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I heard Kapiris wasn't doing the rest of the season which was nitro champs and winters.

Saintys haven't been up for winters for a few years now but would be good to see them back at willowbank.

Stamatis is preparing for next season they said at nitro champs so don't think he will be there.

Mariani I thought would have entered hopefully will be a late entry

Zap you would think would be the same with late entry.

There is no incentive for Southern Sportsman racers to compete at the Nitro Champs or Winter Nats anymore as these meets are no longer a part of the ANDRA Summit Series.

None of the heavy hitters that supported the ANDRA Summit Series bothered to enter the Nitro Champs and it's looking like the same for the Winter Nats.  It's a shame as a win at the Winter Nats in the sportsman classes won't be as big a win as it used to be without all the top racers from around the country.

Australian drag racing is too small to have two sanctioning bodies and two sportsman series.  It's looking like the majority of sportsman racers that supported the ANDRA Summit Series are not interested in supporting 400 Thunder. 

To all the racers that have entered the Winter Nats, I hope you have an enjoyable and safe weekends racing.

There are 411 entries for the 2016 Winternationla, 60 Pro teams and 351 sportsman racers. To say that a win here won't be as big this year because the so the called heavy hitters from down south aren't entered is an insult to those racers that choose to run this iconic drag racing event. This event is the biggest and most prestigious run outside the US, if at the end of the weekend you hold the winners trophy in your hand you are the Winternaionals Champion. This is Australian Drag Racing's longest running continuous event, has only ever had 2 homes, Surfers Paradise and Willowbank Raceway. That is why racers come from all over Australia and overseas to race it.

I was never having a dig at those that have entered. I think the entries ate really good considering the current state of the sport

Well done to all that have entered.
all i said as being a victorian it will be sad not many southern racers to support while i am up there.

But i am sure the quality will be second to none.
easily the best meet of the year

Michael,

My comments in my above post and this post refers to sportsman racing not the pro classes. 

You say "that's why racers come from all over Australia and overseas to race", and yes - I agree that's been the case over the years but sadly they're not coming from all over Australia this year and nor did they at the recent Nitro Champs.  And the only reason is because our sport is in disarray with two sanctioning bodies and two sportsman series. 

Sure there are 351 sportsman racers entered, but without all the top racers from around the country that regularly travel to these big meetings (you know who they are, I don't have to mention their names) then you basically just have a glorified round of the QDRC.

Wouldn't you rather win the Winter Nats knowing that the best from around the country was in attendance, not just the best from QLD and a handful from NSW?

The sooner the sport goes back to one sanctioning body and one sportsman series for the whole country the better off the sport will be and iconic meets like the Winter Nats up north and the Nationals down south will have racers from all over the country wanting to compete at these meets, just like it used to be.

Better read the entry list AJ, there are racers from every state, except ACT and TAS, and 1 from NZ. You talk like those so called heavy hitters from down south only need to show up to win. If Queensland racers do make the majority of the entries then drag racing up here is in pretty good shape and there are some super tough racers up here ,you know who they are. To say Winternationals is nothing more than a glorified QDRC round is nothing short of ridiculous, it is Australia's only iconic drag race.

It's still an iconic race and it's still the biggest, but there are 71 less sportsman racers this year, 89 if you take out the Pro Radial entries. That's just the numbers in black and white.
We are at our best when we all work as one and hopefully the powers in our sport are working toward that.

Michael,

I agree the Winter Nats is an iconic drag race. My comments above was in no way suggesting that racers from the southern states are better than those up north. I'm just pointing out that since the Nitro Champs and Winter Nats has gone to IHRA and 400 Thunder the sportsman entries from Vic and SA has dropped dramatically.  For the Winter Nats I've counted 5 from Vic and 5 from SA.

With approximately 80 less sportsman racers than last year @ $410 per entry, that's a total of $32,800 less revenue the track is missing out on - ouch!!!  Did the big 3 think of that before breaking away from ANDRA and forming their own sportsman series? 

All my comments relates to the sportsman series not the pro classes.

The sanctioning fee under Andra for the Winternationals was more the than revenue they are missing out on, why do you think they went to IHRA?

Zappia is in.
17 slammers good numbers

Michael have your Queenslander thought's.Time will tell.

You say "that's why racers come from all over Australia and overseas to race", and yes - I agree that's been the case over the years but sadly they're not coming from all over Australia this year and nor did they at the recent Nitro Champs.  [b]And the only reason is because our sport is in disarray with two sanctioning bodies and two sportsman series. 
What a load of rubbish, you guys behave like a bunch of school girls, I cant get my way so I'm not going to run. Sooner or later you will learn that spectators just want to watch the best racing available and that you gooses need tracks to race at more than the tracks need you.

The only thing that time will tell is that the Winternationals is by far the biggest and best drag race in Australia bar none. I cannot wait for next year as it will be the 50th running of this iconic event. Over 400 racers made the effort to race this event and it was exciting and spectacular racing in front of a massive crowd. All the racers were very appreciative of the amazing crowd just as the crowd were of witnessing some great racing, everybody got there moneys worth. Those racers that did attend are prepared to support both series and hold 2 licences if that what it takes to race. Everyone has a choice of when and where they race, if they want to miss the biggest race of the year so be it. The negative people of the sport say it is in disarray but I am sure the 400 racers and 30,000 spectators that attended this year Winternationals would disagree. Congratulations to Willowbank Raceway.

michael  if you do a breakdown of states entries ,Just over 300 entries were from Queenland. So you are  looking forward to next year,so am i.??????,