Brisbane hero Kelly Bettes has etched her name in the record book by becoming the first woman to win a Top Fuel title in the 53-year history of drag racing in Australia. Bettes’ win in the final round of the 400 Thunder Australian championship was the highlight of the Gulf Western Oil 51st Winternationals at Willowbank Raceway, Queensland.  

The win was also a tribute to the close-knit Lamattina Top Fuel team fronted by ex-champion Phil Lamattina, who was forced to quit driving after sustaining major back injuries after a spectacular crash at the venue in 2015.

Damien Harris might have lost the war, but won the battle by stopping Bettes in the final round. 

Mike Janis secured his fifth career victory Sunday during the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by presented by J&A Service portion of the Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park. This weekend’s Pro Mod racing, presented by the Real Pro Mod Association, was the fifth of 12 events this season.

Janis used a 5.821-second pass at 246.26 mph in his AAP/Mike Janis Superchargers ‘69 Camaro to take down Mike Castellana in the final round.

Final round-by-round results from the Inaugural Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park, the 10th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series:

Point standings (top 10) following the Inaugural Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park, the 10th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series -

Sunday's final results from the Inaugural Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park. The race is the 10th of 24 in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series:

Hector Arana Jr. is the only NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock Motorcycle rider to know what it’s like to ride a bike at 200 mph in competition, and he has done that three times this year.

The rider of the Lucas Oil Racing TV Buell EBR earned the pole Friday at Virginia Motorsports Park at Dinwiddie, Virginia, with a time of 6.795 seconds at 198.15 mph and it held up for his second pole of the year.

Greg Anderson has added another highlight to his racing career at Virginia Motorsports Park, and the four-time Mello Yello Pro Stock champion is ready for more memorable moments Sunday during championship eliminations of the Virginia NHRA Nationals at Dinwiddie, Virginia.

Anderson, the current points leader, was the quickest in three of four qualifying sessions to earn nine of a possible 12 bonus points with his time of 6.571 seconds at 210.67 mph on Friday holding up for his sixth pole in 10 events and 99th of his Pro Stock career.

Tony Schumacher was able to parlay his strong Friday qualifying pass to secure the Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier at the inaugural Virginia NHRA Nationals in front of a sellout crowd at Virginia Motorsports Park.

Courtney Force (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the 10th of 24 events on the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.

The capacity crowd stood up, with an ovation which could be heard over the 3,000-horsepower, alcohol-burning supercharged engine. It didn't matter what 6-time Australian Top Doorslammer champion Victor Bray ran in his first pass back following a courageous battle against an aggressive form of skin cancer. 

Bray, who was rushed into emergency surgery last year on this same weekend, was a shell of the stature he once carried, down 110 kilos (210 pounds) following a year-long regimen of radiation treatment. 

Jeremy Ray locked in the first No. 1 qualifying position of his career Saturday during the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by presented by J&A Service portion of the Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park. This weekend’s Pro Mod racing, presented by the Real Pro Mod Association, is the fifth of 12 events this season.

Ray’s 5.804-second pass at 248.11 mph from the second qualifying session on Friday in his J4 Racing LLC ‘63 Corvette held onto the top spot.