by John Doig, Australian Correspondent
Drag Racing legend Santo Rapisarda has been inducted into the Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame.
The Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame is the highest honor in Australian motorsports and is an exclusive honor roll made up of less than one inductee for each of the 125 years motorsports has existed in Australia.
The induction ceremony was held as part of the opening round of the 2026 Formula 1 Championship at Albert Park in Melbourne on March 5.
With 13 Australian titles to his credit as a driver and team owner, Rapisarda has played a pivotal role in the development and growth of Australian drag racing.
“Drag racing has been major part of my life for more than 60 years and to be recognised by the Hall of Fame is a huge honour,” said Rapisarda. “The sport has been my passion since I migrated to Australia from Sicily as a 16-year-old and graduated from a street racer to Top Fuel. Drag racing is not just about the racing, It’s the people you meet and get to know over the journey. It’s also family, my boys Santo Jnr, Santino, Corrado and daughter Gianna who reminds me how much money I spend on my obsession, as well as the fans that support what I believe is the most exciting motorsport on the planet.”
Rapisarda’s impact and commitment to Australian drag racing is without peer.
In a sport where racing a single car is the norm, Rapisarda regularly enters two, three and sometimes four cars and backs up this commitment by quietly working behind the scenes, sponsoring events, often supporting other racers with parts, equipment, a drum or two of nitro and at times financial help.
The Sydney-based Rapisarda Autosport International team took on the world’s best, spending almost a decade racing on the NHRA tour where they developed a cult following.
Rapisarda has also supported and nurtured the careers of many drivers including NHRA stars Larry Dixon, Cory McClenathan, Tommy Johnson Jr., Dom Lagana, Ashley Sanford and Richie Crampton. His Australian drivers include Wayne Newby, Damien Harris, Alan Dobson, Steve Read, Shane Olive, Luke Shepherd, Mark Mariani and Terry Sainty.
All RAI cars carry signage on the rear wing to honor his beloved son, Louie, who lost his life in a crash at Willowbank Raceway in 1990.
Also inducted into the Hall of Fame was Sir Jack Brabham’s Repco Brabham BT19 that won the 1966 Formula 1 World Championship, the only time ever that the title has been claimed by a driver with a car of their own construction.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the unique achievement, and also the centennial of Sir Jack’s birth (April 2, 1926). Seven-time Supercars champion Jamie Whincup, two-wheel legends Shane Watts and the late Ken Blake, and long-serving race official Garry Connelly were also honored.
