by John Doig, Australian Correspondent
Rapisarda Autosport International (RAI) dominated the 2025 Aussie Spring Nationals with a series of standout performances, including an Australian speed record of 333 mph by Damien Harris and a personal best of 332 mph from Wayne Newby.
“We don’t go out to specifically set records, but this weekend the conditions were excellent and enabled both our cars to run over 330 miles per hour,” said Harris crew chief Santo Rapisarda Jr. “We did want to run quicker ETs; however, the speeds were a byproduct of the weather conditions and horsepower the engines produce. It was a good weekend for the team.”
Because the event was not a round of the NDRC series, no winners were declared. Each of the three Top Fuel teams entered with a different focus for the weekend.
Jim Read Racing debuted a new pink livery for “Socket To Breast Cancer,” raising funds and awareness for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. RAI tested a new fuel pump on Harris’ car, while tuner Santino Rapisarda approached Newby’s clutch setup cautiously due to warm conditions not seen since April.
Team owner and driver Phil Lamattina entered the weekend hoping to improve on his personal best of 3.77 seconds set in 2024.
The meeting also marked the final round of the PDRC season for Pro Mod and Pro Stock.
In a major upset, New Zealand’s Steve Carlson claimed the Pro Mod final over Adam Tassone. Championship leader Zoran Gajic won the B-Final.
In Pro Stock, Chris Soldatos took the win over Mario Polito, who red-lit in the final. Points leader Rob Dekert was eliminated in the second round.
Day one of Top Fuel was dominated by Newby, who recorded a 3.77, 326 mph. In the opposite lane, Lamattina was on a strong pass until his car overpowered the track and smoked the tires.
The Harris versus Phil Read matchup ended in disaster for Read, who dropped a cylinder and suffered an oil fire that, he said, “damaged the car from the steering wheel back.” The repair bill is expected to exceed $100,000.
Rival teams RAI and Lamattina Top Fuel Racing offered parts and equipment to help with repairs, but the car was sidelined due to extensive wiring damage and destruction of safety gear.
“We are all competitors, of course, but when the chips are down, we are all there for each other, and this weekend really showed that,” said JRR crew chief Bruce Read. “Santino Rapisarda always says we are all family, and he, Santo Jr., and the entire Rapisarda Autosport International team, as well as Phil Lamattina and the Lamattina Top Fuel Racing Team, really lived up to that premise over the past couple of days.”
“They both opened their transporters to us so we could do all we could to get this car back together in the face of catastrophic damage, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Round two paired Newby with Harris, whose team found a broken valve spring after warm-up but made the start line in time. Harris was quicker to 60 feet before smoking the tires, while Newby ran another 3.77, 329 mph — a personal best for the Newby and Rapisarda combination.
“I need to thank Santino and the boys and girls on the team for giving me a car that was able to run a pair of 3.77s,” said Newby. “Honestly, it didn’t feel that fast, and that makes me think there’s still a lot of potential in the car.”
Lamattina replaced a front wing after colliding with a golf cart on the way to staging, then smoked the tires on launch. Overnight, Santo Rapisarda Jr. worked to slow Harris’ car while Newby’s team freshened the blower.
Day two saw Harris and Newby both post identical times of 3.76, with Harris’ 333 mph speed setting a new Australian record. Newby ran 327 mph.
Lamattina dropped a cylinder at 330 feet but managed a 3.92.
In the final round, Harris recorded 3.71, 331 mph, while Newby followed closely with 3.72, 332 mph. Lamattina’s run ended early after a major engine failure at half-track.
PIT NOTES
Eleven-time Doorslammer champion John Zappia made a cameo appearance in Pro Mod and announced he will return to a one-car team next season. His nephew, Brodie, who raced alongside him this year, will join the Sydney-based Maurice Fabietti Doorslammer team.
With no Group One racing since the Winternationals in June, the event attracted a strong field of notable racers. Top Alcohol driver Daniel Read attended with his children, Makayla and Abigail, both competing in Junior Dragster. Fellow Alcohol racer Cheyne Phillips assisted with Steve Carlsen’s Pro Mod entry from New Zealand.
Top Fuel driver Shane Olive and Funny Car driver Brandon Gosbell worked with RAI, while Doorslammer racer Ronnie Palumbo and the husband-and-wife team of Daniel and Lisa Gregorini assisted on Nasser Matta’s car.
Damien Harris pulled double duty, driving both his race car and transporter from Sydney to The Bend and back at a limited 60 mph.
American race announcer Alan Reinhart served as the event’s commentator for the weekend.
