This weekend’s Riverbend Nationals at Dragway at The Bend will deliver a stacked nitro show, headlined by the first BLAHST Top Fuel and XPRO Nitro Funny Car double header of the year.
Joining these 11,000hp flame-throwing heavyweights in bringing the nitro will be a 15-car field of 3500hp Top Doorslammers and four 1500hp Top Fuel Motorcycles, both opening their 2026 campaigns at the March 28 and 29 event.
Top Fuel Motorcycle completes the nitro picture, with Corey Buttigieg, Damien Martini, Danny Rickard, and Ian Ashelford set to thrill. With last year’s winner and champion Damian Muscat taking a break, the door is wide open for any of these racers to make their mark and get their title chase off to a strong start.
They will be joined by the stars of Pro Alcohol, Pro Mod, and more than 145 Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship racers, while a full off-track entertainment program keeps fans busy all weekend.
For BLAHST Top Fuel, last year’s Riverbend Nationals saw Wayne Newby – who went on to claim the 2024/2025 title – take the win over his Rapisarda Autosport International team-mate and former champion, Damien Harris.
While not claiming victory, Harris was still the toast of the town; rewriting the record books with the quickest and fastest ever pass outside of the United States: 3.683s/534.23kph, just 0.06 shy of the world record.
Newby and Harris will be joined on track for BLAHST Top Fuel by Kyle Putland and Phil Lamattina, with Harris aiming to launch his championship chase in record-breaking style.
“It has been a long break for us, so I am looking forward to getting back in the car,” Harris said.
“Hopefully we can have a better start to the championship than we did last time,” he added, referring to the engine detonation he experienced at the 2024/2025 season-opening Spring Nationals in October 2024, “and hopefully I can go on to take the championship again, and take it from my teammate.
“(As far as resetting the record) the plan is to try and go faster; it will depend on weather and track prep, but hopefully we can.”
In XPRO Nitro Funny Car, Josh Leahy is another looking to go one better after a strong 2025 Riverbend Nationals which included top qualifying, multiple PBs, and an A-Final appearance alongside teammate and current champion, Morice McMillin.
McMillin will be chasing back-to-back wins, but Leahy, Adam Murrihy, Justin Walshe, and Damon Paton will be out to stop him.
“Last time a part failure gave us the runner-up position; this time we would love to take out the gold hardware! But with a new car in the field driven by Damon Paton and Morice lowering the benchmark just about every event, that is going to be even harder!” Leahy said.
“We love arriving at Dragway at The Bend, the track is great and weather conditions should provide for some quick racing.
“Last season our approach was to be consistent and get down the track the best that we could. It put us in second place for the championship, which I am still so proud about, and we will keep that strategy heading into this season.”
Last year’s Riverbend Nationals delivered a breakthrough A-Final victory for Top Doorslammer competitor Jeremy Callaghan – a remarkable turnaround after his Westernationals campaign ended with him upside-down just four weeks earlier.
Callaghan will be one of 15 ‘Slammer stars, alongside Daniel Gregorini, Emilio Spinozzi, Frank Taylor, Jack Danaher, Jeffrey Cutajar, John Zappia, Scott Ferguson, Lisa Gregorini, Brodie Zappia, Salim Matta, Ronnie Palumbo, Peter Lovering, Russell Taylor, and Shane Catalano.
“Even now when I think back on the Riverbend Nationals and taking that win, I can’t stop grinning – what a weekend that was, and what a turnaround from skidding down the track in Perth on my roof just four weeks earlier!” reflects Callaghan.
“As I said at the time – we went from the outhouse to the penthouse!
“We have done a lot of work over the off-season and after setting a new PB in testing at Sydney last week, we really cannot wait to get this 2026 championship underway. Here is hoping we can get our title chase off to a strong start!”
At the same time, there will also be plenty of Pro Alcohol and Pro Mod heroes on the track, with Andrew Searle, Cheyne Phillips, John Cannuli, Steven Carpenter, and reigning champ Daniel Reed leading the Pro Alcohol charge in their second round of the season. The first Pro Mod action of 2026 will come from Adam Tassone, Lorenzo Gullotto, Peter Rallis, Zack Knezevic, and reigning champion Zoran Gajic; while more than 145 Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship racers will round out the on-track program, ensuring something for every drag racing fan over the two days.
