With under 48 hours to go until the Fuchs Winternationals kicks off for 2013, we preview the event as teams flood in information ahead of Australia's biggest drag racing event.

After top qualifying and winning the recent Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway, Darren Morgan Racing has regained the lead in the championship and will be looking to extend that lead at Australia’s biggest and most spectacular drag race.

“We’ve made the final at the last three rounds on the calendar and we’re excited about what lays ahead this weekend,” said Darren Morgan. “Willowbank is renowned for great traction and with the cool winter air consistent 4.60s is what we’ll be aiming for.

“With four qualifiers tuner Ben Patterson will have more opportunities than usual to get a handle on the track and weather conditions. At the Nitro Champs we were able to lay down five four second passes. This gives the team a great deal of confidence that we will be able to produce the performances we need to continue to move ahead of the field.”

Morgan will also be unveiling a new paint scheme thanks to Kingpins Kustom Paint and PPG.

“The guys from Kingpins have done a fantastic job on the race car and we can’t wait to show it to all our fans at Willowbank,” said Darren. “I also want to say a huge thank you to our friends at K-Trans who are transporting the dragster from Mildura to the Winters so we can defend our championship lead.”

Right behind Morgan in the points is Phil Lamattina who has vowed his team will leave no stone unturned in the effort to win the Fuchs Winternationals event for the long time sponsor of the LTFR Top Fuel car.

“Fuchs are simply the best sponsor that we as a team could have on the side of our race car,” explained Lamattina. “Their involvement in drag racing has seen them sponsor the best event on the calendar and although any win is sweet, to take home Winternationals gold is just that bit sweeter.”

Some tune-up changes have given the team a new level of confidence heading into the Queensland round.

“We have sorted the clutch area and we are ready to go racing. I have told Aaron (Hambridge, LTFR crew chief) it’s time to get aggressive. We want to be consistent and fast. That’s what it will take.”

Coming off his first Pro Stock victory is Mopar factory driver Lee Bektash.

He is confident that he and his team can continue the form that saw them defeat one of the strongest fields ever assembled in Australian drag racing.

“I want more gold – ANDRA gold,” chuckled Bektash, referring to his ANDRA gold Christmas tree haul in Sydney.

“The new car had an amazing debut but we don’t want it to stop there, we want more.”

Team Mopar debuted an ex-Allan Johnson Racing Dodge Avenger imported from the US at the previous round of the ANDRA Pro Stock championship.

“The tough thing about Pro Stock is it’s going to get harder and harder to get that win,” he said. “The first round of racing in Sydney saw people losing after running 6-second passes! That’s ridiculous!”

Bektash might be all smiles off the track but once on the startline, he takes his racing very seriously.

“I love the sport,” the Victorian grinned. “But I like nothing more than I like winning and for the team and my crew, we are looking for big things — big speeds and big results against the biggest names in the sport.

“And after all the big things, I hope to be able to achieve a little thing, just one little number — number one.”

One racer who would love to be competing but unfortunately will have to skip Australia’s biggest drag racing event is Chris Matheson, following his 350kmh fall at the Nitro Champs.

“While I did have intentions to bring out the “Jack Hammer” (V-Twin) for the Winters to at least try and get some points, my foot will not allow that to happen,” he said.

“As all the crew were booked for the Winternationals, we have set aside most of the weekend to finish repairing the Nitro Voodoo machine.

“For those who first saw the wreck in Sydney it was easy to draw to the conclusion that the bike would never race again. We have plenty of spares, most of the damage was cosmetic, a testament to the design of the bike.

“Whilst we will miss the Winters, we will be more than ready to take up where we left off at our next round in August at Hidden Valley in Darwin.”

In the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship, Fiona Reed will return to the driver’s seat just seven weeks after giving birth to daughter Makayla.

Reed (nee Keating) will be back on track with the support of new sponsor Autobarn Browns Plains and her husband Daniel Reed – crew chief for Top Doorslammer outfit Stuart Bishop Racing.

Makayla is already becoming a track regular, with the seven week old not batting an eyelid at the weekend as engines roared around her and mum took to the Willowbank Raceway quarter-mile for a test run.

“A few people have said I am crazy getting back in the car so soon, but we have taken it slowly!” said Reed.

“I have the all clear and testing went well, even if it was a bit scary rolling out for that first pass. Now that I have the confidence back I am really excited to be representing new sponsor Autobarn Browns Plains as well as Kincrome on track at the biggest event held outside of the US.

“We were all interested to see how Makayla would take to the track, she had her first visit to the quarter-mile last weekend and she has really taken to it – I think we may have a little drag racer on our hands!”

In off track action at the Fuchs Winternationals, Fuchs-sponsored Erebus Motorsport will show its support for their drag racing compatriots at Willowbank Raceway this weekend.

Erebus Motorsport V8 Supercar drivers Tim Slade (Saturday), Lee Holdsworth (Sunday) and Maro Engel (Monday) will each attend a day of the event, signing autographs for their fans in the Fuchs Marquee at 1.00pm.