Families are an intrinsic part of drag racing and the teams that find the most enjoyment in their racing are often the ones where the family is heavily involved.

Such is the case for the small army of family members who make up the Knijff Earthmoving Modified team, who will be competing at Benaraby Raceway this weekend in the eighth round of the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship.

The QLD Tyre and Retreading Team of Greg and Kim Clayton head to Benaraby Raceway for the eighth round of the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship this weekend with the distinct goal to gain as many points in the championship chase as they can.

Five reigning national drag racing champions will be putting on a show of their skills at Queensland’s Benaraby Raceway this weekend for round eight of the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship.

Among them will be Alexandra Hills’ Jason Simpson, a national Super Stock champion and record holder, who will be aiming to show Benaraby that he means business when his Ford Capri, capable of accelerating to 250kmh in just over eight seconds, hits the track.

Benaraby Raceway will next weekend hold its first ever round of the national Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship and among the stars competing will be Supercharged Outlaws points leader Luke Marsden.

Family ties are an integral part of the sport of drag racing and in Australia’s ‘red centre’ it is no different.

Reigning Super Gas champion Simon Isherwood had one problem with his national title, it came without a national event win. But that all changed at the recent Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway where he scored big with a finals win against Roy Romeo.

Dakota Ward earned the 60foot Rising Star Award at Sydney Dragway during last weekend’s Nitro Champs.

Reigning Australian Nationals champion Greg Clayton returned to his happy hunting ground of Sydney Dragway last weekend, claiming another finals appearance in Competition at the famed Nitro Champs.

Qualifying for the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship was completed on day one of the Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway with many racers running sub-record passes in the cool weather.

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.”

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.