Welcome to Drag News Australia’s event coverage of the first round of the New Years Series at Queensland’s Willowbank Raceway.

The Jet Dragsters returned to Sydney Dragway for the first time in over 6 years, but the weather gods rained on their parade.

Fresh from their United States drag racing excursion, Mark Mariani and the Rapisarda Racing Top Fuel team will be ones to watch this weekend as they seek to convert the lessons learned in the States into a New Year Series event win at Willowbank Raceway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YitixvVl4s4

Forty years, 33 ‘Gold Christmas Trees’, 15 National Championships, countless records and a lot of hard work from the whole family – these are the elements that make up the remarkable career of Hillcrest professional drag racer Gary Phillips.

Mark Mariani will start a journey this weekend (January 2-3) at Willowbank Raceway (Ipswich) that will see him race against the best Top Fuel drag racers in Australia and America over the next four months. 

More than 150 drag racers from around the country will ring in the New Year with high-octane action this Sunday and Monday at Willowbank Raceway for round one of the New Year Series.

Not really a rumour but a racer update. At last Saturday’s test and tune in Sydney the Saratoga ran 6.74 followed by a 6.71  

Self-confessed ‘Nitro Funny Car Tragic’ Ron Atholwood will be making his comeback to the quarter-mile after a decade away for Willowbank Raceway’s New Year Series on January 14 and 15.

Drag racing fans will enjoy a late Christmas present with an action packed episode of SBS Speedweek covering the Slamfest 2 event at Calder Park Raceway in November set to be broadcast this Sunday December 26.  

The Mildura Franchisee of well loved QSR brand – Hungry Jack’s – has signed on as naming rights partner of leading Top Fuel team Darren Morgan Racing.

Lamattina Top Fuel Racing have moved forward again for season 2010, announcing that world class print technology company Roland DG have stepped on board as an associated sponsor.

Motor racing legend Bob Jane, today (Wednesday, December 22) unveiled Calder Park Raceway’s 2011 drag racing program. 

New Pro Stock team PRE/Goldfingers Racing is hoping that Round Two of Willowbank Raceway’s New Year Series will be the scene of their racing debut after ‘new car blues’ saw them fail to qualify for the season-opening Nationals in September.

Speedflow Products Pty Ltd, Australia’s leader in production of performance hose fittings is pleased to announce the release of its comprehensive 2011 product catalogue.

The Boxing Day Nitro Funny Car event is coming up at Perth Motorplex in just a few days.

Robin Judd says startline tactics used against him at the Goldenstates event in Perth recently were ‘controversial’.

To win a Nationals is the aspiration of many drag racers but to win two in a row is an elite feat not many will ever achieve.

In December 2010, Rodney Rehayem suffered a serious accident behind the wheel of the world-record breaking PAC Performance RX3 at a Sydney Dragway test and tune.

Mark Belleri may only be in his first full season of ANDRA Pro Series Top Doorslammer drag racing, but he isn’t letting that get in the way of taking on the big guns.

On behalf of the members of the Pro Stock Owners Association (PSOA) we would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our members, fans and sponsors a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

High-octane racing is what it will all be about at Willowbank Raceway this New Years, with round one of the New Year Series set to kick off on January 2 and 3.

After a marathon six days the new state of the art timing system for Hidden Valley Drag Strip is now installed. HVDRA’s Jay Jukes and Clive Mainland spent most of the week shadowing Compulink’s Bob Brockmeyer and Greg Barrett as they installed the new system. “I have a new found respect for labourers after spending the last six days out in Darwin’s heat” said HVDRA President Jay Jukes. “I must commend MacMahon on the extra help they provided to ensure the installation went to schedule, particularly Jeff Gardiner who was there every day helping with anything we asked.” The system includes a full suite of new timing sensors, a new starter tree featuring LED globes, wireless dialin boards and timeslip printers, as well as Australia’a largest green LED drag racing timing boards. “We had a great turnout for the first training session on Tuesday night and it was an honour to learn all about the Compulink system from founding director Bob Brockmeyer.”“The new system includes a range of new additions that will enhance racing at Hidden Valley” said Jukes. “We will be spending the off season working through the new system and ways we can streamline the racing experience for spectators and competitors.”Features of the new Compulink timing system include;• 1.5m high green LED display boards to show elapsed time, speed (in both kilometres and miles per hour), dialin and reaction time• Remote mounted LED win lights 150m past the finish line so competitors know instantaneously if they won• New LED wireless dialin boards• New LED Christmas tree• Wireless timeslip printers that will produce new format timeslips with all race information including both km/hr and mph as well as weather data• Compulink Auto-Start – automates the starter sequence and prevents extended startline delays if an opponent does not stage at the startline• Compulink Stagelock – ensures racers do not red light from a momentary roll back at the start line

Reigning Australian Champion John Zappia gained valuable points in the ANDRA Pro Series Top Doorslammer Championship at the Goldenstates last weekend with a strong runner-up result in the Procomp Motorsport Monaro owned by Striker boss Craig Pedley.

Maurice Brennan is licking his lips rather than his wounds as he now focuses on his next attempt at running ANDRA Pro Series Drag Racing in March next year.

Australian Top Fuel campaigner and former Pro Series champion Phil Read has become part of ONE HD’s new promotional campaign “There’s a new player in town” .

Darren Morgan Racing has returned to Mildura following their appearance at the Show Us Ya Wheels car show in the Central Victorian town of Numurkah on Sunday.

Greg Carter ran .373 seconds under the national record for SS/A with a 6.986 second pass at Perth Motorplex on Saturday.

In just three weeks the fire-throwing Top Fuelers will head to Willowbank Raceway for round one of the New Year Series on January 2 and 3, and leading the charge will be comeback kid Andrew Cowin and likeable larrikin Darren Morgan.

The Stuart Bishop Racing crew have headed home disappointed after competing at the 39th Annual Goldenstates for round two of ANDRA Pro Series Top Doorslammer at Perth Motorplex.