One of Australia’s leading drag racing administrators, Peter Beaumont, has spoken for the first time since his departure as General Manager at Sydney Dragway.

In an exclusive interview with Competition Plus Australia, Beaumont said, “I love the sport of drag racing and have very much enjoyed my time at Sydney Dragway. The last 12 months have been incredibly challenging. To finally see the long-awaited renovations to the racetrack and venue come to fruition, particularly in the light of the Covid-19 Pandemic, is a fantastic achievement for all involved.

“I intend to stay involved in the sport. There are drag racing related opportunities I’m looking to explore in America. I've been over there on several occasions, visited a lot of different tracks to see how they go about their racing and attended the U.S. Nationals twice. I’m optimistic about the future.”

According to a statement sent to Sydney Dragway members, "Peter Beaumont has left his position within the organization to pursue other opportunities both within the sport and externally. In his role, Mr. Beaumont has been integral in several initiatives, including the establishment of the 400 Thunder Series, the introduction to IHRA Australia as the sanctioning body at Sydney Dragway, and more focus on the customer experience for both fans, sponsors and competitors alike.

His six years in the position will leave an indelible mark on the history of Sydney Dragway. We thank Peter for his years of loyal service and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours.”

Beaumont, who was appointed GM in 2015, played a key role in the track securing a State Government grant of $US8.8m to refurbish the venue. Works have included a full concrete dragstrip extending 100m into the braking zone, improved spectator and competitor facilities, and installing state-of-the-art live streaming facilities.

Beaumont’s departure comes at a critical moment in the 17-year history of the venue. The last 400 Thunder meeting was held in January 2020. Since then, the track has only hosted a handful of low-key Sportsman events and has been forced to cancel events due to COVID restrictions and interstate border closures across the eastern seaboard.

With a planned rollout of a nationwide vaccination program later this month and the easing of travel restrictions, the Nitro Champs meeting in May is shaping up as the next opportunity for fans to sample racing at the venue.

Local Pro Stock racer Darryl Stephen who was voted onto the Board in late November 2020 has been appointed interim General Manager.

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— Competition Plus (@competitionplus) December 30, 2020