The 53rd annual MacTrack Westernationals will bring tonnes of National Drag Racing Championship fun to the Perth Motorplex across March 2 and 3, including 11,000hp Top Fuel dragsters in their only trip to the West in 2024.
Joining the flame-throwing Top Fuel Dragsters on-track will be Top Doorslammers and Top Fuel Motorcycles, as well as the NDRC’s Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship.
Across all of these racing brackets you will find passionate local racers fighting it out for championship glory, with Jon Ferguson, Seth Jarvis and Kim Fardella three in particular to watch when it comes to the Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship.
Jon Ferguson is enjoying his first full season in the Competition bracket after nine years in Supercharged Outlaws and is fourth in the NDRC Western Conference points on the points cap heading into the event – a position certainly helped by his ‘career highlight’ 2023 Goldenstates victory which he shared with his son, Junior Dragster winner, Brock Ferguson.
“We are definitely shooting for the championship. To be able to win the title would be a dream come true. A life goal for me has always been to win a championship in some form of my racing, and to do it in Competition Eliminator would be a dream so I really hope we can nail it,” said the 41 year old Director of Southside Crane Trucks.
“We have never won a championship in any of our classes and so going into the Competition bracket we didn’t think it would be a possibility so soon, but now it is looking like it could be, so we will just give it everything we have got for the rest of the year and see what happens.
“The Westernationals is definitely a highlight of the year I think for everyone locally, it is a bit like the Winternationals I suppose but here in WA, we treat it as the same kind of event.
“Out of all the events, this is the one to win for the West Aussies and I have actually come runner-up here three times, so we are really hoping to get the win this year – I don’t want to jinx myself, but you have to be positive as well.
“Winning the Goldenstates earlier this season in Comp while my young bloke won in Junior Dragster at the same event was a really special moment, a career highlight, and I really hope we can continue that luck at the Westerns.
“When the car is on song, we are quite competitive, so hopefully we can make it happen next weekend,” he concluded, while thanking sponsor Westfill Mining Backfill and Projects as well as his crew and family for their never ending support.
Seth Jarvis is also a local to watch, with the 14 year old on the points cap for Junior Dragster and keen for a Westernats win after his younger brother took it out last year.
“The championship is definitely our main goal, to win it would mean the world to me,” Jarvis said.
“The season has gone well so far; I got my 300 points like I wanted which is great. The Darwin event has definitely been a highlight as my first ever event win, hopefully we come home with a second next weekend!
“The Westerns is a big meet for us and with Tyler (Seth’s 12 year old brother) winning last year it is obviously a very important event for us as a family and I am definitely keen for a win! It would be nice if Tyler didn’t have all the bragging rights,” he grinned.
“Aside from aiming for the win, I will also be trying my best to top qualify after we went 8.00 last year before going on to race through to the semi-finals where I lost against Tyler.
“Hopefully we can go one better, to get the event win would be awesome,” the Year 9 student added, while thanking his Dad, Ian, Scruffy, all of his crew, his brother, and his valued sponsors for their support.
Kim Fardella is yet another West Aussie in the top of the points for the Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship, currently fourth in the Western Conference standings for Super Stock.
“We would definitely like to have a chance to have a run for the championship,” Fardella said.
“It will take a lot of things to go our way, but we are going to give it our best shot.
“It has been really good racing interstate again as we chase the NDRC’s Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship and seeing more of Australia while we are doing it.
“At the same time, it is great to race at home – the Westernationals has always been the biggest meet of the season in WA and with more local and Interstate competitors visiting for the event across the classes, it brings more spectators over the two days of racing which is really great to see.
“Any time we can do well is good of course, but to be able to do it with family and friends watching on is even better, so hopefully we can have some success next weekend.
“We have had to make some changes to our car set up to try and close the gap to our competitors so seeing improvement on track is our first aim for this event – we need to go rounds at this meet to have any chance in the championship, so the pressure is on a bit,” the mechanical fitter added, while thanking Terry Watt, Jackie Watt and Jake Roberts for their help, as well as sponsors Jackie Watt Consultancy, Huntsman Racing, and Valley Engines and Components.
The MacTrack Westernationals featuring Top Fuel, Top Doorslammer, Top Fuel Motorcycle and the Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship will be held at the Perth Motorplex across March 2 and 3. For event information and a full upcoming event calendar, visit www.ndrc.tv
