Funny Cars front big drag Racing Sydney show

The National Drag Racing Championship heads to Sydney for the opener of the Nitro Funny Car season this weekend.

Almost 200 cars will descend on Sydney Dragway with not only Funny Car and Pro Stock on show, but also Pro Stock, Pro Mod, Pro Alcohol and the Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship.

The Nitro Funny Cars will showcase an intense battle where travellers from New Zealand and USA will be looking to take the fight to the locals.

Current Funny Car record holder Brandon Gosbell will be looking to defend the local pride, while Kiwi Morice McMillin will not be keen on giving uo his Australian Funny Car championship title.

American Tommy Johnson Jr wants to make an impression down under having been a multi-time American Nitro Funny Car and Top Fuel Dragster champion.

Adam Murrihy is a newcomer to the Nitro Funny Car world and he is determined to shake things up amongst the seven-car field at the Sydney Nationals.

Adam Murrihy is ready to unleash his beast in the Nitro Funny Car championship. Image: cackling pipes photography

Murrihy comes to Nitro Funny Car ranks with more than 20 years of sportsman competition and two national titles behind him.

The Northern Territory’s Murrihy may be relatively new to the Funny Car ranks, but the two-time national championship winner has big ambitions.

“We are going to Sydney with the intention to compete for the win,” he said.

“All six teams and drivers will be very keen to get the win and early season points, so fingers crossed, it will be us that makes it happen.

“We have got a super competitive car and a crew that are very committed and have worked very hard behind-the-scenes to prepare for the season ahead – we have left no stone unturned.

“We will be competing at all five events across the season and doing all we can to strike success along the way – if we were able to take out the first NDRC Nitro Funny Car championship it would obviously be amazing.”

One of the drivers to look out for in the Pro Stock Championship will be Mario Polito.

Mario Polito’s new look Pro Stock challenger.

Polito will turn heads driving a new-look, title-hunting Chevrolet and he has big ambitions.

“Coming into the start of every new season is always very exciting,” said Polito, who took sixth in last year’s title and 3^rd place for average reaction time.

“We will take a heap of race day experience into this new season and have been further working on the reaction times throughout the off-season, while also making a number of changes to our overall approach as we increase our championship focus.”

Polito encountered some engine issues recently bit he is confident they have been accounted for.

“We have taken full control of our engine program and also acquired a second engine – if you want to ensure you can attend all the rounds and remain competitive throughout the championship, a spare engine is  must,” he said.

“Taking control of this side of things allows us to ensure our team’s progression – I am ready to take the training wheels off!

Joe Gauci’s brand new Pro Mod Mustang ready for battle.

In Pro Mod the Ford Mustang racer Joe Gauci may be a newcomer to the Group One category, but he has lofty ambitions.

“We at ProFab have taken over the ex-Carl Cox Pro Mod Mustang, taking ownership about a year ago and giving the car a ground up rebuild,” he said.

“The 5.85 second index is going to be well achievable with this car. We had it on the hub dyno a few weeks ago up in Mildura and it made more than enough power to run well in Pro Mod, making 4670hp.

“I am pretty excited even amongst being so busy with all of the preparations, and there are definitely some nerves as well. I am just focusing on trying to get everything right on the car.

“We will be wanting to start out with getting as close as possible to the 5.85 index and run consistently, and take it from there.

“Long-term we definitely have the championship in mind.”

After 22 national championships and countless records, Queensland’s Gary Phillips was looking for a new challenge, and he believes he has found it via the National Drag Racing Championship.

Gary Phillips is desperate to add a NDRC title to his resume.Image: Cackling Pipes Photography

Phillips will be one of the big names at this weekend’s Sydney Nationals event at Sydney Dragway  in the Pro Alcohol class.

Also in action are Pro Stock, Pro Mod, Nitro Funny Cars and the Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship.

After 22 national titles including 21 in Top/Pro Alcohol and a solitary Top Doorslammer trophy, Phillips admitted chasing a National Drag Racing Championship has renewed his motivation.

“I needed a new challenge, and the NDRC is exactly what I needed; it is what we all needed,” Phillips said.

“To see it get underway in Sydney this weekend is exceptionally exciting, and we will be putting in 100 percent as we look to become the first NDRC Pro Alcohol event winner.

“To take that win would be very important to us. Being the first is always special.

“We were the first to run in the 5.3 zone for the Alcohol Funny Car, my son Cheyne did the same in the dragster, and we were the first to run 270mph as well.

“Barriers are made to be broken, and I don’t think there is a bigger achievement than being the first to do something.

“It is what drives us as a family. We are always asking, what is next. We can’t wait to hopefully break through to take that first this weekend.”

Smokin Sportsmans racer Tex Griffiths. Automotive Event Images

One of the busier Sportsman’s competitors has been Tex Griffiths.

Griffiths has jumped in his 1968 Plymouth Satellite across three events across both the Western and Eastern Conferences.

“I love the NDRC concept of two conferences and a Grand Final. It really does make it easier on the racers,” Griffiths said.

“To win the NDRC Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship would be a massive achievement and a real vindication of my desire and ability as a racer.”

The Sydney Nationals takes place on October 27-28.

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