Noted motorsport administrator Tim McAvaney has been appointed CEO of the Australian National Drag Racing Association.

McAvaney has extensive experience in track and series management, particularly in the Speedway world, and will take up the position on July 3. 

“My main objective will be for ANDRA to add further value to the industry and to further cement ANDRA's place as the peak body of drag racing in this country,” McAvaney said.
 
"ANDRA needs to be an organization that can demonstrate clear benefits for everyone in drag racing from Top Fuel all the way down to entry-level racing, supporting competitors, officials, tracks, sponsors, supporters and the public."

The appointment of McAvaney comes at a critical time for the sanctioning body that recently announced they were splitting with American-based Summit Racing Equipment as sponsor of their Sportsman Racing series at the end of 2023. 

The decision has sent shockwaves through the Australian drag community. 

Summit Racing Equipment has been the major sponsor of ANDRA Sportsman Racing since 2015. 

Jim Greenleaf, Summit Racing's Equipment Motorsport and Events Manager, was diplomatic in what some could describe as a betrayal of a longstanding partner in Australian drag racing.  

“We’ve put a large investment into that program over these years and supported racing with contingency,” Greenleaf said. “[We had] full intentions of continuing the program and just weren’t given the opportunity to continue.”

According to ANDRA, "Across the length of its partnership, Summit Racing Equipment has invested more than 1.5 million dollars to the benefit of ANDRA racers through prize money and contingency payments; series, bracket and lane sponsorships; the supply of goods, discounts and promotions, plus its support of track and event sponsorships."

Summit Racing Equipment will continue to sponsor the remaining six rounds of the 2022-2023 season and has also announced they will increase contingency payouts to racers. 

This will see Summit Racing Equipment potentially deliver more than $22,000 USD in contingency payments to ANDRA members. 

According to Greenleaf, “We wanted to take the opportunity to increase and expand the contingency payments on offer to ANDRA members, in reward of their hard-earned efforts at Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series events.” 

While Greenleaf remains quiet about Summit’s future involvement in Australian drag racing, he’s very straightforward in how appreciative he’s been with the support of the Aussie drag racers. 

“We always try to back the sportsman racers,” Greenleaf said. “It’s a strong market and it is something we were proud to be a part of and now we’re not. Our full intention was to continue to support those racers as things changed. We would’ve liked to have been a part of it.”