Steve Read Runs 4.03 At Haltech East Coast Nationals, His Quickest Since Returning To Top Fuel
Photo: True Image Photography
Sydney Dragway, 26 September 2026 — Steve Read has run the quickest pass of his Top Fuel comeback, a 4.037-second, 471.28kph effort in the final Top Fuel run of the Haltech East Coast Nationals.
The Steve Read Racing dragster went back on the trailer at the end of the night without having damaged a single part all race day.
The result caps a season in which the Ipswich-based team has built its program gradually, on a limited budget, since Read returned to the seat at the 2024 Winternationals.
The event was scheduled for two days, 26th and 27th September.
With unseasonal heat forecast for Saturday, the NDRC first moved the Saturday sessions to 5pm and 8pm to keep the nitro categories out of the worst of it, with Sunday to run its traditional daytime program. When the forecast then deteriorated for Sunday, the entire event was compressed into a single day on Saturday. Drizzle set in from mid-morning Sunday, vindicating the decision.
For the Top Fuel teams it meant three passes in changing conditions with no margin for a slow start. Round one was seeded from the championship standings, pairing Read with Damien Harris.
Read's car lost power off the line and laboured through the full 1000 feet to a 5.112 at 346.28kph, against Harris's 3.916. The fault was traced to the supercharger, which the crew replaced between rounds. Given the car's strong showing at a recent Willowbank test day, it was an unexpected setback.
Round two paired Read with Shane Olive in the third Rapisarda Autosport International entry.
Olive's reaction times are among the sharpest in Australian Top Fuel, and Read, knowing his car would not out-run Olive to the stripe, focused on the one element of the race in his control. He cut a .014 reaction time, the best in Top Fuel for the event.
"My driving's coming back," Read said. "I know exactly where I am on the track. The .014 probably opened a few eyes, but it wasn't a guess. That's the light I was going for.
"None of the fuel cars in this country get an easy run. Look at the reaction times, every driver's on the money. Shane's really come around as a driver and Damien's always been quick. There's no easy run at all."
The car faded at the top end and Olive ran him down, 3.880 to Read's 4.089 at 468.83kph. The run gave Read, crew chief Ray Ward and assistant Rod Bailey a complete, clean pass of data for the first time in the day.
It also exposed a second problem.
The all-valve, which meters fuel to the engine, had a bent stem. Brett Ehmer loaned the team the unit he had just received back from the United States, on the condition that no changes were made to it. Despite not being set up for Read's combination, the team limited engine speed to 7,400rpm on the step for the final round, against a normal figure of 8,100–8,200rpm.
With a gusty cool change and possible rain approaching, officials brought the Top Fuel finals forward from 8pm to 6.45pm. A brief delay followed while track staff moved a family of kangaroos from the grass near the shutdown area barriers.
Five cars in the field left Read to run the C-Final solo, the last Top Fuel pass of the event.
From the left lane the car left cleanly, settled, and ran the full distance with the header flames standing to a 4.037 at 471.28kph.
"To run what we ran with only 7,400 on the step is a pretty good pass," Read said. "If we get this back to 8,100 or 8,200 like we normally do, this thing will fall into the three-eighties.
"It's been a long time coming. We've been so close for so long, and we've had to remain patient. As we build our program, as the team gains experience, as we race on a budget that has certain restraints, we couldn't be prouder as a team for the progress we've made.
"We didn't hurt a part all weekend. Not a spark plug, not a blower belt, nothing. People say fuel racing means hurting parts. I don't believe so. If you sneak up on it gradually, you don't have to.
"We've got a crew who'd (mostly) never been drag racing before they came on board two years ago. For them, that run was like they'd won the lot. All the work they've put in over those two years came to fruition, and they're not going home with a broken race car.
"It's attention to detail. If something's not the same as the run before, you find out what caused it. The crew have taken on their own responsibilities a lot more. They're noticing the small things now, and that's what's making the difference."
Sydney concludes Read’s 2026 BLAHST Australian Top Fuel Championship campaign. Read leaves sixth on 44 points, behind Phil Lamattina (74), Harris (64), Wayne Newby (60), Olive (56) and Kyle Putland (46). Final positions will be decided at the SPRY Spring Nationals at Dragway at The Bend in late October, which the team will not attend.
"Of course we'd love to go to The Bend," Read said. "Finances currently don't allow that to happen, but we hope to be at more events in 2027.
"To be able to get behind the wheel of a fuel dragster at my age, with a dedicated crew behind me, this is an opportunity I didn't think would happen again. Through pure determination and a little luck, the stars have certainly aligned and we're having a great time."
Steve Read Racing would like to thank Walkers Turf Supplies, Wild Ink Merchandise, Velocity Media, Logan River Tree Farm, Darton Sleeves, Bison Aerospace Engineering, Jack Brothers Engineering, Headsense Cylinder Heads, Gonzo's Mufflers, Solinco, Sport Sense, Sealy of Australia and Aerospec.
Thanks also to Brett Ehmer for the loan of the all-valve, and to RaceMax Direct for delivering three new Star Racer belts to the track over the weekend.
Haltech East Coast Nationals — Steve Read results
Round 1: 5.112 sec at 346.28kph, defeated by Damien Harris 3.916 at 508.32kph
Round 2: 4.089 sec at 468.83kph (.014 RT), defeated by Shane Olive 3.880 at 515.44kph
C-Final: 4.037 sec at 471.28kph, solo — best ET since Read's 2024 return
2026 BLAHST Australian Top Fuel Championship standings after Sydney: 6th, 44 points
ENDS
