Sydney Dragway is taking a big leap and making spectator entry to the opening round of the Atura Blacktown Championship Series free this Saturday.

The first round of the Atura Blacktown Championship Series on March 21 at Sydney Dragway will see three new names make their blown racing debut across the Wild Bunch and Supercharged Outlaws classes.

The Easter Saturday Aeroflow Outlaw Nitro Funny Car event at Adelaide International Raceway will feature entertainment as good off track as on with legendary Aussie rock band Rose Tattoo to play after racing.

Chuck Haynes has been coming to Western Australia to put on jet dragster shows for over two decades, but it is with mixed emotions he will return for the Night of Fire on March 21.

  Super Stock, Competition Eliminator and Super Compact all faced off in the amalgamated Super Comp bracket for the VPW Racer Payouts Pro Series 1000 with Steve Norman coming out on top with the Silver Christmas tree trophy and a record for good measure. Norman set a new national record for C/APA surpassing the minimum 6.66 seconds to push the new marker to 6.563. Event runner up Jim Ioannidis reset the B/MSA national records for both elapsed time and speed with his 7.692 at 133.30 mph. The previous benchmark was set at a 7.72 second minimum and 132.10 mph reset earlier by Ioannidis himself. Craig Geddes set new elapsed time and speed national records for B/D with a scintillating 5.999 and 170.00 mph to best the minimum 6.10 ET and 166 mph. Veteran Wayne Cartledge claimed the B/DA mile per hour record reaching 172.96 mph to beat his previous record of 170.32 mph. John Skorpos picked up the C/G mph record with 151.57 mph, up from the minimum 151.00 mph and Tom Dimitropoulis set A/MS at 7.563 seconds with the minimum previously set at 7.58. {fcomment}

The 2015 drag racing season kicks off on a high next month at Hidden Valley Drag Strip with the announcement that rapidly growing equipment hire company Go Hire has taken up naming rights on Lane 1.

Toowoomba Pro Street racer Scott Cortina has a busy few weeks ahead, entered in both this weekend’s Pro Street Shootout (21 March) and Easter Saturday’s (4 April) Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race Event presented by Uplift Cranes and Titan Cranes – for which he is the reigning Pro Street class winner.

The Night of Fire might be named for its four flame throwing 450kmh jet dragsters, but it also forms the penultimate round of the WA drag racing championship.

Rhiannon Allison might still be the rookie for the Night of Fire at Perth Motorplex on March 21 but the young driver of the Felicity Dragwell jet dragster has been rapidly ticking off goals on her high speed list.

John Zappia has taken a commanding lead in the ANDRA Top Doorslammer championship with victory over Pino Priolo at the VPW Pro Series 1000 in Adelaide. The seven-time national champion wrapped up his third ANDRA Drag Racing Series win in a row beating Priolo to the 1000-foot stripe in 4.91 seconds at 229.20 mph from Priolo’s 5.247 at 216.06 mph. That win gives Zappia a stranglehold on championship number #8 in this shortened season with a commanding lead over his nearest rivals. “We needed to put (Maurice) Fabietti out to catapult us a bit further ahead,” said Zappia. “We’re looking at wrapping it up in Sydney although I don’t know what the possibilities are with what I’ve got to do or not do. I’m pretty confident we just need to do well (to win the championship). “We’ve dropped one point (all season), we’re one from a perfect score. But we were beatable at the first meeting (Nitro Slam) and other than the 60-foot time we struggled from there. The next meeting Fabietti and (Peter) Kapiris could have beaten us and nearly did. Mathematically they won’t leave the shed from the performance advantage we’ve got but you’ve got to maintain that and the closer we are to the edge, the harder it is to be consistent. “But the Fuchs/Striker Monaro ran pretty good all weekend.” Zappia eliminated Bill Goonan and Maurice Fabietti on his way to another ANDRA Silver Christmas tree Zappia while Priolo took out Pat Carbone and Grant O’Rourke. Gary Phillips claimed his second ANDRA Drag Racing Series win in a row by defeating fellow Queenslander John Cannuli in the final. Phillips ran a 4.776 at 228.69 mph leavingCannuli at the line on the hit of the throttle. It was an unfortunate situation for Cannuli who claimed the Adelaide International Raceway Top Alcohol track record for 1000 feet with successive 4.702 and 4.724 second passes but it was Phillips who was left smiling from ear to ear with a 17th Alcohol championship in his sights. “We just go try and do the best we can,” said Phillips. “You just take it as it comes. This (1000 feet) is a whole different ball game, you’ve got to dumb it down, that’s actually a Doorslammer motor in the car. “When we tested two weeks ago at Willowbank we serviced the motor in the Funny Car and went 5.46. So we took the motor out of the Doorslammer because it’s identical except for the overdrive and the heads. “Now we can go home and pull the motor apart and service it for Easter. We’ll put the other motor in because it’s only completed one run and with that three round format you’ve got to be ready to go.” Phillips eliminated Robert Ambruosi in round 1 before a stout bye run in the semi finals. Cannuli defeated Debbie O’Rourke in a contender for pass of the weekend then benefitted from a solo semi final of his own when Steven Reed shut down after the burnout. Maurice Allen opened his Pro Stock Motorcycle campaign in perfect fashion taking top qualifier and the event win over Ryan Learmonth appearing in his first Group One final. Learmonth got the holeshot advantage after a long staging duel but Allen caught the rookie at around half-track and powered away to a 7.288 at 181.67 mph from a 7.558 at 177.25 mph. “We found a bit of stuff in the offseason, came back and the bike was starting to show the capabilities of what the engine can do,” said Allen. “We know on other tracks we’ll be able to tap in and run quicker again. The conditions were tricky again, the facility is great, don’t get me wrong and it’s the same for everybody else but just reading it (is tough) when you’ve had such a long break. “I’d like to give special mention to Michael Marriot who helped us with a bit of interpretation with data this weekend. We’ve made some advances and we’re pretty confident there is another tenth, tenth and a half in the bike. Over the next two race meetings I’m sure we’re going to start to see the potential of what it’s really got. “Thanks to my crew, Dad (Peter Allen), Steve, we’ve done this together for a few years now, we’ve got a great synergy. “It was an awesome final, to have a burn down in Pro Stock Motorcycle, who would have thought? I take my hat off (to Ryan). I said to him at the bottom end I’ve had my arse kicked for 15 years all over the joint. Don’t take it personally but pay your dues to the old man! “Ryan is going to be a force to be reckoned with, his team is very professional. I congratulate him and Gordon Crawford for helping him (get the team to Adelaide).” The ANDRA Drag Racing Series next moves onto Willowbank Raceway on Easter Saturday for the annual Santo’s Super 3 Extreme Drag Race featuring Top Fuel and Top Alcohol. Top Doorslammer and Pro Stock Motorcycle will resume hostilities with the full complement of Top Fuel, Top Alcohol, Top Fuel Motorcycle and Pro Stock at the Nitro Champs in Sydney on May 2-3. {fcomment}

  Drama, excitement and new records seem to be a common occurrence in the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series as Round 3 came to a close at the VPW Pro Series 1000 in Adelaide. Featuring virtually a full complement of ANDRA Sportsman brackets, racers pushed limits, reaction times, dial ins and indexes in the quest for vital points and an ANDRA Silver Christmas tree. Steve Norman was perhaps the most relieved man in the pits after claiming an all South Australian Super Comp final against Jim Ioannidis in what was also an all Super Stock battle. Neither racer disappointed as Norman cruised to a 6.568 elapsed time on a 6.81 index, a new national record up from the minimum 6.66 seconds at 151.68 mph to set the 1000-foot C/APA elapsed time national record. After many close calls and a lot of hard work, Norman finally hoisted the long awaited trophy above his head paying tribute to his crew. “It’s been a really, really long time coming with the boys,” said Norman. “That’s what you do most of it for. I was as happy for them as I am for me. “Everything went really good this weekend and it was good because it was two door cars in the final. It’s just been a really good weekend. “A big thanks to Rino (D’Alfonso) for continuing to pursue this out here (Adelaide International Raceway). It’s just been a really good weekend.” In his runner up effort, Jim Ioannidis reset the 1000 feet B/MSA national records for both elapsed time and speed with his 7.692 on a 7.92 index at 133.14 mph. The previous mark was set at a 7.72 minimum and 132.10 mph set by Ioannidis himself. Craig Geddes set new 1000 feet elapsed time and speed national records for B/D with a scintillating 5.999 and 170.00 mph to best the minimum 6.10 ET and 166 mph. Veteran Wayne Cartledge also claimed the B/DA mile per hour record reaching 172.96 mph and surpassing his previous record of 170.32 mph. Supercharged Outlaws unfortunately ended in an anti-climax after persistent timing issues earlier in the day scuppered several attempts at a Paul Stephen v Drago Nikodijevic match up. Nikodijevic eventually claimed the win to advance but time ran out to be able to turn the cars around with the semi finals run at the completion of the event. Officials decided that finalists, Donald Friend and defending champion Doina Day, would each receive runner up points. Stuart McBain doubled up for his second Top Sportsman victory of the season with a win over Sydneysider Steve Fowler. McBain won at the tree when Fowler red lit by just .003 seconds. The Victorian etched it in stone with a 6.628 on a 6.65 dial. Modified Westernationals winner Michelle Osborn raced an impressive program all weekend but she met her match in the final when local product Simon Barlow grabbed the win in a very close final. Barlow almost hit his 7.25 dial in with a 7.262 second pass from a 7.265 on a 7.20. Defending Modified champion Shane Wynd found some consolation for his round 3 exit as his team was awarded the YBi Creative Best Appearing Team for the entire weekend. George Tikpouikidis triumphed in Super Sedan when Danny Bucella saw red by an agonising .001 second. Tippouikidis completed a cruisey 10.023 on a 9.98 dial in take the honours. The red light trend continued in Modified Bike as Joe Khoury secured the win with a 9.445 on a 9.40 dial in after Shane Walker red lit by .044 seconds. That result catapults Khoury to the 160-point minimum in this shortened season as his title bid takes shape. Two-time ANDRA Super Sedan champion John Kapiris didn’t get the result he craved in his first class, but pulling double duty in his hometown, the nephew of Peter Kapiris managed to score the Super Street victory over Chris Dimech in the final. A 12.683 on a 12.62 dial in from a 12.509 second pass on a 12.52 was enough thanks to a holeshot victory. ANDRA Junior Dragster champion Toby Austin continued his dominance winning the final over local South Aussie and top qualifier Kelly Donnelly. Austin laid down an 8.131 on an 8.05 to defeat Donnelly’s 8.167 on an 8.08. And finally hometown hero Bruno Romeo, doubling up in Modified and Super Gas this weekend, took the Super Gas final in dramatic circumstances. His opponent Warren Smith ran a perfect 9.90 on the fixed 9.90 index but Romeo stole the win on a .026 holeshot with a 9.911 second pass. The Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series moves onto Willowbank Raceway for a one day event on Saturday April 11 before heading to Sydney for the Nitro Champs May 2-3. {fcomment}

Qualifying is run and done in the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series in for the VPW Pro Series 1000 at Adelaide International Raceway.

When Grant and Debbie O’Rourke head to South Australia this week for the Adelaide International Raceway’s Pro Series 1000, it will signal a return to a happy hunting ground for the husband and wife team.