Darren Morgan Racing doubles up in Adelaide

Current Australian Top Fuel Champion Darren Morgan kicked off the new ANDRA season in style by taking out the opening round at Adelaide International Raceway.

"We couldn't be happier with the way things turned out," said Darren. "The crew and car performed flawlessly and we've walked away with a good bag of points and the championship lead. It was amazing how Rino and the guys from Racing Onn Promotions were able to put in such a great show in trying conditions."

Using the newly introduced 3 round format, the compulsory qualifier saw the team lay down a stout 4.59 to the 1000ft mark, the distance used at Adelaide International Raceway for high horsepower vehicles.

In the 2nd round of racing Darren faced off against Queensland's Steve Read. The "Pom" got the start line advantage, however Darren was able to drive around him to take the win with an improving 4.49

For the final Darren went head-to-head with Phil Lamattina who had reset the track record earlier in the day. When the ambers flashed, Phil moved a fraction too early leaving the dreaded red cherry on the tree as Darren streaked to victory with 4.47 to Phil's 4.45.

According to tuner Ben Patterson, "The testing we were able to do at Calder a few weeks ago helped us get enough of the 8,000 horsepower to the ground to take the win. It was a similar setup to what we ran last April in Adelaide when we defeated Phil in the final."

Darren has a different spin on things. "Ben doesn't give himself enough credit. He did really well in difficult conditions and his calls on the tune were spot on."

With two recent victories in Adelaide, Darren and the team have developed a great relationship with the locals. "The crowd was massive and we're so grateful we could put on a show for all the fans. We feel very privileged to be part of the re-birth of drag racing in South Australia," said Darren.

After the event, text messages and emails have been streaming in from fans and well wishers, including Wayne and Robyn from Gristmill, the people behind Upper Middle Bogan. "Boy did we pick the right team!! Congratulations on another great win from all of us at UMB!"

Picking the right team is also something Darren is good at. "Without the support of people like Theo from Pavtek (who distributes Aeroflow Performance Products), Crow Cams, Shannons Insurance, Victorian American Imports and our many associate partners we wouldn't be as competitive as we are or put on such a great show for the fans. So hats off to them for their continued support and foresight to see the opportunities Top Fuel drag racing can provide."

2013 ANDRA Top Fuel Championship Points (Provisional)

1. Darren Morgan – 107
2. Phil Lamattina – 93
3. Steve Read – 76
4. Luke Shepherd – 45

Next stop for Darren Morgan Racing will be the Australian Nationals at Sydney Dragway, November 2 – 4.