The owners of the 400 Thunder Drag Racing Series, the Australian Professional Drag Racing (APDR), have signed an agreement with the “Nitro Up North” event to expand the 400 Thunder Drag Racing Series at Hidden Valley Drag Strip.

This agreement is part of a movement to promote the sport of drag racing in Australia.
 
This means that both Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) and International Hot Rod Association (IHRA-Australia) license holders can now compete together at all 400 Thunder Group One rounds in a single Championship Series at select tracks around Australia.
 
Discussions are also in the final stages with Calder Park Drag Racing and Adelaide Drag Race Promotions. Perth Motorplex and Alice Springs Inland Dragway are not too far behind in discussions.
 
The sanctioning body for each individual venue will remain unchanged, however an event license and complimentary tech inspections will be offered to those racers not holding that track’s sanctioning body license, as long as the racer holds a current license equivalent to the bracket entered.
 
The 400 Thunder Sportsman Series will be run at Sydney Dragway and Willowbank Raceway. The Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series will be run alongside the 400 Thunder Group One series at Hidden Valley Drag Strip, and additional tracks as the series expands.
 
The new 400 Thunder 2017/2018 Australian Championship Season will kick off next month at Darwin's magnificent Hidden Valley Drag Strip on July 21—22, which will also be the opening round of the 2017/2018 Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series.
 
All tracks running standalone 400 Thunder Sportsman Series events or Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series events will remain unaffected.
 
This announcement comes after extensive discussions by all parties and is believed to be the best direction for the sport of drag racing in Australia, according to APDR.
 
A full calendar will be released upon completion.