"VAN" (Sports Desk - 06.01.2025) :: This Friday and Saturday's New Year Nitro event at Willowbank Raceway will provide the perfect way to ring in the New Year with two huge days and nights of flame-throwing Top Fuel and XPRO Nitro Funny Car action.
Known for incredible three second/500kmh+ passes down the quarter-mile, these 11,000hp monsters are a true crowd favourite and not to be missed as they take to the track to contest round two of their 2024/2025 NDRC Championship chases this weekend.
Joined on track by a full complement of Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship competitors for an action-packed program, this will be the first trip to Willowbank for Top Fuel and XPRO Nitro Funny Car since June of 2024, where they competed on the newly resurfaced track surface.
For Justin Walshe, that event was a true stand-out, seeing the Gold Coast racer take out not only the prestigious Winternationals event win, but also the inaugural NDRC XPRO Nitro Funny Car title.
With a home track advantage also on his side, Walshe now heads into New Year Nitro looking to build on that momentum.
“At the Winternationals we won the race meeting itself and we sealed the championship for the season, but there’s no pressure,” Walshe grinned.
“I am always excited to go to Willowbank because it is technically our home track. I am very excited to get back there and see if we can have the same performance and take home some gold, so to speak.”
Upping the ante for the racers will be the fact that the track conditions are expected to be very different to those experienced at ‘the Winters,’ explains Walshe.
“The heat will make it tricky to tune the race cars as it will be the hottest time of year, so we will be working hard to make sure we have them performing for the crowd,” Walshe said.
“You are going from June, where it is absolutely perfect conditions for racing these styles of cars, to summer and January, where it is very hot, but we will be throwing everything we have at it to make sure the fans get the show they expect!
“As drivers, we all have the utmost trust in the guys tuning the cars and you have to be ready to drive it to the best of your ability, no matter the conditions.
“I just have to trust in the decisions made by our in-house tuning team, Graeme Frawley and David Mullins, and be ready for whatever the track and conditions throw at me.
“This weekend, absolutely any of these cars in both XPRO Nitro Funny Car and Top Fuel has the potential to win, and for the fans who want to see close racing and perhaps an underdog get up, that is ideal.
“We might even see a first time winner at Willowbank – if I had to make a prediction that isn’t me, I would say Adam Murrihy – a fellow local – is one to watch.”
While any car can win, there is no denying that Walshe is certainly an in-form competitor after last season heading to the final of each of the six events, winning five of those six.
While the 2024/2025 season-opener at Dragway at The Bend left a lot to be desired for the reigning champ with mechanical issues hampering his campaign, he is feeling positive.
“We didn’t have a great event at The Bend as we had a few mechanical and tune-up issues come our way, but during the last run of that meeting, we think we found a good baseline and starting point for the next race meeting,” he explains.
“I am feeling quietly confident that we have a good tune-up coming into New Year Nitro and we’ll finesse it from there.
“As we get ready to get into action this weekend, I must say we are incredibly thankful to our supporters, including Harts Paint Supplies, Axalta Coatings, U-Pol, Concept Paints, 3M, Rocket Industries, and Aeroflow. We wouldn’t be here without them.”
Round two of the XPRO Nitro Funny Cars as part of the NDRC will be held at Willowbank Raceway across January 10-11, 2025, alongside racing for the NDRC Top Fuel title and Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship.
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