The opening round of the 2022 Burson Auto Parts Australian Top Fuel championship at Sydney Dragway, January 21-22, will be a watershed moment for the sport of drag racing in Australia after the four teams currently competing - Rapisarda Autosport Racing, PremiAIr Hire Racing, Jim Read Racing and Lamattina Top Fuel Racing - banded together and decided to run their own independent, stand-alone championship series.

The decision to quit the 400 Thunder series and go it alone with their own six-round series has resulted in a seismic shift in the world of Australian drag racing. 

Launched in July 2021, the ATFC will make history as the first time Top Fuel has broken away from the traditional track owners and sanctioning body collaborative model that has been in place since the first ANDRA championship series in 1991.

Instead, the ATFC model is a private enterprise joint venture between the team owners and the series co-promoters and motorsport entrepreneurs Andy Lopes and Nathan Prendergast. 

The series also secured backing from leading Australian motor company  Burson Auto Parts. 

The first time since the mid -1990s the category has been sponsored. 

The opening round is also being played out against a massive surge in Omicron cases across the country and the ever-present threat of border closures and travel restrictions.   

The inaugural meeting will also feature Top Bike, Doorslammer, Pro Stock, Pro Mod and Sportsman racing and provide many teams with the opportunity to compete for the first time since the 2021 Winternationals in June. 

As a bonus, the meeting will also provide an early hit-out for teams entered for the Australian  Nationals scheduled for February 11-12.