Portland, Victoria plays host to the opening round of the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship this weekend and coming into the event with an expanded family team is Modified national champion Craig Baker.
Baker will be joined by 12 year old son Josh who will be making his first appearance in the Junior Dragster category.
Josh was perhaps the main beneficiary of the family’s first national title win, with a promise from his dad that he would buy a Junior Dragster if they won the Aeroflow series.
“Part of the deal was that if we won the championship, I promised Josh he would get a Junior Dragster,” Craig explained.
“It all started when we were in the USA on holiday in 2012 and he wanted an iPad. I said if I won the Australian Nationals I would buy him an iPad and of course then we won the Nationals.
“So then I made another promise, that if I won the championship we would buy a Junior Dragster. My wife is now trying to tell me I promised her some crazy things as well!”
Baker expects that he will be a nervous parent watching Josh hit Fuchs South Coast Raceway for the first time.
“I’m not sure how much it will distract me but it is great having him follow in my footsteps, he knows everything about drag racing,” he said.
“Obviously we want to do well but it’s also about having fun and getting Josh going on his drag racing career.”
With a newly acquired championship in hand, the opening round for the season will be no time for Baker to show any weakness with 12 Modified teams all chasing valuable points.
“You feel like you have the target on your back after winning the championship,” he said. “We just have to go out there and do our best with our own team.
“We’ve made no changes at all to the car, the only thing we have been concentrating on is picking up little maintenance issues.”
Baker will be just one of four new national champions who will be racing at Fuchs South Coast Raceway on Saturday and Sunday, including Super Sedan title holder Johnny Kapiris, Modified Bike champ Gavin Dohnt and Super Gas man of the moment Matthew Forbes.
Qualifying starts from 11am Saturday, with eliminations from 10am Sunday.
John Stewart from Sacramento, California USA (Comp Number: 7732) 1974 - Category: TOPFUEL, Type: TN, Class: AA/FD, Div: 7 "Keeling & Clayton" Owned by John Keeling & Jerry Clayton from Marina del Rey, California USA '73 Dragster by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a 417 cubic inch Donovan Hemi with 2 speed manual […]
John Stewart from Sacramento, California USA (Comp Number: 7732) 1973 - Category: TOPFUEL, Type: TN, Class: AA/FD, Div: 7 "Keeling & Clayton" Owned by John Keeling & Jerry Clayton from Marina del Rey, California USA '73 Dragster by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a 417 cubic inch Donovan Hemi with 2 speed manual […]
Rick Ramsey from Fountain Valley, California USA (Comp Number: 723) 1975 - Category: TOPFUEL, Type: TN, Class: AA/FD, Div: 7 "Keeling & Clayton" Owned by John Keeling & Jerry Clayton from Marina del Rey, California USA '72 Dragster by Don Long | Powered by a 480 cubic inch Donovan Hemi with 2 speed manual transmission […]
Tom Ferraro from Phelan, California USA (Comp Number: 711) 1973 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 7 "Keeling & Clayton" Owned by John Keeling & Jerry Clayton from Marina del Rey, California USA '71 Ford Pinto by Don Long | Powered by a 392 cubic inch Chrysler Hemi with 2 speed manual transmission […]
Tom Ferraro from Phelan, California USA (Comp Number: 711) 1972 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 7 "Keeling & Clayton" Owned by John Keeling & Jerry Clayton from Marina del Rey, California USA '71 Ford Pinto by Don Long | Powered by a 392 cubic inch Chrysler Hemi with 2 speed manual transmission […]
Chip King from Senda, North Carolina USA (Comp Number: 213) 2025 - Category: PM-BLOWN, Type: BN, Class: Pro Modified, Div: 2 "Dreamworks Motorsports" Owned by Terry Leggett from Pine Ridge, North Carolina USA 1970 Dodge Charger by Jerry Bickel | Powered by a 526 cubic inch BAE Hemi with 3 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile […]
Mike Janis from Lancaster, New York USA (Comp Number: 1456) 2025 - Category: PM-BLOWN, Type: BN, Class: Pro Modified, Div: 1 "RDRC" Owned by Mike Janis from Lancaster, New York USA 1967 Ford Mustang by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a 526 cubic inch Alan Johnson Chevrolet by Jan - Cen Racing Engines […]
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Derek Menholt from Billings, Montana USA (Comp Number: 6317) 2025 - Category: PM-BLOWN, Type: BN, Class: Pro Modified, Div: 6 "Menholt Auto Group/ProCharger" Owned by Scott Tidwell from Pinson, Alabama USA 1968 Chevrolet Camaro by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a 521 cubic inch AJPE Hemi with 3 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile […]
Kevin Rivenbark from Wallace, North Carolina USA (Comp Number: 225) 2025 - Category: PM-BLOWN, Type: BN, Class: Pro Modified, Div: 2 "Culp Lumber" Owned by Earl Wells from Clinton, North Carolina USA 2019 71 Ford Mustang by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a 521 cubic inch Ford Hemi with automatic transmission 1/4 Mile […]