The Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) is pleased to release the 2024/2025 season calendar for the recently announced ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship.
The championship for Sportsman competitors will be held over eight rounds beginning with the Desert Nationals in Alice Springs on August 23-24 and will stretch across a nine month timeframe, culminating with the Grand Finals at Dragway at the Bend on April 25-27, 2025.
The calendar has been worked around existing and proposed National Drag Racing Championship (NDRC) and Track Championship level events, to ensure competitors can compete successfully in all three levels of sportsman racing.
Round two will see the Championship visit Mildura’s Sunset Strip in September for the annual Sunset Nationals across September 21-22, with the track also set to hold an optional test day for competitors on Friday September 20.
From Mildura, the Championship will make the trek to Western Australia in November for the Perth Motorplex’s Goldenstates on November 22-23, where Gold ANDRA Christmas Tree Trophies will be on offer.
South Coast Raceway will then host the South Coast Nationals two weeks later across December 8-9 with an optional track-run test day on Friday December 7, prior to a two month break over the hectic summer period.
The second half of the Championship will kick off with back-to-back events at Dragway at the Bend on February 7-8 – with this event also doubling as a track championship round – and the Twilight Nationals back at Mildura’s Sunset Strip on February 14-15.
The penultimate round of the season will see teams visit Whyalla’s Steel City Raceway for the Steel City Nationals on March 14-15, before the Grand Final is hosted at Dragway at The Bend on the ANZAC Day weekend (April 25-27), where Gold ANDRA Christmas Tree Trophies will again be on offer.
“I am really excited about what we have been able to put together for our members with the help of our valued ANDRA member tracks,” ANDRA Chief Executive Officer, Tim McAvaney, said.
“ANDRA prides itself on being a member-based and member-driven organisation and our members have been strong in communicating their desire to compete in an ANDRA Championship.
“This Championship allows ANDRA to meet these calls from its membership, and also gives us a platform on which we can continue to provide what has become so important to our competitors over our fifty years, such as consistent rules, the ability to set National Records, and the opportunity to claim traditional awards like ANDRA Christmas Tree Trophies, Top Qualifier Medals – which are once again being sponsored by Decoglaze – as well as the John Storm Memorial Trophy and the Longest Distance Travelled Award.
“Our members and our rich history are the most important assets that we have, and this Championship combines both beautifully!
“ANDRA is working with the NDRC to identify a couple of key events in our series that can double as points rounds for the Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship, encouraging racers from all over Australia to participate in our series and chase national points. More details will be announced as we work through them, but we have agreed that any event earning NDRC points will still be subject to the same conditions and rules as all rounds in the ANDRA series.
“I look forward to delivering a strong season in conjunction with our ANDRA member tracks, with great member support expected at all rounds.”
Andy Lopez from the NDRC said, “any initiative that delivers rewarding racing for Sportsman racers and sustainable events for tracks around Australia is worthy of support! We hope that including NDRC points at select ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship events will encourage greater participation from those chasing national recognition, and further support the tracks and racers.”
For more from ANDRA, visit www.andra.com.au
2024/2025 ANDRA Regional Sportsman Championship dates:
- Round one – August 23-24 – Alice Springs Inland Dragway – Desert Nationals
- Round two – September 21-22* – Mildura’s Sunset Strip – Sunset Nationals
- Round three – November 22-23 – Perth Motorplex – Goldenstates
- Round four – December 8-9* – Portland’s South Coast Raceway – South Coast Nationals
- Round five – February 7-8^ – Dragway at The Bend
- Round six – February 14-15 – Mildura’s Sunset Strip – Twilight Nationals
- Round seven – March 14-15 – Whyalla’s Steel City Raceway – Steel City Nationals
- Round eight – April 25-27 – Dragway at The Bend – ANDRA Grand Final
*track will host an optional test day on the Friday
^event will double as a track championship round