With all categories except Top Fuel and Nitro Funny Car running under the traditional elimination format for the first time this season, qualifying was crucially important with oversubscribed fields in Pro Alcohol, Pro Mod, and Pro Stock.
Wayne Newby and Morice McMillin led the respective Top Fuel and Funny Car categories respectively, with a 3.82 for Newby the best from the four cars that took to the track for the Top Fuel Test pass on Friday Afternoon, and a good start for the championship hopeful.
Peter Xiberras was second-quickest with an early shut off 4.52, whilst Damian Harris could not drive through tyre shake and was forced to abort his run.
The session saw former Australian and European Champion Steve Read make his return to the Top Fuel category, with his 5.239 enough for the third-quickest time of the session.
Nitro Funny car saw seven cars take to the track for the first qualifying session, with reigning national champion Morice McMillin leading the way with a 4.06 over the 1000ft distance, marginally ahead of teammate Brandon Gosbell.
WA-based Anthony Begley made one of his best runs of the season with a 4.46, while championship leader Justin Walshe sits fourth after a shut off 4.702.
Josh Leahy, Adam Murrihy, and Chris Stipanovich all battled tyre shake and did not post a representative time.
Top Doorslammer saw the emotional return of the Maurice Fabietti’s ACDelco Doorslammer to Willowbank 18 months after the passing of Sam Fenech at the same venue.
With Ronnie Palumbo now in the seat, the event got off to a nervous start with the throttle sticking open during the burnout and crossing the centre line on two wheels.
Palumbo wrangled the car into his own lane, with the 4000-horsepower car still stuck open and made a glancing blow to the right hand wall.
The team were making repairs overnight and are expected to be ready for Q2 on Saturday afternoon.
John Zappia was the class of the field laying down a 5.70 to take the provisional number one position, whilst Rob Harrington was a surprise number two with his 5.922 ahead of Top Doorslammer newcomer Neil Murphy.
Peter Lovering was the last of the five cars in the five-second zone with a 5.95, with Nasser Matta and Russell Taylor rounding out the field after a broken throttle cable slowed his progress.
Jake Donnelly is returning to Pro Alcohol after a mammoth accident in 2023 ended with his car destroyed, and he started the weekend in style with a 5.49 to lead the field over the Champion elect Russell Mills.
Several cars had issues, including the legendary Gary Phillips returning in a virtually new altered built from the remains of his Funny Car that was destroyed in a fire at Sydney Dragway earlier in the season.
Phillips shook the tyre and will have two more Qualifying Sessions to make a representative run on Saturday.
Tyronne Tremayne is the provisional number one in Pro Stock with a 6.915 ahead of Championship leader Rob Dekert with a 6.93.
Pro Stock was arguably the highlight of the day, with only 0.13s covering the top eight in the qualified field.
With only eight starting positions on offer, four cars will not qualify for race day and after the first session Tony Polito, Bill Perdikaris, Ray Oxley and Wayne Daley are the drivers on the outside looking in.
Zoran Gajic leads Pro Mod with his 5.86 marginally ahead of Frank Tarabay’s 5.88, with Paul Mouhayet and Greg Tsakiridis marginally ahead of championship leader Craig Burns in fifth.
Top Fuel Motorcycle promised plenty with Damian Muscat’s 6.00 in testing so close to the first five-second run at Willowbank Raceway, however his 6.90 early shut off was the only six-second run in the first round.
Luke Crowley leads Pro Bike after one session with a 7.21 ahead of Daniel Rabnott, with five of the six bikes in attendance in the seven second zone already.
Final qualifying will be held in front of an already virtually sold out crowd at Willowbank Raceway on Saturday, before champions are crowned on Sunday.
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