New Motorcycle Drag Racing record sets at The Bend
Top Fuel Motorcycle racer Damian Muscat has recorded the fastest and quickest pass in Australian Motorcycle Drag Racing history at Saturday’s Drag Bike Nationals Presented by Harley-Davidson.
Muscat crossed the line in 5.800-seconds at 394.96 km/h to set the new benchmarks.
The Dragway at The Bend now holds the Australian record for the top tier of Car and motorcycle Drag Racing and is now arguably the fastest track outside of North America.
Damian Muscat and his team travelled 3200 km from Mackay (QLD), to achieve the feat and in doing so he also returns home as the winner of Round One of the 2024/25 NDRC Top Fuel Motorcycle Championship.
Muscat’s journey to the hallowed five-second pass has intensified in recent times, falling short at Queensland’s Willowbank Raceway in June, before knocking the existing record out of the park in South Australia on Saturday night.
When speaking after claiming the record Muscat stated that his team’s run also put him in the top 10 in the world for Top Fuel Motorcycle Drag Racing.
Damian Muscat
“We headed into the finals and managed to run the best number of my career, and it just happens to be the fastest in Australia so we’re pretty happy with that. It’s also number eight in the world, just to add that one in so I couldn’t be happier for all our sponsors for believing in us. In the first round, we went super-fast but put it in the sand pit and look the team worked tirelessly, I owe all this to them because we couldn’t have turned all this (the bike) around otherwise.”
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Muscat when after crossing the line at 377 km/h in the first round he was unable to come to a stop before the sand trap.
The Bend’s Managing Director Sam Shahin has immediately set about to raise the bar once more.
Sam Shahin
“Australian records that have remained unchallenged for years have now been broken at The Bend. It’s time now to challenge the international benchmarks that have also stood for years. I think there is Australian talent and expertise to knock off the world’s best. I also think this will entice international drag racers to come to the fastest track in Australia to have a crack. Exciting times ahead right here in the Murray River, Lakes and Coorong Region of South Australia.”
The Top Fuel Motorcycle Class was joined by over 90 of Australia’s best motorbike Drag Racers in the first running of the Drag Bike Nationals.
Muscat and fellow competitors in the NDRC now head to Sydney Dragway for round two.
