Hodgins all shook up for desert drag round

The Territory Tremor Funny Car team is hoping for a performance off the Richter scale at Alice Springs Inland Dragway when they take part in the Desert Nationals on June 28-29.

Driver Dan Hodgins said it was first seeing big horsepower dragsters when he was younger than drew him into the sport.

"As I grew older I wanted to be involved with the speed and adrenaline and the development of a car to make it go quicker and faster each and every time," he said. "It is a sport for the battler as well as the financially well backed teams because you are all on an even playing field."

Hodgins said the Alice Springs motorsport community are eager for the event, which marks the first time a round of the national Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship has been held in central Australia.

"The racers are getting excited. A few of them are a bit worried about the calibre of the competition that will be coming from around the country," he said. "But it seems everyone is looking forward to full fields with some exciting racing. I am looking forward to seeing a packed full pit area and making some new mates in the drag racing community.

Hodgins said the growth in drag racing in recent years in Alice Springs has been tremendous. "Each meeting we have been getting new racers coming out to give it a go," he said. "Some of them are now looking to move up into faster categories so that's fantastic. Our biggest influx has been with Junior Dragsters and it's great to see the kids wanting to be involved in this great sport. With the national event around the corner, it has been great to see the enthusiasm from businesses and supporters around town."

Hodgins does have some personal goals, with the AA/Funny Car record in his sights.

"We want to have a big push at the national record but in saying this we realise it's going to be some hard work trying to set that and a big step up for us," he said. "But you have to have big goals to get big satisfaction. Our dreams will only come true at 200mph!"

Hodgins will be part of the Competition category where he will compete against fellow Territory driver Mark Probst and former national champion Wayne Keys who is towing all the way from Western Australia to race.

The Desert Nationals runs from June 28 to 29 at Alice Springs Inland Dragway.