In front of a packed house, the Burson Auto Parts Australian Top Fuel Championship and Australian Drag Racing Championship have celebrated not only event winners for Nitro Up North, but also the season Champions for Top Fuel, Top Doorslammer and Top Fuel Motorcycle at the Hidden Valley Drag Strip this evening.
Taking out the ultimate rewards were Damien Harris (Top Fuel Champion), Kelvin Lyle (Top Doorslammer Champion) and Rob Cassar (Top Fuel Motorcycle Champion), with Cassar having his hands full by taking out the event victory also. Joining him in lifting the Nitro Up North winners’ trophies were Peter Xiberras (Top Fuel) and John Zappia (Top Doorslammer).
Top Fuel Motorcycle
In Top Fuel Motorcycle, Rob Cassar secured the ADRC title win in his nitrous-powered Ballistic Performance Parts Kawasaki against Benny Stevens’ Fuelled Motorsport Harley with a thrilling round two win over his title rival in Stevens.
The latter rode a bucking bull all the way down the track before crossing the centre line as Cassar raced through for the win. Third place in the title went to Chris Matheson on Nitro Voodoo, who retired from the sport following his record-breaking five-second performance in Sydney last month.
Cassar also took out the Nitro Up North win, wrestling his bike all the way down the track and narrowly avoiding the centre line in the A-Final against Fuelled Motorsport’s Aaron Deery.
“It has been a long year and 27-thousand kilometres, and it is a miracle,” a clearly emotional Cassar said after clinching the title following a round two victory over Benny Stevens.
“I am the smallest bike in the field and probably the smallest, most under-budget guy. I drive everywhere myself and my wife flies in. We bleed drag racing. I have been doing this for 32 years.
“This is fantastic. I can’t do it without my crew, my wife, my nephew, my sponsors, and everyone that helps me. I have guys in Sydney that crew for me when we are travelling and Katie can’t help me, and also in WA. I lost my dad in March, and a couple of guys jumped in the car and took it to Perth for me. My dad used to say I am crazy (doing this), and I think he was right,” he smiled.
“Gavin Spann was the last one to win a title on a nitrous bike in Australia, so it has been a while, and it is just fantastic.”
With the conclusion of this 2022/2023 season, the racers now look ahead to a new era for Australian drag racing, with the new National Drag Racing Championship (NDRC) set to kick-off in July for the sportsman competitors and October for group one. For more details on the NDRC, please visit www.ndrc.tv.
To learn more about the Burson Auto Parts Australian Top Fuel Championship and the Australian Drag Racing Championships, visit www.topfuelchampionship.com.au
