The NDRC’s Nitro Nationals, the grand finale for Top Fuel and XPRO Nitro Funny Car at Sydney Dragway on November 8, is set to host the comeback of an iconic Aussie legend.
Forty years on from its groundbreaking debut at the US Nationals, the iconic Aussie Raider is back with the legacy set to live on with the reveal today of Aeroflow Performance/Rocket Industries Racing’s 2025 Aussie Raider livery, a bold recreation of the original Funny Car that captured international attention in the 1980s.
The Aussie Raider, which was first campaigned by Graeme and Wendy Cowin – who head up the Aeroflow Performance/Rocket Industries Racing team – became a trailblazer in Australian motorsport history.
Runner-up at the 1987 Winternationals, and the first – and still only – Australian car to make the final of an NHRA Funny Car event, the Aussie Raider inspired a generation of racers on both sides of the Pacific.
The newly unveiled 2025 livery brings that spirit back to the drag strip. Driven by Morice Mcmillin – who currently leads the XPRO Nitro Funny Car title chase ahead of the season-ending Nitro Nationals – the car carries not just a striking design, but also a powerful story.
“Carrying these colours isn’t just about looking good on the track,” says Mcmillin.
“It is about honouring the man who built this team and the legacy he created half a world away.
“The car inspired a generation of racers, and now we get to bring it back and hopefully inspire the next one.”
Created in collaboration with Rocket Industries and Aeroflow Performance, the 2025 Aussie Raider is a tribute to Graeme Cowin’s passion, love, and dedication to the sport of drag racing.
The livery has been revealed in a new short film showcasing archival footage from the Raider’s US campaign alongside the present-day recreation.
The video highlights how history and future collide as the 2025 Aussie Raider prepares to take on the Australian National Drag Racing Championship.
“This isn’t just our history – it is our future too,” Mcmillin adds.
“I can’t wait to line up and show what this car and these colours can do.”
The 2025 Aussie Raider livery video is now live across the Aeroflow Nitro Funny Cars, Rocket Industries and Aeroflow Performance social channels and fans are encouraged to catch it live and in person at the Nitro Nationals at Sydney Dragway on November 8.
As well as featuring the highly anticipated 2024/2025 season finales for both Top Fuel and XPRO Nitro Funny Car, the Nitro Nationals will also play host to the Aeroflow Allstars Showdown, with invited racers in each Sportsman category to compete in front of a big crowd both in-person and via live broadcast with every race to be streamed across Australia and the US as these elite competitors battle for a $25,000 prize pool as well as the first ever Rocket Trophy for Sportsman racers.
For event information, tickets, and to learn more about the NDRC, visit www.ndrc.tv
