More than 20,000 fans packed into Dragway at The Bend across three massive days for the Spring Nationals, which hosted the Pro Drag Racing Championship (PDRC) Grand Final and decided the national titles for Pro Mod, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle.
PDRC Promoter Jason Hedges carried the responsibility of delivering the PDRC Pro Alcohol, Pro Mod, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle National Championships on behalf of the NDRC this season — a role he described as both challenging and immensely rewarding.
“It was an absolute pleasure working for all the Pro racers that did support the PDRC this season,” said Hedges. “The Grand Final really delivered — the standout fields in both Pro Bike and Pro Mod were a testament to the dedication, professionalism, and camaraderie within these classes. The way these teams operate, both on and off the track, is a real credit to them and to the sport as a whole.”
Hedges also took a moment to praise the people behind the scenes who made the championship possible. “To my PDRC Comp Crew who travelled and made it happen, I’m truly grateful. Watching the crew’s growth from our first event to the final round has been incredible. The professionalism, teamwork, and commitment they showed throughout the season made all the difference,” he said.
He acknowledged that the journey wasn’t without its hurdles but noted that overcoming challenges together built an even stronger foundation for the future. “We faced our fair share of challenges along the way, but working through them as a team was a great feeling,” Hedges continued. “At the end of the day, we all share the same goal — the greater good of drag racing — and I think that really shone through in everything we achieved this season.”
With the Pro Alcohol season decided at the Wintenationals that saw Daniel Reed claim the National Title, it was left to the remaining classes to fight it out for end of season glory at the Spring Nationals.
A thrilling field of Pro Mods set the tone for two spectacular days of racing at the Spring Nationals, marking the Grand Final of the Pro Drag Racing Championship (PDRC). While the championship was already securely in the hands of Zoran Gajic, the GAS Racing team were determined to finish their dominant season with a statement. They looked well on track to do so, topping qualifying with a 5.869 on the 5.85 index in their twin-turbo Mustang.
But it was the visiting Kiwis who stole the spotlight, as Steve Carlsen and the Yee Ha Racing team completed an impressive comeback. After a major rebuild of their Falcon Sprint following a recent crash, Carlsen’s hard work paid off — taking victory over local racer Adam Tassone in a thrilling final.
The final round was an absolute barnburner. Tassone recorded his first-ever five-second pass earlier in the event and, like Carlsen, was chasing his first Gold Christmas Tree trophy. When the lights dropped, Tassone left with a big holeshot advantage but had to pedal the blown Pontiac mid-run. The pair ran side-by-side all the way to the stripe, with Carlsen edging ahead by a bumper to take the win, 5.881 to 6.229.
Australian doorslammer legend John Zappia made the jump into Pro Mod at this event, taking on a new challenge after years of dominance in Doorslammer. In a testing event Zappia claimed the C-Final win over young gun Zack Knezevic, who impressed in his debut outing. Championship winner Gajic wrapped up his season with a B-Final win over Nasser Matta, the result elevating Matta to second in the overall championship standings.
Pro Stock Motorcycle turned out in strength with nine entries, showcasing how much the bracket has grown over the PDRC season with new riders and previous champions returning the bracket. Reigning champion Luke Crowley arrived with one hand firmly on his fifth national title but still had work to do to lock it away.
Northern Territory racer Scott White showed up everyone in qualifying with a 7.169 to claim the top spot, but his campaign ended early after a crosswind pushed his Suzuki across the centre line in round two against Crowley. That opened the door for Ryan Learmonth, who made the long haul from Western Australia, and Tony Frost, who battled through to the A-Final.
When the lights came down, Frost cut a lightning-quick .004 reaction to seize control and never looked back, taking the win with a 7.431 to Learmonth’s 7.536. White rebounded with a C-Final win over Jason Lee, who still claimed second place in the championship, while Crowley benefited from a red-light by Callam Godeassi in the B-Final to secure yet another national crown.
A smaller Pro Stock field delivered plenty of drama, with now back-to-back national champion Rob Dekert topping qualifying with a 6.927 before being forced to withdraw due to a persistent engine gremlin in the Unique Racing GXP. Despite sitting out race day, his earlier season dominance secured the title.
That left the battle for second wide open between Chris Soldatos and Mario Polito, both aiming to chase down John Barbagallo’s points lead. Soldatos qualified second with a 6.973 and gained valuable round-one points after defeating Polito in their matchup. Both drivers then won round two, setting up a championship-deciding final.
All Polito needed to do was start the race to lock in second overall — and while the MPM Cobalt fired up, he left too early, handing the red-light win to Soldatos, who powered through for a 7.062 pass to cap off the season.
The PDRC Grand Final ran alongside a Top Fuel exhibition that delivered jaw-dropping performances, including Damien Harris setting a new Australian Top Fuel speed record at 333.51 mph (536.84 kph). Adding to the spectacle, John Ricca smashed his own Outlaw Pro Mod record with a 5.406-second run at 270.94 mph (436.03 kph) — the quickest and fastest by any blown sedan in Australia.
The weekend also hosted a full slate of ANDRA Sportsman Series action, ensuring there was no shortage of entertainment across the three days.
With PDRC Promoter Jason Hedges stepping into his new role as Track Manager at Dragway at The Bend, next season will see the PDRC classes continue to grow under the NDRC banner.
