TOPIC:

Australian Sprintcar Racing

Sprint Car racing in Australia is extremely popular, in fact there are over 300 registered drivers racing across the country. The number one drawcard for Australian speedways, Sprint Cars have been thrilling fans since they were first introduced back in the early 1970s.

The main speedway season in Australia runs from October through to May, although the Northern Territory, at the heart of Australia, runs in the cooler months of June through to October.

World Series Sprintcars (WSS) is the country’s only national Sprint Car series, the series is run over approximately 18 rounds from November to January, drawing huge crowds wherever they travel. Many US drivers have contested WSS, including Donny Schatz, Randy Hannagan, Danny Smith, Jason Johnson and Daryn Pittman. Daryn Pittman is the only American to have won the Championship.

Australia has several major Sprint Car events, the most prestigious being the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic held at Warrnambool’s Premier Speedway. Run since 1973, the race has a rich history and is commonly referred to as Australia’s version of the Knoxville Nationals. Australia's best drivers also compete at The Australian Sprintcar Championship each February.

As most of the rules governing Australian Sprint Car racing have been drawn from the US, the cars are virtually identical to those raced in the US. Non-winged cars are not permitted in Australia.

Australia’s open Sprint Cars are powered by 410ci, all alloy engines. A budget minded class, running 360ci steel block engines was introduced in 2003 and is enjoying increased popularity. Sydney’s Parramatta City Raceway sparked controversy in 2003 when it decided to adopt 410ci engines. This was done to allow World of Outlaws drivers to compete at the track using their own equipment for the World of Outlaws Down Under event. In May, 2006 it was decided by the Sprintcar Control Council of Australia that from July 1, 2007, 410ci engines will be allowed in Australia.

Speedway racing in Australia is governed by the National Association of Speedway Racing (NASR). The Sprintcar Control Council of Australia (SCCA) is responsible for enforcing the rules and conduct of Sprint Car racing in Australia.