Refresh

This website autoaction.com.au/2025/04/04/drags-back-at-the-bend is currently offline. Cloudflare's Always Online™ shows a snapshot of this web page from the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. To check for the live version, click Refresh.

AutoAction
FREE DIGITAL MAGAZINE SIGN UP

Drags back at The Bend

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: 4 April 2025

This weekend the National Drag Racing Championship returns to Dragway at The Bend for the Riverbend Nationals where records are hoped to be broken.

Leading the way are the 11,000hp/500kph Top Fuel and Nitro Funny Car competitors, while Top Doorslammer, and Top Fuel Motorcycle are also on show.

The last time Top Fuel arrived at The Bend saw Phil Read become the quickest man in Australia with a. 3.72s time.

The Jim Read Racing driver will be aiming for back to back A Main wins against the likes of Phil Lamattina, Kyle Putland, Damien Harris, and championship leader, Wayne Newby.

“Our last visit to Dragway at The Bend was one of those rare perfect weekends, and we are really excited to be heading back there to see if we can snare another one,” Phil Read said.

“As the current holder of the record as well as the defending winner for the event, there is a bit of a target on our back for sure, but that won’t affect our preparations.

“As always, we have been working very hard between events and we are feeling confident heading to the Riverbend Nationals, so watch this space!”

In XPRO Nitro Funny Car, rookie racer Josh Leahy hopes to turn more heads after taking his first A Final win recently.

But Justin Walshe, Morice McMillin, and newcomer Damon Paton will all be looking to stop him.

More history took place in Top Doorslammer at the previous visit to The Bend where  Lisa Gregorini and her Scratch and Match Auto Colour squad took what is believed to be the first victory by an all-female drag racing team.

In her way will be the event’s biggest entry list of 14 cars.

Top Fuel Motorcycle returns to the shiny South Australian venue for the first time since November’s Drag Bike Nationals where Damian Muscat set a new ET and speed record.

He will be aiming for more success against Damian Martini, Greg Durack, Corey Buttigieg and Danny Rickard.

The Sportsmans will also be on show across the April 5-6 weekend.

Image: Cackling Pipes Photography

Read the new issue of Auto Action Digital HERE

Don’t forget the print edition of Auto Action available via subscription here or you can purchase a copy of the latest issue from one of our outlets here. For more of the latest motorsport news, subscribe to AUTO ACTION magazine.

Auto Action Premium On Sale Now
Shares

Recent Stories

array (
  0 => 
  WP_Term::__set_state(array(
     'term_id' => 2957,
     'name' => 'Drag Racing',
     'slug' => 'drag-racing',
     'term_group' => 0,
     'term_taxonomy_id' => 2957,
     'taxonomy' => 'category',
     'description' => '',
     'parent' => 6,
     'count' => 166,
     'filter' => 'raw',
     'cat_ID' => 2957,
     'category_count' => 166,
     'category_description' => '',
     'cat_name' => 'Drag Racing',
     'category_nicename' => 'drag-racing',
     'category_parent' => 6,
  )),
  1 => 
  WP_Term::__set_state(array(
     'term_id' => 11,
     'name' => 'Latest News',
     'slug' => 'latest-news',
     'term_group' => 0,
     'term_taxonomy_id' => 11,
     'taxonomy' => 'category',
     'description' => '',
     'parent' => 0,
     'count' => 15838,
     'filter' => 'raw',
     'cat_ID' => 11,
     'category_count' => 15838,
     'category_description' => '',
     'cat_name' => 'Latest News',
     'category_nicename' => 'latest-news',
     'category_parent' => 0,
  )),
  2 => 
  WP_Term::__set_state(array(
     'term_id' => 2029,
     'name' => 'ZZZ-Email',
     'slug' => 'email',
     'term_group' => 0,
     'term_taxonomy_id' => 2029,
     'taxonomy' => 'category',
     'description' => '',
     'parent' => 2031,
     'count' => 6413,
     'filter' => 'raw',
     'cat_ID' => 2029,
     'category_count' => 6413,
     'category_description' => '',
     'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-Email',
     'category_nicename' => 'email',
     'category_parent' => 2031,
  )),
  3 => 
  WP_Term::__set_state(array(
     'term_id' => 2031,
     'name' => 'ZZZ-RSSFeeds',
     'slug' => 'zzz-rssfeeds',
     'term_group' => 0,
     'term_taxonomy_id' => 2031,
     'taxonomy' => 'category',
     'description' => '',
     'parent' => 0,
     'count' => 5767,
     'filter' => 'raw',
     'cat_ID' => 2031,
     'category_count' => 5767,
     'category_description' => '',
     'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-RSSFeeds',
     'category_nicename' => 'zzz-rssfeeds',
     'category_parent' => 0,
  )),
)
95848

Latest free digital issue of Auto Action out now

The latest digital edition of Auto Action is available now and free to download the 82 pages of motorsport from Australia and around the world. The Formula 1 season got […]

Ed Mulligan passed away

Vale Ed Mulligan – you will be missed

Crazy, unrepentant larrikin, hilariously funny raconteur, sometimes semi-professional curmudgeon and motorsport legend Ed Mulligan has gone rallying in the big beyond. At 75, but still with the vibrancy and l’amour […]

Bell takes nascar pole

BELL GETS MARTINSVILLE POLE, SVG 33RD

Christopher Bell has continued his strong form by taking pole position for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville. Bell’s 19.718s time in the best of two laps system was […]

Chevrolet crate engine to power TA2/Trans Am

The national TA2 and Trans Am categories are set to switch to genuine Chevrolet Performance crate engines moving forward, helping to keep the popular categories as cost effective V8 pathways. […]