The 2026 Gulf Western Oil Winternationals will be remembered not only for its massive crowds and hair-raising passes, but also for a remarkable series of Australian records that rewrote the history books at Willowbank Raceway. A capacity crowd witnessed some of the fastest passes ever recorded on Australian soil as teams pushed the limits of performance.

First published in the August 2026 issue of Street Machine

While radial racing, no-prep, drag-and-drive and roll racing all have significant niche popularity, the Winters remains a powerful draw for both competitors and spectators alike. For the fans, the appeal is easy to see, with Top Fuel and Nitro Funny Car topping a list of eight pro-level brackets on show, supported by a stout Aeroflow Sportsman field. Records in the pro ranks seem to drop each and every year, so as long as the weather holds out, the public knows it is going to have a fat time!

For the racers, there are National Drag Racing Championship points on offer – and the chance to do their thing in front of a massive crowd. Besides that, winning your class at the Winters is the drag racing equivalent of victory at Bathurst – the hardest one to win and the most treasured.

For many Sportsman racers, just being part of it all is a big part of the appeal. From the carnival atmosphere in the bustling pits to the jam-packed grandstands, the four-day event may be a long haul, but it provides one hell of a buzz. With over 475 entries, racers can plan their schedule to book in plenty of time for barbecues, bench racing and spectating. A win-win! 

This year, the headline belonged to BLAHST Top Fuel star Damien Harris, who set a new Australian Top Fuel speed record of 335.82mph during an extraordinary side-by-side battle with reigning champion Wayne Newby. Harris managed that feat only a day after Newby had reset the record himself, underlining the incredible pace of modern Top Fuel racing in Australia.

Top Doorslammer also delivered history. Russell Taylor shattered the Australian elapsed-time record with a stunning 5.551-second pass, lowering the benchmark he had established only 24 hours earlier. In another remarkable achievement, Emilio Spinozzi recorded a new Australian Top Doorslammer speed record of 266.79mph.

The statistics from the weekend were extraordinary. Spectators witnessed eight three-second passes and 11 runs exceeding 310mph across the Top Fuel and Nitro Funny Car categories, demonstrating just how competitive Australia’s premier drag racing classes have become.

While the records captured the headlines, the race victories proved equally dramatic.

Damien Harris completed a dream weekend by claiming the Top Fuel victory. His final against Rapisarda Autosport teammate Shane Olive became an instant classic, with both drivers fighting their machines all the way down the quarter-mile in a spectacular pedal-fest. Harris ultimately prevailed to claim one of the biggest wins of his career.

In Top Doorslammer, Emilio Spinozzi claimed the coveted Gold Christmas Tree, despite Taylor’s record-setting run. A lightning-fast reaction time gave Spinozzi the edge at the startline, allowing him to defeat the quicker car and secure one of the most memorable victories of the event.

Nitro Funny Car produced another crowd favourite as Northern Territory racer Adam Murrihy and Josh Leahy staged a flame-throwing final. Murrihy appeared poised for a breakthrough victory, but Leahy produced a near-perfect run to claim the championship trophy and cap a brilliant weekend of racing.

No Winternationals would be complete without its share of drama, and the 2026 edition delivered plenty.

Several of the weekend’s most memorable moments came during the Top Fuel finals. Phil Lamattina and Kyle Putland both survived spectacular engine explosions and fireball incidents on their way to victory in their respective final rounds. Despite the mechanical carnage, both drivers maintained control and crossed the finish line, drawing huge applause from the Willowbank crowd.

Mechanical failures also played a decisive role throughout the eliminations. Former champion John Zappia was unable to contest a crucial Top Doorslammer round after suffering a major mechanical failure, while tyre shake, broken belts and engine issues repeatedly tested crews and drivers across the championship classes.

Pro Mod racer Adam Tassone had a big off in his Mustang in his semi-final against eventual class winner Lorenzo Gullotto. Tassone’s Mustang ended up on its roof, but the driver emerged unhurt.

Blown altered pilot Garry Cameron also walked away from a big crash during the finals of Supercharged Outlaws. 

The combination of record speeds, championship victories and spectacular mechanical drama ensured the 2026 Winternationals delivered exactly what Australian drag racing fans expect: a weekend where records are broken, champions are crowned and every pass down the quarter-mile carries the possibility of history.

58TH WINTERNATIONALS CHAMPIONS

OH, WHAT A FEELING!

ROBBIE Butler was competing in his 50th – yes, 50th! – Winternationals, having first appeared at the event in 1976 in a little KE20 Corolla. “Not long after I sold that KE20, it ended up getting hit by a train, poor thing!” he laughed.

Fast-forward to 2026 and 70-year-old Robbie was still fanging a Corolla down the Willowbank strip. “I’ve always had Corollas; I owned the Toyota dealership in Toowoomba and I’m a Toyota mechanic by trade, so I guess you could say I have Toyota in my veins,” he said.

Robbie’s current go-fast ’Rolla is this KE10, with the chassis and engine conversion originally done by Kyle Hopf of 6boost. “He did the tubs for me and got the engine in there, because even for a four-cylinder, there’s bugger-all room in there,” Robbie said.

Sporting a trick head from LCE Performance in the US, the 2.7L Toyota 3RZ four-pot is now force-fed by a 1150hp-capable Pulsar turbo, copping up to 38psi for just shy of 900rwhp. 

“The A340 would rob a lot of power by the time it gets to the rear, and it’s around 2380lb,” said Robbie. “We run a Hoosier 235 tyre and methanol fuel at the track, and switch to E85 for the street.”

Terry Seng at Paramount Performance tunes the package for Robbie with the Holley EFI system, which also controls the Toyota gearbox. In keeping with the Toyota trueness, a HiLux diff is used under the bum.

Robbie ran a fresh PB of 8.47@161mph at this year’s Winters but came a cropper in the racing. “A couple of us four-cylinders started getting right to the pointy end, and I don’t think the V8 fellas were fans!” he said. “I got held at the line for a bit too long on the two-step and dropped a valve.”

Even so, Robbie was in good spirits and already counting down to next year’s Winternationals: “I’ll be there! You can always count on that.”

INSANE ISUZU! 

BROTHERS Steve and Jay Sloan have been racing their jointly operated Gemini since 2015, and throughout the whole process, they’ve stuck steadfast with the Gemini’s core driveline. 

“It uses an Isuzu 1.8L four-cylinder that Geminis came with when new, and this engine still has the original block, crank, cylinder head and valvetrain,” Steve said. “We’re also running a Trimatic gearbox, as they come with them originally.”

The turbocharged combo huffs down methanol, and with upwards of 55psi screwed down its throat, it makes north of 900rwhp. “We did 904rwhp on 50psi, but we were running more like 55psi at the track,” said Steve.

A 120hp dry shot of nitrous helps get the combo on boost, and somehow, even with the standard valvetrain, the thing was screaming at 9700rpm when it clocked a PB down in Sydney of 7.96@169mph. 

“It weighs 2100lb without me in it,” said Steve. “We run a 26×8.5 rear tyre, and now it has a Haltech Nexus R5.”

The lads had to earn their runner-up placing in Super Comp at the Winternationals, after the Trimatic transmission split its case early in the piece. “My brother builds the gearboxes, and luckily our crew guy had another in his car down the road, so we got that and borrowed it for the event,” said Steve.

With that transmission not properly specced for the Gemini’s set-up, it was by no means perfect, but the lads cobbled together enough of a performance for the second-place silverware. 

“Unfortunately, on the startline in the final, the car suffered a small nitrous backfire, and I watched our opponent drive away with the win,” said Steve. “I eventually restarted the car and ran a representative pass, which confirmed what we already suspected – we wouldn’t have won the final anyway, given the reduced performance.”

Even so, the brothers were incredibly proud to finish runner-up and hold that Silver Tree. “In all previous attempts, we’ve never been past the second round, making this result even more special,” Steve said.