For 16-year-old Piper Bennett, drag racing has already taken her from watching NHRA stars as a young girl in America to competing herself at one of the biggest Junior Dragster events in the world.
Now, after an incredible American racing adventure that has added a new level of experience and confidence to her program, Bennett is ready to get back behind the wheel of ‘Miss Behavn 2’ in the Aeroflow Sportsman Series at the NDRC Haltech East Coast Nationals September 26-27.
The Year 12 Menai High School student in Sydney’s south was first introduced to drag racing while her family was living in the United States.
“I first discovered drag racing when my family was living in the US when I was little,” Bennett explained.
“My dad loved drag racing and used to take my family to NHRA meetings at Maple Grove Dragway. I got to meet racers like Erica Enders, John Force and Antron Brown, but I was too young to really know who they were.
“Due to my father and grandfather’s interests, I have always been around hotrods and racecars.”
It wasn’t until a family trip to the 2022 Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway, however, that Bennett really discovered where she wanted to fit into the sport.
“That is when I first really noticed Junior Dragsters. I was so intrigued that I asked my dad if I could try it,” she said.
“After a few months of talking to junior racing families and buying a car, my racing journey started. I was 12, starting in a B/JD called ‘Miss Behavn’.”
Four years later, Bennett has already built an impressive list of achievements, including winning the 2024 NSW Track Championship, receiving the inaugural Hayley Turns Memorial Award at the 2025 Junior Nationals and winning the inaugural JD Wars at Heathcote in 2025.
But perhaps her biggest learning experience came this year when she became one of the relatively few Australian Junior Dragster racers to compete internationally. Bennett comprised an Australian team that also featured Zayne and Savanna Condello along with Luca Lamattina.
The opportunity came at the NHRA JDRL Eastern Conference Finals in the United States, an event Bennett describes as “the biggest junior meeting in the world”, with around 650 entrants.
“The experience in America was incredible,” she said.
“From visiting Rickware Racing and getting to hold the US Nationals Wally of Clay Millican to becoming one of the very few juniors to race internationally, it was an amazing experience.”
The idea of racing in America had been planted when the family purchased Bennett’s 2021 Mike Bos Junior Dragster.
“My dad went over to the ECF to sort out the car and told me, ‘I’m bringing you over and you’re going to race here, it’s unbelievable’,” Bennett recalled.
When the opportunity finally arrived, there was plenty to overcome.
“We came to the meeting knowing it was going to be a challenge,” she said.
“We had a brand-new car, brand-new motor, a new track and averaging 40° heat definitely gave us a fight.
“On top of trying to dial in a new car, we had a lot of rain, which reduced our practice in the first few days.”
There was also a significant difference that Bennett had to adapt to behind the wheel — the NHRA sportsman Christmas Tree.
“The biggest challenge we had to overcome was the tree,” she explained.
“The sportsman tree in NHRA is .500. It doesn’t seem like much of a difference to what we are used to but we really needed to change our start line procedures and reference points.
“It felt like we were in slo-mo.”
While Bennett didn’t progress as far through the field as she would have liked, she considers the experience a huge success from a learning perspective.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t make it many rounds with the advanced skill level I was up against,” she said.
“But there wasn’t a moment where I wasn’t learning, and giving my all on the track.”
The American adventure also delivered plenty of memories away from the racing, with Bennett and her family receiving significant attention from the NHRA and local media.
“Our attendance at this event became very well-known as we were all interviewed by the local news and the NHRA, where we will be featured in a segment about drag racing with NHRA Top Fuel Racer Jasmine Salinas,” she said.
“We got to meet and line up against some amazing racers and learned a lot from experienced racing families like the Wiggins from GetM Performance who supported the Kanga Kids program. We can’t thank them enough.”
The American trip also resulted in another exciting addition to the Bennett racing program.
Bennett now has a 2026 Half Scale Dragster, ‘Miss Behavn 3’, powered by a Nic Woods ‘Monster’ engine and representing Australia’s green and gold as part of the Kanga Kids program.
“We built this car at the track in Thunder Valley in Bristol, Tennessee on the Friday to race on the Saturday of the NHRA JDRL Eastern Conference Finals,” she explained.
“It was a team effort to put the car together, having Team Condello’s Crew Chief, Joe Condello, and Team Lamattina’s Phil Lamattina turning some spanners to help us get it going.”
‘Miss Behavn 3’ is currently making its way back to Australia and is expected to debut at the Spring Nationals.
But first, Bennett is focused on East Coast Nationals and getting back behind the wheel of her familiar 2021 Mike Bos.
“‘Miss Behavn 2’ is a 2021 Mike Bos with a Craws Racing 3 ¾ ZR4 motor and has a PB of 7.90,” she said.
The car is also something of a showpiece, with its custom paint scheme designed by renowned American nostalgic painter Travis ‘Tuki’ Hess and brought to life by Kyle Smith from Smith’s Concepts.
“Fresh after the car debuted, I won Best Racecar at the Sydney Hotrod and Custom Show in 2024,” Bennett said proudly.
The East Coast Nationals will also represent another step in Bennett’s development after admitting that large NDRC crowds affected her confidence last season.
“Last year, I kept becoming overwhelmed by the crowds at NDRC events,” she explained.
“I kept getting in my head and getting distracted when it mattered most. This caused me to lose confidence in myself.
“This season, I’m seeking to up the ante and drive to be widely known as competitive.”
Her American campaign has given her a fresh outlook heading into the remainder of the NDRC season.
“With newfound knowledge and confidence from America I’m ready to put it to the test in the upcoming future,” she said.
That confidence will be tested against another strong Junior Dragster field at East Coast Nationals, and Bennett is more than ready.
“I am so eager to get back in the seat and to see what the car does,” she said.
“I’ve been patiently counting down until the weekend to see friends and get back to my home track, battling it out with an extremely tough group of competitors.”
And while the Junior Dragster racing is the priority, Bennett admits there are plenty of other reasons she loves coming to the racetrack.
“I also love seeing the Group 1 cars run and getting to hang out in the Doorslammer pits with the Shoebox 55 and Callaghan crews.”
For Bennett, sportsman racing has become about much more than chasing trophies.
“Racing has helped me develop discipline, concentration and an understanding of the technicality and attention to detail that it takes to become successful,” she said.
“In sportsman racing I love how involved everyone is in not just their own racing but those around them.
“There’s always a time when someone has your back and the community is there to offer a hand.
“Seeing firsthand the effort that goes into just getting to the racetrack, every team’s dedication is commendable.”
That community spirit is also part of what drives her to keep improving.
“I’m always driven by the opportunities you can find within the sport, pushing me to invest my time in my program and become the best possible racer in myself.”
Bennett points to Fiona Reed as one of the racers who has particularly inspired her.
“I always look up to racers like Fiona Reed, someone who is ambitious in her own racing but also cares about the next generation,” she said.
“Always stopping to have a chat and ask how I’m doing, inspiring me to be someone who fuels my own passion but also wants to see others strive.”
But her biggest inspiration remains much closer to home.
“I also look to my dad, Michael, the person that stands behind me on the line and with me through everything else as I do with his racing,” Bennett said.
“His dedication to my program and his own makes me proud to say I’m his daughter.”
And it is her dad’s advice that Bennett carries with her every time she pulls up to the start line.
“My dad constantly tells me that I can do anything if I want it badly enough, inspiring me to dream big and push towards my goals.”
For Bennett, drag racing is also the ultimate equaliser.
“Drag racing is the most equal opportunity sport there is,” she said.
“The car doesn’t know or care that I’m a girl or if I’m having a bad day.
“Drag racing is humbling. In every round there is one loser and one winner. Every run down the track teaches you something.”
There is no shortage of ambition for the teenager once her Junior Dragster career eventually comes to an end.
“I have plans to build a Fiat Topolino Fuel Altered like the AA/FA ‘Mass Chaos’ and want to work my way up to Nitro,” she revealed.
“I got to sit in my favourite AA/FA, the Burkholder Brothers, at the Nitro Revival in Irwindale in 2025, and seeing our friend John ‘JB’ Somoracz debut AA/FA in Sydney reinforced my love for Fuel Altereds.”
For now, though, the focus remains firmly on the Junior Dragster.
“In the meantime, until I graduate from Juniors, I intend on bringing new wins to the team, getting my road licence, running some Super Street races and getting out on the track as crew chief for my dad.”
And before any of those longer-term ambitions come into play, there is the small matter of East Coast Nationals.
“I’m currently focusing on the East Coast Nationals with an NDRC tree in my sight for the future.”
And after everything she has learned in the past 12 months, the next chapter of Piper Bennett’s racing journey will be a very interesting one.
The Haltech East Coast Nationals at Sydney Dragway on 26 and 27 September hosts the penultimate round of the 2026 NDRC Pro Stock Championship, alongside BLAHST Top Fuel, XPRO Nitro Funny Car, Top Doorslammer and Pro Mod. The Aeroflow Sportsman Championship will also be in action.
Event information is available at www.sydneydragway.com.au, with championship information at www.ndrc.tv.
