The Gulf Western Oil Winternationals at Willowbank Raceway, Queensland, June 4-7, comes at a critical junction in the 2026 NDRC season as the championship contenders jockey for honors ahead of the second half of the season.
The biggest and most prestigious event on the Australian calendar, the Winternationals has traditionally been the final round of the Group One Australian season for more than two decades. However, that mantle has passed to the Spring Nationals held at The Bend in South Australia following the decision of the NDRC to introduce a January-to-October race calendar.
Back-to-back wins this season have vaulted veteran Phil Lamattina into contention to claim his first Top Fuel title since 2014.
“The last time I was leading the championship was when I won at Mildura, then Perth, in March 2022,” said Lamattina. “If I can win the Winters, I think it will also be the first time I’ve ever won three events in a row. This season the car is running more consistently, and that builds confidence and momentum.
“What I enjoy about the Winters is that it’s conducive to very consistent racing. Qualifying under the all-in format is just a formality, but as a racer it’s huge. We don’t want to waste any runs because once you fall behind it can be hard to catch up.
“We’re not quite as fast as we want to be and have made a couple of small changes in the engine regarding where and how we make power. That happens between one and two seconds into the run. From then on, we are pretty consistent with the other teams.”
All eyes will be on how Rapisarda Autosport International responds to its least successful start to a season in recent memory. Wayne Newby will be chasing his seventh Winters crown and his first win of the season in order to keep his title aspirations on track.
His 2026 scorecard includes a third-place finish in Round 1, then a runner-up finish to Lamattina at the Nitro Champs.
Teammate Damien Harris opened the year with a fourth-place finish, then crashed out in Round 1 of the Nitro Champs. The good news is the car has been repaired in time for the Winters.
Shane Olive, after a stint with LTFR early in the season, returned to RAI at Sydney, finishing third overall and coming away with a career-best 3.79.
The sixth entry is veteran team owner-driver Steve Read, who made his first appearance at the Winters in 1995 driving for Rapisarda Racing and will be the sentimental favorite with the parochial Queensland crowd.
With his home track, Perth Motorplex, closed for renovations, Western Australian Kyle Putland has been forced to haul his family-run operation across the continent to race. Two runner-up finishes this season, both behind Lamattina, have been a cruel return for a team punching far above its weight. A maiden win at the Winters would be the feel-good story of the season.
The Nitro Funny Car championship continues to be defined by the rivalry between teammates Morice McMillin and Josh Leahy, who are tied on points. They have met in six A-Finals over the past two seasons, with McMillin leading 4-2. McMillin also set the quickest Funny Car pass in Australia, 3.92 seconds at 317 mph, at the 2025 Winternationals.
Challengers include Damon Paton, still chasing his first win after a breakout 2025 campaign; Adam Murrihy, who returns for his second appearance of the season and is capable of an upset; and one-time fuel racer Luke Shepherd, who will make his Funny Car debut.
Doorslammer boasts the largest Group One field with 14 entries.
Two-time champion Russell Taylor rebounded from a fourth-place finish in Round 1 to dominate the Nitro Champs and reclaim the points lead from John Zappia, who is chasing his 12th title.
The next wave of racers, Ronnie Palumbo, Brodie Zappia and Salim Matta, are poised to strike should their more experienced rivals falter. Palumbo has been the standout this season after moving from Fabietti Racing to Matta Racing and sits third in the points.
Fourth-placed Jeremy Callaghan has emerged as a dark horse, running 5.76 seconds at 254 mph for Low ET and Top Speed at Round 1 before finishing runner-up to Taylor at the Nitro Champs.
Conventional wisdom would suggest the Daniel Reed-versus-Cheyne Phillips battle in Top Alcohol will continue. Phillips is the defending Winters champion, and Reed leads the series after back-to-back victories. However, a trio of fellow Queenslanders, Andrew Searle, Ben Bray and John Canulli, are more than capable of upsetting the status quo.
Pro Stock may be the most tightly contested category of the event. Reigning champion Rob Dekert, the dominant force of the past two seasons, opened his title defense with an easy win at Sydney after veteran Omar Sedmak red-lighted.
Category stalwarts Aaron and Tyrone Tremayne both suffered shock early losses to Daryl Stephen and Ray Oxley at Sydney and will be looking for redemption at their home track.
With only four events on the 2026 Pro Stock calendar, any missteps by the front-runners at the Winters could be catastrophic for their championship hopes.
Pro Mod is wide open. Little-known South Australian Adam Tassone heads the pack with second- and third-place finishes. Defending champion Goran Gajic opened his season with a win followed by a sixth-place finish in Sydney to occupy second place.
