For Ben Bray the 2012 Brisbane Jamboree was a dream come true. Only taking delivery of the Ness Racecraft chassis four and half weeks ago, Ben, his crew and some loyal supporters worked over time just to get the car finished and ready for qualifying for the largest Hi-Tech drag racing and import car event.

Jumping into a new car with a smaller cubed engine, a turbo charger, a four speed gear box, plus competing against the best racers in the country on your second full pass in the car was a big ask.

But Benny did it - he qualified at the Jamboree and pulled off the biggest upset in the history of Pro Compact to come away with a win.

And the winner is....

Troy Hillier of High Wycombe in WA!!!! Congratulations to Troy as the randomly selected winner of the die-cast replica of Tony Schumacher’s 2011 U.S. ARMY Top Fuel Dragster.

I had a quick chat with Troy today and he’s a happy bloke to be taking home the prize. Troy, an auto electrician, is currently putting together a Super Sedan to compete at the Perth Motorplex and hopes to be ready next season.

Aaron Tremayne - Pro StockFormer Pro Stock champion Aaron Tremayne says the team has spent the off season developing the horsepower needed to fire back into form for the start of the ANDRA drag racing championship season at Adelaide International Raceway on October 20.

Tremayne finished an uncharacteristic eighth in last season's championship chase, having won the previous four championships in a row. He was blunt in his assessment of the poor finish.

"The top eight is pretty pathetic as far as I'm concerned," he said.

The performance inspired plenty of work in the team's shop in Queensland and also in testing to regain some form both in the engine department and with his own driving, which produced three red light losses last season.

What sounds like distant thunder is actually the sound of thousands of horses coming your way at over 500 kmh!

The fastest show on Earth – the Australian Drag Racing Nationals – is roaring back into town on November 2, 3 and 4 bringing with it more speed, excitement and entertainment than ever before!!!

With a full contingent of the fastest race cars and bikes on the planet including Top Fuel, Top Doorslammer, Top Alcohol, Pro Stock, Top Bike, Pro Stock Bike and all your favourite Aeroflow Sportsman Championship drag racers, the Australian Nationals in one of the biggest events on the Australian National Drag Racing Association’s (ANDRA) calendar.

Peter Coles - Supercharged Outlaws (Photo courtesy www.highrpm.com.au)The season finale of the 2012 Track Championship Series finishes this Saturday with the final round being played out when qualifying gets underway from 2:30pm.

Four out of the seven categories are going to have their finalists decided with Super Street, Street, Street Bike, and Junior Dragsters all having the potential for upsets.

Peter Coles is one competitor madly preparing for his final run of the year. After damaging his 1968 Camaro last meeting he has been waiting for parts to arrive from America. With the delivery unconfirmed he has borrowed parts locally and he has until Saturday to completely rebuild the supercharged V8 that hurtles the Camaro down the quarter mile in 6 seconds.

Darrell Mathieson - winner of series 1 (Photo courtesy www.dragpix.net.au)The Australian Super Gas Racers will run a five-round Southern Super Gas Series this drag racing season, with four dates confirmed.

With the first round scheduled for Sydney Dragway's Australian Nationals in November 2012 and concludes with the 5th round at Fuchs South Coast Raceway in Portland on Sunday 2nd of March 2013.

Series spokesman Michael Bibby commented "For last season's inaugural series our aim was to get Super Gas racing re-established in Victoria as well as entice some race cars out of the shed. While entry levels were modest both objectives were achieved and that has given us the encouragement to go ahead with another season. A further aim was not to diminish ANDRA Championship racing by drawing Super Gas entries away from those events."

Grant Rowe - Super Sedan (Photo courtesy www.highrpm.com.au)The second last round of the Track Championship Series was run on Saturday night at Hidden Valley Drag Strip and several brackets are still no closer to having a decisive winner in the end of season point score.

More records tumbled along the way with Scott MacLean piloting the AllTools Top Alcohol Funny Car to two sub-6 second passes. A 5.829 second pass at 248mph along with a 5.934 at 245mph. It was enough to reset the TA/FC record for Hidden Valley and may be enough to secure the King of the Valley trophy for 2012.

Matt Abel also ran his personal best time for Hidden Valley with a 6.087 at 235mph alongside Peter Coles with a 6.736 at 198mph.

Alice Springs based Mark Probst suffered mechanical failure that put him out for the night.

Steve Read Top Fuel (Photo courtesy Terry Andrews)Queensland's Steve Read will return to where his nitro career began when the ANDRA Top Fuel season launches at Adelaide International Raceway on October 20.

Read's first event in a Top Fuel dragster was driving for team owner Santo Rapisarda at the South Australian venue back in 1995 and he said he has positive memories of the experience.

"I was thinking about it just the other day and remembering the debut there," he said. "I've always liked the place. It has a great atmosphere, the fans are very vocal and I used to love going there."

With a best run in his debut event of 5.38sec, Read has since come a long way. He developed his own Top Fuel operation and with a personal best time of 4.68sec performance is not an issue. Read runs his own transport business and has had limited time for racing over the past few seasons, competing at only the 2011 and 2012 Winternationals in his home state.