Top Fuel rookie Kelly Bettes showed the way to the experienced veterans of the class on night one of the Santo’s Summer Thunder at Sydney Dragway.

Leonard Azzopardi has been leading the no-bar bike brigade for many years with the bike dubbed “Quiksilver” – now meet “Outrun”.

A few teams took to Sydney Dragway ahead of Friday’s official testing for Santo’s Summer Thunder this Saturday, January 20, in the professional classes, and with the weather forecast to be on the very hot side, the track time may prove invaluable.

Matt Czerny and his Mullins Dragster are currently leading the way in the Modified ranks of the 2017/2018 Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series, which will enjoy its seventh round this weekend at Portland’s South Coast Raceway (January 20/21).

Sydney’s Gas Racing have become authorised Australian dealers for another world-renowned brand, now offering FuelTech ECUs and engine management packages.

The ‘Nitro Madman’ Mark Sheehan believes Queensland’s ‘Chemical Warfare’ team have the upper hand ahead of the Nitro Slam this Saturday at Perth Motorplex.

Jamie Robertson has been pushing his Mr Maniac II blown altered well past the manufacturing specs and now he has decided it is time to step up.

I’ve been lucky enough to see some amazing racing around the world last year, from a near sold out Aeroflow Outlaw Nitro Funny Cars event in Perth, Western Australia to the craziness of Drag Week in the American midwest. Here are the photos I selected as my top ten of the year – I suppose I could have included many others in their place but these were all personal favourites. The Bindoon Dirt Drags in Western Australia provided some great photo opportunities both on the eighth mile dirt track and the burnout pad. The low autumn sun saw the rays of light stream through the dust and trees, as burnout smoke fills the air. It was hard to select a favourite photo from the day but I did love this one for the sheer madness of putting a blown altered on dirt. Before Nitro Up North was run in Darwin, a series of promotional displays took place around town. Here a mother and daughter are sitting under the canopy of Mark Sheehan’s Top Fuel dragster at the Mindil Markets by the beach. The atmosphere of the night, the whole week for that matter, made it a lot of fun. Another one from Nitro Up North, Kelly Bettes takes on Peter Xiberras as the sunset provides a colourful backdrop for the first round of the evening. I love it when you can incorporate some of the environment in a drag racing photo, as it is a rare opportunity. Speaking of capturing the environment, that is also why I love this shot of Kelly Bettes slowing down in the braking area of Alice Springs Inland Dragway. The McDonnell Ranges rise up behind, while a plume of orange dust still hangs in the background after Bettes got close to the wall. It was a tough call between this and a photo of John Zappia slowing down in the desert but there is something about the scale of this one I like. Street Machine magazine asked if I would accompany Mark Arblaster and his nine second Valiant from Las Vegas to Cordova, Illinois for Drag Week. This was truly an adventure and even though it went by in a complete blur I have some amazing memories from the trip. Here we were cruising the Fremont area of Las Vegas, providing some amazing photo opps.  Drag Week itself was a photographer’s dream. Drag racing photography can get a little stale because you are much more limited in angles and track time than a lot of other motorsports. But Drag Week takes the cars and puts them on to the street, providing a whole new perspective from which to shoot. Here Tom Bailey’s Pro Mod-style Camaro kicks up dust in the sunset as it exits a mandatory stop. Jeff Lutz’s 57 Chev was an exhibition car on Drag Week. Drone use seems to be a little more accepted at US tracks than in Australia so there were some unique opportunities to shoot. Here Jeff had just got into his car and the crowd of people around it walked towards the track ahead of his run, providing a clear area for the photo. The ‘Restricted Area’ wording is a cute touch. Cordova Dragway has a cut out in the guardrail near the start line, providing a low angle so long as you are willing to put your camera in a little risk! This photo was taken by using a remote shooting mode activated through a phone.  In Las Vegas I was able to work with the Russo Fuel Funny Car team putting together some mini-documentaries about their weekend. Here the team is between qualifying rounds turning the car around. Turn arounds are one of the big challenges for a part time team as the crew learns to gel with eachother but from all accounts things went well this year. I’m not sure if there is anything technically great about this photo, I just like what it represents. Wayne Newby closes in on the finish line at Sydney Dragway, fuel hosing from some cylinders. Again, not a technically perfect photo but I just love the power in this shot. The heat haze, the flames, the distorted tyres, the glowing header pipes, a slight wisp of vapour from the wing.  I hope you enjoyed this top ten! Are you a drag racing photographer yourself, be it from trackside or the stands? Feel free to send us your top ten to press@dragnews.com.au. 

Drag News Magazine partner Speedflow Australia has released their 2018 catalogue.

When the 10,000 horsepower Chemical Warfare Nitro Funny Car returns to Perth Motorplex for the Nitro Slam on Saturday January 20, it will do so armed for bear.

He broke through for his first-ever ANDRA Christmas Tree at Mildura earlier this season, and since then Melbourne-based Supercharged Outlaws racer Tim Stewart hasn’t looked back.

The last time Team Bray Racing competed at the Santo’s Summer Thunder event at Sydney Dragway, they locked out the final. It is no surprise then that 12 months on, the team is keen for a repeat performance this Saturday, January 20.

Sydney racers had their first chance to blow off the New Year cobwebs with the first test and tune of the year ahead of this weekend’s Santo’s Summer Thunder event.

In terrible news, Pro Stock Motorcycle racer George Vella lost his life in a workplace accident over the weekend in North Queensland.

Pro Stock competitor Chris Soldatos will compete at South Coast Raceway’s South Coast 660 next weekend in close friend Craig Geddes’ Cavalier.

There were many headlines made in the sport of Australian drag racing across 2017 – we’ve put together a list of the ten biggest news stories from our site based on the hits received.

Australia’s number one Top Bike racer, Chris Matheson, is counting down the days until the Santo’s Summer Thunder round of the Australian 400 Thunder Championship on January 19 and 20 at Sydney Dragway.

John Zappia has returned to the top of the 400 Thunder Pro Slammer series with a textbook performance at Willowbank Raceway’s New Years Thunder event.

We were saddened this week to hear of the passing of Victorian Top Bike staple Phil Parker. Always a smiling presence in the pits, Parker featured on the cover of issue 15 of Drag News Magazine with this feature. We’d like to bring it to you now so you can read his poignant comments on life, death and drag racing.

The heat at New Years Thunder on January 6, 2018 proved no barrier to intense racing action, nor the thousands of spectators who poured through the gates of Willowbank Raceway for one of the biggest one day events in the venue’s recent history.

It is with great sadness we report the passing of Top Fuel Bike racer Phil Parker.

Peter Xiberras took an emotional win in round two of the 400 Thunder Top Fuel Championship at Willowbank Raceway in Queensland on Saturday night in front of one of the biggest one-day crowds ever seen in Australian drag racing.

Australian drag racing legend, the Big ‘O’ Larry Ormsby has been named Grand Marshal for the New Year’s Thunder event at Willowbank Raceway on Saturday, 6 January 2018.

The nitro sights and sounds of New Years Thunder at Willowbank Raceway this Saturday, January 6 won’t be contained to the ground-shaking Top Fuel dragsters.

Queensland’s newest Top Fuel driver will get to display her skills in front of a Willowbank Raceway home crowd for the first time in competition at News Years Thunder on Saturday, January 6.

There is a new challenger for the 400 Thunder Top Fuel Championship on the scene and Willowbank Raceway’s New Years Thunder event on January 6, 2018 could be the place where he makes his move for the points lead.

When Andrew Katavatis and the Beach Bomb Outlaw Nitro Funny Car thunder down the Perth Motorplex drag strip, you might have seen a very enthusiastic supporter watching from behind and cheering on its driver.