ANDRA has announced a six-round championship series for Doorslammer and Top Fuel Motorcycle commencing at Hidden Valley Drag Strip, Northern Territory, July 16-17 and concluding at the Perth Motorplex, Western Australia on March 5-6.

The desert town of Alice Springs, 930 miles south of Hidden Valley, will host the second round on July 24-25.

 Adelaide International Raceway, South Australia is home to round three of the championship on October 16-17. In recent times the track has been home to ANDRA Sportsman racing.

Round four is scheduled for the Perth Motorplex, Western Australia, on November 27 followed by a summer break until the penultimate round at the recently refurbished Calder Park Raceway, Melbourne, February 5-6.

The last time Group One racing was held at CP was in January 2017 when NHRA star Dom Lagana defeated four-time ANDRA champ, Darren Morgan, in the final of Top Fuel.

All Group One or Pro categories affiliated with rival 400 Thunder series including Top Fuel, Pro Slammer, Top Alcohol, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Bike are absent from the schedule.

However, Top Fuel is expected to appear on the calendar at some point. The elite category most recently appeared at the ANDRA sanctioned 2020 Motorplex Westernats where two-time ANDRA champ Phil Lamattina raced New South Wales-based Peter Xiberras.

The opening round of the championship will serve as a litmus test as to the viability and credibility of the series. The Hidden Valley track is a 5030-mile return trip for the Perth-based teams. For the East Coast teams headquartered in Sydney and Brisbane, the distance to the venue is either a 4900 or 4500-mile road trip

Teams will also need to factor in if they have the budget and resources to travel to the opening round and then stay on to race in Alice Springs.

In the past, race organizers have made tow or appearance money available as a sweetener to encourage teams to attend events, particularly in the Northern Territory.

As Australia begins to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic there exists the ever-present possibility that state borders will slam shut as they have in the past causing race teams to be stranded and unable to return home.

A strong car count at the opening rounds is critical to kick-start the ANDRA season as it strives to emerge from hibernation created by COVID-19.