However, the dominant players in the Top Fuel bracket at the opening meeting were the Lamattina Brothers (surely the family carrot farming business should have meant the car was decked out in bright orange and green?) and their driver Darren Morgan. At the start of their second season the team qualified number one, ran low ET and Top Speed of the event (4.861/303.91 mph) and took the event win.

The event marked the first appearance on the east coast of the Sheehan Family's awesome 5.6 second alky altered. The team usually limit their appearances to the Kwinana Motorplex over in Perth, Western Australia, but this season sees the world's fastest TA/A hunting for the 5.5's and lower at Sydney and Willowbank outside of Brisbane.

Mark Brew was shaking down the ex-Jay Payne Camaro in one of the hottest Alcohol fields in ANDRA competition, Brew has racked up a number of event wins in the Alky ranks with dragsters in the past, but the powers that be are looking to restrict Top Alcohol competition to the Funny Cars and Altereds over the next couple of seasons.