
Round two of the 2024-2025 NDRC Nitro Funny Car season at Willowbank Raceway, January 25-26, has attracted four entries headed by the Team Aeroflow duo of Morice McMillin and series leader Josh Leahy, along with reigning champ Justin Walshe and part-timer Chris Stipanovich.
Round two was initially scheduled for January 10-11 but was called off due to expected poor weather.
The notable absentee due to the change of date is second in the points for Adam Murrihy.
Leahy, making only his third start in NFC, emerged as a series leader after upstaging his better-credentialed peers to win Round One at The Bend in October.
The Leahy name is synonymous with Aussie drag racing royalty, beginning with his grandfather, Roly Leahy, who raced Funny cars in the 1970s.
Josh is not the only Leahy entered this weekend. His uncle Peter competes in Supercharged Outlaw and cousins Cooper and Cody are racing in Real Street and Modified.
“When I began in Nitro Funny cars, I was only looking for a round win and to win the final at The Bend in only my third event was crazy,” said Leahy. “I’m still learning a lot about driving; the car is so fast and it has done a 3.99 in the past. My focus is all about the process and developing my craft.”
Reigning champ Justin Walshe will be looking for a better result than in Round One, when he had to settle for a win in the B-Final against McMillin.
“I am always excited to go to Willowbank because it is technically our home track,” said Walshe. The heat will make it tricky to tune the race cars as it will be the hottest time of year.”
“You are going from the Winternats in June, where it is absolutely perfect conditions for racing these styles of cars, to summer and January, where it is very hot.”
“As drivers, we all have the utmost trust in the guys tuning the cars and you have to be ready to drive them to the best of your ability, no matter the conditions.”
“I just have to trust in the decisions made by our in-house tuning team, Graeme Frawley and David Mullins and be ready for whatever the track and conditions throw at me.”
