex just weeks ago but with the generous loan of a dragster he has been able to continue his quest for the Modified state championship.

DNA’s international media partner, DragRaceCanada.com in support of it’s primary presenting sponsor Mopar®, ventured into rather unchartered photographic territory recently.

Scott Wilson went for a wild ride at Perth Motorplex on Saturday night when his turbocharged Competition Bike slipped up off the start line.

Mark Sheehan made the second quickest Nitro Funny Car pass outside the USA in match racing against Anthony Begley on Saturday night at Perth Motorplex.A 4.876sec. clocking was only just outside the record of 4.863sec., set by American racer Gary Densham at Willowbank Raceway in 2009.The car went through at 296mph, indicating there is still some more left in the top end, with a 4.15 recorded to 1000 feet. It left Sheehan on a high ahead of a busy off season in which he hopes to take delivery of a new Top Fuel dragster to replace an ageing chassis.Only two match races were completed with rain bringing an early end to the night’s competition.Al McClure was to race Shane Weston in the final of Top Comp, with Rob Pilkington to go up against Aaron Deery in the B Final. Though not getting a chance to extend his points lead, McClure appears to have enough points in the bag to take the Top Comp championship at the Grand Final on April 5.Andrew Katavatis and Allen Puglia were to race in the final of Super Comp before the wet stuff fell.Greg Durack defeated a red lighting Ross Smith in Competition Bike in one of the finals that actually got to completion. Smith now looks to have his championship bundled up.Westernationals winner Jamie Nelmes was in his second Modified final in a row and due to face Michelle Adamos, who celebrates her birthday today.Leigh Fallon has secured enough points to take out the Super Sedan title, reaching the final where he was to race Adam Thompson.Justin Townson raced to a win in Modified Bike against Phill Paton and with Roger Harris going out in the first round he is well and truly back in the championship chase.Jay Jeffreys defeated Lee Watson in the final of Super Street while in a non-championship round of Junior Dragster Curtis Spadaro used a .006 reaction to help him win the final against Matthew O’Connor, son of Top Doorslammer racer Murray O’Connor. Image courtesy Phil Blondel / facebook.com/dragsmedia {fcomment}