The NDRC Aeroflow Sportsman Series has entered its home stretch of events as the championship powers towards the Spring Nats Grandfinal in October and firmly in contention once again will be Bailey Hawke. The 14-year-old South Australian has already built a drag racing résumé that many competitors would be proud of, and as she prepares for the Pro Stock Nationals, the young gun has her sights firmly set on an NDRC championship.
Hawke’s introduction to drag racing came through her family, with her father Adam having raced Competition Eliminator in the early 2000s. Like many South Australian racers, the return of championship drag racing to the state sparked renewed interest, and after the family attended the grand opening of Dragway At The Bend in 2023, Bailey’s own passion for the sport was ignited.
Just a few months later, in March 2024, she began her own drag racing career.
“I just fell in love with drag racing from there,” Hawke explained.
Now a Year 9 student at Kadina Memorial School, Hawke has quickly established herself as one of the rising talents of the NDRC Aeroflow Sportsman Series Junior Dragster ranks.
Her weapon of choice is a 2025 Mike Bos Junior Dragster, equipped with FuelTech electronics, and she has already recorded a personal best of 7.921 seconds at 81 mph, with a best speed of 83 mph. But in just her second season, it is Hawke’s results in the championship arena that have really put her name on the radar.
Her 2025 season delivered an NDRC Aeroflow Sportsman Championship runner-up result, and an ANDRA Regional Sportsman Series championship win.
Now, she is chasing the one result that remains at the top of her wish list.
“Before I finish my Junior career I would like to win the NDRC championship,” Hawke said. “That keeps me going because it is something I would really like to accomplish.”
After finishing runner-up in last year’s NDRC championship, Hawke currently sits fifth in the 2026 standings, but her determination to chase the title has driven a committed travel schedule that has seen the team contest every Aeroflow Sportsman Series event this season in the pursuit of every valuable championship point.
That makes the upcoming Pro Stock Nationals an important opportunity.
“Yes, because it can put me more into contention for the championship,” she said.
The 2026 campaign has already seen Hawke and her family put plenty of kilometres behind them, including a recent trip to Alice Springs and now the journey back to Queensland.
While the travelling can become challenging when events are scheduled close together, Hawke says the family embraces the opportunity to travel and race together.
“For our family, we really enjoy travelling so it is not so bad, but with many far-distance tracks the travelling gets a lot when races are close together,” she said.
That family element is a major part of what makes drag racing special for Hawke.
The Pro Stock Nationals – 11-12 September at Willowbank Raceway. Tickets on sale now from: https://www.willowbankraceway.com.au/
