Round Five of the 2022-23 Burson Auto Parts Australian Top Fuel Championship at the Perth Motorplex, March 3-4, is shaping up as a make-or-break round for the leading contenders headed by Rapisarda Autosport International star and series leader Damien Harris chasing his first Oz title since 2015.

The seven-round series returns to the ‘Plex for the second time this season.

Harris holds a narrow 90-point lead over reigning champ Peter Xiberras and veteran Phil Read tied in second spot, followed by Harris’ teammate Wayne Newby 50 points adrift in fourth place. Phil Lamattina, runner-up to Xiberras in the 2022 ATFC championship, trails Newby by 30 points, with his teammate Shane Olive 70 points behind in sixth place.

Harris scored both his victories this season at the Motorplex double-header meeting in November, where he defeated Read and established a new track record of 3.77. Then 24 hours later he scored an easy win over Lamattina.

His only blemish this season came at Sydney Dragway in January, where he stumbled and finished sixth.

Xiberras, winless since June 2021, returned to the winner’s circle with an emphatic win over Read at Sydney Dragway last month to jump from fifth to equal second in the points. The last time at the Motorplex, he finished runner-up to Newby in both B-Finals.

Read, who won the inaugural round of the ATFC in January 2022, is overdue for a win. This season two seconds and a fifth have kept him within striking distance of the leaders. The team goes into the Perth meeting without NHRA tuner Jim Oberhofer who was on hand for the last two events but has returned home to Texas to prepare for the 2023 NHRA Camping World series season.

Newby, like Read, is also chasing his first win of the season. Two-time champ Newby and tuner Santino Rapisarda have been plagued with a series of mechanical issues this season and finished runner-up in the B-Final on three occasions. Twice to Xiberras and most recently to NHRA champ Larry Dixon at the previous round in January.

LTFR has had an eminently forgettable season to date. For team owner Phil Lamattina, runner-up to Xiberras in the 2022 ATFC, the only highlight this season was finishing runner-up to Harris at Perth in round two.

Teammate Olive’s best result came when he won the C-Final at Sydney Dragway in January.

Local racer Kyle Putland made his Top Fuel debut in November and if his more experienced East Coast rivals fall by the wayside is more than capable of causing an upset.

Doorslammer has attracted 11 local entries plus Victorian Peter Kapiris, who, after an absence of eight years, made a strong, return with a win in the C-Final at Sydney.

The championship has become a three-way battle between last-round winner Kelvin Lyle, hometown hero John Zappia and reigning champion Daniel Gregorini.

Lyle holds a 12 point lead over Zappia, with Gregorini 102 points away in third.

With three rounds remaining, Rob Cassar chasing his maiden ADRC Top Fuel Motorcycle championship, goes into the meeting holding a comfortable 81 points lead over nearest rival Mark Drew. Sharing the limelight with Cassar will be reigning champ Chris Matheson who will continue his crusade to become the first Australian to run under the six-second barrier. His best result, a 6.009, came at the Motorplex in April 2022.