A tattoo-style female sugar skull, black and aqua/teal paintwork and a fresh attitude — Brooke Rapisarda’s Modified dragster is ready to make its NDRC Aeroflow Sportsman Series competition debut in its striking new colours at the Haltech East Coast Nationals.
Rapisarda will roll into Sydney Dragway this weekend with a car that is now unmistakably her own, with the new livery the result of months of ideas, variations and plenty of back-and-forth with the team at Holeshot Graphics and Kenny Signs.
“I knew I wanted the tattoo style female sugar skull and that the scheme needed to be black and aqua/teal, which is my favourite colour,” Rapisarda said.
“I’m not the most creative person and definitely needed to see some variations of it brought to life before I could better specify what I liked and didn’t like.
“It took a bit of time working with Holeshot Graphics and Kenny Signs, and patience on their part, but I’m glad we took the time to end up with something I really love.”
Now the hard part begins — turning the new-look dragster into a consistent race-winning package.
The Haltech East Coast Nationals will be Rapisarda’s opportunity to get back into the NDRC championship action after a frustrating Gulf Western Oil Nitro Champs earlier this season.
Rapisarda qualified well at Sydney’s Gulf Western Oil Nitro Champs event, only for the team to discover motor damage before the opening round and withdraw from competition.
That followed a much more successful NDRC campaign at last year’s Nitro Champs, where Rapisarda raced in a Blake Racing front engined dragster and went all the way to victory.
The goal this weekend is simple: get back down the track, build on the progress made with the dragster and start chasing the first win in her own car.
“The last time we ran the car we seemed to have sorted out a couple of little issues we’d been having and it was running really consistently, so hopefully we can continue on that trajectory,” she said.
“Also, of course, I’m excited to get it on the track with the new look.”
Rapisarda’s path into Modified racing began much earlier, with her first Junior Dragster outing coming at just 10 years of age following the opening of Western Sydney International Dragway.
Drag racing was already part of the family. Her parents met at Castlereagh, while her father had raced himself before stepping away from competition after starting a family.
Rapisarda had always intended to eventually move into Modified, although the transition took longer than originally intended.
“The plan was always to step into Modified after JDs, however it became a bit more of a hiatus than originally planned,” she said.
“It’s always been a really competitive class in my eyes, so I suppose that was part of the appeal.”
Rapisarda and husband Santo Jr decided they wanted a car of their own last year when the Undercover Motorsports built dragster became available, with Santo Snr also keen to see the family head down the rear-engine path.
The older-model Undercover built dragster was originally brought to Australia from the United States by its previous Queensland owner, and the Rapisarda team has since invested considerable time into understanding and developing the car.
Santo has spoken extensively with Gary Pritchett in the US, as well as members of the team building later-model Undercover dragsters at the Torrence operation.
While the car is a personal project for Brooke, she has no shortage of inspiration around her.
Santo Snr, Santo Jnr and Santino are among those she lists at the top of her drag racing inspiration list, admiring their dedication and passion for the sport.
Dom Lagana is another racer she looks up to, particularly for his passion for drag racing and the adversity he has overcome.
And while the family’s Top Fuel operation provides plenty of experience to draw from, Brooke says one piece of philosophy has always remained important — enjoy racing, but respect its seriousness.
“Santo has always said during team meetings with his Top Fuel team that we’re there to have fun but that it’s also serious,” she said.
“I think that’s something that was always instilled by my parents when I was younger as well and I still carry now.
“Of course you’re there to enjoy doing something you love, but at the same time you want to win and know the risks involved at any level of the sport, so it’s important that you still have that respect for the seriousness of it too.”
For Rapisarda, one of the biggest attractions of sportsman racing is the community surrounding it.
“I love the community,” she said. “There are so many people that will happily do whatever they can to help out their fellow competitors.”
That support has been particularly important in getting her Modified dragster to where it is today, with Brooke keen to recognise the many people who have contributed to the project.
“I would just like to mention the help and support that we’ve received from so many different people with this car and how much I appreciate it more than words can express,” she said.
With her involvement in the Rapisarda Autosport International Top Fuel operation making interstate racing difficult logistically, Brooke’s 2026 NDRC program is currently centred around NSW events.
That makes the Haltech East Coast Nationals all the more important — and with the car now sorted, Brooke is ready to make the most of it.
The striking new female sugar-skull livery might be the first thing fans notice when the Modified dragster rolls under the tower at Sydney Dragway. But under the helmet, Brooke Rapisarda has one thing on her mind.
“I’m still looking to get my first event win in this car, so for now I’d say that’s the main goal.”
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.
