John Zappia kicks off his campaign for an unprecedented seventh successive Australian Top Doorslammer title at the ANDRA Pro Showdown at Perth's stunning Motorplex this weekend.

We're wishing a very Happy 70th Birthday to Australia's greatest drag racer, Jim Read, whose on-track success with 17 Nationals wins and 16 Australian Top Fuel titles is second to none.

Local racer Lyn Stewart will have extra motivation when she competes in the opening round of the 2014 JR Racing Eighth Mile Drag Racing Series at Warwick Dragway on 8 February.

The 62-year-old, who won last year's FG Loy & Sons Earthmoving Old School Bracket, lost her husband of 40 years – beloved local drag racing identity Mark Stewart – to a workplace accident in 2012, but the passionate racer has continued her on-track exploits in his honour.

Popular community motoring television show host and drag racing competitor Glenn Everitt has created a spectacular film of his Outlaw Nitro Funny Car ahead of this weekend's Portland event.

Everitt filmed the car for an episode on his Man and Machine show, which airs on the 4ME community network.

Champion Australian drag racer, Kelly Corbett celebrated Australia Day in style by blasting out the quickest run ever by a four cylinder vehicle at New Zealand's 2014 V Four and Rotary Nationals presented by NAC Insurance, held at Fram Autolite Dragway, near Auckland, yesterday.

Driving the Jett Racing Datsun ute, Corbett stormed to a 7.14 at a shut-off 178mph and set a new performance standard for the NZ Sport Compact class.

Queenslander Steven Reed is just one of the headliners of a stellar field in the ANDRA Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol season opener at Perth Motorplex, 31 January-1 February.

The Top Alcohol cornucopia of supercharged dragsters, funny cars and altereds reaching over 400 kph during fierce elimination racing is set to light up the West next Friday in Perth fans' first look at Reed in five years.