One of Australian drag racing’s most exciting events is back on the calendar with Sydney Dragway promising to make the 2015 Nitro Champs one of the best ever held at the Sydney venue.

GEICO/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster driver Richie Crampton continues to show speed in Pomona, qualifying number two for this weekend’s season-opening Circle K NHRA Winternationals.Crampton, the 2014 Road to the Future Award winner as NHRA’s top rookie, qualified No. 1 in Pomona last November, and Morgan Lucas Racing teammate Morgan Lucas won the race. Crampton’s pass of 3.730 seconds at 328.46 mph was tops of three terrific passes at this event; a fourth was washed out when rain forced NHRA to cancel the final qualifying session. “Perfect way to start the year: three solid runs,” Crampton said. “(Crew chief) Aaron (Brooks is) picking up right where we left off at the NHRA Finals; that car is running great. It’s very exciting to go into race day with that good of a car.” Brooks and Crampton were going to go for the national elapsed-time record in Q4, knowing they were solidly in the field. Alas, rain ended that chance. “We were solidly qualified at No. 2 with a 3.73, and we had nothing to lose but to try and run that first official 3.6-second pass in NHRA history,” Crampton said. “That’s what we were going for, and I’m extremely disappointed that the rain came, but that’s how it works. We’ll just focus on trying to win tomorrow.” Crampton begins his sophomore season against J.R. Todd, who qualified No. 15 with a pass of 3.914 seconds at 242.54 mph. With one full year of racing in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Crampton carries a lot of confidence into this season. “It’s a night and day difference,” Crampton said. “I come in here on the front foot instead of the back foot. I’m ready to go race and not be intimidated. It’s exciting to be this confident and driving such a fantastic race car. It should equal some round-wins and hopefully a trophy.” {fcomment}

The at times maligned finish line zone at Sydney Dragway is getting a touch up with a new surface going down currently. Here are some pics from Sydney Dragway.

It has be 50 years since the New South Wales Hot Rod Association ran their first drag race and milestone will be celebrated at “The Ultimate Bench Race” in March.

Sydney Dragway closed out January with a kind of sedate Test and Tune on a mildly hot day which fortunately saw no incidents and not too much foreign matter deposited on the racing surface.

In her first round of the 2015 Top Alcohol season, ex-pat West Australian turned Brisbane-resident Debbie O’Rourke punched out a personal best pass at the Perth Motorplex.

The drag racing world was saddened on Sunday to learn of the passing of Gary Miocevich.

Racing at the Westernationals for the first time since returning after a serious motorcycle road accident in 2011 kept the future of his motorcycling days on hold, Ian ‘Rev It’ Read achieved a breakthrough win.

The thriving NMCA racing circuit is a cool place to be for sure. While all events are presently exclusively held within the USA, Canadian participation does exist in the series with Ontario’s Mike Konigshofer being part of that.

The second round of the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series saw Western Australia’s best drag racers taking on more than a few interstate rivals for ANDRA Gold Christmas trees and valuable national points, with the action coming thick and fast.

The 44th annual Westernationals produced some amazing times and spectacular racing. Relive the event with our image gallery!

John Zappia is two from two in the ANDRA Drag Racing Series Top Doorslammer Championship following victory in the 44th annual Westernationals at Perth Motorplex, while Gary Phillips returned to the winner’s circle of Top Alcohol but not without a serious challenge.