Eighth-mile fever will once again come to Willowbank Raceway next weekend with Queensland's premier drag racing facility readying to host the penultimate round of the 2013 JP Racing Eighth Mile Drag Racing Series on Saturday 3 August.

Organisers expect more than 100 racers to head to the Ipswich venue for round three of the Series which is currently in its third year as it continues to bring prestige racing to the regional facilities of South East Queensland.

Series organiser John Winterburn said the Series was growing from strength to strength thanks to its recipe of quality racing, camaraderie and fantastic regional locations.

Five reigning national drag racing champions will be putting on a show of their skills at Queensland's Benaraby Raceway this weekend for round eight of the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship.

Among them will be Alexandra Hills' Jason Simpson, a national Super Stock champion and record holder, who will be aiming to show Benaraby that he means business when his Ford Capri, capable of accelerating to 250kmh in just over eight seconds, hits the track.

"It's my first time racing at Benaraby and I've heard from some teams that have been there that it's a good track with a fun atmosphere," he said. "We want to come out and support the local Queensland tracks and while we will enjoy it you're of course aiming to bring home the win as well."

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.

Queensland's Jodanna Pullen will return to her 'grass roots' at this weekend's FUCHS Winternationals - the largest championship drag race held outside of the United States - at Willowbank Raceway across June 7-10.

Racing in the group 3 Super Sedan bracket at the wheel of her VC 308 cubic inch Pro Street Holden Commodore, Jodanna is motivated to be back in the drivers seat after completing her 'group 2' licensing last month and enjoying a continuing 'R & D' period on her new project, the VZ Holden Monaro which is destined for the Super Stock bracket.

"I will be keeping my racing craft sharp by competing at the FUCHS Winternationals in my Commodore in Super Sedan – returning to my roots at one of the most 'traditional' events on the calendar sounds pretty great to me," said Pullen.

Roma's Laurie Fitzgerald is one racer who can't wait to see the 2013 JP Racing Eighth Mile Drag Racing Series return to the new-look Ironbark Raceway come Saturday 27 April 2013.

Fitzgerald was the Series champion for the 2012 FG Loy and Sons Earthmoving Old School Bracket and the 2010 Series champion in the Modified bracket and in 2013 will be debuting in a new bracket – Ice Slushee Super Sedan.

"This will be my third year competing in the JP Racing Eighth Mile Drag Racing Series and my third different race bracket for the Series," said Fitzgerald.

The Australian National Drag Racing Association is set to make big changes to its rules for street cars, with modern 'street registered' vehicles being permitted to run without roll cages down to a limit of 10.00 seconds for the first time.

Under the new safety rules, vehicles manufactured post January 1, 2008 will be able to run as quick as 10.00 seconds and as fast as 140mph (225.30kph) (whichever is reached first) for the quarter mile without a roll cage.

Family ties are an integral part of the sport of drag racing and in Australia's 'red centre' it is no different.

Alice Springs Inland Dragway plays host to the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship for the first time on June 28-29 as part of the Desert Nationals and among those competing will be Gerladine Willox and her son Daniel.

Geraldine races in the Super Street category and said she had a Holden HJ Kingswood project sitting on blocks for some 15 years before she decided it was time to bite the bullet and go racing.

"Drag racing is the only motorsport I like," she said. "My other half Mick built the motor so now 'Crusty', our nickname for my car' can drive his little socks off.

Just seven weeks after giving birth to her first child, Fiona Reed will return to the driver's seat at the largest drag racing event held outside of the US this weekend, with the support of a new sponsor.

Fiona Reed (Keating) will make her comeback to the sport she loves this weekend at the largest drag racing event held outside of the US – the FUCHS Winternationals (7-10 June) at Willowbank Raceway – just seven weeks after welcoming her first child to the world.

Reed will do so with the support of new sponsor Autobarn Browns Plains and her husband Daniel Reed – crew chief for Top Doorslammer outfit Stuart Bishop Racing.

The 2012-13 Southern Super Gas Series was finalized at the Nitro Champs.

With the assistance of Ray Treasure the series final was decided in a paired run in the third qualifying session at the recently completed Nitro Championships. Going into the run Matt Forbes and Kym Oberauer were tied on points and it was decided that the series winner would be the one with the best package in that run. However a red light by Matt in his Fast Time Design Roadster handed the win and the DJ Sportsman Chute supplied by MSCN plus the Lucas Oil package supplied by Matt Forbes to Kym in his Just Drag Racing Camira.

Ironbark Raceway President David Somerfield is predicting big things for this April's JP Racing Eighth Mile Drag Racing Series round at the Roma drag racing facility following its re-opening last month.

In fact, Somerfield is so confident of a big showing, he has thrown down a challenge to other hosts of the 2013 eighth mile series to beat them when it comes to competitor and crowd numbers.

"The excitement around this place at the moment is just palpable," said Somerfield.