Red CentreNATS 11, presented by LMCT+, returns to Alice Springs this Father’s Day weekend, and the legendary Zappia family is ready to bring serious firepower to the drag strip.

Uncle and nephew John and Brodie Zappia, with more than 50 years of combined racing experience and multiple national titles between them, will take part in the highly anticipated Heavy Hitters drag racing event on Saturday 6 September.

Brodie, just 19 years old, has already claimed an ANDRA Junior Dragster National Championship, five Western Australian state titles, and three Westernationals victories.

“I’ve always loved racing in Alice Springs. My first event here was in 2014 at just eight years old. I won my first Christmas tree here in 2019 and have won the Desert Nationals the last three times I competed,” Brodie said.

“I’ve always had good luck here and it’s a different environment.”

63-year-old John Zappia is an 11-time Top Doorslammer champion and a well-respected figure in the sport. He praised the event organisers and the crowd.

“The promoters do a great job organising the event, so it’s fantastic that we get the chance to put on a show for the Red CentreNATS crowd and perform for our sponsors,” John said.

“There’s some prize money on the line, so hopefully it’s team Zappia that gets to take it home.”

The pair are known for their fierce rivalry with husband-and-wife racers Lisa and Daniel Gregorini – a feud that has become one of the most compelling storylines in Australian Top Doorslammer racing.

Both families will be travelling down from Darwin after competing in the Nitro Up North Grand Final on 29–30 August, with Lisa currently sitting second on the National Drag Racing Championship Top Doorslammer leaderboard, John in third, Brodie in fourth and Daniel in seventh.

“There’s some history between the teams, so there are no friendships on the racetrack,” Brodie said.

“Putting on a show and match racing the Gregorinis should be great for the crowd.

“We’ll be giving it our all to be the faster family in this family feud.”

John agreed with Brodie’s views on the rivalry.

“Regardless of who I’m racing, I treat every run like I’m trying to set another record. Lisa [Gregorini] has done well this year, so I know we’ll have a good race when we line up,” John said.

Racing in the Northern Territory presents unique challenges, including long travel distances and changing track conditions.

“I’ll be driving the truck with my co-driver for the whole trip. It’s over 10,000 kilometres round trip from Perth to Darwin, then Alice Springs, and back. It really takes a toll after two busy weekends racing,” John said.

“I usually compete in the NT once or twice a year. The experience is different to racing at tracks like Perth, Sydney and Willowbank. I love the challenge of adapting to a greener track surface as the data we’ve gathered from previous years is essential to getting the power down.”

Despite these challenges, both have strong records this year and aim to continue their excellent form on the track.

“My car has been consistent, running mid 5.80s almost everywhere it’s been, aside from Sydney where we set a personal best of 5.78 seconds,” Brodie said.

“We reset the national record to 5.591 at the Nitro Champs in Sydney, and we top qualified at the Winternationals. We’re constantly pushing to find small improvements to go faster,” John added.

The Heavy Hitters event features a $20,000 prize pool and a high-stakes heads-up format under the lights, making it one of the most exciting races at Red CentreNATS.

“Fans can expect fast, loud, five-second passes from a pair of Monaros and a pair of Camaros, as well as close, hard racing,” Brodie said.

“Expect big burnouts, hard launches, and quick elapsed times from Australia’s fastest blown HQ Monaros: ZapsRat and Crusher,” John added.

For those considering entering, the pair encourage others to make the trip for a once-in-a-lifetime experience that all motorsport lovers should enjoy.

“It’s a big expense to travel anywhere to race, but competing in Alice Springs is something you must do at least once. It’s a unique experience, and I enjoy putting on a show for the people here,” Brodie said.

The 11th annual Red CentreNATS, presented by LMCT+, will take place from 5 – 7 September 2025.

Visit www.redcentrenats.com.au for more information.