by John Doig, Australian Correspondent
Top Fuel and Nitro Funny Car will add an extra round to their 2026 NDRC season as the series shifts from its traditional October–June format to a January–October calendar year layout.
Both nitro categories will appear together at five events: twice at Sydney Dragway, twice at The Bend, and once at Willowbank Raceway.
Nitro Funny Car has also been added to the 2026 season-opening event at Willowbank Raceway on January 24-25. That round was originally planned as a standalone Top Alcohol show. With the change, the Nitro Funny Car championship expands to six rounds, concluding at the Spring Nationals Grand Final on October 22-25.
“I’m pumped to be heading to Willowbank Raceway for our opening round,” reigning champion Morice McMillin said. “The last time we raced there, we set the Australian record at 3.92 ET, 325 MPH, and won by just .0005 of a second over teammate Josh Leahy, which is less than two inches. I’m fired up to bring that same intensity to Willowbank in January.”
Top Fuel, originally scheduled to open its year at the Riverbend Nationals in late March, will now begin its seven-round series at the Twilight Nationals at Sunset Strip, Mildura — 630 miles west of Sydney — on February 27-28. The season will conclude at the Spring Nationals Grand Final in October.
Top Fuel last raced at Sunset Strip in 2022 over the eighth-mile, when Phil Lamattina defeated Wayne Newby in the final.
“As a proud Mildura local, it means a lot to be bringing Top Fuel championship racing back to my home track,” Lamattina said. “It’s something special for the whole community. The last time we were here, things went pretty well for me. I’ll be turning it on for the home crowd, that’s for sure.”
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