As you know, Nitro magazine brings you coverage of all of the NDRA events, plus articles on the current crop of nostalgia vehicles and drivers, but here at the NDRA we like to think of Nitro as more than just a nostalgia magazine.
We look at Nitro as being a celebration of those glorious years which saw the birth of hot rodding and drag racing in Australia. Part of our aim is to honour all of those early pioneers of Aussie rodding whose passion built the solid formation for the spectacular sport we see in this country today.
Hot rodding and drag racing all over the world owes its very existence to the American hot rodders of the 1950s who started racing their rods on the dis-used airstrips, thus starting the march towards the phenomenon that we love so much. But every other country that embraced the sport had its own trials and tribulations to overcome and it is to our own Aussie pioneers of the sport that we are indebted and that Nitro Magazine honours.
For every vehicle that ran down an Aussie strip in the 1950s (there were a few), 60s and 70s there would be dozens, if not hundreds of stories that could be told. Many of them would revolve around the actual racing, others would involve the travelling to and from races. Some would be happy, some sad, others would mean a great deal to individual drivers and their crews, whether they were big names in the day or the grass roots, bucks-down racers.
While we at Nitro have a strong team in the office and a great team of regular contributors we don’t know everything and can’t be everywhere in order to track these stories down. Just recently stories and photos of some of our early pioneers have been turning up in our office, sent in by guys wanting to share moments of our heritage with the rest of you and we will be bringing them to you in up-coming issues.
And this is where you can help us ensure that Nitro Magazine acknowledges our local heroes in the best possible way. If you were involved in Aussie drag racing in the 60s and 70s and have stories and photos, we’d love you to share them with the rest of us here in the pages of Nitro. Sort of bench racing on paper. We’re also open to suggestions for articles on teams, cars and events from those early years and if you have photos and contacts to help us, that will get the article in print a lot quicker.
Nostalgia in Australia is growing, as evidenced by the popularity of various reunions which have been held and by the entry lists at the nostalgia drag meets, and we at the NDRA are proud to be playing a major part in that growth. With many of our early racers now reaching the age where the big bench race in the sky is starting to beckon, it’s our younger racers and fans who need to know how and where it all began. Stories and photos from our past will ensure that Aussie drag racing is there for the younger generations in our sport to enjoy and this can only result in the nostalgia movement continuing to flourish.
ON THE COVER.
Alan Burgers showed us how well built his Model A coupe was at the Nostalgia event held at Ballarat on the 24th May. The coupe lost traction and turned hard left. Alan, who has just recently celebrated his 59th birthday, has been a drag racer for most of his
life and never involved in a drag racing accident before said it was “Nutt’n Fancy”. We reckon he has put a whole new meaning to rock and roll or is that rd and roll. By the look of these pictures one thing you can be sure of ANDRA rules may be tough but the make drag racing safe. Alan walked away shaken but unhurt.
Well after such a great Nostalgic trip to Ballarat with the Victorians really turning it on and supporting our series event at the old airstrip, we are turning our thoughts to the rerun at WSID on July 6th, and the fast approaching Nostalgia Nationals at Willowbank on August 17th.
The Nostalgia Nationals at Willowbank has a few surprises with the legendary American drag racing ‘spruiker’ John Madajacik joining our own NDRA ‘spruiker’ Chris Diggles in the commentary box…this will see some highly entertaining race calling and commentary on the day! Also one of America’s famous (if not the best) custom painters and cartoonist Kenny Young Blood will be at the track showing of his work and even doing character toons next year! And after the Nostalgia Nationals what’s happening with the next Nostalgia Drag Racing Series? We will be off to Benaraby in September and we will also be returning to Victoria and NSW before the end of the year.
Details and entriy forms will be posted on the Nitro! & Nostalgia Drag Racing websites. We are currently negotiating with Northern Territory Tracks so keep tuned for all the latest Finally, we are introducing a new regular columnist to Nitro! Magazine with Chris Diggles and a section called, ‘Mike & Me’ which will have a varied approach to the many different aspects within drag racing at the Nostalgias… knowing Chris as we all do, this will be a very entertaining and highly readable section.
Until next time!
FROM THE DESK
