Ali will get his chance to defend championship

Reigning Pro Stock champion Michael Ali has had things fall into place just in time to be able to contest the opening round of the ANDRA Drag Racing Series at his home track of Adelaide International Raceway in little over a week's time.

Ali's home track debut was looking uncertain with no engine in the workshop, up until recent days when the powerplant for his SA Constructions Pontiac GTO arrived back.

"Things came together on the engine side of things just in time," he said. "If there was no engine there would have been no racing. If I pull my finger out we will get it happening and be alright.

"We just had the engine freshened up so we can safely go again. We've done all last season on it so it was due to come out."

Ali stunned the Pro Stock field with his 2011/2012 ANDRA championship win, the privateer combination of Michael and father Sav showing a combination of good reaction times, consistent race set up and a little bit of luck was enough to claim the title ahead of more well funded teams.

Being able to race in front of his local supporters for championship points for the first time has the 30 year old Adelaide resident keen for the season launch.

"It will be exciting having family and friends there to see us and watching it for real rather than on TV," he said. "There are quite a few other big racers coming from interstate which will make it exciting as well, a proper race meeting for Pro Stock finally in Adelaide."

Just some of those big teams Ali refers to include the tough sibling pairings of Aaron and Tyronne Tremayne and Shane and Kirsten Tucker, as well as Lee Bektash, Dave Newcombe and Bill Perdikaris.

"On the day anyone can go out there and win it, that's the way I look at it, anyone can come up and have a win, they just need to get a good light," he said. "Tucker, Tremayne, Newcombe, those guys are diehard racers and they want a championship and to win races.

"I know they are all very serious about their racing and wanting to make every event and every run count.

"Adelaide's surface is going to be different but to their credit they have put in the hard yards and run lots of stuff there. Every time I have been there it is getting better and better. I think they are doing a great job getting it up to scratch and hopefully we can get on to some good times."