When it comes to international experience driving 8000 horsepower nitro Top Fuel dragsters, few have more runs under the belt than Avon, Indiana-based Tommy Johnson Jr.

The nine times NHRA event winner has raced in the US, United Arab Emirates, England, Sweden and Finland during his career and is looking forward to adding Australia to the list when he drives for the Rapisarda Autosport International team at the Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway.

The question of who will drive the second Rapisarda Autosport International Top Fuel dragster at the 2013 Nitro Champs has been answered with veteran driver Tommy Johnson Jr flying to Sydney to compete.

Johnson Jr will be driving the same dragster that last month reset the Australian national record for Top Fuel to 4.503 seconds with three-times world champion Larry Dixon at the wheel.

Rapisarda Autosport International crew chief Lee Beard confirmed Johnson Jr in an article on CompetitionPlus.com.

Northern Territory Minister for Sport and Recreation Matt Conlan has announced that Alice Springs and the town’s dragway will be beamed into television screens around the country later this year, putting the Centre on the drag racing map.

Mr Conlan said the Territory Government had provided $17,000 to the Central Australian Drag Racing Association to help with presenting The Desert Nationals on the SBS television program, Speedweek.

“This support will provide terrific exposure for the Centre with thousands of viewers around Australia to watch the show,” Mr Conlan said.

“The two-day drag racing event will be filmed and then presented in a one hour show on ‘Speedweek’, a motorsports show aired on SBS around Australia on Sundays.

“This will help to grow the sport here in the Territory while showcasing the Centre as a tourist destination to viewers around Australia.”

Sydney Dragway will be seeing more nitro than ever before at the Nitro Champs on May 3-5 with Top Fuel dragsters, Nitro Funny Cars and Top Bikes all on track and all burning motorsport’s most famous fuel.

Among the three drivers performing in Nitro Funny Cars will be Australia’s quickest active female drag racer, Queensland’s Christine Steffens.

At the conclusion of the scheduled final round at Portland for the Southern Super Gas Series, the series remained tied with Kym Oberauer and Matt Forbes on the same points.

Roma’s Laurie Fitzgerald is one racer who can’t wait to see the 2013 JP Racing Eighth Mile Drag Racing Series return to the new-look Ironbark Raceway come Saturday 27 April 2013.

Two times IHRA Pro Modified champion Mike Janis will be a star addition to the Top Doorslammer field at Sydney Dragway’s Nitro Champs, coming up from May 3-5.

Darren Morgan and Phil Lamattina were not always the fierce nitro rivals they once were – it was allied that they in fact both scored their first championship, Morgan as a driver and Lamattina as a team owner.

Much has changed since those formative days and today the two operations are arguably the most professional in the country, both hailing from the Mildura region in Victoria.

Tasmanian Modified Bike racer Shane Walker will be hoping for crowd support of a different kind at this year’s Nitro Champs as he continues to promote the plight of one of his home state's most iconic symbols, the Tasmanian Devil.

Milwaukee Tools Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Maurice Allen says the pace of all competitors is going to have to increase with many tough teams converging on Sydney Dragway for the Nitro Champs on May 3-5.

Three times ANDRA Top Fuel champion Phil Read will return to racing for the first time since the Fuchs Winternationals when he competes at the Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway on May 3-5.

Sydney Top Bike rider Chris Porter is fully engaged in nitro warfare with drag strip rival Chris Matheson as the season reaches its mid-point at the 2013 Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway on May 3-5.

Chris Matheson recently smashed the unofficial mark for the quickest and fastest motorcycle run in Australia at Willowbank Raceway and it’s all leading up to a potentially history making Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway.

Phil Lamattina and arch rival Darren Morgan are locked together at the top of the ANDRA points standings after the Santo's Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race at Willowbank Raceway.