As the 2026 NDRC championship chase hits the pointy end across September and October, this weekend’s Pro Stock Nationals at Willowbank Raceway (September 11-12) looms as a critical event for both Pro Stock and Pro Stock Bike.
With only the Haltech East Coast Nationals (September 26-28 for Pro Stock) and the All Bike Nationals (October 10 for Pro Stock Bike) to follow before the SPRY Spring Nationals NDRC Grand Final on October 22-24, the window for contenders in these brackets to make a move, consolidate a lead, or recover from a tough outing is rapidly narrowing.
In Pro Stock, Queensland’s Omar Sedmak takes a slender 34-point championship lead to Willowbank, with Victorian Robert Dekert just two points behind on 32. Behind them, Darryl Stephen and Aaron Tremayne sit on 24, while Tyronne Tremayne remains close on 22, ensuring the class is tightly packed as the season heads deeper into its deciding stretch.
“We are going into this meeting feeling pretty confident,” said Sedmak.
“We purchased a new car in November 2025 and debuted it at the Nitro Champs earlier this year – to say we had some gremlins was an understatement, but we still came out with the runner up.
“Moving forward, every run has been a PB and we are certainly heading in the right direction, and we are extremely excited to be in this position so quickly with the new car.
“After the Winternationals we have had time to do some R and D on the engine with Aaron Tremayne and to say I am happy is an understatement – I want to thank him for his workmanship, he is definitely the best in his field.
“I also want to thank Kurt Johnson for his knowledge and expertise and patience; he is definitely the man that I need in my side; as well as Mackay’s Furniture Transport, Auzprint, and my amazing dedicated crew.”
With so little separating the Pro Stock frontrunners, Willowbank offers a major chance to either create breathing room or tighten the standings even further before the next critical stop in Sydney.
The pressure is just as intense in Pro Stock Bike, where Victorian rider Callam Godeassi leads on 36 points, just two clear of fellow Victorian Paul Andrews on 34, while West Australian Ryan Learmonth remains well within striking distance on 30.
“We are all very excited to be leading the points, as although we knew that we had put together a great package, we did not expect to win the very first meeting back and to be leading the points at this stage,” Godeassi said.
“We have been chasing a baseline clutch setup as something that remains unexplained changed at the Winternationals, causing the bike to stall on the line. The problem we are sharing with all our competitors is lack of track time to get the data necessary for consistent tuning of the bike.
“I feel that this round is very important to our campaign if we want to maintain our lead we have to get as many points as possible.
“Unfortunately, my father Chris won’t be able to make this meeting, so I’m very lucky to have my usual crew of Dale Gilbert and Riley Gilbert as well as Ben Gilbert helping me out for the weekend – without them giving up their personal time it would be championship over for me. Thanks also to Trevor Birrell for working overtime getting both of our engines ready for this round after I damaged both of our gearboxes!”
The Sportsman side of the weekend carries just as much importance, particularly in the battle for the Dennis Syrmis Trophy. Awarded to the Aeroflow Sportsman Championship competitor who tops the overall national points standings, the Dennis Syrmis Trophy adds extra weight to every round at this stage of the season.
The current standings show Ken Collin leading the Dennis Syrmis Trophy race on 310 pre-grand final points, but the contest is far from settled. Dean Jamieson is next on 300, while Edge Mallis and Daniel ‘Batdan’ Carranza are tied on 280. Joe Khoury, Lawrence Raschella and Vlado Turic are all on 260, while Zayne Condello remains firmly in the hunt on 250 as he chases back-to-back Dennis Syrmis trophies, leaving a strong group of contenders within striking distance as the season charges toward its final rounds.
“The Pro Stock Nationals is set to be intense,” NDRC Co-Founder, Andy Lopez, said.
“The championship pressure is rising to a boil, but there is still time for one standout performance to change everything.
“The points standings are crazy close, and every racer out there is going to be doing all they can to make a difference. It is a case of make or break for many of our racers, and for the fans, this makes for one hell of a compelling event!”
