One Sport. One Calendar. One Way Forward. Introducing NDRC.

One Sport

The NDRC is Australia’s unified national drag racing championship whose mission is to make drag racing Australia’s favourite motorsport. The NDRC represents a new era for drag racing in Australia, with Top Fuel, Nitro Funny Car, Top Doorslammer, Pro Alcohol, Pro Stock, Top Fuel Motorcycle, Pro Stock Bike, Pro Mod, and Sportsman all having the opportunity to race in one national championship series.

From the fastest accelerating vehicles on the planet in Top Fuel and Nitro Funny Car all the way through to the future stars of the sport, the NDRC is charged with moving the sport one way. Forward.

One Calendar

One NDRC calendar will feature six events headlined by Australian Top Fuel Championship and another five events headlined by Nitro Funny Car with an all-in final at the Winternationals at Willowbank Raceway in 2024. The Winternationals is traditionally one of the biggest events on the calendar, but with Top Fuel and Nitro Funny Cars on the same bill, 2024’s NDRC Grand Final will be next level. Sportsman racing will feature at all 11 events and they even get their own Grand Final separate to Group 1 and an entirely new conference system.

The Aeroflow Sportsman Championship calendar is scheduled from July 2023 to April 2024. To provide more opportunity for racers across the country to compete for a national title, the championship is organised into two conferences: East and West. The Eastern Conference features events at Sydney Dragway, Willowbank Raceway, Dragway at the Bend, Springmount, Benaraby, Heathcote Park Raceway, and Calder Park Raceway. The Western Conference includes rounds at Perth Motorplex, Alice Springs Inland Dragway, Sunset Strip, South Coast Raceway, and Hidden Valley.

Racers are not required to nominate a conference and have the freedom to race where they choose. Their performance will count towards both the conference championship and qualification for the National Grand Final. All racers who qualify for the National Grand Final will have an equal chance of winning the national title.

One Broadcaster

The NDRC will be live, free and on demand on 7+ and 7mate. There will be live broadcast race day finals action for all Group 1 championship events live and free on 7+. Championship highlights will be available for viewing of all Australian Top Fuel, Nitro Funny Car and Group 1 racing will be packaged in one hour highlights shows for each round.

FAQ

  • What is the NDRC?

    The NDRC or National Drag Racing Championship is a new umbrella championship, formed to deliver unified championship drag racing in Australia. The NDRC will be run across 11 events encompassing the Burson Top Fuel Championship, the Nitro Funny Car Championship, other Group 1 and Sportsman Championship racing. The calendar for Group 1 Championship racing is AVAILABLE HERE for download.

  • Does this mean there’s more division in drag racing? Is this another breakaway series?

    No. The NDRC will unite drag racing championship racing under one management, for all racers, regardless of sanctioning or association. The NDRC will replace all previous historical series names and championships to provide one way forward for the sport.

  • Who is running the NDRC?

    The NDRC will be managed by Out There Productions (OTP), the same entity behind the Burson Top Fuel Championship. OTP is the name behind motor festivals like Summernats, Motorex, Motorvation, Rockynats and a host of other major sports and events promotion. The key management figures for the NDRC include Andy Lopez & Nathan Prendergast. The rest of the management team are outlined in the press release.

  • What about sanctioning?

    Both ANDRA & IHRA will still have a vital role in the rules, regulations, insurances and sanctioning of racetracks. The Championship will run under the relevant sanctioning body at each track. The NDRC will work with sanctioning bodies to unify technical regulations as required for individual classes. Sanctioning bodies are not involved in the day-to-day management of the NDRC.

  • What happens to previous Championship, records and trophies?

    A single Championship for all categories. A single united marketing and broadcast package and focused and united team dedicated to the growth of all drag racing.

  • What does this mean for Championship drag racing?

    All race days from the 11 NDRC Group 1 events will be broadcast LIVE AND FREE on 7+ and produced by Nathan Prendergast and a team of broadcast specialists. Coverage will include Sportsman racing and be hosted by experienced drag racing TV talent. Highlight shows will be compiled from all the major categories post-event on 7+ and 7mate.

  • Will this be shown on TV and if so, where?

    The NDRC will be responsible for prize money for all categories and will work with associations in delivering payments in line with expectation.

  • What trophies will I race for?

    The traditional Xmas Tree will be awarded to all winners of NDRC rounds. Championship trophies will be based on category. For example, Top Fuel will race for the Stan Sainty Cup.

  • How does the Sportsman Championship work?

    The NDRC Aeroflow Sportsman Championship will run in an Eastern and Western Conference format with separate Conference Finals. The Eastern Conference Final will be held at Calder Park in February. The Western Conference Final will be held at Mildura in March. The Aeroflow Sportsman National Grand Final will be held at the Dragway at the Bend in April. There is an awesome program of racing at great tracks across the entire country. The points system and racing categories are very similar to what you’ve been used to in the ANDRA Series and 400 Thunder Series.

  • What Sportsman categories are running?

    Racing categories in the Aeroflow Sportsman Championship will be as per the categories outlined in the rulebooks of the sanctioning body of the track where racing is held. The NDRC are working with ANDRA and IHRA to positively resolve any differences that exist within a small number of categories.

  • Can anyone race in a Conference Final?

    Anyone can race in a Conference Final as long as you have competed in at least one interstate event (from your home license address).

  • Can everyone race at The National Grand Final?

    No. The Aeroflow Sportsman National Grand Final is a qualification only event. The qualification system is simple, encourages participation, and rewards good racing.

  • What categories are included in the Aeroflow Sportsman Championship Series?

    All categories as listed in the relevant sanctioning bodies rulebooks.