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Tailem Bend gears up for a record-breaking Spring Nationals

A national drag racing event will be on again this weekend, and the competing drivers are ready to push to the limit.

Kate Kinnear

Oct 2, 2025 — 3 min read

Victor Tsatlogianis floors it at the 2024 Spring Nationals at the Bend. Photo: Grant Stephens.

Drag racing enthusiasts should only have one plan for this October long weekend, and that’s to head to Tailem Bend for the 2025 Spring Nationals.

This Friday to Sunday, the drag racing event featuring four of Australia’s top drivers will be held at the Shell V-Power Motorsport Park.

There will be racing, activities for the kids, live music, food and open access to the pits.

Motor sport park CEO Alistair MacDonald said the event would redefine motorsport in Australia.

“There’s nothing like the visceral experience of being at a top fuel event,” he said.

“This will be the hottest ticket in the region over the long weekend, and with kids 15 and under going for free, we expect to see bumper crowds.”

Aside from striving for victory, the teams competing will have one goal: to set a world record.

Racing in the competition will be an existing world record holder: John Ricca, the world record holder of the fastest supercharged door car, for his pro mod Camaro.

Ricca set the record in 2024 at Bradenton Motorsports Park, with a 5.379-second pass at 435.73 kilometres per hour.

He will compete in his 2018 Camaro and said he was looking to break more records.

“We would love to put on a show at the Spring Nationals for the crowd and break a world record on Australian soil,” he said.

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Other drivers will include:

Phil Lamattina, FUCHS Lubricants Lamattina Top Fuel Racing, a two-time Australian Top Fuel Championship winner
Phil Read, Hydraulink Jim Read Racing, a three-time Australian Top Fuel Championship winner and the previous Top Fuel National Record holder from the 2024 Spring Nationals with a 3.725 second pass
Damien Harris, Rapisarda Autosport International, a four-time Australian Top Fuel Championship winner and current Top Fuel elapsed time and speed record holder with a 3.683 second pass at 534.23 kilometres per hour
Wayne Newby, Rapisarda Autosport International, a three-time Australian Top Alcohol Championship winner and two-time Australian Top Fuel Championship winner

Wayne Newby, Phil Read and Damien Harris are among the drivers competing in this year's Spring Nationals. Photos: Dragway at the Bend.

The motor sport park is expecting a large turnout this year, with 20,000 people having attended the three-day event last year.

Camping sites at the Bend were quick to sell out, with event organisers being forced to open additional grounds.

State Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said motor sport races were an example of the world-class events South Australia delivered.

“The Bend has quickly established itself as one of Australia’s premier motorsport venues, and the Spring Nationals brings people from all over Australia to the Coorong region,” she said.