John Barbagallo made his first pass of the ANDRA season a strong one with his 7.01sec time heading the Pro Stock field on day one of the Fuchs Winternationals.

Pro Stock was the only professional category to run on a day that saw the Rocket Allstars Racing Series competitors getting their early qualifying sessions in.

Multiple Australian Top Fuel champion Steve Read will make a return to racing at this weekend’s 45th annual Fuchs Winternationals at Willowbank Raceway, Ipswich, after a 12 month absence.

Top Alcohol competitor Jamie Noonan is no stranger to V8 Supercars, winning multiple titles with Stone Brothers Racing as part of the mechanical brains trust behind Marcos Ambrose and Russell Ingall’s championship titles, and more recently as the power behind Brad Jones Racing, but while his exploits behind the scenes are without question, it’s his ability behind the wheel that is gaining the most attention.

The 45th annual Fuchs Winternationals has been launched with two fan fests around Brisbane, Queensland.

John Cannuli could be excused for finding it hard to focus at the Fuchs Winternationals this weekend at Willowbank Raceway.

As well as competing in both Top Alcohol with his Wash It Funny Car and Top Doorslammer with the PC Cranes Camaro, Cannuli will be watching the competition debut of wife Kirsten Tucker in Pro Stock.

Jason Grima has a realistic shot at a top five finish in the ANDRA Pro Series following a semi finals appearance at the Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway.

The Sydneysider was so serious about putting himself into a mental groove that he set up boot camp at the track in the week leading up to the event, looking to gain an edge on the competition.

Top Alcohol racer Steven Ham realised a childhood dream in Sydney last weekend, claiming the first ANDRA gold christmas tree trophy in his Pro Series career. Ham defeated 14-times Top Alcohol champion Gary Phillips in the close 5.52sec to 5.54sec final.

Following completion of the ANDRA Divisional Elections for 2012, the make-up of the six Divisional Councils has been confirmed.

Top Alcohol championship aspirant Wayne Newby had a race against time to have his JBS Funny Car ready for the Nitro Champs in Sydney, but amazingly was able to qualify the fresh ride into the field.

Newby and his team built up the new car in just two weeks after crashing their previous dragster at the last round of the championship in Adelaide.

A total of 20 national drag racing records were set at the Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway over the weekend, including the oldest record on the Australian National Drag Racing Association books.

Jamie Prothero took his humble D/Modified Bike to a 10.23 and a 135.08mph speed pass which surpassed the 26 year old mark set by Henderson & Shearer at Calder Park.

With just one round of the 2011/2012 ANDRA drag racing season remaining, a number of titles will go down to the wire at the Winternationals at Willowbank Raceway, June 8-11.

Top Fuel has provided the scene for a dramatic end with Western Australian Damien Harris and his Best Tractor Parts team leading Victorian driver Darren Morgan by just 2.5 points.

Harris recovered from a first round loss at the Pro Series 1000 in Adelaide to win at the Nitro Champs in Sydney, as well as taking bonus points for low time and top speed that elevated him into the number one position.

In what many are calling the best event held at Sydney Dragway, ANDRA Pro Series eliminations day featured some of the best personal performances and amazing drag races Australian drag racing has produced.

ANDRA Top Doorslammer was a feast of 5.7-second passes, with West Australians John Zappia and Robin Judd continuing to trade blows. However, Peter Kapiris defeated Judd in the first round and Belleri in the second round to force a finals showdown with long-time rival Zappia.

Nitro Champs qualifying turns it on.