Brisbane Funny Car racer Steve Ham brings a new car to the fight this weekend as he returns to Willowbank Raceway for the Santo’s Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race in the hotly contested ANDRA Top Alcohol championship.

Recent testing has injected a fresh shot of confidence into the ECL Team, with Ham touting the new Ford Mustang-bodied Funny Car as the most comfortable car he’s ever driven.

The Santo’s Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race may mark a crucial part of the championship for Top Fuel however the points battles and rivalries will take a back seat to the memory of Louie Rapisarda this weekend.

The son of team owner Santo Rapisarda passed away in a racing accident at Willowbank Raceway in 1990 and it is to preserve and honour Louie’s memory that Santo has continued operating one of Australia’s longest-lived Top Fuel outfits.

Check out the latest episode of ANDRA Pre Stage, where we catch up on what went on at Adelaide's Aeroflow Summer Speedfest and Perth's Westernationals and preview the Santo's Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race, coming up at Willowbank Raceway this weekend.

Top Fuel and Top Alcohol both add two more championship rounds to their tally when the Santo’s Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race hits Willowbank Raceway in March 29 and 30.

For Top Fuel it marks rounds six and seven of the championship and is the second time they have run the ‘double header’ championship format, following its successful debut at Perth Motorplex in February.

Queensland Top Alcohol driver Steven Reed says he may sacrifice the single compulsory qualifying sessions of the Santo’s Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race at Willowbank Raceway in order to find a path to quicker times.

Reed believes the Allstar Batteries/Royal Wolf team has the parts and equipment needed to run into the elusive 5.4 second zone, but needs to find the knowledge to get there and the only way to do that is to test out some theories.

Three times world Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon flies into Australia tomorrow, ready to be fitted up for the Rapisarda Autosport International dragster he will drive at the Santo’s Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race at Willowbank Raceway on March 29 and 30.

Two-time ANDRA Top Fuel champion Steve Read of Queensland’s Raceview boasts an illustrious career with 23 major wins across Australia and Europe in both the Top Fuel and Top Alcohol categories – but coming up against three times US champion Larry Dixon at the Santo’s Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race at Willowbank Raceway could be his biggest challenge yet.

ANDRA Top Fuel points leader Phil Lamattina says three times world champion Larry Dixon is just another driver in a tough Top Fuel field when the Santo's Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race rolls into Willowbank Raceway on March 29 and 30.

Lamattina is the current points leader, having made every final in the season so far, and is looking forward to showing US visitor Dixon and his partner in crime, ace crew chief Lee Beard, what the Fuchs outfit is capable of.

Damien Harris will keep his traditional yellow colour on his Best Tractor Parts Top Fuel dragster when he joins Rapisarda Autosport International in just over a fortnight for the Santo’s Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race at Willowbank Raceway.

The Australian National Drag Racing Association together with Sydney Dragway held a “short, fast and loud” display at the Top Gear Festival over the weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Fifteen time national Champion Gary Phillips battled the South Aussie heat to top the field in qualifying and make it through to the finals of the ANDRA Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol round in Adelaide last weekend and now has his eyes on the Santo’s Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race at his home track Willowbank Raceway.

The Santo’s Cranes Super 3 Extreme Drag Race at Willowbank Raceway will play host to NHRA royalty later this month when three-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon and renowned crew chief Lee Beard jet ‘down under’ to join the Rapisarda International Autosport team at the 29-30 March event.

Damien Harris will soon be joining the Rapisarda Autosport International stable together with sponsor Best Tractor Parts and they want fans to help them choose the colour scheme for the new dragster.

Victor Bray has enjoyed his second straight finals appearance as three generations of the Bray family took to the Perth Motorplex over the weekend for the Westernationals.

Victor faced long-time friend and series leader Peter Kapiris in the final of round three of ANDRA’s Top Doorslammer championship, after earlier qualifying third fastest and driving around local hero John Zappia in the semi-final.

ANDRA Top Doorslammer points leader Peter Kapiris has extended his championship gap, taking a win at the 42nd annual Westernationals at Perth Motorplex.

Kapiris used a 5.86 second time, the quickest of the event, to defeat Victor Bray who was appearing in his second straight final. Bray had to abort his run early after tyre shake.