TOP FUEL
Reigning champion Wayne Newby needs to claw back a 16-point gap to series leader Phil Lamattina at the Haltech East Coast Nationals at Sydney Dragway on September 26-27 to keep his hopes of winning the 2026 NDRC Top Fuel Championship alive.
Newby and teammate Damien Harris sit tied in third place just two points behind privateer Kyle Putland.
Lamattina has been the benchmark this season with two wins and a third and is chasing his first Top Fuel crown since 2014.
Newby’s 2026 campaign hit turbulence early when his team, Rapisarda Autosport International, skipped the opening round of the season, followed by the cancellation of the Nitro Up North round at Hidden Valley Raceway in August due to the high costs of racing at the far-flung venue in the Northern Territory, effectively slashing his season from seven to five rounds.
Newby’s best 2026 result has been a runner-up to Lamattina at the Nitro Champs in May.
Harris, runner-up to Newby last season, also faces a daunting challenge to win the 2026 championship. After opening his account with a fourth, then a sixth, Harris returned to the podium in spectacular fashion with a win in the final over teammate Shane Olive at the Winternationals.
Western Australian Kyle Putland, 14 points behind Lamattina, is also chasing his first Gold Christmas Tree since debuting in 2022. Putland has been on the cusp of taking his maiden win several times, most recently at the River Bend Nationals in March, where he finished runner-up to Lamattina.
Even his fiercest rivals wouldn’t begrudge the affable privateer his maiden Top Fuel win.
The third RAI entry of Shane Olive has had a nomadic season. He began the year driving for Lamattina at the rain-abandoned Sunset Dragway meet, then returned to RAI for a third at the Nitro Champs, followed by a runner-up behind Harris at the Winternationals.
Part-timer Steve Reed, with a pair of fourth places this season, will travel from his home state of Queensland to race at Sydney for the second time this season.
FUNNY CAR
Third-generation racer Josh Leahy has been the standout in Funny Car this season with two wins and a runner-up to hold sway by 10 points over defending champ Morice McMillin, whose scorecard reads a win, a third and a sixth at the Winternationals.
Third in the points is Damon Paton, who debuted in mid-2025 and is chasing his first career win. A pair of third places are his best results this season, and a breakout victory is on the cards if his two more experienced rivals have an off day.
Former champion Justin Walshe is chasing his first win since the Festival State Nationals in January 2024, and fan favorite Adam Murrihy is on the hunt for his first career win after narrowly missing out to Leahy at the Winternationals.
DOORSLAMMER
Defending champ Russell Taylor leads evergreen John Zappia by a slender 10 points going into the penultimate round of the season. The longtime protagonists have a win each, but the biggest disruptor has been former Pro Stock racer Emilio Spinozzi, who stunned the field with victory over Taylor in the final of the Winternationals.
Spinozzi’s first win since 2023 also included setting a national speed record of 266.79 mph in Round 1. Taylor was also in the record books with a world-class time of 5.55 in the final round.
The 2026 Doorslammer season has been trimmed to six rounds after the cancellation of the Nitro Up North round.
The shock of the season has been the husband-and-wife duo of Daniel and Lisa Gregorini languishing in 11th and 12th places. Touted as championship contenders at the start of the year, a nightmare run of mechanical issues has derailed their title hopes.
In Pro Stock, defending champ Rob Dekert has reclaimed the series lead from Sydney veteran Omar Sedmak after winning the Pro Stock Nationals at Willowbank Raceway.
Victorian Chris Soldatos makes his first appearance of the season, and the Tremayne brothers, Aaron and Tyrone, are notable absentees. Gina Bullians, after several false starts, will finally make her category debut.
PRO MOD
Pro Mod has attracted 11 entries, headed by reigning champ Zoran Gajic and little-known Western Australian Lorenzo Gullotto, who upset Gajic to win the Winternationals. Tuning guru Jeff Cutajar will make his racing debut.
